“Good call.”
“And I'm the one driving us to Boston. No arguments,” he said, turning to face me as he opened the apartment door. “God only knows what kind of danger you'll attract while down there. I want to be able to make a quick escape if necessary.”
“You just want to drive the TT. Admit it, you missed her while you were driving that tank around town. You looked like a soccer mom driving the boys around in that beast.”
“Shut it, Goldilocks,” he snapped, grabbing our jackets before ushering me out the door. “I'll be upstairs for a second. Wait for me here.”
He disappeared up the stairwell to my loft space where Janner and Lyla were clearly painting, given the aroma that was wafting down the stairs toward me. I may not have known what kind of hell I would walk into down at Vain, but I was happy to be escaping the one going on upstairs. I really hated painting.
“Let's go,” Cooper called out to me as he rounded the last flight of stairs in his descent to my apartment landing. “And if there's anything else you haven't told me about yet, you're going to do it on the ride down there. I'm implementing a full disclosure policy, like it or not.” I donned a pout illustrative of my lack of enthusiasm for his new domestic diplomacy while he led the way down to the exterior door and opened it for me. He didn't seem fazed by my antics. “You can tuck that bottom lip of yours right back in. I'm not kidding, and don't think that my rule only applies to family business,” he said, looking down at me. “Personal too.”
“We've already been over that, Cooper,” I argued, hopping into the passenger seat of the Audi.
“No. I don't think we have because you still aren't getting that he isn't the enemy. Not in this matter at least.”
“Drive,” I barked, staring out the passenger window. “We need to get down there ASAP. Jay said this mysterious whoever of his would be there shortly. I don't want to piss off the PC anymore than I already have.”
“We're not going to fluff over this, Ruby.”
“I can see that, Cooper, but you can't blame me for not wanting to rehash the Sean thing every five seconds. I still can't forgive him. Clearly I'm unreasonable. Sue me.”
As we pulled onto the highway, I looked off into the surrounding darkness, wondering how I could even begin the conversation that Cooper was insistent on having. He had no clue how out of the loop he was, and I was selfishly afraid of the backlash I'd inevitably create by telling him. I felt that we'd become so out of touch. How closed-off did a person have to become to cut out their rock―their touchstone? With a sigh, I prepared to tell him everything he deserved to know. Perhaps his full disclosure policy wasn't such a bad one after all.
“I told you about what happened to Arianna,” I said abruptly, breaking the silence.
“Yeah.”
“Yes, well, what I didn't tell you was that she was not only a mentor of sorts to me but also my aunt.”
“Wait, what?” he stammered, trying to recover from the bomb I'd just dropped on him. “Your aunt? How could you know this? Who told you?”
I hesitated for a moment before answering.
“My uncle.”
Cooper nearly jerked the car off the road.
“You have an uncle who is alive and you're just now telling me this?” he screeched like an angry teenage girl. I wasn't sure that he was trying to be comical, so I stifled my nervous laugh with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
“Yeah, well, telling you sort of opens a whole can of worms that I didn't feel like cleaning up at the time. If you hadn't noticed, we have a few other things going on. I guess I was waiting for a better time to let you in on that info.”
“And when would that have been?”
“Um, the second coming of Christ?”
“Not funny.”
“Sorry, I just―it's just I know you're going to freak out when I tell you.”
“Ruby, I'm already freaking out. I highly doubt that what you're about to tell me could make that worse.”
I wouldn't be so certain of that, Scarlet cautioned. It was an unnecessary warning. I was pretty sure Cooper was going to lose his shit.
Without any preamble, I blurted out the truth. My words were concise, leaving no room for confusion.
“My uncle is Gavin.”
Just as Scarlet and I had thought, Cooper was wrong. Telling him that definitely made things worse.
“What. The. Fuck?” he bit out, strangling the steering wheel until it begged for mercy.
“I know! I was going to tell you eventually, Cooper. It's just everything happened so fast. Ginger died, she left me a note telling me that Gavin was family, I went to him to confirm her story, he dumped that and more on me, and then he told me that Arianna was my aunt and that Sean was the one who had caused her mysterious disappearance by killing her,” I rambled, trying to get through the whole story as quickly as possible. “I went to Sean's place the second I left Gavin's to confront him about everything. After that, well, you know how that panned out.”
He paused for a moment, trying to control his temper through deep, cleansing breaths.
“Ruby, I'm not trying to be a dick here, but Gavin has been nothing but trouble since he popped up in your life. He's a crazy old fucker who enjoys messing with you every chance he gets. Did you ever stop to consider that maybe he's lying? That he has some ulterior motive here? I know you're not stupid, but your emotions so often get the best of you. I just don't want you to be wrong about all this.”
“If it had only been from Gavin, I would be inclined to believe what you're saying, but it wasn't. It was from Ginger—indirectly. She was human and nothing but sweet to me. She was dying and wanted me to know the truth before she passed on because she thought that Gavin would surely drive me away before he had a chance to tell me. She knew his methods had done nothing to instill my trust in him. She wanted to be sure the information came to me from a credible source.”
