“Why would one of us be driving around on the wrong side of the fence?” I asked.
“It might have been Knuckles.” Ace dusted off his jeans and continued walking, leaving the suspicious section of the fence line behind him. “Rose has a little dog that likes to think he’s Houdini. He escapes the yard sometimes, and Knuckles has to find the damn thing before a hawk makes off with it.”
I shrugged it off, wondering to myself how to wrangle an invitation to Rose and Knuckles’s place so I could meet their dog. Ace kept looking back at the suspicious portion of the fence, but eventually, he shook offwhatever was bothering him, and we finished our walk. His keen eyes darted all over the place, taking in the state of the property and identifying areas that would soon need attention. I spent the rest of my day helping Ace do odd jobs around the compound. We went back to the clubhouse for dinner, joining Bones and Lennon at the bar for burgers served up by Prospect. Cricket came swooping in for a quick hug before he left for a shift at Crow’s Landing. Ace melted into the background like he usually did, grabbing his burger and trudging off somewhere to eat it in peace, I assumed. When I asked if she wanted to hang out, Lennon told me about a big final project she needed to work on for her cosmetology class so she retreated to her room as soon as she was done eating. Bones said something about Rusty’s and stomped off to do whatever it was he needed to do. Everyone seemed so preoccupied.
Switching on the TV, I settled into the couch and flipped through channels, trying to find something to watch. Usually, I watched Animal Planet with Ratched, but he wasn’t home from his shift at the ER yet. Or maybe he stopped off at that little diner he liked to go to sometimes, Misty’s Diner? He said they had the best pie in the state, but I hadn’t had a chance to check it out yet, so I’d have to take his word for it. None of the old-timers were around either, and I remembered that Cricket told me they were having a poker night at Blaze’s house in town. I’d spent a lifetime feeling utterly alone. It was jarring for me to realize it had only taken me a few months of living with the Crows to become used to constant companionship.
Bored and restless, I decided to head to the gym for a workout. I quickly changed into my workout gear, which for me meant trading the jean shorts for bike shorts and my boots for sneakers. My knife got tucked into a small towel, and I grabbed my phone so I could connect to the speaker in the gym. Walking down the stairs and through the silent clubhouse, I checked my phone and was surprised to see I had a few messages. Lennon and Cricket texted me the most, and I had a few memes and links to videos from them. I scrolled past their messages to see that Riordan had texted me about an hour ago.
Riordan:Good evening, lisichka. I was thinking about how we could get to know each other better, and I wondered if you’d like to play a game?
Eyes glued to my screen as I slowly made my way to the gym, I smiled a little as I replied.
Indigo:That depends. Will this game involve me being stuck in a murder room with a bear trap on my head? I’ve seen that movie, and those kinds of games aren’t any fun for the players.
Entering the gym, I set my stuff down on a bench and did a few preliminary stretches. A few minutes passed before a chime alerted me to another text.
Riordan:A bear trap, you say? Hmm, just what kind of movies are you watching, Indi?
Indigo:It was Saw; how can you have not heard of it? They made like a zillion sequels.
Riordan:I just looked it up on IMDb. Horror movies aren’t really my thing.
Little dots kept appearing and disappearing on my screen, and eventually, another text came through.
Riordan:I was wondering if we could get to know each other over text a bit. Maybe if you see what an awesome cousin I could be, you’d want to spend some time with me and our family.
I set my phone down next to my towel and mulled Riordan’s words over in my mind a bit as I started my sets. I started with push-ups, crunches, burpees, and mountain climbers, twenty reps per set, three sets to get my blood pumping. By the time I was done, I was a sweaty mess. I reached for my phone, and before I could overthink it, I sent:What are the rules?
I wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, and if he wanted to play a game with me, I’d make sure I won. Riordan seemed like he could be a nice guy, but he came with an entire family of baggage, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to jump on that particular luggage carousel.
Riordan:Simple. I ask you a question, and you answer it honestly. Then it’s your turn to ask me, and I respond in kind. We can get to know each other one topic at a time until you’re ready for more.
Indigo:How will I know you’re telling the truth?
Riordan:I promise, Scout’s honor. I will always tell you the truth, even if it’s an ugly one. I’ve found that ugly truths are preferable to pretty lies.
Indigo:You were a Boy Scout!?! I’ve been trying to get the guys here to start a troop so we can have a jamboree, but no one wants to sign up
Riordan:Agree to play, and that can be your first question if you like?
The rest of my workout forgotten, I splayed out on the mats, smiling like a loon and texting my new cousin. How did my life get so awesome?
Indigo:Deal. *virtual pinky promise to tell the truth*
Riordan:*returns the virtual pinky promise*
Indigo:Alright, spill. Are you an actual Boy Scout?
Riordan:*sigh* From Lion cub scout to Eagle scout, I did the whole shebang. My dad wanted me to have an American childhood but didn’t trust the local community enough to let me join a pack in Chicago. So, he and Ivan’s dad formed our very own cub scout pack consisting of only bratva kids.
Indigo:pics or it didn’t happen
Dots formed in our text chat until a picture came through, and I laughed out loud. Riordan was in full scout getup; neckerchief and everything. He was grinning and holding up a fish snared on his fishing pole; a man next to him with the same green eyes looked down on him proudly with one arm wrapped around his shoulders. Behind them, other scouts were fishing, and I could see what looked like henchmen interspersed in the background.
Indigo:That looks like a very secure fishing spot—your turn.
Riordan:What’s your favorite song?
