I sent a text to Andi and Jaz first thing this morning saying we needed a mandatory meeting and to meet me at our bar hangout at seven. I can almost bet how our get-together will go. Jaz will tell me I’m being ridiculous. Andi will tell me I need to lighten up. And I’m going to tell them to shove it up their asses because I know something’s wrong. I know it. The ache in my belly has been a constant wave of nausea since last night, to the point that I brushed Jett off from going any further than kissing and groping. We opted to go to sleep since I needed to be up early for work, but really it was me who secretly couldn’t get passed all that he said.
What’s scary is he has a very good, solid point. I don’t know the male breed that much, if at all, but considering he is one, I’m guessing he would have more idea of how they operate than I would. He’s hit the nail on the head about the victims all being connected to some vicious crime. So, it would only make sense that they would conclude that they were murdered because they wouldn’t have a soul to tell them that they should run like hell and never come back. They’d stick around, keeping a watchful eye out for their next victim. Jett’s theory is spot on.
But see, I prevented them from getting to the next victim. Me. I did that. I really think I deserve a gold fucking medal. I’m doing everyone a damn favor by getting these assholes off the street. Does anyone else agree? The way I see it, there aren’t enough cops to go around, and they can’t possibly conquer the world all by themselves. I’m like the real life Wonder Woman, minus the sexy leotard. I help save the world when no one is looking. I’m helping the police out, in my opinion, because without me doing what I do, those monsters would still be roaming the streets in search for the next innocent bystander.
I grab the last paper on my desk that needs to be graded and start skimming through the answers. My red pen is being overly useful right now. “Motherfucker,” I mumble. “I swear, I’m teaching a bunch of dummies.”
It appears that Tyler has more interest in doodling on his paper than actually answering the questions. When I get to the last page, I grumble, “Jesus Christ. No wonder you failed. Not only are you a dipshit, you’re spending more time drawing pictures than concentrating on the questions. Fucking idiot.”
Oh, shitballs.
The tip of my red pen hovers over a drawing of an elephant, and in that second, it’s as if my brain is being zapped with a current of electricity. My heart leaps out of my chest, tiny, bright stars blur my vision, and there’s a ringing in my ears that has me wobbling in my chair. The pen falls from my hand just in time for me to grab the edge of my desk, preventing myself from falling over.
Bracelet-Elephant-Charm-Lost-Lucky-Charm-Serial-Killer-Evidence.
Oh. My. Fucking. God. No.
There’s a rap on my door, and I begin to frantically push the corrected pile of papers to the side of my desk, not caring that some have fallen to the floor. I manage to stuff the paper with the elephant on it in my purse as the door to my room opens and Mr. Baker walks in.
Ugh! You’ve got to be kidding me!
“Ms. Knight, how are you today?” he asks as he approaches my desk. He bends down, swipes my papers off the floor, and places them neatly back into a stack on my desk.
I inwardly groan as I attempt a grin, but I’m almost certain that my annoyance is written over my face rather than a polite smile. “Fine, Mr. Baker. Yourself?”
“Great, thank you. You’ve been back for a week now; are things going all right? Have you thought of anything you might need?”
Yeah, asshole, I need you to leave me the fuck alone.
I give him a tight smile. “Things are fine, sir. As of right now, I don’t need anything, but if I do, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
“Great. That’s just great, Ms. Knight.”
He’s hovering over my desk, drawing circles on the top of my desk with his index finger. I want to cut it off with the pair of scissors that’s sitting in the caddy beside me. I think I could do it rather swiftly if I don’t put too much thought into it.
I glance up at him with raised brows. “Can I help you with anything else, sir?”
“Actually, yes. A group of us would like to take you out to dinner. Just a little glad you’re back and want to give you our support type of dinner. Are you free tonight?”
My raised brows curve to a curious frown. “Um.” I honestly don’t know what to say. I don’t want to hang out with anyone unless they’re the other two members of my Toxic Trio, especially this douchbag.
Be polite, Gray.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Baker, I have plans for tonight,” I finally say. At least it’s not a lie. I legit have plans.
