Chapter 22
The sun was up, and had been up for a while, when I eventually woke the next morning. I glanced over at the other side of the bed. It didn’t look slept on, but I rolled over and grabbed the pillow.
Oh yeah, he’d been here. No matter what he said, I had never slept like the dead, so how was he sleeping in here every night without me knowing?
And worse, why did I like it? Too many questions and not the right time to answer them. I had things I needed to get done today that had to be accomplished alone.
I hit the Underground twenty minutes later and scoped out the place. Office empty. Butch and Leon? Missing. Time to scramble.
I waited until I got into the stairwell, the one nobody seemed to use except for me, and called, “Zee.”
Gargoyles were pretty quick. Like, near instantaneous. So when she didn’t show up in five minutes, I started calling her name repeatedly, while going up and down a flight of stairs, thinking maybe I needed to find a better spot for reception. “Zee!”
“What?”
I turned to see my favorite gargoyle in a hot-pink skirt, white tank top knotted under her chest, with blonde hair piled high in a messy bun and her face covered in white cream. “I’m in the middle of a facial, so if you’re trying to bug me about the job, the hairy were-girl had a hunt. She won’t be back for another couple of days. Damn you’re needy.”
I grabbed on to her arm before she could disappear again. “Wait, it’s something else.”
Her head bounced around as she spoke to herself. “Well, yeah, of course it’s something else. Never calls me to have a glass of wine and shoot the shit. Nope, I need, I want, I gotta have…” Her arms were waving in time with her words.
I was in shock for a moment but managed to keep my mouth shut until my brain formed an appropriate response. “You want to hang out with me?”
She lifted a single shoulder, giving me the side eye. “Why? You too good for me?”
“No, no. I thought you preferred hanging out with other gargoyles.” Great, I was insulting one of my only allies, and the one I needed desperately today.
“You assumed.” She pulled herself up, chin high, as she gave me a condemning look. I waited it out until her posture softened and she was looking at me straight on. “Well? What did you want now?”
My mouth dropped open but I couldn’t get the words I need out. It was hard after she’d thrown them in my face mere seconds ago.
“You told me you wanted something. Spit it out.”
I blurted it out, knowing I had to do this and she was my best shot of doing it with no one knowing. “I need to get somewhere in secret.”
Cha-ching was blinking in her eyes. “What do I get in return? I don’t work for free.”
Why had I been feeling badly? “What’s the price?”
The salesperson exterior slipped on. “Do I have to wait for you, or is this a drop-off only?”
“Drop-off only.” I’d walk home if needed. Had to keep these bills down.
“I want a higher cut of the spell revenue.”
“No.”
She relented quickly, knowing she’d aimed too high. “Fine. A spell.”
“What one?”
“I want better eyelashes.” She leaned her face in really close to me and closed her eyes. “I got these extensions and they’re hideous. I have to keep getting them filled, and now some of my real lashes have broken off.” She pointed at her eyes and stayed like that, presumably so I’d have plenty of time to look them over.
I didn’t even wear makeup these days. When you didn’t know if you were going to end up in a basement being interrogated or singed from crawlers in the Shadowlands, looking pretty dropped fairly low on your priority list.
Still, stupid request or not, I did need a ride. “Oh yeah, I can totally see what you mean. It’ll be first on my list. You can’t possibly walk around like that.” I added all sorts of girly compassion to my voice.
“Right?” she said, straightening up. “I mean, I know it isn’t BBGB, but it isn’t good.”
Was there no corner of the Underground that was safe from mockery? “You too, Zee?”
Her face froze, which probably wasn’t saying much, since she was made of cement. “Sorry. Been using that term for months. It slipped.” She patted me on the shoulder. “Maybe we should get going?”
I scanned the building around me, paying extra attention to the nearby alleys, before I put my key in the back door. The last thing I needed was Kane to know that I had any doubts about Asher. It was bad enough that I did.
But I wasn’t crazy. Just because I didn’t think Asher had anything to do with what was happening didn’t mean I’d rule it out. I knew exactly what it looked like, and I couldn’t afford to take any chances. And if I found something today, I’d deal with it. He’d have an explanation. I just hoped it was a good one.
First nightmare to deal with took me to the office. There was a pile of mail underneath the slot in the door. It wasn’t like I had the money to pay the bills. I wasn’t handing this stack over to Kane so he could pay them off, too. Perhaps I should pretend I didn’t see them until next week? Yeah, brilliant idea, because that’d stop the collectors from taking everything I had.
I walked over, picked up the pile, and shoved them in my purse. I’d look at them after I tried to determine whether Asher was a lying monster. Spreading out my bad news made it easier to swallow.
I made my way up the back stairs. If there was any evidence here of his involvement, it would be in Asher’s room. They’d grabbed Asher in a rush, but I would’ve been surprised if they hadn’t searched the place. I didn’t think I’d find anything here, but maybe there’d be a hint of something I’d pick up on that they might’ve missed.
I went for the obvious place first and lifted the mattress. Nothing there. I pulled the bed away from the wall, then went through the drawers. I took the picture off the wall to examine the back of the frame, and even hopped on each plank of the wooden floor, looking for loosened boards.
