Chapter Six
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WHEN VALE WOKE UP THE next day, Cyril faked sleep. He didn’t have it in him to talk to his boyfriend yet. Vale was lying to him, and Cyril hated it. He couldn’t bring himself to break up with Vale, though, so it felt better to keep his eyes and mouth shut and act as if he was asleep.
Luckily, Vale didn’t call him out on it. Cyril wasn’t even sure that he knew. Either way, he didn’t try to wake up Cyril, and Cyril held his breath as he listened to his boyfriend getting ready.
Vale had stuff to do this morning. Cyril knew it, and he was planning on taking advantage of that. He’d come up with a plan last night when he should’ve been sleeping, and he wasn’t going to waste time implementing it. He just needed to be alone.
He would be with Vale busy elsewhere.
Cyril relaxed when Vale left the bedroom, but he stayed in bed and listened.
He could hear Vale and John talk in the living room, then Vale move around the kitchen, no doubt getting coffee ready.
Since Cyril was supposedly asleep, Vale didn’t linger.
Cyril heard him leave the apartment just fifteen minutes later, after he peeked back into the bedroom for a second.
Cyril was still in bed with his eyes closed. He needed Vale to think he was asleep.
As soon as he heard the front door close, Cyril reached for his phone on the nightstand. He unlocked it and typed Melissa’s name into the browser, praying something would come up.
Something did. Melissa had been eighteen when she was killed. Her father was rich, and she’d been kidnapped. Everyone had expected a ransom demand, but none had come. Instead, her body had been found a few days later in an abandoned warehouse.
Reading her story made Cyril cry. Everything he found pointed to her being a great person.
She was an enthusiastic student who was planning to become a doctor.
She’d had a lot of friends and family who’d mourned her.
She’d been innocent, just like Cyril had suspected, which meant that Vale had lied to him.
He’d known that. He might even be able to accept it. He still needed to know more about the situation, though, so when he found the name of the cemetery where Melissa had been buried, he knew what his next step would be.
This wasn’t something he usually did. Normally, he’d never disturb her rest since he wasn’t getting paid to do so.
He wasn’t a family member wanting to talk to her.
He wanted to know what his boyfriend had done, and he hated himself for this, but he had to be sure.
He had to know without a doubt that Vale was a monster who hadn’t thought twice about lying to him and killing a girl who’d never done anything wrong.
Cyril needed to go now. Otherwise, he’d stay with Vale with all his doubts, and he couldn’t do that. Talking to Melissa would put things to rest, and Cyril would finally be able to make a final decision.
He knew the cemetery where she’d been buried, so he knew he wouldn’t find many people there. They wouldn’t think anything of seeing him, but he’d still have to be careful. He was about to dig up a body he wasn’t authorized to touch, after all. It still wasn’t going to be pleasant.
He put on clothes he could ruin while digging and tried to be as inconspicuous as he could as he left his bedroom.
John was on the couch, drinking coffee, but he looked up when he heard Cyril.
His expression told Cyril he’d been busted.
He didn’t know what it was about his face, but people could always tell when he was up to something.
His mother certainly had when he was younger.
“What are you planning?” John asked.
“None of your business.”
“Unless you’re going to get yourself killed. Then it is my business.”
“Is it? You have nothing to do with this, John. You’re still healing, and you need to keep your nose out of my business.”
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“Why not?” Cyril eyed the front door. He could probably run out before John caught him.
“Don’t even think about it,” John said as he got up from the couch. “Whatever you have on your mind, you’re not doing it alone. I’m coming with you.”
“I’m going to exhume a body without authorization,” Cyril blurted out as if that would get John to change his mind. The man killed people for a living, for fuck’s sake. He wouldn’t care about Cyril needing to touch bones or desiccated skin.
John blinked, then blinked again. “That’s not what I expected.”
“Like I said, you don’t have to come with me. In fact, I’d feel better if you didn’t.”
“Considering what I know about the Organization, I’d feel better if I did.”
Cyril hadn’t thought of that. In fact, he hadn’t thought of much except exposing Vale’s lies. He hated that Vale was lying, but now that he knew, he needed the whole story. “I don’t think it’s me they want,” he pointed out.
