Leigh gasped as he broke free from… whatever that was, feeling like he’d been dreaming, only to see the shopgirl out of the corner of his eye, staring at Tolly with a blank expression, eyes unblinking and glazed over.
Like a siren.
“Tolly.” Leigh grabbed his arm.
Tolly’s eyes flashed open, his humming ceasing, and in that same moment, the shopgirl blinked and shook her head.
“I am sorry,” Tolly whispered. “Usually I have more control over it.”
“Are there any other mermaid abilities you need to warn me about?” Leigh said.
“I do not believe so.”
Great. They’d finished their errands and needed to get back before any other surprises arose.
Leigh thanked the shopgirl and left, tugging Tolly behind him. He could see the disappointment in Tolly’s face at leaving, but there were more pressing things to be done than browsing records. Leigh could introduce Tolly to YouTube later, and he could listen to any song he wanted.
The outing had at least proved that local businesses were loyal. Leigh should have been happy, especially with Tolly’s powers proving beneficial. Sonar, hypnotism through song, a healing touch under water. It would be so easy to exploit those gifts.
Then Leigh really would be like his father.
“This is good, yes?” Tolly said when they returned home, climbing in through the fire escape the same way they’d left. “Your neighborhood shop owners are all fine people. I could sense their honesty and goodwill.”
“Sense?” Leigh tossed the ball cap onto the sofa. “Like with me?”
“My sense of you is much stronger, but yes, a bit like that.”
Next, Leigh removed his glasses. He’d worn them once for a Halloween costume. Alvin thought it would be hilarious, given his closely shorn head, if he went as Walter White. “Sure, it’s good, but it means I’m right that one of the inner circle has to be the one who betrayed me, and all of them saw me alive this morning.”
“With me,” Tolly said, standing straighter in alarm. “I wish only to keep you safe. Please, continue to use me however you need.”
Didn’t Tolly understand how easily he could be taken advantage of if Leigh were a different man? “Using people isn’t usually seen as an endearment.”
“But I am offering,” Tolly said, his smile sweet as he moved closer and reached to take Leigh’s hand, but then hesitated. Usually it wouldn’t have been something Leigh allowed—the touch when Tolly healed Leigh’s cut aside—but he must have shown some sign that it was okay this time because Tolly grasped him firmly. “Regardless of the end goal, this was nice, seeing where you are from, your home.”
“Born and raised on these very streets,” Leigh said. “Other places are a lot nicer than here, though. If you’re a movie buff, you have to know that.”
“This feels more real,” Tolly said with a shrug, both hands holding one of Leigh’s now and caressing his fingers almost as if he didn’t realize what he was doing. “Everything is new. The people are kind. And there is you. Are you a… movie buff?”
“When I can be. Usually watch ’em at home or at Alvin’s. Don’t get to the theater much. Except for this one….” It came to Leigh as he said it, a reminder of an old theater he and Alvin used to sneak off to. “Maybe I can take you sometime.”
“I would love to see a movie with you. Do you have a favorite?” Tolly’s eyes, dark and shimmering, could capture Leigh just like his singing, and the touch of his hands sent shivers racing beneath Leigh’s skin.
“I always like mysteries. Hidden villains, hidden heroes, secrets to be unraveled. Ever see Princess Bride?”
“I have not, but I have heard of it. Does it have a happy ending?”
“Definitely. We’ll watch it sometime. Assuming we’re still alive in a few days.” Reality kept creeping in no matter how remarkable Tolly was.
A fresh knock was so well timed that Leigh wondered how many knocks he’d missed while they were out. He pulled his hand from Tolly, who seemed to recognize what he’d been doing finally and looked sheepish.
It was the kids from the apartment below Leigh, teens who might have been runaways, high on something and needing their air conditioner fixed even though it was spring and still crisp outside. Leigh also noticed a few Post-it notes on his door, one from the super, who needed assistance with the fuse box. Leigh couldn’t blame him. The guy was ancient and shouldn’t be superintendent for any building anymore.
