Darker: The Inquirer

by M. S. Parker

  “Which looks gross,” I added. “Why would you want to see it?”

  “Because it’s art.” She gave me a look like that explained everything.

  I frowned at her, confused. “Tattoos as artwork I get. This, you’re going to need to explain.”

  She shrugged. “It’s kinda like those artists who take someone else’s work and put stuff on it to make something new. Like at art club at school, Jordan Risen brought in this one thing, where he took a print of that Van Gough painting A Starry Night and then put all these rocks on it, creating this new design.”

  I looked at Kaimi and then at Sitara, who looked like she was trying not to laugh. “I honestly have no response to that.”

  Rose grinned. “Does that mean I get to see it?”

  Bradyn looked to Kaimi first, which gave him major points with both of us. When she shrugged, he looked at me, and I did the same, then we waited to see what he’d do.

  “Sure.”

  He’d bought a flannel shirt earlier today when he’d finally admitted that it was too cold to be in short sleeves, and I’d told him he looked like a lumberjack cowboy. He also looked hot.

  Then again, he looked that way no matter what he was – or wasn’t – wearing.

  He shrugged off the flannel and pulled up the sleeve of his white undershirt. He’d chosen the scales of justice on the outside of his upper left arm. Considering what we were both working on, it seemed appropriate. I didn’t know everything about him, but I did know him well enough to see that he cared about justice more than anyone else I’d ever known.

  “That is so cool,” Rose said. Her fingers hovered over it, but she didn’t touch. “How much did it hurt?”

  “Not as much as mine,” I cut in. “But he didn’t cry, so he did good.”

  He lifted an eyebrow at me. “Did you cry?”

  “Nope.”

  He looked at Kaimi. “Is she lying?”

  She mimed zipping her lips, locking them, and throwing away the key. I kicked her under the table. She knew damn well I hadn’t cried.

  “Mom says I have to wait until I’m eighteen to get a tattoo,” Rose said. “But I can get another ear piercing for Christmas this year. Do you have any piercings?”

  “I don’t,” Bradyn said. “But my older sister, Ashley, got her ears pierced for her sweet sixteen.”

  A shadow passed over his face, and I reached over to squeeze his hand. “They’d call if Clancy wasn’t okay.”

  He let out a long breath. “I’m not so sure.”

  “Your mom told you when he went to the hospital,” I reminded him.

  “Who’s Clancy?” Rose asked.

  “Bradyn’s nephew. He had to have surgery because his appendix burst.”

  Rose’s light brown eyes went wide. “That can be really bad. Is he okay?”

  “He is,” Bradyn said. “But he has to be in the hospital for a while.” His expression became serious. “Waiting to hear how the surgery went was one of the worst nights of my life.” He squeezed my hand this time. “I wouldn’t have gotten through it without Nyx.”

  “You were at the hospital with him?” Kaimi’s tone was casual, but I knew her too well.

  “Yeah, I went with him.” My eyes met hers, and I didn’t look away. “And, yeah, I met his family.”

  “Damn.”

  Bradyn looked from me to Kaimi and then back at me. Wisely, he didn’t say anything. If he thought about it, he’d figure out that I’d never met anyone’s family before. We didn’t need to talk about it.

  “Bradyn, can you help me with my homework?” Rose asked. “Sitara’s going back to the shop, and Mom wants to talk to Nyx about you.”

  “Rose,” Kaimi said sharply.

  She shrugged. “What? It’s true.”

  Bradyn looked at me, his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh. He stood up. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s do some homework.”

  We took the subway home, and that was almost as amusing as watching Rose explaining Common Core math to him. Sure, he’d met my family – my real family – at the wedding but spending time with people at something like that was a ton different than hanging out with them at home. I hadn’t realized how nervous I’d been about today. If it hadn’t been a last minute kinda thing, I probably would’ve freaked out.

  Now though, I was so glad he’d thought up coming here because I knew that the people I loved the most approved of him and liked him. And he liked them.

