“I’ll carry it up there.”
He didn’t want anyone from his old life in his new space.
“Sure,” Murray said easily, and I followed him to the SUV.
Rey and Ryker walked out of the stable and into the new one, likely to continue the tour.
There was a large box of Rey’s stuff in the back of the vehicle. I grabbed it and realized there was more there than I’d thought based on his father’s earlier words.
Murray saw my expression. “It’s anything any of us thought might be important to him.”
I rested my back against the side of the car and thought how to ask what I wanted to know. In the end I thought, just in case Murray would ever be back for our protection, to go with honesty.
“How was he, after Rey went missing?”
Murray sighed, and for the first time he looked genuinely sincere. “He was a fucking mess. There was a lot of drinking and a lot of violence, until he realized his son had just up and vanished.” He grimaced. “He even found some hacker who tried to look into things and used a cop connection as well, just to see if there were anything in any cameras around where they live, but…”
“I think Rey is craftier than his father gives him credit for. Maybe not street smart, but he knows your business.”
“Yeah. I didn’t think Rey was dead. If someone had hurt him, he would’ve shown up pretty quickly. My worry was trafficking. Someone could’ve snatched him off the street.” Murray dug out a vape pen and settled in to smoke.
“And that’s why I won’t ever forgive your boss for this. He might be more accepting than Rey could ever have realized, but he still let those guys scare his son so badly he put himself in danger to get away.”
Murray nodded. “I get that. Don’t you think everyone who loves Rey blamed themselves for this?” Him included; I could tell. “I’m glad he found this place. I’m sure Silas will tell Percy and I the whole story on our drive back to O’Hare.”
I readjusted the box in my arms and pushed away from the SUV. “Well, I better take this inside. I assume you’re leaving soon?”
“Yeah. We don’t want to intrude, and now we know where he is and that he’s safe. That’s all Silas wanted from this. He…” I guessed it was loyalty that made Murray hesitate, but then he seemed to go “fuck it” and continued anyway. “He said that he only wanted Rey to have his paperwork, to see him with his own eyes, and to make sure he was somewhere good. That even if he’d hate his dad forever, Silas would take that because if Rey was happy, then Silas could accept that.”
“Was Rey’s mom killed by someone?” I asked, despite not being sure I wanted to know.
Murray nodded. “Silas bit off more he could chew in his attempt at climbing higher and…” He made a face. “He’s never forgiven himself. She was the love of his life.”
“Figures that he wouldn’t want to lose Rey, too.”
“But he’s prepared to, just to make sure he gets to live a better life.”
We saw Percy walk toward the new stable in the distance, with Lake clearly explaining something to him.
“So did I actually get a vibe from Percy and Ryker or…?” I asked, grinning a little.
Murray chuckled. “Kind of. Percy’s been in love with him for twenty years.”
I thought for a second. “It’s not one-sided.”
“Guess if Silas is going to admit that? If hecan?”
Huh. Yeah, it did add up. I wasn’t sure there were many queer criminal boss types, even these days.
I lifted the box again. “Okay, I’m gonna go put this in Rey’s room.”
“You don’t share one?”
“We have a bathroom between our rooms, so I guess nowadays we do, sort of? It’s a long story.”
“Given that he just turned eighteen…”
“I just got back yesterday after being gone for months,” I stated dryly, and that seemed to appease the suddenly protective bodyguard.
