Inferno Anthology

by Gow, Kailin

  “How come?” I smiled, enjoying the fact that she was going to relentlessly pursue this.

  “Because. I want to know everything about you. Isn’t there anything you want to know about me?”

  “Lots of things,” I replied, kissing her head. “How about you try guessing how I got my nickname and I’ll let you know if you were right.”

  “Okay. Do you shoot guns—like a six shooter, maybe?”

  I chuckled. “I can shoot a gun with fairly good accuracy, but no. That’s not where it came from.”

  “You can shoot? Will you teach me?” she asked, surprising me.

  “What would you need a gun for?”

  “Nothing, I hope. But it never hurts to be prepared.”

  “So, I’m guessing your dad is pro guns?”

  “I think so. I really try not to pay too much attention to his policies. Politics kind of bore me. Is that bad?” She continued absently trailing her finger over my kneecap.

  “No. Everybody has things that interest them. I don’t think anyone would fault you from running from something that’s being forced down your throat. What’s your next guess?” I asked, wanting to move away from the subject of her father.

  “Well, you aren’t dead, so that rules out six feet under or deep sixed.”

  “Thank goodness for that.” I tried to suppress my grin.

  “Hmm. We already established that it’s not your six tattoos. Did something happen to you when you were six?”

  I laughed. “No. At least not that I remember.”

  She sighed heavily. “Did you sleep with six girls in one night?”

  I could easily hear the disdain mixed in her voice and I laughed even harder. “That’s not it, either.”

  “The same girl six times in one night?” Tilting her head she looked up at me.

  “No. If it will ease your mind, it has nothing to do with sex. But now that you bring it up, I think we should totally set a six times record with each other. That sounds fun.”

  “It sounds like I’d need a wheelchair to get around afterward.”

  I snorted, laughing even harder. “I had no idea you were so funny.”

  “Does it have anything to do with setting a record?” she asked. Like a dog sniffing out a bone, she wasn’t giving up.

  “Nope. Do you need a hint?”

  She sighed, seeming reluctant to ask for one. “I guess.”

  Wrapping my arms around her, I hugged her tightly to me. “My grandpa gave it to me, sorta.”

  “That’s not a very helpful clue. Wait!” She glanced at me, her eyes sparkling. “Where you his sixth grandchild?”

  “That’s a good guess,” I replied.

  “Did I get it?” she asked excitedly.

  “No.”

  Huffing a breath of exasperation, she slid her hands over my arms. “That’s so not fair. You got me all excited.”

  “Did I now? I know how to take care of that for you,” I teased, sliding one of my hands lower.

  “No!” she said, grabbing my hand and stilling it. “No more sex until I know how you got your nickname.”

  “Say what? How is that fair? Why should I be punished just because you can’t guess?” I threaded my fingers through hers.

  “Or you could just tell me, yourself, and solve the problem. I want to know more about you than just your body—which is so amazing, by the way.”

  “Back atcha, sweetheart. Fine,” I said, relenting. “Since you’re threatening to take away all our fun, I guess I’ll have to tell you or we might never have sex, again. And, that would be a terrible shame.”

  She nodded. “Very terrible.”

  I laughed. “My grandpa was a pilot in the military when he was younger. Whenever I’d go to his house, when I was little, I always wanted to hang out with him and watch him work on cars, and basically do whatever he was doing. He’d say, ‘Come on. I got your six,’ whenever we went outside together. It’s a common phrase pilots used—a way of saying. ‘I’ll cover your tail.’ Well, I was young enough I didn’t really understand what it meant. I thought he was saying, ‘I’ve got you, Six.’ I’d get mad at my mom when she called me Trey, because Grandpa said my name was Six. The family got quite the kick out of it, and it just kind of stuck after that.”

  “Oh my gosh!” she crooned, raising her hand to cover her heart. “That is like the sweetest story, ever! What a wonderful tribute to your grandpa. He must’ve been so proud of you.”

