Darkness Loves Company: A Tides of Darkness Prequel

by Sarah Blair

  “Hey.” He squeezed her tighter, pulling in the fresh scent from her hair. “I’ve got you, now.”

  She nodded a little, face buried in his chest. He kept her cocooned there in his arms until her shoulders lifted in a long sigh, and her grip on him slackened. He cleared the hair away from her face. She wasn’t crying, so that was a good sign.

  He framed her face in his hands. She leaned into his touch, eyes drooping shut for a second. It was so hard not to bend down and kiss her. Instead, he smoothed his thumb across her lips. Her eyes opened again with a little more light in them.

  “I’ll explain later. Promise.” Her head dropped back heavy and loose on her shoulders. “Right now, I just want to go home and sleep for a decade.”

  “Okay.” He agreed. “I’ll take you.”

  They said their goodbyes to the Williams family and Mitch gave her his coat while they waited for the valet. She relayed a brief overview of devil koalas and skimmed through details of the baby’s arrival while he navigated the streets back to her apartment, but he knew there was a great deal more she left out of the story.

  “Will you stay?” she asked before they even got to her door.

  “Want me to?”

  She nodded. “But, not for . . . .”

  “No.” He kept his eyes on her face. “You need to rest.”

  “Yeah.”

  He parked in the garage across the street and kept his hand on the small of her back while they climbed the narrow stairs. She let them in. He turned on the lights. She undressed. He checked the nooks and crannies. She crawled into bed. He tucked the covers over her.

  “You can turn the lights off,” she told him.

  He dusted his palm over her narrow forehead, sweeping silky flames of hair across the pillow. “You sure?”

  She nodded, eyelids already heavy.

  He clicked off the lamp and toed off his boots. He climbed on top of the covers and she rolled against his side. He kissed the top of her head, swirling designs across her back long after her breath evened out.

  He was exhausted enough after the day that he should have fallen to sleep right away, but his eyes refused to close.

  The detective’s words came back to him.

  New beginnings.

  He wasn’t sure if that’s what this was, but it felt like an occasion to mark. A crossroads. A path less traveled. All he knew is that it felt good to have his arms around her. It felt good that she needed him. Even better that she wanted him. She slept deep and sound. Her breath fluttered against his collarbone.

  He took out his phone and pulled up the voicemail from Deirdre. Thumb hovered over the screen, until he decided that whatever it was she’d said, he didn’t need to know. It wouldn’t change anything now. He swiped it away, along with the last bit of silent weight remaining on his chest.

  Mitch’s eyelids drooped. The shadows were finally at rest. He curled his body around Sidney, tucking her head under his chin, breathing in her essence. His heart fluttered in a different way. Lighter. It was the first day he hadn’t reached for his antacids one single time, and it occurred to him that maybe he needed Sidney’s company just as much as she needed his.

  Twenty-Eight

  Sidney stretched, long and languid. Her whole body settled heavy and completely relaxed in the bed. It was the second time in as many days she woke up feeling fully rested. She took a moment to indulge. Even though it was strange, she decided she could definitely get used to it.

  Finally she opened her eyes, blinking up at the daylight. Something was missing. She turned to check the other side of the bed and only found a rumpled cover.

  Mitch.

  It was hard not to be disappointed.

  “Professional boundaries,” she muttered. Then she turned to the bedside table to retrieve her phone and found a warm cup of coffee with a note placed on top, written in Mitch’s sweeping script.

  Had a meeting. Take today off. You earned it, Agent Lake. ~M

  A grin spread across her face so wide it hurt. She sat cross-legged on her bed, and grabbed her coffee. It was the perfect temperature. It was all so perfect. Too perfect. Too good. Her heart raced, but not from any kind of caffeine surge. Anxiety was a real dick. Just when things were going well, her brain tried to convince her even that was a problem.

  “It’s not a thing,” she reminded herself. She read over the words again. “Agent Lake.”

