Chapter Sixteen
“I wonder who this Roman guy is,” Gabe said, his hands tight on the steering wheel. They were stopped at a red light, and he glanced over at her as they waited for it to turn green. “I’ve never heard the name before, but from what Ginny said, he claimed to be an old friend of Dad and Geoffrey.”
“Well we can’t ask them,” she said as the light turned green and Gabe took off. “They’re not going to tell us even if they did know who he is.” She chewed on her lip, thinking about the best way to find Roman. “Maybe Mom would be our best bet. She may have heard the name back in the day, before Dad and Geoffrey got all secretive.”
“Even if she did know, you think she’d tell us who he is?” He sounded doubtful, and Gwen didn’t blame him. It was going to be a long shot. “I think Mom would keep any of the family secrets, especially ones regarding Ginny.”
“She might let something slip. She’s not herself lately, Gabe. She’s been keeping things bottled up and not letting it out. If we strike the right nerve, she might snap and tell us without meaning to.” Gabe opened his mouth, and she sighed. “I know it’s not nice,” she interrupted him. “But we have to quit playing nice. If we ever want our answers, we can’t afford to.” When he didn’t say anything, she looked over and found Gabe staring at her, as if he was seeing her for the first time. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, trying not to let him know that he was unnerving her.
“Don’t let yourself turn into them,” he said, bringing his eyes back to the road. “I know we have to be a little bit ruthless to get answers, but playing people isn’t something either of us should be doing.” He pulled into the Grady’s driveway, parking in their usual spot beneath the oak tree. As he got out of the car, he sighed. “I guess I’ll follow your lead with Mom. You can probably get more out of her than I can after the way I’ve been acting towards them lately.”
He was letting her take the lead. Suddenly she was feeling nervous and unsure, doubting whether this was the right thing to be doing. How was she going to get her mom to tell them what they wanted to know when she would be on her guard and trying to keep secrets like everyone else? Gwen highly doubted her mom would just open up and tell them everything they wanted to know without some kind of explanation for them asking. That meant she would have to tell them about Ginny’s diary and Skyler, which she didn’t want to do.
Sighing, she made her way up the porch and into the living room. Karen was curled up on the couch with a glass of ice cold tea and one of her many books, and Gwen almost smiled at the sight of her. That was the mom she knew, the one that enjoyed peace and quiet and had shared her love of books with her daughter. Gwen lingered in the doorway at the sight of her, wondering if it was right to disturb her mother when she’d finally managed to find some semblance of peace at a time like this. As she stood there, she felt her determination wavering.
Karen glanced up, a tiny smile gracing her face. “You two are home earlier than I thought you’d be.”
“We just had lunch with Tiffany,” she said, forcing herself to move into the living room instead of lingering in the doorway. “We thought she could use the company, and so could we.”
Karen nodded, the smile fading from her face. She slid her bookmark between the pages and closed the book, setting it on the table next to her drink. “I understand how you two are feeling right now.” She patted the spot on the couch beside her, and Gwen dutifully sat down, while Gabe chose to linger by the end of the couch. “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but when I was about your age, I lost a very good friend of mine in a car accident.”
“You never told us,” Gwen said, her voice strained.
“It was a long time ago, before I graduated. It was so sudden and very unexpected. She was always the cautious driver of our little group. That just goes to show you that sometimes things happen for no reason, and there’s really nothing you can do to prevent them. She was a safe driver, but the other driver wasn’t. There are things that are out of our control, and we have to do our best to deal with them and move on with our lives.”
“How long did it take you to move on?”
Karen sighed. “A very long time. I felt a tremendous amount of guilt, but more than that, I felt fear. You see, I was supposed to be in the car with her that night, but a last minute change in plans forced me to cancel on her. Her car was completely totaled, Gwen. If I’d been with her, there’s no way I would have survived the crash. I would have died just like she did, and that weighed on me for months after. I didn’t get behind the wheel of a car for almost a whole year; my fear and uncertainty wouldn’t let me.”
“That’s why you’re such a cautious driver now, isn’t it?” Gwen asked, realization dawning on her. She thought back to all the times she and Gabe had been late to school functions over the years because their mother refused to drive over the speed limit. “You hate it when Dad drives when he’s angry, and it’s because you’re scared of getting into an accident.”
