Page 18

18

Tallus

D iem was gone when the alarm on my phone sounded at six the following morning. I’d slept like the dead, so I had no clue when he’d snuck away. His overnight bag still sat at the foot of the bed, so he hadn’t raced back to Toronto. A slim possibility existed that he’d snuck off to a gas station to buy a pack of smokes. It had happened in our pre-dating days when having sex in a bed had thrown him over the edge.

Sleeping beside me could have had the same effect, but I doubted it. Diem hated himself when he caved to his cravings, so he worked his therapy to ensure it didn’t happen. On the other hand, he’d quit quitting more times than I could keep track of, and I wasn’t privy to a lot of his backstory.

Another possibility remained. He could have gone off to do some investigating without me. Did my comment about the cabin and teenage affairs finally sink in? Man, I would be ten kinds of pissed if that was where he’d gone. What about the man and his gun?

For fuck’s sake. If Diem had gone off and—

The door to the room opened, and my surly boyfriend appeared, steaming takeout coffee in one hand and a Dr Pepper in the other. The brown paper bag tucked under his arm sent a thrill through my veins.

“You went for coffee. Thank god. For half a second, I worried you’d gone back in those woods alone and that Nicholas’s drunken father had blown your head off and fed your remains to his dog.”

Diem’s face did a thing. “You wake up to find me gone, and the first thing you figure is I’m lying dead in the woods after being mutilated by a dog?”

“It wasn’t the first thing I thought. I figured you went for smokes because… cuddling.”

The odd contortion of his features continued.

“Never mind. Is that coffee? Is it for me?”

“Yes. This too.” He tossed the brown bag on the bed.

I groaned at the warmth radiating through the bag. “If this is a freshly baked peanut butter cookie for breakfast, you are crawling right back in this bed, and we are having all the sex.”

Diem’s stormy gray eyes widened, and I chuckled. “See? That expression is one I recognize. Sheer, undiluted horror. I’m not sure how I still manage to shock you.”

I opened the bag, and a waft of fragrant steam greeted me. “Oh, hell yeah. That’s it. Get naked, baby. We are doing the nasty until I can’t walk. This is fucking heaven.”

I tore off a chunk of warm cookie and popped it into my mouth. It melted against my tongue, and I dramatically groaned.

Diem teetered, one foot in the room, one foot out like he was unsure if he should take his chances or run for his life.

“Guns, you are quite literally the only man I know who will run away from the suggestion of sex.”

“I’m not…” He scowled and entered the room, slamming the door. “It’s a fucking cookie. Why do you do that every time?”

“I can’t help it if peanut butter is orgasmic.”

He continued scowling as he opened his Dr Pepper and drank.

“You snuck away,” I said, eating more cookie.

“I… It’s after six. I figured if we wanted to get out the door before seven, you would need a hit of caffeine… and I know you like cookies… peanut butter cookies. They had just come out of the oven when I got there. The girl wasn’t going to sell it to me yet because it was so hot, but…”

“But you got growly, and she caved?”

“Yes.”

I hit him with all the sultry mischief I could manage. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. A whole night of snuggles followed by a good morning coffee and a fresh-from-the-oven cookie. I’m warning you. I’m having an emotion, and deep down, behind the steel cage where you’ve locked your heart, I think you’re having feelings too. Gooey feelings. Lovey feelings. Tell you what. If you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”

The bear awoke. “Shut up and drink the fucking coffee. I don’t have fucking feelings, and if I’m in this building when the clocks go off, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”

I ate my cookie and drank my coffee in silence but took great joy in the flush that bloomed in Diem’s cheeks every time he caught me watching him. No feelings, my ass. The brooding man was overcome with feelings, and with a little more pacing and processing, he might be able to express them someday.

I would wait.

***

At three minutes to seven, Diem and I raced down the front stairs of Ivory Lace. My insistence on showering after Diem had put us behind. If the grump had let me shower with him, we could have been out the door by now. I’d barely had time to dress before Diem shoved me from the room and told me to move my ass.