  Today, more than anything else that had happened between Bradyn and me, made me think that this thing with us might not crash and burn after all. It also forced me to admit that I not only could trust him but that I wanted to trust him. I didn’t know if I’d be able to tell him that anytime soon, but I knew how I could show him.

  I kicked off my shoes and closed the door, locking it behind me. Then, before I could lose my nerve, I reached out and grabbed the belt loops of his jeans. He’d barely managed to get his shoes off when I pulled him over to the couch. When I pushed him down onto it, his face wore a mix of surprise and confusion. It wasn’t until I knelt in front of him that his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

  I worked open his pants before he managed to recover and grab my wrists.

  “You don’t need to do this, firebird.” His voice was gentle.

  My eyes met his and held them as I said, “I want to. Let me.”

  He groaned. “Fuck, Nyx. How am I supposed to be a gentleman when I’ve been dreamin’ about havin’ your mouth on me almost since the moment I set eyes on you?”

  “Then don’t be a gentleman.” I looked down and focused on tugging his pants down far enough to let me get to his underwear. “Tell me that you want me to suck your cock. Tell me you want to fuck my mouth until you come.”

  He cursed but didn’t try to stop me as I lowered the waistband of his underwear and freed his dick. He was only half-erect, but just that little bit of talking had gotten him this hard. It wouldn’t take much to get him all the way, but before he was too big and thick for me to handle much more than a couple inches, I’d try to get as close to all of him as I could.

  I wrapped my fingers around him and pulled on him once, twice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hands curling into fists on either side of his thighs, and I smiled. For the first time, I understood the power I had through this.

  “It’s okay to put your hands on my head,” I said as I bent down and took the tip of him between my lips.

  His entire body jerked, and I ran my tongue around the head, getting a taste of him before I took all of him into my mouth.

  “Fuck!” His hips bucked, and if he’d been completely erect, I would’ve gagged.

  As it was, he was almost too big like this, and I could feel him swelling. With one hand on his thigh to keep me balanced, I licked and sucked him to the point where I had to back off, an inch at a time, until I wasn’t in danger of choking anymore. His hand came up to my head.

  “Can…” His voice was rough. “Can I take your hair down?”

  I let him slip out of my mouth and glanced up at him. “Yes.”

  My hand moved over his thick shaft, and I used my tongue to trace the vein that ran along the bottom of it before licking a bead of pre-cum from the tip. As his fingers released my hair, it fell around my face, hiding me until he pushed it back. Strong fingers massaged my scalp and drew a moan. His response was to tighten his grip on my hair, giving me little zings of pain that made my stomach twist with pleasure.

  Damn. I was getting turned on by giving him head, something I’d never have dreamed was possible. I squeezed my legs together.

  “Are you wet, little firebird?” When I didn’t answer, he asked it again. “Are you wet?”

  “Yes,” I whispered before returning to suck the tip of him.

  “Then touch yourself.” He groaned. “Fuck, Nyx. Touch yourself. Make yourself come with me.”

  I didn’t think about it. Didn’t let myself think about any of it. I gave myself over to everything that was bu
ilding inside me and shoved my hand into my pants. It wasn’t easy working with one hand, but I was able to get my fingers where I wanted them. I rubbed my clit as I pulled him back into my mouth, sucking hard enough to make him squirm.

  As he cursed and called out my name, I lost myself in the haze of pleasure, letting the pressure and friction from my fingers mix with the pain of him pulling my hair. The weight of him on my tongue, the taste of him, did something to me, and as he warned me that he was coming, I took as much of him as I could into my mouth, tightening my lips around him.

  He came with a shout, and I pressed my fingers hard against my clit, letting the sensation carry me over the edge, even as I swallowed everything he gave me. I kept him in my mouth as my climax flooded over me, sucking on him until he tugged on my hair to signal that he’d had enough.

  My muscles were weak as I raised my head to look up at him. He took my face between his hands and pressed his lips to mine in a slow, sweet kiss. Then he kissed my forehead and pulled me up onto his lap.

