Page 31 of Don't Say a Word

I had never felt so betrayed in my life, so I walked away.

Today, three years later, I had reclaimed my family, but I would never forget how I felt. I had forgiven my mother—mostly—thanks to Uncle Rafe’s constant support and wisdom, mostly as an uncle, but also as a priest. I had completely forgiven my siblings because they were doing what Mom and Dad wanted.

Even though we’d been so close growing up, Tess was the last of my siblings I’d reconnected with. Jack, Nico, Lu—I saw them regularly even when I didn’t talk to my mom. But I’d only talked to Tess at family events, and it had been uncomfortable and awkward. There was still this space between us that I didn’t know how to fix.

Tess owned a small condo not far from Angelhart Investigations,and being fairly traditional, she wouldn’t move into Gabriel’s house until they were married. But it was a not-so-well-kept secret that she stayed with Gabriel most nights.

Still, I called Tess to make sure she was where I thought she was.

“Hey, I have something to drop off. Your place or Gabe’s?”

She hesitated just a fraction and I almost laughed.

“Tess...”

“I’m at Gabriel’s. We just had a late dinner and—”

“No need to justify anything to me. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I ended the call.

Chapter Ten

Margo Angelhart

Gabriel lived in one of the oldest neighborhoods in central Phoenix, the Alvarado Historic District. Roughly four square blocks of discreet wealth, with about thirty large homes and tree-lined streets.

I didn’t fault Gabriel for having money. He was a pediatric surgeon at the nearby Phoenix Children’s Hospital and worked long hours. But he also had family money, otherwise even he couldn’t afford to live in this neighborhood. Not to mention that these houses rarely went up for sale. They tended to stay in the family.

His house was as subtly wealthy as Gabriel himself. Set back from the street, the two-story Spanish-style brick and adobe home looked modest, but it was spacious and the grounds impeccably maintained. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the largest lot in the district.

Tess opened the door before I even knocked.

“You didn’t have to come,” Tess said.

“Yeah, I did. Do you have a few minutes?”

Did Tess not want to let me in? Maybe they were in the middle of a romantic interlude and I had interrupted.

“Of course.”

I stepped inside. I’d been here a couple times, but since Tess and Gabriel started dating after my split with the family, I hadn’t visited often, and only for family events that Gabriel hosted.

The house had been updated since it was first built in the 1930s, but maintained an historic feel. The living room and dining room were stuffy and super formal, filled with antique furniture that was a bit too... perfect. A lot like Gabriel himself, though I’d never say that.

“Let’s go to the den,” Tess said. Maybe she too was a bit uncomfortable in the stately house. Our mom called our home a “working house.” Five kids all close in age necessitated durable, comfortable furniture to accommodate our rough-and-tumble childhood. Mom learned quickly to put anything valuable and breakable in hers or dad’s offices, which were mostly off-limits.

Gabriel’s den wasn’t exactly a cozy nook for reading or watching TV—it was nearly the size of my house. Built-in bookshelves lined the walls, a large-screen TV dominated one side, and a video game system sat beneath it. Surprising, given Gabriel’s straight-laced demeanor. But the real showstopper was the backyard view: Lush trees framed a vibrant lawn, with a blue pool at the center edged in Spanish tile. White lights twinkled over the yard, casting a fairy-tale glow. Cliché, but true.

I sighed without realizing it until Tess said, “It’s lovely, isn’t it?”

“You’d better invite me over for a pool party before it gets too cold.”

Yes, it gets cold in Phoenix. People forget that winter exists in the desert when summer temps soar over one-hundred degrees for months.

“I’ll ask Gabriel about having a family barbecue. It would be fun.”

I sank into the buttery-soft leather couch and imagined I could live happily in just this room. Tess sat across from me on a matching sofa.

“First,” I said, needing to get my apology out of the way, “I’m sorry I snapped at you this morning about the dresses.”