Chapter 12 #3
We stopped outside one of the townhouses, and Vail punched in a code, unlocking several key locks, and used a weird, black disc that he slowly slid across a weird pattern over the old, wooden panels until something clicked.
Pushing open the door, he ushered the rest of us in before himself, casting a long, searching look around the parking lot and green space before he followed us back in and carefully did up all the locks again, which included two deadbolts, and set an alarm system with a little electric panel on the wall.
Shaw kicked off his shoes and hurried up the steps to what I assumed was the main floor while Lee and I struggled in the foyer, which was extremely small and cramped.
The space was lovely, much bigger than I had anticipated for three boys in high school.
The buildings were probably built in the late seventies or early eighties, judging by the wood panelling on the walls.
The carpet had been replaced with something more modern and wasn’t as comfy as the shag that it probably originally had come with.
I hung up my coat in the cramped front closet, noting the folding doors on the opposite wall.
I peeked between the crack and found an old washer and dryer inside.
Lee carried my bag up the steps, and I followed with Vail bringing up the rear. I was curious to see how their living situation was, how they managed, and I wanted to know how long they’d been living together.
The next floor had a living room and dining area in a shared space, with a tiny kitchen around the corner.
The furniture was clearly second-hand, probably from the Goodwill down the street, but it looked cozy.
There was a curved, emerald couch facing a wood-burning fireplace and a TV, complete with a gaming system because, you know, boys, along with two cushy-looking patchwork armchairs.
The coffee table was a long, wicker piece covered in what looked like schoolwork or something.
Shaw was scrambling to collect it together.
In fact, even Lee had bypassed the dining area, which had a small round, light oak thing with four mismatched, patched-up chairs gathered round it, and disappeared around the corner to where I assumed the kitchen was.
Seconds later, I could hear water running and the sound of china clattering. Dishes.
I hid a smirk when I realized they were cleaning up the place, like I’d judge them for being messy or something. I didn’t care. Being here, knowing that this was where they lived and that they wanted me to live with them… for the first time since Mom died, I felt like I was home again.
Yeah, it was sparse. They had nothing around to catch dust, nothing of value on display, excluding the TV and game system, and only had the basics. The only other personal items I could see were a set of weights by the large bay window next to the dining table.
But I didn’t care how simple it all was.
All it did was remind me of the basement suite Mom and I had lived in, and how when we first moved, we had a mattress on the floor of the bedroom and used a cardboard box to eat our meals off of.
Over the years, she added little pieces of which she got some fantastic deals on, once she had saved enough.
But we were safe and together. That’s what mattered.
And that’s all that mattered now.
I turned away and started lugging my bag up the steps, which freaked me out as they were the cantilever kind. I could just picture Lee reaching through them one day when I’m coming down the steps just to scare the crap out of me. I’d have to be mindful of that every time I made a trip up or down.
I grunted, still tired even after that amazing breakfast Meredith made for all of us this morning, and struggled to lug my insanely heavy bag.
“Are you crazy?” Vail came rushing over, his brows pulled down over his eyes in disapproval.
“You’re going to pull something. Let me.
” He pulled the straps free from my hands and easily lifted them up, giving me a nod to lead the way up to the top floor.
When I got there, however, I had no idea where to go.
I saw multiple doors, one of which I’d been pretty sure was a linen closet, judging by how narrow it was, but the others were obviously a washroom and their bedrooms. Where the hell was I going to sleep?
Vail decided for me and carried my bag to the room at the end of the hall, and went in.
I followed and found myself in a space much larger than I’d anticipated.
The bed was sitting on one of those black box frames with drawers that lined the entire thing and was covered in a thick grey, white, yellow, and black comforter, which was balled up like it’d been kicked aside when the sleeper had risen.
There was a long, black dresser, a closet hidden behind a grey and white striped curtain, a hamper, and a tiny black desk where a laptop sat and a few school books.
“Whose room is this?” I asked when he set my bag on the floor by the dresser.
“Ours,” he said without hesitation, turning to the bed to shake out the blanket.
“ Ours? ” I said incredulously, my face flushing a little. Was he serious or just fucking with me? The thought of sharing a room with Vail felt a little too… domestic.
“I have the biggest room in the house, so it makes sense, right?” He glanced at me, the corner of one side of his mouth curling up.
“Well, I guess…” I sat on the floor beside my hockey bag, ready to find some comfy stuff to put on.
I’d been wearing the same clothes for over twenty-four hours now, and I needed a shower, too.
I zipped open my bag, searching through it to see what Meredith grabbed.
I was so grateful to see she thought of packing my toiletries, on top of my books.
But she had also grabbed my stuffed lamb, the photo of Matthew, Mom, and me from Christmas that I had framed, and the mother-of-pearl jewelry box.
I held the photo in my hands, studying the faces in it.
How different life had been less than a year ago.
Two people that stared back at me in this picture were gone forever.
Did they deserve what happened to them? No.
I could think of a handful of others who earned such a painful, bloody end, but life just didn’t fucking work that way.
A pale hand gently tugged the photo away.
I gaped at Vail as he inspected the frozen memory for a second before setting it out on display on the dresser.
He reached for my jewelry box and stuffed lamb, too, and carefully arranged them together, giving them a place.
I saw how he gave the lamb, in particular, a little squeeze, and I knew he recognized it from our childhood.
Since I was a baby, I had that thing with me and never slept without it until I was fourteen.
After that, I had it out so I could see it each day.
Bluebell, that’s the name my Mom had given it, and I’d kept it, was something all the guys had teased me over during our sleepovers. But there was no teasing from Vail now.
Instead, he reached down and lifted me up by sliding his hands beneath my armpits.
As self-conscious as I was to have him grab me there, I rose to my feet, following his lead, only to find him enveloping me in his arms. His chin rested on top of my head, and for a minute, and we said nothing.
I sunk against him, taking the comfort he was offering, so grateful that I had him back.
“Rule number one,” he said, not pulling away. “You don’t go anywhere without one of us accompanying you.”
“But-” I tried pulling back to see his face, but he wouldn’t let me. He pressed my face to his chest, one of his hands reaching up to grab a fistful of my hair.
“No, Casey. This isn’t a debate. This is law. You don’t go anywhere without letting us know and without an escort.”
I flinched at his words. I felt like an errant child. “And why is that?”
“Not now. Stay here, have a shower, rest up,” he said, his grip relaxing a little. “Lee and I need to talk to your dad first. When we get back, we can fill you in on things.”
“Okay… what’s the next rule?”
“You do what we say. I overrule all, then Lee and Shaw. We need a system of hierarchy here to follow, or else people fuck up, and mistakes are made. And a mistake here can cost you your life.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, laughing nervously. I mean, I knew shit was bad here; however, wasn’t this a little over-the-top?
“Mark DeLuca,” he said simply.
Mark… Hunter’s childhood friend. I still didn’t know what had happened to him, but I supposed that was something that would be elaborated on later tonight.
“Okay. So seniority rules. Gotcha.”
I could hear a huff of air as he sharply exhaled through his nose, like he was trying not to laugh at my peppy attitude.
Yeah, I had questions and doubts, but in the end, I trusted that these three knew what the hell they were doing.
They lived here longer than I had. They were involved in stuff that I just didn’t understand.
I needed to fall in line if I wanted to survive.
“Lastly, keep the doors and windows locked at all times. Shaw can show you how to work the alarm system, but we need to be careful about always having it armed.”
This rule didn’t shock me. It was the same as Keith’s. Speaking of Keith. “How do you guys know he’s home? What if he’s still in the hospital after what Shaw-”