  “Thank you.” He kissed the side of my neck. “Thank you for giving me that. For trusting me.”

  As he wrapped his arms around me, and I settled against his chest, I knew things between us had shifted. And I wasn’t nearly as scared as I always thought I would be. I was safe with him.

  Twenty-Seven

  Nyx

  Since we were at my place, it only seemed fair I make him breakfast, but getting out of bed was harder than it should have been. Unlike the double in Bradyn’s cabin, my bed was a single, and it’d always been barely enough for me.

  Even by himself, Bradyn would’ve been cramped. With two of us, we hadn’t really had an option that didn’t involve us being all tangled up together. Surprisingly, it hadn’t bothered me. Sure, if I had to sleep like this all the time, I’d probably hate it since stretching out wasn’t really possible, but for the here and now, I liked it. Hell, I liked it enough that I didn’t want to get up.

  But I needed to go to the bathroom, and breakfast wasn’t going to make itself.

  I stayed in the t-shirt and shorts I’d worn to bed, not even bothering to put on a bra. I rarely wore one when I was alone, and he’d seen me naked. If I felt comfortable enough with him to suck his dick, I could damn well walk around without a bra. The only thing I did do was brush out my hair and pull it back in a ponytail so it’d be out of my way.

  I didn’t have much in the way of food since I hadn’t known when I’d be back, but I had frozen waffles and a bottle of maple syrup I always kept on hand for the times Rose came over. That girl loved her waffles. I’d buy more when I came back for good.

  When?

  Shit.

  Between all the shit that going to see Ambrose had stirred up and then coming here, I’d forgotten that I had a choice to make. This new information changed things. Or, at least, it could change things. Whether or not it actually did was up to me.

  I shook my head. I wasn’t even close to being awake enough to deal with this. I needed coffee and food. After that, I’d start with the decision-making.

  I was refilling my coffee mug and pulling waffles from the toaster oven when Bradyn appeared in the kitchen. I was happy to see that he hadn’t put on a shirt or brushed his hair, but not just because he was insanely hot when he was all messy and half-naked. I liked that he felt comfortable enough here to come straight from bed to the table.

  “Waffles?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Before you start thinking I have some great cooking skills, you should know I bought them. I can toast the hell out of them, but that’s the extent of my waffle-making skills.” I poured a second cup of coffee and held it out to him. “Have some caffeine.”

  “That’s the sort of mornin’ after talk I like,” he teased as he took the mug. “I love your place, but that bed was not made for two people.”

  I laughed. “I agree.”

  I didn’t say anything about buying a new one for future sleepovers, but I also didn’t say that I wasn’t planning on having two people in it again either, so that was some growth there.

  I waited until we were almost done with our food before I brought up the subject I’d put aside less than an hour ago. I trusted Bradyn, and he already knew most of the details of what was going on, which made him the most logical person to talk to about the choice I had to make.

  “Can I get your opinion on something?”

  He looked surprised but didn’t do anything but answer my question. “Sure.”

  “Ambrose is the one who sent Min to me with this case,” I began. I spoke slowly, putting my thoughts together as I went. “He says he didn’t know that his family was connected to the case at all or that I’d end up in Savannah because of it. Except, I don’t know if I can believe him, and not just because of what his brother did to me. Apparently, ever since I told about Art molesting me, Ambrose has been playing puppet master – or maybe fairy godfather – to me. He says he’s the reason I was released at eighteen instead of twenty-one and why I was allowed to move from Rochester to New York City only a few days after my release.”

  “Did he say you owed him?” Bradyn’s voice was tight, and when I looked at him, I saw the anger flashing in his eyes.

  “No. He didn’t ask me for anything or even hint that he wanted something from me,” I said. “He feels guilty that he didn’t know what Art was doing to me.”

  “Do you blame him? Ambrose, I mean? Do you blame him for not stoppin’ his brother?”

  I shook my head. “Not really. Not for that.”

