Chapter 0316


    “Pickings are slim,” Daniel says, grinning at her. “All in jail for the moment. Though if you’re into girls, | know some Russians...”


    Janeen raises her eyebrows, clearly intrigued, but | interrupt.


    “Enough of this —“ | say, stepping between them. “We need...” and then | sigh, deciding how to phrase this. | turn to my sister.


    “Janeen, Daniel and | need to make ns. And you’re wee to be in on them, but if you do...I need you to either be in or out.


    You''re either a part of this, or you should — for your own safety — stay out of itpletely.”


    Janeen goes quiet for a moment, studying me, and then flicks her eyes to Daniel. “Did you do this to her?” she asks quietly.


    “Turn my geeky little sister into a mafia boss?”


    “Nah,” | hear Daniel answer, and | don’t look at him. “That''s all dad.”


    “Well,” Janeen says, returning her gaze to me. “I kind of like it.”


    “So, are you in?” | ask, needing an answer and wanting it now.


    “Of course I’m in,” she says, giving me a frown. “You know you can count on me, Fay. Always.”


    | turn to Daniel then, because — no matter what — we''re in this together. “You good with that?”


    m if you are,” he says, looking down at me with his steady green eyes. My heart twists a little as | look up at him. He just


    looks...so much like Kent.


    | quickly look away, needing...well, needing not to go there right now. There''s too much to do. Briskly, | nod. “Okay then. Let’s get


    started.”


    Daniel and | set up camp on the second-story back deck, which is almost too luxurious andfortable to serve as the base of


    ourmand. But we make do, curled up at the circr wooden table with the blue umbre open above us. Dad, when he


    wakes, makes us breakfast and brings it to us while the three of us chat. He doesn’t interfere or join in, though — clearly deciding


    to give us our space.


    | thank him and hope he knows how grateful | am that he’s here, but | don’t ask him to get involved — both because | know he


    doesn’t want to, and because...well, because | can’t stand to put him in that kind of danger. My father is a gentle soul.


    Janeen, however, is a terrier. | have much less worry about her — and frankly, she’s even better than Daniel about getting


    organized and bringing all of our pieces together.


    Daniel contacts ourwyers, getting all the information he can about Kent and Jerome’s incarceration as well as our finances. It’s


    not long before we have a pile of mixed news to sort through.


    “So, the bad news,” Daniel says, ending his call and sitting back down at the table with us, “is that all of dad’s property and bank


    ounts are locked down because he’s under investigation.”


    “Oh,” | say, sitting forward, disturbed by this. “So, um. How are we going to paywyers and stuff?”Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “They''ll do a certain amount essentially on credit,” Daniel sighs, running a hand through his messy hair, “under the assumption


    that they''ll get paid when dad goes free, or when his ounts and stuff get unlocked. But until then...”


    “Are we broke?” | ask, a little afraid. | mean — I’m no stranger to being poor, but this situation gets a lot moreplicated if we


    don’t have resources.


    “That’s part of the good news,” Daniel says, looking at me and leaning back in his chair. “You and | still have ess to our


    ounts and property.”


    “We have ounts and property?” | ask, tilting my head to the side.


    “How do you not know this, Fay?” Janeen scoffs.


    “| was busy, Janeen,” | growl, ring at her.


    “Getting knocked up,” she murmurs,


    which makes Danielugh. | enover


    and shov her harshefiigh that her


    pounce into Daniel''s, and


    they both stopughing, seeing that


    I''m mad. Please read the original


    content at NovelDrama.Org.


    “Can we be serious, please?” | say before | turn my attention back to Daniel.


    “My property is in Europe,” Daniel


    says casually — as if it’s a normal


    thing — “and you have this house


    which is paid f epiiehs bitte


    pre SG ore goes through me at


    that — at least we have somewhere


    to stay. “And as for ounts,


    apparently dad gave thewyers a list


    of our assets in case something like


    this happened. I''ll ess them now.”


    Please read the original content at


    NovelDrama.Org.


    But while Daniel types on theputer, pulling up our bank ounts, the doorbell rings.


    | frown at Janeen. “Were you expecting anyone?”


    Slowly, she shakes her head. So, aa


    stand up, eee g forahiesidirs down


    tO yest oor. Please read the


    original content at NovelDrama.Org.