He nods. “I understand, it’s sort of last minute. How about tomorrow? We’re all flexible, and we’re willing to work around your schedule.”
Dammit all to hell, he’s not gonna give up, is he?
I want to whine and stomp my foot right now, but if I don’t bite the bullet, I have a feeling he’s going to be hounding me until I cave. Besides, I need to get the hell out of here and if this is what it takes to be rid of this fool, by golly I’m going to suck it the fuck up, because I have more important fish to fry. But, I’ll be damned if I’m gonna do dinner. That’s too long. “Um, all right. Sure, I can make that work, though I won’t be able to do dinner. But, I can grab a drink with ya’ll,” I respond.
Mr. Baker ponders for a moment then nods his head. “That will work. We look forward to it. You want to pick the place and a time that’s convenient for you? I’ll relay the info to everyone else.”
Oh, good God, this is going to be pure torture. I’d much rather yank each individual pubic hair out of my coochie by the root with tweezers than mingle with these people. I groan inwardly. “Are you familiar with Jack’s bar?” He confirms with a nod. “How about eight tomorrow?”
A smile beams from his lips. “Sounds great. We’ll see you then.”
Thank God he doesn’t turn around to look at me, otherwise he’d be met with a look of utter disgust. I can’t think about this right now. My stomach is ready to lurch clear out of my throat. I need to get to Andi and Jaz, pronto! Snatching my belongings off my desk, I make a run for my door.
I poke my head out into the hall, and when I see that the coast is clear, I sprint toward the door, flying through it like my ass is on fire.
Jesus Christ, I’m out of shape.
I damn near dive into the driver’s seat of my car, wiping the sweat that’s beading on my forehead with the back of my hand, and blow out of the parking lot, swerving to miss an orange cone in the middle of the lane, but it’s too late. I run the damn thing right over in my mad dash to get out of here. “Fucktards!” I yell.
Pulling onto the street, I glance back in my rearview mirror to see the cone flattened like a pancake, but the sharp blare of a horn makes my eyes snap back to the road. “Motherfucker!” I shout, jerking my wheel to the right to avoid the truck that’s coming at me. It’s a split second, but Jett and I lock eyes as my head follows his truck until I can’t crank my neck back anymore.
Well, line me up in front of the firing squad and yell, “FIRE.”
Would someone like to explain to me why Jett is at my school, again? Am I the only one thinking that this is weird? It makes no sense, right?
Nope, stop it. Stop adding to your paranoia, Gray. I’m sure he has a logical explanation.
My phone pings with a new text message, and when I stop at the next light, I pull it from my bag to read it.
Where you speeding off to? I was coming by to see if you wanted to meet for dinner? Text me when you get home, not in the car. It’s illegal. And, slow down, sweetheart.
My throat makes a noise that resembles one of a Pterodactyl as I chuck my phone to the seat beside me while I beat my palms against the steering wheel. “FUCK!”
* * *
I couldn’t get to the bar quick enough. After texting Jett back that I was busy tonight with the girls, I paced around my living room while I gnawed the cuticle
off around my thumb, then drove like a mad motherfucker to the bar. I’ve been waiting for Andi and Jaz for the past twenty minutes, anxiously...nervously, but even the two shots of really bad tequila haven’t done much to mask my jittering nerves.
It’s Jaz’s burst of laughter that I hear first, which makes me spin in my seat to eagerly wave them over. When they get closer, I bark, “Hurry the hell up!” And before they sit, I slap Tyler’s abominable piece of trash he calls school work down on top of the table, opened to the page with the drawing.
Jaz is grinning like the Cheshire Cat, eyeing the paper. “Your panties twisted inside your asshole again, brat?” She laughs.
“Shut the fuck up. We have a serious problem.” I push the paper across the table so it’s sitting in front of them. “Look.”
Andi scrunches her eyes then glances up to me. “So? It’s a motherfuckin’ elephant.”
“Exactly,” I huff. “It’s the elephant.”
Jaz shakes her head like she thinks I’m as crazy as the doodle of an elephant. “What’s the problem with this here drawing, Gray? Did you flunk this poor kid because he decided to express his answers in the form of art?”
