Tori didn’t answer but sat down, her vibrancy dimming.
The head of the board, Miles Stanton, made some announcements and called for testimony. First, their father testified as to how he’d messed up but had found himself in prison and had changed. He stated he wanted nothing more than to get to know his girls again, and he would spend the rest of his life making things up to them.
Miles Stanton, about fifty with graying hair and a bushy beard, nodded at Tori. “The prisoner’s daughter, Tori Monzelle, will speak first.”
Tori cleared her throat. “I, ah, think parole is a bad idea,” she whispered.
Their father clanked his chains. “Tori, baby. Please—”
Stanton shushed him. “Continue, Miss Monzelle.”
Lex kept her back straight and took Tori’s hand under the table.
Tori gripped her so tightly it hurt. “My father was cruel to my mother, and he sold drugs to our friends, killing one of them. Our life has been a lot better with him out of it.” Her voice thickened with tears and shook.
Stanton nodded and focused on Lex. “Alexandra Monzelle will testify next.”
Lex kept his gaze. “I’m a detective with the Seattle Police Department, and I know a life-long criminal when I see one. I visited my father a few days ago, and after that conversation, I fully believe he’s still involved in the drug trade in Seattle.”
Stanton’s eyebrows rose. “Do you have any proof?”
“Just our conversation, which is good enough for me.” Lex leaned toward the table and eyed each board member in turn. “Parker Monzelle is a bad man who has killed many people. If you let him out, he’ll kill more. Keep him here.”
A few more people testified, including the warden, who said Parker had been a model prisoner. The testimony floated around Lex, and she held still, her mind fuzzing, until several letters from her mother were read, all begging for Parker to be released.
Nausea filled Lex’s stomach as they were read.
Finally, the Board said a decision would be made within the week.
Lex led Tori from the building, feeling nearly suffocated by the concrete and sense of desperation.
Once outside in the chilly air, she looked around for Bernie’s borrowed car. A shiny, new, badass black Chevy truck sat in its place. She rolled her eyes and hustled to the truck, opening the passenger side door and jumping in while gesturing for her sister to get in back.
She turned on Kellach, who sat in the driver’s seat. “I told you not to come.”
He smiled. “I’m not letting you deal with shit like this on your own, Alexandra. Get yourself accustomed to that fact now.” He turned and held out a hand. “You must be Victoria.”
“I really must be,” Tori said, her gaze cutting to Lex. “Uh—”
“I’m Kellach Dunne, of the Dublin Dunnes, and I intend to marry your sister as soon as she realizes I’m in it for the long haul, and I mean the very long haul.” He finished shaking hands and turned to start the engine.
Tori sat back. “Boy, do we have some catching up to do,” she said slowly to her sister.
Heat filled Lex’s face. Her heart thumped hard. He’d said marry. Out loud and to her sister. Hell, they were mated, but was she ready to get married? Not that he’d asked. He’d just stated a fact, as if she’d go right along with it and him. At the moment, she couldn’t get too pissed about that. Later maybe.
She struggled to contain any emotion. “We’ll discuss this later,” she murmured to Kellach.
Tori leaned over the back of the seat, her gaze taking in all that was Kell. “You seem like a take charge kind of guy.”
He grinned. “I am, but I’m tempering my natural inclinations in a very difficult attempt to woo your sister.”
Woo? He actually said woo. Lex shook her head. “Put on your seatbelt, Victoria.” If her sister was nicely contained farther back, perhaps the conversation would mercifully end.
Tori ignored her, of course. “Usually Lexi goes for dumb jocks she can push around and then dump without a second glance. You don’t seem dumb or easily manipulated.”
“Thank you,” Kell said.
“She has daddy issues, you know,” Tori said.
Lex groaned and beat her head against the seat.
“I am aware,” Kell agreed, and then, thankfully, turned the full power of his gaze on Tori. “What about you?”
Tori pursed her lips. “Not the same. I mean, Lex chooses poorly and then dumps, while I choose wisely, have some fun, and then move on without getting serious.”
Kell lifted an eyebrow. “Sounds like the same animal with different coping mechanisms.”
Absolute delight lifted Tori’s eyebrows. “Exactly.” She reached forward and patted Kell’s arm. “I like you.”
“I like you, too.” He turned back to the road ahead of them.
Lex groaned. “I am in hell.”
Tori chuckled. “You don’t have a brother or two, do you?”
Kell nodded. “I have two brothers.”
“Do they look as good as you?” Tori asked.
“Victoria,” Lex snapped. “Knock it off.”