The clearing comes into view and we are blissfully alone, the hidden space devoid of life. We hightail it out of there before we draw anyone’s attention; not so much concerned about this section of the woods, but coming out of them into the park nearby.
We walk the mile back to the car and take a roundabout way to the hotel we set up in before we returned to Faerie, paranoid about anyone following us at this point. Until Luce checks in to get the all clear on the house, to make sure it’s not bugged or has any hidden cameras, we have to err on the side of caution. After Victor managed to get into my computer, we’ve been trying to take whatever precautions we can, but I’m beyond ready to be able to sleep in my own bed again, despite how little time has actually passed.
Yet, all of the safety measures in the world don’t matter when we have threats coming at us from every side and more questions than answers. Add in our resident fae that can only go a handful of days in this world without going home to recharge so she doesn’t wither away, and it’s one complication on top of another.
“You’re not going to sleep?”
Lucien shakes his head, getting dressed. “Too much to do. You three stay here and I’ll call when I get the all clear for the house.” He finishes gathering his things, missing the way Cambria’s frowning.
“If you wait for me to take a quick shower, I’ll join you,” she offers.
He kisses her on his way out, “That’s alright, love, you rest. I’ll call later.” And then he’s gone, leaving a weird tension in his wake.
Even Atlas notices it this time, shaking his head at the door. “He’s just worried, Cambria. For Lucien, that means he buries himself in work so he can feel productive when he’s struggling.”
She sighs, slumping on the bed. “I know. I just hate him feeling so-” she searches for the right word, wavering her hand back and forth- “distant. He forgets that he has people to rely on and thinks he needs to solve everything himself, despite the fact that we’re all in this together. And it’s ninety percent my fault in the first place.”
I try to convince her otherwise, but she isn’t having it. No amount of kind words will change our situation and she knows it, but it kills me that she’s so easily convinced everything’s her fault when she’s done nothing wrong. I hate her parents so goddamn much, it actually scares me. Even with the way my piece of shit father left me for dead on the side of the road, with as traumatic of an upbringing as I had, I still don’t hate my family as much as I do hers.
She waits a few more minutes before rolling off of the bed and shedding her shirt. “I need to get out of my head. I’m going to shower, want to join me?”
“Who you inviting, angel?” Atlas asks and she tosses an expectant look over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow.
“Whoever feels like squishing into a tiny shower stall with me.”
I’m already partially naked and halfway towards the door, beating Atlas into the bathroom as she laughs. He hesitates, unsure, since despite how close we’ve all gotten over the last month or so, this is one line we haven’t crossed yet.
I try to ease his nerves as I turn the water on, make it into less of a thing than he’s building it up to be. Climbing into the shower stall, Cambria is a step behind me.
“Man, such a cheap hotel. Probably only has enough hot water for ten minutes, so it’s a good thing we’re all so comfortable around each other.”
Atlas slowly steps in, and as soon as his eyes lock on Cambria, wet and naked, he starts to relax. Nothing happens beyond showering, yet it somehow feels even more intimate, making things seem permanent and real on another level. I’m rinsing the shampoo out of my hair when she breaks the comfortable silence, brainstorming.
“Victor spends all this time digging into Lucien’s past, but can’t find anything, not even a hint that he killed Atlas’ father or he would have been all over that. What about Lucien’s parents? I haven’t heard anything about them. Are they still in the picture?”
I’m quiet, weighing my options, but can’t bring myself to explain. I doubt Lucien would fault me for telling them, but even Atlas doesn’t know anything about what he went through growing up. If he wanted him to know, he would have mentioned it. I’d feel like I was betraying the man I owe everything to, and no matter how much I love her, I just can’t bring myself to do that.
“It’s his story to tell, beautiful, I’m sorry.”
She shrugs, unperturbed. “No worries, Dorian. Just mulling things over and tossing around a few ideas. There’s been too much thrown at us that I’m trying to find sense where I can. What I was ultimately getting at was; how deeply has anyone looked into Victor?”
Atlas takes his turn under the spray, the three of us carefully navigating the cramped space. “What do you mean?”
She traces a hand over his collar and chest before leaning back against me. “Lucien made mention Victor almost went bankrupt before salvaging his business from the verge of death. And now he seems to be doing pretty well, just not as successfully as Lucien. So where’d he get the money?”
Atlas hums, closing his eyes for a moment. “I could try asking around to some of my father’s old associates and see if someone knows.”
“But what does it matter? If he’s indebted to someone, I mean, what does that have to do with us?”
Cambria’s ass brushes against me before she turns to meet my eye. By her smirk, it was completely intentional. “Victor is so obsessed with taking Lucien down, going as far as to hack into our computers to try and find some damning evidence to destroy him. And by that look on his face when he was arrested, he found something he’s holding onto.
“He wants todestroyLucien, but that wouldn’t get him any money to pay someone back if he accomplished it. What if the person he owes money too was connected to Atlas’ dad? Then it would make it personal and they’d be more interested in ruining his legacy and hitting him everywhere it hurts instead of just getting a loan repaid?” she theorizes.
I debate the idea as we all dry off and dress, piling back in the main room. “Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine.”
We crawl into bed, not waking until late afternoon. Lucien still isn’t back, but he texted us that it was safe to head home when we wanted. Logically, I know he wouldn’t have called since he would have assumed we were sleeping, but by the way Cambria frowns at the impersonal text, it still makes me upset on her behalf. He swore he’d do better after her revelation at the street fair, but old habits die hard, especially when stressed.
“Want to swing by and check on the shop with me?” I offer in a bid to distract her.
