Twisted Roots Read online

  Just then the maid brought in the cake, moving slowly so the candles would stay lit.

  "Oh, my, my!" Danielle cried, clapping her hands.

  It was an impressive cake, and the two dolls did resemble my half brothers, both with a small arrogant smirk on their lips. I thought,

  The maid placed the cake on the cleared table, and the twins leaned over and started to blow out the candles, racing with each other to see who would blow out the most. When they were finished, the other servants gathered obediently at the door, and we sang happy birthday to Cade and Adrian. They both stood back, glowing as if they were finally getting what was always rightfully theirs. Two mare ungrateful, spoiled people did not exist anywhere, I thought.

  "Happy birthday," I told Cade and kissed him on the cheek. I did the same for Adrian.

  As Claire began cutting the cake and putting the pieces on plates for us. Daddy's butler stepped in to tell him he had a phone call. He left and the four of us sat eating cake and reviewing their presents.

  "I've got to run out," Daddy announced when he returned. "Something has come up."

  "Now?" Danielle asked. "but--"

  "I'll be back in an hour. I promise," he said. "You two behave yourselves." he warned the twins.

  Danielle rose. "I can't imagine what it could be," she said sadly, and then she followed him to the front door,

  "So," Cade said turning to Adrian, "not a bad haul this year, huh, brother of mine?"

  "Not bad," Adrian agreed, turning his new Rolex watch over and over.

  "Too bad your mother dumped dear old dad for Fidel Castro." Cade said to me. Or you would be enjoying birthdays like this with piles of expensive gifts."

  "There are a lot more important things in life than accumulating more possessions. Cade."

  "Like what? Making music?" he said with ridicule.

  "Yes, I think so." He started to laugh again. "At least I am doing something that pleases other people, too, and feeling good about myself. I don't have to have something new every week to keep me from being bored to death. either."

  "Really," he replied, lowering the corners of his lips.

  "Yes. Cade. really. The two of you think you have loads of friends when all you have is a bunch of people who use you and wouldn't care about you if you didn't have all this to offer. They don't like either of you for who or what you are, only for what you can give them, and that to me is not having friends at all."

  Both of my half brothers stared at me, my words seeping in to their reluctant brains.

  "I bet you think you're better off with your Cuban stepfather," Cade finally retorted.

  "He has never been nasty to me or not cared about my feelings, and his family have always welcomed me with open arms."

  "Of course they would. They're honored you give them the time of day," Adrian said. "You have the Eaton name."

  "That's not true. It's just the opposite. I wouldn't trade them for a pile of gifts five times as high as this." I said, pointing to their small mountain of gift wrap and boxes,

  "Sure."

  "Yes. sure." I said.

  They both glared at me.

  'Having fun?" Danielle said. returning.

  "Loads." Cade said dryly.

  "Your father has a client who was just arrested for drunken driving. He had to go down to the police station. He'll be back very soon," she explained. "I'll be right back," she added. "I have to see about some things I have scheduled for tomorrow."

  I was sorry to see her go, too. I always felt uncomfortable when I was alone with my half brothers too long. It wasn't getting any better as they grew older, either.

  "Our father and his clients," Adrian said, shaking his head.

  "His clients are very important to him, and they should be to you." I said. "How do you think he provides all this for you?"

  "If he died tomorrow, we wouldn't be a penny poorer, Hannah," Cade said. "Our grandparents have created a trust fund for us. We'll be millionaires for the rest of our lives. We're millionaires now!"

  "Good for you."

  "If you were really part of this family, you would have had a trust created for you as well. Bunny and Asher are very, very wealthy people."

  'Whether they like it or not, they are my grandparents, too. It's not my fault I'm not recognized as part of this family," I said and folded my arms under my breasts.

  Some birthday party celebration this was turning out to be. I thought. I should have had the courage to refuse to came and spend the time with Heyden, as we had planned.

  "No, it's not your fault; it's your mother's," Cade shot back. "Look. I told you--"

  You don't know the real story." he said before I could finish. "We might be younger than you are, but we know more than you do about yourself, right. Adrian?"