  She scrunched her nose in delight and tucked her lip between her teeth, trying to stave off another bubble of happiness. She checked her phone and found a message from Williams. It was a photo with the whole family piled in the bed together making goofy faces, and the message, “The Williams family welcomes Caroline Rose!”

  She sent him a reply.

  Best name.

  Sorry she’s stuck with you weirdos.

  Williams

  Your face is weird.

  She sent back an emoji sticking its tongue out, and asked if they needed anything. Then she sent a good morning message to Mitch.

  She lost herself, scrolling through the baby pictures in her phone from the night before. Megan had insisted she stay through the whole event, despite Sidney’s protests. The birth had been terrifying in a completely different way than the devil koalas. Coaching Megan through such an incredible feat was overwhelming and primal. It stole Sidney’s breath all over again just thinking about it.

  The phone chimed.

  She expected another message from Williams, but found a news alert for Hutch’s mom. After her confession, she was being formally charged.

  Between the cabin and the cargo ship, plus the baby’s arrival, the weekend had been non-stop. She hadn’t returned any of Hutch’s calls or messages. Guilt niggled at her.

  She messaged him back.

  Sorry about this weekend.

  Had to follow up a lead. You ok?

  While she was putting on her clothes, something else tugged at her mind, too. The devil koalas hadn’t panned out to be a real connection to Peyton’s murder, but at least they’d discovered WILF and stopped a force of darkness from being unleashed on the city before it was too late. So. That was a bonus.

  Sidney’s train of thought rolled back to the photos in Peyton’s file. She replayed the conversation with Hutch’s dad. The idea of Hutch’s mom doing something so violent and angry didn’t feel right. She was a rattlesnake, not a cobra. All screaming threats, but no action. If Sidney knew anything at all from sparring at the dojo, it was always the nice, quiet ones who were the most ruthless.

  Sidney twisted her hair up into a messy bun. Her head felt better from Friday, but there were other light bruises and scrapes from the cargo ship. Overall, she’d come out surprisingly unscathed. Her favorite boots, however, hadn’t fared so well. She checked them again, but they were still damp and unwearable.

  “I’m so sorry.” She hugged them, unsure if they were going to survive. Then, she slid on her gray sneakers, figuring she had the day off anyway, it’s not like she’d need to kick any ass. She grabbed her phone again, ready to head back uptown for another visit with Megan and the baby.

  Hutch had already messaged back.

  Hutch

  Come to my place? We need to talk.

  Her finger hovered over the reply button. She wasn’t interested in being a shoulder for him to cry on. Since the case was closed, there wasn’t anything more she could do to help him. But, she still had questions. She sent a quick response.

  On my way.

  Sniffen Court was astonishingly quiet. Sidney expected there would be a gaggle of paparazzi waiting for a reaction shot of Hutch. But, he wasn’t the story anymore, his mom was. The photographers were probably all down at the courthouse holding out on news of her arraignment.

  Sidney pressed the buzzer at the call box and glanced back over to the tree while she waited. Her eyes traveled up the bright orange leaves, and the tinge of sunlight peeking over the buildings made it look like it was on fire. So, maybe an angry group of animal rights ac
tivists hadn’t sent devil koalas to climb up and murder Peyton.

  The gate clicked open and she jumped. She entered the quiet court, and her senses heightened. As cozy and intimate as the short row of houses was, the quiet hovering over the place didn’t feel quaint, but eerie.

  Her skin buzzed and that hushed shadow of wrongness settled over her. Peyton had been murdered here, and that kind of horrible violence always left a lingering effect.

  Hutch’s door opened before she reached it, and she put a sympathetic smile on her face as she turned to greet him.

  “Oh.” She stopped short.

  Trip stood in the doorway. “Hi, Sidney, come on in.”

  “Hi.” She went inside the apartment and her eyes immediately darted to the space where Peyton’s body had been photographed. There was a fresh rug on the floor, so new it still had the crease in it from shipping.

  “I’m so glad you could make it,” he said.

  Trip shut the door behind her. Slid the deadbolt into place.

