by Lucy Smoke
Bellamy sighed and then, up ahead, I saw that Marv was waiting on the front doorstep. The front door opened, and a dark-skinned woman smiled brightly, kissing him lightly on the cheek. My gut curdled—a cry from an emotion I didn’t want to name. Who was she?
“Ah, looks like we’re good, let’s go,” Bellamy said.
I opened the back door and got out, frowning as I moved towards the wooden steps leading up to the house. It was a light, sunshine yellow with bright, pristine white trimmed windows to either side of the front door and a double window above. Marv held out his hand for mine and I took it, eyeing the woman as I ascended the stairs with Bellamy at my back.
“The others are almost here,” Marv said, directing the statement to Bellamy.
“Are you staying for the weekend?” the unknown woman asked. I narrowed my gaze on her but didn’t respond. The truth was, I had no clue what the plan was. All I had been told was that we were going to see Alex. I hadn’t been sleeping well, and I cursed my lack of attention.
“Not sure yet, Clarissa,” Marv said. “You know Alex and Knix get the ultimate say so. We prepared for it. Our stuff is in the car, but we’re going to leave it there until after he and Texas get here with Caruso.”
I blinked, directing my gaze to Marv in confusion. I certainly hadn’t packed anything. Hence, why I was so shocked to be here. They must have packed for me. Familiar irritation welled in me. Being left out of the loop was getting old fast. When we met with Alex as a team, I was going to make that known.
Clarissa let us into the foyer, closing the door behind us as we slipped our shoes off and placed them into the rack next to the stairwell. “Why don’t you three go out onto the patio,” she called as she walked further into the house. “I just made some fresh lemonade. I’ll grab it and bring it out for you.”
“Do you have anything to eat?” Bellamy called back, following after her.
Marv still clutched my hand and I stared at the floor. Neither of us moved towards wherever the patio was.
“We can meet them out on the patio later,” he finally said, tugging me behind him, up the stairs. I was silent as I followed behind. He glanced over his shoulder once, as if determining if I was willing. Whatever he saw in my face must have assured him because he kept going.
On the second floor of the house was an open space with several doors. The open space was large enough to be a room itself. Someone had placed a dark, decorative, wood desk against a corner wall with a cushioned seat and books with unbroken spines on top. Marv headed for the door that was the furthest away from the opening of the stairwell. He opened it and peeked his head in before pulling me through. A double wide bed was pushed up against a double window and soft blue curtains that matched the bed’s comforter hung on either side.
Marv let go of my hand and marched to the bed. He flipped back the top cover and pointed. “Get in.” I was really still too tired to argue with him. He must have seen it. I walked up to him and looked at him for a moment before crawling onto the bed. It was the softest mattress I had ever felt. Softer, even, than my own mattress at the guys’ house. I swallowed a low moan as I laid down and Marv tucked the comforter around my shoulders.
“Do not cut me out of the meeting,” I said as he stood up. Marv’s dark, tornado eyes gazed down at me. “Please?” I didn’t want to beg, but I was truly scared that they wouldn’t wake me up. Maybe I shouldn’t be going to sleep in a stranger’s house in the first place. I started to sit up, but Marv stopped me.
“We won’t,” he promised. He bent down and kissed my forehead before dipping even further, brushing his lips across mine. I sucked in a surprised breath. Since our talk, they had all kept their distance. It had only been a week or so, but still…My lashes fluttered as he pulled away. I bit my lip, fighting not to drag him back and put my mouth on his. “I’ll wake you up when Caruso gets here. You’ve only got an hour or two at most anyway.” I nodded and then laid back down as he went to the door and quietly slipped out. I turned away and closed my eyes, quickly drifting back to sleep.
When I woke, the sun was still high in the sky and no one had come to retrieve me. So, I walked down to the first floor, only encountering Clarissa as she busied herself in the kitchen. She smiled warmly my way. Awkwardly, I moved into the kitchen and glanced around, but none of the guys were with her.
“If you’re looking for them,” Clarissa said, answering my unspoken question, “Marv is outside with Knix, Alex, and Bellamy. Texas is upstairs with Grayson.”
