ChapterSeventeen
It was the one night of the month Bianca dreaded and looked forward to in equal parts.
The Blacks’ family dinner.
It was a rare occasion that her immediate family all got together in one place when it wasn’t some kind of emergency. Bianca appreciated the chance to spend time with them all. The flip side was that a whole month’s worth of family drama was concentrated into the space of a few hours. If they made it to the end of dinner without it descending into a screaming match, Bianca considered it a success.
“I wish you could come in with me,” she said to Sam as they entered the restaurant. Unlike most families, their dinners didn’t take place at the family home. Instead, the Blacks had their own personal dining room reserved at an upscale restaurant on the 14th floor of the Black Diamond Building. It was one of the perks of living in the building they owned. And given the security situation, Vivianne had them all confined to the building, anyway.
“I’m sure your mom would love that,” Sam said. “To say she tolerates me is an understatement.”
Bianca couldn’t disagree with that. It was almost as if she could subconsciously sense that Sam had despoiled her daughter’s innocence. Twice now.
They reached the door to the private dining room. Sam gave Bianca a nod and reminded her that she’d be waiting just outside the door before mouthing a silent ‘good luck.’
Bianca stepped inside the room. The rest of the family had already arrived. Scarlett and Parker, with Isabel and Julia sitting resolutely beside them. Her father at the head of the table. Her mother next to him, half-drunk wineglass in her hand. Her tired eyes darted around the room, only slightly illuminating at the sight of her favorite daughter, a fact that she’d never managed to keep to herself.
Scarlett let out a relieved sigh from her place on the other side of their father. “There she is.”
Bianca took her usual seat next to her mother. At least she had Parker next to her, too. Scarlett’s girlfriend Isabel sat silently across from Bianca, meeting her gaze briefly. It was obvious that Isabel endured these dinners rather than enjoying them. Bianca didn’t blame her.
Especially tonight. Because the cloud of tension hanging over the table was so thick that Bianca’s curls were turning to frizz.
“Now that we’re all here, maybe Mom can tell us why she’s acting like Grandma kicked the bucket for the second time,” Parker said.
Bianca turned to her mother. “Did something happen?”
Vivianne took a long sip from her wineglass, fortifying herself. “Since the incident with the note on my pillow, things have escalated. I’ve received several letters. Letters slipped into our mail, with…”
Her hand clutched at her chest as if it were too painful for her to go on. Her husband put a steadying hand on her arm.
“Photos,” he said. “We’ve had photos slipped into our mail, despite constant surveillance on the receptacle. Photos of you girls.”
A collective gasp echoed around the table. Bianca’s stomach sank. The recent break-in had been unsettling enough. But now, she herself was directly in the mysterious stalker’s crosshairs. What if they’d gotten a shot of her and Sam flirting?
Or something much worse?
“What kind of photos?” Scarlett demanded.
“Nothing scandalous,” their mother said. “There were a number of photos of Parker and Julia outside the cat shelter. Pictures of Scarlett coming and going from meetings. All were of you girls on the street going about your business. There was even a photo of Bianca. You were coming back from the mall with your bodyguard.”
“Have you gone to the police about this?” Scarlett asked.
“Yes. They’re handling it. But we can’t rely on them, or anyone else, to keep us safe. We need to be careful. And we need to be vigilant. Don’t open any suspicious mail. Give it directly to one of the security members. We will also be screening calls. There’s an app we can install on our phones that will monitor our communications for anything—”
Parker scoffed. “Monitoring our phones? I don’t think so.”
Scarlett raised a hand. “I think our cell phones should remain off-limits. They’re all unlisted, unlike the business landlines. We already screen the office calls, but if you and Dad want to have the house phones tapped, that’s your prerogative. You’d be hard-pressed to get anyone under the age of forty to agree to their personal phone being monitored.”
“While we’re at it, why don’t we hire food tasters?” Parker asked. “You know, in case this mysterious stalker tries to poison us.”
For a moment, it looked like their mother was actually considering the idea. But before anyone could comment, their father spoke up from the head of the table.
“Don’t be glib. For once, your mother has every right to be paranoid.” If she was offended by her husband’s statement, she didn’t let on. “The evidence is clear. We are being followed.”
“By who?” Parker asked. “Why won’t you tell us?”
“Because it’s none of your concern. What is your concern is that this person has it out for the family. I’ve received threatening phone calls and had all kinds of perverse material show up in my personal mail. We musthave the cooperation of each and every one of you if we are to weather this together. I’ll be damned if any harm comes to my family. Do you all understand me?”