“They do here.”

She gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and then shook her head. “I’ll check on you in an hour.”

Unreal. Alexandria knew exactly what went on here. Though my father took care to keep most of his antics from the house staff, Alexandria’s position as our nanny made it impossible to hide everything.

My father’s money had a way of helping people to look the other way. Alexandria wasn’t a bad person. She was a good nanny, took good care of us. She just wasn’t overly affectionate, though she was more affectionate than either of our parents.

The steak was clammy against my face, but the coolness felt good on my eyelid. I switched my TV on with the remote. Watching with one eye was better than nothing.

My father had never touched me inappropriately. Okay, a lie. My father never touched me sexually. He beat my ass with a coat hanger and a mop handle, to name a few. Maybe it was sexual for him. Maybe he got his rocks off beating his kid. But I was tough as nails and took as much as he dished out, never giving him the satisfaction of one single tear after I turned seven.

He’d beaten Roy and Reid too. I protected them when I could, but when I failed as a big brother, I’d heard their screams. I took them both aside after that and told them never to let the bastard see them cry.

Was it possible that what he’d done to Riley he’d also done to Roy or Reid? Not the kind of thing I could ask my brother—my brother who was wearing his custom-tailored suit and sitting in an office more exquisite than my hotel penthouse suite.

My hotel suite. My mind raced to Lacey.

But no time for that now.

“Reid,” I said, “someone killed Dad. We all know he was a bastard, but who the hell hated him enough to kill him?”

“You. For one.”

“Luckily, I was in Montana.”

“Yeah. And I was kidding, actually. Not that you didn’t hate him. We all hated him. Who killed him? It’s anyone’s guess. It could have been a hundred different people. The cops have their work cut out for them.”

“Maybe we should hire a PI.”

“Why? I’m glad he’s gone. I’d think you are too.”

“Glad the world isn’t being poisoned by his existence, sure. If Roy’s right, though, and the cops are going to come after us, we need to keep our heads up.”

“True enough.”

“I can’t believe he’s forced me into this, but I have to do it for the rest of you.”

Reid let out a soft chuckle. “Believe it or not, I’ve missed you, big brother.”

I scoffed. “You’re the only one.”

“Not true. Roy and Riley missed you. Even Mom.”