Truth or Lies? by A. Gomez (book club recommendations txt) 📗

to death? You’re supposed to be at MIT!” We heard whimpering and a meek voice saying help. We all looked around for the voice and saw an agent against the wall where Charles Andrew was laying. Samson evidently got the agent who was closest to Charlie. He had him by the testicles and pinned against the wall. I love that dog!

“Oh dear! I’m so sorry! Samson off,” I commanded. I praised him, showing him love for being such a good dog. I gave him a bone so he would go to his bed and not make the agents nervous.

“Isabel Grace! What the hell?” Charles Andrew yelled, still on the floor.

“Gentlemen, this is my younger brother, Charles Andrew.” I was exasperated. “Do what you will with him.”

“Isabel Grace!” he yelled, his voice cracking.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” I snickered. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? This could’ve turned out bad.”

“I did,” he snapped. “Well, Mom did. She left you a message, she and Dad are coming in for your birthday and I’m just here for Mom’s cooking.”

“Message?” Had I forgotten to check my messages? “Are they coming now?”

Panic shot through me. I was not ready to tell them about my predicament.

“No, not until tomorrow morning. They’re flying in on the company jet. Can I please get up?”

“Oh, sorry, yes.” I felt flustered. I started picking up chairs and putting them back in place.

All the agents were starting to disperse. The one Samson got was on a kitchen chair icing his privates. Josh walked over to me, wrapped my robe around me and tied it. He gave me a tender look and kissed me on my forehead. I whispered thank you to him. The other agents noticed the special attention he gave me and exchanged looks. Uh oh, I hoped this wasn’t going to be a problem.

Charlie was getting up off the floor and picked up a chair to sit on. He looked shaken up. He glanced at the agent in the chair and apologized for calling Samson. The agent just waved it off as nothing. I went to Charlie and gave him a hug around his neck and shoulders. He felt more muscular and looked like he had grown a foot. I thought he might be as tall as Josh. His reddish-brown hair was below his ears and he looked like he needed a shave. He eyed me with his honey-brown eyes, waiting for me to say something.

“I’m sorry if this scared you or caught you off guard. I wasn’t expecting you. It’s my fault for not checking my messages. Will you forgive me?”

He took a deep breath and let it out. “Of course, I forgive you but you have to tell me what the hell is going on. What’s with all the security?” The agent got up and headed for the living room, I assumed so we could talk in private.

“It’s a long story but the short version is, I figured out the Chinese Triads are running a sex trafficking operation here and one of my victims managed to get away from them. Since I’m the one who pieced together the puzzle and I was also subpoenaed as a witness originally, the FBI thought it best I have a little protection.”

“Huh. Really? This is not a little protection. These are a lot of FBI agents, Isabel Grace. What are you leaving out?” he demanded.

“Yeah, so, since I pieced everything together, a person has been murdered and two others were attacked at their work place.” I left out the part about Jill nearly losing her life and being kept under sedation. Charlie didn’t react. He had no expression, a perfect poker face. My mind was racing. Did I say too much or not enough? Was he going to run for the hills screaming? Perhaps it was better if he did leave, just in case there was trouble, I wouldn’t want him in the middle of all the danger. Or maybe he didn’t believe me and he thought I might be hiding something and he just didn’t know how to respond?

“Charles Andrew?” My voice was a whisper.

He blinked a few times and very calmly said, “Holy fucking shit! Are you messing with me? Because if you are, it isn’t funny, Isabel Grace!”

“I wish I were. I still can’t believe it myself,” I said wryly.

“Do Mom and Dad know?”

“No, they do not know and please don’t tell them. This will worry both of them and they’ll just insist on me coming home. Besides, you saw all the security that’s here, so I’m okay. Plus, Agent Rockwall is staying in the house with me and Samson is here…and, well, you saw.” I smiled, hoping to make it sound a little better.

“Agent Rockwall?” He looked around the kitchen to see if Josh was there with us. They had all left to give us our privacy. Josh and a few of the other agents were congregated in the living room making sure things were in order, no doubt.

“He’s the tall blond in the living room,” I told him.

“You mean the blond in the PJ bottoms and the white t-shirt?”

I didn’t realize he had gotten more clothes on. “Yes, that’s the one. Let me introduce you two.” We headed toward the living room and the agents that were still in the house patted my brother on the shoulder as they exited and apologized for almost shooting him and knocking him to the floor. Charles Andrew just nodded as if to say it was okay. The agent that Samson had grabbed was walking out with a slight limp, not saying a word; the other agents watched him and snickered behind him. Josh only grinned as they walked out, locking the door behind them.

“It looks like y’all were having a date,” Charlie observes. “And I might have interrupted things. You have