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The laughter again. “You go on telling them that someone is talking to you and getting into your mind and see what that gets you. More than likely, you’ll be at the funny farm with a lot of other people who think I’m not real.” He asked him what he was. “Faerie. A blue one, too.”

That made him laugh. A faerie, a blue faerie?

There wasn’t any such thing as a faerie, much less a blue one.

As he started to tell him how he’d come to be, someone knocked on his door.

Going to get it, he was surprised and displeased to find the police there.

Tommy told him that he was talking to a faerie and he’d have to wait for whatever he wanted.

“A faerie? Is that right? You got little people running around here that only you can see, sir?” Tommy asked the cop what he was talking about.

“Little people are the faeries, Mr. Reader. But that’s not what I’m here for.

I’m here because you were talking to a person by the handle of Mr. Gunz.

You had an appointment with him an hour ago, and you didn’t show up.

I’m here to tell you that we’ve been watching you and know that you’re out looking for a gun.

I don’t suppose you’d tell me what it is you plan to do with said gun, would you? ”

“I don’t know what it is you’re talking about.” He asked why his PlayStation was lying in the bag on the floor. “That’s none of your business, now is it?”

He felt pretty good about his answer to the cop about his toys.

The man was barking up the wrong tree if he thought that he was going to just confess to having him tell him what he’d been up to.

Here he thought that cops were supposed to be smart, and he couldn’t believe how stupid this guy was being.

Like Tommy was some dumbass that would actually confess to getting a gun for his toys.

Stupid man wasn’t going to get him to do anything where he’d be in trouble.

He’d just have to find another way to get himself a gun and not have the police following him around to get himself in trouble.

“He’ll catch you, Mr. Tommy, because I’m going to be telling him all your plans when you have one.

You’re not all that smart, you know. Dumber than a brownie that’s been out of the bud too long.

They get to be a little silly when they think that they can work in the big people world.

” He put both his hands on his head when Fred started talking again.

“Won’t do you a bit of good doing that. It just makes you look silly.

A man holding his head like you’re doing can only reflect badly on someone who already thinks there is something off about you. ”

“Is there something bothering you, Tommy? Something that I can help you with?” He said that the faerie was talking to him about his plans.

“Oh, so he’s going to know them too. You tell him that if he finds out that you’re up to no good, he can surely call me.

If that’s possible anyway. Yes, I’ll take the information to keep your family safe. ”

Tommy didn’t want to talk to anyone anymore and asked the officer if he had any more questions.

When he said that he didn’t, he closed the door on him and turned to look around the room.

There wasn’t anyone around him. Not a person, little or big, was in the room with him.

But the voice was still there, telling him that he knew now who to talk to in the station house if he was going to continue on the same path that he was on now.

“Just leave me alone, will you? I have nothing to say to you. And stay out of my thoughts; they’re mine, and I won’t have you getting me in trouble with them.

” He thought of what the cop had said, he’d given him his name and email address for the little person, if there was a little person around to call him when he knew what Tommy had been up to.

“You’re messing with the wrong guy, Fred.

I’m telling you right now that you’re messing with the wrong man when you mess with me.

I’ll get you. You can be assured of that. ”

For the rest of the evening and into the early hours of the next morning, Fred told him every thought that went through his head.

He even told him that the meds he took for his head aching weren’t going to stop him.

Tommy was ready to call it all off, but he had a feeling that was just what they wanted.

For him to call off the killing of his family, and he wasn’t that far gone as yet.

~*~

Edgar kept an eye on the Reader family. Mostly Tabby, but he watched the other four as well.

He was glad that they were taking it so well that they had a faerie around them all the time.

In fact, he’d been told by the little faerie that was with Sheppard that he had found out that his little person could play a good game of chess, and the two of them were doing that every evening.

Gina was also having a good time with her little man.

He was helping her in the garden, knowing which one of the things in her garden were weeds, flowers, or herbs.

She’d been having such a wonderful time with him that Crockery had asked if he could have a couple of seeds from the palace so that she could see what they grew in the gardens there.

He did wonder if Earl and his little faerie were a good match when he saw him talking to him about the fresh items and how she could help with keeping them fresh for longer so long as he approved it.

It was working out well better than he thought. Edgar was very excited.

“You look very happy. What have you been up to?” He told Gina, Sheppard’s wife, that he’d been keeping an eye on everyone for them.

“I know that you have been Edgar, and you’ve no idea how much that means to me.

I believe that I’ve enjoyed my day much more simply because I feel like you’ve taken a great burden from our shoulders. I know that Tabby is happy, too.”

“It’s good to be appreciated in times like this, but I want to make sure that the four of you are around for a good long time for Tabby.

” She nodded, then turned and asked him why they were telling people they were married.

“It’s been filed in the courthouse that we have been so that no one will be the wiser about us only living together.

My mom is happy for that, too. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t be married some other time if Tabby wants to.

Or Mandy wants us to. It’s just now, with everything going on, I can keep her safe and not have to worry about Tommy or whatever he’s up to. ”

“Is he up to something?” He simply nodded. “I want to ask you what he’s been doing, but I have a feeling that you’d tell me straight up and without any kind of niceties. Don’t get me wrong, I love you for that, but I’m having—just tell me what he’s been doing while we’re all here.”

