Chapter 20 #3
I can’t remember a time that I’ve ever disposed of something completely.
Froggie is very good about wanting information.
Even when he wants to be the only one with a copy, he still has it.
Knowledge is power, especially in the life we live, so having information on anyone about anything can always come in handy later down the line.
That’s something Kratos taught us very early on.
Zander argues with Rick about it, and I’m happy he was the one who questioned it. Even with this information being enough to draw me into the conversation, I’m still beat. I would much rather watch them hash it out and just give my input as it goes.
Zander points out how strange that is, and again, Rick can only offer him a shrug, letting us know that he doesn’t understand it either. Of course, we also all know you don’t get to question the boss, so it’s not like he would have asked Kratos why this is different. None of us would dare.
As they discuss it, I let my eyes wander to Jade for just a moment. I tell myself it’s just to see how she’s handling all of this. I would love for her to think this is all too much and want to leave. But, when I look over at her, I find she’s no longer paying attention to their conversation.
Well, I guess it doesn’t bug her at all, damn it.
She releases Zander's hand and scoops her book back up. Laying her head in his lap, she cracks the book back open and continues to read as if nothing’s happening around her.
I watch Zander as he absent-mindedly begins to play with her hair, almost petting her like an animal in his lap.
He doesn’t even pause in his conversation.
He just does it like it’s second nature.
After a few minutes of them going rounds, trying to figure out why this hit is different, they seem to be repeating themselves.
Rick makes a good point. Anyone could have put the hit on Corey.
It could have been someone who had a family member in his ring or even someone higher on the food chain who used his girls for services and didn’t want to be dragged down when he eventually gave them up. And he would have; they always do.
We make sure of it.
From Jade’s new position lying on Zan's lap, I can see her face better. It’s once again utterly blank as she reads.
After about ten more minutes, it becomes clear this conversation isn’t going anywhere.
Jade isn’t going to give me the answers to her past magically, and the guys can argue all they want about how strange this is and the importance of following orders, but we all know I’m going to do what the boss said.
With my mug still in hand, I stand ready to head out now that it’s clear I’m no longer needed. I make it as far as the door again before Zander asks a question I actually want to hear the answer to.
“So what killed him then? You said it was a blood bath, but I don’t think you said exactly what the cause of death was or anything else related to that.”
“His brachial artery was cut in two separate areas,” Rick says.
“Well, that would explain all the blood,” I say more to myself than to them, but Zan nods, having heard me anyway.
“Yes, it would,” Rick agrees.
“Okay, so someone just got stabby, cool. Did they leave any prints or maybe even the weapon we need to worry about?” Zander asks. Even though I’m pretty sure it’s obvious that even if they did, that evidence would have been handled, it’s still worth knowing.
“No, Trent swept the room before reporting to my father and found nothing. Kratos swept it again not long after since Trent called him before forensics arrived, but nobody found anything.”
We’re all quiet as we process that. Clearly, whoever went after him knew what they were doing. So this wasn’t just someone worried they would get outed or mad about what happened to someone they loved, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have been a hired hit from either of those groups.
“The cuts were very precise. According to Kratos, he believes the first cut was the one that was farther up his arm, just below his armpit. It was shallower than the second, and while it would have killed him eventually, it wasn’t quite enough to kill him quickly.
” He points out the spot on his arm as he explains as if we don’t understand the layout of the human body, but Rick is nothing if not thorough.
“The second cut was just above the inside of his elbow and was much deeper. Between the two cuts, Kratos thinks he was maybe alive five minutes between them and would have passed out about thirty seconds after the second cut based on blood loss from the two combined.” Once again, he shows us where the cut would have been placed before continuing, and I stand there absorbing it all, my need to leave momentarily put on hold.
“So they definitely knew what they were doing,” Zander says, looking deep in thought. Jade continues to read her book as though nobody is speaking, and I don’t really know why, but it pisses me off.
“Yes, it would appear that way. However, Kratos also believes there is a reason they didn’t kill him quickly. He said that while the first cut was shallow, it didn’t appear as though it was an accident. It was a clean cut in exactly the right spot.”
“So they wanted him alive?” I ask without pulling my eyes away from Jade. I’m not sure why, but something about her behavior has me on edge. If the guys see how close I'm watching her right now, I’ll catch some shit for it, but I just can’t make myself look away.
“It appears that way, though we don’t know why.” Rick sighs, rubbing a hand down his face, a sign that this whole thing was getting under his skin. “And we probably never will, so it’s better just to let it go.”
Jade’s face changes for the first time since she cracked open the book.
It’s just the tiniest change, but with how closely I’m watching her, I see it all the same.
As Rick tells us we will never have answers, her lip tugs up ever so slightly as though she’s holding back a smile and just can't keep it all in. My brows shoot up because I don’t know what it means, but it feels important.
This could be the first thing that I need to find on her. I blink, and just like that, her face is once again a blank mask, but I know what I saw. I’ll be damned if I won’t be looking into this while I make it disappear because Jade knows something, and that means I need to know it as well.
Rick turns his head to look at me, where I still stand just inside the door on my mission for caffeine.
“Just get it cleaned up so we can go into this semester without issues,” he tells me, and I nod, finally pulling my gaze away from Jade to look at him.
I’ve already gotten more from her than I thought I would.
Rick turns back to Zander, “Tomorrow, you’re in charge of taking Jade to the college to get her schedule, show her around and all that.”
Zander nods eagerly, more than happy to do anything that has to do with Jade. His eyes dart to the clock that hangs above the doorway, and he groans when he sees the time. Zander is terrible about mornings, and since he got put on school tour duty, he’ll have to be up hours before he’s used to.
He taps Jade’s shoulder to get her attention, and she looks up at him with a small, almost adorable grin on her face. If I didn’t think she was such a danger to us, I might even mistake her look for having the same feelings he has for her, but to me, it seems forced, fake.
She sets her book down, and he helps her stand before taking her hand and leading her out of the room without so much as a backward glance.
I have no doubt they are headed to bed now that he knows how late it is and how early he will have to be up.
It’s funny that he got stuck with this since he’s obsessed with her.
It serves him right. I hope he hates every moment of being up before noon.
“Spence,” Rick calls out my name, pulling my wandering mind back to the here and now. I’m usually more focused than this, and while I could easily blame lack of sleep and my need for caffeine, I know the real issue isn’t either of them, though I would deny it if asked.
“Just get rid of it. Kratos was very clear in his request. He doesn’t want anyone digging. Just make it go away, and that's it,” he tells me once he has my attention.
“Of course. Why do I care about who killed the piece of shit?” I ask as he watches me.
We’ve been friends all our lives, which makes it very hard for me to lie to either of them, just like it is for them to lie to me.
We all have our tells, and while others might never pick up on them, we sure as fuck do.
It takes everything in me to appear unfazed so as not to raise his suspicion.
He also knows I don’t trust Jade and love making the pieces fit, so I understand his concern. I intend to look as deeply into this as I can, with or without permission, but he doesn’t need to know that.
Whatever he sees in my eyes must be enough that he either doesn’t want to argue or believes me, probably a mixture of both.
While it makes me feel a little shitty lying, I easily reason the guilt away by telling myself this will keep them safe.
I’ve taken a bullet for Rick. So, looking into this will be nothing, and nobody will even have to know.
“Tomorrow, we are all going to dinner with Jade to see Charlotte, and on Friday, we have to go to the club to meet with Kratos before the start of the semester.
Jade will be going as well. He wants to make sure everything's set for school. If all goes well, we will have this last weekend to ourselves, but who knows what could change, so be ready,” he says as a way of dismissal as he also heads towards the door to leave.