I wasn’t leaving until I tried everything, so it was time to see what kind of juice was left in that locating spell. The words flowed as I was filled with warmth and asked the spell to lead me to evidence of his guilt.
The words dwindled. I’d felt the potent magic, but nothing was here. Asher was either innocent or careful.
“We didn’t find anything either.”
I let out a little scream as I turned to find Kane in the doorway.
“Butch and Leon did a sweep of the apartment the same day they picked him up.”
I was going to have to get a new cell phone again. I was tired of new phones.
“It’s not your phone.”
I narrowed my eyes and then realized I’d moved my hand to its outline in my pocket. “If it’s not my phone, how do you know where I am all the time?”
“It’s your phone line. I have people on the inside.” He smiled, quite pleased with himself.
Of course he did. I flung a hand toward the room. “It would’ve been lax of me not to check. It doesn’t mean I think he took anything.”
“Of course not.” He pushed off the side of the door and walked into the living room.
I followed him out, and that was when I realized he was…off. If I’d been right myself I would’ve seen the signs immediately, but I was too worried about finding incriminating evidence that could lead to a death sentence for Asher. Although even if I managed to keep Kane from killing him, there was no way I could hold back the rest of the gang.
And now I had Kane all pissed off, as if he had the right. He expected me to lay out every move I made, and I didn’t even know if he turned into a bat and hung by his feet at night.
“If you’re going to yell about me coming here or something else you think I did wrong, just get it out.” I’d thought we were finally at a good place, but here it went again. This was why I needed to keep my distance. They either died or got mad and left. You couldn’t rely on anyone.
>
“I don’t yell,” he said, his voice soft.
Actually, that was so true. I’d never heard him yell. He didn’t need to. He could slay you with a couple of soft-spoken words. Worse than his words were when I saw him like this, with anger burning in his eyes right under the surface and waiting to erupt.
“You lied to me when you said you slept with him.” It wasn’t only an accusation. He said it like he’d already dropped the gavel on me, while I was still trying to figure out where this was coming from.
I waved both hands like a red flag in front of a bull as I stepped closer to him. This might’ve proved I wasn’t quite right in the head, considering the look of Kane right now. “Wait, slept with who? Asher?”
“You’re going to stand here and tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about?”
“If you are going to accuse me, you can at least give me the details. I didn’t lie to you about anything.” I wasn’t afraid. There was no room left after I accounted for all the burning rage. I spun, taking a few steps away from him, and headed toward the door, thinking I was going to leave. Then the anger drove me back toward him. I pointed an accusing finger at him. “And you can’t speak about openness or what I should be telling you. If I slept with all of Boston, it wouldn’t be any of your business. I can do as I please. I can sleep with everybody I see, too.”
He grabbed my outstretched wrist and leaned in. “So you’re admitting you slept with Asher? I can’t believe you slept with that thing.”
Really? That was what he took from what I’d said? Did he miss the part about it not being his business? Or that I was a free woman?
I gave my arm a yank, but his hand wasn’t budging from me. I should’ve told him to let me go, but between the accusations and his manacle on my wrist, the rage was building. I felt like I was a cartoon character, steam about to blow out of my ears. “Asher isn’t a thing.” I hauled back a leg and aimed for his shin.
His leg shifted before I made contact. “You’re right. He’s a monster, and he’s playing you.”
Missing made me even angrier, and utterly committed to my target. I swung my leg back and aimed. Missed again.
The more I missed, the angrier I got, until I was kicking out at him in a flurry of attempts, knowing I looked more ridiculous with each miss. Instead of wanting to stop, I tried to kick harder and more rapidly. Kane had both hands on my shoulders now, holding me further away than I could kick.
I finally stopped kicking when I was out of breath. “He’s not a monster. And not that it’s any of your business at all, but I’m not a liar.”
“Then why would he say that to me when I just questioned him again?”
“Because I’ve slept next to him. He doesn’t realize there’s a difference, you dumbass! He’s not human, as you keep reminding me. I’d think you’d remember that.” By the time I was done, I was nearly screaming. I took a breath to see if any of this had sunk in.
He tilted his head, and I could see amusement budding in his eyes, right before he started a low laugh. He threw his head back and laughed some more.
He was laughing at me while I wanted to rip his head off. I used the opportunity to finally get a good kick in.
“Ow,” he said as he let go of my shoulders. “Was it really necessary to resort to violence?”
His face looked so smug that my foot was itching to connect again.
“Very necessary. Extremely necessary.” I turned and walked from the room, pissed off while he seemed to be in a great mood now that he’d tortured me a bit.
He was still looking way too happy. And he was sucking up all the air in the room, too. Like he needed more space when his mood was good.
“Keep smiling and I’m kicking you again.”
He kept smiling. I took a couple of steps away, needing more space than seemed possible to get in Asher’s room. I was all the way to the window before my mind moved to how bad this might look.
“Just for the record, I didn’t expect to find anything here.”
“But you checked.” He rested a shoulder on the door, looking dubious and blocking my only exit.
