Chapter 49
CHAPTER 49
Heath
The next day
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
“Can you please stop throwing that ball against the wall?” Max asks.
“No,” I reply.
Thwack.
“I’m trying to read.”
Thwack.
“I’m trying to think.”
“About what?”
“Things,” I reply.
Lots of things actually. I’m worried. Ivy hasn’t attempted to talk to us at all about our situationship and retreats into the guest room after each meal. I don’t know if she just wants to think or if she’s just trying to ignore us until it’s safe again to leave the Skull and Serpent Society and let us simmer in our own stew.
Meanwhile, Max hasn’t put down his book since yesterday, and I feel like I’m the only one worrying about this.
“What are you reading?” I ask.
“ Things ,” he says.
“Ha. Touché.” I stop throwing my stress ball. “You don’t wanna tell me.”
He lowers the book and looks at me. “You wouldn’t enjoy it. It’s non-fic.”
“Why do you assume so much about me?” I reply. “Haven’t I already proven it’s all wrong?”
His cheeks turn fiery red. “I just …” He tucks it underneath his ass. “You and Mavis mostly read occult books and fantasy fiction, right? This is a self-help book.”
“So?” I shrug. “Doesn’t mean I can’t also enjoy something else for a change.” I sigh. “Besides, I haven’t actually met up with Mavis in a while.”
“Because of me?” he asks.
I take a deep breath. “Both of you.”
He sits up straight. “I don’t want you to stop seeing your friends just for our sake. You deserve friends that make you happy, and she does.”
I stop throwing the ball. “You’re too nice. Has anyone ever told you that?” He blushes even more now, and I get up to wrap my arms around his shoulders. “Too nice for your own damn good.” I plant a succulent kiss right below his ear, and his entire skin erupts into goose bumps. “Too sweet … and delicious …”
His giggles make me grin. “We just had sex.”
“So? We have to make up for all the missed fucking months,” I reply.
“Have you always been this affectionate?” he asks.
“I hovered over you every single day. Is this the first time you’ve noticed?”
He laughs when I begin to caress his nipples. “Stop, that tickles.”
“In a good way or a bad way?”
“Good …” he moans when I draw a line with my tongue all the way from his ear to his neck. “But we really shouldn’t be doing this here.”
“Why? Scared someone will come in and see us?”
“I mean … no one knows about us. Except Silas and Ivy,” he replies.
I lean back. “Are you afraid people might assume you’re gay?”
“I love you. But I love her too,” he says.
“So what, you’re bi.” I tilt my head to look at him. “I am too.”
He frowns. “Are you?”
“I am fucking drowning in need from wanting both you and her at the same time. Do you fucking think I’m anything but bi?”
He laughs, and the sound makes my heart swell.
“Case closed,” I add. “And you know what?”
I wait until he looks at me. “What?”
I grab his chin and slam my lips onto his, claiming that mouth just like I claimed hers. “I don’t care who knows as long as I get to kiss these fucking lips.”
He smiles against my mouth. “That sounds like something I could get used to.”
“Well, well, this is interesting.”
Elliot’s voice has Max darting up from the couch. “Oh, shit.”
Elliot laughs. “Relax. Relax. It’s fine. Carry on whatever you were doing.”
“Wait, you’re not shocked?” Max asks.
“Why would I be?” Elliot says with an affected accent. “Hello, it runs in the family.”
I snort. “Like dad, like son, you mean?”
“ And brother.” He winks. “So … happy coming out day, I guess.”
“Thanks.” Max licks his lips. “Please, don’t tell Mom. Not yet. I’ll do it when I’m ready.”
Elliot puts his fingers to his lips and makes a key in a lock sign. “My lips are sealed.”
“Why your mom in particular?” I ask.
“Because she’s friends with your mom. They might not like you two fucking around, you know?” Elliot shrugs.
“They’ll just have to fucking deal with it,” I say.
Elliot grins. “That’s the spirit.” He clears his throat. “Hey, weird question … why is there a kid in the Skull and Serpent Society?”
My face goes white. “Uh…”
Well, shit, I never thought I’d be the one to have to explain this.
“It’s Cora. Ivy’s kid,” Max tells him.
“Both of them are staying,” I say. “And I don’t want anyone messing with the two of them. Make sure everyone in the house understands.”
“Aye aye, captain,” Elliot says, saluting me.
I roll my eyes. “Stop the theatrics.”
“Why? I’m having the time of my life. Sue me,” Elliot says, laughing before he grabs the handle again and slowly closes the door. “Enjoy your casual canoodling on the couch. Bye.”
“Casual canoodling …” I parrot through gritted teeth, while Max is apparently dying from laughter so much he’s holding his breath.
Someone shuffles into the room backward, half huddled over while making weird pssss sounds. And when I look up, my jaw drops. Silas is actually luring Ivy’s cat into the room.
