Twisted Roots (DeBeers 3)

"It would probably be my best birthday gift to know I wasn't related to you. Cade."

"Well, it's true. You're not. So happy birthday. Hannah Banana Montgomery."

"My name is Hanna Eaton."

"No, it's Hannah Montgomery. Tell her. Adrian."

Adrian shook his head. "We're not supposed to. We agreed. Daddy would find out what we did."

"What did you do. Adrian?"

He turned sharply to me and shook his head. "Nothing." He looked back at Cade. "Shut up. Cade. I'm warning you."

"Don't tell me to shut up. stupid. She's sitting there like she's better than us, isn't she? You heard her. We have no real friends. We are selfish bastards. She's better off with her Cuban family, She's the one who said the Eaton name isn't all that important, didn't she?"

"I didn't say that."

"Yes, you did. Didn't she. Adrian?" "Yes," he said, looking at me. "She did."

Cade turned back to me., full of satisfaction. "Adrian's afraid to tell you what we know because he doesn't want our father to know we listened in on a conversation he had with our mother one night when he had too much to drink. They talked about you," he said, pointing his forefinger like a pistol in my face.

"I don't believe you."

"So don't believe me." he said with a shrug. "Whether you do or not isn't going to change anything,"

"Cade," Adrian warned.

"Shut up. I said. She's going to hear it She's going to have that arrogant smile wiped off her face." He turned back to me. "My father told my mother that your idiot uncle made your mother pregnant and not him."

"That's a disgusting and terrible thing to say!" I shouted and practically leaped at him.

"It was a disgusting thing to do," Cade replied casually. "My father said he was away when your mother got pregnant, and he always knew you weren't his child. That's why he arranged to have the marriage ended."

"He did not arrange anything!" I looked at Adrian, who gazed at me with pity on his face. "Why would he refuse to permit my name to be changed. then?"

"It was part of a deal they made. He did it for you. He thought it was terrible enough for you to be left behind in that asylum. Look at us." he insisted. "We don't really look much like you, do we? Did you ever look good at your crazy uncle? I'm sure you'll find the resemblances if you do."

"Dad's going to

be real mad at you. Cade." Adrian said.

"Hannah Banana isn't going to tell. Are you, Hannah Banana? You're just going to keep your mouth shut and do what we tell you to do or we will tell everyone the truth about you."

"Shut up," I said.

"How about if we call up your black boyfriend and tell him your mother and her half brother are your real parents? Think he'll still want to make music with you? Even he might be disgusted."

I stared at him with so much fury, I thought I was burning up inside, but he remained cool and collected,

"What if we tell Natalie Alexander, Adrian? Think she can keep a secret?"

"You are a rotten. spoiled--"

"Why don't we give her a call tonight. Adrian?" Cade said, staring into my face.

I stood up. "I won't listen to any of this!" I cried and charged out of the room, down the hallway to the stairs. I wanted to find Danielle and ask her to arrange to get me home.

"Hey, where are you going?" Cade called after me. "We're having so much fun on our birthday. Hannah Banana."