Chapter 8 #2
“Lime? Are you sure that’s not my bag?” I’d brought a bag over to Maddie’s parent’s house when I’d apologized to her for the whole biker-attempted-murder thing—when they’d gone after her to let me know they were serious about their extortion.
The bag of lime was because I’d joked that I’d always promised to help her with anything, including body removal—even if it was mine.
“Did you steal my perfect murder and body disposal plan? Mine involves the desert, an abandoned mineshaft, and a bag of lime,” Ryan said it a matter-of-fact tone like he wasn’t batshit crazy.
I blinked a few times then rubbed at the headache forming behind my eyes with my free hand. “That’s… I don’t—”
“Dinner’s ready,” Aunt Wendy hollered, saving me. “Everyone come grab a seat. Indy, do you want to sit on this side of me?”
I smiled to myself as Aunt Wendy continued to mother Indy and make her feel included.
Everyone convened around the table. Ryan helped Hope arrange the highchair for Fliss while Austin settled Wyatt into his booster seat on the other side of the table. It was still so wild to me that two of my brothers were fathers. How the hell had they grown up so much while I floundered?
“Dylan?” Indy called out. “Are you going to join us?”
I jolted. Literally everyone at the table was staring at me.
Fuck.
I took the remaining empty chair across from Indy and between Brian, Sabrina’s dad, and Logan, Sabrina’s boyfriend.
Before I even sat down, plates were passed around as Nathan dished out pasta for everyone with Sabrina following with chicken parmesan.
“Any allergies, Indy?” Aunt Wendy asked as she loaded salad plates with Caesar salad. “Or foods you particularly dislike?”
Indy shook her head, her eyes wide. “No, everything looks amazing.”
I couldn’t make myself eat. My stomach was still in knots with all the guilt weighing me down. “Um, there’s something I want to say to you all.”
Curious eyes turned toward me. I felt the weight of every single one. Especially Indy’s. I didn’t want her to think less of me or worry about staying with me, but if I didn’t speak up now, I don’t know if I ever would.
I cleared my throat. “I know I have done a lot of stupid shit lately—”
“Preach!” Austin hollered, cutting me off as he raised his beer.
“Hush, you!” Aunt Wendy scolded before tossing a hunk of bread at my asshole brother. Laughter rang out around the table until Aunt Wendy’s glare encompassed everyone. When it was finally quiet, she gestured to me. “Go on, Dylan.”
“Uh, thanks. Uh, I just wanted to sincerely apologize to you all for all the stress and anger and whatever you felt or went through because of me. I just…” I sighed.
“I shouldn’t have fallen for his bullshit.
I just…I wanted a father. And then when he was out of prison, I did everything I could to keep his shit from raining down on all of you, but I managed to fail there too.
Between the fire, Maddie getting attacked, and all the business contacts I screwed over getting that asshole a job he never bothered to show up for…
” I sighed. “I know I failed you all, and I’m sorry for that.
I hope you know I’m trying to do better.
I will do better, and I won’t fall for his shit again. ”
Aunt Wendy’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
Sabrina leaned across her boyfriend to pat my hand. “Forgiven,” she whispered softly.
“I’m proud of you.” Aunt Wendy smiled.
“We talked before,” Maddie said softly. “So, we’re all good.”
“Thanks.”
“I already told you,” Ryan said from the other side of the table. “I don’t need an apology, but I appreciate you giving us one all the same.”
I tipped my head at him in acknowledgement.
But the rest of my brothers were suspiciously silent. And I couldn’t look at Indy; I didn’t want to see the disappointment in her eyes. Now she knew what a fuck-up I truly was.
“That took some guts, son.” Wendy’s partner Brian spoke up, patting me on the shoulder. “And I hope you know I’m here if you ever want to talk.”
“Thanks, Brian.”
After a few beats when no one else spoke up, the scraping of utensils filled the room as everyone resumed eating.
“Hey Austin!” Ryan hollered, breaking the sudden tension. “What’s your murder plan?”
“Dump the body in the ocean, why?” Austin answered matter-of-factly.
“Seriously?” His fiancé, Rachel, stared at him in amazement. “You’ve really thought about this?”
“You haven’t?” He stared back at her with the same expression. “You’ve never thought what you’d do to—” He cut himself off, but we all knew what he was thinking. Wyatt’s sperm donor.
“No!” Rachel shook her head. “Because I’m not insane.”
“Mine is a bag of lime and an abandoned mineshaft,” Ryan said as he cut into his chicken. “But that’s just how to get rid of the body. Gotta kill the guy first.”
“You don’t have to worry about the body if it looks accidental,” Nathan retorted.
“Or if you use a good poison,” Aunt Wendy tossed in.
I’d been about to take a bite of my chicken, and I froze with my fork suspended in midair. My eyes darted between my food and the totally placid expression on my aunt’s face.
All sound ceased. Everyone turned to give Aunt Wendy incredulous looks.
Well, most everyone. Ryan hooted. “Damn, that’s cold.”
“The best kind of revenge usually is.” Aunt Wendy lifted her wineglass.
Ryan toasted her from across the table with his beer.
After a beat, everyone else returned to their meal with huffs of laughter.
Meanwhile, I continued to stare at my food. I knew—I knew—she hadn’t done anything to my food, and yet I was the one person at the table she had every right to feel annoyed with, at the very least.
I was the family fuck-up, after all.
“What you really have to be concerned with is getting caught on camera,” Indy said softly, her gaze fixed on her plate.
“They’re everywhere these days—doorbell cameras, security cameras, traffic cameras, cell phone cameras.
Hard to dispose of a body if you’re literally on video carrying a suspiciously lumpy rug. ”
“Facts.” Austin nodded in agreement and gave her an approving look.
Indy shrugged. “That’s why I’d go with Nathan and his accidental death. Just push them down the stairs or something.”
Nathan raised his glass to her. “After you check for cameras, of course.”
“Of course.” Indy lifted her glass in a toast to Nathan.
“I like her,” Austin announced to the table. “She doesn’t seem crazy like that last receptionist.”
“She just literally laid out her murder plan.” I gestured with my still full fork that I hadn’t been able to convince myself to eat just yet.
“And it’s a good one,” Austin retorted in a well duh tone.
“I like her too,” Nathan agreed. “Total little sister vibes.”
Indy’s cheeks reddened as she smiled. “Thanks. And ditto on the sibling vibes. You’re all…way older than me, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Ouch.” Austin laughed, clutching his chest in feigned wounding. “Fuck, did she just call us old?”
Indy’s smile grew as she shrugged.
I laughed, and she grinned back at me before digging into her meal.
I shook my head and took another appraising look at my loaded fork.
Fuck it. We all have to go sometime, right?