Chapter 20 #2
Archer laughed, but it was far from a happy sound. “Because my brother hates me.”
“Andor?”
He ran a hand through mussed-up hair. “Henrik.”
I blinked at him. I’d never been fond of Henrik, but Archer had always been sure we could trust him, that he wasn’t like the rest of their family.
“What’s he done?”
Archer’s jaw clenched. He opened his mouth. Closed it. Cleared his throat of emotion. “Framed me for murder.” His voice broke on the final word. “And I have… I have to go now. Because I won’t…” He cleared his throat again. “I won’t be taken down by my family. Not even Henrik.”
“Archer…”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be here. But I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”
“Maybe there’s something we can do—”
“There isn’t. He made sure of it. My weapon was at the crime scene, and our blood. Now he has an alibi with my father. Police won’t touch that. I’m fucked.”
I didn’t know what to say, what to offer.
“Shit’s been going wrong for weeks. I thought maybe one of the Strays was working against me, but I couldn’t figure out who.
The Drakes knew things they shouldn’t have known.
My contacts all cut me off. Money’s been going missing.
And I’d complained to him. I told him all of it, because I needed him to help me and—” He made a sound somewhere between a groan and a scream.
His chest was heaving as he tried to pull his emotions in again. “The whole fucking time it was him!”
“I’m sorry…”
He huffed. “You couldn’t have known. I should have, though. Maybe I just didn’t want to see it.” Archer sniffed, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. “You called me last night. I was dealing with…” He gestured vaguely at the world around us. “Everything okay?”
I nodded. Archer had enough to deal with without my mistakes adding to it. I couldn’t help him with Henrik, but I could keep myself from giving him more to worry about. “Yeah. Drunk call. That’s all.”
“You don’t drink.”
“Yeah, well, first and last time.”
“Yeah.” He sniffed. “Well, you look like shit.”
“You don’t look too great either.”
He huffed.
“So, where are you going to go?”
“I don’t know. Maybe that’s better. No one can find me if I don’t even know where I’m going.”
“Am I—” I cut myself off. Because I didn’t want to know the answer if I asked him whether I’d ever see him again.
“I hope so,” he answered anyway.
Then he hugged me, and I managed to hold in the pain as I held him back.
“Until next time, brother.” He smiled.
“Until next time.”
Then he pulled on his helmet and set off.
I watched him go. My chest ached with the knowledge that we’d probably never ride together again.
I’d never win another race against him. I’d never get another message to meet him after a shitty birthday party, so he could share the little family he’d created with me.
I’d never hear if he found someone to love him the way he deserved.
I’d never get to tell him about the man I loved either. I’d never get to tell anyone.
I’d never been more alone.
Sleep was almost nonexistent. Between the full-body aches, the ghost that Tristan left behind, and the longing in my chest for a man I could never have, I doubted I got more than an hour total.
I managed to get half a protein shake down before I tipped the rest down the sink, my stomach refusing to take anything more in.
Maybe later.
I tried to call Coyote again. This time, he answered.
“Snake,” he said quietly.
“I got what you wanted.”
“Good. I’ll come get it later today.”
“Fine. We’re even now.”
He laughed. “Not even close.”
I knew this, of course. But I didn’t appreciate the reminder. “This is an expensive piece of tech, Coyote. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to—”
“You still owe me,” he interrupted.
Nausea twisted at my stomach’s meager contents. Would he hold this over my head? Threaten me with it later? I’d needed his help, but I didn’t know why he’d helped me. Was it really just because I was a Stray? “I can pay you.”
“This isn’t blackmail, Snake. I helped you, and someday you’ll help me. I don’t want your money.”
“I don’t like owing people.”
“Well, you should have thought of that before you asked me for help.”
Just tell me what you want. I wanted to scream. My skin itched. My chest tightened. I needed to get off the phone because I couldn’t mask it from my voice. “Whatever. Don’t take too long. I am very busy, you know.”
“I’m sure you are.”
“Hmm.” I ended the call, tossing my phone onto the countertop and going to shower.
Expecting Coyote’s visit had stopped me from going back into the office again. When I still hadn’t heard from him by late afternoon, I’d tried calling a few more times.
He hadn’t answered.
I’d spent the time alone with my girls, watching them move about their tanks and letting Aurelia explore my unusually loose clothing.
There were things inside me now that couldn’t be spoken out loud, not even to them. Not to anyone.
I’d called Matthew after I’d gotten off the phone with Coyote earlier, letting him know he should expect a Dex Weller to show up, so he didn’t turn him away the moment he arrived. Coyote didn’t exactly fit in, and Matthew wasn’t good at keeping his judgement to himself.
My eyes were heavy. I was so tired as I sat in the black leather armchair in my room, looking out at the city colors, wondering where Benny was in them all. I almost dozed off before I heard the elevator ding in the main room.
I adjusted my clothing, making myself look as presentable and therefore unaffected as possible.
Coyote was waiting in the living room, his attention on Celestine.
“You’re late.” I managed not to wince as I crossed my arms.
Coyote turned to face me. “I’m very busy, you know.”
He thought he was so clever. Or maybe he just enjoyed teasing and provoking people. “Are you forgetting this was a favor you specifically asked me for, Coyote?”
“Devil.”
“What?”
“It’s Devil now.”
“Of course it is.” I rolled my eyes.
The nicknames had been Archer’s idea, but I’d admit only to myself that I liked them. They made his group seem more connected. I knew the purpose of them wasn’t to be endearing, but it still made everyone feel familiar in a sense.
I walked up to him. “Here.”
He took the lighter and card from me. “How does it work?”
“Everything you need to do is on the card. Just download the app and follow the prompts.”
“I don’t have a smartphone.”
I huffed. “Of course you don’t. You know we’re in the twenty-first century, right? You’re asking me for stolen, experimental, top-of-the-line tracking technology when you don’t even have a smartphone?”
“I’ll get one. Just tell me how it works.”
“Neanderthal,” I muttered under my breath.
“It’s a low-energy GPS module—no lights, no vibrations, no sounds.
Complete stealth technology. Pings its location every twelve hours, hence the need for the app, unless you’re expecting me to mark an X on a map every morning and send it to you by carrier pigeon. ”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a little dramatic?”
Pain and exhaustion were wearing on me. I knew I wasn’t being fair to him, but tension was building inside me and I had no way of letting it escape.
I glared at him before continuing. “Even if the fluid is refilled, the modifications should be completely unnoticeable unless you’re measuring the internal chamber down to the millimeter. ”
“The battery?”
“Like I said, it’s a prototype. I wouldn’t expect it to last more than a year max.”
Coyote, or Devil, or Dex, or whatever he wanted to be known as, turned it over in his hand, seemingly pleased with it, before he put it in his jacket pocket.
“You’re welcome.” I waved my hand to dismiss him. “Now go away.”
“Have you slept?” he asked, instead of leaving.
“Yes.”
“Liar.”
I swallowed. “I’m busy. You should go.”
“Busy doing what?”
“Working.”
He sighed. “You don’t have to go through this alone, Harper. I meant it when I said I understand. So, if you want to talk or—”
“I’m fine.” I cut him off, because I couldn’t hear him make that offer. I couldn’t accept it. I’d just end up hurting someone else as well.
It was better for everyone if I stayed alone.