Page 85 of Royal

“Only if you promise not to kill him.”

“Fine.”

The phone was shuffled around, and I heard back and forth murmuring, then, “Hey, R. How’s it going?”

“Kyler Michaels, what in the hell were you thinking?”

“I told him not to gripe at you!” Brysen called from the background.

“You expected me to stay away forever?” Kyler asked. “Look, I know there’s a killer here and everything, but we have Gideon. No one’s going to hurt Declan. Shit, no one can even get twenty feet from him without Gideon puffing out his chest and getting all protective bodyguard on them. We have an adjoining room with him, and we don’t go anywhere without him. We’re fine.”

Realizing I’d been holding my breath, I released it in a rush. “Okay.”

“Can you stop being a worry wart and be happy that I’m here?” he asked with a light chuckle. “I missed you.”

“He missed me more, though!” Brysen shouted.

“I’d love to come see you guys. Just let me eat breakfast and shower. Then I’ll be over.”

“Okay, awesome.”

I’d told Gray I would stay at home, but surely going to spend time with my boys was okay. And like Kyler pointed out, with Gideon around us, it was highly unlikely anything would happen.

After a quick shower, I changed into jeans and a tank before putting on my shoes. The coffee was done, and I sat down for my normal morning routine of coffee and news articles. Nothing exciting was in the news that day, and I got bored real fast. Or maybe I was just eager to get going so I could see my friends.

I hadn’t had a chance to check the mail the day before since I was gone all day, so I decided to walk out and check it before leaving this morning. Of course, like clockwork, Janice was sitting on her porch and waved at me when I walked outside.

Here we go.

“Happy Sunday, Mr. Henderson,” she said, standing up and shuffling off her porch and down her driveway.

I braced myself for today’s gossip. Probably some more drama surrounding Mark Thompson and his throng of younger women. Janice was so judgmental and nosy. I sighed.

“How are you today?”

“Very well. Thanks for asking.” She moved her glasses up her nose and smiled at me. Her purple lipstick matched her frilly blouse. “I saw you had an eventful night by the men leaving your house earlier.”

Judgmental, nosy, and blunt, it seemed.

“Only one is my boyfriend,” I answered before catching myself. I’d called Gray my boyfriend. I smiled before adding, “You remember Brysen. He’s my best friend. Nothing going on there. He’s just staying with me for a few days.”

Janice nodded and eyed me suspiciously. “And what about the third man?”

Third?

My skin prickled, and my heart picked up speed. “What do you mean? There wasn’t anyone else.”

“Of course there was,” she said, as a knowing smile spread across her face. “I might be old, but I’m not blind. Whatever you young kids do these days is your business. That poly love and threesomes.”

“Janice, there wasn’t anyone else.” I gave her a dead-serious look, trying to keep a level head. “What did he look like?”

“Shorter than you,” she answered, and her brow creased. “Brown hair that was in need of a good cutting. He’d be handsome if it wasn’t hanging all in his face. He was standing in that window.” She pointed toward my house at one of the spare bedroom windows. “He waved at me, and I waved back.”

It was hard to breathe. Some stranger had been in my house.

“When?” My body started to shake.

“This morning. After the blond boy left.” Janice put her hands on her hips and tilted her head at me. “Don’t look so scared, Mr. Henderson. Your secret is safe with me. I don’t gossip about other people’s business, you know.”

Feeling like I was about to pass out, I turned and opened my mailbox just so I could check it and get the hell out of there. My hand touched something soft, and I stopped. Heart hammering in my chest and my breaths coming quickly, I bent to look inside.

Bile rose in my throat.

A white flower sat on top of a small stack of mail.