Chapter 2
PARKER
I’m walking along the snowy midwinter pathway with my nose in a book when I feel the prickle of being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck rise and that squirmy, hot feeling in my stomach threatens to make me vomit.
“Hey!” the person behind me shouts when they almost slam into my back.
“Sorry,” I mumble, not feeling any remorse at all.
Pushing my glasses up my nose, I look around to find the object of my now pretty furious scorn.
With a loud huff, I keep walking when I realize it’s just Reid staring at me from his spot across the quad.
Since he’s quit smoking, he’s taken up sucking on lollipops, and he annoyingly pops the bubble gum that remains once he’s sucked all the candy away.
Dante really needs to do better about regulating Reid’s behavior.
“Parker,” Reid says from beside me when he appears out of thin air. Perhaps he can teleport.
“Reid.”
“Hey, so, Dante’s birthday is next week.”
I stop in the middle of the sidewalk, again almost incurring the wrath of the person walking behind me. Reid takes mercy on my stupidity and grabs my arm, tugging me toward the quad, away from the crowded sidewalk.
“I thought his birthday was in July.”
Reid snorts. “That’s Hayden.”
“Oh.”
“You guys suck. You’d kill for each other, but you don’t know when his birthday is.”
“I only know Jacob’s birthday because we have the same one.”
Reid’s stare is so icy it rivals the snow at our feet. “I want to throw him a party.”
“Good luck!” I attempt to yank out of his grasp, but for such a little twink, his grip is firm. Jesus. “Whattttt…”
“I want to have a card night at our house, just us. Cake… drinks… no missions.”
“Talk to Hayden,” I grouse, already reaching my peak annoyance.
Reid blinks his icy blue eyes rapidly at me like I’m the stupidest man on earth.
Maybe I am, compared to Hayden, at least. Just when I’m about to say something else, Reid takes a slow, deep breath, closes his eyes, then reopens them to smile an awkward, stilted-looking smile my way.
It’s a little scary. Looks a little like Dante’s smile, if I’m being honest.
“Please assist me with throwing my boyfriend a birthday party.”
Well. Shit. “Okay.”
“Thank you. Are you heading back to the house? I need a ride back.”
I was, but usually I stop by and watch Mason’s house for a little while…
but I can’t tell Reid that because he’ll respond like a raptor who’s had their favorite toy taken from them.
He’d surely eat me alive. Especially since I can’t explain why I feel like I have to keep protecting Mason even though he’s perfectly safe in their old house that’s more secure than Fort Knox.
“Fine,” I reply through gritted teeth.
Reid’s returning smile is incandescent. Thankfully, he’s quiet as we get into the SUV and as we make the brief ride home.
At least he’s not smoking anymore. The thick cloud of cigarette smoke that used to follow him around would set me on edge for hours.
Not that it’s his fault my mother started smoking at the age of twelve and died of lung cancer before she could even reach forty.
Rarely happens to someone this young, the doctor had said with a stumped look on his face.
Of course, anything to take something from Jacob and me.
The universe will always ensure cruelty to us.
Reid hops out of the car without a parting word and skips up the steps, no doubt eager to search out Dante, who’s lucky enough to have Tuesdays off from going to campus.
The house is warm from the heater and smells like Jacob’s dark chocolate zucchini bread when I step inside.
After hanging my jacket up, I run my hands through my hair and make my way toward the kitchen.
Jacob grunts in acknowledgement as he continues to furiously type on his laptop, setting a world record speed surely for how fast he can type.
“Do you know when Dante’s birthday is?” I ask conversationally as I walk over to the counter to make myself a cup of coffee.
“I think… in the fall? I think he’s a Scorpio.”
It’s my turn to grunt now. I finish making my coffee, spin around, then lean my back against the counter to aim a heavy look at him. “His birthday is next week.”
Jacob’s eyebrows wing up. “No shit?”
“Also, what the hell do you know about star signs?”
“Candy liked them.”
“Of course,” I reply with a forced smile.
“She wasn’t awful.”
“Sure.”
Jacob stares me down. “She was a nice girl.”
“Yes, I’m sure Hayden would agree.”
Jacob’s cheeks turn ruddy at my not-so-subtle dig.
That means it’s time for me to leave him alone or incur his wrath, which would consist of not allowing me any dessert for a week straight.
