Rivals and Retribution Read Free Page A

table, the headline of the Big City section reading, “Stocks Soar for Wondermann Corp.” As intrigued as I was about what caused Mr. Wondermann’s decidedly dangerous business to quadruple stock values overnight, the antics of my siblings Max, Cat, and Pietr, and Max’s girlfriend, Amy, demanded my more immediate attention.
    “So I said to him,” Max began, pointing at Pietr, “‘I thought she was with you .’ We had split up for a little and—”
    Cat stepped in, still carrying a shopping bag from their recent outing to the mall. “And I said: ‘You mean to tell me you’ve lost Jessie?’” She gave Max a hard look before returning her gaze to me. “He manages to lose his sneakers and at least one sock out of most of his pairs—and do not get me started about how very remote the TV remote becomes once he’s used it—but to lose an entire person?”
    “ I didn’t lose her!” Max bellowed, glaring at Pietr instead.
    I cleared my throat, and all eyes were on me, my position as eldest brother and previous alpha a help. “Are we quite certain Jessie has not just gone home?”
    They all looked at one another.
    “Seriously? You think I didn’t try calling her?” Amy asked me. “She’s not answering her cell.”
    “Does she always answer her cell?”
    “I had Pietr call with his ,” Amy said, as if that was all the answer I needed. It was. Jessie would always pick up a call from Pietr.
    “Who was responsible for Jessie last?” I asked.
    “Don’t ever let her hear you talk like that,” Amy said. “She’ll kick your ass.”
    “Language,” Cat warned with a sniff.
    I shrugged. “She has a gift for getting into trouble.”
    Amy leveled her gaze at me. “Pietr’s in charge of stating the obvious. And just because a thing is true, it doesn’t mean we say it out loud,” she scolded.
    Max chuckled. “We were at the mall. Pietr and I hit the Game Shop. The girls were trying on clothes. Is it any surprise they lost track of her when Cat was distracted by what color makes her boobs look better?”
    “It’s green, you oaf. And they don’t need to look better, but it does somehow make them appear bigger.” She paused, blinking at him in frustration. “And that was most certainly not the issue,” she added with a hrumph . “Jessie said she was going to catch up to you two and talk with Pietr.”
    “Well, it seems obvious she did not succeed.” Unease unfolded in the pit of my stomach. “It is very unlike Jessie to simply…”
    “Pick up and leave?” Amy asked.
    “ Da . Unless…” Turning to Pietr, I asked, “Were you somehow a jerk to her?”
    “ Nyet, ” he said, defensive. “I barely paid her any attention at all—”
    Cat and Max groaned in unison.
    “Jerk,” I confirmed, nodding my head.
    “You’ve been kind of aloof since you got cured,” Amy stated more gently, reaching for Pietr’s arm.
    He looked down, shoulders slumping. “I never intended for that to happen. We searched the mall.…”
    “This may all be quite simple,” I assured him. “Call the Gillmansen household.”
    They blinked at me.
    “Use the landline,” I clarified. “Her father may be home. Or Annabelle Lee. Either might have answers.”
    Pietr nodded and pulled out his cell, punching the proper button. “Mr. Gillmansen? Da . Is Jess around? Nyet . She is not with us.” He looked at us, worry etching a crease between his brows. “He is yelling for her now.”
    We heard.
    Pietr’s focus returned to the phone. “She is? Nyet . Da . I understand. We will be there immediately.” He headed straight for the door.
    “Hold up,” Amy said, grabbing his arm. “You said ‘she is.’ She’s there?”
    “ Nyet, ” Pietr returned, paler than his normal pallor since taking the cure. “Rio is loose in the paddock. Spooked. Her stall door is hanging open.”
    Amy pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and groaned. “This is bad.” So fast he jumped in surprise, she grabbed Max’s arm, saying,