Chapter 14
EDDIE
I held my leather messenger bag close to my side as a strong gust of wind tried to rip it away.
My green suit jacket flapped open and my nipples nearly froze off.
Not for the first time, I regretted leaving my winter coat in the car.
Why did I never think I would need it? I moaned in relief as I reached the glass door of Grounds and Gears, my favorite local coffee shop, then hustled inside.
I took a second to tug my jacket straight.
The hum of people talking and laughing mixed with the low melody of a jazz song I didn’t know that filtered through the speakers.
The red globes of the light fixtures that dangled from the ceiling swayed a bit in the wind as someone opened the door behind me, forcing me to step aside.
There were normally framed photos of motorcycles on the light gray walls, but someone had wrapped them up in shiny red-and-green plaid paper and stuck bows on them. It was all very cheerful.
My four o’clock meeting had opted for something casual.
He was a representative from the New Gothenburg mall, and as the person with least seniority on the team, I’d been sent out into the cold to meet him.
I was getting ready to hand off my company’s bid for some supersized solar panels that would cover the parking lot, providing shade to the cars below in the summer and taking the electricity bill for the complex to a nice, round zero.
Hell, they’d even be able to sell the extra energy back to the local power grid, making the complex owner a tidy profit.
But the mall office had switched who I was supposed to meet a few times, and now I was left scanning the round stainless-steel tables for someone who might be looking for me. It didn’t help that suits made up half the crowd.
Shrugging, I got a mug of coffee, and when I had it in hand, I turned to the room and asked, “Anyone waiting for Eddison Wheelright?”
“Are you meeting an online date?” a man dressed head to toe in black leather asked. He grinned at me. With that outfit, he should be riding a motorcycle, but with the snow, that couldn’t be possible.
Embarrassed heat tingled in my cheeks. “No, it’s business.”
“Too bad! You’re cute.”
Laughter raced around the room, and I hung my head, grinning.
A huge blond man raised his hand and smirked in my direction.
He could’ve been an offensive tackle on a football team.
Hell, perhaps he was one. His hair flew everywhere, just a little too long, but he had a pleasant square face and earnest eyes that immediately put me at ease as he stood from the table and extended his massive hand.
I sloshed coffee on the floor as we shook and groaned before setting the mug on the table and shaking off the mess.
“That is too bad,” he said in a cheerful booming voice while staring at the red mark from the hot coffee spreading on the back of my hand. The volume of his comment had nearly everyone in the café looking our way with interest.
Heat drifted upward and downward from my cheeks and I tugged on my collar. “Ah, well, there’s still some bean juice in the mug.” I flicked the rim, choosing to misinterpret our conversation for the sake of my dwindling sanity. How did I get in these situations?
“Here you are. Saw the whole thing. I’m Red, by the way.
This is my place.” I almost died as a petite woman with long scarlet hair brought me another mug.
She snatched a white bar towel from her shoulder and squatted to wipe up the mess.
“Happens all the time. No worries.” With a pleasant smile, she was off again.
“Now that you know I’m an idiot, might as well introduce myself,” I said, grinning. “Eddison, but people usually call me Eddie.” I pulled my chair out and sat down, dragging my messenger bag into my lap.
“Warren Andrews,” he replied, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes in an attractive way.
The world slowed down to a crawl before speeding back up brighter and faster than ever. “Do you know Tyler Morrow?” The words were out of my mouth before I could consider whether or not they were smart.
Andrews’s smile wilted and his blue eyes flared, leaving an unpleasant sinking feeling in my gut as he pushed in his chair, rather than sitting on it.
“No. Why would you ask that?” He ran a hand down his face, silver watch flashing in the overhead lights.
“I’m, uh, not feeling well. I have to—” He gestured at the door without finishing his sentence.
My gut sank to my toes as he fled, and I took a cautious sip of my coffee. What did he do? Tyler hadn’t told me anything about the dead guys, but I knew no one was on that list because they were friendly fellas who helped him out. They were all assholes, including me.
I sighed.
I’d been avoiding thinking about the issue since the second I’d spotted that list, but I was on it because I’d hurt him.
I’d always been able to ignore a problem if I put my mind to it.
Guilt sank its fangs into my heart. And now?
I was lying to him. I would have to come clean eventually, but I wanted him to trust me.
Would the murders that really weren’t ruin things?
And perhaps Tyler didn’t want me dead, despite still being on his list, but I would be making up for the pain I’d caused for the rest of my life.
I was halfway through my cup of coffee when it hit me—I would get a chance to ask all my questions.
Unless Andrews was able to convince someone he worked with to take his spot in our meeting, we would be sitting across the negotiating table from each other again as early as next week.
Humming, I downed the rest of my coffee, then checked my phone and grinned.
Andrews had been my last meeting of the day, which meant, mystery aside, I could go home early to Tyler. I bought a few red-and-white striped chocolate peppermint chip cookies, Tyler’s favorite holiday flavor, and headed home. Hopefully, he would love his treat.
Hell, I would even make him some hot cocoa to go with it.
And perhaps blow him while he ate.
Smirking, I went out into the gloom of the snowy, cold late afternoon and drove cautiously over the ice and snow to my house.
I smiled as I arrived because the holiday lights were already glowing brightly.
Tyler must’ve flipped the switch on, and I loved the idea of him sitting happily near the tree, snuggled in a fluffy blanket on the couch.
When I made it through the front door, the tree was indeed lit, but there was no sign of Tyler.
“Hello! I’m home early! I brought something sweet for my something sweet!” I rolled my eyes at myself, but warmth swirled in my gut. He really was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
No answer.
“Tyler?” I scowled and rushed into the kitchen, flinging the bag of cookies on the counter. He wasn’t in here.
