Family Ties (Hidden Secrets) Read Online Free Page B

fundraiser meet and greet you need to be at tomorrow. Be at the Rally Center six o’clock sharp.” Then he hung up.
    “ Damn it! I was supposed to have three weeks to my-fucking-self!” I screamed as I pounded the steering wheel.
    I headed back to my parents ’ house knowing everyone else was at work.  Imagine my surprise when I pull into the drive and find Eli, Colt, Nick and Jeff’s cars in the drive.  Hurriedly I exited my vehicle and ran inside. The minute they came into view I ran into Eli’s arms with a squeal. I love my brothers. Once Eli let me down with a laugh, I ran to each of my other brothers. Colt squeezed a little harder on my still tender ribs and I gasped.  He looked at me with concern and I shook my head.  But my brothers being who they are and our family the way it was, I knew a shake of my head was not going to keep the question at bay.
    “ What’s wrong? What happened?” Colt asked.
    “ I’m fine,” I said, stepping away from my brother.
    Now, I was a little less excited about seeing them. Nick came over to me and lifted me up. He sat me on the counter just as he used to do when I was younger. He did it when he wanted me to focus on what he was saying.
    “Mare…” he left his sentence hanging.
    I know he is trying to give me a chance to just tell them what happened.  Of course had I been a kid and this was just some kind of kiddie stuff, I would have spilled it all for them.  However, it wasn’t kiddie stuff and I wasn’t bringing my brothers into my turmoil.  So, I did my next best thing.  I got sassy.
    “ Nick,” I said in a low voice to mock his tone.
    Honestly, I wasn’t expecting him to do what he did next. He stepped closer and lifted my shirt.  Of course the bruising on my face had gone down, but my ribs and back had suffered the brunt of everything. 
    Everyone in the room gasped and I watch anger take over each of their faces. I shoved his hands away and shoved down my shirt moving off the counter.
    “It’s nothing,” I snapped.
    “ Nothing! Nothing! Are you fucking kidding me?” Nick roared.
    “ You watch your mouth young man!  What is going on in here?  You haven’t seen your sister in a while and this is how you act?” My father said sadly.
    “ Sorry dad, but…” Colt started to apologize for Nick.
    “ I’m fine,” I said, cutting Colt off hoping like hell my father wouldn’t find out.  Of course, even I knew my luck wasn’t that good.
    “ Dad, Mary’s in trouble.  She isn’t telling us what is going on, but what we just saw tells me that she’s in big trouble.” Jeff said with worry and concern in his voice and on his face.
    “ Mary is this true?”
    “ I’m fine, dad.  It was an accident practicing a new routine.”
    “ Dad look at her, she’s not fine.  Show him Mare! That wasn’t no fucking routine!”
    “ Boy! What did I just tell you about your mouth?” He snapped at Nick.
    “ Sorry, Sir.  Just look at her, please.” He said with less venom in his voice.
    “ Mary? Sweetheart, are you hurt?” My father asked softly.
    “ No, daddy. I mean I’m fine.  Still a little sore, but I’m okay.”
    After much coaxing, I lifted my shirt and showed my dad the bruising. To hear his strangled gasp about killed me.  My papa was a strong man and the kind of man I wanted in my husband, but after Kayla… details are noted and inspected.
    “I’m really okay, daddy.  Honestly. We, um, we're working on a, um, new routine with this device thing and…” I trailed off.  I knew I was spitting out lies and it killed me.  It was only now I understood why Kayla shut all of them out; it was the hardest thing in the world to lie to my family.
    My dad and brothers shared a look that I couldn’t understand.  Something told me that it was a look saying he didn’t believe a word I said.
    “ Well, you need to be careful Lil bean.  I hate seeing anything happening to my little girl.”
    I heaved a sigh of relief, even though I knew they