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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ST. CLARE

The front door opening makes the four of us leap to our feet, but we don’t get further than that before Perry barrels down the hall. He’s panting, sweaty hair plastered to his forehead, and for one wild moment, he comes to a stop and looks around at us all.

“Ah … hey?”

“Where have you been ?” explodes from me and Margot at the same time.

He does that thing where he forces a laugh, trying to act like everything is fine. “Just, umm, out for a walk.”

“A walk?” Margot echoes. “The kind of walk that could have gotten you killed ?”

Perry’s tan face pales, and he quickly looks around. “This isn’t where I’m supposed to be. Who are you people? I’ll just?—”

“He told me everything,” Margot cuts him off, pointing my way as she tattles on me. And I wish she didn’t because the expression Perry sends me can only be described as complete and utter betrayal.

“E-everything?”

“That you tried to kill him, made a middle school pact to disappear, and have found yourself on the chopping block instead? Oh yeah. Everything. ”

Perry scowls at me. “You tattled to my sister ?”

“What was I supposed to do?”

“ Not tattle to my sister!”

“You’re the one who sent her a ridiculous message this morning that had her busting down the front door and suspecting us of killing you .”

“She what?”

“Yes. So thank you for once again putting me in a position I don’t want to be in.”

Perry at least looks sorry, but before he can say it, Elle cuts in.

“Sorry to break up this tense moment, but Perry plowed in here like the place was on fire, and I’d kind of like to know what that was about.”

Fuck. That’s a good point.

Perry straightens suddenly. “Nothing important. No fire. But I really think now would be a good time for you and Margy to leave. Thank you so much for visiting, and we’ll meet up later this week for dinner or … umm, a funeral?”

Elle and Margot are both wearing matching we’re not going anywhere expressions.

“You do know that while I’m not practicing law here yet, I do know what I’m talking about,” Elle says, shocking the hell out of me. My initial impression of her was fun-loving trust bunny, so that proves I’m a terrible judge of character.

“I know, I know,” Perry waves her off. “But I don’t think I can legally do anything about this, so I’d really like both of you to leave. Immediately.”

And Margot proves she knows her brother better than any of us because she plants her hands on her hips and glares at him. “ Why ?”

“Because it’s highly possible this place isn’t safe anymore, and I really, really need nothing to happen to you both so that when this is all over, you can yell at me and tell me I told you so.”

Whatever else Perry was about to say is cut off when Lars shoots to his feet. “We’re not safe?”

“It’s a long story, but I think I was followed, so I took a bus downtown, then an Uber to the U District—and boy, did that wipe out some funds, I swear—and from there, I went to Gas Works Park, then took a bike, then another bus, ended up in some dingy area with a lot of naked people around, ordered a taxi, and?—”

“Perry,” I manage to say without laughing. “You went to a lot of effort, and we’re all appreciative, but do we need to be worried right now ?”

“No.” He glances at his sister. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Lars looks like his head is about to boil.

But a maybe I can work with. “First things first: Margot and Elle, you need to leave.”

“This is my brother’s place,” Elle points out. “You can’t make us leave.”

“I’m not making you, but considering the three of us are in some shit, and I highly doubt you want your girlfriend in the same shit, you should probably get moving before the shit finds you too.”

She eyes Margot. “Right. Okay. But Perry’s coming with us.”

“No, I’m not.” He hurries to stand next to me. “As much as I’d love that, Luther kind of wants me dead, and you two being around only gives them two more heads to aim at.”

“Morbid,” she mutters.

“But true.” I search Perry’s face for any sign that he’s worried about the confirmation he’s on the line along with me or that he’s betrayed by it being Luther . But there’s nothing there, just his eyes begging his sister to leave. “You really should go.”

Margot shakes her head. “This is all proof that I can’t leave him alone. Ever.”

The longer we stand here, the more Perry deflates. Sure, I can grudgingly accept that she makes a good point, but he’s spent the morning trying to find a name for me before taking an expensive and long trip back in case he was followed. He’s trying. At this point, there isn’t anything else we can do.

“He’s not alone,” I remind her. “He has us. And at this point, you’re more of a liability than a help, so you need to go.”

“A liability ? ”

“Yes.” Is she surprised? “While you’re around, Perry will always be worrying about whether you’re safe instead of worrying about himself. You want him to be okay? Go home. Don’t answer the door. Look after yourself. Then when this whole thing is over, you can be as condescending toward him as you like.”

Her jaw drops. “I’m not condescending.”

“Sure. He just can’t be left without your supervision.”

I see the exact moment Margot’s words sink in with her. I get that she doesn’t mean to be mean, that she’s frustrated and worried, but the things she says hit Perry harder than anyone else. Her dark eyes go misty.

“I’m scared .”

“I know …” Perry moves forward to reassure her. “I know. Me too. But I’ll be able to be a tiny bit less worried without you here.”

“How am I supposed to leave you knowing that I might never see you again?” She’s frowning hard, holding back tears, and all I want is for them to go so we can find out what the fuck Perry found out today.

“You trust me.”

Her bottom lip shakes, and Elle pulls her back.

“Come on, love. They have a lot they need to deal with.”

“I swear to fucking god, if you die?—”

Perry’s laugh cuts his sister off. “I know, I know, you’ll kill me yourself.”

“No, you boob. My life will be over.”

And with that little bomb, she and Elle finally leave.

Perry doesn’t say anything, and the silence from him speaks volumes. The heavy way his shoulders slope forward makes me want to pull him closer, maybe hug him or protect him or— Lars turns on him before I can.

“Tell us everything.”

“Not much to tell,” Perry says. “Luther’s the one who organized the hit on me, and he said I have a week to turn St. Clare over to him. Dead or alive.”

Lars’s gun is back out in a flash. “Just try it. ”

Perry glares at him. “Do you really think I would have told you that if I was planning to do it?”

“I have no idea what goes through your mind, only that, as you said this morning, you don’t plan.”

“Listen, I’ve already had one gun pointed at me today, am reevaluating all the friendships I thought I had, went on an expedition to get here, and now would really like?—”

Lars holds up his hand, cutting off Perry’s stream of thoughts.

At first, I think he’s done listening to him, but then I catch what Lars has already noticed. Incessant car horns down on the road.

“What the …” I go to check out of the window before Lars pulls me back.

“Get down.”

I get down, and after a second, Perry joins me.

Lars huffs. “What are you doing?”

It takes Perry a second to realize the question was directed his way. “Well, I don’t want to have my head blown off either, thanks.”

“I thought you said you were going to help me protect him?”

Perry’s gaze darts between us. “Well, you know, it seems like you, umm, have this …”

Lars glowers at him before taking the long way to the window. He seals his back to the wall beside it and cranes his head to look out. “I think … it looks like a car is out the front. Blocking the road.”

Considering it’s a reasonably busy street, I’m not surprised that the beeping is getting loud enough to hear.

“Well, that doesn’t sound good,” Perry hisses.

“No fucking shit.” Lars glances around the apartment. “Goddamn penthouses.”

“What’s your sudden problem with the penthouse?”

His face sets into a stormy mask. “We’re on the top floor. If someone followed you and they’re down there, we have no way out.”