A small smile stretched my lips. “Thanks,” I said. I backtracked towards the stairs once more, guilt churning in my gut as I thought about the jealous thoughts that had spun through my mind earlier. It was obvious Clarissa was familiar with the guys, but if she was staying in Alex’s house...then her relationship was probably with him. I shook my head and sighed as I made my way up the staircase.
It didn't take long to find Texas and Grayson. Both were sequestered in a small shoebox of a room upstairs not far from the guest bedroom I had napped in. At least, I hoped it was a guest bedroom. It would have felt weird sleeping in someone else's bed. Hearing their low toned voices, I knocked quietly on the door and let myself in. Texas smiled when he saw me, and Grayson turned his head. I stopped. I hadn't realized how much he would have changed in the few weeks since I had last seen him in the dance club Erika had dragged me to.
Since the last time I saw him, Grayson had filled out even more. As a high school football jock, he had been slender but built. Made for speed more than defense. He had been the quarterback, I thought. But now, he was much wider, built for strength more than speed. His hair had been cut shorter, closer to his scalp, and there was a light dusting of a beard coming in on his jaw. Like a five o’ clock shadow, except it was mid-day, and that shadow was darker than a mere day of no shaving.
"Hey, Princess," Texas called to me.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I asked, smiling and peeking at the laptop he had propped on his lap.
“I’m just—” His answer was cut off as Knix’s deep baritone echoed up from the bottom of the staircase. Grayson glanced towards the open door and stood up, heading for the call. Texas and I exchanged a glance—one that I couldn’t quite read—and followed after him.
“Meeting’s starting,” Knix said solemnly as we descended the staircase. Up. Down. Up. Down. Me and those staircases were getting well acquainted. I sighed as we reached the living room.
It was a decent-sized, quaint little room with wood flooring that neither creaked nor groaned despite how old the house appeared from the outside. Texas and Grayson moved across the room—Texas to the couch and Grayson to his own chair. Bellamy and Marv were already waiting. Clarissa came out with sandwiches and chips for all of us. Alex took position at the front of the room as we got our food, thanking her gently as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. I eyeballed them curiously. I hadn’t known Alex was dating anyone seriously. But the guys seemed to recognize her and were comfortable around her, so I supposed I was, perhaps, the only one who hadn’t known. I scarfed mine down so that we could hurry this process along. I wanted to know what we were going to do about Erika.
Grayson was chomping at the bit to get ready as well. Before Alex could speak, Grayson leaned forward, crumpling his bag of chips and setting it down on the coffee table. "So, what are we doing?" he asked. “What’s the plan?” All eyes turned toward him—Marv with irritation, Alex and Texas and Knix with patience, and Bellamy with an unreadable mask. I watched him as we waited for the answer. Alex and Grayson made eye contact and held their gaze for several tense moments.
Lifting a brow at their silence, I sighed heavily and finally glanced away, only to drag my gaze back. Curiosity killed the cat and all, but curiosity was only natural when watching Grayson do anything. Working with Alex, I could say for sure I’d never seen him do that. But I had seen him throw out an unruly customer a time or two. I waited to see what he would do or say.
Finally, Alex sighed and turned h
is gaze towards the rest of the group. "The plan, right now, is to send a few of you to the campus to find out where Erika was last seen, if anyone knew her plans, if she confided in anyone. She was there for two months before she disappeared. Someone has to know something and you’re going to find out what."
I sat up straighter. "Who’s going?" I asked sharply. Alex met my gaze the same way he did Grayson's, with patience as well as authority.
"Don't worry, Harlow, you're going." I relaxed only marginally. There was a deeply rooted anxiety about this case. I hadn’t been left behind in previous missions, but in the back of my mind, there was a fear that I’d wake up the next day and find that I’d been left behind—either because they decided that I was too close or that it was too dangerous. Now, I needed to know who was going with me. I gripped the cushions of the couch and waited for the information that felt like it was taking forever to come out.
"Knix and Bellamy will be falling back on this one," Alex announced. “They’re going to stay behind and follow up on any leads here.”
