Chapter 8
Drake
Brody's narrowed eyes and clenched jaw gave away his foul mood as he sat rigidly in the driver’s seat. We drove the streets in silence, the scent of tension and frustration clung to Brody, filling the air around us with a heavy, oppressive aura. This brooding thing he did was driving me crazy, and I just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Pretty sweet deal, huh?”
“Wha…? Oh, yeah. It’ll be good.”
Brody didn’t really need the money, but I sure did, and this was a pretty big deal. I knew his mind was on the same thing as mine and the weight of it was nearly suffocating when I thought about it. I wanted to discuss it with him but wasn’t sure how to approach it, so I just blurted something out.
“Do you think Scarlett is ok at work?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he said, turning his head to look at me. “Don’t you?”
“Well, she has a whole crew watching out for her. I think she is actually safest there after what you saw this morning at the gym. But now I’m worried that we could find him watching our home.”
“Yeah, me, too. That was the first thing Sensei and I thought of. I’ve already called the security company to do some upgrades. Sensei canceled the evening class and has gone back to the house to have a look around with the uniforms that are there. You know, just to be sure before Bella comes home.”
“Crazy shit, huh?”
I could feel the tension radiating off of Brody, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. His muscles were taut and rigid, like a coiled spring ready to snap, and I wondered if I’d said the wrong thing.
His voice gravelly, he grunted before he spoke. “Now I know why she wore the disguise. I feel like a jerk for being angry with her for the deception. She was terrified.” He slammed his hands onto the steering wheel. “When I think about what happened to her, I…”
“I know, me, too. And the worst part is that it was just for some stupid shit. The fucker who did this just wanted her out of the way for a promotion. Then Felicia? Same damn thing. What the hell is wrong with these people?” Anger bubbled in my chest like a volcano on the verge of eruption, and I swallowed hard to stave off the urge to punch something.
“I have to wonder if they knew what kind of predator they were hiring.” He grunted and a low growl settled into his throat.
If I felt ready to explode, I knew Brody was on the verge of going nuclear. He didn’t handle stress well and had always had me to keep his temper in check, but today I was on the edge with him and could barely contain my own.
“I honestly hope not.” I shuddered at the thought and glared out the window to hide my anguish.
“We should order in for dinner. With Sensei checking the house and us being late, who will have time to cook something?”
“April and the guys said they were going to grab pizza and beer,” I replied, without taking my eyes off the passing scenery.
“Bella isn’t really a big fan of pizza. I want to make sure she has something she likes,” he said, his voice softening at the mention of her name.
“That’s a good idea. I know Graham and the others will be there in about an hour with her and April, and it is best if they don’t stop. I think we can put together a good plan to keep her safe, but that bastard needs to be caught.”
The moment I said it, Brody’s face twisted into an angry scowl again. Neither of us could seem to get away from the subject.
“He better pray the cops get him before I do,” he said, growling.
I needed to diffuse his demeanor and change the topic before we got home. I pulled my gaze from the window and faced him, asking, “What do you think of all that with April and the detectives?”
“What do you mean?” he said, with a quick side-eyed glance. I could see curiosity in his expression. He was waiting for me to say more.
“I find it interesting. Don’t you?”
“I guess,” he said, trying to look disinterested, but I knew he wanted to know more.
“How about Scarlett? Do you think… ?” I trailed off, looking back out the window.
Deep down I had this fear that if she had to make the choice, I might not be the one she chose and that tore at me, echoing in my mind like a constant buzzing. A never ending loop of doubt that I couldn’t escape. The bitterness of insecurity rose in the back of my throat, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I mean, I love Brody like a brother, he’s been my friend since we were kids and I would be happy if he was happy and she chose him. But there was also Graham, the smooth, high-powered businessman, who outright said he had feelings for her. Who the hell am I? I sighed and didn’t say more.
There was a long silence and then Brody cleared his throat before speaking. “We do have a dilemma, don’t we?”
“Yeah,” I said dejectedly.
“Isn’t it up to her?”
“Yeah,” I said. I couldn’t broach the subject with him. We all knew about the relationship April had with her guys, but I doubted everything now. I had felt energized after the conversation in Graham’s office, excited at the possibility. Now it all seemed strange, even awkward. The world around me shifted and blurred as my doubts took over. The once bright and vibrant colors now appeared muted and dull. My shoulders slumped, and I could feel the energy drain from my body.
