After the way Susanna had just roasted them, Ste was pretty sure the rumors about those twins were true-they really were as hideous as everyone said.
But more importantly, Susanna seemed... okay. Her mood wasn''t half bad, all things considered.
At least she wasn''t a sobbing mess again like she''d beenst night.
"So, what''s your n now?" Ste asked, unable to help herself. Susanna looked like she''d finally pulled herself together, and Ste was honestly curious.
Susanna sighed, "For now? I think I''ll just stay out of my mom''s way. No sense in adding to her problems."
"Wait, what?" Ste blinked. That was a 180. Wasn''t she just ranting about wanting to see her mom? Now she''s all about keeping her distance? The mental gymnastics here were giving Ste whish.
Susanna shrugged. "Mom''s about to break off from the old guard at ck Gate and start her own thing."
Ste''s jaw dropped. "Seriously? She''s that hardcore?" ck Gate was about to get rocked.
Lacey had always been a self-made woman-that much Ste knew. Gorgeous, sure, but she never used her looks to get ahead. She''d carved out her own little empire in Portis City, all on her own grit and brains.
"But this is ck Gate we''re talking about," Ste said, the wordsing out with a note of worry. Everyone knew ck Gate-one of those ces even Ronald,
with all his shady business, wouldn''t touch with a ten-foot pole.
Susanna nodded. "Yeah. It''s either going to be her or ck Gate. No room for both."
Ste''s eyes went wide.
Susanna went on, "You know why those creepy twins came after me themselves, right? They wanted to use me as leverage against Mom."
For a moment, Susanna looked like she finally saw how all the puzzle pieces fit together. Sure, she''d been terrifiedtely, but she was never stupid. Hanging around Hull, she''d probably picked up more info than anyone realized.
Ever since Lacey got dragged away by ck Gate''s people, Susanna had probably obsessed over every scrap of info she could get her hands on.
Ste was quiet.
Susanna continued, "Honestly, if Mom''s got them this desperate, I''m not even worried anymore."
Ste hesitated. "Yeah... I guess you''re right."
If ck Gate''s top dogs had to send those weird twins personally, Lacey must be making serious waves in their world. Maybe at first they just wanted her back to force her hand over that missing half of the treasure map, but by now? Lacey must have turned ck Gate upside down.
Susanna grinned. "At this point, ck Gate''s learning the hard way: inviting Mom
in was easy, but getting her out? Good luck."
Steughed. "You''ve got a point."
She couldn''t help but feel a little
awed by Lacey. ck Gate had
brought her back thinking they''d get what they wanted, but now they
couldn''t even control here,
they wereing after
Susanna-Lacey''s only daughter-as ast-ditch threat.
Ste said, "Honestly, the best thing you can do now is take care of yourself. Don''t
let them get to you. That''s the biggest support you can give your mom."
"Yeah. I know," Susanna replied softly.
They chatted a while longer before hanging up. Susanna made it clear-she wasn''t heading to ck Gate to look for her mom. She had other ns.
Ronald came upstairs just as Ste was hanging up. He wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Talking to Susanna?" he murmured.
"Yeah."
"What''d she say?" His voice was gentle, calm as ever. Ste had heard it her
whole life, but it still made her heart flutter.
"She said those twin sisters running ck Gate now? Ugly as sin.”
Ronald just stared at her.
Ste giggled, "She even joked she''s not sure they''re really that side chick''s kids: I mean, have you seen their dad? The old ck Gate
boss total silver fox when get
was
younger. And their mom? Had to be a real stunner to catch his eye. So what happened with the twins?"
Ronald kept quiet, so Ste pouted. "What, you think I gossip too much?"
She turned in his arms, snuggling into him with a huff. “Come on, it''s not like I''m the only one."