Page 38
Story: Broken Truths
“Fine. Whoever’s money,” Leo grinds out.
“Should we put that on the whiteboard?” Ollie asks.
“Absolutely,” I say with a smirk.
He writes it out, his brow furrowed as he finishes.
“That’s everything?” Alaric asks, gesturing toward the list of security measures Leo wrote out.
“Unless they changed something, that’s it.”
I take a deep breath, staring at the words Leo’s written down, and only one thing comes to mind. “Hey, you know that movie about the treasure with Nicolas Cage and they steal the Declaration of Independence?”
“National Treasure,” Alaric states.
“That one,” I say, pointing at him. “They steal the Declaration during a party because the security system is taxed by all the other guests.”
“You want to plan our sneak attack based on a movie?” Oliver asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. Does anyone else have a better idea? Movies are fictional, but they have to be somewhat believable. I mean, it makes sense to me.”
“Well, we know the perfect time, then.” The three of us peer over at Alaric, and he rolls his beautiful eyes. “Am I the only one that looked at the invitation to the Jarvis wedding? They’re having the entire thing at the castle.”
I look to Leo for confirmation, but he just shrugs. “I drown everything out as soon as the wedding is mentioned.”
Barking out a laugh, I turn toward Alaric. “When is it?”
“Next weekend.”
“Perfect!”
Oliver peers over at Leo’s list. “Right. Good. Okay, you have the blood part covered. We need all this other shit covered, though.”
“I’ll call some people.”
Just as he finishes saying it, the doorbell rings.
The four of us peer at each other until the intercom system beeps. “That would be the front door, Prince Oliver. Should I tell your guest that you’re here?”
Oliver strides toward the box on the wall and presses a button to respond. “Please see who it is first.”
A few moments later, James comes back on the speaker. “He says his name is Devon Forbes.”
My stomach twists. Devon attended the funeral. Dressed in a suit and tie with a shaved beard and his hair cut, he looked remarkably better than when he came around the side of the cabin with the rifle in his hand.
I didn’t get to talk to him, though. My mother and I were immediately swarmed by my father’s business acquaintances.
“Let him in,” Oliver orders.
Leo grabs an eraser that sits in the tray below the whiteboard and erases everything that was written down in time for Devon to walk through the entry into the great room. His eyes round as he takes in not only me and Oliver, but Alaric and Leo as well.
“Hey,” I greet, getting up from my favorite spot on the couch.
He turns his attention to me. “Hey, Eden. I’m so sorry—”
“I know.” I walk up to him and give him a hug. Turning, I gesture toward boyfriends number two and number three. “You know Leo Jarvis and Alaric Barclay. They’re my babysitters.”
“I’ve heard,” Devon says, sizing them up. A low rumble emanates from Leo’s chest, but Devon grew up with Keegan. He’s not likely to be scared of a little posturing. “Can I talk to you in private?”
“Should we put that on the whiteboard?” Ollie asks.
“Absolutely,” I say with a smirk.
He writes it out, his brow furrowed as he finishes.
“That’s everything?” Alaric asks, gesturing toward the list of security measures Leo wrote out.
“Unless they changed something, that’s it.”
I take a deep breath, staring at the words Leo’s written down, and only one thing comes to mind. “Hey, you know that movie about the treasure with Nicolas Cage and they steal the Declaration of Independence?”
“National Treasure,” Alaric states.
“That one,” I say, pointing at him. “They steal the Declaration during a party because the security system is taxed by all the other guests.”
“You want to plan our sneak attack based on a movie?” Oliver asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. Does anyone else have a better idea? Movies are fictional, but they have to be somewhat believable. I mean, it makes sense to me.”
“Well, we know the perfect time, then.” The three of us peer over at Alaric, and he rolls his beautiful eyes. “Am I the only one that looked at the invitation to the Jarvis wedding? They’re having the entire thing at the castle.”
I look to Leo for confirmation, but he just shrugs. “I drown everything out as soon as the wedding is mentioned.”
Barking out a laugh, I turn toward Alaric. “When is it?”
“Next weekend.”
“Perfect!”
Oliver peers over at Leo’s list. “Right. Good. Okay, you have the blood part covered. We need all this other shit covered, though.”
“I’ll call some people.”
Just as he finishes saying it, the doorbell rings.
The four of us peer at each other until the intercom system beeps. “That would be the front door, Prince Oliver. Should I tell your guest that you’re here?”
Oliver strides toward the box on the wall and presses a button to respond. “Please see who it is first.”
A few moments later, James comes back on the speaker. “He says his name is Devon Forbes.”
My stomach twists. Devon attended the funeral. Dressed in a suit and tie with a shaved beard and his hair cut, he looked remarkably better than when he came around the side of the cabin with the rifle in his hand.
I didn’t get to talk to him, though. My mother and I were immediately swarmed by my father’s business acquaintances.
“Let him in,” Oliver orders.
Leo grabs an eraser that sits in the tray below the whiteboard and erases everything that was written down in time for Devon to walk through the entry into the great room. His eyes round as he takes in not only me and Oliver, but Alaric and Leo as well.
“Hey,” I greet, getting up from my favorite spot on the couch.
He turns his attention to me. “Hey, Eden. I’m so sorry—”
“I know.” I walk up to him and give him a hug. Turning, I gesture toward boyfriends number two and number three. “You know Leo Jarvis and Alaric Barclay. They’re my babysitters.”
“I’ve heard,” Devon says, sizing them up. A low rumble emanates from Leo’s chest, but Devon grew up with Keegan. He’s not likely to be scared of a little posturing. “Can I talk to you in private?”
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