  Memories of my grandpa flitted through my mind, bringing a smile to my face. “I hope he was. I sure miss having him around.”

  “How’d he die?” she asked.

  “Sudden heart attack. He lived a good full life, right up until that moment. He was ninety years old.”

  “I’m glad you were able to spend so much time with him. My grandparents are all living, but none of them are from around here. I don’t get to see them very often, but I love when they come to visit. I think my dad keeps them away, though. They don’t like putting up with his holier-than-thou attitude.”

  “Even his parents?” I asked.

  “Yep,” she replied with a nod.

  “That’s too bad.”

  Silence resumed between us for several moments.

  “So, now you have to guess my middle name,” she finally spoke.

  “Penelope,” I replied instantly and she turned her head, staring slack jawed at me.

  “How did you know?”

  Laughing, I replied. “I saw it on your fake ID the other night.”

  “That’s so not fair!” She scooted away from me and I laughed, grabbing her and dragging her back.

  “Turn around and kiss me,” I ordered.

  Unhesitating, she did as I asked, wrapping her soapy arms around my neck as her lips pressed mine, and I adjusted my legs so she could straddle me.

  She pulled back slightly. “I have to say, this has been the best bath I’ve ever taken,” she said with a smile.

  “I agree,” I replied, staring at her perfect full lips and she kissed me, again.

  ***

  “Shhh,” she whispered urgently, her hand tightening against mine. “Stick to the shadows and no one should see you. They’ll come in the front.”

  “I’ll call you later.” Bending, I kissed her lips briefly before I slipped out the door. Hearing it latch behind me, I quickly hurried to the end of the porch before darting down the concrete steps and running toward the gazebo.

  “I don’t care what you have to do!” The angry voice of Mayor Scott filtered through the air. And to my horror, I realized he was standing in the gazebo, facing away from me. Hitting the ground, I rolled up against one of the green hedges in the planter around it. Glancing back toward the house, I saw Brooklyn staring out of the glass in the door, her eyes wide. “Just make sure this doesn’t leak.” Scott’s voice sounded harsh, even though he was speaking in low tones. He was very angry. “Do whatever you have to do. Destroy the reports, the evidence, or bribe someone, if necessary. If it gets out that the car that killed Thomas can be traced back to me, my career is over—and so is yours.”

  Thomas. Thomas. The name reverberated over and over in my head. Scott was responsible for Tommy’s death?

  The back door burst open and Brooklyn came running out. “Dad!” she called brightly, ignoring me completely as she jogged toward the gazebo. “I’m starving! Do you think we can order some pizza to be delivered?”

  “I’ve got to go. Take care of it,” Scott said, turning to face her. “Brooklyn, please don’t interrupt me when I’m on a business call. You know how much I dislike that.”

  “Sorry, Dad. I’ve just been home alone for a while and I didn’t feel like cooking for myself. I got my homework done, though.”

  Brooklyn stood on the opposite side of him as they exited the gazebo together, detracting his attention from my direction. “Surely there’s something healthier that your mom can fix you. I don’t want you gaining weight from poor food choices. That wouldn’t look good.”
>
  It took every bit of self-restraint for me to not jump up and plant my fist in his face. Was he seriously lecturing her about her weight after the conversation I’d just overheard? Scott Hall was a full-fledged asshole; and suddenly I was worried I’d just let my girlfriend walk off with a murderer.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Brooklyn

  Quickly, I grabbed my phone, hoping the sound of the loud ring tone hadn’t done any damage. “Hello?” I whispered, as I tiptoed past the baby’s room, moving down the hall toward the Marvin’s living room.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” Six’s voice traveled through the receiver. “Whadaya doin’?” His voice sounded slurred.

  “Are you…drunk?” I was surprised. I mean, I knew he drank, but I’d never seen him intoxicated.

  “Maybe juss a lil bit,” he responded. “Where are ya?”

  Lifting the phone away from my ear, I listened carefully, hearing nothing. I relaxed slightly. “I’m babysitting for my next door neighbors, the Marvin’s. I just got the baby to sleep, thank goodness. She’s been a little on the colicky side.”

