Sinister by Lisa Jackson, Nancy Bush, Rosalind Noonan Read Free Book Online Page B

picture of her family, taken years before, when she was just a child. All of her siblings were gathered around their parents on the porch of the “new house.” She stood between Colt, the oldest, and Delilah, who was two years younger than she. Tyler stood on the step below while Nell, the youngest, was huddled up against their mother’s leg.
    Now, Ricki’s lips twitched as she saw her youthful self, full of promise and idealism, her hair falling around her shoulders in a tangle of flame-colored curls. Her skin was tanned from the long Wyoming summer, her teeth not yet straightened, a skinned knee poking out of her cut-off jeans. Her brothers and sisters were all staring at the camera, all displaying a strong Dillinger chin and eyes that varied from green to gray.
    “Headstrong! That’s what you are, every last one of you!” their mother had said often enough. That day on the porch, Rachel Dillinger was smiling broadly. Ira’s arm was draped across her slim shoulders and her fingers were entwined with those of three-year-old Nell, whose ringlets were dark brown with hints of red, her legs and arms still chubby.
    How happy the family had seemed.
    How united.
    Back in the day.
    When they were all young and the world was wide open to them.
    Before reality and heartache had set in.
    Before Rachel Hargrove Dillinger had contracted uterine cancer and died long before her time. With a pang of heartache Ricki felt that adulthood wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.
    She glanced back to the living room where Brook was slouched on the couch. Her daughter, like so many members of the Dillinger family, knew her own mind and had the blistering temper that went with it. Though Brook took after Ari with her olive skin, brown eyes and dark hair, the Dillinger genes wouldn’t be denied. When the sunlight hit her just right, there was a scarlet glimmer in her hair, and the Dillinger jaw was unmistakable, especially when it was set. Which was most of the time.
    Like grandfather, like granddaughter.
    Leaving Brook to the housewives and her love affair with her phone, Ricki shut the door of her bedroom, plopped onto the end of the bed and speed-dialed Colt.
    When he answered she said, “Thought I’d call and warn you to brace yourself.”
    “Okay.” She heard the hesitation in his voice.
    “You’re about to have a visitor, Colt. Muhammad appears to be coming to the mountain.”

Chapter Five
    “The hotel is superb. Just beautiful,” Pilar gushed to her fiancé over the phone. He had been in a piss-poor mood when he’d called, but she’d done a good job of cheering him up.
    She wiggled her newly lacquered toes propped on the chaise and reached for her lemon drop. “It’s actually sort of a spa. All the gals got mani-pedis and hot stone massages.” She sipped her drink, her tongue flicking over the sugared rim as Ira responded.
    “I’m glad you girls are enjoying yourselves,” Ira said. “Just hurry on back, darlin’. You know I miss you.”
    “Mmm, miss you, too,” Pilar said.
    “Is it snowing there?” Ira asked.
    “Uh-huh.” She lifted her chin to take in the white stuff dancing past the golden hotel lights. “I’m surrounded by white.” That included the posh white bedding that had been so heavenly for sleeping, and the bed stacked with cushy pillows in all shapes and sizes. “Sitting in the lap of luxury. You know, after the wedding, we really need to come back here. I was thinking maybe we could get a condo here and split our time. There’s so much going on, all the time, and Rourke would have much better educational opportunities here.”
    Ira’s laugh cackled over the line. “There’s plenty of education to be had here, the good old-fashioned kind.”
    She hated the way he did that, laughing off her ideas. He forced her to do an end-run around him to get the things that she wanted ... the things she needed. She ended the call with fake kisses and tossed the phone on the bed.
    She collapsed against