I crossed my arms, keeping my distance. “Of course there’s doubt. There’s always doubt. You never know anyone fully.”
We stood staring at each other, and he took a few more moments before he asked, “Or trust anyone fully?”
I felt like this wasn’t some abstract question about some random someone. This was way deeper, and I was barely keeping my head above water as it was. I shrugged it off. “Same thing.”
“I don’t agree.” He nodded toward the door. “Come on, I’ll drive you back.”
I grabbed my purse off the counter and followed him out.
I was locking the door when he said, “By the way, I don’t sleep with everybody. I didn’t sleep with Isabella.”
My hand paused.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t it?”
Why would it? We worked together. That was it. I wasn’t putting myself out there again, not for anyone. It didn’t work out. Love of any kind was for suckers, and I was tired of caring. It was better to do your own thing.
I pocketed my keys and turned to find Kane much closer. I banged my back into the door as I watched him leaning toward me.
“What are you doing?” I was barely whispering as he leaned a hand on either side of me.
“Something I’ve been thinking of doing for too long.”
Slowly, his head dipped down closer to mine and I froze. At first, it was the lightest graze of his lips feathering over mine, and even that small touch sent a throb of need through me.
It was because I hadn’t had sex in a while. That was all. I kept telling myself that as I stood there, frozen, not wanting to participate but feeling tortured by the idea of not partaking. His mouth dipped again, this time with a little more pressure as his tongue tipped into my mouth, cajoling me into a dance with his.
So what? It was just a kiss, right?
His hand shifted, moving to my jaw and angling my head. Then the kiss bloomed into something else entirely. His body moved in closer to mine, his thigh pressing right at the apex of my thighs, heightening the throb until I heard my moan. His other hand grabbed my ass, lifting me more firmly against him.
I was glad the door was at my back when he moved away, his eyes lingering on my lips and a way-too-smug look on his face.
“So what? You’re a good kisser.”
“Sure,” he said, looking even smugger, if possible. “Come on, let’s go home,” He walked toward the car as if nothing strange had just occurred between us.
Okay, maybe it did matter that he hadn’t slept with Isabella.
Chapter 23
I might’ve slept beside Kane unknowingly, but I’d managed to avoid him for the rest of the day. Or had he been avoiding me? It was a little strange I hadn’t bumped into him at all.
As I’d avoided the world much longer than I’d intended, I realized where I’d gone wrong. You didn’t wait for things to happen to you. You made things happen. I’d been on the receiving end for a very long time, and I needed to stop, now.
By the time I walked into Kane’s office at eight that night, I wasn’t sure who had been avoiding who, and it didn’t matter.
He was seated behind his desk, and as his eyes met mine, I wasn’t sure if he was going to bring up the kiss or not. I certainly wasn’t. I’d had all day to think about it, and it had probably meant nothing to him. It wasn’t a big deal to me, either. Mostly.
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes meeting mine.
“I want to go shadow walk,” I blurted out before a more uncomfortable subject might arise.
“When do you want to leave?”
“Now.”
He hesitated for a moment, and even though his brow didn’t furrow, he had that thinking look about him. Was this when he brought up the kiss?
“You know what I told them about the week—”
“Was a stall tactic?
Yeah, I know. But there might be something else we can use.”
He stood and grabbed a set of keys off his desk. That was it? No kissy conversations? Didn’t he even care? What? Was he going around kissing everyone? I guessed it was no skin off his lips.
Didn’t matter. I needed him and I was going shadow walking today. There was a crawler on the loose, one hairy were-girl waiting for a spa treatment, and a purse full of late notices.
The ride over was quiet, and by the time we got to the cemetery, it was clear neither of us were bringing up the kiss. It didn’t take long before he was standing beside me, holding my hand.
I’d been here before, and I found that I still hated the place.
“What are you going to ask for?”
It didn’t go unnoticed that he asked me what I was going to ask for instead of telling me what to get. “I’ve got no idea, but it’s going to be something fantastic.”
“When do you think you’ll know what this fantastic spell is?” He gave my hand a small squeeze that felt a little too familiar for people who were just friends.
“I don’t know.” It seemed like I didn’t know much these days. I didn’t know if Asher was innocent, I didn’t know what to do about the crawler on the loose, and now I didn’t know what was going on with Kane. It was one too many not-knowings.
“I’m going to have a chat with them. Worst-case scenario, I get nothing, but if you don’t reach for the sky, you’ll never know if you can fly.”
“You need to stop going to the card store.”
He squeezed my hand again. What was up with him? First the kiss, then this?
He needed to stop acting like we were more than friends or clue me in on what he was up to.
“I’m going in,” I said, before he said or did something else to thoroughly confound me.
I turned back toward the crawlers, concentrating on a big, ugly one about twenty feet away. Two minutes later, I was in the Shadowlands.
I surveyed the area, my hand still firm in Kane’s, his grip feeling stronger than ever. I wasn’t sure if it was the trust building back between us or the intimacy, but something was going on there. Whatever the cause, I was grateful.
Walking in the Dark: Ollie Wit, Book Two Page 14
