36 - Jocelyn
~ 36 ~
JOCELYN
We returned to the house separately, but through the same entrance. I waited in the garden for Andre to signal back that the coast was clear. Two minutes later, I followed.
Holy fucking shit, Jocelyn.
It was the understatement of my life. I’d just watched a man die. I’d helped hide a body. I’d done it all without even thinking about it, as if sinking a man to the bottom of a cold, dark lake was the most natural thing in the world.
And still, somehow, I didn’t regret a single part of it.
My legs worked, but the rest of me was still shaking as I picked my way through the manor. The first thing I needed to do was shower again and change. I was covered in filth and muck and all kinds of other things I couldn’t explain away.
“Psst.”
I whirled at the sound, halfway through the ballroom. Relief flowed through me as I realized it was only Bruschetta Joe.
“Drink this.”
He shoved a glass of something my way. Again without thinking, I stepped to the bar and threw it down.
The clear, syrupy liquid burned my throat, but only temporarily. The moment it hit my stomach, my whole body bloomed with a pleasant, resonating warmth.
“What was that?” I asked gratefully.
“You needed it didn’t you?”
“Hell yes.”
Joe shook his head and took the glass back. “Never mind, then.”
I nodded, then headed toward the archway that would take me to the stairs. But Joe coughed, and pointed instead to the second exit.
“Go around,” he instructed me. “No guards in that hall right now.”
Once again I smiled my appreciation before slipping away. The halls were empty, my path thankfully unimpeded. I made it to my room, cleaned myself up, and changed into a clean outfit. Even after all that, my hands were still trembling as I pulled out my face kit.
Easy.
There was only enough time for rudimentary makeup. I finished quickly, flew downstairs, and followed the sounds of chaos.
“And I’m telling you, I haven’t seen him!”
Raif stood in the doorway to the kitchen, arguing with whoever was just inside. It was one of the men from Jacob’s crew, I knew. His accent shone through the frustration in his voice.
“EMILY!”
Kayden motioned me over from the other direction. I went to him quickly, eager to finally be in the right place again.
“Thank God you’re okay,” he whispered, ushering me along with him. He pulled me through the kitchen, and into the pantry. Always the damn pantry.
“What the hell happened?”
“I umm… I was with Andre, and, well—”
“We’ve got a problem,” Kayden cut me off. “Evelyn’s on the warpath. She’s looking all over for you, and I’m not sure what she’ll do when she finds you.”
My stress level threatened to go up another notch. I tamped it down.
“Forget about her,” I shot back. “We’ve got bigger problems than that.”
“What’s bigger than Evelyn running to—”
“Jacob’s not coming to dinner tonight.”
Kayden looked at me in confusion for a moment. His handsome face contracted into a scowl. “What? Of course he is.”
“I assure you, he’s not,” I breathed. “In fact, he’s not coming to any dinner. Ever again.”
It took a few seconds, but he eventually got it. Kayden’s eyebrows went up in shock. His gaze moved automatically, scanning the fully stocked shelves of the pantry for answers.
“We’re fucked,” he swore. “Holy shit, we’re totally fucked.”
“Not necessarily,” I tried to reason with him.
“How are we not fucked?” he asked in hushed tones. “The second anyone gets wind of this, they’ll—”
“It’s been taken care of,” I assured him. “At least for now. Andre and I saw to it.”
“It’s only a matter of time, though,” Kayden countered. “Bishop and I have been planning this for years, getting all three Founders together at once. We have every detail worked out, right down to the minute.” He pointed outside. “And the second Jacob Foley doesn’t show up at that table…”
He stopped, his words trailing off into a thousand fragmented thoughts. I wanted to go to him, put my arms around him. Tell him that somehow, everything would still be alright.
Instead, Kayden set his hands on his hips and looked at me. Rather than frustration or disappointment, there was nothing but deep apology in his eyes.
“Josie, I’m so sorry,” he said quietly.
“For what?”
“For getting you into this,” he lamented. “For putting you in a position where you could so easily get hurt.”
He clenched, and I saw his jaw muscles flex through his beard.
“Kayden, I got myself into this,” I countered. “I was the one who came back here.”
But he only shook his head. “No, this is on us,” he sighed. “This is on me, and Bishop, and our own reckless stupidity.
I moved to hug him, heedless of who might walk in and see us together. Kayden’s whole body was stiff with tension. His shoulders and neck were so rock hard, it broke my heart.
“This definitely isn’t the vacation I anticipated,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. “But I still wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
I felt the tension in his body ease a little, as his eyes returned to mine.
“Especially that first part,” he chuckled.
“Yes,” I sighed headily. “Especially that first part.”
He hugged me back, until a tremendous bang from outside diverted our attention. Someone had dropped something very big, and very metallic.
I jerked a thumb. “That place falls apart without you there, doesn’t it?”
But Kayden ignored me. He was too busy searching my soul with those incredible blue eyes.
“Hey,” I said, reaching to touch his face. “We’re gonna get through this. I promise.”
His expression softened, and for the time being, the lines of worry disappeared. For a brief, heartsick moment, I saw the high school football star I’d secretly crushed on. The one that, for so many long years, I could never have.
“You’re way stronger than I ever imagined,” he said softly. “Do you know that?”
“Always have been,” I smirked. “You just never noticed.”
“I’m serious,” he pressed. “Most people would’ve run full speed in the other direction.”
I stood on my toes, and gave him a long, emboldened kiss.
“Yeah, well Emily doesn’t play like that,” I winked, before spinning away.