Part 22 (1/2)
Chapter 24
”There's something wrong with your father.” Marion Spenser stared out over the lawn when her sons joined her.
”Mother, I think you're just worried about him because of what he's been through.” Almonzo kissed her on the cheek and joined his brother at the bar.
”You look like h.e.l.l,” Orlando noted.
”Better than your sorry a.s.s,” Almonzo shot back.
”Boys.” Marion turned to face them. ”I'm telling you, something is off with your father.”
”Mother, did you ever think about how you would feel if you sat for thirty-six hours with a b.u.t.t plug in your a.s.s?”
”Orlando! That's enough.” Almonzo shot his brother a glare. ”Don't you ever discuss this sort of thing with Mother again.”
Marion approached her sons with a stern glare before focusing her anger pointedly on Almonzo. ”Don't you dare think you can hold information back from me when it comes to your father.” Her hurt-filled eyes scoured over them. ”I know what vampires are capable of when they torture their own.”
”Forgive me, Mother.” Almonzo sipped his drink with a distance about him. Truth be told, he sensed something different about his father too.
Marion nearly mumbled in reply. ”You all think with your d.i.c.ks so what else would I think but the very worst?”
Almonzo and Orlando exchanged glances until she left the room and took her h.e.l.l-hot anger with her.
”Don't you have a wife to f.u.c.k or something?” Almonzo shot Orlando a daring glance and a smirk. ”I swear she's ready when you are.”
Orlando smacked him on the back. ”d.a.m.n right. And from the sounds coming from your room last night, you all but killed yours.”
”Funny.”
”Yes, I thought so. Very funny.” Tabitha strolled across the room. ”Good morning, Orlando.” She kissed Almonzo on the cheek and then turned to face him. ”Does my sister know you boys sit around and talk about your s.e.x lives?”
Natasha appeared in the doorway then. ”Of course I do. It's all they think about.”
Orlando smiled when she entered and he went over to her immediately with solid, welcoming arms ready to embrace her. Tabitha took a seat on the edge of her husband's barstool right between his legs.
The younger generation of Spensers were ready to start their day when they heard an alarm sound off, a very distinct alarm. ”Orlando, quick, take the women to your room!” Almonzo broke out in a sprint as he tore through the hallways, headed for Constance's suite.
Constance glared at her father. ”You are not my Father.”
Almonzo and Marion arrived at the same time. Tate soon followed. All three heard the little vixen pitch the d.a.m.ning words, if not a full-blown accusation.
Constance sat on the floor with her artwork and paints and didn't bother to look up.
”Marion, I'll handle this,” the older man told her.
”Father, did you sound the alarm?” Almonzo quickly studied them.
”No, I did. I want him out of my room.” Constance still didn't look up. She just kept her little fingers busy with her paints.
Orlando joined them about the time she made the request. He immediately went to his sister and sat beside her. ”What are you working on there?” He touched her gently on the shoulders.
”Constance,” Marion began but Almonzo interrupted her.
”Young lady, you cannot hit the panic alert b.u.t.ton when you do not have an emergency.” His voice shook with anger. ”We've discussed this before. You don't cry wolf when you want attention because one day the wolves will come and no one will be here when they do if you have been so busy sending out false alarms.”
Constance's black eyes studied them then. She didn't look at her parents but instead took turns staring at her brothers. Finally, she spoke directly to Almonzo. ”You don't understand. The wolves are already here in our very den.”
”She does anything she can for attention.” Samuel Spenser didn't seem at all distressed over the earlier issue with his youngest child. ”Surely you both understand how hard it must have been for her. The family planned a wake to celebrate my life for crying out loud.”
Almonzo looked at his wife and smiled. ”Celebrate? h.e.l.l, no. We were going to send you out in grand style and then blow the trumpets to kick off one h.e.l.l of a party.”
Orlando sipped his drink and watched his brother tease their father. Samuel Spenser didn't have much of a light personality but he seemed to enjoy having his entire family together.
”It's a good day to be alive.” He held his gla.s.s high and after a few here-heres brought on a toast with a clinking of gla.s.ses.
Samuel glanced at Marion and with a wink looked beyond her at Constance, who sat in the corner by herself. Her eyes were coal black and set straight ahead. He shrugged and then moved about the room, taking in every bit of the study almost as if he wasn't accustomed to seeing it.
Orlando and Almonzo made a simple eye exchange and then Orlando sent Natasha to coax Constance from her intimate s.p.a.ce. Tabitha and Marion discussed nursery plans.
”So you're expecting a child.” Samuel turned to Tabitha with the unexpected question.
Tabitha immediately gasped and Almonzo noted it. ”Yes. Yes, I am.” She looked over at Almonzo with wide eyes.
Almonzo slammed the gla.s.s down on the bar. ”You were fairly excited about this baby before you left for Spain.”
Samuel took a sip of his drink and released an ”ah” of appreciation. ”And so I am still.” He walked over to his daughter-in-law and patted her stomach. She flinched. ”I'm looking forward to holding the little one in my arms.”
Almonzo saw her reaction and immediately excused them. ”Tabitha, you don't look well. Let's say goodnight, what do you think?”
She quickly nodded and they made a fast exit.
Orlando and Natasha excused themselves as well and five minutes later, the four of them stood in the sitting area of Almonzo's suite.
Tabitha started it. ”Almonzo, he's not your father.”
”The h.e.l.l he isn't.” Orlando looked over at his double.
”She's right,” Almonzo said. ”Something is off and even Constance knows it.”
”Constance is spoiled. We can thank ourselves for her behavior. She's pouting because Father left and, sure, she probably thought she would never see him again.”