“So, we have an abused and traumatized child with possible genetic markers for psychopathy undergoing years of chronic abuse before losing his abusive mother to go into a foster system which probably only abused him further,” Lucas said. “I’m going to say this is our guy.”
Thomas clasped his hands together. “Tell me the system didn’t lose track of him, Calliope.”
Calliope went back to her lightning-speed typing. “Nathan Jeffries was in and out of the system, managed to finish high school—good for him—did two years of community college before he dropped out to…start his own business.”
“Doing what?” Mac asked.
Calliope sat back in her chair. “Construction.”
“Ah, yes, the preferred cover of both the mob and killer clowns,” Avi said.
“So, this is our guy, right?” Adam said. “Now we can go fucking kill this guy?”
“But how do we know for sure?” Thomas asked.
“Why don’t I just ask him?” Calliope said.
“You want to just tell this guy we’re onto him?” Noah asked.
Adam nodded. “Yeah, doesn’t that seem counterintuitive to us murdering this dude?”
“He wants this confrontation,” Calliope said. “I get it now. It’s all been a game. Some culmination of a master plan. Possibly even a suicide mission. He wants to see Thomas face to face. Let’s just invite him for a sit down.”
Aiden snorted. “You think I’m sending Tommy in to face down a serial killer alone? Besides, what if you’re wrong about his motives and you tip him off?”
“What ifyou’rewrong and he’s not the right guy?” Felix asked. “Then we just all but admitted to a stranger who might also have beef with Dad that the family is being blackmailed.”
“What if you’re right and he kills us all?” Adam offered.
“Send it as Thomas but don’t frame it about the blackmail,” Zane said. “Just tell him that you have information about his birth father and want to meet. If he’s the guy, he’ll know what it’s really about. If he’s not, it seems like a harmless enough message.”
“We’re not wrong,” Aiden said. “Lets just go fucking kill this guy.”
Calliope looked at Thomas. “What do you want to do, boss?”
Thomas sighed, leaning back in his chair, fingers steepled. When he looked at Aiden, he shook his head. It was a bad idea.
Thomas gave Aiden an apologetic smile. “Send the message.”
Thomas hadn’t been expecting an expedient reply from the blackmailer, but as the hours stretched with no response, he started to think they had it all wrong. The others moved about the house, hovering near enough to respond immediately to any news. But Aiden stayed glued to Thomas’s side as if Jeffries might appear like the boogeyman and snatch him away.
“I’m fine, you know,” Thomas told him when he followed him into the kitchen.
“I know,” Aiden said, a little defensively. “I just want to be near you.”
Thomas turned on him, backing him into the counter. “We were very near each other just a few hours ago.”
Aiden hopped onto the counter, opening his legs and drawing Thomas forward. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. You know…mentally.”
Thomas gave a small laugh. “I’m as okay as I’ve ever been.”
“Not a ringing endorsement,” Aiden said, kissing his forehead.
Thomas tipped his head up, running his hands along Aiden’s jean-clad thighs, sighing when Aiden kissed one cheek and then the other, then his chin, his nose, and finally his lips. Nothing soothed like Aiden’s touch.
“Oh, God,” Noah yelped, entering the kitchen then promptly turning away as if he’d caught them naked. “This will never not be weird.”
“Noah,” Thomas said patiently. “We’re just standing here. It’s not quite the scandal you think it is.”