“C’mon, Donut.”
“ Donut ?” Max sits up straight, and we both watch in shock as Bagel waltzes inside and eats up the kibbles … right out of Silas’s hand.
He guides him all the way to the table and places a kibble down then says, “Up.”
Bagel actually listens to him, and I am too flabbergasted to even know what to say. He’s eating that shit up right out of his hand.
“Good boy.” Silas pats him on the head and then says, “Paw.”
Bagel offers his little toe-beans to him, and they shake on it before Silas offers another treat.
“What the fuck …” I mutter.
“Oh, you’re here too?” Silas says, mildly amused.
“What are you doing?” Max asks.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” he replies. “I’m training the cat.”
“Jesus Christ, that’s a quick U-turn you did there,” I say, tilting my head as Bagel literally cuddles up against him.
“This Donut here is a better listener than you two.”
“Hey!” Max sputters. “That’s not fair. He’s a cat. Of course he listens. He gets food and pets.”
“You want kibbles?” Silas holds up a treat, then chucks it at Max. “Say woof.”
“Fuck off,” Max barks back.
“Oh, nice bite,” Silas says, laughing.
“Wait, you’re training him for what?” I ask.
Silas shrugs. “Do tricks. Pick up stuff. Steal things. Maybe attack someone.”
I stare at him for a moment before I burst out into laughter. “Bro thinks the cat is a goddamn pit bull. Oh my God, I’m dying.”
He throws a kibble at my face so hard it leaves an indent. “You’re laughing now, but I will make it happen. Just fucking watch me.”
“Sure,” I retort, chucking the kibble right back at him.
“For your information, the name is Bagel,” Max says.
“Nice to fucking meet you, Bagel,” Silas says, throwing Max a dirty look.
“Ha, ha, you’re so funny,” Max retorts, making the same ugly face back.
A knock on the door has us all looking up.
“Excuse me.” It’s the cleaning lady holding something in her hand. “I found this yesterday on the floor in the game room.”
My ketamine.
I immediately walk to her and take them from her. “Thanks.”
“Of course, Sir. If there’s anything else you need, please let me know.”
I nod, and she walks off again, but my eyes settle on the pills that Max knocked out of my hand the second I attempted to take a couple again.
These pills are all that have kept me standing for a long time. My mind has been one jumbled mess, and ever since my sister left too, I’ve struggled to maintain my calm without them.
But now …
I breathe out a sigh. “You know, speaking of Mavis, I think I’m going to go see her.”
“Really? But isn’t that awkward?” Max mutters.
I tug at my piercing, trying to settle the nerves before I look his way and smile. “I need to make it right.”
He smiles back. “Of course.”
“I’m not planning on doing anything with her,” I say.
“I know,” he answers casually before picking up his book again.
I’m not used to us being so calm and … out.
It’s refreshing.
I head out the door and walk across campus to Mavis’s sorority, where I knock on the door and wait for the ensuing giggles from the girls perched at the windows. I don’t have to wait long for the door to open.
“Hi, Heath,” some random girl I’ve never seen before says. “You here for Mavis?”
Do they all know? Probably.
I snort. “Is she here?”
“She’s upstairs,” the girl says, “I’ll call her for you.”
“Thanks,” I say, and she closes the door.
I hear some footsteps running up and some muffled laughs. I peek at the window again, and all the girls duck for cover. I guess my good looks have all of them fumbling like schoolgirls. And I have to admit, it was definitely fun for a while. Especially to get some ass while Max wouldn’t look my way. But now I have him and Ivy… and I no longer feel the need to fuck everything I see.
The door opens up again to Mavis tilting her head at me. “Heath. Nice of you to show your face again.”
“Hi,” I say awkwardly. “Can we talk?”
She folds her arms. “Sure. Go ahead.”
“I wanted to apologize for ghosting you,” I say, narrowing my eyes when the girls all start to giggle again. “I didn’t mean to but my emotions got the better of me.”
“Emotions?” She frowns. “For who?”
I take in a deep breath. “Ivy and—”
“Wait … Ivy, as in that thief?”
I avert my eyes. “Things got … complicated.”
“Sounds like it,” she says. “But wait, you said ‘ and ’ … what else?”
I lean in and whisper, “Max.”
Her eyes widen, and she looks at me with her lips shut even though I can see her actual jaw drop. She’s basically gawking at me without actually wanting to show it.
“I told you, it’s complicated.”
“He’s your best friend,” she whispers.
“Yeah …” I rub the back of my neck. “We still are. It’s just that, now we’re more. Together with Ivy.”
Now her lips finally part as the shock begins to ripple through her entire body. “You’re in a threesome?”
I shrug. “Four if you count Silas.”
“WHAT?!” She steps out and shuts the door behind her. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Silas?!”
