you with whatever financial stability you needed.”
I was starting to feel like I was being cut off, but he’d said this was good news, so I kept my mouth shut.
“That is no longer necessary,” he continued. “I will be sending you a screenshot of the bank account that has been established in your name that will have all the necessary information for you to access the account in a few days, once the transfer clears—”
“Wait. What?”
“You’re being paid for the services you’re rendering,” he explained, and the way he said that made me feel like I needed a shower. “And I think you will be pleased with what you’ll see.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve never had money. Or even a bank account. It’s a shock that I even know how to use a credit card,” I replied. “How do I have money now?”
“You father wants to make sure you’re provided for and that your focus will not be distracted by—how did he say it—‘frivolous human concepts such as money.’”
Okay. That sounded like something my father would say. “Did you see him?”
“Unfortunately.”
An inappropriate giggle swelled in my throat. “When? I haven’t seen him since...”
“I know.” All humor had vanished from his tone. “He was here this morning, in all his glory. He wanted to make sure funds were set up and that, in the meantime, you were covered. He said to tell you to check what you hold most dear, and yes, he was as vague as angelically possible.”
Check what I held most dear? Immediately, my gaze swiveled to the worn Johanna Lindsey paperback that had been Mom’s favorite book. Did it...look thicker than normal?
“You’re still there?” Thierry’s voice snagged my attention.
“Yeah. Yes.” I cleared my throat. “Sorry. This has just caught me off guard.”
“As it did Matthew and I. We weren’t expecting your father to consider things like you needing money to buy food.” I could almost picture him pinching his brow. “Actually, we were planning to wire you some money ourselves, but that won’t be necessary.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, unsure how to respond. At the Community, money wasn’t something I’d had to worry about. I’d been privileged in a lot of ways, and realizing that now, as I stared at the book, made me a little uncomfortable in my own skin.
“Trinity,” Thierry began, and I tensed, recognizing that tone. “I’m not going to ask how you’re doing. I already know, but... I’m sorry. I should have known that Misha wasn’t your—”
“It’s okay.” I swallowed hard. “You all did what you thought you were supposed to, and I...did what I had to. Everything is going to be okay.”
Thierry was silent. Too silent.
I rubbed my fingers over my temple. “How...how is Jada?”
“Upset. Confused.” A pause. “She misses you.”
“I miss her,” I whispered. “I miss all of you.”
“We know. She knows,” he replied. “And she knows you need time to process everything. Just don’t forget that she’s here. That we are all here, and we miss you.”
“I know.”
Thierry didn’t keep me on the phone much longer. I hung up, feeling a little heartsick and a little happy to have heard his voice.
Slowly becoming aware that I wasn’t alone, I placed my phone aside and looked up.
Zayne stood in the doorway. “Everything okay?”
I nodded, smiling a little. “It was Thierry. He was calling to say that my...that my father had come by to make sure I was financially set.”
“That’s good news, then.”
In other words, he was probably wondering why he was picking up on sadness through the bond, but I wasn’t up to offering that information as I leaned over and picked up the book. It felt different, and as I turned it around, I saw that there were gaps between several of the pages.
“I think...my father was here,” I said, glancing at him.
“Seriously?” Zayne leaned against the door frame. “When?”
“Maybe last night?” I hadn’t paid attention to the book then. Giving it a little shake, I wasn’t all that surprised when I saw green paper flutter to the comforter in a never-ending stream of money.
Zayne made a choking sound. “Holy...”
“Hundred-dollar bills,” I said, eyes wide as I stared at the dozens and dozens of them. There was a chance that one had been tucked between every page. I looked up with a smile. “I guess I’m covering dinner tonight.”
* * *
I did buy dinner, but that turned out to be a little embarrassing, because he’d picked Subway and I had to break a hundred-dollar bill on two footlongs.
Not long after I’d gotten off the