“What if I told you we shared her for a time.”
It takes me a minute to follow but when I do, I feel my throat go dry.
“She was with both of us,” he clarifies.
I’m not sure what I look like but the expression on my face makes his grin widen.
“Not what you expected to hear?”
“I…”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think it’s his intention to share you.”
I start to get up, but he shakes his head.
“Sit back down.”
“I should go.”
“Sit.” He walks to a side table and pours himself a drink. “Would you like something?” When I don’t answer, he decides for me and brings me a glass of whiskey. “You may need this considering the evening ahead of you.”
“What does that mean?” I ask and take the glass although the scent of it turns my stomach and I set it aside. I’ve been nauseous easily lately. Anxiety.
“Tonight is the auction.”
I nod.
“Well, I don’t want to spoil my brother’s surprise.”
I’m confused by this, but I’m still stuck on the other thing. “You shared her?”
“I know it’s unconventional, but many people do it, Isabelle. You’ve lived a sheltered existence if this is the first you’re hearing about this sort of arrangement. We’d shared women before Kimberly. But this was the first time one of us fell in love. Well two of them fell in love.”
Love. Jericho loved her. Of course, he did. It’s what this is all about.
“I bowed out at that point. The relationship was no longer appropriate.”
“The three of you?”
He nods and there’s something in his eyes that makes me pause. Had he loved her too?
“Do you blame him? For her death I mean?”
“Her murder.”
“Her murder,” I repeat uneasily.
“You’re a curious thing, aren’t you?”
“I just want to understand.”
“What would understanding this do?”
“I don’t know. What I do know is that your brother is keeping me here like a prisoner. I’m not allowed to leave. Not allowed to have a phone.” It’s true technically. “Not allowed anything.”
“If you could leave, where would you go?”
“Home.”