  Sidney peeled her eyes away from the rug, but she couldn’t shake the invisible creeping feeling slithering across her skin. That lingering hint of darkness drifting through the air in a palpable haze.

  It set her on edge.

  “Where’s Hutch?” she asked.

  “Shower.” Trip went around the counter separating the kitchen area from the main room. There were plates set out and the smell of eggs drifted from the stove. He picked up a chopping knife and used it to point to a full champagne glass waiting for her. “Mimosa?”

  Sidney held up the coffee cup she’d brought with her. It was empty, but she needed to keep her head clear, so she used it as her excuse. “I’m good.”

  “You sure? I’m famous for my killer drinks.” He winked.

  “I thought you’d be at the courthouse. What time is the arraignment?” she asked.

  “This afternoon.” He finished slicing a tomato and rinsed the knife, placing it on a towel next to the sink.

  “I’m sorry about—” She wasn’t exactly sure how to wrap up that sentence. “Everything.”

  “Teddy’s having an especially hard time.” Trip hung his head. “He told me you’re a private investigator, now. That he hired you.”

  “Not officially,” she assured him.

  “The other day at the dojo.” His fingers curled around the edge of the sink. “It wasn’t a coincidence we ran into each other, was it?”

  Sidney’s brain snapped back to that moment he’d put something in his bag. The weapon. Four blades. A bagh nakh—tiger’s claw. Her chest clenched. She forced her lungs to pull in a full, deep breath. Her body stilled. “I wasn’t—”

  “It’s okay.” He licked his bottom lip and nodded. “Peyton was spying on me too. She came to work for me undercover. Serves me right, hiring for looks. It was all a ruse. Did you know Australia is number three in the world for lithium production? They’re going to be number one, soon. And I’m in on the ground floor. South America is a mess. Nobody’s going to want to go in on Bolivia when they could invest in a solid bet like Australia. When gas vehicles are outlawed, everybody’s going to want the lithium for batteries, and I’ll have more money than your grandfather when it’s all said and done.”

  A tight knot formed in Sidney’s throat while he unloaded. The truth solidified in front of her.

  “The koalas,” she said.

  “The fucking koalas.” Trip grabbed a spatula and waved it in the air. “Environmentalist bullshit. We were going to get around it, no problem. That’s what my firm does. But she was too smart for her own good. She was going to take it all to the SEC. Get us on the trading. Then make a break to Australia with my son. Little traitor.”

  “Hutch knew about all this?” Sidney reached across the counter and snatched up the knife when he turned to stir the eggs.

  “Of course he didn’t. But she seduced him. Brought him over to the dark side.” Trip shook his head. “He was going to go into environmental law.”

  Sidney couldn’t get enough air. Her lips went numb. Throat dry. “Was?”

  “Was. I took care of that, too. Bambi’s in jail for the rest of her life. He just couldn’t take it all. Too much, so he gave up. That’s what it’ll look like anyway. And I’ll be on my way to Brisbane by this afternoon.” Trip turned and glanced at the bathroom door.

  “A murder-suicide isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Especially if it could be insinuated that Teddy really did kill Peyton.” He put his hands on his hips and nodded, formulating his plan out loud while the knife shook in Sidney’s fist. “Anything can be spun these days, if you do it right. People like scandal.”

  Trip reached for the knife on the towel and came up empty.

  Sidney locked eyes with him. Her knees turned heavy. She went for the door, but everything slowed down. Like she was treading under water. Her hand closed over the doorknob. The lock. Open. She tasted the crisp, cold air.

  A hand closed over her mouth. Arm slung around her waist. He dragged her back in. The door slammed.

  “Why couldn’t you just stay away?” Trip’s breath came hot and wet on her ear. His other hand gripped her wrist, forcing the knife loose. “It was all going to be fine.”

  “Help!” A muffled voice came from behind the bathroom door.

  Sidney freed her other hand and reached up to his wrist covering her mouth. She clamped down her finger and thumb on the pressure point she’d learned about in her class.

