Irrevocable Trust (Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Book 6) Read Online Free Page B

not leaving. ” He planted his feet in a wide stance and puffed out his chest.
    She tried to peer around him to get a glimpse of Calla and Hal, the youngest of his siblings and the only two who didn ’ t have the sense to make themselves scarce when the doorbell rang. Instead they were peeking out from the hallway and giggling.
    “ Honey, I understand you ’ re all probably in shock right now. It ’ s a terrible thing, what happened to your mother, but you ’ re only seventeen, right? ” She crossed herself at the mention of his mom.
    Technically, he wouldn ’ t be seventeen for another five months, but he figured older was better in this situation.
    “ That ’ s right. ”
    “ How are you going to take care of all your brothers and sisters all by yourself? ”
    “ We ’ ll manage. ”
    She smiled hesitantly. “ But you don ’ t have to do it by yourself. There are programs —”
    He held up a hand to stop her. Despite himself, he flashed back to his father and recalled the way he squared his shoulders and jutted his chin when he was asserting his authority. Cole adopted the mannerisms that had worked so well for his dad.
    “ Listen. We don ’ t want your help. We ’ re fine. ”
    “ You need an adult to take care of you, son. ”
    “ Our … uh, Uncle Hank is on his way, ” Cole said. He figured a partial truth was good enough for Mrs. Stokes.
    “ Uncle? What about your father? Is he in the picture? ”
    “ That ’ s none of your business, you old snoop. ”
    She opened and closed her mouth, like a fish flailing on the bank after it had been landed.
    He closed the door before she could find her voice. Then he engaged the deadbolt and turned to lean against the door. He reached inside his waistband to confirm his mom ’ s old gun was still there. He ’ d dug it out of the trunk while the others were still wandering around the house in shock. He hoped he wouldn ’ t have to use it, but if that old bat showed up with a social worker, he ’ d do whatever it took to keep his family together.
    You ’ re just like him . The thought buzzed across his mind like a gnat. He swatted it away. He was nothing like his dad. If anything, he was the opposite: if he resorted to violence, it would be to keep his family together, not to tear it apart.
    He steadied his breathing and looked up. Calla and Hal were sitting cross-legged in the doorway to the kitchen, staring at him. Brianna, Leah, and Mark emerged from the upstairs hallway and peered down over the railing at him.
    For a moment, all six of them were quiet.
    His eyes met Brianna ’ s.
    She looked back at him for a second before she nodded.
    “ Family meeting, ” she said.
    They all filed into the dining room and took a seat around the long oak table. It was where they ate, prayed, learned, and played. And where their mother had always convened family meetings.
    Cole ’ s throat felt tight when he looked at her empty chair, but he pushed thoughts of her out of his mind. Right now, he had to figure out a way to keep them together. That was his job. He could cry later, in the shower — the only truly private space in a house of six people. Now, he had to lead.
    Brianna tapped his arm.
    He turned to face her. Her green eyes were clouded with worry and sadness. She looked way older than fourteen suddenly.
    “ They don ’ t remember, ” she whispered.
    “ Neither of them? ”
    “ Neither, ” she confirmed.
    They hadn ’ t been sure whether Calla and Hal had any memories of their previous life — their old names, the compound, their dad. They knew Leah and Mark remembered, but none of them ever talked about it. Now, with their mom gone, he wasn ’ t sure how much to tell the others. Brianna said she ’ d find out what the little ones knew. Apparently nothing.
    That was good and bad. Good because it was safer that way, but bad because they wouldn ’ t be able to understand how much danger they were really in.
    They were at war with their dad. And