Kylee looked at her and shrugged with a grin. “I get horny under pressure.”
“Elyse,” Banks said as he slid the picture back into the folder and wrapping his hands into a fist which he laid on the table. “I need to know what his steps were before his death. When he left here with you, where did you go?”
“We went to his place.”
“He didn’t own a house,” Darlington offered in his deep monotone voice.
Elyse sighed. “No, he didn’t. I tried to get him to come home with me, but he wouldn’t have any of it. He made me leave him under the bridge, that’s where he called home. I promised to come and check in on him in the m-morning.” Her voice was beginning to show signs of shattering.
“And did you?” Banks asked.
“Yes.” Swallowing past the fear she was feeling, her voice went high with defense. “I went early the next morning with some food. But he wasn’t there.”
“Did you file a report?” Darlington asked. The patronizing tone he used made Kylee’s pointer finger wave side to side at him, warning him to back off. His eyes stayed cold and detached.
“No, I thought he’d turn up.”
“He did. Dead,” Darlington replied.
Kylee shot a look at Darlington. “You’re really starting to shit me off.” Darlington stared at her, daring her to continue, “Just ‘cause you look pretty in a uniform, doesn’t give you the right to be an A-grade cockwaffle.”
Darlington shot his eyes straight to Kylee and almost growled the words, “Lady, you need to shut up. This is a murder investigation and your sister, here… was the last to see the victim alive, and that makes her our prime suspect.”
Kylee’s heart rate calmed, which was a bad sign for this officer because she squared her shoulders and took him directly into her line of sight. “If you weren’t hiding behind that badge, I’d lay you on your ass for speaking with such disrespect. I don’t care who your suspect is, the tone you use is nothing short of an egotistical bastard with a big-gun complex.” Leaning forward, she narrowed her eyes. “And I ain’t talking about the one between your legs.” She lifted her pinky and wiggled it a little.
“Enough!” Officer Banks held up his hand as he turned to Darlington. “Do you need to step out for some fresh air? Or can we focus on why we are here?” Darlington nodded and sat back in his chair. His eyes glaring at Kylee who just sat back and smirked.
“Charlie is dead?” Elyse whispered.
“Yes, and while we don’t think you’re a suspect...” he glanced back at his fellow officer, “… you are recorded being the last one to see him alive. So, what we need are some placements of time. We need to put together his timeline with better clarity,” Banks said. His smile was a mix of warmth and empathy.
“How did he die?” Elyse’s words were barely heard.
Banks took a breath and opened the folder, read a few details, and closed it again. “He was found in the water, but the coroner says that’s not where he died. There were substantial wounds to his body. Like nothing we’ve seen before.” He scratched his head. “The coroner initially thought the marks were of a large animal. Maybe a bear? But unless one escaped from a zoo, that isn’t a possibility.”
“Bear?” Kylee’s head tilted. “What exactly were the injuries?”
Banks opened the folder again, ignoring Darlington’s growl of disapproval. “Large tears to the abdomen. It was as if a large animal tore him apart. I don’t wish to show you the images—”
“I wish to see them,” Kylee quickly interrupted.
Banks shrugged and showed her the two photographs that the coroner included in the file. Kylee’s eyes widened—she knew what animal made those marks because she had seen it before. Her eyes flickered to Darlington, who was watching her with increased curiosity. He saw her recognition—his head was tilted as if he were reading her mind. It made Kylee suddenly nervous, something was off about him. She didn’t know what, but the way he was watching her right now, it made her skin prickle. Her hand went to Elyse’s knee, and she squeezed it. “We need to go,” she whispered.
Elyse nodded. “Officer, I’ve told you all I know. This news has shocked me. I can hardly think. Can I go? You’ve already said I’m not a suspect.”
Bank slowly nodded. “I understand but no leaving town. Okay? If we need you again, I have to know where to find you.”
Elyse agreed and got up, Kylee standing with her as they both walked out. Kylee could feel the heat from Darlington’s glare like hot rays from the sun on her back. She put her hand on her friend’s shoulder and got them out as fast as possible.
