Behold the Stars

by Fanetti, Susan

  At that she turned, and he saw her eyes shimmering. When she blinked, a tear escaped each eye, and he brushed them away with his thumbs. She shook her head. “It’s not that at all. I just…I never think about that money. I hate that money. I only have it because my dad died. It always felt like it would be exploiting his death to use it.”

  Isaac pulled her to his chest, and she hooked her arms around his waist and settled against him. As he held her, Isaac got his head around the information she’d laid on him, the offer she’d made. And what it had cost her to make it. That she was willing to use money that obviously caused her pain touched him deeply.

  “Baby, no. I can’t ask you to do something like that. It’s too much.”

  She lifted her head from his chest and looked him in the eye. “Yes. It’s the right thing. I think he’d be glad I used it for something like this. And anyway, you didn’t ask. I offered.”

  “You know it makes you the next target. He’s not gonna give up that easy.”

  “I know. Better me, with you at my side, than Liza and her kids. And definitely better than Ellis getting his hands on it.”

  He didn’t know what else to say. She was right, and she was wonderful. He framed her face with his hands, running his thumb over her soft, lush lips. “I love you, Lilli. Jesus, I love you.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Isaac took Lilli’s hand and led her out of the office and back into the Hall. The guys were already waiting for him in the Keep, so he kissed her cheek and went in, leaving her in the nearly empty Hall, only Dom and Badger, two Prospects, for company. There weren’t even any girls around. Lilli thought that might indicate the depth of the danger more than anything else—things were so intense in Signal Bend right now that the danger whores who liked their men bad and rough were staying away.

  The clubhouse seemed sad this empty, everything a little dark and worn out. Dom and Badger were sitting on one of the couches, playing a video game. Lilli walked up and stood next to the couch, and Dom paused the game immediately. “Get you anything, Lilli?”

  “No, thanks, Dom. Mind if I sit and watch you guys?”

  Badger, the youngest Prospect, the lingering traces of his adolescent acne giving his face a striped appearance and accounting for his nickname, said, “No, ma’am. Have a seat.”

  Lilli twitched a little at the “ma’am,” but not because it made her feel old. Her military service made her tolerant of such forms of address, but she’d always preferred “sir” to “ma’am,” as her squad had known. She didn’t correct Badge, though; he wouldn’t understand. She simply smiled and took a seat in a leather armchair nearby.

  The guys were in the Keep for a long time. Lilli sat and watched Dom and Badge kill zombies, not really paying attention, but it gave her somewhere to focus her eyes while she thought. She’d been sure and steady with Isaac when she’d told him she wanted to buy the Keller property, and she knew it was the right call to do so. But her stomach clenched at the thought of using her dad’s money. Not because it wasn’t a good reason, but because she could see and feel a door between her and that money, a door she’d have to open. She was already preparing herself to have the contents of her California storage locker shipped to Signal Bend—her dad’s books, his military medals and awards, her nonna’s pottery, the rest of the few heirlooms and mementoes she’d kept. But the money…it seemed to Lilli that to use it would finally release her father from her life.

  It was the right thing. No question. Lawrence Ellis getting hold of that property would end Isaac’s town. Lilli would do whatever she could to stop him, and because her father had died too soon, Lilli had the power to stop him. She would use it. But it would break her heart.

  Both doors to the Keep opened and slammed back against the wall. Dom and Badge leapt up, abandoning their game and coming around the couch to be ready for whatever the patches ordered them to do. Len was out first, looking ready to do violence. In fact, the whole club came out looking intense and intent. Len grabbed Dom by the shoulder of his kutte and, without saying a word, dragged him out of the clubhouse to the lot. The other guys followed. Badger stood there, looking at loose ends.

  Show trailed the pack, with Isaac coming out behind him. Show made a turn and headed down the hallway. Isaac came up to Lilli. He put his finger through the belt loop on her jeans and pulled her close to kiss her cheek.

  “Is Dom okay?” She knew better than to ask, especially standing in the middle of the Hall, but she was worried about how abruptly Len had pulled him away.

  But Isaac didn’t seem to mind the question. “What? Yeah. Len’s giving him a job.” Sliding his hand around her waist, he turned to Badger. “Badge, you’re taking my old lady home, and you’re staying with her until you hear from me or Show. Got it?”