I’d love nothing more than to wad up this packet of school work and shove it so far down Jaz’s throat she gags on it. “My charm bracelet. The one I lost, remember?” They both look at me like I’m purple and have three eyeballs across my forehead. Clearly they don’t remember. “The charm bracelet that my mother gave me. The one and only thing she gave me. It had an elephant charm on it, and I lost it. Remember?”
Their eyes grow big as their heads fall back and they both, “Ah, yeah,” at the same time.
“I remember that now,” Andi says. “But what does that have to do with this packet?”
“It doesn’t. It has to do with Jett. He came over last night...”
“Ooh,” Jaz teases, “did you get some? Did he finally pop your cherry?”
I point my finger in Jaz’s face as I scowl at her. “For the love of God, bitch, we’re not talking about that right now. We have a serious motherfuckin’ problem. For once, can you not think about sex? Please?”
Jaz throws her hands up in a truce. “Sheesh, calm your ass down, Gray. I got it. Proceed.”
“Jett came over last night, and he was telling me about the case he’s been working on that involves all of these missing people. We got into a very small debate where I suggested that maybe they just ran away, but Jett has a different theory. He believes people like the ones who are missing wouldn’t just run away. They’re criminals who don’t have a conscience or a soul. They stick around in search of their next victim.”
Okay, I’m losing them. I catch them making googly eyes at each other, which I’m sure is code for Gray’s fallen off her rocker and has nailed her head so many times it’s made her stupid.
“They named the case the Lucky Charm Serial Killer,” I spit out.
Again, I’m looking at blank stares. Two sets of eyes that look as if they’ve been asked to recite the alphabet backwards while standing on one foot.
“For fuck’s sake. They’re on to us. Jett’s on to us. They named the case after the one piece of evidence that they have. What do elephants stand for?” I ask the two knuckleheads before me.
“Well, they mean a lot of things, but I do believe that one of the symbolic meanings is luck.” Andi grins like she just answered the winning Jeopardy question correctly.
Jaz’s hand playfully smacks the table. “Lucky Charm Serial Killer. Ha!” When I glare at her with dagger eyes, her face grows cold. “Oh, shit.”
“Yeah, no kidding, oh shit,” I seethe. “I think they found my charm bracelet and have connected me to the missing people.”
There’s a long, deafening silence as Andi and Jaz stare at me. Well, I’ve rendered them speechless. And now maybe they will understand the full capacity of the grave danger we are in.
“Do you see why I’m a bit on the edgy side?”
They nod their heads in unison while their mouths stay agape.
“Do you fully comprehend what’s at stake here, if indeed they found my charm bracelet?”
They nod again.
I wave my shot glass at the waitress and flash three fingers in her direction, and when she delivers the bronze liquid, I smile politely and say, “Thank you.” I place a glass in front of Andi, one in front of Jaz, and hold mine up. “Salute, motherfuckers.”
In one swift gulp, we drown our throats with the cheap tequila, then slam the glasses down on the table with an echoing crash. The silence is thick, but we remain quiet for quite some time before Andi’s speaks. “What’s the plan?”
She looks scared, as we should be, but the most important thing to do is remain calm. “I’m going to tell you what we aren’t going to do. We aren’t going to freak the fuck out. Granted, I have been most of the day, but we need to pull ourselves together and form a plan. And stick to it.” I’m glaring at them both, and firmly say, “I mean it. We have to stick to it. No matter what.”
Their heads bob up and down in agreement.
“I had the afternoon to think about a plan, and I think it’s a solid one, if in fact they’re on to us.” There’s another long pause. “First off, we’re going to lay low for a while. No more boy toys, no more late night gardening. We have to ride straight and narrow for a while. Which means you two cockslayers go on about your lives. Enjoy your time with Cole and Drew, which shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“What about you?” Jaz asks, her voice plagued with worry.
I wave my hand to shoo away her fears. “Don’t fret, my dear brat. I’m going to to carry on as if nothing has ever happened.”
“Are you going to enjoy your time with Jett?” Andi asks.