“He’s tried to purchase a gun today.” Edgar grabbed her hand when she looked as if she was going to fall backwards. “I’ll learn to give you information the next time I give you something.”

“No, don’t do that. It just occurred to me that he’s going to try and kill us all for money.

” He held onto her when she swayed a little bit.

“I’m all right now, young man, and I’m glad that you told me.

I kept telling myself that he’d not be like that, not even to his own mother, but I know better now, and it’ll make me keep an eye out for him, too.

I won’t be as trusting anymore about what he says to me, either.

I don’t like this feeling that my son is such a monster, but I know in my heart and mind that he is. Thank you for that.”

“I’m here for you anytime. Can you take any more news, or have you had enough for now?

I can and will tell the others about what he’s up to, but you asked me, and I’ll do anything within my power to make sure that you are all right.

” She said that she knew that, too, for some reason.

Then she told him to never not tell her something because he thought she couldn’t handle it.

“Good. He’s taken out insurance policies on Tabby, Mandy, Earl, and your husband.

He didn’t know that they were not going to be cashed out if he’d not paid on them.

Tommy was going to take the one out on you when he got some more cash from the other four accounts.

Tommy is now trying to deal with his faerie talking to him all the time and telling him that his ideas aren’t going to work from now on. ”

“How much was he expecting to get from killing us all off?” He told her.

“Four million dollars. I guess I thought that it would be for more. He’s never been a good planner.

” She put her hand over her mouth when she spoke.

“I made that sound like I’m disappointed in him for only taking out a million dollars on us.

My goodness, what you must think about me. ”

“I think that you’re a good woman who has been dealt a shitty hand in her son.

I don’t know yet why he thinks he’s deserving of the money or killing you all off, but I will tell you that he’s not very smart in thinking that he can outwit me.

I’ve dealt with his kind all my life, and I know how to make the system work for me and you.

” She nodded again, and he could see the tears as they flowed down her cheeks.

“If Tabby sees that I’ve made you cry, she’s not going to be happy with me.

Especially when I tell her about your son. ”

“I’ll talk to her.” Gina started away but turned back to him.

“I’ll tell my husband about this if you’d not mind.

I don’t want him to know today, right now anyway.

They’re all having such a good time that I don’t want to ruin this for them.

I should have waited, too. That’s on me, not you.

But like I said, Edgar, if I need to know something, I want you to tell me right away. I can’t fight what I don’t know about.”

“I understand, and I will do that for you.” When she stepped away from him, Edgar reached out to his entire family to let them know what was going on.

He told them everything, including Tommy going to trade his system for a gun and how that had turned out.

Edgar also told them how Fred was working on the man to keep him off guard.

“Fred is talking to him, but he’s not allowed to show himself to him.

I believe that it would be certain death for the little man. ”

“You can be sure of that, I’m afraid.” He told his dad that there were several that were working on Tommy and that he didn’t want any of them harmed.

“You’re a good man, son. I don’t know that I would have thought of everything that you have to keep your mate safe.

She sure is having a wonderful time tonight, don’t you think? ”

“I think she’s the most beautiful creature ever created, and I can’t believe that she’s all mine.

I love her so much, Dad, that I’m almost disbelieving about how I feel about her.

” Dad chuckled, and it made him smile. “I’m going to go and find her and talk to her about tomorrow.

She’s not going to open to the public anymore, but she has drivers coming in and loading up.

I think she’s just excited to have the place open for business. ”

“I’m proud of you both right now.” He thanked his dad for what he said and found it difficult for him to contain his own tears.

His father was the best. Both his parents were.

“You be a good son and keep an eye on your new little family, and we’ll watch your back.

Don’t ever think that I don’t have your back, son.

I’d die if anything were to happen to any of you. ”

“I feel the same way about you and Mom.” Finding Tabby proved to be a little difficult, but once he did, he couldn’t believe how much she was glowing with happiness.

“How about I take you away from all this, and we get some real food to eat? I understand why you wanted to have fresh out with this thing, but I’m starving for real food and think you might be as well. ”

“I could easily eat a horse right now.” She eyed him kind of side-eyed. “You don’t eat those too often, do you?”

“I think that it’s been decades since I wanted horse meat.

And even then, I think my dragon only ate a small portion.

” She looked shocked at him. “I’m kidding, honey.

I swear that the only time I’ve eaten horse was when I was fighting a war between castles, and that was all there was for any of us to eat. ”

“I don’t want to know.” He said he could give her that, no information.

“Thank you. Now, tell me what has made my mom so upset. I saw the two of you talking. It’s about Tommy, isn’t it?

Tell me, please. I’ve had a really good day, and I need to know that he’s not around here and going to fuck things up for us. ”

He told her everything, including what his dad said about keeping the faeries safe.

Once she had all the information that he had to give her, she wandered away from him.

He let her go because it was a lot to digest right now, particularly about her own brother.

When she came back to him, she hugged him tightly and thanked him.

It was all he could do not to tell her she’d be stronger still if she bonded with him—that worried him enough—but he wasn’t going to pressure her into anything she didn’t want to have happen.

She was his mate, and he’d do anything in the world to not have to keep her safe from her own brother.

Tommy would be dead right now if he’d been allowed to kill the younger man as soon as he heard what he was up to.