Kylee checked her phone when they got outside. There was a message from Jo saying they would meet them at Elyse’s apartment. Some of the officers were starting to look weird at them. So, they thought it was a safer option not to draw unwanted attention to themselves.
Walking along the path, silence hung between them like a guillotine’s cold silver blade.
It was Kylee who broke the ice first, “I’m sorry about Charlie.”
What started as a small hitch in her breath, quickly escalated into a full-fledged panic attack. One minute Kylee was walking beside Elyse on the way home, next she was on her knees, her hands bracing the ground, her back shaking uncontrollably in a mixture of fear and sadness.
Kylee dropped beside her, wrapping an arm around her new friend.
“They got him, didn’t they?”
Kylee wasn’t sure what to say and what to keep to herself right now. As soon as she saw those images, she knew they were marks of a phoenix. The way the skin was sliced into long gaping holes, it was definitely the work of a bird’s talons. Phoenix didn’t normally display their dead so easily unless it was meant to be found, which made this something the guys needed to know immediately.
Elyse looked up to her, her eyes glistening with tears that were refusing to stop. Kylee shook her head from what she was going to do next with the dragons, bringing her back to this moment. Huddled on a cold the pavement in the middle of the morning was a friend looking to her for reassurance she simply couldn’t give. All she was about to do was confirm that this poor, sweet woman’s life had irrevocably changed forever. For good or bad, it would never be the same again.
“Yeah, I think they did,” she said quietly.
A fresh round of tears flowed down her cheeks as she sat back, bringing her knees to her chest as she wrapped tightly around herself. Peering out over her knees was the terrified blue eyes of a woman who was seeing a new world for the first time.
“They’re coming to get me next, aren’t they?”
Kylee sighed. How was she supposed to answer that?
Yeah? They’re coming to kill you, babe, just roll over and think of England. It hardly seemed appropriate.
She looked at the scared woman sitting next to her. “How about we just get back to your place and think this through. I have a few ideas if you’ll trust me?”
Elyse nodded and accepted Kylee’s help to stand.
They walked slowly back to her apartment in silence.
Neither of them really knowing what to say about what had just happened.
“The friend knows something, I’m sure of it.”
“Are you sure? It’s bad enough that we suddenly have hunters roaming around, now a bird kill? I don’t need more humans knowing ‘others’ exist.”
“I have this under control. As soon as I get my hands on the paperwork, it will vanish. My partner is a stickler for details, though. I need to bide my time to avoid being seen.”
“Time is something we don’t have a lot of. I need you to get it done. We can’t have our safety jeopardized this way. We have our women and children to think of. This is our isle and dammed if I will sit back and let it be invaded by birds or hunters.”
“Understood.”
“If it were understood, then you would be able to tell me where the birds and hunters are, so we could go about eradicating them before they expose us. Or worse, attack us.” T
he frustration lacing the voice was thick. “This is why you were placed there. This is your calling. Step up for the safety of your people or step aside and let another take your place.”
“It will be done.”
“Good. And as for the friend you think knows something?”
“Yes?”
“Find out for sure. And if she does, kill her.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Ladon felt her coming before he saw her. He stood up from where he had been leaning against the brick wall. Her energy was off, she was hurting, and he felt it in his heart. He hurt as well. Ladon placed her hand against his chest and widened his eyes in wonder of what he was experiencing. He was feeling her emotions as physically as if he were experiencing them himself.
“You having a heart attack, man? You look pale?” Jo asked, watching his brother suddenly stand and grab at his chest.
“I can feel her.”
“What?”
“I can feel her…” he thumped his chest, “… here. I know she’s upset. It’s like she is inside me. I can’t explain it other than she is now me,” Ladon said with cautious wonder as he looked to his bother.
“Bullshit,” Jo said, turning to the sound of footsteps. He saw Kylee and Doug walking together. Doug looked like she had been crying. Her whole body was curved in defeat. Jo looked back at Ladon who was rubbing his chest, an obvious look of shared pain on his face. “That’s weird.”