“Not of getting into an accident necessarily,” Karen corrected. “More of losing someone else I love. An accident is a scary thing, but losing someone is even scarier. You’ve recently lost someone very dear to you, and it’s gonna take a very long time to fully heal. I just wanted you two to know that I understand where you’re at right now, and that I’ll do my best to help you heal and move forward. I know things are tense right now, but if you ever wanna talk, I’ll listen. I promise.”
Out of nowhere, Gwen had the strongest urge to tell her mother about everything: the diary, Skyler, werewolves, and their theories about their family’s past. She suppressed the urge, forcing herself to keep silent about all of it. Even if she did tell her mom, she’d think she was crazy. It would be better to just stick to the plan for now and ask about Roman and gauge her mother’s reaction.
“Mom? Have you ever heard about anyone named Roman?”
Her mother’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and her eyes widened, but Gwen sensed that she was just caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. When she regained her composure, she tilted her head up, giving her question serious thought. Gwen didn’t rush her mom, knowing that this could be a very important part of the puzzle.
Finally, her mother shook her head. “Not that I recall, but I’ve always been very bad when it comes to names.” Her eyes fell on her children, and she frowned. “Why? What made you ask about it right this moment?”
“No reason,” Gwen said, sinking back into the seat. “It’s just a name I’ve heard around town.”
Her mother didn’t look too convinced, but she didn’t press Gwen for more answers. She was surprised when her mother picked up her book and started reading again, her focus solely on the story in her hands. She and Gabe traded quick glances with one another, and without another word, Gwen slid off the couch, leaving her mother alone to finish her book and enjoy her peace and quiet. That was probably the first time their mother had ever not pried for some kind of explanation, especially since she had to know that Gwen had had an ulterior reason for asking.
They put their heads together in the corner, both as stunned as the other. “Well, what do you think?” he asked.
“I believe her,” Gwen said. “She doesn’t know who this Roman guy is, which means that’s something else Dad is keeping from her.” She frowned at the thought. “He and Uncle Geoffrey are gonna be the only ones who can tell us.”
“We should go ask him now,” Gabe said. “He’s in the kitchen.”
“He’s not gonna tell us,” Gwen pointed out.
“No shit. But his reaction to hearing the name might tell us something.”
Gwen frowned. “So much for not playing people. Or does Dad not count since you’re so angry at him now?”
Gabe ignored her and headed for the kitchen. Gwen huffed and followed after him, annoyed but too curious to see what Gabe would be able to get out of their father. They found him digging through the fridge, his back to them. He straightened and closed the
fridge door, coming away with a bottle of water. Cracking it open, he took a long swig of it, replaced the cap, and finally turned around to look at them. He didn’t look all that surprised to see them standing there, and Gwen wondered if he’d been trying to make them wait until they decided to leave.
Neither she nor Gabe had spoken to their father since his violent outburst towards their uncle, and she was positive he had been avoiding them. She couldn’t be sure if it was because he was ashamed of his actions or if it was out of anger that they’d interfered in his fight. While Geoffrey had seemed to show remorse for the fight since, their father had yet to apologize to anyone for his behavior, and she was beginning to doubt he ever would.
“Dad?” He looked at her, his eyes wary as they flitted between her and Gabe. He almost looked like a cornered animal, ready to flee at the first possible chance. It was out of the ordinary for Grant, and it made Gwen wonder what he was expecting to come from this talk. He looked ready to be on the defensive, like he was expecting them to ask him something he didn’t want to talk about.
“What do you guys want?” he asked, opening the water bottle and taking another sip. She figured he was just trying to find some kind of distraction.
She was just going to come out and ask it, with no beating around the bush. If she wanted a straight answer, her best bet was to ask a straight question. “Do you know of anyone named Roman?”
Their father froze, his hands involuntarily clenching. The water bottle crunched in his hand as it crumpled, water spilling out over the top and splashing to the floor. He didn’t seem to notice that his hand was soaked, and when Gwen tore her eyes away from the crushed bottle, she found that her father looked even angrier than he had when he was beating his brother’s face in. She actually took a step away from him, moving closer to Gabe before the outburst she knew was about to happen. Gabe tensed, preparing himself just like her.
Surprisingly, their father’s voice was quiet, but his tone was deadly. “What did you just say?”
All her life, she’d forced herself to learn to deal with her father’s temper and outbursts. She’d dealt with it for so long she had learned not to fear it so much, but the way he looked at them now had her quivering by Gabe’s side, her eyes wide and worried. It was like she had been pushing his buttons for weeks and he’d finally snapped, not like they’d asked an innocent question.