Before we could escape the building, Ivory herself called after us from the reception desk. “Oh, boys. There you are. Will you be joining us for the breakfast feast today? We haven’t seen you. There’s apple cinnamon French toast on the menu this morning. I make my own whipped cream topping. It’s to die for.”

Diem’s chest rumbled with an imminent growl, and I waved the elderly woman off. “Not today, you sweet, precious thing. It sounds delicious, but we’ve gotta run.”

“Now hold on. I can pack breakfast to-go bags if you’d like. You can’t race off on an empty stomach. Now, let’s see. Maybe some hard-boiled eggs, fresh cheese, grapes, and strawberries. Oh, I have these delicious whole-grain crackers I could use instead of toast. Toast would get stale. You can choose between cottage cheese cups or yogurt cups. Heck, have both if you’d like. I suppose there’s no reason I can’t include some sausage links. They’re portable. Might not stay warm. Give me a minute, and I’ll set you up.”

“No thank you, ma’am. We’re in a hurry.”

“Nonsense, I’ll just—”

Diem dragged me outside, shouting, “Listen, lady, your chipper attitude is effectively affecting my quality of life in a negative manner, and therefore, I need you to stop hassling us.”

The heavy wooden door slammed as the clamor of seven o’clock shook the building.

“That woman’s on fucking crack,” Diem said, hightailing it to the Jeep. “Jesus fuck.”

“D—”

“The town should file a fucking complaint. Listen to that shit. And we’re outside.” He wrenched the passenger door open. “No wonder her husband looks like a goddamn zombie.”

“D—”

“Fucking breakfast to-go. What the fuck was that nonsense?”

“D!”

“What?”

“I just want to say that you’ve really taken to the whole ‘telling people to fuck off without telling them to fuck off’ thing. It’s admirable. Not only are you using your words to communicate, but you’re doing it in a creatively sly manner. We should call Dr. Peterson. This is an overcome obstacle. He would want to know.”

“Tallus?”

“Yes?”

“Fuck off and get in the Jeep.”

I chuckled. “Yes, darlin’, but next time, try not to smile when you say it. Kills the effect.”

As Diem drove, he placed a call to Mrs. Mandel, hoping to catch her before she headed to the hospital to sit by her son’s bedside. With the call on speaker, I listened to my boyfriend fumble and mumble his way through a painful exchange as he updated her about our plans for the day.

When he’d spoken to Weston’s mother after our incident with the man in the woods, he’d withheld details. Other than mentioning the possibility of a second writing club, a secret writing club, he’d been vague. That morning, he hazily suggested Weston and his friends might have been meeting at a secret location in the woods to explore darker writing exercises that hedged on concerning. He suggested Weston could have been sexually active with his girlfriend in the same location.

“It’s not possible,” Delaney said.

“It is.”

“Are you sure?”

“No. That’s why we’re investigating.”

“He’s a good boy, Mr. Krause.”

“Uh-huh. Good boys still have sex with their girlfriends. I’ll keep you posted.”

He hung up, mumbling, “They’re never good boys . There are always fucking secrets parents don’t know about.”

“I was a good boy.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I was.”

“Uh-huh.”

I huffed. “You don’t believe me.”

“Not for a second.”

I chuckled. “Wise man. I’m lying through my teeth. If my mother knew half the shit I got up to, she’d have hung me by my ears.”

“Uh-huh.”

***

We arrived on Hope Street by quarter after seven, in time to catch the white SUV backing from the driveway, Loyal behind the wheel. Diem cursed and let the vehicle pass us before turning around in their empty driveway and following the teens.

“We’re kind of close. Won’t they see our tail?”

“Don’t care. This isn’t a secret spy mission, Tallus. Our goal is to intercept and talk with them.”

“Yeah, but what happened to not doing it on school property? We could get in trouble.”