He looked contemplative for a moment before speaking.
“Maybe he lied to her.”
“Possible, but there would be no reason to. There would be nothing for him to gain by bringing her into the lie other than to use her as a pawn. She spoke of knowing me from the time I was a child. She loved me like family because I was family to her, and rightfully so. Her biggest fear was dying and leaving Gavin and me estranged because she loved us both. I know in my gut that she wasn't lying, Cooper. And I could feel it in Gavin when he spoke of Arianna―he wasn't lying either. His words were as true as his emotions. Like it or not, Cooper, that creepy fucker is my uncle.”
“I'm just not sure.”
“You can meet him and see what you think then, Coop. That would probably be for the best, anyway.”
“Oh, I'm going to meet him, make no mistake about that. He and I are long overdue for a chat, I think.”
I nervously chuckled at his response, thinking that was going to go about as well as Gavin and Sean's meeting had. I also dreaded the next bit of information I was going to have to share with him because, if Cooper's mind had already been blown by news about my relatives, I feared that telling him I hadn't been human before I had Changed would surely cause a Chernobyl-esque meltdown.
While I struggled with Cooper's new policy and my decision to follow it, he called me out on my reluctance to disclose something. He could clearly see the battle between disclosure and omission playing out in my expression.
“Something you're leaving out?” he asked in an all too Sean-like tone. It made my skin crawl slightly.
“Yeah...just one more thing,” I replied, taking a deep breath. “I'm a fairy.”
Chapter 32
That time he did pull the car off the road, just as we were approaching the Massachusetts border.
“I am seriously starting to think that he gave you something, Ruby―made you drink the Kool-Aid or whatever because you are talking nonsense. The fey are extinct. They have been for centuries. They're myths, legends...folklore at this point. The little bit of history I know about th
em is that they were actually allies of the werewolves at some point—that the two protected one another. But there was a mass annihilation of them for some reason, and they have never been seen or heard from again,” he said confidently. “You can't be something that doesn't exist, Ruby.”
“But it's true!” I exclaimed, trying to find a way to convince him of that fact. “Gavin said the PC all but wiped the fey out, but that a handful of them survived. My father was his brother and Arianna his sister. They were all fey. He didn't say so directly, but the implication was that my mother was too. They lived in hiding for centuries to avoid the same fate that all the other fey met. Gavin is the legend known as the Chameleon. He's able to change his appearance. I'm sure that comes in handy.”
“Maybe that's why I couldn't feel him,” Cooper said. His voice was distant, his mind contemplative.
“It has to be. Sean has encountered Gavin twice now and didn't seem to realize he wasn't human. At first I thought it was part of his glamour magic, but it's not. It's him. Somehow he can fly under the supernatural radar. I know this because he approached Sean and me the other night in his true form. Sean didn't bat an eyelash.”
“Well, that would explain why he's survived this long. Somehow I just can't believe that Sean would stop searching for him if he thought for a second that he was alive.”
“Agreed. And I don't know if he can transform into anything or just the old guy, but I blew that cover for him. For all I know, he could be parked right over there, following me around in the guise of an old lady and I wouldn't know it. He always seems to know where I've been or what I've done. Maybe he's been running around in disguise for years.”
“What a total mindfuck...,” Cooper whispered, staring out the windshield. “What are we supposed to do with this information?”
“I don't know, Coop, but we need to get to Vain before Jay has an aneurysm. I don't know who he's got coming to meet with me, but I'm freaked out about it. I just want to get this all over with.”
He nodded in agreement, putting the car in gear and back on the road to continue on our trip. Silence extended between us while we both became lost in our own thoughts. Eventually, I couldn't stand the quiet and caved under the pressure of it.
“Wanna talk about something else for a bit?” I blurted out.
“Yeah. Let's.” He looked really frazzled, like his mind was trying to reject all that I'd told him. I wondered if he would rethink his full disclosure policy in the future.
“So...Lyla?” I prodded, feigning playfulness. The truth was that I was desperate to find out more about how he was handling that situation.
“Nope. Next subject.”
“Awww, c'mon, Coop. What happened to full disclosure? That doesn't just go one way, you know?”
“Ruby, I already have a headache. Can we not make it more severe? Please?”
“You are totally copping out on me right now,” I protested, leaning against the door.
“That may very well be true, but I'd rather not get into that conversation when we need to stay on our toes about other things at the moment. Lyla is a distraction I can't afford at this moment,” he said, his voice harsher than I expected. I stared at him, and it was apparent that he was struggling with something when it came to Lyla, but judging by his immediate change in mood at the mere mention of her name, I let the topic go. He was right. We needed to focus on the task at hand, which was getting to Vain unharmed and helping Jay and the PC in any way possible.
By the time we made it to the PC’s club, my feelings of apprehension had fully overtaken me. Who was this new guy and how exactly was he going to help collect information? Sean had kept me well protected from those in his organization that sought to, on more than one occasion, harm me. I wondered if that immunity had been voided when I walked out of his apartment that night. It would have served me right; he owed me nothing.