  “Yeah, boss. Sure thing.”

  “Good. You got a piece?”

  “Yeah. In my room.” Like all the Prospects, Badger lived in the clubhouse.

  “You need to holster it. Get one from the closet back there if you need it.” Badger nodded and headed off down the back hall, toward the dorm rooms.

  Now that they were alone in the room, Lilli turned to Isaac. “I don’t need skinny little Badger watching out for me, Isaac. I’m actually offended. I can break that kid in two.”

  He grinned. “I know, Sport. Think of it as the buddy system, not a bodyguard. Nobody’s alone. Okay?”

  It still felt like she was getting a minder, and she made a face, but she nodded. She’d think of it as keeping on eye on Badger instead of the other way around. “Where are you off to, then?”

  His face got serious quickly. “We’re heading into St. Louis to pay back what’s owed for Will. Don’t ask more, Sport.”

  They were heading into trouble, then. Lilli knew St. Louis was a dangerous place for the Horde, especially now. She had a million questions boiling in her gut, but she didn’t ask. He’d tell her when he could. She turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms tight around his neck, tucking her head under his chin. “Okay. Be careful, love. Please.”

  “Always. I love you, baby.”

  “I love you.” She pulled up and looked him in the eye. “Should I do anything about the money?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I called Liza while we were at the table. She’ll sell to us, Sport. She wants 500—and that includes the horses. If you’re sure about this, do what you need to do.” He brought his hands to her face and held her gently. “Only if you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure. I’ll take care of it.” Her stomach boiled harder. Isaac bent down and kissed her. Feeling the weight of the day, and what they had yet to face in it, she opened her mouth and drew his tongue in. He grunted and wrapped his arms around her, bending forward and clutching her close as he forced her to lie back in his arms. They kissed like that, fervently, almost violently, until Show cleared his throat.

  “Sorry to break up the party, boss.” Show was standing there, his huge hand wrapped around Mac Evan’s scrawny neck. Evans looked like he’d had a very, very hard day so far. Lilli couldn’t find much sympathy for him.

  Isaac released her and turned to Evans. “So, Mac. What do we know now?”

  Evans’ voice was weak and raspy. “Clear any offers for Signal Bend properties through you.”

  Isaac nodded. “Good man. And I’ve got good news for you. While you were indisposed, we worked out a deal for Will’s place. Lilli here is going to buy it. Deal’s all worked, just needs ink on paper. You’ll get yourself a nice, juicy commission, too. So it’s all win-win. And you don’t have to deal with any of Ellis’s people. You hear from them, you tell me or Show, and we’ll handle it from there. Good?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, Ike. It’s great. Really. I’m sorry I forgot.” Evans smiled weakly.

  Isaac grabbed Evans by his now-tattered silk tie, and Evans whined. “It would sure make me happy if you’d stop calling me that fucking name, Mac. Buddy.”

  “Sorry, I—Isaac. Yeah, no problem.”

  “Good. Good meet
ing. Badge and Lilli are gonna drop you home. She’ll tell you the details of the deal on the way, and you can get the paperwork done. Today.” He turned to Lilli. “Okay?”

  She nodded. “Fine.”

  Badger was back, struggling to work out the holster. Lilli rolled her eyes. Some bodyguard. She walked over and helped him get it strapped on properly and get his handgun seated. She turned at the weight of Isaac’s hand on her shoulder.

  “Gotta go, Sport. I’ll call when I can.”

  “Okay. Love you.”

  “I love you, Lilli.” He kissed her cheek, and he and Show headed out to the lot.

  ~oOo~

  They dropped a very subdued Mac Evans off at his office so he could get the paperwork done for the sale. He promised to call as soon as everything was ready, then tottered off into the little bungalow. When he’d gone in and closed the door, Badger pulled back onto Main Street and headed toward Isaac and Lilli’s place.