  He looked up from his watch and then looked at me. There was something in his face that frightened me. He looked afraid himself. I realized. He started to shake his head.

  "Stop pretending. You and I agreed that we would tell her the truth one day, didn't we? Well? What better day is there than our birthday?"

  Adrian just stared at Cade,

  "It's time we did. Adrian. She's no longer a baby. She's rehearsing with a Haitian."

  "Stop it!" I stared at them. "What truth?" I asked. smirking. "I don't think you would recognize the truth if it had the word truth tattooed all over it."

  "Really? Well, try this tattoo on for size. Hannah Banana. Our father is not really your father. We're not related at all," he said.

  I started to laugh at him. but Adrian's expression stopped me. He looked even more terrified than he had just a moment ago.

  "It would probably be my best birthday gift to know I wasn't related to you. Cade."

  "Well, it's true. You're not. So happy birthday. Hannah Banana Montgomery."

  "My name is Hanna Eaton."

  "No, it's Hannah Montgomery. Tell her. Adrian."

  Adrian shook his head. "We're not supposed to. We agreed. Daddy would find out what we did."

  "What did you do. Adrian?"

  He turned sharply to me and shook his head. "Nothing." He looked back at Cade. "Shut up. Cade. I'm warning you."

  "Don't tell me to shut up. stupid. She's sitting there like she's better than us, isn't she? You heard her. We have no real friends. We are selfish bastards. She's better off with her Cuban family, She's the one who said the Eaton name isn't all that important, didn't she?"

  "I didn't say that."

  "Yes, you did. Didn't she. Adrian?" "Yes," he said, looking at me. "She did."

  Cade turned back to me., full of satisfaction. "Adrian's afraid to tell you what we know because he doesn't want our father to know we listened in on a conversation he had with our mother one night when he had too much to drink. They talked about you," he said, pointing his forefinger like a pistol in my face.

  "I don't believe you."

  "So don't believe me." he said with a shrug. "Whether you do or not isn't going to change anything,"

  "Cade," Adrian warned.

  "Shut up. I said. She's going to hear it She's going to have that arrogant smile wiped off her face." He turned back to me. "My father told my mother that your idiot uncle made your mother pregnant and not him."

  "That's a disgusting and terrible thing to say!" I shouted and practically leaped at him.

  "It was a disgusting thing to do," Cade replied casually. "My father said he was away when your mother got pregnant, and he always knew you weren't his child. That's why he arranged to have the marriage ended."

  "He did not arrange anything!" I looked at Adrian, who gazed at me with pity on his face. "Why would he refuse to permit my name to be changed. then?"

  "It was part of a deal they made. He did it for you. He thought it was terrible enough for you to be left behind in that asylum. Look at us." he insisted. "We don't really look much like you, do we? Did you ever look good at your crazy uncle? I'm sure you'll find the resemblances if you do."

  "Dad's going to
be real mad at you. Cade." Adrian said.

  "Hannah Banana isn't going to tell. Are you, Hannah Banana? You're just going to keep your mouth shut and do what we tell you to do or we will tell everyone the truth about you."

  "Shut up," I said.

  "How about if we call up your black boyfriend and tell him your mother and her half brother are your real parents? Think he'll still want to make music with you? Even he might be disgusted."

  I stared at him with so much fury, I thought I was burning up inside, but he remained cool and collected,

  "What if we tell Natalie Alexander, Adrian? Think she can keep a secret?"

  "You are a rotten. spoiled--"

  "Why don't we give her a call tonight. Adrian?" Cade said, staring into my face.

  I stood up. "I won't listen to any of this!" I cried and charged out of the room, down the hallway to the stairs. I wanted to find Danielle and ask her to arrange to get me home.

  "Hey, where are you going?" Cade called after me. "We're having so much fun on our birthday. Hannah Banana."

