by Tijan
“Neil,” she whimpered.
He folded her back into his chest, thanking Bryce and me over her shoulder while patting the back of her head.
Bryce lifted his eyebrows at me. We were all shaken and he frowned. “What now?”
“Mr. Jeneve.” A security guard stepped through the door onto the patio. He was releasing his radio, and he pointed his flashlight out to the backyard. A ton of security guards were approaching us. They were no longer just flashlights, but we could see their figures now. “We have a car waiting. They’ll take you to a secure location.”
“Thank god,” Beth continued to whimper.
I frowned.
Neil ran a brisk hand over his head. “Do you know what caused those explosions?”
“We haven’t found any intruders, but we’ll do a more thorough search once you and your guests are off the perimeter and safely away.”
“Yeah. Okay.” My dad started forward. “Sheldon, Bryce.” He stopped and searched the patio again. “Is Corrigan not back yet? I thought a car had come through—”
“I’m here.” A voice spoke up from behind me and my heart leapt into my chest as I whirled around.
He flashed me a grin, raking a hand through his curls, as he straightened from the wall in the shadows. He materialized to the side of one of the security guards as if he’d been there the whole time. The guard closest to him jumped back and reached for his gun reflexively.
Corrigan held up a hand. “Sorry. No, no. Friend, not foe.” He held both of his hands up in surrender. “I’ll announce I’m here better next time. I swear.”
Relief swept over me. It was overwhelming, and for a moment, my knees buckled under the abruptness of it. Then I shot him a dark and pointed look.
He shrugged, his smirk deepening to show off a dimple in his one cheek.
Bryce muttered, “My god.”
Corrigan laughed, his eyebrows wagging up and down now.
Beth frowned, taking on the exchanges. Then she shook her head and followed behind my dad, who was being led by one of the guards. When the three of us didn’t follow right away, he barked over his shoulder, “Get going. Now’s not the time for jokes. Let’s go.”
Corrigan saluted him, but my dad had already turned back around.
The three of us formed a close huddle as we started to follow the guards.
Bryce whispered, leaning close, “That was close, Cor.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He flashed an apologetic grin. “I, uh, think I got the wrong presents. Too strong, you know.”
“Yeah,” I hissed. “You don’t say.”
“Sheldon! Boys!”
“Whatever. Let’s talk later. We have to make sure to go to Denton’s house now.” Bryce broke in front and hurried behind my father, who was climbing into the back of a car.
“You okay?” I brushed the back of Corrigan’s hand. I wanted to hug him. I would’ve, if we had time. Once we were in the car . . . no, not even then. It would be too suspicious.
“Yeah. I’m good.” Warmth filled his eyes as he studied me. “You okay?”
“I’m better.” Then to hell with it. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. He was my best friend. I needed to know he was okay. “Thank you.”
He nodded and held back so I could get into the car first. There were guards all around us, shielding us. Before I ducked down and climbed to my seat, I turned and slid my arms around him. I didn’t give a damn. I needed to hug my friend.
After a second’s hesitation, Corrigan hugged me back.
“Any time, you two.”
I pulled back and got inside. Avoiding Bryce’s gaze, I ducked my head down and reached for Corrigan’s hand as he slid next to me. My dad’s impatience didn’t even piss me off. That’s how grateful I was to have them both there again.
My dad rapped on the window. “It’s time to go.”
Finally. We were going back to the city, back to find out who was trying to frame me.
One of the security guards had slid into the back with us. There were three rows of seats, and he had taken one of the first seats. His hand went to his radio, and he spoke into it, “All clear. Go ahead.”
The car started to roll forward.
The guard asked, “Mr. Jeneve, to the safe house?”
My dad opened his mouth to answer. Bryce leaned forward, cutting him off. “We can go to Denton Steele’s home.”
The guard looked to my father.
“What?”
Bryce said again, “Denton Steele. He still lives near your old home, but I’ve been in contact with him. He said we could go to his home at any moment, if we needed.”
My dad narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side.
Not good. I spoke up, “He has security, too, Dad.” Fuck. I’d called him that a second time. Cringing, gritting my teeth, I saw how his eyes widened and added, “My relationship with him isn’t that known. No one will look for us there.”
