The Forbidden Note (Redwood Kings Book 4)

Finn jumps into Dutch’s bed and I swat him off.

He glares at me.

I point down. “We know what happens in here. Get off their bed.”

Finn looks unbothered. “If I avoided places because of that, I wouldn’t have anywhere to sit.”

“Hey, I followed the rules. I never brought a girl home,” I say.

Both my brothers give me dull looks.

I clear my throat. “It was one time and I never did it again.”

“What’s with the emergency meeting?” Dutch strums on his guitar. The strings spell C-A-D-E-Y.

I swear, my twin is embarrassing. No matter how in love I am, I’m never painting some girl’s name over my drum set.

“I have an update on dad and Marian.”

Dutch looks expectantly at me.

Finn puts his book down.

“It’s going to be tougher than I thought,” I admit. “Marian thinks dad is her ticket to a new life.”

“We knew that already,” Dutch says, picking out a complicated riff.

“No, you don’t get it. She’s with him. Rain or shine. She wouldn’t dump him if we told her he was banging other women in her bed.”

“Did she say that?”

“She might as well have.”

“I don’t know, Zane,” Finn mumbles. “How are you so sure if she didn’t say that outright?”

“I’m not an idiot.”

Finn gives me a look that says ‘that’s debatable.’

I ignore it and sweep my fingers through my hair. “Dad doesn’t call her. Barely comes home. Treats her like an afterthought. She’s the most single married person I’ve ever seen and she doesn’t care. It’ll take more than just telling her about the inheritance to change her mind. We need proof that dad is a maniac.”

“If we had proof of that, we would have ended his stupid game a long time ago,” Dutch mutters.

“How about we prove he murdered Cadence’s mom?”

Finn shakes his head. “I read the police reports. She really did die of an overdose.”

“And dad wasn’t even in the country when she passed,” Dutch said.

“He could have sent someone to do it.”

“Sure. I agree with that,” Dutch says. “But he’s too smart to leave anything that could trace back to him.”

“Dad always seems to be one step ahead of us,” Finn agrees.

We fall into stiff silence.

“Convincing Miss Jamieson’s mom to divorce him is still our best option.” Dutch rubs his chin. “Are you sure she’s not secretly planning to divorce him anyway?”

“If she is, she has a funny way of showing it.”

Finn’s jaw works as he thinks.

“It might be different if the warning comes from Grey,” I offer. “Marian might not believe me, but she won’t ignore her daughter.”

I let my brothers stew in that for a beat.

“Speaking of Grey, there’s something else.”

“Is this about Hall?” Dutch asks. “You scared he might come after you?”

“If he tries to make himself a problem, he’ll regret it.” My fingers clench around my sticks.

Dutch raises a brow, but he doesn’t say anything.

I meet my brother’s eyes. “Remember when I told you Harris was being weird that day?”

They nod.

I tell them what Marian confided in me.

“When Harris said that Grey could ruin Redwood, I think this is what he was talking about.”

Finn looks intrigued. “No wonder…”

We both turn to him.

“There’s this saying that the ghost of the student who was murdered still roams around the school.”

Dutch looks grossed out.

I shudder.

“I thought it was just an urban legend.” Finn smirks. “I had no idea it was based on a real murder.”

My brother is insane. Why is he smiling like that?

“I was thinking…” I murmur, “what if we forge an alliance?”

“With who?” Dutch asks.

“Grey. We’ll help her investigate and dish out all the revenge she wants. In return, she convinces her mom to leave dad.”

“I like it,” Finn says.

Dutch looks at me. “You sure you’re doing this for the right reasons?”

“What other reasons could I have?”

He just stares me down.

“It’s a work partnership.”

Finn snorts. I get the idea that he doesn’t believe me.

Dutch’s eyes are the same shape as mine yet it’s more than just the colors that are different. His is filled with a lot more darkness. The three of us are the same age, but he always acts like the weight of the world is on his shoulders.

“It’s one thing if Miss Jamieson is someone you’re screwing around with,” Dutch warns. “It’s different if she gets involved in our business. You blow things up with her, it could ruin everything for us.”

“You’re acting like I’m radioactive.”

Dutch doesn’t laugh. He just keeps staring.

I lift my chin. “Grey and I… have an understanding. Besides, she’ll need our help more than we need hers.”

Dutch relents and finally looks down.

Finn picks up his book again. “What do you think dad is doing right now?”

“Marian said he’s on tour.” I walk over to the mini-fridge. The moment I open the door, I see a bunch of face masks, sparkling water, and girly crap.

I push past the sparkling water and grab a beer.

“I haven’t seen any articles about him,” Dutch says.

“I feel uneasy. Whenever dad’s too quiet, he comes back with something crazy.”

“Like that time he decided to teach at Redwood,” I agree.

“Or that time he sent Cadence across Europe and tossed me in jail,” Dutch murmurs.

Finn grunts in agreement.

“We can’t predict what dad will do next,” I tell them. “Right now, we have our own thing. We’ll deal with dad when he strikes.”

Dutch glances at Finn who nods.

“Alright then,” Dutch slips his guitar over his head, “let’s do it.” My lips inch higher as he says, “Let’s strike a deal with Miss Jamieson.”

Jinx: Drumsticks and Stones Can Break My Bones

It’s Day One without our resident princes and already, the air feels colder. Redwood just doesn’t seem as bright without our three shiny royals. Hurry back, dear princes. There are still so many secrets to be told.

Until the next post, keep your enemies close and your secrets even closer.

– Jinx