  Lilli tried to make conversation, but all she got were the shortest possible responses, even when she’d asked him what kind of Harley he was thinking about getting. He was nervous, tasked with keeping the President’s old lady safe. Lilli wondered, too, if he was just shy around women. He wasn’t the kind of kid who probably got much play in high school, and he wasn’t all that far past that time. Not a looker. Skinny, bad skin, teeth that would have benefitted from braces. But those teeth were strong and white, and he had beautiful, pale green eyes and thick, lush, long auburn hair. When he grew out of the acne, and if he put some muscle on, and some good ink, he’d be okay. That kutte on his back, especially once it bore a top rocker, would work wonders—even the Prospect patch had probably gotten his cherry popped.

  He pulled up to the garage, next to Lilli’s Camaro and Isaac’s truck, and they got out. Lilli had her leather messenger bag with her. She preferred not to carry a bag, but with the way things were these days, she kept her Sig with her, and holstering her piece was too conspicuous under her jacket. So she carried a bag.

  “Hold up a sec, Lilli.” Badger stepped around and popped the strap on his shoulder holster. He wanted to take the lead. She let him, for the simple reason that her antennae were twitching, and she didn’t want to take the time to argue with him. She didn’t know why, if she’d seen or heard something that hadn’t yet reached her conscious awareness, but something felt off. She knew not to discount that feeling. She walked a step behind and a step to the side of Badger and pulled her Sig from her bag, releasing the safety and cocking the gun as quietly as possible. He heard her and looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide.

  “Lilli, what—?”

  But Lilli didn’t answer. The drive ran alongside the house; pulling to the garage brought one past the front of the house. Walking from the Horde van, parked at the garage, they’d approached the house sidelong, and they were now coming round to the front. Lilli was looking at the thing that she must have seen when they pulled up, seen without knowing. Now she knew, and she fought down the tearful horror swelling in her chest. Hanging from the porch roof, dangling like macabre wind chimes over the whitewashed railing: Havi and four of her tiny kittens: Dodger, Stella, Biddy, and Tim. Hanging by their fragile little necks. Havi was still twitching.

  Whoever had done this must still be nearby. But there was no car. They’d passed no car since they’d turned onto Isaac’s road, two miles back. Lilli grabbed Badger’s arm and yanked him against the side of the house. He grunted and looked at her, confused. He hadn’t seen.

  Lilli pulled her bag over her neck and off her shoulder and dropped it to the ground against the house. When Badge made a noise as if to speak, she shook her head emphatically and put her finger to her lips. Scanning her surroundings as far as she could see, listening intently, she waited. Finally, she heard the faint creak of a floorboard.

  At least one person was inside the house.

  They had to know Badger and Lilli were out here. They had to have heard them pulling up in the van. And it was afternoon, a clear, bright fall day. Lilli and Badge had no element of surprise at all. All she could hope was that whoever was in there couldn’t see her exact movements now.

  She gestured to Badger to follow her, keeping low and quiet, and she moved down the side of the house to the kitchen porch. She stopped Badge at the side of the porch, putting him in the best position she could to protect himself and be ready to come when she called. She knew where the porch boards squeaked; he didn’t. She couldn’t let him up. She motioned for him to stand. He shook his head vehemently, his eyes wide and intent. She knew what he was trying to tell her. Isaac had given him a job, and it wasn’t to sit back while the President’s old lady went in to confront an intruder on her own.

  She grabbed his kutte and pushed him back against the house, staring at him until he finally, reluctantly, nodded. Then she crept up onto the porch and flattened herself against the house, next to the kitchen door. The heavy door was standing open; only the wooden screen door was closed. But that worked on an ancient spring and squeaked like crazy. Normally, Lilli loved these old wooden screen doors, the way the screech of the spring and the thwappy bounce of the wood in the jamb when the door closed reminded her of summer vacations spent at a tiny lake cabin resort with her dad and Nonnie. But now, it meant she was announcing her presence.

  Fine, then. She’d go in bold.

  Lilli took a deep breath and let it out silently. Then, catching Badger’s terrified head shaking back and forth so hard he must have been scrambling his brains, she grabbed the handle and yanked the screen door open. It shrieked, as she’d known it would. With a quick look to either side of the door, she stepped in. Then she started across the room. Fuck hiding. She wanted this guy. These guys. Whatever. If she took the right path, they couldn’t get behind her. So she went forward.

