“I feel like I need a chart,” I joked.
“Funny you should say that. A few years ago, Annabelle wanted to make a family tree. She went through several different programs before she found one that could adequately handle their complicated family dynamics.”
“Their family doesn’t seem that complicated.”
“You don’t know the story, do you?”
“No. Dice mentioned Octavius wreaked havoc on their family, but he said it was their story to tell.”
“I’ll tell you. Have a seat. This one’s a doozy,” he said.
I made myself comfortable in the living room and listened to Ink tell me the story of Phoenix and Annabelle and how Phoenix came to be the rightful owner of the farm.
“I stand corrected. Their family dynamics are definitely complicated.”
“Just on paper. In real life, they function better than most.”
“I can see that,” I said sincerely. “I would love to meet Nathan.”
“If you stick around, you’ll get your chance. He comes to visit several times a year.”
“It doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere anytime soon,” I said, and couldn’t hide the frustration in my voice.
“Don’t let it get you down. These things can take time, but they always come to an end. The most important thing is that you’re safe.”
“I think it’d be easier for me to accept if I knew who was doing this and why. Not knowing is extremely frustrating.”
“I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to stress about that part of it too much. We’ll find out who it is, and hopefully why they’re doing it. It’s just a matter of time.”
“You seem very sure about that.”
He chuckled. “This isn’t my first rodeo, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.”
“Dice mentioned that you guys have dealt with situations like this before.”
“We have. More often than you would think. There’s a disturbing amount of unhinged, entitled people running around out there.”
“I just don’t understand why someone wants to hurt me. What could they possibly gain from it?”
“You’re wasting your time trying to understand, because you never will. You think rationally, and this person doesn’t. Their reasoning likely won’t make any sense to you.”
I took a moment to absorb his words. “I never thought about it like that. It actually makes me feel a little bit better.”
Ink smiled proudly. “Good. Now that I’ve completed my pep talk duties, how about we watch another movie? You can pick this time.”
“Sure,” I said weakly, “but you can pick.” If he was suggesting we watch a movie, that meant he didn’t expect Dice to be home any time soon. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
13
DICE
It was after midnight when I finally made it home. I was mentally and physically exhausted, but the sense of accomplishment I felt was worth it.
I quietly let myself into my house, surprised that Diablo didn’t bark or meet me at the door.
“Welcome home,” Ink said sleepily from the couch.
“Is she asleep?”