“Ha, yeah, it does sound like a good joke, but no,” I reply. “We’re all … fucking with Ivy.” I make a loop with my finger and shove the other index finger inside for added context.
But her godawful stare tells me that was a big mistake.
“Oh. Wow.” Her face scrunches up. “No wonder you’ve been acting all odd lately.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the side-burner,” I say.
She holds up a hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize.”
I frown. “I don’t?”
“You always asked me to hang out, not the other way around. So when you stopped, I kinda figured something important must’ve been going on.” She swallows. “Though, I always thought you were just hanging out with me to get into my pants.”
I rub my lips together. “I …”
She takes in a deep breath. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not. And I was a fucking asshole for trying.”
She nods. “Yeah, you were. Lucky for you, I was pretty much the only girl who wasn’t ever remotely interested in you that way.”
“True, but I’m not just interested in sex, okay?” I grab her hand. “I want to be your friend. Please.”
She smiles and narrows her eyes as she looks up at me. “You mean that?”
“Who else is going to curse these fucking teachers with me?”
The grin that spreads on her face makes all my worries disappear. “It’s about time they got a taste of their own medicine.”
I grasp her shoulders and pull her to me, hugging her tightly. “Goddammit, I missed you, Mave.”
“Mave?” She pushes me away. “Nuh-uh, no way. That’s what my brother calls me.” She shivers violently. “The thought of hearing that from your mouth makes me want to puke.”
I snort. “Oh, c’mon, you love him. Admit it.”
“Only because I have to or my mother will kill me,” she retorts. “Also, I doubt this will go well with Mom either if she finds out.”
“Don’t tell her I told you. Not yet,” I say, lowering my gaze. “She’ll kill him. Or all of us. And then Silas will torment me in the afterlife for telling you in the first place.”
She sniggers. “Fine. I’ll keep your dirty little secret, but you owe me.”
I raise a brow. “What do I have to do?”
She pulls open the door with a mischievous look on her face. “Time to walk that fucking talk and get to work. I just got a séance board, and I’m ready to put that bitch to good use.”
My jaw drops. “A séance board!?” The grin on my face grows even wider as I step inside and slam the door shut behind me. “Count me the fuck in.”
Silas
That night
From the corner of the street, I watch two fuckers enter the grimy building and head up the stairs. I lift my visor and take a picture of their faces before they’re out of sight.
I hop off my bike and park it far away from the building before I head across the street, which has apparently been thoroughly cleaned since the last time I was here. Not a speck of blood is left from my rampage. I’m impressed. Mom’s men really do their job diligently.
I tap each bell until finally someone answers. “Yes?”
“Delivery,” I reply.
The door opens, and I swiftly step inside.
There is no delivery except death for whoever gets in my way, and they won’t know until it’s too late.
I sneak up the stairs, careful not to make a noise. Once I finally get to the floor they’re on, I hide behind a pillar near the elevator and peek around the corner to watch two men as they break in the door to Ivy’s apartment.
Of course, they’d come here.
The men who were sent to get her were lackeys after all, and there are plenty more waiting to be told what to do by their boss. And I intend to find out whoever the fuck it is.
I don’t need her to tell me who’s after her. I’ll just make them tell me instead.
I sneak closer and hide behind the next pillar so I can listen in to their conversation.
“They’re not fucking here,” one of them says.
“I told you that!”
“Don’t blame me. The boss told us to go look again. See if she came back.”
“What the fuck are we even doing here?” one of them complains. “It’s not like the others already came in here a million times. They’re not here, and none of this is worth anything.”
“Doesn’t matter, the boss doesn’t even want any of this shit.”
“I thought he was a money-hungry wolf.”
One of them snorts. “You think she has a lot of cash? Living like this? I doubt it.”
They both laugh.
So the guy who orchestrated all this definitely isn’t after the money … but after her.
“You think the girl will come back?”
“Maybe. Looks like she left in a hurry.”
And I’m fucking glad she did because these fuckers would’ve found her by now.
“Let’s leave a note just in case.”
“Why?”
“Ivan said she’ll definitely have more up her sleeve, and he wants to force her to give up.”
Ivan? Who the fuck is Ivan?
Is that the guy who’s after her?
I approach the door, listening carefully as they plant some kind of paper on the kitchen table.
“Let’s go.”
That’s my cue.
I fish my knives out of my pockets and move away from the hiding spot, slowly coming into view as those fuckers exit the door and freeze while the grin on my face spreads from ear to ear.
“Who the fuck are you?” the guy on the left asks.
“Why the fuck is he smiling like that?” the one on the right whispers, but I heard.
I flick both knives in my hands. “Do you think the devil cried or laughed when he took unsuspecting souls back to hell?” The angered looks on their faces makes the thought of slicing them open from top to bottom even more enticing. “Now who’s first?”