“We missed that opportunity, so we’ll take what we can get because I’m not waiting until school gets out this afternoon.”

The twins stopped at a drive-through for coffee, and Diem parked on the road, waiting patiently for them to finish. I thought Londyn spotted us, but when I pointed it out to Diem, he shrugged.

We arrived at the school at half past seven. The moment the twins parked, Diem pulled into the spot beside them. Loyal exited his vehicle with the sly movements of a hotshot rich kid. He leaned against the SUV wearing sunglasses as an accessory on top of his head as he pointedly stared and waited for us to join him.

Londyn rounded the SUV and joined her brother, her stance less confident. The morning sun gleamed off their matching blond heads, highlighted their matching pale skin, and shimmered in their matching pale blue eyes. The similarities ended there.

Loyal’s confidence eclipsed Londyn’s meekness. One absorbed the light, while the other hid in shadow.

Diem, a force unto himself, put his six and a half feet of height to use as he approached the pair. His cantankerous attitude, set to a snarling level ten, worried me. If we ended up arrested for harassing teenagers, I would not be happy.

“Oh, Captain, my captain. You’re back.” Loyal’s syrupy tone rankled. “I hear you’ve been hassling my friends.”

Diem didn’t flinch. “I hear you’ve been running a secret murder club where the goal is to puzzle out the perfect crime so you don’t get caught.”

Loyal’s smile never wavered. “Busted. Atlas told me you two had a little chat and that I should expect a rendezvous. Unfortunately, Captain, it seems the details have gotten muddled. You see, our goal is to write the perfect crime, not enact it. So far as I understand, it’s not a felony to create stories, no matter how dark and true to life.”

“And what would your English teacher think of that?”

“I think he’d be quite proud of the thoroughness and thoughtfulness that goes into the process. Writing is art, you know. Not everyone is successful. Not everyone possesses the skill.”

I watched Londyn as Loyal spoke. Her darting eyes wouldn’t focus on anything for more than a beat. She carried a sheepish demeanor, shoulders rolled forward, making her look smaller.

Diem spoke. “So you don’t deny you run an after-hours murder club?”

“I run an after-hours writing club called the Murder Club.” Loyal chuckled. “Of course I don’t deny it. It’s my pride and joy. There’s no sense in making it sound sinister. We’re dedicated to our craft, and ambition is one of the characteristics universities look for when choosing who to accept. We’re overachievers, really. No harm in that.”

“I’m not a very good writer,” Londyn said, apropos nothing.

Loyal didn’t miss a beat and slung an arm around his sister, drawing her against his side and pecking a kiss on her temple. “You’re an excellent writer. Don’t talk bad about yourself. It pisses me off.”

I glanced at Diem to judge his response to the unusual sibling familiarity and found a line indenting his brow.

Loyal kept his arm around his sister, and I couldn’t decide if it was protective or disciplinary. I could have jumped in and asked my own questions, but Diem had a lot more sway when it came to intimidation. Not that Loyal looked the least bit on edge.

“So, who’s in this secret club?” Diem asked.

Loyal zipped his lips. “I can’t tell you that, or it wouldn’t be a secret club.”

“Where do you meet?”

“In a secret location.” Loyal winked.

The kid was a cheeky asshole, and if Diem decided to deck him, not only would he deserve it, but I wouldn’t feel sad.

But he didn’t, and I silently applauded his self-restraint. Diem crossed his arms over his barrel chest and announced. “How about a cabin in the woods near the trail where your buddy accidentally fell into the river.”

Londyn’s eyes widened, and Loyal must have squeezed her shoulder because she winced and flinched away from his touch.

Although Loyal didn’t lose his cocky smile, it shifted to a less authentic version. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit. It’s on your property, isn’t it? If not yours, then maybe a neighboring property.”

Londyn whispered her brother’s name, but he ignored her, keeping his chin high like he didn’t have a fuck to give.

