26. Chapter 26
26
Brody
Caleb Davis. Twenty-eight years old. Barely finished high school. Didn’t go to college. Can’t hold down a job. Youngest of two children born to Heather Davis. Dated Sophie for over three years.
Since finding out about Sophie’s ex, I’ve discovered quite a lot about the two of them. Police reports that seem to have gone nowhere, past addresses, her high school. Evidence of her relationship with Caleb Davis is everywhere on his social media up until mid-February, when I assume she disappeared. He didn’t say anything about it, didn’t post about missing her, hell, he didn’t even change his relationship status. It still says he’s in one.
Coincidentally, his brother is in law enforcement. That explains the lack of follow-through when she called the police on his abusive ass. I don’t know what the final straw was or what made her leave, but I’m glad she did.
Building a way into her doorbell cam with backups coming straight to me was the easy part. Caleb isn’t staying in LA under his own name, so he must have some semblance of intelligence. I can’t find any listing for him anywhere and I can get into just about every hotel database that exists. They’re not as airtight as they’d have their guests believe.
Monday morning rolls around again and it’s back to the usual grind. I’ve been trying to make sense of some of the logs Mel sent me weeks ago since she hasn’t officially taken it away from me. The information is written in some kind of code that even I can’t decipher. I plan to tell her as much later today, but until then, I’m still on the project.
My phone buzzes beside my keyboard and I glance down to see Isla’s name.
I roll my eyes but type out a quick yes and ask if she wants to call me. I hate having long text conversations. Phone calls aren’t much better, but Isla isn’t the talker our other sisters are.
When the phone rings, I answer it quickly.
“Whatcha need, Isla?” My tone is light. She knows I’d do anything for her.
“I have a date tonight.” She’s excited, but I can hear something else in her voice. I’m sure it’s just nerves.
“Awesome, would I approve of him?”
“Probably not,” she snorts. “But all my friends are sorta busy, so they can’t do the emergency call. Would you do it?”
“Emergency call? What’s that?”
“You know,” says Isla, clearly not wanting to take the time to explain. When I’m silent, she does so. “It’s when a girl goes on a date, but asks her friend to call her a half hour in or something with an emergency. If the date is going well, the call is ignored. If not, it’s answered and uh oh! Gotta go!”
“Does every woman do that?” I wonder aloud, recalling that Sophie got a phone call during our first date and ignored it. It makes me smile to think that’s what it was. She was enjoying herself enough to ignore the call.
“Every woman I’ve ever met.”
“Right, well, what do I say?”
“You don’t even really have to say anything,” says Isla. “You can just call and put the phone down and I’ll do the rest.”
“Well, that’s easy.”
“I know. So just set an alarm for like 6:36 or something. That way it’s not right at the half hour mark, you know?”
“You got it.”
“Oh and Brody, I’m fucking furious with you.”
“For what?”
“Raegan got to meet your new lady friend before I did!” she shouts.
“It wasn’t planned,” I assure her. “Sophie was helping me with the girls because you couldn’t.”
“Still incredibly rude.”
“Yeah, yeah. You want that emergency call or not?”
“I’ll just ask Miles,” she huffs.
“I’ll call you at 6:36.”
“Thank you!” she half-sings before hanging up.
I hear Miles messing around in the kitchen and check my watch, only to see that it’s past noon. No wonder I’m hungry. I walk out to find my roommate pouring milk over a bowl of cereal.
“What, no sandwich?”
“I kind of just got home.” He winces and I realize what he must’ve been doing until now.
“Ah.” I nod and round the island, not sure what I’m going to scrounge up for lunch. “Hey, do all women do that emergency call thing?” I ask, staring into the fridge, willing something to appear that sounds good.
“Pretty sure, yeah,” Miles responds through a mouthful of food. “Why?”
“Isla needs me to do that for her tonight. She’s got a date.”
“You gonna internet stalk him for her?”
“Only if she doesn’t answer my call,” I laugh, closing the fridge empty-handed. I turn to face him.
“Our little sis is growing up,” Miles laughs through another mouthful.
“Yeah, yeah. I think I’m gonna run out for lunch. Text me if you want something.”
When I walk back into the house with a bag full of food because Miles did, in fact, text me his very large order, my stomach is growling so loud I think Sophie might hear it at her place. I set the bag on the counter and grab my burrito bowl just as my phone vibrates in my pocket.
It’s not a text, but a notification of movement outside Sophie’s house. I’ve gotten them when the girls come and go or when they have people over to film. It’s always accompanied by the sound of the front door opening. But when I open up the app to view footage, I know right away this is not normal.
It’s hard to make out his grainy face, but I think I recognize the build from his photos online. Caleb walks slowly up the driveway between the front two buildings of the four-building property. There’s a folded piece of paper in his hand. I watch as he comes around the cars and slips the paper beneath the windshield wiper before sneaking off.
As he walks away, he pulls a phone from his back pocket, but I can’t tell what he’s doing. I assume it’s a text to his accomplice–the person deleting evidence of his trespassing from the cameras. Not this evidence, though.
