“Cooper, I know you're pissed, but can you wait to freak out on me until after we're done?” I said, approaching the door slowly. “Some serious shit went down, and we need to get to the bottom of it ASAP.” When he didn't reply, I turned my focus to the back entrance. The door was sticking, so I propped my foot up on the wall next to it and yanked until it finally let loose, swinging it wide into the back delivery area. The delicate skin on my shoulder pulled sharply with the movement.
Just as I stepped into the workroom and turned on the lights, Cooper spun me around and hugged me tightly. It hurt like hell, but I tolerated it, happy to know that under all his anger was my alpha who loved me. I had left him at home and in the dark. I couldn't keep doing that to him, no matter what the consequences. I didn't think he would survive many more of those experiences.
“Okay,” he said softly, still holding me as though he couldn't let go. “But I swear on all that's holy, I will tether you to me from now on if I have to. No more of this covert nonsense.”
“Deal,” I whispered into his chest, which I was still pinned to.
He pushed me away slightly to look down at me, assessing my appearance more closely.
“Why do you smell like char?”
“That bad, huh?”
“If you two are finished...?” Jay called from his seat at the work table. “Whatever it is you've gotten yourself into, Ruby, I expect you to spill every single minute detail about it. Now.”
Cooper and I sat down at the table across from him. Jay still looked angry, as though he knew that I'd gotten into something really dire this time, like he could sense the depths of what I was about to pull him—and the PC—into. The mother of each PC member had been chosen for her specific traits, which made me wonder if Jay had inherited some degree of clairvoyance from his. If he had, it sure didn't prepare him for what he was about to see when I set the camera onto the table along with the charred remains of what Scarlet had salvaged from the fire.
He picked up the camera delicately, scrutinizing it at first before turning it on and flipping through the photos that Alan had meticulously taken. The disturbing nature of the scene that had been documented frame by frame was apparent by the look on Jay's face. His eyes widened with every click of the button. Cooper reached for the camera when Jay had finished tabbing through the images, looking at each frame with the same shocked expression on his face.
I couldn't bring myself to look the evidence over again.
“Ruby...,” Jay started, unable to finish.
“Did you see these?” Cooper asked, sliding the charred photos over to Jay. “They're...I mean...holy shit!”
“There were files too,” I offered, my gaze going back and forth between the two of them while they tried to make sense of what they had just seen. “Boxes of them, but they were destroyed in the fire.”
“Where were you when this fire happened?” Jay asked, suddenly snapping out of his stupor. I looked down at the charred remains of my clothing, then gave him an incredulous glare.
“In it, apparently.”
“You were in the fire?” he asked with dubious inflection.
“Well, Scarlet went in. Not me. She wanted to retrieve what was left of the evidence.”
“Evidence that someone was undoubtedly attempting to destroy,” Jay added.
“It seems that way. There was accelerant used for sure. We'd only been away from the storage unit for what seemed like a few minutes, but by the time we returned it was a blazing inferno.”
“And where were you when that fire was started?” Cooper asked. Judging by the look in his eyes, he was starting to see that a lot of the story was left to be told.
“Trying not to get shot,” I said plainly.
The two of them looked at each other then back at me slowly, preparing themselves for the inevitable onslaught of details that was about to come.
“Maybe you should just walk us through the whole thing from the beginning,” Jay suggested, settling against his seat back.
“I couldn't agree more,” Cooper chimed in, taking a similar posture. They looked like a bad cop duo, which almost made me long for the time I had sat across from Alan, dodging his interrogation efforts after I returned from my “missing person” status.
With a sigh, I started to explain everything―why Alan and I had sneaked down to Virginia, what McGurney had left for us in that storage shed, and the chaos that had erupted the second we saw what secrets it held within its corrugated steel walls. They both sat by silently, letting me tell about the gunshots, the men that had attacked us, and our escape.
The second I mentioned letting Scarlet out in front of Alan, all that changed. I had kicked the hornet's nest with that detail, setting off a chain-reaction freak-out from the two of them. It was almost comical to watch.
Almost.
“You. Did. What?” Cooper shouted, clipping his words.
“I had no choice, Coop! We were hemmed in. There was no escaping our assailants. Alan was slowing, and they were gaining on us. It's not like he's in bad shape, either. They came at us from behind. From the sides. It was like they were waiting for us. There was no way out, and I could not be responsible for Louie growing up without a dad, Cooper. I did what I had to do. I don't regret it.”
“How did he react?” Jay asked cautiously, regaining some of his earlier composure. Underneath his increasingly composed façade though, I could feel his growing concern. I needed to answer this question more carefully than I'd ever answered any other. He was testing the water to see if a threat needed to be eradicated—suggesting that my attempt to keep Alan alive might have signed his death warrant.
“He didn't,” I said in a soothing voice. “Alan is a military man, Jay, not unlike yourself. He knows that when situations get real it's hardly the time to have a level-ten meltdown, even if you're watching your friend kill various unknown assailants while her eyes burn like the fires of hell. To be frank, he barely batted an eyelash.”
That's because he was in shock, but I conveniently left that part out.
