Chapter 26
RAIDEN
“Unfortunately, because no one saw the crime, we currently don’t have any firm leads,” Detective Nina Drake says. She’s a no-nonsense woman with her black hair tied up in a tight bun, wearing a stiff pantsuit.
“It’s been two weeks,” Grandma snaps. “You must have something.”
“We’re fairly certain that Roger Grayson wasn’t the intended target. From everything we’ve learned so far, no one at that party would have a reason to want him dead.”
“Whereas I’ve got a target on my back,” I mutter grimly. “Is that the shape of it?”
I’ve been in a sour mood ever since walking out of Needle & Muse. Everything seems blander, colder, crueler. Life seems less… hell, just less. There was a spark of excitement and an undercurrent of what if when I was with Aurora.
“You’ve mentioned your cousin, Julian Blackwell, and an ex-business associate, Victor Dane.”
“Yes,” I say. “Though I still find it difficult to believe Julian would do this. But the guard claimed his attacker was wearing a wolf mask, something Julian often wore at the Retreat. Victor and I had words at the Retreat too.”
“It seems flimsy,” Detective Drake says, frowning at me.
It takes me a moment to realize what her presumptuous look means. “Ah, here we go,” I mutter.
Grandma tilts her head. “Am I missing something?”
“Detective Drake, instead of doing her damn job, is now imagining some scheme where I killed Mr. Grayson, a man I didn’t even know, using the fact we were wearing the same mask as cover. It’s the perfect crime.” My tone is laced with heavy sarcasm.
Grandma gapes at the detective. “That can’t be right, can it?”
Detective Drake purses her lips before responding. “We’re exploring all possible avenues, but I can’t go into detail about the case.”
“You’re here to rattle my cage,” I say, smirking. “Go ahead–rattle away. I know for a fact I didn’t kill anyone. Not here, not now, anyway.”
My knee aches as I think of my time in the Marines. It’s funny, but when I was with Aurora, I rarely thought about my knee.
“Have you been able to draw a line between me and Mr. Grayson?”
“As I said, I can’t discuss details about the case,” Detective Drake says.
“This is absurd. What about a line between me and the other guests? If that knife was meant for me, someone had a serious motive.”
“Such as?”
“Isn’t that your job, detective? I can’t imagine why anyone would do this. Julian betrayed me. Victor’s an ass. Sebastian has always resented me. But enough to kill?”
“Not this again,” Grandma mutters.
“You disagree with your grandson that Sebastian Hale could be a suspect?” Detective Drake asks.
“He’s been loyal to me for years. He wouldn’t do this.”
“How has he been behaving since the murder?”
“The same,” Grandma says, with a hitch in her voice. I don’t think the detective notices it, but I do. “He’s always been a loyal butler. A good person. He would not, I repeat, would not do this.”
The detective leaves, saying she’ll keep us updated on any developments. I see her out, then join Grandma in the living room. She stands at the window with her hands behind her back, stiff, and tense.
“You’re hiding something,” I say.
“Don’t go there, Raiden.”
“I’ll go anywhere I want, Grandma. I love you. I want the best for you. But there’s something you’re not telling me, something to do with Sebastian. I know there is.”
“I know something too,” she says, turning to me with a conflicted expression. “I haven’t seen that lovely girl with you since the Retreat. I haven’t heard you mention her. I wasn’t going to say anything, but if you’d like an argument, let’s have one. You were never together, were you?”
I grind my teeth. “Don’t change the subject. Why are you protecting Sebastian?”
“This has nothing to do with Sebastian,” she hisses.
“I’d agree with you if it wasn’t for the fact you get so suspicious anytime I bring him up. Grandma, if you’re with him and you’re embarrassed about the age gap—”
“Did you pay her?” Grandma cuts in with a blunt tone.
“I won’t judge you,” I finish.
“Did you pay Aurora to trick me? That’s the only explanation I can think of. You were head over heels at the Retreat. Now–nothing. I think about the challenge I gave you, to be settled and happy at the Retreat. I already know Julian hired someone to be his date.”
“How do you know that?” I demand.
When she turns away, a childlike, guilty look comes over her face. I know her well enough to be able to read it. Her expression says, You’re going to get angry if I tell you.
I seize on the truth. “Sebastian. He told you, didn’t he?”
“A good butler is an invisible, nonjudgmental observer.”
“He’s a goddamn meddler, Grandma.”
“You’re wrong,” she says. “He’s a good person. You’re avoiding my question.”
I slam my hand against my chest. “She was going to lose the shop. I helped her… and in return, she helped me.”
Grandma slumps down in a chair, her hand on her forehead. “Oh,” she mutters. “I'd hoped I was wrong. What you two had, it seemed so real. You seemed so good together. I thought you’d finally found someone.”
“So did I,” I say.
She looks up. “Excuse me?”
“So did I,” I say, louder. “It started as a deal, but those days were special. I felt closer to her watching silly horror flicks than I have to any woman I’ve dated. I respect the hell out of her. We had…”
Chemistry, passion, something special.
“Something,” I go on, sighing. “But she made it clear it was just a deal, and I respect that.”
At least I’m trying to, though I’ve driven by Needle & Muse a few times, telling myself it’s to check she’s okay when really I just want to see her.
“Ma’am?” Sebastian says from behind us, knocking on the open door. “Would you like some tea?”
“Eavesdropping again?” I snarl, turning to him.
He averts his gaze. “I wouldn’t dream of it, sir.”
“You’re full of shit.”
“Raiden!” Grandma snaps. “Leave him alone.”
“What have you got on my grandmother, Sebastian?” I say, approaching the smaller man. “Some dirt? Some angle? Blackmail that’s been going on damn near a decade? Why is she protecting you?”
“Protecting me from what, sir?”
“The cops,” I snap. “And me.”
“The police?” He looks confused. “Wait a second, you don’t think… Why would I hurt that man, Raiden? What possible motive could I have?”
“He doesn’t mean it,” Grandma insists. “He’s confused and angry, that’s all. Raiden, if you’re going to say mean things, just go.”
Whatever else is true, I can’t imagine Sebastian hurting Grandma. They’ve probably spent more time together over the past two weeks than I’ve spent with her. I storm out of the room, shoving into Sebastian.
A light drizzle falls as I drive into town, stopping across the street from Needle & Muse.
The world seems less grim when I see Aurora in the front window, working side by side with her grandmother. The other times I’ve swung by, Aurora has been working alone. It’s good to know that Margot is on the mend.
It would be perfectly acceptable for me to go in and say hello, but I don’t.
The sad truth is, I’m afraid of what will happen if I talk to Aurora again.
These past two weeks have been difficult, my thoughts constantly straying to her, not just the sex, but the closeness, the natural feeling it all had.
I wasn’t lying when I told her she was going to become my obsession every time I pleasured myself. I only do it when I have to, when thoughts of her become so all consuming I can’t think of anything else.
Then we’re back in the store, in front of the mirrors, as she bends over for me and her thick, gorgeous ass slams against my abs.
Aurora hangs something in the front window, then pauses, looking across the street at me. After several long moments of us staring at each other, she raises her hand in a tentative wave.
I pull out of the parking lot and drive away.
We had a deal. I need to stop coming back here.
I go straight to the gym and beat the heavy bag until my knuckles bleed through my boxing gloves.