about their family. She prayed it wasnât anything about Baron and her. âWhatâs on the news?â
The eldest sister watched the masseurs diligently focusing on Kenley. âYouâre dismissed,â she ordered. The masseurs marched out immediately.
Milandra sat up and put on her robe. Noelle followed.
âKenley, you must be careful how you speak around the help and others. Weâre the Houstons. People feed off of gossip about us.â
âWhat did you hear?â Noelle demanded to know.
âOn the news it said, and I quote, âThe question is, where is the fourth daughter?âââ
Milandraâs eyes lit up. âFourth daughter? Theyâll go to any length to make up such gossip about our family.â
Noelle agreed. âYes, thatâs going too far.â
Kenley busily dried off with a towel. âWell, we know theyâre not talking about Mother. So they must be speaking of Father. Could it be true?â
âKenley, I wonder about you sometimes. Are you loyal to this family?â
âHow dare you, Milandra, think Iâm not loyal to my family? But Father was a handsome and powerful man. He could have had any woman he wanted.â
Milandra went up to Kenley. She snatched her by the arms and shook her. âStop it! Stop talking that way about Father and heâs not even buried yet.â
Noelle pulled Milandra away from their baby sister. âShe has a right to her opinion,â she commented.
âAre you turning against the family, too?â Milandra asked as she turned to face Noelle.
âNever,â Noelle said. She knew that if her sister found out about Baron she would think she did.
Kenley stormed out of the room and cried, âI want Mother and Father.â
âSee what youâve done. Itâs only been one day since Mother and Fatherâs death. Please, I beg you, Milandra, letâs not grow apart.â
The sisters hugged. âThe media is cruel,â Milandra said.
âYes, we wonât read nor watch any television to hear the vicious lies.â
âWe need to call Mr. Chavis,â Milandra suggested. âHeâll handle such gossip.â
Milandra called him but got no answer.
Every chance Noelle got she tried to contact him and she, too, received no answer.
Chapter 7
B aron woke up, covered with a sheet, but realized that he wasnât in his house. His head throbbed from the after-effects of the rum. He felt as if he had a couple of paperweights on his forehead. Peeking under the cover, he discovered that he was stripped of his clothes.
The Latin music playing didnât help his aches and pains. He looked up to see Aniyah dancing. She twirled her nude body to the music. âYou like?â she asked.
âOh, no, Aniyah, tell me I didnât.â
She threw herself on top of him. He tried to push her away, but she swung her arms around his neck.
âThis is a serious mistake. Whatever part Iâve played in this, Iâm deeply sorry.â
âYou were drunk. You thought I was my mother.â
He recalled his old love, Tessa Sanchez. âOh God, forgive me.â
Baron grabbed Aniyah and tossed her off him. He got up and looked at his cell phone to see that he had numerous missed calls, one or two from Milandra, but most of them from Noelle. âI have to get out of here. I should be planning your fatherâs funeral. Shit!â Baron recalled who she really was. He slipped on his clothes.
Aniyah laughed. âYou called my papa a bastard last night.â
Astonished, Baron wondered what else he had said while under the influence.
âIt must have been the rum talking.â He looked over at her nude body. âYouâve got a bathrobe. Put it on.â
She walked up behind him and put her arms around his waist. She licked his neck. âI want you to be my lover.â She pushed her hands down in his pants.
Baron pushed her hands off of him.