Chapter 8 DAEMON
DAEMON
My vision swam as I was roughly thrust into the driver’s seat, trying to get my balance in a body that still felt like Runo’s.
The pain in my back and along my sides tore through me.
How Runo was still moving around with that kind of ache was beyond me.
Jesus Christ, I muttered to the rest of us.
Runo just cackled and told me to stop being a baby.
Tyrone tilted his head as he studied me, a frown playing on his lips as he parked his ass on the edge of Alex’s desk. “Are you doing alright?” he asked, his voice edged with suspicion.
I frowned, nodding slowly. “Why are you here? Is my dad okay?”
Tyrone’s frown deepened, his suit shifting as he leaned forward. “He’s fine. Why would you ask that?”
I plopped into a chair, grimacing as pain shot down my spine. “Because I don’t know why you’re here. You made me little pies every time I stopped through your place, but I didn’t know you worked for my dad, so I just…”
Tyrone gestured for me to wait as a movement to my right made me realize Alex was still here. He was watching and waiting for his next story, no doubt but his enthusiasm was a complete turn off. Tyrone grunted. “Could you give us a few minutes?”
Alex sighed, his chair creaking as he stood, shooting me a look that said I’d better spill everything after. I waited until the door clicked shut behind him before turning back to Tyrone.
Tyrone leaned back, his smirk cold. “I came here because I didn’t want to pull you into the station. I’m trying to get a few details together, and it seems you’ve got your hands in a lot of different pots.”
I swallowed, my throat tight. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve had a relationship with several different men who seem to be closely related to the case I’m investigating.”
My stomach dropped, a nervous heat creeping up my neck. “What investigation?” How much did Tyrone know? How much had he seen over the years?
Tyrone’s smirk widened, a predatory glint in his eyes.
He no longer resembled the sweet man who had taken over his father’s legacy.
No, this man in front of me was all business.
“I’m investigating the Three Terrors, and I have been for quite some time.
” He leaned forward, his voice dropping.
“Killian, you didn’t think I just came here for shits and giggles, did you? ”
I blinked, my mind racing, the others stirring in my head.
Runo: What the fuck does he know? He’s fishing, Daemon. Don’t give him shit.
Killian: He’s got nothing. Let me handle it, play the innocent card.
Finn: He fucking knows about Niles! How much does he have on us? We’re fucked if he connects it.
Dark: Finn, aren’t you supposed to be more deviant than I am? Calm down. Let’s see what he’s got. He’s not that smart. What? I’ve known him the longest after Killian.
Runo and Killian started brawling, their voices snarling over each other.
You’re not taking over, Killian, Runo snapped. You’ll fuck this up worse than Finn.
We’re the same goddamn person, Killian shot back, his grin practically audible. You think you’re in control? I’ll be back.
This was bad. If Tyrone caught me fighting with the voices in my head, he’d probably tell my father or start digging deeper into my whereabouts last night.
I could already feel one of the stitches pulling too far, which meant that there would be a lovely red stain bleeding into my shirt. Tyrone would catch that.
“Can we fight later?” I shouted at them in my head. “We’ll play innocent until we know what Tyrone does.”
Runo’s anger flared hotter. I’m not acting anything. That means Killian gets out, and I don’t fucking trust him.
Killian: We’re the same goddamn person, Runo.
I clenched my jaw, a cold twist in my gut. “Why do I have a feeling there’s something I don’t know?”
Killian: Sure, Runo, why don’t you share with the class?
Dark: Is Killian the real one? I don’t get it.
Runo sighed. Killian is the only one who can shut me out. I don’t know how, but we operate independently. If he gets out again…
I groaned internally. “Lovely, great. Wonderful. Excuse me, I think Tyrone is talking to us.”
I shook my head, pulling myself back to reality, the gray room fading as Tyrone’s voice sliced through. “Hey, I lost you for a bit there. What was that?”
I sighed, leaning back, the pain in my back grounding me. “It’s nothing.”
Tyrone raised an eyebrow, his smirk cold. “Is it what your mom had?”
My stomach dropped, a nervous heat creeping up my neck. “How do you know about that?”
“I’ve done my research. I needed to know what I was working with because I have no idea who I can trust. Now, Killian, tell me, what do you know about the murder that happened last night?”
My breath caught in my throat, the name “Niles” almost slipping out but it wasn’t public knowledge—not yet. Dad was probably out there now, cleaning it up, burying my mess like always. I forced my face into confusion, my voice steady despite the chaos in my head. “What murder?”
Tyrone growled, his lips curled up in a snarl and I couldn’t be sure if it was towards me or the fact that he hadn’t found the answers he needed. “The hospital director, Niles, died last night. We’re trying to determine if it’s the work of The Skinner or the copycat that popped up a while ago.”
“Okay, but why would you come here and ask me?”
Runo: There’s no way he connected everything back to you, which means he’s fishing. Let him.
Tyrone dragged a hand down his face, obviously irritated.
“I already told you that I suspect that the men you’ve been running around with recently might be involved.
You dated Ryker, right? He recently quit the hospital after putting in a report that Niles had been badgering him.
Several staff have corroborated the story, and I just want to… ”
I cackled, the sound bursting out before I could stop it, and then slapped a hand over my mouth.
Clearing my throat, I leaned back, trying to smooth it over.
“Tyrone, you’re great, really. I’m sure you have a reason for your questions, but Ryker just wanted a break, and he’s not…
he doesn’t… he heals people! I mean, he’s kind of kinky, but he’s not… Jesus Christ.”
Tyrone snorted, his eyes narrowing at me.
“You’ve got those rose-colored glasses, and I get it.
He’s fantastic in bed. However, there are just too many coincidences between his foster parents showing up dead and that entire fiasco with Finn that was never truly solved.
Sure, supposedly, The Skinner got to him but none of it adds up.
Not to mention how often you seemed to be pulled in as well.
I know you already gave a statement, but what really happened with Finn? ”
Runo: Shut it down, Daemon.
It wasn’t like I knew everything that happened with Finn anyway. Dark and I were both stuck in the middle between Killian, Finn, and Runo but I was beginning to think that the real fight was between Killian and Runo.
I clamped my mouth shut and just shook my head. That’s what someone who was still scarred from the event would do, right?
Finn: Hold the arm with the scars. Bow your head.
Killian: Turn your head away a little bit.
I did as they instructed, wrapping my fingers around the healing scars that Finn or maybe even Runo had carved into us. Tyron just laughed. “I don’t even see the trauma in your eyes. It’s like it didn’t really phase you, but I’ve seen the pictures, the letters etched into your arm, and we just…”
I flashed a sheepish smile, dropping my hands to my lap.
“I don’t know anything. Ryker and I aren’t really dating.
Fucking, I guess? Things kind of changed after my stint in the…
” Trailing off portrayed the right kind of nervous, right?
With our men, we never had to truly pretend we were something else.
But now, it mattered and I hated that we had to pretend to be Killian and not Finn or Runo.
Tyrone pushed to his feet, the full size of his bulk terrifying me a little.
“I know. I also know that most of your time is spent with him and Phoenix for that matter. If you can think of anything, call me.” He slid a business card across the desk, the paper crisp under my fingers as I took it.
“I’d prefer you didn’t reach out to Merchant about all of this. I don’t trust him.”
I nodded, keeping my face blank as he walked out. I flipped over the business card and just stared at the elegant lettering. “But what if I don’t trust you?”