14
Istep outside onto the busy street, heart racing. I’m going over everything Jason said. Obviously, he’s not telling the whole truth. Though to play devil’s advocate for a moment, I don’t blame him for being guarded. But it was more than that…he was being ambiguous on purpose.
Just like with the letters and the case files. He’s trying to get under my skin and make me desperate. I have a feeling he’s done it before and it’s worked. Well, sorry, buddy. You’re not manipulating me.
More than aware of the possibility of being followed, I start walking down the street and pull up the Uber app to get a ride to the library. I don’t need anything there, though I suppose I could get a few books for Jacques to read since the ones in my own library at home aren’t really his taste. Mostly, I want to go to a public place where I can still be alone and gather my thoughts.
I text Gemma as soon as I get in the car to let her know I’m alive. Starting to feel paranoid, I tell her I’ll fill her in on the details when I’m home. I don’t want to risk anything being overheard or seen or whatever.
Once at the library, I find a table in the back and sit, placing my palms down on the hard surface. I’m still running on high adrenaline and need to calm down before I crash and burn.
Pulling a small notebook from my purse, I start to write down everything Jason said that could possibly clue me in on what he’s really after.
Because he wants the runes that control where my guys are summoned to every night.
A sick feeling bubbles in my stomach. Could he know about the curse? If so…why would he want the runes? To destroy my guys? I don’t get the feeling he’s in the supernatural charity business and is going to enlist help from his friends in breaking the curse.
No…he’s an asshole. An asshole who likes to show off everything he has. If he wants the runes, I’m sure it’s so he could add cursed gargoyles to his collection. Heat sparks around my fingertips and I bring my hands to my lap. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, needing to stay calm.
Okay…so he gets the runes…but then what? Just having the gargoyles—my guys—in his possession doesn’t seem important enough to go through the trouble of sending the golem after me.
Needing to get up and move around before I set something on fire, I walk down the rows of books, feeling calmer each time I walk through a new row. I like reading but haven’t had much time to sit and read since I became a detective. Which is totally my fault, I know. The lack of time to do anything else was subconscious, and I’m okay with admitting that now.
I was so lonely before. So lonely it hurt. I avoided my issues, told myself I didn’t need anyone and that life was fine. I was alive, after all, and I was making a difference in the world. What more did I need? I had a sense of purpose and I saved people.
That’s way more than what most people have on this earth.
But I was missing the family I never got to have. I longed for someone I could get close to, to hang out and laugh with. Having a best friend didn’t really cross my mind only because I wouldn’t let it.
Having a boyfriend I could trust—fully trust—that was like asking for a fucking Christmas miracle or something. But now I have that and more. Four guys who I love more than I ever thought possible. A best friend who I love in an entirely different way. And even Jared…I’m starting to really care about the kid as if he’s the annoying little brother I never got to have.
I’m not letting anyone take that away from me.
* * *
“Hey, Nick.”I got to the cafe early and am on my second cup of coffee already, not that I need the extra caffeine. “Thanks again for meeting me.”
“No problem.” He slides into the booth across from me. He’s not in his uniform, which means he’s not working today. “I’m quite curious about this theory of yours.”
“It’s a shoestring theory,” I tell him, having decided this is the angle I’m going to play with him. Pretend like I’m still gathering evidence and don’t have enough to actually make a real accusation against anyone or anything. “But it’s starting to snowball.”
“So these kids,” he starts, and puts the files on the table. “What made you look into their cases? They’re from all over the country.”
Fuck, I hate lying to him. Just stating the facts is okay…right? He’s not going to make the connection to a demon, which is the only way my mind is going right now. “Their parents were all murdered.”
“Yeah, I saw that.”
“The same way mine were.” The words leave my lips and a chill goes through me. It wouldn’t take much for Nick to figure that out. If he looked into the murders of the parents, he’d remember. Having your heart frozen from the inside out isn’t your everyday murder. That sort of thing sticks out in your memory.
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
Nick looks down at the file again for a moment, trying to come up with something—anything—that makes sense. “So you think the person responsible for your parents’ murder is a serial killer and killed all these kids’ parents too?”
“It’s what I’m working on.”
“And the same killer went after the children.”
