Chapter 13
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They’d barely hit the entrance when Tabitha froze, her eyes locked on a sleek, stupidly expensive car pulling up to the ritzy hotel across the street. The woman stepping out looked way too familiar, and it sent a jolt through her.
“Yo, Tabitha, you good? What’s got you staring?” Vera asked, nudging her and squinting toward the hotel.
“… I think that’s my sister,” Tabitha muttered, still glued to the spot.
Vera’s face twisted like she’d bitten into a lemon. “What, that sister? The one who’s always throwing shade and can’t handle you shining?”
“Chill, Vera,” Tabitha said, her voice soft but with an edge. “Geneva’s not like that. She’s always had my back.”
Tabitha had been dead certain Geneva was gone–wiped out in that tragic disaster. If that were true, Stan would be a free man, no divorce papers needed.
But now, seeing that figure, it hit her like a freight train: Geneva was alive. Her heart was doing somersaults–half relieved, half messed up, and half something she couldn’t name.
Vera scoffed, tossing her hair. “Tabitha, you’re too freaking sweet for your own good. If she’s so great, why’s she still holding up your divorce? Hmm?”
Tabitha sighed, her shoulders slumping. “She’s still my sister. She’s been out there alone for two years. I just… I wanna talk to her, maybe get her to come home.”
Before Vera could argue, Tabitha started bee–lining for the hotel.
Vera grabbed her arm, yanking her back. “Hold up, girl! She’s the one who ditched everyone. Whatever drama she’s in? That’s her mess. Don’t go playing superhero for her.”
Tabitha frowned, but Vera wasn’t letting up. “I’m not kidding. Take a good look at that car she rolled up in. That’s a ‘costs more than my life‘ kinda ride. You think she’s out there struggling? Pfft, she’s probably living it up, popping bottles and breaking hearts.”
Tabitha’s gut twisted. She knew Geneva wasn’t exactly swimming in cash, and she sure as hell didn’t run with the elite crowd.
But stepping out of a whip like that… with some older dude behind the wheel? Rich old guy plus hot young woman? Yeah, the math was mathing, and it wasn’t pretty.
The more she chewed on it, the uglier it got.
‘How could Geneva cling to her role as the Wheeler family’s queen bee, refusing to let Stan go, while running around with some sleazy sidepiece? How could she do Stan like that?‘ she thought.
Across the street, the guy from the car climbed out and gave Geneva a crisp nod. “Ms. Motley, I’ll leave you here. Hit me up if you need anything.”
Geneva tipped her head in a curt nod.
He’d barely turned back to the car when Tabitha and Vera came tearing across the pavement like they were auditioning for a rom–com.
“Geneva!” Tabitha squealed, launching herself at Geneva for a hug.
But the man was faster, sliding Geneva behind him like a bodyguard and shooting Tabitha a look that could stop a freight train.
Tabitha skidded to a halt, nearly stamming into his chest, her face turning tomato–red.
She flicked her tongue out with a goofy grin. “Whoopsie! Total klutz move, my bad.”
The guy’s expression didn’t twitch, like he was thinking. ‘Your klutz shtick ain’t my circus, lady. I don’t even know you.‘
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Chapter 13
His stone–cold vibe made Tabitha’s smile waver.
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She swung her attention to Geneva, scrambling to recover. “Sis, where’ve you been? You ghosted us! We were losing our minds worrying about you.”
“Yeah, sure,” Geneva said, her voice pure frost, her eyes slicing through Tabitha like a blade.
Tabitha squirmed, wilting under the chill. “Sis, you been crashing with this dude the whole time?”
Tabitha plowed on, not even pausing for a breath. “Look, I get it–life’s rough out there. You want some loaded guy to swoop in and save the day, no shade. But you’ve got a family! Why’re you out here playing lone wolf? You’re making Stan look like a chump, not to mention Mom and Dad!”
Geneva’s gaze turned to arctic ice. “Oh, so those years you were jet–setting overseas, you just found some rich guy to bankroll your whole vibe? That why you’re out here judging me?”
Tabitha’s face froze, her jaw practically hitting the pavement. “Geneva, what the hell? I’m your sister! How can you come for me like that?”
Geneva let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh. ‘So you can sling dirt all day, but the second someone claps back, you’re clutching pearls?‘
She was done with this soap opera. Turning to the man, she flicked her wrist. “Don’t sweat this drama queen’s nonsense. You’re good to bounce.”
“Ms. Motley,” he said, calm as steel, “anyone tries to mess with you, hit us up ASAP.”
Geneva’s real identity was locked down tight, her accomplishments credited to the mysterious “GM” to keep her off the grid.
But the government wasn’t messing around when it came to her safety. A whole crew of shadow operatives had her back, always lurking just out of sight.
e guy bailed, and Geneva blew past Tabitha like she was nobody, strutting into the hotel.
ha, clueless as ever, scurried after her with Vera tagging along, running her mouth. “Geneva, what’s with crashing at a hotel? Mom and Dad are
- it. You gotta come home!”
tailed Geneva right to her door, trying to worm her way in. Bad move.
Tabitha stopped dead when something cold pressed against her forehead. Her eyes flicked up a gun, locked and loaded.
Tabitha’s jaw dropped. Vera looked like she’d just seen a horror flick come to life.
Geneva’s voice was ice–cold. “Zip it and back the hell off. Keep bugging me, and I might just snap. You know loonies don’t do jail time for murder.”
Tabitha’s legs turned to jelly, and she hit the deck like a sack of potatoes. Geneva strolled into her room, stamming the door with a bang that rattled the
walls.
Vera yanked Tabitha up, her voice shaky. “Tabitha, we gotta call the cops, like, yesterday.”
Tabitha was still in a daze, but Vera doubled down. “That gun was no toy. She’s off her rocker, waving it around like it’s nothing. What if she goes postal and hurts herself–or someone else? We can’t just stand here.”
Tabitha, spooked, gave in. They dialed 911.
Biggest mistake of their lives.
The cops showed up, but instead of going after Geneva, they slapped cuffs on Tabitha and Vera for “spreading lies and stirring up drama.”
“We’re not making this up!” Tabitha shrieked. She had a freaking gun—we saw it! Check the damn cameras, search her room, do your job!”
The cops didn’t budge. They hit them with a three–day lockup and tossed them in a cell.
When Stan caught wind of it, he marched to the station to bail them out. Normally, a mess like this was a cakewalk–a quick call, a slick word, and they’d
be free.
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Chapter 13
But this time, the cops were stone–cold. “Three days, no shortcuts. Unless the ‘victim,‘ Geneva, signs off on a deal.”
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Pissed, Stan charged to the hotel to confront her. He found Geneva in the restaurant, cool as ice, cutting into her steak like the world wasn’t burning
down.
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“Geneva, this is your doing, isn’t it?” he growled.
She shot him a glance, totally unfazed, and kept eating.
Stan’s face went crimson. She’d turned their lives into a circus and was chilling like it was just another Tuesday. “You know Tabitha’s behind bars, right?”
Geneva treated him like he was air. That lit Stan up–being ghosted like that? It stung.
“Geneva, you hearing me? Tabitha’s in deep shit because of you!” he shouted.
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