“Yes. She was here when it happened, but she’s not pissed. You know Meryl.”
Kirian leans back, tucking his hands behind his head. The bastard looks like he’s ready to pop some popcorn since he’s so thoroughly enjoying this drama. “Oh, so the ring didn’t want to support a fake marriage?”
I glare at my brother. “No, that’s still happening. And just because we’re adults doesn’t mean I can’t give you a wedgie so hard, you’ll cry.”
Ellis’ mouth drops open. “You gave your brother wedgies so hard that he cried? What is wrong with you?”
“Monster,” Leandra echoes, shaking her head. She’s biting down hard on her bottom lip to keep from grinning or laughing outright.
Kirian ignores my wedgie threats. He’s bigger now, and he would fight back. He would try and rip my gotch off too, and I know it. “So, what are you going to do? Cut her finger off?”
Ellis stomps her foot, and the coffee table vibrates again. “Bah! Why does it always boil down to that?”
“Yeah, really. That’s a little gory.” Leandra pretends to gag.
“I think you should stay close.” Toren grinds out, and we all stop fooling around and actually listen. Toren isn’t the oldest cousin. He’s two years younger than I am and just a few months older than Kirian, but he is generally quieter and has good things to say. He was always like that. I swear his IQ is off the charts, but he won’t tell us. He does like to read, though—a lot. Always has. While the rest of us were twiddling our thumbs and mud-wrestling in the backyard with each other or gaming hard, Toren was working hard at getting smarter and wiser. “Close to each other, I mean. The curse is unpredictable if it is real. You shouldn’t let her out of your sight until you can get the ring off because it might try to harm her. You should protect her.”
Ellis throws up her hands and lets out a cry of joy. “At least there’s one chivalrous one left.”
I glare her down. “Care to expand on your theory about rich assholes?”
Instead of getting embarrassed as she should, Ellis just gives me a blank look. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You called us rich assholes. Or me, and then you lumped my cousins and brother in.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “Never said anything like that. You must have misunderstood.” Oh, she’s good. She’s smiling and all sweet and innocent up there. “It would be great if I could have some protection.” She acts like she enjoys the idea of sticking close to me even though I know she can’t stand me and only spent the night here last night because I threatened her with the police. “Although, from the card reading, at least what I gathered, the curse doesn’t seem malevolent.”
“You can’t know that!”
Toren has been studying us the whole time, and he’s again the voice of reason. “I suppose the curse wouldn’t choose our soulmates for us and then harm or kill them off.”
“But you should probably take the night and think about things,” Kirian adds. “I mean, what to do. We should each think about it and examine the objects Granny gave us. Maybe there are some clues there.”
“Or maybe we should just talk to her and ask her who cursed them and where she got them,” Leandra insists. “Wouldn’t that make more sense?”
“No!” I very nearly panic. “You know how nosey Granny is. She would take so much glee in this. She can’t find out. Not about Ellis, not about the ring getting stuck on the wrong person, and not about my, uh, well, how it really is with Meryl.”
“She would be delighted. You’re right.” Leandra grins at me, enjoying my distress and discomfort way too much. I let my eyes rove over my brother and cousins.
“Just wait until it’s your turn. You won’t find it so funny then.”
“Just because it happened to you does not mean it will happen to us as well. And, unlike you, we won’t let anyone get close to our heirlooms.” Kirian can’t resist the urge to rub it in my face. “But don’t worry, big bro.” He knows I hate when he calls me that. “We’ll help you out. We always do. Because we stick together. We’re Cromwells. All of us.” He casts a glance at Ellis. “Maybe even her?”
“Oh, no.” She stomps her foot again, and I grind my teeth. “I’m drawing the line there. I’ll never be a Cromwell.” She spits our last name out like it’s some foul brew she was forced to drink.
“You could always cut her finger off then,” Taylen jokes, just to be an asshole.
“No!” The rest of us chime in unison.
Ellis’ jade eyes sweep my face. They’re wide, though I don’t think she believes any of us would hurt her. She studies me for a minute, her eyes glistening and all misty. Then, without warning, she leaps off the coffee table and runs toward the stairs. I hear her thumping up every single one of them, and then the door to her room slams.