I cut a piece of the still warm zucchini bread, then bound up the stairs.
Hayden’s bedroom door is cracked, so I stick my head in to check on him.
He’s sitting at his computer desk, head in his hands, foot tapping a silent beat against the ground.
“Yo,” I call out softly.
Hayden’s shoulders lower a fraction before he turns to aim a glassy-eyed look my way. “Sup?”
I push into the room and kick the door closed to give us privacy.
I set the savory bread on the table beside his elbow, then stalk around the room, inspecting the various posters hanging on the wall.
Most of them are from science camps Hayden went to as a kid or concerts he attended with his older brother.
Comfortable silence envelops us for a while, until I turn around to check that he’s eating his bread.
Hayden’s sweet tooth will kill him one day, but Jacob’s doing his best to cut the habit by adding vegetables to anything he can as if Hayden is a wayward toddler.
In some ways he is after his stilted childhood and genius.
“The mission the other night went as planned,” I tell him.
Hayden wrinkles his nose, licking his fingers clean as he shoves the last piece of bread into his mouth. With chipmunk cheeks, it’s easy to forget Hayden wrangles us all for Robin.
“Saw it on the news.”
I grin. “Another for the record books.”
Hayden hums and turns back to his computer.
I watch curiously as he tugs his notepad closer, his hand making quick scratches at it.
A second later, he turns around to brandish the paper at me.
Taking the offending note from him, I look down at the paper in my hand with a curious tilt of my head. I recognize that name. Wait.
“Yeah, Reid’s uncle.”
All the air leaves me in a woosh. “You can’t be serious.”
“He’s coming into town to visit Mason and Reid, then attend some gala downtown.”
“I can’t kill their uncle.”
“Do you want to read the brief Robin sent me that warrants it?”
I swallow hard. It’s always a catch-22 after I read a brief.
Sometimes it gives me the motivation I need to finish the job, to make a mark hurt, but sometimes it reminds me I’m playing judge and executioner when it’s not remotely my position.
But there’s something inside me that likes the thrill of the kill, and that fact scares me most of all.
Because when I’m done with this… When I move on after college, how am I going to get this same thrill?
Hunting? I don’t think so. Killing animals just makes me sick.
Killing humans who don’t deserve to be alive?
Well, that helps me sleep deeply at night, so I don’t know what to tell myself anymore.
Finally, I shake my head, and Hayden grins in a way that chills me straight to the bone.
It’s the smile that says I’ve got your number.
But he doesn’t, no one does. Tomorrow night, Senator Warton will be at the Adoria Hotel in downtown Eastport for some gala to drum up donations for his upcoming campaign.
Something about this situation makes me feel off guard.
“Reid wants to throw Dante a birthday party, by the way,” I say just as I’m about to leave.
Hayden tilts his head. “But his birthday is in September?”
I squeeze my eyes shut for a second and promptly flee the room.
We’re all shitty brothers. Jesus. Dante does so much for us all and we don’t even know when his birthday is.
Reluctantly, it makes me admit that maybe Reid is a good boyfriend.
I pass by Dante’s room on the way to mine and can’t help but smile at the sound of Dante’s low laugh, followed by Reid’s irritated grumble.
Settling into the chair at my desk, I bring up as much information about the gala tomorrow night that I can. Ticketed entry only, which means I won’t be killing him at the gala. Probably better since I don’t want my face splashed across headlines as the accused killer of a South Carolina senator.
I lose track of time per usual, only realizing it’s dinnertime when the timer on my phone goes off. Dinner is usually promptly ready at the same time every night. Probably mostly for me. I’m not in the mood for food tonight though.
Skipping dinner
Jacob
I’ll save you a plate
Hayden says he’ll bring it up when he’s done
Thanks
Jacob
Reid wants to make sure you know he made the asparagus
Okay
Jacob
He wants to know why you aren’t more excited
OMG
YAY ASPARAGUS! YUMMY! MY PEE WILL SMELL WEIRD
Jacob
He said that was too much information
I laugh despite myself and return to my computer to plan tomorrow’s mission.
I end up deciding against letting it all go down at the penthouse the senator has downtown.
Do Reid and Mason ever spend time there?
Reid spends every night at our house, so I can’t imagine he does.
I also haven’t heard any rumblings of him visiting his uncle while he’s in town, so who knows what their family dynamics are.
Everything will take place at the hotel.