  “You baby ssit peoples kidss? That’ss really nice.”

  I smiled at his surprised voice. “Not very often. Around here, people usually hire nannies. But the Marvins’ nanny fell down the stairs earlier and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Mrs. Marvin is friends with my mom, so she called and asked for a favor.” I paused briefly before continuing. “How are you doing? You never called me after you left yesterday. I texted you, but you didn’t text back.”

  Again, a heavy pause rested between us. “I…I nneeded to think about ssome things.”

  My accelerating heart rate didn’t like the sound of that. Had he decided he wasn’t interested in me anymore? Panic fluttered inside me. “Is everything okay?” Slowly, I sank to the arm of the sofa.

  “We nneed to ttalk,” he responded.

  Oh my gosh. He was going to break up with me! Immediately, my eyes flooded with tears. “All right,” I said much more calmly than I felt. “When?”

  “Ssoon. Really ssoon.” There was a sudden click and the line went dead. Lifting the phone away from my ear, I saw the call had been disconnected. I dropped my hand into my lap as I slid off the arm of the couch to the seat, curling my knees up tightly under my chin.

  The house was so quiet I could hear the grandfather clock ticking away, each second my heart growing heavier and heavier with trepidation. Something was obviously wrong, but even as I grew more worried with every passing moment, I became even more painfully aware of something else.

  Yes, I’d spent the last year infatuated with Six. And even though the lust factor between us was off the charts, there was something inside me growing much stronger—something I’d never felt like this before. I was falling head over heels in love with him. But judging from our short conversation tonight, he wasn’t feeling the same way.

  The rational side of my brain told me to stay calm and listen to what he had to say. My emotions, however, dictated I jump into my car and race across town to his apartment and bang down his door until he let me in and explained everything.

  I couldn’t lose him.

  Unable to stand sitting there any longer, I stood and paced over to the window, staring out in hopes of seeing the Marvin’s coming home. Instead, I saw something else that surprised me completely. Six was at the end of the driveway standing outside the gate, bending to study the buttons on the keypad. Rushing over to the security system, I pushed the button that allowed him access before hurrying back to the front door and closing it behind me.

  “Six!” I called, waving to him. He stared at me as he slowly walked up the driveway, not returning my gesture. Something was definitely wrong, especially if he was risking coming in the front gate and being seen by people. “Where’s your car?” I asked when he was next to me.

  “Brandon dropped me off.” I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

  “How’d you know which house to come to?”

  “You ssaid you were next door. The other house iss dark.” He wavered slightly.

  Reaching out, I linked my arm through his. “You’re really drunk. Come on. Let’s sit you down. Please try to keep your voice down. The baby is sleeping.” I guided him back inside and led him over to the couch. Once he was settled, I sat beside him. “What’s going on?”

  Sighing heavily, he leaned his head against the back of the couch, turning to look at me. I held my breath in anticipation, waiting for him to lower the hammer.

  “I overheard something…by accident.”

  Okay. I wasn’t expecting him to say that. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

  “Yessterday. When I left. I heard your dad on the phone.”

  This was about my dad? Briefly, my heart relaxed. Maybe this had nothing to do with me. Immediately, it clenched, again. But why would Six be so upset if it didn’t? Did Dad know about us? “Go on,” I encouraged him.

  He sighed, again, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly. “I don’t know how to tell you thiss. I don’t want to hhurt you.”

  Now I was getting scared. “Just say it.”

  His eyes never left mine. “I th…think your dad might’ve been the one who killed Tommy.”

  Cold prickles raced over my skin as my heart started thudding harder. “What?” It was the only word I could manage.

  “He was talking to ssomeone, telling them to destroy the evidence. He said if word got out that…that the ccar that killed Tommy can be traced to hhim his career would b…be over.”

  Dread ran through my veins, a sickening thud pounding in my chest. My dad…he wouldn’t…he couldn’t, could he? If this was true, then he was much more dangerous than I ever thought he was. “You need to go, now!” I said to Six, pushing at him to get him to move.

