I glance at him, now joined by Evelyn. Quickly—and as accurately as I can—I recount being kidnapped by the two officers, along with everything that happened afterward. By the time I finish, I’m sitting beside Ayden, while Levi and Evelyn remain standing in front of the burned-out fireplace.
“Can you tell me exactly where you were?” Levi asks.
I nod and retrace the location for him.
He exhales slowly, then looks down at Evelyn, who has her eyes locked firmly on Ayden.
She’s the one who finally speaks. “We’re contract killers, basically. Usually it’s bad people… sometimes, not so bad.”
“Like… the CIA?” Ayden asks from beside me, one of his arms shakily wrapping around my midsection.
Levi chuckles. “Not quite. But they have hired our organization before. Look, it’s way more complicated than Eve’s making it sound.”
“Were you in Switzerland…” Ayden begins. “Because of a job?”
Levi nods. “Echo Ridge is owned by our employer. The couple before us moved on, and now it’s our home base.”
I’m not entirely sure I’ve taken a breath.
“This community is meant to bequiet,” Evelyn cuts in. “We aren’t meant to draw attention to this place. And here I thought we dodged a bullet by moving in after the fiasco with Cal and Ronan. Now, this? And that goddamn billionaire?”
I can feel Ayden tense, which has me immediately in defense mode. “This isn’t our fucking fault!”
“She’s not blaming you.”
“You sure? It sure as shit sounds like it.”
He sighs. “Yes, it does, but she isn’t. That’s just how she sounds.”
“Fuck you.”
He chuckles, unfazed. “For your safety, I can’t disclose any more than we’ve already shared. We’ve come to really like our neighbors—which, for two people who aren’t supposed to get attached to anything, is a pretty powerful thing.”
It’s in those words, his eyes slowly travel down to his wife, and I see a deep set of longing in them. Like a pain that’s constantly haunting him.
Does that statement apply to them? Are they not meant to get attached?
One look at her, and it’s the complete opposite of Levi. There’s detachment, a complete and utter void of emotion other than irritation.
“I specifically like Cal, and you, Ayden. Ronan ismeh. Kind of hard to hate him other than for the fact he won’t let me touch his soon-to-be-wife. I’m still getting the feelers on Starlight. They at least can follow instructions…” She looks over at me. “I’ve got no problem with you. You’re neutral, but you’re growing on me… especially now.”
I don’t need her to specifically say it. I know what she’s implying.A murderer. Just like them.
“For all of these reasons, everything that happened over the course of the last forty-eight hours, didn’t happen. We will clean up all the deaths”—my heart tumbles right into my stomach and I nearly lose it—“deal with any leaked information, and talk with Ronan and Cal.”
“Even…” I turn to look at Ayden, who’s wide eyed and mouth agape. “Even the two Keo…”
“Yes,” Levi says. “Everything and everyone. But you two cannot sayanythingtoanyoneabout what we’ve told you. Not even the neighbors.”
“Cal?”
“Not even her. Not your therapists. Not doctors. Not your gods. The moment we leave this cabin, it’s never to be mentionedagain.”
“W-What about Michael? He?—”
“Let us handle it. It’s what we do,” Evelyn cuts off Ayden, but it’s not aggressive. It’s a mix between caring and assertiveness. Sorta like… a mother. “Do you guys understand?”
“Yes.”