My gaze flicked to them. They did not look happy about that, but neither did they voice any protest. “What leads?” I asked. “Did you find something already?”
Alex shifted in his seat, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve made some inquiries in Charleston,” he said. “I won’t be able to tell you anything conclusive as of yet.”
“Why in Charleston and not in Greenwood, where Lander is?” Grayson pointed out.
Alex pulled a hand free and held it up placatingly. "Lander University isn't all that far away, and we have a few connections there as well.” He dropped his hand and leveled me with a look. “Don’t worry, Harlow. We’re doing everything we can to find your friend,” Alex’s eyes moved to Grayson, “and your brother.” After a beat of silence, Grayson nodded. I sighed and then sat back in my seat, waiting for Alex to continue.
He nodded to Texas and then to Marv. "Y'all will be going with her." Then his eyes settled back on me. "Get ready to pack, kiddo," he said, "you're going to college."
I blinked, confused. "Wait,” I said, “I'm enrolled?"
Alex nodded. "As of yesterday, you, Marv, and Texas start school in exactly two weeks."
Even Marv's eyes widened as he sat forward. "We’re doing this legitimately?" he asked.
Alex lowered his brows. "Everything we do is legitimate," he said.
Texas shook his head. "That's not what he means."
"I mean, are we actual students? Full-term? Dorms and everything?" Marv asked. That was something I wanted to know as well.
Alex nodded. "For the paperwork, you are full-term students. I've taken the liberty to select your classes for you when I signed you up. Technically, you're auditing the classes. No grades will be applied." Alex shot me a look. "Unless you decide that you'd like to take a grade, then let me know as soon as possible."
As much as I had once wanted to go to college, it seemed almost wrong now, what with everything going on with Erika and Josh missing. I just had to remind myself that it wasn’t for real. It was a cover, nothing more. Clarissa strode from the room and came back moments later, with a stack of papers. She handed them out and Marv was the first to respond when she handed a set to Grayson. "He's going?"
"Yes, Marv, Grayson is going. He has just as much stake in this as Harlow does. We wouldn’t have even considered him for Iris training if he couldn’t be trusted," Alex said. Though, to me, his tone brooked no argument, argue is just what Marv did.
"He dropped out," Marv snapped. "It doesn't count anymore."
"Marvin!" It wasn't Alex this time that gave the reprimand, it was Clarissa. Marv looked over at the woman's dark eyes as she stared him down with a deep frown curling her lips. "If you don't have anything nice to say, you don't say it in my house," she said coolly.
Marv pursed his lips but grumbled a, "Yes, ma'am” before glaring at Grayson, who, for his part, didn't say a thing in response. He simply looked down at his papers and started reading.
I glanced down at the packet I had been handed. The front page held all of my information. My full name: Harlow Elizabeth Hampton. My birthdate. My social security number...How had Alex gotten that? Oh, right...the papers I had to fill out to work at the diner. Wasn't that illegal? I peeked up at him as the others looked through their pages. Bellamy leaned over and glanced at Texas'.
I flipped to the next page. This one held my schedule. It looked like Alex had given me just enough classes to be considered a full-time student. I scanned the titles of the classes, then the times and dates.
Mondays and Wednesdays:
9:30am - 10:45am: Gothic Literature
12:30pm - 1:45pm: Introduction to Psychology
Tuesdays and Thursdays:
9:30am - 10:45am: Physical Education/Beginners Gymnastics
12pm - 1:15pm: Advanced Fiction Writing
When Bellamy looked away from Texas to look at my papers, his eyes widened, and he looked up, meeting my gaze. "Gymnastics," he mouthed with a smile. I couldn't help returning that smile. Alex didn’t say anything, but I know he noticed the quiet exchange. The corner of his mouth lifted. I hadn’t been in gymnastics for a while. I wasn’t sure how good I’d be, but it was just for beginners. It might be nice for a refresher and even if I wasn’t staying full term, it was thoughtful of Alex to give me back a bit of what I had lost, even if just for a short while.
