Debt

22: Hot Seat

After lunch, Shawn suggested Abrielle try spending some time with Erma. So when she went out to the pool house, and Evan took Larielle to his treehouse, Shawn dragged his sister to her room and locked the door.

Shayla was laughing as if this was fun for her. Like her brother wanted to show her some secret hideout he found. As if they were teenagers.

"Now I want my answers, big sister," he cooed.

Shayla smirked like she was amused as she went to a shelf with glasses and alcohol. "Want a drink?"

He wanted her to just stop playing for two seconds. This wasn't amusing to him. His sister was just pretending to still have trauma in a mental hospital, and then she allowed herself to be kidnapped. And then he found her with three dead men around her. He wanted answers. No normal woman would have found a way out of certain doom in her situation. Why had she?

"Shayla-" he growled.

Shayla giggled and sat down with her scotch. "Where do I begin?" she asked, taking an indulgent drink. Her eyes were still lit with amusement as she watched Shawn. She knew she was pushing his buttons. And right now, she felt there wasn't much to worry about. At least, not in this house.

"Here's an idea: the beginning!" Shawn growled, growing impatient.

"My, my little brother. Haven't we learned that patience is a good friend? Have a drink."

She passed him the glass, and he accepted, watching her and waiting.

"The beginning... Okay. I did legitimately check into the hospital ages nineteen to twenty-five. But I knew something was up when the management changed hands. Something didn't feel right. And I could hear through the walls, someone saying Lokie. Not like two words to keep it low key. But like one word, Lokie. You."

He watched her in curiosity. Who in that hospital had anything to do with him? Who would want him? And didn't his sister know the danger she'd put herself in so willingly? She could have died so many times over!

"We'd be liars and fools if we ever told anyone we didn't know you made enemies. And dangerous ones. The problem is, I don't know who's in charge."

That was a problem for Shawn as well. Not knowing who exactly was after him. They had someone doing their dirty work. So they obviously felt like they were too important to handle it themselves. That would simply just cause more lost lives, because Shawn was no one's light work. If someone wanted him dead, they'd realize they would have to kill him themselves.

She got up and went to pour herself another drink. She knew what her brother did with those lips, and she didn't like Bri enough for that.

"I stayed to spy on my doctor. But today, he didn't tell me much more than what I'd been hearing. I learned today that he Mexican. Which, all things considered, don't really help me much," Shayla said, sitting down, crossing her legs at the ankles. "There are thousands of Mexicans in the general area. Most of whom I'm sure have never had the misfortune of running into you, brother. So I spy with my little green eye a set up in waiting. If I'm right, we're in trouble."

"Trina and Daryl?"

"The very same. Her energy is off to me, and he's fucking loony. I think he really does still believe Abrielle should be with him. Which is only fuel to his fire. I heard that little tramp call him when I came up before lunch that day. I could only hear him while the phone was on speaker, but it sounded like he was jealous. There's nothing worse than a jealous, vengeful ex."

Shawn sat back and considered that. It was a very real possibility. Trina seemed to turn her back on her two so-called best friends so easily when they liked Evan and himself. Especially Abrielle.