Before agreeing to help the kids, he checked his phone to be sure Alvin hadn’t sent any warnings. Nothing so far.
Tolly accompanied him—his roommate, he introduced him again, rather than tell anyone new that Tolly was his bodyguard. He would have been annoyed to have so many errands to run, being the “real super” as Deanna often called him, but it took his mind off what he’d have to face soon.
Killing a man. Killing a bad man. A really bad man. A murderer himself who’d sent his brother to kill Leigh. There should be no conflict of conscience. But then Tolly would smile, sweet and adoring, and Leigh felt like throwing up.
“Must be bad karma in the building today,” he said when they were finally finished with everyone else’s needs, gathering laundry he’d thrown in so they could return Miss Maggie her housecoat. “It isn’t usually this steady.”
“Perhaps if people from other buildings knew of your skills, you could do this instead of stealing,” Tolly said so easily, like anything could be easy if you simply believed enough.
“I can’t pay the rent in brownies.”
“Oh. Yes. You need money. You should ask for money.”
“Not from my neighbors.”
“From others, then. Surely others would appreciate your knowledge.”
“It’s not that simple. I’d need money first to buy a shop. People can’t just come to my apartment if they’re not my friends.”
“Like the shop we passed that will be empty soon?”
Tolly was observant, Leigh had to give him that. “There are too many pieces to running a business,” Leigh said, leading Tolly out of the laundry room.
“You have considered it, then?”
“It’s a catch-22.”
Tolly stared at him dumbly.
“To get enough money to start a business,” Leigh said once they were inside the apartment, “I need to do bad things. But if I do bad things, maybe none of my neighbors will want me to fix things for them anymore. So the only way to get what I want ruins what I want. Story of my life.”
“But… you have me,” Tolly said softly, “assuming you wish for me to stay. And I am not ruined. Am I?”
“Of course you’re not—” Leigh started to say, but another knock prevented him from finishing.
He longed for a moment’s peace, but Tolly seemed to know what he’d been about to say and smiled gratefully before Leigh went to see who was calling.
It was Miss Maggie.
“Apologies for last night,” he said as he allowed her inside, followed by Gert coming in at a run. “For the record, it wasn’t what it looked like.”
“No?” Maggie said, hands on her hips. “And why not? I actually like this one.”
Tolly’s head darted up, but the next moment Gert was hugging his legs and exclaiming, “Can we play mermaid now?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, young lady,” Miss Maggie said. “We came to cook dinner for these boys.”
“What? No, Maggie, now isn’t a great time—”
“Is it dinner already?” Tolly asked.
They’d grabbed sandwiches from the corner store for lunch, nothing special, though Tolly had acted as though turkey and swiss on a croissant was as amazing as everything else he’d tried.
“Miss Maggie heard you walk by from the laundry room,” Gert said. “She said you wore her nightgown last night. Did you really?”
“I did.” Tolly crouched down like before to get on Gert’s level. “She was very kind. I lost my clothing and had nothing else to wear.�
�
“That’s silly.” Gert giggled. “I bet you looked funny.”
“Speaking of,” Maggie said, “I assume that was part of the laundry you did.”
Tolly pulled the nightgown from the bag and handed it to her bashfully.
“Great, you have that back.” Leigh hoped to usher them out after realizing how late it was. “Now you need to go.”
“William.” Miss Maggie was an immovable wall. “It’s casserole night.”
“I appreciate that, but I’ve had enough visitors today. Anyone staying for too long… it could be dangerous.”
“You in trouble again?”
“I’m fixing it.”
“Fine, then you can come with us,” Maggie declared. “We’ll cook at my place. Gertrude, Tolly, come along. Deanna and Garfield should be home soon.”
Leigh imagined this was what having an overbearing mother must be like—not that he remembered much of his own. He knew he was no match for Maggie, though, or Gert and Tolly’s excitement.