  She was halfway across the kitchen when a man she’d never seen before—a tweaker, obviously, death-camp skinny and covered in oozing sores—came into the doorway from the living room, holding a sawed-off shotgun. He was ready for her; she could see in the way his eyes met hers. But he hadn’t pumped the shotgun. He raised it to do so, and Lilli shot him, blowing his nose into his brainpan. And through. She shoved her Sig into her jeans and grabbed up his shotgun.

  At the shot, Badge came barreling into the kitchen. That was fine; they could both clear the house. He stared, shocked, at the body in the doorway, but when Lilli snapped her fingers and got his attention, he looked up at her and nodded. They went through the house together. Then they covered the yard and outbuildings.

  The tweaker with his brains leaking all over the living room floor had been alone. Their bedroom had been ransacked, but there was nothing of any kind of value in there, and nothing else seemed to have been touched. Once they were sure that there was no other pressing threat, Badger got his burner out, but Lilli stopped him. What was going down in St. Louis was big. She didn’t want Isaac distracted.

  Badger, though, knew his job, and pushed back. “I gotta tell him, Lilli. He’ll have my skin.”

  “No, Badge. You’ll get them killed. He can’t be worrying about me right now. We’re okay. We’re handling it. And I’ll cover for you. Okay?”

  She could see that he wasn’t entirely convinced, but she could also see that he was too intimidated by her to fight much more. They got to work with cleanup. They got a tarp from the garage, wrapped the body, and dragged it to the toolshed. Lilli didn’t want to dispose of it until she’d talked to Isaac. Somebody might know the guy. Badger did not. Once the body was locked in the shed, Lilli put Badger to work cleaning up the house. She went to the porch to take care of her babies. When Badge asked if she wanted help, she declined. No. This was her.

  Letting tears come as they would, she cut Havi, Dodger, Tim, Stella, and Biddy down. They’d been hung with the clothesline that had been looped and hung on a hook on the porch wall, simple slipknots that had tightened as they’d struggled. Jesus God, what a horrible, sick, unimaginably cruel thing to do. Lilli’s head rebelled
at the thought. Why? Why?

  Once they were down and freed from the rope, Lilli went for a shovel. She had to go into the toolshed and step over the body of the hateful piece of shit who’d done it. It was all she could do not to take the edge of the shovel to the body. But he needed to be as recognizable as he could be with a hole where his nose had been, so she contented herself with a kick and went out to bury her pets.

  There was a pretty tree behind the barn, and she thought to dig the grave there. As she was approaching the barn, she thought, for the first time, of the horses, who’d been silent all this time. She dropped the shovel and ran to the barn door.

  She sobbed openly when she heard Gertie nickering at her. And then Flash and Ebbie tossed their heads over their stall doors. They were okay. Oh, thank God, they were okay. And there was Fagin, the big tomcat, sitting on an empty saddle rack. When he saw her, he stood, stretched, and hopped off, stalking to the nearest stall, an empty one. As Lilli went to Gertie to hug her broad nose, Fagin shoved a tiny black ball out of the stall. Pip. She’d been so consumed by the shock of the deaths that she’d not thought beyond them. Pip mewed and coiled around her ankles, and Fagin stalked away, his onerous task complete. Lilli laughed through her nearly hysterical tears and dropped to the floor, holding Pip to her face.

  Finally, forcing herself to find composure, she released the horses into the paddock, then carried Pip into the house and closed him in their ransacked bedroom, away from the bodies of his mother and siblings, and away from the blood and brains of the man who’d killed them. Then she went back out and dug a grave to bury them.

  When the burying was done, and the house was clean, it was nearly evening. She released Pip from the confines of the bedroom, got a couple of beers from the fridge. She handed one to Badger and they stood silently in the middle of the kitchen and drank.

  Lilli stared at the doorway into the living room, where there had been not long ago the body of a man who’d come into their home. Who’d cruelly killed their pets, who’d rifled through their things, and who’d clearly intended to kill her—and Badger, too, no doubt. Lilli stared at the spot his body had lain and worked it through her head. It didn’t make sense. What had happened to Will had made an awful kind of sense—Will, with his loyalty to his home, was standing in the way of what Ellis wanted. Kill Will and destroy the home, eliminate that obstacle. It was a calculated strike in the war Ellis was fighting.