I couldn't tell Jay the full story of what had happened―that Alan had shot me―or he would have done what he thought best to ensure the balance was maintained. And that would have been a decision I couldn't live with.
“So he said nothing? Nothing at all?”
“Well, of course he said something, Jay, but he had just been in a room full of incriminating photographs. He may have been all business while he made his way through the room snapping shots of the photo-covered walls, but I'm sure he realized on some level what it was he was taking pictures of, no matter how dark it was in there. He wants to know who killed his friend and mentor, Jay. That's his focus, and even seeing the supernatural unfold before his very eyes seemed to do very little to derail that. He's like Sean; duty reigns supreme, and business is put first,” I said, trying hard to not let my voice falter at the mention of his name. “Alan is not a security risk, Jay. I'd bet my life on it.”
His stare intensified while he continued to read my expression like a veteran. Cooper looked on in silence, not wanting to jeopardize the lies I'd just told. I'm sure he knew I was full of shit, but he wasn't willing to risk Alan either. He liked him far too much for that.
“Cooper,” Jay addressed him without looking away from me. “I may need your boys to help keep an eye on Alan.”
“Two are already there. And if it keeps him alive, that's where they'll stay.”
“Call them off for the time being. The PC needs to take over the watch for now. I need a better sense of what's going on over there. I'll let you know if and when we need your pack's help.”
“What about when he has to go to work, Jay? Your guys can't exactly hang out with him at the precinct,” I pointed out, hoping Jay wasn't being entirely literal. Turns out, he was.
“There will be eyes on him until I say otherwise. Is that okay with you?”
“Jay, you're being unreasonable―” I started before he cut me off.
“
No, Ruby. You are being unreasonable, as always. You think the supernatural have been kept a secret for centuries because we make exceptions on a whim? Hardly. You continue to exist because we do our jobs and now you're asking me not to after you flagrantly exposed yourself to a human!”
“But, Jay―”
“No 'buts' this time, Ruby. I mean it. You've put us all in a precarious situation this time. If you would learn to put your pettiness aside and actually trust those around you, we wouldn't be in this situation at all. Nor would Alan. If you don't like the option I gave you, then you need to get really comfortable with the alternative.”
His words stung fiercely, and I flinched instinctively. The truth didn't hurt―it impaled―and I grabbed at my chest in an attempt to fill the hole that Jay had just punched through me. He was right. My actions were foolish, and they had endangered someone I cared about yet again. I may not have liked Jay's approach, but I could not deny that there was wisdom in his words.
There always was.
As I choked on my own shame, Jay got up and collected the evidence that I'd presented him with before he made his way to the back door, his phone in hand. He lifted it to dial and I panicked, knowing exactly whom he was going to call. That panic pulled me out of my guilt-induced silence.
“Will he agree to your plan, Jay?” I asked, unable to meet his piercing stare.
“Yes,” he replied without expanding any further. I didn't want to push him, knowing that I'd already forced him far out on a limb, but I had to be sure for Alan's sake. I had made mistakes as far as Jay was concerned; I needed to make amends.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because Sean informed us all a long time ago that nobody was to allow harm befall that family without his approval,” he told me harshly. “You see, Ruby, for all his callousness, which you deem unforgivable, he loves you and would do anything to protect both you and those you care about. Perhaps you'll remember that the next time you want to condemn him.” With that final slap to my ego, Jay turned to leave, muttering about how he was going to present this information to Sean without angering him. Apparently his mood was less than companionable. Jay had always been so convinced that Sean and I belonged together, like he'd known something all along that I didn't.
Maybe he knew something Sean and I both were unaware of.
The door slammed loudly behind him, accentuating his exit, which left Cooper and me alone with my swirling emotions. Knowing that I wasn't in the best frame of mind, Cooper let me be for a moment before he spoke. He always knew what I needed, and more often than not, what I wanted too.
“Is it just me or does Jay seem like he's got something up his ass this morning?” he asked, putting an arm around my shoulders.
I choked on a laugh.
“Maybe he's just not a morning kinda guy,” I added with a light sniffle, dragging my nose across what was left of my sleeve.
“Or maybe Sean's a complete asshole now that you're not there to keep his shiny, happy side around.”
“Doubtful. I took a pretty big shit on that side when I left him,” I said, leaning into his embrace while muttering something about how Sean might not have deserved that.
“Maybe. Maybe not. But I don't want to get into that right now. Something tells me that he's going to be showing up soon enough after Jay lays this bomb on him. We'll see what kind of effect your absence has had on him when the time comes,” he said as he rose, leading me behind him. He turned us collectively toward the exit and gave me a little nudge toward the door. “What I'm far more interested in is why you decided to leave me out of this little excursion of yours in the first place. I get that this whole pack thing is a challenge for you and Scarlet both—I do―and I'm sure that somewhere in that bizarre brain of yours you rationalized that it was the best decision at the time, but you need to get on board with the fact that we're better off working together, Ruby. Not apart. You're not protecting me from anything when you endanger your life. In fact, you actually endanger us all in that process. We are linked, bonded together. Our energies feed one another's. Losing a member weakens us as a whole. I'm sure the boys could explain that to you, given the circumstances they endured across the pond. My pack was so enormous that the impact was minute when one of us perished, but in this family, it would be paralyzing. We would not only mourn your loss but also feel it for an eternity, like a scar. Survivable, but ever-present.”