“Right?” Ladon agreed.
Returning his eyes to the girls, he walked closer. “What did you do to her, Kylee?” he joked.
The glare that Kylee shot at him made him recoil slightly. His hands shot up in defense as he stepped out of their way. “Can I do anything to help?”
“I think we need coffee. Let’s get upstairs and settled before I explain what’s happened.”
Ten minutes later, they were all sitting in the living room each with a cup of coffee close by. Kylee and Elyse were on the sofa. Jo was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall with Quil once more draped across his lap purring like the princess he thought he was. Ladon was sitting on one of the chairs from the kitchen table. He had swung it around and sat leaning against the back with his chest, his arms across the top.
“Charlie is dead,” Elyse blurted out with a fresh burst of tears. Her chest heaved as she struggled to keep hold of her coffee mug.
Jo looked over at Ladon whose face had crumpled with a shared pain he didn’t fully understand. Speaking as he turned his head slowly, his eyes still watching his brother’s intriguing reaction, “Charlie’s dead? How?”
Elyse looked over to Kylee and shook her head. “I can’t, you tell them.”
Kylee nodded. “Okay, well…” she looked at the guys, “… he was found snagged out to sea on an oil rig. The coroner says it wasn’t his place of death and is ruling animal attack, and I agree with them.”
“Animal?” Jo queried.
Kylee nodded. “Big animal. One with talons that can rip open the chest with long tears along the flesh.” She saw their minds catch on and simply said, “Correct,” confirming their unasked questions.
“The phoenix killed him. She said they would, and they did.” Elyse’s panic rose quickly. “Just like she said they would come for me.” She sat bolt upright. Her eyes were now wide as a deer caught in the headlights. “They’re coming for me,” Elyse stated matter of fact, her tears drying as if a switch had flipped. “I need to be ready. I need to fight. For Charlie.”
“Fight?” Ladon asked as he rode the emotional roller coaster alongside her without her even knowing.
Elyse nodded firmly. Her entire demeanor had changed. She pulled her hair back up on top of her head. “If they are coming for me, I’ll be ready. I’m not defenseless. Even Nadol here knows that.” She flashed a determined grin at Ladon.
“Yes, well… I was distracted.” He tried to brush his loss off. “But in all seriousness, there is a big difference between Warcraft and life.”
Elyse scoffed at the obvious. “I’ve been competitively kickboxing for over ten years. I beat your ass in the game, and I’ll guarantee I can lay you on your ass in real life, too, big boy.” Elyse’s gamut of emotions was stuck on outrageous bravery in the face of terror. A simple calculation of fight or flight, and she had decided to fight to the death if needed.
“Keep dreaming,” Ladon mocked her.
“Ladon, keep your dick in your pants. We have more important things to talk about, and Doug needs to get to work.” Looking at Elyse, he said, “Do you mind if we come with you? I’m a bit hungry, and you know, safety in numbers?”
Elyse shrugged. “Sure, if you want.” She got up and went to her bedroom to get dressed.
Kylee looked at the guys. “We have more to discuss over lunch.”
He nodded and together waited for Elyse to be ready to leave.
At the pub, they had settled for a table down the back, ordered a couple of drinks, and got comfortable, ready to spend the day there.
“What else went on, Kylee?” Jo asked as they finally got some space.
“One of the officers… he was odd.”
“Odd how?” asked Ladon.
“Off, like he was… um… knew something more than he was letting on.”
“That’s kinda cop code one-oh-one, Kylee. Cops never show their cards too early. They want you to dig your own hole before they bury you in it.” Jo grinned.
“Yeah, I get that. This was different. I have been around phoenix… I know what they feel like,” she said quietly.
“The cop was a phoenix?” Ladon sat up straight.
“I don’t think so, but it was a similar feeling of… more. I can’t explain it,” she replied as she sat back on the chair. Lifting the drink to her lips, she swallowed before sitting forward again. “Definitely not a bird. I know for sure I would recognize that feeling.”