“What do you think about April’s relationship?” His eyebrows raised in question with a slight squint as he looked at me.
“I find it quite interesting and curious.” My tone hadn’t shifted because deep inside I felt unworthy.
“Do you think Bella knows about it?”
“Oh, yes, I know she does. Rory told Graham and I when we were chatting that April explained it to her.”
“You chatted with Rory?”
“Yes, earlier. Graham and I did. We were discussing the FBI agent and the plan for keeping her safe at work, and the conversation shifted to chatting about them.” The way I spoke with a sigh annoyed even me, and I took a deep breath.
“Really? Did he say what Bella thought about it?”
“No, not really. He just told us about the nature of things and how it worked with them.”
Brody was watching me, prodding for more information on the conversation, and I gave him the short version of how it all worked with them. As I spoke, I recalled what he’d said about each of them being part of the whole, offering something to one another that completed the relationship and told Brody.
“So, they don’t… ummm…”
“Oh, no,” I said and smirked. “I guess some do in this kind of situation, but they’re all about April in that aspect.”
He started looking around, almost frantic as we closed in on the house and I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. At least, I think nothing. I just had a sudden feeling. It's probably just my nerves. I want to do a lap or two around the neighborhood before we get home. Keep your eyes open, will ya?”
“Absolutely, what am I looking for? Well, besides a bad guy that we all want to kill.”
“This morning, he was in a sleek black car. I didn’t catch the make, but it is a four-door with tinted windows.”
I surveyed the neighborhood, my eyes darting down each street and alleyway, searching for any suspicious activity or signs of the elusive black car. My gaze roved over each house and driveway, scrutinizing every possible hiding spot, but there was no way we could catch every place this fucker could hide. Added to it, every other car was black. All of a sudden I felt a tightening in my chest. Anxiety crept across it like a black cloud of worry.
“You’re really worried,” I said.
“I saw that asshole’s face. Looked right into his eyes. They were cold, ya know? I’m not scared of anything, you know that. But this guy? His look was a twisted canvas of malice and cruelty, with eyes that seemed to pierce through to the core of one's soul. He looked at me and instilled a sense of dread and foreboding, a stark reminder of the true nature of absolute evil that roams the world.”
Brody shuddered, and my chest tightened knowing that not much rattled him, but this guy had. We silently made a few more sweeps around the area before heading for home.
As we pulled up, two uniformed officers hurried over to the car to check us out, hands in the air stopping us before we even reached the driveway. I scanned them, taking in the shiny badges on their chest and the serious expressions on their faces. In the distance by the house, I could see the faint outline of the detectives and the agents at work, their forms blurred by the heat rising from the pavement.
Brody was a little annoyed. I thought mainly because of what we’d been talking about, but I reassured him. “They’re not letting anyone near the place they don’t identify. This is not a bad thing, Brody.”
We could only hope that their presence would bring some sense of peace and safety in this tumultuous and uncertain time. Like a spider delicately weaving its web, we carefully wove a plan of defense for her and it included their presence; ensuring that all angles were covered, and every possible scenario accounted for. The detectives had the foresight and diligence to heavily guard the house.
“I guess you’re right,” he said, apologizing to the officer for asking for ID.
We also gave them a list of people coming over this evening and others who might be likely to stop by. The officer acknowledged the detectives and had already been advised about the two agents at work and the gym and asked if there was anyone else. We didn’t expect anyone else but instructed them to speak to Scarlett and Graham when they arrived.
The garage had been emptied, moving everything into a storage room to ensure there was space for the sedan when Scarlett arrived. One of the first things the agents did when they looked the house over for safety was to insist that she get into and out of the vehicles from inside the closed garage. Everything seemed safe enough. All angles covered as well as humanly possible, and it helped settle our anxiety about it.
The Chinese restaurant a few blocks away was always good about service and had great food. We ordered enough to feed an army. Scarlett expressed how good it was a few days ago. It would be the second time this week, but we thought it was better than pizza.
“Shit, pizza.” I quickly dialed Graham’s number to let him know we’d grabbed dinner, just to bring the beer.