Gabe took the lead, putting himself between her and their father. “Who is Roman?”
Their father stiffened at the second mention of his name. “Where did you hear that name?” When neither of them said anything, he moved closer, towering over both of them like a skyscraper. “Answer me!”
“It’s a name we heard in town,” Gabe said, not even bothering to try and make it sound convincing or semi-plausible. “I take it you know who Roman is.”
“Bullshit,” he father said, invading Gabe’s personal space to glare down at him. “Where did you really hear it?”
Gabe glanced at Gwen out of the corner of his eyes, something their father picked up on instantly. He swung his attention over to Gwen, knowing that she was going to be easier to intimidate the truth out of. “Gwendolyn Grady, I asked you a question.” His voice was still quieter than she had ever heard it, but the intensity in it was undeniable. “Where did you hear that name? Tell me this instant.”
Her father’s anger was more controlled than she had ever remembered seeing it, and in a strange way, that scared her more than if he’d just blown up at them. “I don’t remember,” she lied, knowing he wouldn’t believe it. “I just remember hearing it somewhere.”
Her father’s eyes narrowed and she knew in that instance that she could never tell him about Ginny’s diary, about Skyler, or about anything. She and Gabe would have to be on their own during this journey. Nobody in their family was going to help them. That was for sure.
Grant glared at both of them in turn, trying to intimidate an answer out of them, but they both held firm. Neither of them was going to give him any answers, and he finally realized it after another moment of tense silence. He shook his head, a sneer on his face. “You’re both lying to me and I know it. I don’t know how you heard that name, but it can’t mean anything good, especially at a time like this.”
“So Roman does have something to do with Ginny’s death,” Gabe said, earning a startled look from Grant. “We should go to the police and tell them what we know. They might be able to find this Roman guy.”
Grant snorted. “The police wouldn’t do anything, not at this stage.” An ugly sneer twisted his face. “Ginny’s death was ruled an animal attack, remember?”
Gwen was confused by his words. The way he said it, with such emphasis on ‘animal attack’…is he implying that it wasn’t really an animal attack? They found bite wounds all over her body and ruled that the cause of her death. Before she could stop herself, her mind flashed back to the contents of the diary upstairs in its hiding place beneath the floorboards. Is it possible? I could just come right out and ask him. A question as crazy as that…he could never hide his true reaction.
She looked at Gabe and was unsurprised to find him looking as uncomfortable as her. She knew without even having to ask him that he’d somehow just reached the same conclusion as her. While they traded their secretive glances, Grant stared at them intently, waiting for either of them to say something. When it became clear they were going to keep their thoughts to themselves, he frowned. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” Without another glance at them, he stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the front door behind him as he left. The second he was gone, Gabe’s shoulders slumped as all of the fight went out of him.
“That was intense,” he said, watching out the nearby window as their father sped away in the family car.
“I can’t remember ever seeing him like that before,” Gwen said, her voice quiet and timid. “He was angry, Gabe. Really angry. Maybe we should have told him about Skyler and what he said.”
Gabe shook his head. “No. He doesn’t need to know about any of this, not until we have some solid answers. Then, we can confront all of them with it. Until then, we’re gonna have to endure all the secrets and the attitudes.” He finally tore his eyes away from the window to look down at her, his eyes gentle and a frown on his face. “Are you okay? I know his temper still gets to you sometimes. You handled that really well, Gwen. I’m proud of you.”
She sighed. “Gabe, did you hear the way he said animal attack? What are we getting ourselves into? I mean, is it possible that werewolves do exist? I’ve been wavering back and forth between what I know, and what I know. And his reaction just now makes me think that what I know is the truth, that there’s something more out there, possibly a whole world we’ve never even heard about. Am I crazy for even thinking this is all possible?”
“No,” he said, his voice quiet but sure. “I believe now. I didn’t really before, but I do now. There’s a little bit of doubt, but not much. I think we’ve accidentally stumbled into something crazy, some secret we were never supposed to know about. Ginny got caught up in something she didn’t understand and she died because of it. And we’re next if we don’t start figuring things out real soon.”
“How do we ever understand something like this?” she asked. “It’s not like we can go ask the local werewolf to share his life’s story and let us know what we’re gonna be dealing with. That would be too easy.”