Especially not after what I'd said.
Cooper pulled up next to the curb in front of the main entrance. It was evening, but it was still far too early for there to be a line out front or lack of parking nearby. When I stepped out of the TT, Trey walked through the glass double doors, lithely making his way toward me. I'd gotten to know him a bit after the shenanigans with Tobias and his London crew, but he was an odd duck and nearly impossible to read. He was socially awkward and devoid of emotion―robotic in a way that always left me wondering where I stood with him. He didn't look like much of a warrior, but Sean had cautioned me to not underestimate him. Though he may have lacked the intimidating presence that the majority of the PC held, I knew he possessed a genius mind that excelled at problem solving. Sean said he was also exceptional with a sword. While he walked toward me, I decided to take Sean at his word and do my best not to put myself in a position that would require a demonstration of Trey’s skills with a blade.
I smiled tightly when he stopped before me, awaiting his instructions.
“Ruby,” he said with a slight nod. “Come with me, please.” When I moved to do as he had said, Cooper rounded the front of the TT to join us. “Alone. You are to come with me alone. Your alpha must wait in the car. That is a direct order. We are to have no interruptions of any sort.” Trey's words and expression were not threatening in any way, but it was clear that he would be unbending on the rules. Not seeing the futility in trying, Cooper started to argue with him immediately. Trey stood utterly unfazed by his hostile rant. “As I have stated, you may not enter. You are to wait for her outside. If you would like to address the issue further, you may take it up with Jay, who is acting under Sean's authority. I am only following his explicit instructions. He said that you would cause problems and were therefore not to be allowed inside.”
While Cooper's cheeks flushed and his eyes started to warm with a golden hue, more PC brothers spilled forth from the building, sensing that a fight was brewing. It was actually quite a testament to Cooper's power that they found it necessary to show a united front at all. Most of the brothers could tear a werewolf apart without breaking a sweat. Trey was hardly an exception from what I could surmise. The fact that the PC were showing up in such numbers told me that Sean had briefed them on just how lethal Cooper could be.
Ever the tactician.
Before a fight broke out in the street, I decided to do my best to make myself useful and derail Cooper's mission to remove Trey's face. He was already all up in it, yelling about rules and instructions and colorful places Trey and his boys could shove them. Though it made me giggle a little inside, I didn't want him to attempt any of what he was threatening.
“Coop,” I said, placing a calming hand on his chest to increase the distance between the two of them. “I'm sure it's going to be fine. Let me just go and get this over with.” He stared down at me, his yellow eyes blazing. I cursed under my breath, knowing that I'd just challenged his authority, but he had forced my hand. It was either that or let him be torn to shreds for interfering. That was a far more unsuitable outcome in my eyes, and I had no intention of letting it happen. “Trey, how long will this take?”
“That depends entirely on your ability to produce the required information.”
“Great. Could you give me a rough estimate, assuming that I'm going to make your life moderately difficult?” I sighed, not letting my eyes leave Cooper's.
“At least an hour. Maybe two. We are unsure of how accessible you will be to Muses, given your special abilities. It could take even longer, regardless of how compliant you are being. We just don't know at this point.”
“Okay, super. Cooper, why don't you go find something calming to do until then? I'll be safe here. Nothing is going to happen to me. Jay said the PC just needs details on who attacked Alan and me last night to help understand the missing body situation. They're not going to do anything to me.”
“I don't like it,” he growled, pinning his nearly glowing eyes on Trey.
“That is inconsequential,” Trey replied, his face the mask of indifference it always was. “If it appeases you
, we wish her no harm. She is here only to help, just as she has stated.”
“If anything happens to her while I'm gone, you won't live long enough to regret it. Am I understood?”
They continued their showdown for a moment before Trey finally nodded, turning to walk away from Cooper. I slipped my arms around Cooper's waist quickly, giving him a squeeze before running to catch up to Trey. His long and lean frame covered a lot of ground in a short time.
“I'll text you when I'm done,” I called back to Cooper. “We can meet at the lot around the corner. There won't be much parking around here by then.”
“I'll pick you up at the door,” he shouted at me in return.
“You will do as she said,” Trey retorted, not bothering to turn around. “We maintain a façade of normalcy during our standard business hours. There will be no parking in front of the building.”
“I'll meet you there,” I repeated to Cooper as I disappeared into the building. I hoped he listened to my instructions. The last thing we needed was a supernatural brawl outside Vain during the club's hours of operation.
Trey ushered me through the dimly lit building to a private door that concealed a set of hallways that were for staff only. We wound through them quickly, but they seemed to go on forever—more than they should have, given the size of the building that housed the club. The feeling was disorienting.
When Trey announced that we were nearing our destination, I looked down the black-painted hall, which was lit only by an emergency light at the far end. The sound of a door opening caught my attention, but who walked out of it brought me to a grinding halt at first, then a flat-out sprint.
The tall, familiar man that emerged was escorted by a PC brother I had seen before but did not know. Alan, however, I recognized in a second. He was headed toward us, but something was wrong. I could feel it.
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