Chapter 59 Maeve
MAEVE
We couldn’t be sure a bunker had been built under Dimitri Kaprolov’s house, but at least we knew to look for one and Bram put in a call to someone who worked in the planning department to see if we could get a copy of the blueprints for the house now occupied by Ethan Todd.
After hours in the kitchen, I took a shower and chose a red cashmere sweater to wear over a black skirt.
Bailey would be arriving soon and my stomach twisted with nerves.
I was about to get four of the most important people in my life together in the same room and I really wanted them to like each other.
Plus, in two days the Butchers would hunt Ethan Todd. I wanted to enjoy every moment until then.
Ray watched me from the bed, his mouth open in a smile, like he knew how important the night was and was excited to watch it all play out.
I chose gold drop earrings, then hesitated over the black velvet box on my dresser. I’d left it behind when I’d left the loft after Bram had refused to kiss me, but it had been waiting on the dresser when I returned, like the Butchers had always known I’d be back.
Now I opened it and looked at the red enamel apple pendant at the end of the gold chain.
It was impossible not to think about the day the Butchers had taken me apple picking. Impossible not to think about the way Poe and Remy had fucked me under the apple trees while Bram had watched, his eyes dark with hunger even before he’d been willing to admit there was something between us.
The necklace had felt like a symbol of everything that had been so fucked up about my first two months in the loft: the temptation of forbidden things and the consequences of giving in to them, consequences that had shattered my heart into a million pieces.
It had felt safer to leave the necklace behind.
Now it felt like something else. A reminder that good things could come out of bad ones, that situations — and people — weren’t always what they seemed.
I’d told Bram it was never too late to change. I still believed that, even about myself.
I removed the necklace from the box and clasped it around my neck.
“Come on, boy,” I said to Ray. “It’s time to meet Bailey.”
Ray hopped off the bed and followed me into the hall.
The Butchers were waiting for me in the living room. Mine, for now at least.
The Christmas tree twinkled by the window and someone — probably Remy — had put on the Christmas playlist. Main Street was lit up below, and the house was filled with the smell of the newly-baked Black Forest cake, which we’d have after Christmas dinner the next night.
And my men? Well, my men looked even more delicious than the cake.
“Red is definitely your color, killer.” Remy’s blond hair was still damp from the shower, and the dark green sweater he’d worn over slacks made his eyes look as verdant as the Christmas tree behind him. “The color of blood and lust.”
I laughed. “Thanks?”
Poe grinned. “I think it’s less the color and more what’s inside the package, if you catch my drift.”
His dark jeans hugged his muscular thighs, and his long-sleeve T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders.
“Our killer does have amazing tits,” Remy said.
“Oh my god, stop.” My cheeks were on fire.
Bram closed the distance between us and looked down at me, his dark eyes shining like liquid ebony. He reached for my necklace and lifted the apple pendant, then returned his gaze to mine.
“You’re perfect, as always.”
I put my hand on his chest and wondered if my heart would ever stop feeling like it was going to beat right out of my chest when I touched him. “You look pretty amazing too.”
He’d worn dress pants and a deep red button-down shirt. The top three buttons were unfastened, giving me a glimpse of the ink that crawled up his chest and onto his neck.
I knew now that barbed wire was intertwined with the other images etched onto his skin, knew it because I’d traced it with my fingers when we’d been naked in bed. I hadn’t had to ask what it meant: Bram was a walking No Trespassing sign.
Except I wanted to trespass, wanted to keep working my way behind all the signs screaming Danger.
I waited for a warning from June, but she was quiet.
“I hope this is okay.” He tore his gaze from mine and looked down at his clothes. “I wanted to dress nice for your friend.”
My heart felt like a lemon squeezed to bursting. “It’s more than okay, but you can wear whatever you want for Bailey. She won’t care and neither do I.”
I wanted him to know that he was enough just as he was.
Then the intercom buzzed from the ground floor and I pulled away to let Bailey in, the nerves kicking up in my stomach all over again.
“Be right back.”
I could have let her in from upstairs, but I wanted to meet her at the door.
She was looking around when I got there, her cheeks flushed with cold, her hands stuffed into her navy wool coat.
“I wasn’t sure this was the place.” She stepped into the vestibule carrying a bottle of wine. “I knew better than to bring food.”
“You can always bring food.” I liked nice food but I wasn’t above junk food.
Case in point: Marv’s donuts, which had become something of an addiction.
