Chapter 16
DENVER
‘So tell me everything. And not hearing story. Deaf one.’
I let out a laugh as Archie and I take a seat at Leaf’s new island. Running my hand along the cool stone, I sigh again.
‘So when I was three…’
Leaf rolls his eyes and grabs the shaker from the cabinet. ‘Be serious. Tell-me.’
I nod and then peer over at Archie, who is watching this all unfold. I’m so curious how he’s going to react to Leaf and his chaos.
‘Wait, where Thorne?’
‘Out. Shopping. Stop trying to go off topic.’ His finger zigzags around the other one, and then he arches an eyebrow at me.
‘Fine.’ I take a short breath, and my shoulders sag on my exhale. ‘My stalker might be back. Or I have a new one.’
The shaker falls onto the counter, and he rushes toward me, his eyes wide. Archie moves a little closer, but Leaf isn’t deterred. There isn’t much that could bother this guy, to be honest. When you’re a burnt-out interpreter, you’ve seen it all.
‘He did this? Tell me.’
‘Yes.’
Leaf glances over at Archie as though he’s noticing him for the first time, then looks back at me. ‘When? Where?’
‘On campus. Someone’s been following me and…’ I point to my forehead, where the wound is the most visible.
He frowns and then glances at Archie again. ‘You Deaf?’
Archie gives a single, sharp shake of his head.
Leaf’s brows furrow deeper. ‘You look dangerous.’
He nods. ‘Very dangerous. I protect.’
Leaf looks satisfied by that and places his hands on his hips. ‘I have some knockoff TNT. If you use it wisely, you can have.’
My mouth opens in a loud laugh, and I fingerspell, ‘WTF!’
Leaf ignores me, still looking at Archie. ‘True-biz. I have TNT, a grenade, and some poison. Oh, and several mousetraps that just make me sad, so I don’t use.’
I wave my hand at Leaf and make a noise to get his attention. ‘Why?’
He ignores me, of course, his gaze fixed on Archie, who shifts forward on his stool and cocks his head. ‘Where?’
Oh my god. I slap my hand on the table. ‘No,’ I tell Archie. ‘Do not take weapons or poison.’
Archie waves me off. ‘I want. I can use. Knives are limited, and our supplies at home are low.’
Supplies? Fuck’s sake!
Leaf points out toward the backyard and then to a set of keys. ‘Barn.’ Then he meets my gaze. ‘They’re locked in cabinet. Don’t want Michael to blow up.’
I place my face in my hands and sigh, feeling Archie stand up next to me.
He runs a hand up my spine, the motion soothing in spite of the fact that he’s now participating in Leaf’s chaos.
I don’t really know what I expected, to be honest. I should have known Archie wasn’t going to encourage Leaf to see reason.
‘You watch him?’ Archie asks Leaf after I drop my hands. ‘I don’t want him hurt.’
‘I promise.’ Leaf produces a cheese grater from a drawer. ‘If someone tries, I will grate-grate until dead.’
Archie nods in approval and then glances around. ‘You have bag?’
“Oh my god, you’re not serious,” I moan aloud, but in spite of being in a room with two hearing people, I go completely ignored. Leaf rushes around the island and gives him a tote bag that says I Love Cheese in big orange letters, and Archie slips it over his shoulder.
‘Back soon.’ He disappears a moment later, heading out the sliding glass door in that prowling, predatory way I’ve really come to admire.
‘I cannot believe you did that,’ I bitch the moment Leaf and I are alone.
Leaf eyes me, unrepentant. ‘He looks like he kills for a living. I can trust him with weapons. And you need a martini.’
‘I have concussion.’
Leaf sighs dramatically. ‘You can have small one. Don’t worry. I used to interpret at hospital. I’m basically a doctor.’
I know he’s joking, but I also know that being an interpreter, he picked up more medical information than most first-year students. An unexpected laugh escapes me, and Leaf grins.
‘Tell me how you met…’ He flicks his wrist to where Archie disappeared. ‘Name?’
‘Archie,’ I supply, spelling it first before using his sign name. ‘The stalker found me after a show and got his hands around my throat. Archie saved me.’
Leaf’s eyes widen, a lemon slipping from his fingers and rolling across the counter. I stop it with my hand and roll it back, and Leaf catches it.
‘Is that where the bruises came from?’
My face burns hot as I shake my head. ‘No. He came back last night when I was alone, going to a meeting with a student after my evening class. Archie’s brother found me, but I was hurt.
Now Archie’s refusing to let me go anywhere alone.
’ Which is probably a good thing, as annoying as it will probably get.
Leaf bites his lip as his eyes cut toward the back door, then to me. ‘He looks scary.’
I can’t exactly argue. Archie does look vaguely terrifying with his resting murder face, his scar, and the fact that he does probably murder people. But at the same time, I also know that being himself has left him very lonely, and I hate that. ‘He’s not always scary. He’s mostly misunderstood.’
