“We could just open it and read it.” I gesture to the wax seal, my fingers itching to crack it open.
“Do you want to have to lie to them?” he asks, and I shrug.
“Aren't we already lying by not telling anyone about it?” I’m worried about what they’ll do if they find out that we lied to them. Do I really want to start one of my relationships with a lie? Not to mention Jazzy and I are finally in a good spot. This could ruin everything.
“Okay, we’ll let them decide. Just shove it back in there for now. Once the police have left, we’ll tell them about it.”
I do as he says and slam the safe closed, engaging the wheel, and it clicks as it rearms.
Oliver is looking through the count’s hanging clothes. “I really can’t work this man out. He has some really nice suits hanging here, but he’s also got some pimp outfits that put Hugh Hefner to shame.” He holds out an elaborate brocade robe in one hand, and in the other, he’s got a raspberry velvet morning coat. “And then he’s got things that would make him look like Willy Wonka.”
Smiling, I flick through them myself. “Or Rocky fromThe Rocky Horror Picture Show.” I hold out a hanger with a pair of gold lamé speedo hanging on them.
“Don’t forget Elton John.” Oli’s now holding a coat with pink and yellow ostrich feathers lining the neckline. “Who was this man?”
I put back the hanger with the swim shorts, and the next choice I pull out has a black leather pair teamed with a gimp mask.
“I’m not sure, but from the look of his clothes, I’m not sure if he wasn’t a number of different men.”
“What, like a spilt personality?” Oliver hangs the things up, and we walk out of the closet, closing it behind us.
“Yeah, maybe? I think he definitely had at least two sides to him—Nana said as much. Maybe his wife’s death really did fracture his psyche.”
We leave the room behind and trudge back up the spiral staircase. Sure enough, the two doors hold a bathroom and another closet. This closet is just as interesting as the one downstairs, stocked with a wide variety of costumes in different sizes. Sexy nurse, sexy cop, sexy schoolgirl. Then there are the leather things that are more straps than anything else, and the most strange… the furries. Heads, tails, gloves, and accessories, including sheaths that I’m pretty sure go over the man’s cock to make them look more animal-like. There’s a panda, dog, cat, and more, and when you look closer at the tails, you realize they’reinsertable.
“Gross, I think I need brain bleach after all this,” I say as Oliver strokes the head of one of the animals.
“I don’t know. Maybe it could be fun. You could be the zoo keeper, and Holden and I could be the naughty zoo animals. You’d have to punish us for our behavior. ” He waggles his eyebrows in a playful manner, but I can see in his eyes that he’s serious. And to be honest, the way his voice dropped as he described that scene made my stomach lurch and toes curl in a very good way. I never thought I’d be into dress up and role play, but these guys are really pushing my limits, and I can’t deny I love it. I sigh, not wanting to let on that I’m actually turned on as fuck.
“Fine, who am I to kink shame? I’ll give anything a go once, but can we please get new things? Who knows how many people have used all of this.” I gag a little at the thought of sharing sex toys. I guess if you’re coked out of your mind or flying high on ecstasy, none of it matters, but I’m frighteningly sober right now.
This wardrobe also contains a safe, and when I put the now familiar combination in, it pops open, revealing the party drugs. Bottles and bottles of pills and a few blocks of white powder. “Fucking hell! Is this house going to be a never ending supply of illegal substances?” I slam that door shut and walk away. I don't want anyone up here and don't plan on telling anyone about it so I can’t very well hand it over to the police. “Come on, I’ve had about as much as I can take today. Let’s take that map and head downstairs. We need to hide it so that nobody sees it. The house will be turned upside down, but we don't need to give away any secrets the police can’t find for themselves. As far as they’re concerned, the tunnel they’ll come in is the only one.”
I stomp back to the elevator and press the button. Oli wraps his arms around me from behind and he snuggles into my neck.
“I love rebel Harlow. She’s so fucking sexy.” He nips at my ear and grinds his erection into my ass.
“I don't know about rebel. It’s really selfishness. I just want to start renovating my house and zoo and my future with you guys. An ongoing police investigation is going to hamper that.”
He kisses my cheek then steps back as the elevator opens. “Yeah, you're not wrong. I think we’re doing the right thing. It’s not like we’re hurting anyone. The drugs and guns will be gone, and if the twins end up with a little less because everything else gets seized, I’m sure it’s not going to bother them too much. Nana might be another story. I think she’ll cry if all that art turns out to be stolen.”
We’re both chuckling as we step in, the doors closing behind us. Turning on the camera, I check that the area is clear before I press the special button which should open the painting downstairs.
As we feel the elevator move, Oli gasps. “Oh, I just realized what it reminded me of—Harry Potter! The painting of the fat lady, except that woman looks to be a lot... happier.”
ChapterTwenty-One
Holden
Harlow and Oliver disappear as longing builds in my chest. Everything is so new with both of them that I want to be around them all the time. I know Oli isn’tactuallynew, but this version of us where we don’t have to hide or worry, this second chance where I can hold him, kiss him, love him openly, that’s a new addictive taste of life. And Harlow is just more than I ever really hoped for. Having the two of them is undeniably one of the brightest turns my life has taken, and I have this clawing desire to bask in their glow whenever possible.
I want to join them, but I know it’s important to be here to support Jaxon and Jacinta when the police arrive. Dad was going to keep Emma company, so I know my siblings will need all the backup they can get.
“We stick to the truth. Emma only told us about the vault today. She was sworn to secrecy by her dad. That’s the only entrance. Thomas said the rest of the tunnels are very cleverly hidden, so if you're not looking for them, you can’t see them. Hopefully, the police take us at our word that it’s the only one and don't actively look for more,” Declan says as I place the zoo records on a table next to the couch and take a seat.
Jacinta suddenly shouts, her voice easy to hear from the other side of the room. While Declan ran through our plan, she was creeping through the cupboards, the two of them both trying to keep busy in their own ways.
“Huh, look what I found.” She pulls out a crystal decanter filled with an amber liquid. “This has got to be the good stuff. It’s at least twenty-five years old now.” She puts it on the table, grabs five tumblers, and sloshes a couple of fingers in each. Before I can think about whether I even want one, she’s handed them out. “Cheers.” She tosses back the entire contents of her glass before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “God, I needed that. It’s not every day you find a dead body in a secret vault.” Her eyes are a little wild, but is that really any surprise? Like she said, today has definitely got to be one for the record books.