  "Shut up." I threw back at him and hurried up the stairway, searching for Danielle. I wanted her to take me home. I could hear both Cade and Adrian laughing and following me with that stupid chanting: Hannah Banana, Hannah Banana.

  It was a long corridor. and it wrapped around to the right. I headed for the bedroom Danielle shared with my father, but when I got there and called for her. I didn't hear her. This house was so big, she could have been downstairs in another wing, I thought. I went into the living room area of their suite and sat dejectedly on a sofa. When I heard the bedroom door close. I looked up.

  My twin half brothers stood there, looking down at me.

  "Leave me alone!" I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks now. "You're both mean and horrible, and you can't stop being that way, even on your birthday!"

  "No, we're not We've actually been very considerate of you, Hannah. We've known the truth all this time, but we've never told anyone. have we. Adrian?"

  Adrian shook his head.

  "Never, and we could have many times."

  "And were willing to keep it a secret now, too, right. Adrian?" Adrian nodded.

  Cade stepped closer,

  'If you're cooperative, that is." he said. "If you give us a nice birthday present. not that phony one our father probably had purchased for you anyway," he said.

  I looked up at them suspiciously. There was a note in their voices that I hadn't heard before, but it was dark enough to scare me.

  'What are you talking about now? What do you want?"

  Cade's smile was thinner and sharper than ever. His eyes brightened as he drew closer.

  "Take off your clothes for us," he demanded.

  I thought my heart had turned into a tight fist and closed on my lungs. For a moment I couldn't breathe.

  "What?"

  "Come on. Show us what you have. You do it for your Haitian songwriter boyfriend, don't you? And he hasn't got anywhere near as much to offer. Take off your clothes. and we'll keep our mouths shut."

  "You're both more disgusting than I could have imagined." I said.

  "Don't make me angry," Cade threatened. "or we'll withdraw our offer."

  "I don't care what you do."

  "Oh, you don't? Do all your friends know about your crazy uncle? They don't, do they? From what Natalie was telling us, you're not Miss Popularity right now anyway. This would really do you in. don't you think? Tell her. Adrian." he commanded. gesturing for Adrian to step forward, "Tell her we're serious about this."

  "We're serious." Adrian said. "And you know we can do what we say."

  "Get away from me." I warned them.

  'How is this information going to sit with your mother at the moment. huh? Her and her SIDS baby. What is she going to tell people when they call to tell her what they have heard?"

  I shook my head slowly.

  "You know shell hear about it. too. don't you? You know how everyone spreads stories in this town. You won't be Miss Goody Two-shoes anymore, and your mother... do you think people will want to go to her for mental and emotional help after they hear what a sinner she was?"

  You bastard. Cade."

  "Just take off your clothes. Give us a real birthday present and show us your birthday suit," he said. smiling. "It's as simple as that. You do it every day, undress. So do it here. Go on. Do it!" he ordered.

  Adrian drew closer, his eyes full of interest, wondering if I would do as Cade ordered.

  "I'm going to tell Daddy." I said.

  "You do that and we'll really get the story out," He smiled. "Maybe we and our older friends will go out to see your uncle and ask him to confess. We'll tell him he should do it for you."

  "You wouldn't dare do such a thing."

  "Why not? It's not a crime or anything to visit him, is it? We're just trying to help our sister, right. Adrian?"

  "Right. -We're just trying to be good brothers." "I hate you both." I said.

  "I'll tell you what." Cade said, stepping only a few feet from me now. "You can keep your eyes closed. I'll take off your clothes for you, and then we'll leave and you can open your eyes and it will be as if nothing happened. How's that?"

  You should do it. Hannah Banana," Adrian said. "It's a good deal."

  "Is this the sort of sick games you play with your so-called friends?" I asked them.

  Cade smiled, "You'd be surprised at what some girls will do to get invited here. right. Adrian?

  "C'mon," Cade said, closing in and reaching toward my dress. "Just close your eyes. Go on It's easy and then it's all over. We swear we won't say a thing about your uncle and your mother. Just think of it as a birthday present from us before your birthday. C'mon," he urged.