“Something? Like a hunter?” Jo questioned.
“Well, who the fuck knows what a hunter feels like? You sure as shit didn’t till after we found out about Elyse. Before that, she was just another human. No specific feeling to her at all.” She looked at Ladon, who was grinning. “Except for you, ya big loved-up goof. You really need to make some headway with her.”
“If I knew how, I would.” Ladon shrugged with an underlying embarrassment. “It’s not like I’ve had any experience with this kinda thing.”
“Did Tor or V give you any advice?” Kylee asked.
He shook his head. “They just said to hang on tight, the road can get bumpy.”
“Helpful, aren’t they?” She giggled.
“Not specifically, but they sure think they are funny.”
“I don’t have any idea what to do in this case, but if your referring to general women, then my plan of attack would be to spend as much time with her as humanly possible. Let her know you’re there for her. Allow her to see she can count on you to be a solid part of her life. Show her you’re dependable and be willing to hold and feed her chocolate when she cries,” Jo said calmly.
Kylee and Ladon looked at him, mouths open as they absorbed what he’d just said. Jo laughed. “What? It’s not fucking rocket science. It’s just logical.”
“Didn’t expect you to be so… knowledgeable.” Ladon chuckled.
“Just because I haven’t been given a mate by the goddess, doesn’t mean I don’t know how to treat a woman. Seriously, it’s not that hard,” Jo snorted.
“You never fail to amaze me, Jo. When you’re gifted a mate, she will be one lucky lady.” Kylee squeezed his hand with the love of a sister in her eyes.
“What if she doesn’t want me around?” Ladon asked.
Jo grinned. “Right now, she is feeling vulnerable, and having people around her seems to be making her happy. Set the foundation now while she’s happy to have you here. Then, when the shit hits the fan…” He looked at Ladon’s face and howled loudly. “Come on, she is a fucking hunter, you are a dragon, we have bird sightings, and now something
else?” He looked at Kylee who nodded. “This is going down to Georgia, and I don’t even think the devil wants to come.”
“Hey, I love that song.” Kylee grinned.
“Doesn’t surprise me at all.” He smirked at her. “Now, about Charlie, how clear were the talon tears?”
“You need to bring her here,” Volos said into the phone. After hearing that Charlie was killed and the phoenix were the likely culprits, it made the likelihood of Elyse being the next attack too high to risk. Despite being a hunter, she was a dragon’s mate. Not the best of combinations, but who was he to question the goddess? She hadn’t got it wrong so far, so why would this be any different?
“I don’t think she will be on board for that. Besides, bringing a hunter to the clan seems a little paradoxical,” Ladon said into the phone. “She’s about to close up. Jo and Kylee left a little while ago. They should almost be back there by now.”
“They are here. She is fine with you staying?” V asked, surprised.
Ladon chuckled. “She has training this evening and said she wanted to show me how it’s done right.” He wasn’t mocking her—this was more of an amazing feeling of pride in his mate. “Kylee said she will be back before Elyse goes to sleep. I’m guarding in the interim. I’ll take what I can get.” Another chuckle. “I kinda really want to see what she has inside the fighting ring.”
“Just don’t fight her.” V chuckled. “Can’t have her kicking your ass twice.”
“Fuck off.” Ladon scoffed and hung up the phone. He looked up to see Elyse locking the front door, having just ushered the last barfly out of her establishment. Bill, the boss, had spoken to Ladon earlier. He explained that he loved Elyse like a daughter, and while he appreciated Ladon and his family taking a protective interest in her, should they decide to hurt her in any way, that he knew how to dispose of their bodies where no one would ever find them. Ladon hated being threatened, however, in this case, it made him respect the man who had been a father figure to the partner of his soul. Ladon had assured him that all they wanted was for Elyse to be safe. Bill must have seen the sincerity in his eyes because he nodded and left for the night.
Submerge (Apalala Clan Book 3) Page 12