Sophie leans against me on the couch, her head on my chest, one hand next to her face. Since September started–spooky season– all she’s wanted to watch are horror movies. Tonight’s feature is As Above So Below, one of her favorites. I’ll admit it’s sufficiently terrifying. The thought of running for my life through the miles of catacombs beneath Paris is enough to scare most people, I assume.
I haven’t wanted to ask her about the note that I know Caleb left on her car today. She doesn’t know how much access I have to her now and I’m not about to scare her off. It’s obviously on her mind, though.
“Hey, did you find anything about- about my ex?” Sophie asks softly during one of the most anxiety-inducing parts yet. The cameraman, whose name I forget, is having a panic attack while stuck trying to crawl through a tight tunnel on top of ancient bones. No thanks.
“I, er,” I swallow, trying to speak around a lump that has formed in my throat that definitely isn’t because of the movie. “I can’t find any deleted footage, but I’m still working on it.”
“Thanks,” she whispers.
I reach down to hook my index finger under her chin and turn her face upward.
“It’s nothing,” I assure her. “I’d do so much more than that for you.” I am . I lean down to kiss her nose and she closes her eyes.
Sophie shifts in my arms, giving her the right angle to press her mouth to mine. When she opens her mouth to moan, I slip my tongue between her lips, exploring and taking what I want from her. My hand that had been innocently rubbing her back drifts to her ass, squeezing. She moans again, the sound once more captured by my mouth. Her hand slides down my chest to rub my growing erection through my pants and she smiles against my lips.
“Is Miles here?” she whispers.
“Cam session,” I respond between kisses. “In his room. He’ll be busy for a while.”
“Good.”
Her skilled hands work to undo my button and zipper and, before I can protest, her hand is beneath my boxers, palming my cock.
“But-” I try to protest, but she shakes her head.
“You said he’s busy,” she breathes, kissing her way down my neck before sliding onto the floor in front of me. Settling herself between my legs, she reaches up to pull my cock fully out of my boxers, but hesitates, meeting my gaze. “I’ll stop if you’re uncomfortable.”
I reach forward and slide my fingers into her hair, gripping tight and pulling her forward to kiss her quickly.
“Keep going,” I growl.
Fuck Miles.
A sinful smile spreads across her lips before she licks them. Sophie wastes no time, spitting on my half-hard length before she begins to stroke me. I let my head fall back against the couch, focusing on the sensations. I inhale sharply and look back down at her when her tongue darts across my tip. Sophie’s eyes are on me as she slowly lowers her mouth onto my cock.
“Your mouth feels so fucking good,” I groan. With each bob of her head, she takes more of me. “So fucking good.”
Her hand reaches down to play with my balls and I utter a string of curses, trying to contain my release as long as possible. It’s fucking difficult when she does that thing with her tongue that makes my cock twitch.
Miles clears his throat, startling both of us. Sophie’s head pops up, my cock falling from her mouth while my hands fly to cover my erection. It’s impossible at this point.
“The fuck, man?” I shout, turning my back to Miles while trying to keep my eyes on him.
“Hey, you were in a communal space!” Miles laughs but turns his back.
I do my best to stuff myself back into my boxers. Sophie stays on her knees, eyeing the two of us and chewing on her bottom lip as if lost in thought .
“What?” I frown at her.
“What?” asks Miles, still facing away from us.
“Not you,” I shoot over my shoulder before addressing Sophie. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m not thinking anything,” says Miles, rocking forward on the balls of his feet. He’s definitely thinking something.
“Shut up,” I grumble, glaring at his back before softening my eyes and returning them once more to Sophie. “Well?”
“Nothing.” She shakes her head, letting her lip pop out from between her teeth. “Sorry, Miles.”
“How long were you standing there?” I mutter. Bad question because when Miles turns, I can see a bit of redness in his cheeks.
“I’m not answering that.”
His eyes drop to his pants and mine follow to the evidence of just how much he saw. Strangely, it doesn’t bother me. Now that the initial shock is gone, the idea of Miles watching me with Sophie might be… exciting. Is that right? Does that mean something’s wrong with me? No, other men enjoy that sort of thing–being watched. Or watching. Fuck, my mind is scrambled.
“Let’s go to your room,” Sophie breathes, her voice just as velvety as ever. I’ll do anything she says to feel her mouth on my cock again.
Placing her hands on my thighs, she uses them to guide her body up mine until our lips touch.
“Unless,” I whisper, my mouth dry at the thought of what I’m about to suggest, “you want him to stay.”
Sophie’s head jerks back and her eyes widen in shock, one eyebrow popping up. A smirk plays on her lips, swollen from my kisses and her work between my legs. The silence that follows my suggestion is enough to cause my anxiety to skyrocket, but the words are out there. I’m not taking them back. For once in my damn life, I’m going to do what I want, and what I want, apparently, is a threesome with my girlfriend and my best friend.
“What do you say, honey?” asks Miles. His voice has changed from light and joking to hoarse and husky.
“Well?” I ask, studying her face.
“Are you sure?” She wants it. It’s written all over her face.
“Fuck yes.”