Diem glanced at the sister and aimed his next statement at her. “Or maybe that’s not where you hold your secret club meetings, but I bet your sister used it for other purposes.”

Loyal’s smile vanished, shadows darkening his eyes. His sister turned an awful shade of gray.

A sinister grin took over Diem’s face. It was ugly and terrifying. Even I squirmed under its assault. “Bingo. Didn’t tell your brother about your secret rendezvouses with your boyfriend, did you? Did Weston take your virginity out there? Did you get on your knees for him? Suck his cock? Make him squirt?”

“Don’t fucking talk to my sister like that, asshole.”

“Uh-oh.” Diem’s menacing smirk persisted. “Did I just get you in trouble?”

“Don’t say anything,” Loyal snapped at his sister. “What are you suggesting, Captain?”

“I’m suggesting maybe your sister brought her boyfriend to the cabin in the woods for a little private time on the day he accidentally fell into the river. I’m suggesting they weren’t at the library like she claimed. Like she swore to the police. Like Weston told his mother.

“Is that where you were last Sunday, Londyn? Because we talked to the librarian, and no one remembers you and Weston studying that day.”

I glanced at Diem. The lie crossed his lips with grace, no sign implying the statement wasn’t true. Talking to the librarian was on our list for later that morning, but the library wasn’t open yet.

“You don’t know shit,” Loyal said, but his certainty had vanished.

“Did Weston cross lines you didn’t like? Did you run away? Shove him in the water when he chased you down? Did you watch him drown?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Loyal yelled, stepping forward as though he might go after Diem.

Diem didn’t move or flinch.

Something caught Londyn’s eye, and she pulled from her brother’s hold, putting a few feet between them. Her wide blue eyes swam as she tracked an approaching teen. Duke, the kid from the diner, the one built for playing football, sauntered over. He searched Londyn’s face, seemingly noting her distress, but aimed a comment at her twin brother.

“Saw you getting harassed again. Mr. A’s on his way to take out the trash.”

Londyn squirmed, glancing between Duke and her brother. “Loyal, he can’t find out.”

“Shut her up, Duke. For fuck’s sake.” Smirking at Diem, Loyal added, “There is nothing wrong with our club. We’ve got nothing to hide, so how about you fuck off and leave us alone.”

“No.” Diem stood his ground.

Duke took Londyn’s hand and whispered something I didn’t catch. She leaned into him and nodded, eyeing her brother. Duke brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, fingers lingering intimately by her neck. She leaned into the touch.

At that same moment, the English teacher, Hugh Abercrombie, exited from a side door and immediately located us in the parking lot.

“Hey!” He stormed in our direction, animosity written all over his face.

“Shit. We better get out of here, D.”

“No fucking way.”

“But—”

“No.”

Loyal adopted a smug expression as he moved his sunglasses to cover his eyes. Duke released Londyn, who glanced nervously between the teacher, Diem, and her brother, still an unnatural shade of gray.

“Get inside right now,” Hugh Abercrombie barked at the teens the instant he was upon us.

“We were just—”

“Go.” Abercrombie pointed to the door, interrupting Loyal’s attempt to explain.

Loyal hesitated for half a beat but relented.

“And ask Mr. Howie if he could please step in for me at the start of first period,” Abercrombie said. “I clearly have something to take care of. I’ll be there when I’m done with this mess.”

Loyal nodded, ducked his chin, and joined his sister and Duke as they aimed for the same door the teacher had exited. Before they entered the building, Loyal glanced back, exchanging a snide look with Diem. Considering the teacher’s attitude, I wasn’t sure Loyal was as confident about evading trouble as he made it seem. Time would tell.

My head spun with the tidbits of information I’d picked up while watching the exchange. Londyn’s meek response to her brother. Her fear. Loyal’s dominance. Duke’s unexpected affection. I stored it for later, needing all my focus to ensure Diem didn’t piledrive the teacher and get us arrested.