  His fingers were on the zipper of my top.

  "Stop," I said but not as firmly as I wanted. Everything they had threatened really frightened me, especially the part about Mommy. My mind was reeling. I couldn't think. He took it as encouragement.

  "Close your eyes. In a few minutes we'll be gone. C'mon. What's the big deal?"

  I felt the zipper being lowered and I started to pull back.

  "Hannah, be cooperative. I'm warning you. Our patience is running out."

  "Stop," I said, tears emerging.

  "It doesn't hurt and it gets you off the hook," Adrian said, stepping to my left. He put his hand an the strap and edged it over my shoulder as Cade continued to lower the zipper.

  "Close your eyes," Cade whispered. "It'll be over before you know it."

  He lowered the other slaw, and then they bath seized the bodice and pulled it off my breasts. Just as they did, the bedroom door opened and Danielle appeared. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

  I clutched at my dress to cover myself. "What are you doing?" she cried.

  "She wanted us to!" Cade immediately shouted. Lies were always stored at the tips of their tongues and an alert for instant use.

  "She brought us up here and said she would give us a real birthday present." Adrian added,

  "No." I said, shaking my head. They made me. They said terrible things. They--"

  "Why would we bring her to your bedroom. Mother?" Cade asked, his arms out, "We'd bring her to our own bedrooms. She led us up here. We had no idea what she meant by a real birthday present."

  "Hannah, this is not so?" Danielle asked.

  "No, it's not." I backed away from them. "They're lying."

  "She's into this stuff now. Mother." Adrian said. "She was telling us about her and this Haitian kid, how they rehearse in the nude."

  I shook my head. "That's not true. They're lying," I said, my chest full of hat air. I couldn't breathe. Danielle looked like she was believing them. "They're lying, Danielle. Honest!" I cried.

  "But why are you in this room?" she asked.

  Cade's face filled with glee, "She's the one who wanted to come here. Mother. You know we never come into this room. Why would we have done it now?"

  Danielle turned and looked at me. I
shook my head so hard. I thought my eyes would fall out, and then I charged past her, out of the room, rushing down the stairs.

  "Hannah!" Danielle called behind me.

  I didn't turn back. The twins were too good at lying and getting people to believe anything they said. What good would it do for me to stay there and deny and deny? I thought.

  Claire froze in the entry hall when she saw me clinging to the top of my dress and rushing toward the door. The look on her face put even more panic into my feet. In seconds I was out the door and down the portico steps, running over the driveway toward the entrance of the property. Only when I reached the gate did I pause and fix my dress. Then, as calmly as I could. I pushed the button that opened the gate and stepped out on the highway.

  Moments later I was heading back toward Joya Del Mar, the traffic whizzing by, my own tears flying off my cheeks, the sea breeze catching my hair and flailing it about my face. I was sure I looked like a madwoman, but I didn't stop walking, even when my legs and feet began to ache.

  I must have walked and run nearly two miles before I finally stopped to catch my breath. My skin was clammy with sweat, my heart pounding so fiercely. I thought it would soon shatter like a piece of fine china. Traffic continued to whiz by. If anyone saw me standing there, he or she did not think to stop to see what was wrong.

  I had left my purse behind at Daddy's house, My cell phone was in it as well as my wallet and my credit card. What would I do? I walked on slowly until I came to the gate of another estate and pushed the button on the call box. After a very long pause, a deep male voice said, "Yes?"

  "My name is Hannah Eaton." I said "I've broken down in my automobile. and I don't have my cell phone with me. Could I come in and make a call, please."

  "No." the voice replied. "However, if you will give me the number you wish to call and whom you wish to speak with and tell of your plight. I will do so for you. Well?" he demanded instantly.

  I couldn't think. Should I call Miguel? Would this upset Mommy and get everyone angry at me? I made a quick decision and gave him Heyden's phone number.

  "Please ask for Heyden and tell him I need him to came to this address to get me," I asked.

  "Very well. Remain at the gate," he said.