"A month, then,” Marv said, drawing everyone's attention again.
Alex nodded. "Maximum. If nothing comes up in four weeks, then I’ll be taking over completely.” Grayson lifted a brow, but wisely didn’t say anything. Yeah, I knew it seemed like he was already taking over, but I was sure it could be a lot worse. By worse, I mean, both Grayson and I could have been cut out from the investigation completely.
"And we'll be on call at a moment’s notice," Knix said, "so don't think for a moment that you'll be off the hook. This is like any long-term operation. You report back every night." Knix's serious, blue eyes met mine. "Every. Night," he repeated.
I nodded before I asked, "Y'all staying here?"
Knix grimaced and then looked at Alex like he wanted to answer, but he didn't like the answer. It made it clear that he hadn't made the decision—whatever it was—and it was up to Alex to either change it or not. Looking around the room, all eyes were back on Alex. Clarissa put a hand on his arm as a show of strength, I guessed, but why would she need to? When Alex spoke, I understood.
"Knix and Bellamy will be staying in the Charleston area with me. Bell will be checking on your mother for you, Harlow; don't you worry about her." I blushed when I realized that I hadn't even given it any thought. How terrible of a daughter did that make me? I looked down and clenched my fingers along the edges of the papers in my lap as Alex continued talking. "Grayson, I'm sure you can come up with something to tell your family to explain your absence. If you need me to do anything, let me know. I can contact them if you need me too."
Grayson shook his head and his face remained impassive. "It’s not a problem."
I glanced at him, curious. I knew his parents were separated; I had been told way back when we were looking for the Sweratt Island thief, which had turned out to be his older brother. But would they really not notice if their other son went missing for several weeks? I watched him, but his facial expression didn't give anything away. If he thought he was getting away with that, he was dead wrong. I'd wrangle answers and information if I had to wrestle him for them.
"Alright." Even though I wanted to scream that it wasn't alright, and I wanted to demand why the hell his parents wouldn't care, Alex nodded, and the group moved on from the topic. When Grayson turned his head slightly and caught me looking, I didn't look away like I might have before. He frowned my way. Only when Texas shifted forward, blocking my sight as he answered a question from Alex that I hadn't heard, did I manage to look away.
"—dorms," Alex finished saying.
I shook my head and looked up. "What?"
"You will be staying in the dorms, Harlow," Alex said. "In fact, you'll be staying in the dorm that Erika was set to stay in. We'll need you to ask questions there. See if anyone knew Erika. See if anyone might have any idea about where she disappeared to. She didn’t just vanish, someone knows something.” My stomach and chest clenched. She wasn't gone. She wasn't missing. We just...hadn't found her yet. She hadn't disappeared. I didn't like thinking of it like that because people who disappeared—like on those cop shows—didn't always show back up. Erika would.
"Okay," I choked out. "I can ask questions." I nodded. "No problem."
"Texas and Grayson and Marv will be sharing a house nearby—within walking distance of the campus." Alex grinned, looking to Clarissa. "Clarissa's brother works on the campus up there. Man owns quite a few local houses to rent out to college students. He's being real nice about letting us rent the house for cheap." Alex dropped his grin and looked at the boys. "So, that means no fucking anything up, you hear me?"
Everyone nodded as a unit. Even Knix, Bellamy, and me—although we wouldn't be staying there.
Clarissa stepped up by my side with a smile. "I'll be driving you to your dorm on move in day," she admitted. "Knix gave us a budget for your room, but we don't have to stick to it too strictly. I'm sure Marv wouldn't mind pitching in." She winked.
"Nope," Marv agreed. "Whatever you need, Sunshine. You just let me know. Even when we get you set up in the dorm, if you feel like you’re missing something, text me or one of the others—” he shot a glance to Grayson "—even Grayson, in case of an emergency, we'll handle it."
I smothered a sigh and a grin at the same time. There was still something between the two of them, but at least he had calmed down somewhat over Grayson joining in on the operation. His brother was involved, anyway. That thought made me let the sigh slip through as I looked back at my papers. It seemed we were back at the beginning.