Chapter 24
NICKIE
Just as I was about to give Dash a proper blowie as a thank you for fixing my asshole, Que was smacking the door wide open, all puffed up and ruffled with snow.
“Where’s Nickie?” I heard him call from the back door. The other guys tattled on me in five seconds flat.
“Damn it, boys! Don’t be rats. Rats get snapped,” I grumbled, popping out from under Granny’s stinky old blanket she’d knitted herself before pulling it over my head again. Maybe she had some mouse traps around here too.
“Nickie. Come on. The big man needs you.” Que sighed.
My ears perked up, and I sprang to my feet, swatting Dash’s bobbing dick out of my way to look over at Que. “Soda Pop needs me? For what?”
“Looks like you can melt even Mr. Freeze’s ice-cold heart.” Blitz chuckled as I padded over to the blonde-haired hunk still dripping wet with snow.
I wonder what kinda other fluids he had dripping on him?
Que finished clearing the piles of meat off the sled and instructed the rest of the guys to put it away in Granny’s storage freezer.
“Boys, you’re not getting out of dinner! I’ll be right back. Start the brownies while I’m gone, okay?”
The twins winked at me, Dash grumbled to himself and tugged the blanket back over his head, Dane just laughed at him, Vix tipped his bottle, and Blitz blew a smoke ring in my direction.
“Sir, yes, sir!” I said to Que, accepting the coat he was offering to me. It smelled like mothballs and old people.
Then he picked up the flashlight and pocketed it before draping another jacket across his arms. Those ones belonged to Grandaddy I think. Granny never talked about him anymore. I was pretty sure it made her sad.
“At attention, soldier?” I rubbed up against Que and the flagpole poking me through his onesie, but he just groaned and twirled me in front of him, bopping my sore ass and ushering me out the door.
It was colder than before since the sun was getting lower in the sky, but we could see well enough with the flashlight guiding the way and the sled bouncing behind us.
“We’re here, Rue-Rue! Where you at?” Que shouted, walking a few steps in front of me while I checked out our surroundings.
We were back by the lake. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.
“Hey, Nickie. We found something.” Rudy said, accepting the coat Que shoved onto his shoulders as he approached.
“Something?” I repeated, my wide eyes bouncing around the woods. I hoped those wolves he mentioned weren’t anywhere nearby. “What something?”
The boys stepped towards me, and I watched the snow collect in their hair. One dark and one light.
“Yes. Something,” Que said. “We were hoping you’d be able to tell us about it.”
I followed their line of sight as their gazes swept towards the lake, and I shivered. “Uh, the Loch Ness Monster?”
“That’s what I said!” Que slapped the back of a hand against his friend’s chest and we laughed together until Soda Pop cleared his throat.
“This is serious. There’s a very large object submerged in the deep end of the lake. I can’t get to it. Do you know anything about what might be down there?”
Just keep swimming.
“A lot could be floating in a lake, Prudey Rudy.” I shrugged, the chill continuing to travel up and down my spine as the snow pelted my head.
“Do you know anything about it? Anything at all that could help, Red? Rudy thinks it’s something bad. Do you remember anyone throwing something down there? Your grandmother maybe?”
“Gran isn’t down there! I swear, silly gooses.” I shook my head and chuckled.
The boys looked at each other and then back at me. “Okay… I meant did your grandmother throw something in the lake…” Que tried again, pausing before adding, “Where is your grandmother, Nickie?”
I chewed on my bottom lip, the sour memory resurfacing in my brain until it popped like bubble wrap. “She’s no longer with us,” I stated primly, copying what my daddy said when my sister was knocked over the head with a hatchet.
They shared another look. “So… your grandmother left you the cabin?” Que said, quiet and soft like.
“Yep. It’s all mine now.”
“Copy that. Thanks.” Rudy scratched the scruff on his chin and peered over at the lake before nodding to me. “You can head back. Que and I will grab the rest of the supplies and meet you there, okay?”
Just keep swimming.
I winked. “You got it, Soda Pop! Don’t be late because we’re preparin’ a feast! Last one there gets intestines and butt flanks!”
Que and Rudy gave me matching smiles, and I skipped away.
Back to my cabin. Back to my toys. Back to my delicious roundup of boys.