  “But you do blame him for somethin’.” Bradyn made it a statement rather than a question.

  “I blame everyone for not believing me.” Other than Kaimi, I’d never said that to another person. I hadn’t even said it to any of the therapists I’d been forced to see.

  “If Ambrose didn’t believe you, then why would he feel guilty for not stoppin’ Art?”

  I opened my mouth and realized I had no answer because I hadn’t thought the question until the moment Bradyn said it. Now that it was in my head, though, I only had one response.

  “Motherfucking bastard.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Sharp pain in my palms made me realize I’d been digging my nails into my own skin. I put my hands flat on the table as I explained, “If he’s been doing all this for me since I accused Art, why didn’t he tell everyone that he believed me? I was a kid, and everyone said I was lying. My mom. My sister. Everyone. I didn’t have a single person on my side.”

  Bradyn reached across and rested his fingers on mine, not holding them, just touching. “I wish I could’ve protected you from all of them.”

  A lump formed in my throat, and I had to swallow hard before speaking. “Thank you.”

  We sat like that for a minute before I pulled back and returned to the original topic.

  “So, Ambrose says he didn’t know that the case Min had would end up in Savannah, let alone connect to a family who employs his family’s law firm, but I don’t know if I can believe him.”

  Yeah, I repeated a bit, but I needed my head back into this rather than the new revelation that Ambrose had believed me this whole time but never said a word.

  I could be pissed off about that later.

  “You think he has an ulterior motive?” Bradyn followed the change smoothly. “For the case, I mean. I can see guilt being the primary motive for him trying to help you, but how would sending you to Savannah and having you deal with his family’s law firm make him feel like he was atoning for something wrong?”

  “It doesn’t,” I admitted. “Which is what makes this whole thing more confusing.” I sighed. “I’ve been having this argument in my head about coincidence and fate, and this just makes it worse. I mean, if he didn’t know anything about the case other than it needed someone to research it, then is it coincidence that he sent it my way or is it some fucked-up kind of fate?”

  I got up to refill my coffee and then admitted that more caffeine was probab
ly not the best idea for me right now. I rinsed the cup and put it in the sink. As I moved to the fridge, I felt Bradyn’s eyes on me, but he didn’t say anything.

  “I think I’m making this more complicated than it needs to be,” I said as I took out two bottles of water, then returned to my seat. “Basically, I’m trying to figure out if I should just stay here and consider my work done, now that I know who it came from, or should I see it through, even if it means I might have to confront members of the Check family, who’d probably like to kill me.”

  I had a feeling Bradyn thought I was being overly dramatic with that last bit, but I was serious. The entire Check family, except for Ambrose, wanted me dead. I didn’t plan to get into that, though. I’d shared a lot with Bradyn in the short time we’d known each other, but I wasn’t ready to tell him everything yet.

  “Would the whole coincidence or fate thing make a difference?” he asked.

  I gave myself a full minute to consider the question. “Probably not.”

  “Does the person who sent Min to you change the way you feel about the case? Pick some other asshole to be the one who sent Min. Everything else is the same. Quality of representation would be the same. Cost. Everything but that one element.”

  I didn’t really need to think about it. “I’d see it through to the end. It’s about the client getting justice.”

  “I think that’s your answer then.”

  He was right. Ambrose was a good lawyer, and he’d treat the Douglasses fairly. I was certain about that. With how important this case could be, not just for Kathie’s family, but also for the Huxleys, and for whatever precedent it could set, it didn’t matter if I had personal issues with the senior partner at Min’s law firm. This was bigger than me.

  “I’m going back.”

  He didn’t try to hide his relief, and that made me a little worried. Even if I spent another couple weeks in Savannah, I’d still be coming back here. I cared about Bradyn more than I’d ever cared about a guy, but Kaimi and Rose were here. Sitara too. She might’ve been new family, but she was family. Bradyn and I would have to have a talk soon about the distance between our homes, but that wasn’t something we had to discuss today.