“There’s always the library. That’s probably the best place to start. We can do a little digging through old books and learn a thing or two about werewolf lore.” He snorted. “I’m sure we’ll have to wade through a lot of bullshit to find any truth, but it’ll be better than nothing. Hopefully we can find books other than those crappy romance ones you read from time to time.” He glanced at her, the corner of his lips tilting up into a smirk.
“Shut up,” she said, her cheeks burning slightly. “They help pass the time.”
He chuckled, and she fought the urge to reach over and swat him on the head
. He put up his hands, a grin still on his face. “Okay, okay. I’m done.” The smile faded from his face and he got serious again. “We can head down to the library tomorrow and—”
“Tomorrow is the funeral,” Gwen said, her voice so quiet he wouldn’t have heard her if he hadn’t been standing nearly shoulder to shoulder with her. He paused, all the color draining from his face as he remembered. Tomorrow was the day they had all been anxiously awaiting, while also simultaneously dreading. Tomorrow was the day the two of them would be forced to say goodbye to Ginny in front of practically the entire town.
I don’t know if I can do this, she thought, her mind racing. It would be hard enough to face this as a family, but there’s going to be so many people there, all grieving and believing they know how we’re feeling. They’ll all be telling us how sorry they are while they turn around and gossip about how she was found…and we’ll be forced to be polite and thank them for their kind, meaningless words.
“I think I’m gonna go lay down for awhile,” she said. “I don’t think I wanna do anything else today.”
He nodded, understanding her as always. “Get some rest, Gwen. Tomorrow is gonna be a tough day for us all.”
She left the kitchen without another word, heading up the stairs one at a time. She dragged her feet as if each one weighed over a ton. She had been dreading tomorrow and what it would bring, and if she’d had a choice, she might have spent all day in bed tomorrow, hiding away from the world and letting everyone go on without her. She wasn’t sure if she had the strength to face this goodbye, even with Gabe by her side as always, offering his strength and unwavering support.
More than that though, she was worried about how her father and uncle would take it. Would they be on their best behavior and allow everyone to grieve in peace, or was there going to be some horrible scene that would shame all of them? The thought of her dad and uncle brawling over Ginny’s casket made her sick to her stomach, but she knew it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Both of them were angry enough for it to happen, and she didn’t doubt their resentment and hatred for one another would be at its peak tomorrow. Hopefully Sandra’s need for comfort would be more powerful than Geoffrey’s hatred for her father, and he would put her first.
But Uncle Geoffrey isn’t the problem. Dad is. He’s the one that will ultimately decide how tomorrow goes. It’d be nice to think that Dad will put our needs first, but I highly doubt it. Not after today…
She shut the bedroom door behind her, sealing out all of the negativity and uncertainty. It was just her, alone in an empty room. She could try to relax and get some rest in preparation for tomorrow. As she crossed the room, she passed the dress that was draped across the computer desk. It was simple and black, knee-length with a high neckline. A black satin bow tied around the back, making it look like some kind of middle school orchestra uniform, but it was the only thing she had that would work for a funeral, and she definitely hadn’t been willing to go out and shop for a dress just to wear to Ginny’s funeral.
She wasn’t going to taint one of the last things they’d been able to do together before her death.
Her legs hit the edge of the bed and she collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the soft pillow. Inhaling, she tried to get her body to unwind. The day was hardly half over, and already she felt like she was ready for bed. Time seemed to drag on during the day when she was awake, but when it was nighttime and she could be resting, it seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye, leaving her tired in the morning. No matter what she tried, she just hadn’t been able to get a decent night of sleep since arriving in Brighton almost two weeks ago.
It didn’t help that the wolves never seemed to let up, playing their symphony until the early morning hours. She knew the others heard it, but nobody other than her seemed to be as bothered by it. Perhaps that was because of her fear of wolves, or maybe it was because she’d seen them up close and personal, with their flashing fangs and angry eyes. It didn’t take much to frighten her when it came to wolves, and now all she had to do was think of the wounds Ginny suffered, and her fear was elevated to the next level.
There aren’t any wolves out there now, she thought. Now would be the perfect time to get some rest.
She closed her eyes, kicking her shoes off and letting them drop to the ground over the side of the bed. They hit the floor with a thump, and she rolled over onto her side, putting her back to the closed window and Ginny’s empty side of the room. She was going to get some sleep today. She was going to need it for tomorrow.
Revelations (Brighton Wolves #1) Page 28