Page 109 of Wicked Promises (Fallen Royals 3)

“Mom looked semi-decent,” Margo says. “Which… was surprising. Like she wasn’t using anymore, you know? I haven’t seen her clean…”

“She might be clean, but… let’s not count on that, okay?” I lead them upstairs.

I think back to meeting my mother outside the diner only a few weeks ago. I asked her where Amberly was, and I’m pretty sure she lied right to my face.

Shame, Rose Hill isn’t good for that woman.

I curse to myself. We weren’t in Rose Hill. Lucky’s Diner sat proudly just over the town line, in Beacon Hill, which made Mom’s answer not quite a lie. She knew. Margo’s mom was probably inside the diner as we spoke, making me the biggest fool on the face of the planet.

“I’m curious if you saw your life going in this direction from the beginning,” I said. “I’m mostly curious about why you let your brother-in-law run the show?”

“Your father wants it that way.”

Wants, like he was still around.

But then again, his memory was a pungent one, and the will left no wiggle room.

Could my mother have had something to do with it? She seemed more surprised than anything that the will had been changed. But if it was something that was done because she cheated on him, he wouldn’t tell her.

Money is a good motive, Liam said it himself.

Norah is opening containers across the kitchen island when we get up there. The guys move around me, grabbing silverware and plates.

Margo looks up at me, touching my cheek. “You okay?”

“I just realized…” I glance over at Eli’s mom. “Mrs. Black, did you know Mom before she married Dad?”

She frowns. “That’s an out-of-the-blue question, Caleb.”

I wait.

“We both went to Emery-Rose, although she was a year older. I didn’t really interact with her until we both started dating.” She glances away. “It’s disgraceful how far she’s fallen.”

Margo flinches.

“They had a falling out, right? Mr. Black and my dad.” I don’t wait for her response. “Yet he was the one who read the will.”

She nods slowly. “He did. It was Josh’s firm that held Ben’s will, and neither of them saw the sense in changing it once things got… complicated.”

“Complicated is an understatement,” Eli whispers.

“So for a while, you were friends. Or friendly.”

“Somewhat. She was a hard person to get to know. And then—” She stops abruptly. “Excuse me, I think I hear my phone.”

She leaves in a rush, and the five of us are left in silence.

“Why do I get the feeling she’s hiding something?” Margo asks.

Eli shakes his head. “Hopefully your dad will be able to fill in some cracks.”

She swallows. “Right. Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, I will finally see the man who murdered my father. Look him in the eyes. My stomach ties itself up in knots. But honestly? I’ll do it for Margo.

27

Margo