Page 16 of Adored By the Wolf

I was usually in the group that got in trouble. Lira, on the other hand, well, I could count on one hand the number of times she’d gotten in trouble. Mom and Dad loved her more. Everyone loved her more. And that was all there was to it.

I felt a lone tear escape but quickly wiped it away, chiding my reaction. There was no reason for me to be sad about this. I needed to come up with a plan to get the painting back. It meant too much to me to let it go. And unfortunately, I would need Lira’s help to get it back.

* * *

Lira was pacing my room in Crystal Lake, shooting me a glare every so often. We had left Tahoe City yesterday, and I had updated Lira on the situation once we got home.

“You should have told me,” Lira said.

“What’s the difference between me telling you or Lillian telling you?”

“You’re my sister,” Lira said pointedly and gave me a look I wasn’t sure how to decipher. “Your weight carries more than anybody else’s. You know this. I would have taken it down and put it in the back. I don’t know why you didn’t do the same, seeing how you were running the show.”

“You know why. Mom or Dad could have shown up at any time, asked to see the inventory, and soon realized one of the paintings that wasn’t sold was missing from the collection.”

“You’re too paranoid.”

“Only because it’s happened before. You remember how much trouble I got into?”

“No, not really. I think you’re just being overdramatic. Mom and Dad would not have exploded over something like that. You could have just come up with a story that you were saving it for your friend who really wanted it.”

I saw red. That comment wasn’t fair. “Why couldn’t you have done the same?” I shot back. “Lillian said you insisted we weren’t allowed to hold paintings. You even called Mom. Sure didn’t sound like you made much effort to save the painting.”

“I . . .” Lira’s cheeks flared red, but she turned away before I could remark on them and walked toward the window. “The buyer really wanted it, and he paid cash.” She said it in such a matter-of-fact tone, I knew she’d run if we argued anymore.

I sighed. Lira would never get the point I was trying to make, so what was the use in continuing to argue with her? “It doesn’t matter anymore. The painting has been sold, and I just need to get it back. So, are you going to help me or not?”

“Of course, I am. I just have to think about how we’re going to go about it.”

“You sure I can’t just call the buyer myself?”

“No!” she cried. Realizing her outburst, she said more slowly, “I mean . . . it would be very unprofessional of me.”

That made my eyebrows shoot up in disbelief.

“Hey, I’m professional when it comes to clients!” she protested.

I sighed. “Just call the buyer up and tell him it was a mistake, Lira.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that easy.”

“Why?”

“It just isn’t.” She took a deep breath and turned around with a scowl on her face. “Now let me think.”

“What is there to—?”

“Ugh, you just can’t help it, can you? Quiet, Millie! I can’t think when you’re constantly asking me questions.” With a dramatic wave of her arms, she walked out of my room and into the living room, shutting the door behind her.

I flopped back on my bed, exasperated with my sister. All she had to do was act like me and ask for the painting back by telling the owner that there was a mistake and the painting was not for sale. Though, the owner could put up a fight . . . .

I closed my eyes and shook my head. That would never stop Lira from getting what she wanted. Why was she so hesitant on contacting the owner?

I stood up and walked into the living room but stopped when I saw Lira sitting on the sofa with her head in her hands. Gathering my thoughts, I walked over and plopped myself next to her, but there was no reaction.

“Lira—”

She jumped, her head snapping up. “Oh! Don’t do that!”