He wasn’t in the bathroom or our bedroom, and I even checked the basement, but it was empty, too. I was starting to panic by the time I made it back to the kitchen again, but I swung toward the fridge and happened to notice a note.
Eddie,
Went to meet a man about GED classes starting in January. Back by 6. Took a rideshare so I wouldn’t bother you at work. Have your extra credit card and key.
Love you,
Tyler
My heart stuttered, and then I was grinning from ear to ear as I traced my fingertip over the word love.
“Love you, too, sweetheart,” I whispered.
Why had I flipped out? Did I really think my dad would sneak in here and throw Tyler in a sack Grinch style? Steal him away? Sighing, I rested my head against the cool metal of the fridge as my muscles loosened from the tense knots they’d been in. My shoulders hurt. I’d been really fucking worried.
“It’s fine. It’s all good.” I tugged out my phone to scroll through restaurants—perhaps curry tonight? Yes, definitely—when the doorbell startled me. Hell, did Tyler forget his key after all? Did I lock the door when I came in?
“Coming!” I called.
I stumbled over my own feet halfway to the door. What if it was my dad? I stopped and the doorbell rang once. Nah. I shook off the anxiety. He would’ve been hammering on the door. He couldn’t hold back the part of himself that was a policeman, even when he was busy disgracing his badge.
The doorbell rang again, and I rushed to answer.
Andrews stood on the other side, his hair blown up at an odd angle from the wind pelting his back. “Can I come in?”
“How did you find my house?” I stepped aside, and he rushed past me, dragging clumps of snow inside.
“Google.”
I frowned. “Did you want to have the meeting now?” I walked into the living room and flung my messenger bag on the couch. I hadn’t gotten as far as putting it away yet.
“You have to understand about Tyler.” He ran a hand through his hair, which only made it look more windblown.
“How do you know him?” A deadly calm filled me as I crossed my arms.
He paced in front of the tree, shoulders hunched. “You have to understand. I was in a bad place when my wife left me. My boyfriend found out about her when she found out about him, and by the next week, he was gone, too. I started drinking.”
My blood boiled because I had a horrible suspicion. “How many times did you visit Tyler in that nasty alleyway behind the pawnshop?” My voice was so low and sinister it made me flinch.
He raised his hands, begging me for mercy. “I didn’t mean to be that rough with him. He told you about it, right? I was just out of my mind. Drinking too much. Hating myself for being stupid. Hating everyone else for being happy.” He hung his head.
“Tyler wasn’t happy.” The trip to reach Andrews was a blur. I grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and shook him. “What the fuck did you do to my boyfriend?”
He wheezed like he’d been running up the side of a mountain. “One night when I was using his services—”
“Fucking someone who needed cash so bad they would do anything,” I hissed. “Get it right.”
His face crumpled. “I was furious, just thinking about my wife screaming at me. And I’d been drinking for two days straight.
I visited Mike because we grew up on the same block, and I was ranting.
Raving. He told me I needed to relax. Told me about Tyler.
I shouldn’t have gone near anyone that night. ”
I was going to hit this fucker. It wasn’t a question. “Then what?”
“Huh?” He blinked at me, looking fucking pathetic.
“Did you keep him around? Make sure he was okay?”
He bit his lip. “I kicked him out first thing in the morning as soon as I sobered up.”
My fist connected with his chin, and I got the idea that he allowed it to happen, but I didn’t stop, and his eyes widened in surprise as I cracked him on the jaw.
He stumbled against the coffee table and went down on it hard on his back, then rolled from the coffee table onto the red glass stars on the floor.
The ones Tyler had insisted were dangerous.
Holy. Fuck.
“Shit! Not again!” I slapped my hands to the top of my head and my heart nearly stopped.
The red glass spikes protruded from his back, glinting prettily in the Christmas lights.
Scarlet blood oozed out around the glass.
Andrews turned his head and coughed blood onto the floor, but his eyes were as shiny as the ornaments on the tree nearby and he didn’t seem like he was able to think anymore.
My right hand throbbed as minutes ticked by and I chose not to call an ambulance.
About an hour later, I was rubbing my knuckles and staring numbly at the mess when the front door opened, then closed again.
Panic swamped me as Tyler came into the living room and his gaze immediately dropped to the newest corpse. He frowned between the body and me, then slowly walked around it while my heart hammered in my ears. When he caught sight of Andrews’s face, he gasped.
Tyler ran to me and wrapped me in a warm, comforting hug that chased away some of the chill in my veins. “Thank you.”
Guilt swamped me. I hadn’t killed Andrews for him on purpose.
But this time? Well, I guess I sort of did do it, for the most part.
He rolled, but I’d punched him. He was here seeking absolution from me—not Tyler, which was messed up—and I’d told him to go fuck himself.
I carefully hugged Tyler back. “How—Uh, how was your info meeting about the classes?”
He grinned at me as he stepped back. “Great! Let’s get rid of this mess.”
I grabbed his wrist and his smile shrank. “I’m sorry he hurt you. Did you want to talk about—”
“He got exactly what he deserved.” Tyler kissed me, teeth nipping my lips before he attacked my mouth, pushing his tongue inside to own me. He tsked. “I told you those stars were deadly.”
I let it go. Tyler obviously didn’t want to talk about the nightmare night he’d had with Andrews. But I understood now. I wouldn’t feel guilty about anyone on Tyler’s list dying, but I did regret that he’d felt like he had a reason to put me on it.
They’d all hurt the man I loved.
Hell, maybe I should be on the list because I hadn’t stopped my dad from hurting him.
Fuck, I hadn’t done enough to murder those men for Tyler. And eventually, he would find out. What would he think of me then?