Bad Boy (Invertary 5)

“Okay.” Abby drew out the word. From the look on her sister’s face, the other matter wouldn’t be good.

“After lunch, perhaps?” Victoria said. “We could take a moment in private to talk.”

“We can talk now.”

Her sister couldn’t meet her eyes. “No, later is fine.”

Abby desperately wanted to demand to know now. If the blade was going to fall on her neck, she didn’t want to wait to find out how. But the anxiety radiating from Victoria made her hesitate. What difference would another few minutes make? It was the least she could do, considering everything Victoria had sacrificed to help her.

“Okay,” Abby said. “Let’s go get some tea.”

Her sister was visibly relieved by the reprieve. “Tea would be lovely.”

They walked side by side into the kitchen only to find Lawrence, Flynn and Katy discussing football around the dining table.

“Everything okay?” Flynn said when he saw her.

“Yes. It’s all good.”

He gave her the sort of private smile that made her heart clench hard. Victoria sat at Lawrence’s side. Lawrence shocked Abby further by taking her sister’s hand. The way he smiled at Victoria made Abby ache with hope. He was a good man. And after a life living for their mother, Victoria deserved a good man to help her heal.

Abby served tomato soup with crusty bread, and the conversation flowed easily while they ate. As Abby cleared the table, the doorbell rang. As though he lived there, Flynn went to answer it, and Abby didn’t think twice about it. It felt like he belonged there.

Katy gestured widely while explaining why David Beckham was a great footballer to Lawrence, and her drink went flying. As Abby mopped up the mess with a cloth, Flynn came into the room. She stilled at the look on his face. It was a combination of anger, resolve and trepidation.

“Abby,” he said. “Your mother and brother are in

the living room.”

It was Victoria’s turn to spill her drink.

“Calm down, Vicki.” Lawrence placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”

Abby didn’t move. “Mother?” It’d been eight years since she’d seen her last. “Charles?”

She couldn’t quite get her head around them actually being there.

“They have a new lawyer with them.” Flynn looked at Lawrence. “Merser and Bannister?”

Lawrence nodded sombrely. “They’re a good firm.”

“Mother is here?” Abby said.

She looked over to Victoria, whose face had drained of all colour. Their eyes met in a moment of brutal understanding.

“I thought she’d just call,” Victoria whispered.

“Yes,” Abby whispered back.

“She wants to talk to both of you.” Flynn’s lips thinned as though he were readying for an argument. “There’s no way you’re going in there without me.”

“Nor me.” Lawrence looked equally determined.

Abby’s eyes hit her daughter, who was sitting wide-eyed, soaking in every word. What about Katy? She couldn’t be anywhere near the toxic air her mother generated. Before she could formulate a plan, Flynn was talking into his phone. The call ended quickly.

“Matt and Jena will be here in a couple of minutes,” he said. “They’re going to take Katy to their house to play.”

“Can Jonathan come too?” Katy’s enthusiasm was at odds with the strain in the air.