Page 78 of Romeo

“I suppose?” Della shrugged. “O took me in when I was sixteen. She also sent me to college for two years. I got a degree in business and accounting. So after I graduated, I did a lot of transactional tasks for her company, Periwinkle Incorporated. Like paying utilities, securing storage places. Managing bank transactions. Booking any reservations O needed. Looking for available property. You know, office duties.”

“And did you know about her nefarious activities?” Liv asked her.

“A little?”

“Like how much is a little?” Glory prodded.

Della looked uncomfortable. “I did see some things that scared me. Maddox told me to keep my mouth shut and never ask about her dealings unless it involved my duties. He said that would be better for my…um, health.”

“And yet you stayed?” Romeo asked her.

Shrugging, she said, “I was grateful to O for taking me in. I had no other family when my parents were killed. No one in herorganization ever treated me badly. Until V had me put in that crypt.”

“And where would you be now if I hadn’t?” Valencia asked her.

Della shook her head.

“Alone, that’s where,” Valencia reiterated.

“Talon,” Logan called to him.

Talon stood from his chair and walked over to the table.

Logan pointed at his laptop screen.

Leaning in, Talon looked closer.

We all waited.

Raising his head, Talon turned to stare at Della.

She stared back at him.

Looking over at Valencia, Talon asked, “Did you know that Della is a Walker?”

I paused. In fact, everyone in the room halted at this shocking claim.

“What?” V asked as she looked surprised.

Glory hurried over to the table with the laptop.

Liv and Redemption did the same. They all looked at the screen now.

“What are you talking about?” Jarret asked Talon.

“According to what Ace found, Della’s grandmother is our Aunt Gracie,” Talon replied.

“Wait, wait,” Jarret cut in. “Gracie? Well, fuck. She left Louisiana when I was a kid.”

We all stared at Della again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Della replied. “My name is Della Granger.”

“So you never knew about your grandmother?”

She shook her head. “My parents never spoke about any family. When I asked, my mom had said that there was some falling out and she told me to just leave it alone. I never met any family. So when my parents died, I had no one.”

Glory looked over at Jarret and asked, “Do you know anything about this fallout?”