I shrug. “Hopefully. I dunno. I can’t just stop seeing him without warning, he’ll put two and two together, eventually. And honestly, I don’t want to stop seeing him. I legit like him...a lot. But then again, it could be a disaster of epic proportions if something happens. I’m still trying to figure this out. But…” My voice drops to a whisper. “If for some reason, the shit hits the fan, I need you girls to promise me one thing.”
They both nod their heads profusely.
“If I get caught, you two were never a part of any of it. Got it? I take full blame. I won’t have you two going down in a screaming ball of fire because of me. Understood?”
Andi and Jaz look at one another then back in my direction. Their faces droop with sadness. “I don’t agree,” Jaz huffs, “if you go down, so do I.”
“Yeah, me too,” Andi chimes.
“Don’t be a couple of airheads. I won’t allow it. Besides, Jaz, I don’t think they arrest sluts just because they’re sluts.”
We all laugh.
“Look, you two don’t have any rolls in this. Don’t fight me on it. Please.”
Andi’s mouth drops. I think she’s going to argue, but then Jaz’s mouth hits the table, too, and their eyes leave my face to look at something behind me. I turn in my chair to see what they’re looking at and almost crap my pants.
There they are, in all their beautiful glories—Jett, Cole, and Drew. And as if we’re all connected by a magnetic force that pulls us toward one another, the three men immediately lock eyes with our table. They greet us from across the bar with beaming smiles, and we look on with expressions resembling something to the point of “oh shitballs, they’ve found us.”
“Shit, do we hide? Do we get up and run screaming for the hills?” Andi whispers loudly.
I glance back over my shoulder at her with a look of bewilderment. “Are you fucking high?” I roll my eyes. “They’ve already seen us. Running now would be like having three blinking signs attached to our backs that scream, ‘Over here, boys. We’re guilty!’ For God sakes, just actual normal, you big dummy.”
Of course, there’s Jaz grinning like a lovesick puppy, her eyes solely fixated on the massive bulge in Cole’s pants as it waddles itself closer to our table. I roll my e
yes again.
There’s no hope for me. I’m going down like a plane over the Bermuda Triangle. These two nincompoops are going to drag me face down through the mud. I might as well hold my hands out and beg for mercy all the way to jail.
“Hello, ladies. Fancy seeing you all here,” Jett chimes, taking the seat next to me. He leans in, invading my space, and pecks my lips with a tender kiss. “Hey, beautiful.”
I smile in spite of myself. “Hey yourself.”
Drew and Cole grab a couple of chairs from a nearby table and take a seat at each end of the table next to their respective women, both smooching their ladies with a more passionate kiss. This public display of affection is typically an eye closer for me. I’d much rather not watch people having a tongue wrestling match, but as I stare across the table at them, I have to admit that I’m actually a bit envious. Not that I didn’t like Jett’s simple kiss...I did, and I know that he approaches me much more delicately than Drew and Cole do towards Andi and Jaz because I’m not a blatant ho-bag like my two twisted sisters over here. Besides, Andi and Jaz have had more time to canoodle with Cole and Drew, whereas I have managed to keep hidden behind my cement wall, keeping Jett at a safe distance. Though, watching how Andi and Jaz are attached, literally, to Cole and Drew’s lips, I kinda wish that I wasn’t such a stick-in-the-mud and gave Jett more of my attention, ‘cause who knows, I might be on borrowed time.
With a megawatt smile across his face, Jett grabs my hand and rests it on his thigh. The more I stop shying away from him, and really look at him, the more I’m overcome with emotion. He’s truly handsome, and not in the pretty boy, playboy kinda way. He’s rugged and defined with pronounced features, but his blue eyes are calming like the North Pacific Ocean. His hand that’s holding onto mine is strong but gentle, and his heart...large and caring.
I guess it’s safe to say that I’ve fallen for this man, and I’m pretty sure that if time allowed us to explore where this could go, I would step out from behind my walls and risk being completely exposed. I’d take that chance with Jett. I’d like to get to know him more than just as his fuck buddy. And although I wouldn’t ever share the deepest part of my soul with him, I would still like for him to have the part of me that I can give, even if it’s a very small amount. It has to be better than nothing at all, right?
What Lies Beneath The Flowerbed Page 32