We hugged and I took Bailey’s coat. She looked past me to Poe’s darkened studio.
“Are you living in a warehouse?”
I laughed. “It’s a loft. Trust me, it’s nice.”
I took the wine and led her to the second floor.
“Wow,” she said, stepping into the living area, warm and glowing with Christmas lights. “This is gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” Poe walked over to meet her. “I’m Poe.”
I introduced Remy and Bram and watched her face for judgement. Neither of us had ever dated guys — no, not guys, men — like this and I wouldn’t have blamed her for being a bit shocked.
And she was, a little, but not the judgy kind of shocked. More like the I can’t believe you pulled this off, you lucky whore kind of shocked.
“And who is this?” Bailey squealed when Ray came over, wagging his tail.
He wove his way between Remy’s legs — I was starting to believe he knew Remy was an easy target — and Remy stumbled before catching himself.
“That’s it. You don’t get to be that cute and be a tripping hazard.”
“That’s Ray,” I told Bailey. “Bram gave him to me for Christmas.”
“You have a dog?” Bailey crouched to pet him.
He ate it up, tongue lolling, tail beating a mile a minute.
“As of two days ago. I meant to tell you but I've been so busy with the food.” I headed into the kitchen. “Have a seat. Want some of this wine? Or something else to drink?”
“I’ll take some of the wine,” Bailey said. She exclaimed over the Christmas tree and looked down over Main Street. “Wow, Main Street looks so pretty from up here.”
I poured the wine and brought out the first of the appetizers and we all settled around the living room, Bailey, Poe, and I on the sofa while Bram and Remy took two of the chairs.
Bailey popped a piece of cheese in her mouth and took a drink of the wine, then looked at the Butchers.
“So… you’re the three guys who stole my best friend.” For a long moment, no one said anything. I was getting ready to rush in for a rescue when Bailey spoke again. “Hurt her and I’ll kill you.”
After that, things were easy. Bailey told them about her job as a marketing assistant for a natural skincare company and the Butchers hedged around her questions about their work.
I had to stifle a snort of laughter when Remy said they were “liaisons between local government and Blackwell Falls residents.”
Bram’s eyes had twinkled with humor over the beer bottle he’d tipped to his lip, and it felt good to know we were on the same side of the inside joke.
I brought out the second round of appetizers and Bailey asked questions about the loft: how long the Butchers had lived there, who’d designed it, and whether they ever got tired of hiking up the stairs to the second floor.
Poe hadn’t had much time to work in his studio lately, but he told Bailey about his art, and he took her down to show her his work in progress on while I cleaned up the appetizers and set out bite-sized cherry tarts and fudge-dipped chocolate chunk cookies with crumbled candy canes on top.
It was getting late when Bailey joined me in the kitchen to clean up. I bagged up some leftovers for her to take to her family — she was heading there to spend the night for Christmas after she left the loft — and waited for her to give me her verdict.
“You’re one lucky bitch, Maeve,” she finally said.
I laughed. “I tried to tell you.”
“I didn’t expect them to be so… civilized.”
I grinned. “Thought they’d pull me to the bedroom by my hair?”
“Maybe,” she admitted.
“They only do that when I want them to.”
“Rub it in, why don’t you.” She reached into the bag of cookies and stole one before I could seal it up. “God, I miss your food.”
“Well, now you can come over anytime.”
She studied my face. “You’re not coming back to the apartment, are you? Like, ever.”
I drew in a breath and pushed the leftovers toward her. “Honestly, I don’t know. We’re working on the… Ethan Todd thing. I can’t really think about the future until that’s over. Plus, I don’t know how I’ll explain this to my parents.”
“Charlotte will die.” Bailey always called my parents by their first name.
“Right? I feel sick when I think about trying to explain it to them.” I wasn’t ashamed of my feelings for the Butchers, but there was a lot for the average person to process: their terrifying appearance, their work, the fact that there were three of them and one of me.
“You didn’t let me finish,” Bailey said. “Charlotte will die but then she’ll get over it. David will be worried but he’ll get over it too. They’ll just want to make sure you’re okay, that you’re safe, and no one can talk to those three hunks of burning love and know you’re anything but safe.”
“What makes you say that?” Of all the things I’d expected Bailey to say about the Butchers after meeting them, safe hadn’t even made the list.
“Because of the way they look at you, Maeve. It’s obvious they would kill for you, and I think you know it because that’s what they’re getting ready to do.”