  His grip slackened. She rolled out of his grasp, but he caught her jacket. The heel of his hand came up under her chin. Her head snapped back, pain shot like fire across her tongue. She tasted blood.

  More yelling from the bathroom.

  Sidney slid out of her jacket, leaving it limp in Trip’s grasp. She pounded her fist into his solar plexus. He grunted and doubled over. She snatched up the knife and broke for the bathroom, but her legs were too slow. It felt like she was wading through dirt.

  Feet tore out from under her.

  Pain cracked her skull. She rolled with the knife up and caught the side of his knee. Trip howled, face red, spit flying. He collapsed on top of her legs, clawing for the knife. Sidney nailed him in the jaw with her elbow and threaded her legs through his in a corkscrew. He grappled for the knife, but she managed to fling it into the kitchen.

  Hands closed around her throat. Thumbs closed off her airway. Black spots popped across her vision. She clawed at his eyes, slammed her sneaker into his knee.

  She gasped in a breath, and wrestled away.

  “Hutch?” she screamed.

  “Help!” He pounded on the bathroom door.

  Sidney crawled into the kitchen for the knife. Pain cracked her skull. Eggs landed on the floor by her face. She blinked, trying to focus. Adrenaline surged, making everything brighter. Clearer. Every second felt like an hour.

  “You little bitch.” Trip towered over her leaning heavily on the counter. Blood trailed across the floor after him. He grabbed a bigger knife out of the block. “I’m not going to let you ruin this for me.”

  Sidney scrambled to get her feet under her. Back hit the wall. Feet slid on the eggs. He pulled his elbow back, and she took advantage. She kicked her heel out, nailing him in the balls. Then tucked and rolled through his legs. He crashed into the counter, knife sticking into the wall.

  Trip roared and tugged at the weapon. Sidney swung around and swiped her own knife across his side. He screamed, and brought his fist around.

  Her jaw smashed into the cabinet. Vision washed out. Ears rang.

  They tumbled to the floor in a heap. He crushed her. Warm blood trickled from his side, seeping in through her clothes. She’d been here before. Crushed under the monster that killed her parents.

  Death breathing hot and heavy into her face.

  She couldn’t scream no matter how bad she wanted to. All she could think about were the teeth. Long. Ready to eat her.

  And Mitch.

  Mitch.

  She hadn’t even gotten t
o fuck him yet.

  Sidney twisted. Swung out with the knife again, catching Trip in the neck. He roared and his grip loosened.

  Sidney gasped, long and strangled. The world spun around her.

  She shoved again. He slid off. She rolled and crawled free. She filled her lungs with a gasp.

  A frustrated scream left her raw and breathless. She swung around with all the strength she had left and brought the knife down. The blade slid inside him, tearing through the tight muscle of his abdominal wall. She cringed. Twisted her wrist.

  Trip coughed and swiped for her. His fingers were limp. Ineffective. Sidney scooted out of reach. Staring at the knife planted in his stomach.

  Blood spurted up and out of his mouth, down his chin. Desperate tears rushed in. She choked and spluttered on the sudden flood. All she could think about was Mitch.

  Hands closed on her shoulder.

  She screamed and thrashed.

  “Sid!” Hutch fell back. “It’s me.”

  She stared at him, trying to process what was in front of her. Naked. Drenched. Lips blue. Long red slashes across his wrists stood out stark against his washed out skin.

  “I don’t want to die.” His words barely had any substance.

  “Jesus. Hutch. Fuck.” Sidney cleared her face. Swallowed her fear. “It’s okay.”

  She grabbed Hutch, holding onto him tightly, but kept her eyes on his dad. He was still breathing. Blood emptied out of his belly, just above his waistband, pooling on the kitchen tiles.

  Sidney snatched the towel off the counter. Tied a knot as tight as she could around Hutch’s wrist. Her hands shook so hard she could hardly open the drawers to find another one, but she managed.

  “Dad?” Hutch huddled against the cabinet.

  “It’s okay.” She needed something, but she couldn’t think of what it was. “We’re okay. It’s fine. We’re fine.”