“I'm sorry,” I whispered, feeling even smaller than I had moments earlier when Jay had seemingly pointed out every poor quality I possessed. Cooper wasn't trying to make me feel bad; he was trying to educate me. In doing so, my sense of worthlessness only grew.
“I know you're sorry, Rubes, but what I need you to do is be smart. You're not a dumb girl, but you do the most hare-brained things sometimes. I don't know if it's your logic that's faulty or your thought process in general, but something has to give here. Frankly, I expected Scarlet to be the voice of reason, but it seems that I can't even count on her at this point to keep your ship on course.”
“I feel like I have too many different lives and none of them are integrated, Coop. Secrets have to be kept to protect those around me at all times. It's exhausting and an enormous challenge.”
“But why are you trying to keep secrets from me? I don't need your protection. I'm who you should turn to, not hide away from.”
“I know,” I lamented, rubbing my head in frustration. “I just feel like I’ve been doing this for so long, trying to cover for others, that I no longer know how to do otherwise. I get that it's not the best way to operate, at least not anymore, but it's what I know and what's worked in the past. I kept your secrets hidden from Sean, and it likely kept you alive back in the day. Those behaviors seem to be seared into my neurology at this point. They're almost inescapable.”
“And if you allow them to perpetuate, your death will be inescapable, Ruby. Scarlet is not invincible, just as you are not. It's not you against the world anymore. You have a family—a family that will back you. You need to remember that before you leave us all behind.”
“I will,” I said while we walked down the alley, still holding onto one another. “Cooper?”
“Yeah, Rubes?”
“I know I'm probably all out of favors, but if you could fill the family in for me, I'd really appreciate it. I want to carefully shower this stink of fire and death off of me and catch up on some sleep. I'm quite sure my day will be a long one, and I'd like to get some rest so that I can think more clearly.”
“I can probably do that,” he replied, giving me a light squeeze before he pulled the exterior door to the building open. “But that's the last favor you'll be getting for a while. The boys are going to flip their collective shit when they hear about this. You're going to owe me big time. Alistair's rants are borderline intolerable at times.”
I laughed out loud at his response, feeling like I'd heard it before.
“Feel free to put it on my tab, Coop.”
Chapter 31
My rest was short lived. What seemed like only minutes after falling asleep, Cooper thrust a cell phone into my face without explanation. I groggily dragged myself out from under the covers to retrieve it from him and speak to whoever awaited me on the other end of the line. I prayed it wasn't Sean.
“Ruby,” Jay barked, sounding every bit as frustrated as he had when he left the shop. “We have a situation. You're going to have to go down to Vain and meet with Trey. He'll fill you in on the rest, but you need to go now. Like right now. Not in a while. Not five minutes from now. Now.”
“What did I screw up this time?” I groaned, standing up to meet Cooper's quizzical gaze. He could hear Jay easily, but he clearly wasn't happy with how unforthcoming Jay was being.
“Nothing, unless Scarlet decided to dispose of all the bodies she wasted.”
“Jay,” I said cautiously. “Are you saying they're gone? As in not where I told you they would be?”
“That is precisely what I'm telling yo
u.”
“I don't understand,” I started, launching myself into my closet to change quickly. “Dead people don't just get up and walk away.”
Perhaps they do if someone else wants them cleaned up just as much as the PC does.
“That's my experience with them as well.”
“So what am I going to do at Vain?”
“We have someone meeting you there. He's going to help you remember every detail you can about the men who attacked you. We need every little bit of information that you can give us.”
“Okay, I'm on my way,” I said, signing off.
“Take Cooper with you,” Jay replied before I could hang up. “The boys aren't going to let him in, but I don't want you alone any longer than you need to be. Whoever did this has power, Ruby. Power and knowledge. We've got some extra PC stationed around Alan's place for now, just to be safe.”
“Thank you,” I said, zipping up the hoodie I had grabbed off the floor. “And, Jay?”
“Yeah, Ruby?”
“Be careful.”
“You do the same. I don't like what's going on here.”
Click.
I glanced up at Cooper, who looked less than pleased with the newest information we'd just received.
“What have you gotten yourself into, Ruby?” he asked rhetorically, unable to hide the concern that bled through the frustration that was apparent in his expression.
“Nothing that you won't enjoy getting me out of, Coop,” I joked, grabbing his hand to escort him out of my room. “But don't think that just because you're my chaperone you get to drive.”
“I think that's exactly what it means,” he grinned, stalking down the hallway to the car keys that were sitting on the sofa table. “I'm going to send Lyla, Beckett, and Janner over to Alan's too. I want all of them guarding the Beauchamps. Regardless of how many PC Jay has stationed there, I don't trust that they're as invested in the family's wellbeing as I am.”
STRAYED Page 26