  “I…I know you’re angry, but pplease. I only meant to wwarn you.” Hurt was plainly evident in his eyes.

  “I’m not upset with you, Six, but if what you’re telling me is true, then we can’t see each other anymore. Don’t you get that? If my dad can do this to my brother, then what might he try to do to you? You have to leave. We can’t do anything to anger him.” Standing, I grabbed his hand and attempted to pull him up, but he didn’t budge.

  “You…you really think I would g…go and leave you behind with someone who might be a killer?” He yanked on my arm, pulling me down on top of him. I could smell the alcohol on his breath as he cupped my face in his hands. “Run away with me.” He stated this with perfect clarity and I could see the sincerity in his eyes.

  “How would that help anything?” I asked, softly. “Do you think my dad would just let me go? That he wouldn’t search for me?”

  “It would help because I…I’d know you were safe. We could go to Mexico and get m…married.”

  Despite what he’d just told me, I couldn’t help my smile. “While I love that you want to take care of me—and I’m pretty sure I’d love being married to you—I refuse to accept any proposals from you while you’re drunk. I’m not sure you’re going to remember any of this later.” Briefly, I kissed his lips and got off before he could get me too entangled with him. “I’m going to make you some coffee, now. You need to get sobered up.”

  Leaving him on the couch, I hurried into the kitchen, quickly opening their cupboards as I searched for coffee. My thoughts wandered to Tommy and what he could possibly have done that would have made him a threat to my dad. Tears welled in my vision as I set the pot up to brew. I couldn’t wrap my head around this information. There was still this niggling doubt of hope inside me, that perhaps Six was just drunk and confused—saying things he didn’t really mean. After all, he had just suggested we run away to Mexico and get married. Was it bad, that for one second, I thought it sounded like a brilliant plan?

  Warm strong arms slipped around me from behind, the weight of his chin resting on the top of my head. “I’m sorry I drank too much. All I could think about was that you’re living with a…a—,”

 
“Sh!” I replied, turning to place my finger over his lips. “Don’t say it.”

  “B…but you believe me, don’t you?” His eyes widened as he stared at me.

  “I believe you, but I also need to try to find out what happened. If my dad did, in fact, kill Tommy, then he needs to be turned over to the authorities. We’re going to need to find some proof.”

  Six sighed, releasing me and walking to sit on one of the barstools next to the granite island. “I think that sounds too…too dangerous.”

  “He has no reason to suspect that I know anything. I’m beneath suspicion right now. I can look around in places others can’t—both at home and at his office. He always wants me there to help do things with his campaign. I’ll pay extra attention—listen carefully—maybe I can get hold of his phone and find out who he received calls from on Sunday.”

  Silence settled between us until the coffee pot beeped, signaling it was finished. Fishing a mug from the cupboard, I poured a cup and carried it to the bar, setting it in front of him.

  Sliding into the barstool beside him, I propped my elbows on the granite surface, resting my head in my palms. When did my life become so complicated? I’d always followed the rules, always gone with the flow. Then I met Six, and everything seemed to be turning upside down. I was sneaking around, and that sneaking around had now revealed something terrible I’d never even dreamed possible. Was my whole life a sham? Did my mom know anything about my dad and his possible transgression?

  I’d have never known any of this if it hadn’t been for hooking up with Six, but still, even with this news, I wouldn’t change it. I couldn’t think of one time that I’d ever felt so…happy. He made me feel happy, wanted, not just an object set aside, only used when needed.

  Long minutes passed, both of us lost in our own thoughts, while Six drank his coffee. As soon as he was done, I poured him another cup and sat down beside him, again.

  “I wish my dad could just be like other normal dads—family oriented and caring about people. I hate that I can’t just tell him I’m dating someone and trust him to be okay with it.”

  Six snorted. “Sweetheart, I’m not sure any dad would be comfortable with me dating their daughter.”