He checked his phone again. Alvin had done a good job of grabbing intel during the day, but without telling his friend to look into the higher-ups of their crew, he couldn’t be sure where he stood. He’d need to tease out more info himself, and he had to be careful. He couldn’t just walk over to Moretti-run territory and pop Vincent on a street corner.
Maybe he did need a dinner break.
Gert held Tolly’s hand and talked his ear off about what she had done all day while they headed to Miss Maggie’s, brownies along to share. Tolly explained with equal excitement how Leigh had shown him around the neighborhood. His earnest nature made him right at home entertaining a child.
Deanna didn’t seem surprised to find Tolly with them when she and Gar showed up for dinner. Neither of the women brought up Leigh being in trouble or pried for details. It was dinnertime, and the children didn’t need to hear about that. Leigh didn’t always get roped into casserole night, but if Maggie happened to catch him, he usually gave in. It was nice to have more than himself at the table sometimes.
“You like sharks?” Gar asked Tolly when he finally got a word in around his sister.
“I do,” Tolly said. “Sharks are very intelligent and affectionate creatures. Their bite is only for eating as long as you are nice to them.”
“You’ve seen one in real life?”
“Many times. They like to be petted on the nose like a… puppy! Ah, but you should not try that yourself if ever you meet one. They should only be approached in such a manner by a friend they trust.”
“How do you become friends with a shark?” Gar asked.
“Very carefully,” Leigh said so Tolly wouldn’t dig any deeper holes.
“How did you two meet again?” Deanna asked.
“I needed a roommate who could watch my back,” Leigh said, “and we sort of… found each other.”
“Roommate, huh?” Maggie said.
“It’s not what you think.”
“Tell that to my nightgown.”
Deanna snickered from behind her next bite of food, while Tolly kept the children distracted with chatter and cast smiling glances at Leigh, not minding at all what these women thought of them. Leigh didn’t mind either; he just couldn’t believe someone like Tolly could actually be happy with someone like him, who wasn’t capable of loving openly.
“Can we play mermaid now?” Gert asked once everyone had finished eating.
“Of course.” Tolly smiled at her. “We will have to imagine the water.”
“We could go to the pool, right, Mama?”
“You have a pool?” Tolly’s eyes brightened at the suggestion.
Crap. Leigh hadn’t thought of that.
“I suppose we could,” Deanna said, “for a little while.”
“Tolly doesn’t have a suit,” Leigh spoke up quickly, “and I don’t have one he can borrow.”
“Aww…,” Gert whined.
“I’m sure Ralph has one,” Maggie said. “He should fit Tolly well enough.”
When they knocked on Ralph’s door, he offered up his suit easily as an excuse to do homework with company while his parents worked the late shift. Somehow, Leigh ended up poolside in minutes with Ralph on his laptop, Maggie knitting, and Deanna and Tolly swimming with the kids. If it hadn’t been an indoor pool, the weather would have been too cool for this.
He’d pulled Tolly aside before they got there. “Your tail won’t just come out?”
“No, I can control it. You need not worry.”
“What about the chlorine?”
“What is chlorine?”
“It’s a chemical they put in pools to keep it sterile.” Though Leigh doubted theirs was the cleanest pool around.
“Chemicals do not affect my kin. If they did, I could hardly go into any water near human cities. We adapt well. I will be fine.”
He was. He was also an amazing swimmer, not that that was a surprise.
Trying to use the time to clear his mind and consider his next steps, Leigh lay back on his chosen pool chair and closed his eyes. The Morettis didn’t know where he lived, or at least didn’t know he was alive—yet. No one had talked, but one of the inner circle might be behind it. They would likely play it safe for a while—Leigh would have—but then what? He had maybe one more night of peace before things got dicey. He needed to lay a trap. He needed to save his own skin. He needed to…
Get in the water.
Leigh had the sudden desire to be submerged, and somehow it didn’t scare him despite having nearly drowned last night. The water felt calm and peaceful and welcoming around him, like he’d never known in his entire life. He wanted so badly to let his tail out.