Leaf arches an eyebrow and then shrugs, getting back to work on making drinks, signing in between cutting and squeezing like only an adept interpreter can do. ‘I mean, I can’t judge. I thought Thorne was a dude from the dark web.’
I snort, and Leaf grins at me. ‘You did.’
‘And he thought I was a murderer, so really…you’re in good company.’
Leaf slides the martini glass toward me, and I take a small sip of it. It’s sweet rather than bitter. I really shouldn’t drink much with a head injury, but the faint heat of the alcohol has my shoulders relaxing by the third sip.
‘Better?’ he asks.
I smile at him and nod. ‘Yes. Thank you.’ I have a few more sips, then drum my fingers on the table before lifting my hand. ‘What’s going on with you?’
Leaf’s brows lift. ‘You want to talk about me? With all this going on?’ He waves his hand to indicate how bruised I am.
‘Yes. I feel like shit, and I need a distraction.’
Leaf leans down and takes the shaker, drinking from it like it’s a sports bottle, then swipes the back of his hand over his mouth. ‘Well, did you know Otto has been making wine?’
I burst into laughter. ‘Yes. I had some.’
His face scrunches up. ‘So you know it’s better than mine? God, why is he better at everything? I hate it.’
‘No you don’t. You like it,’ I challenge, because I know he does.
Everyone loves Otto. It’s impossible not to.
He’s been through hell and back, losing all light perception in both eyes before he was eighteen and then being kept nearly hostage by his overprotective parents until his brothers stepped in.
But he’s the nicest guy I know, which is saying a lot because I know way too many people.
Leaf rolls his eyes. ‘Yeah, fine, whatever. But it’s still rude to be better than I am at everything. And now he has a hot boyfriend…’
My eyes widen. ‘Hot boyfriend? Tell me.’
‘Salem.’ Leaf uses the sign name I recognize for the former interpreter who also lives down the road. ‘I don’t know if they’re actually together, but Thorne and I have theories.’
If it’s true, I’m happy for Otto. Salem isn’t as high-strung as Leaf. His trauma comes out in other ways. Different ways. Like starting what looks to be a chicken and button quail army in his backyard.
‘He seems happy,’ Leaf goes on.
‘When do you think it happened?’
Leaf rolls his lips through his teeth in thought, then shrugs. ‘A few weeks after I met Thorne, I think. I figured it out when they turned up on my porch one night with Michael in a duffle bag.’
I grimace. That thing really is a fucking menace. ‘Was he eating their zucchini?’
Leaf pulls a face. ‘No. Trying to make a home in the quail coop.’
I can’t help a small laugh, even as it makes my head pound. ‘Tell me you gave Michael his own coop.’
Leaf looks furious about it, but he nods. ‘Thorne’s building him one that looks like a princess castle.’
I love my friends. Truly. ‘I’m happy for Otto.’ I’m happy for all of us, really. There are only a few left who are unattached, and while Archie and I haven’t exactly defined what we are—hell, I don’t even really know who he is—I feel like he’s mine.
Leaf touches my hand, gently drawing me out of my thoughts. ‘Seriously, you okay? Archie seems like a good guy, but you’ve been through a lot, and maybe you’re not thinking clearly.’
I swallow heavily and grimace at the pain. ‘He makes me feel safe. Especially because I don’t know who’s after me.’
Leaf strokes his chin. ‘Thorne helped solve your first case, right? With the stalker?’
I nod my fist. ‘Yes. That’s actually why I’m here.’
I lift my hands to ask when Thorne will be back, but before I can move, Archie reappears with a bulging bag over his shoulder and something in his hand.
Leaf and I stare at him, and then I gasp when I see a small furry head poke through Archie’s fingers.
‘Michael?’ I ask as Leaf’s mouth drops open.
Archie stares down at the little guy who seems far more relaxed than a wild animal should. Though I’m not sure if Michael can be considered a wild animal at this point since Thorne is building him a princess castle chicken coop. But leave it to Archie to be able to cradle him like that.
‘How did you get him? He never lets anyone pick him up?’ Leaf’s signs are large and frantic, and I roll my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing.
‘He found me in the barn. Waved. So I picked him up?’
Leaf rounds the island and stares at Michael. ‘Did you bribe him? Give him a carrot or a zucchini?’
Archie stares at Leaf. ‘No.’
‘Oh my god. Seriously. No other explanation?’
‘No.’
Leaf flaps his arms over his head, which scares Michael. He squirms, and Archie moves toward the door, setting him down and watching as he scampers off.
When Archie turns around, Leaf has a hand on his hip and a middle finger in the air, waving at him.
‘Fuck you,’ he mouths, and I bite back another laugh.
Archie cocks his head and then sets the bag down on the ground near my feet. ‘I don’t want to fuck you,’ he signs, clipped and clear. ‘But I would like a drink.’