Wickford High 2 - Furiously Tempted by Karen Fuller Read Free Book Online Page A

we’ll talk,” he remarked in a shaky voice, turning to walk away. “Follow me.”
    Phoebe brushed past him, charging into the house. “I know where the study is,”
    she remarked in a demeaning tone. “I grew up in this house, remember?”
    “Yeah, I had momentarily forgotten that.”
    Vicky gripped the spindles until her hands shook from the force as she observed them at the bottom of the stairs. “She grew up in this house?” She shook her head.
    “Mom grew up in this house.” The color drained from her face. “Oh, God, we’re related.”
    Phoebe smiled up at Ryan, took his hand. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
    She pulled him into the study, shutting the door behind them Vicky paced back and forth a few times. She turned her face up to the heavens, splaying her hands. “God, tell me what to do,” she pleaded.
    Vicky? What’s wrong?
    She jumped her heart racing. What?
    Babe, it’s me, Luke. I can feel your panic. Tell me what’s wrong?
    Oh, Luke! Sister Phoebe is in my house right now with my dad.
    What?
    She’s in his study right now, behind closed doors. What am I going to do?
    You don’t think that she’s there to tell your dad about the spider thing do you?
    I don’t know–maybe. But here’s the weird thing: she showed up here in street clothes, and I overheard them. She grew up in this house. My mom did, too. That means we must be related somehow.
    Where are you now?
    I’m standing like a dummy at the top of the stairs.
    On my way. Sneak downstairs and see if you can overhear anything.
    She tiptoed down, avoiding the squeaky center of the third step from the top, pausing at the bottom to listen. She could hear muffled voices coming from the office.
    Walking up to the door, she pressed her eye up to the old fashioned keyhole.
    “I’ll have to admit, Phoebe, I am surprised to see you,” Vicky's father remarked, pausing. “Tell me, why are you here?”
    She sat down in a chair in front of the desk. “Don’t be that way. I can remember a time when you wouldn’t ask me a question like that.”
    He sat down in his chair behind the desk, folding his hands in his lap. “You’re right. You used to live here . . . but . . . that was then, and this is now. A lot has changed over the years, including me.”
    She smiled patiently. “Haven’t we all.”
    He cocked his head to the side. “I thought you were in a convent somewhere in Utah.”

    Her eyes took on an icy glare. “I was for a few years,” she spat sharply. “I only joined the convent because you rejected me.” She stood up, pacing the room in agitation. “We had a child you know.” His mouth dropped open. “The church took her from me and made me give her up for adoption. I left for the convent after the baby was born. Our daughter resides right here in this town.”
    Vicky sucked in a shocked breath, pressing her eye closer to the door for a better view.
    “That’s impossible! We never slept together!”
    She smiled slyly. “Yes, we did. I knew you were in love with my sister and I had to put a stop to that. I cast a little spell, and you were like putty in my hands.” Then the smile dropped from her face. “You were supposed to be mine! That baby was supposed to assure me of that. But noooooo! You had to sneak off with my sister in the middle of the night before I could complete my plan! Emily, that little bitch! She always got everything she ever wanted, including you! You just happened to get her pregnant right after you two left. Daddy wouldn’t let me tell you about the child and made me join a convent. I eventually made him pay for that one.” She held her chin up defiantly. “I’m going to tell our darling daughter, Sara, that she has a long lost mommy and daddy.
    Now that my little bitch of a sister is dead, I’m staking my claim!”
    Vicky’s body trembled. That could not be possible. Sara could not be her half-sister. She suddenly felt very sick to her stomach.
    “Like hell you are!” he roared.