Startling awake from his half-dozing state, Leigh realized he’d been thinking like Tolly, feeling what Tolly felt. They really were connected.
Tolly was enjoying his time in the water, pretending to play mermaid with his ankles crossed, but there was longing in his eyes to let the real thing free.
Sitting up fully, Leigh instinctively reached to check his wallet, mostly because he always did that, paranoid as he had to be in this neighborhood, but also because he’d sworn as he lay there he’d felt something….
Ralph.
“Wipe that smug grin off your face and give it back.”
Ralph’s sticky fingers were impressive on occasion, but he had no poker face. He held the wallet up from where he’d hidden it behind his laptop. “Actually got it away from you this time.”
“I fell asleep.”
“You said being opportunistic didn’t count as cheating.”
“Trust me, you don’t want to be like me.” Leigh snatched the wallet back from him. He didn’t mean to sound so angry, but he’d started out just like Ralph once. Ralph’s parents cared at least; they just weren’t around much. “You need to get out of here someday. Stick to your studies.”
“Like you did?” Ralph shot back. “My parents work so hard, I barely see ’em. My only chance to have something better is with skills, and these are the skills I got. What am I supposed to do, become a cop, fight the good fight?”
“Why not?”
“Because if I did that, someday I’d end up arresting a familiar face.” Ralph petulantly returned to his laptop, and all Leigh could do was frown.
“All right, you two, time to get ready for bed,” Deanna said as she climbed out of the pool, gesturing for Gert in her floaties to reach up to her. Both kids groaned and begged for more time, but Deanna was firm, and soon the party was ending, leaving only Tolly in the water.
“Leigh, do you mind if we stay a bit longer?”
“Sure,” Leigh said, not ready to get up himself yet. “We can stay.”
Deanna and Maggie were cordial in their farewells, the kids, too, but Ralph didn’t say much more than a “Later” thrown at Tolly.
Seeing the expectant look on Tolly’s face after the others left, Leigh went to the doors to lock them.
“Go ahead. But we can’t risk it for long.”
Tolly pushed off the side of the pool in a backward dive, disappearing swiftly. Before Leigh returned to the edge, the borrowed swim trunks came flying up to land with a splat on the side. He ventured closer and saw the transformation already complete, a vision of red cutting through the water in twists and turns, sparkling like Tolly was covered in sequins.
He really was glorious, every bit the fantasy conjured in paintings and fairy tales. The pool wasn’t deep enough for him to shoot up like a fish and dive back down, but he still kicked with his tail a few times, allowing Leigh to take it in and see how large the tailfin was when it fanned out behind him with a flourish.
Sitting at the edge of the pool, Leigh didn’t care that his jeans got a bit wet, though he still took off his shoes and socks and rolled his jeans up to the knee before dropping his feet over the edge.
“Leigh.” Tolly came up with a splash, swimming to him like he was floating on air. “Why is it you feel you have no family? Clearly you do, much as you are not related by blood. They love you.”
Love never gets anyone anything but pain, Leigh’s father used to say, and he’d taken that to heart, but some people kept wheedling their way in.
“Join me,” Tolly said when he didn’t answer.
“I don’t have a suit, remember? And I’m not putting on the wet one or getting my clothes soaked.”
“Then… what is the phrase? Skinny-dip!”
“Not happening,” Leigh said, sharper than he meant to, but stripping by moonlight for a near stranger, no matter how magical or adorable, was not something he was up for tonight.
“You do not wish for me to see you,” Tolly said glumly.
“It’s not…. I’m just not feeling it right now, okay?”
Tolly swam awhile in silence, sometimes with his head above the water, tail splashing playfully, other times like a blur in the depths, but eventually he came up, his dark floof of hair slicked back, and drifted closer to Leigh.
“Will you really kill this man?” he asked, and Leigh gave a deep sigh.
“I have time to figure out how. Sweeney’s not expecting it overnight.”
Coming Up for Air Page 6