“Not yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to grab you once they found out about you. You have a reputation, Cyril. You’re a powerful necromancer. Imagine what they could do if you worked for them.”
“I’d rather die.”
“It might come to that if they get to you. I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not.”
Cyril huffed. “Fine.”
John cocked his head. “I thought it would take more work to convince you.”
Cyril shrugged. He couldn’t say he was overly happy with having to take John with him, but at the same time, he was relieved.
He didn’t want to have to do this alone.
Hell, he didn’t want to have to do this at all, but at least now, he’d have someone with him.
He didn’t think the Organization would try to get to him today—if ever—but this was a lot to deal with. He’d be glad for the support.
“How soon can you be ready?”
“Oh, so we’re going now? In full daylight?”
“It would look more suspicious if I waited for darkness. People are used to seeing me in cemeteries. If anyone notices me today, they’ll think I’m supposed to be there.”
“They’ll think you’re supposed to be exhuming bodies.”
“It’s my job.”
“Yeah, I know. Can I say it’s a little weird anyway?”
Cyril laughed. “I guess it is. I really need to go now, though. Are you sure you’re feeling up to coming with me?”
“Even if I didn’t, I don’t think I have a choice. Give me five minutes to get ready.” John paused. “And don’t try to sneak out. I’ll find you. I might suck as a professional assassin, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have skills.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Cyril was glad that John sucked as a professional assassin. It meant he hadn’t been able to hurt Vale when he’d taken the hit on his head. No matter how Cyril felt about his boyfriend right now, he didn’t want him to die or to be hurt.
John was quick in the bathroom. He eyed Cyril suspiciously when he came out, but Cyril had kept his promise. He hadn’t left, even though he wondered if it would be the smartest thing to do. He wasn’t known for being smart, though. He’d believed Vale, after all.
“Ready?” he asked John.
“I can’t say I ever thought I’d say I was ready to exhume a body, but yes, I am.”
Cyril nodded and led the way out of the apartment. He was relieved that John would be coming with him because he didn’t want to do this alone. Hell, he didn’t want to do this at all.
He didn’t have a choice.
* * * *
VALE HAD BEEN RELIEVED when he’d woken up to see that Cyril was still asleep.
His boyfriend needed rest, especially after what had happened last night, and Vale hadn’t been about to wake him up, even though he was leaving the apartment.
Cyril probably wouldn’t be happy about Vale not saying goodbye, but Vale had thought that letting him sleep was more important.
Hell, Cyril would probably be happy that Vale hadn’t woken him up after what had happened last night.
Vale had told him everything. He’d known he would have to eventually.
With Cyril’s nightmares now being a thing, Vale had expected to get woken up in the middle of the night, but not to have to confess his past then.
In a way, it had been easier to tell Cyril everything when they were both in their pajamas and in bed.
Vale wasn’t sure Cyril felt the same, but they could talk when he came home.
His phone rang. He checked the screen, smiling when he saw Artemis’s name on the screen. He quickly answered, only to realize that it was a conference call and that Russell was there, too.
“I don’t know how you always manage to get into this kind of trouble, but I’m glad I’m not you,” Russell said.
“I’m glad I’m not you, too,” Vale said. “And if this is too much for you, feel free to hang up.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m going to have fun with these people.”
They both knew that it was the kind of job that could kill them, but Vale wouldn’t be able to change Russell’s mind, just like Russell wouldn’t be able to change Vale’s mind if their roles were reversed. Russell was doing this, whether Vale liked it or not. Vale might as well accept it.
“If you boys are done?” Rachel drawled.
“Tell me,” Vale told her. Whatever she’d called him to say, he needed to know.
“Helena isn’t focusing on you just yet,” Rachel explained. “But she and her team have already killed two people since they arrived in town. I briefly looked into them, and just like you, they worked for the Organization in the past.”
“That’s not surprising. We already know they’re cleaning up their mess.”
“They are. I don’t know when they’re going to come after you, but I know they will. Maybe you and Cyril should leave town.”
“What would that solve? Helena isn’t going to stop coming after me just because I’m not home when she gets here. She’s going to follow me wherever I go. I might as well confront her here.”