I was lying. People did know I was friendly with Denton, but I was hoping my dad didn’t know that fact. Corrigan and Bryce turned to me. They were thinking the same thing. People did know. I shook my head at them, the slightest of movements. I wanted it known. I wanted people to look for me there. No, I wanted Grace’s murderer to know exactly where I was going to be, then maybe they’d come to me.
Maybe I could find out who was trying to make my life hell and exact some of my own revenge.
“Denton Steele, huh?” My dad was mulling it over. He sighed, shaking his head. “We were good friends with his parents. It’ll be nice to catch up with him, see how they’re doing.”
“They divorced.”
My dad gave me a regretful look, pinching the top of his nose. “I’m aware, Sheldon, but I’m sure their son keeps in contact with his own parents.”
A retort was at the tip of my tongue. Corrigan squeezed my hand, and I knew he was telling me to shut up. Don’t rock the boat, Jeneve. Let us count this one a win. Hearing my own thoughts, I swallowed it and gave Neil a smile instead.
“You’re right.” I tried to deliver that with a cherry on top, all the while holding off from rolling my eyes at myself. Be fake. Be fake and let’s catch this fucker. I took a breath. That was more like it.
“Fine. Let’s head to the Steele household.”
The security guard nodded and reached for his radio again to relay his instructions.
Beth looked over herself and grimaced. “My. I’m going to meet a superstar like this. Neil, we’ll need to send for clothes.”
My dad lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders. She snuggled into him as he murmured, rubbing a hand up and down her arm, “I’m sure that can be arranged. We’ll get everything sorted out.”
As those two got comfortable for the long drive to the city, I was anything but. The closer we got, the closer we were getting to Grace’s killer. Ignoring Bryce, ignoring Corrigan, and even ignoring that same-old tension that’s always there between the two, I needed to keep thinking. I would find this fucker, and I would make them pay.
The closer we got to the city, the more focused I became.
CHAPTER SEVEN
We had to be flagged through a gate for the community and then again when we got to Denton’s house. I was impressed. There’d been no security measures like that when we lived in the neighborhood, but I was even more impressed because Denton had his own private one installed. A lot of the other houses didn’t. When we were flagged through and drove up the driveway to Denton’s house¸ the car in front of us and the car behind us stopped. Security guards swept out and immediately began canvassing the area.
I asked my dad, “How many staff members do you have?”
He didn’t bat an eyelid. “As many as it takes.”
Oh-kay then. “Good to know.”
Denton opened the door and leaned against his porch’s railing as he waited for us to come up. Crossing his arms over his chest, he tilted his head back with a smirk appearing on his face.
I shook my head. Only Denton could get away with wearing red khaki pants, loafers, and a buttoned-down white and red striped shirt with sunglasses on top of his head. As I went up the stairs to him, I said, “You know it’s one in the morning. You got paparazzi skulking around in your bushes? You need to look cool at all times?”
“Didn’t you hear from the tabloids? I’m so vain that I have mirrors on the backs of every door? I constantly have to reassure myself that I’m still good-looking enough.” He laughed, raking a hand through his dark hair and dislodging his sunglasses. Taking them in his hand¸ he held his arm out and gestured for me to come closer. I did and he wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. “Damn. It’s good to see you, Jeneve. I thought the next time I saw you would be with you behind bars.”
I laughed, but stepped back and delivered a strong punch to his chest. “Not funny, douche bag.”
“Oh, come on.” He made a show of looking me up and down. “Orange could be your color. It brings out those precious lips of yours.” He flicked a hand to my lips and shot me a grin. “And really. You should be thanking me. I normally have a butler open the door. Good for you that I figured out how to let you through the gates or you would’ve been sitting in those very securely-looking and heavily guarded cars of yours.” He frowned over my shoulder. “Do they have guns?”
“Don’t worry about them. I think they’re more for show than actual harm. They won’t murder any of the paparazzi you pay to take your pictures.”
Denton barked out another laugh. “Damn, Sheldon. Just like always, you got cutting remarks.”
“I try.” A slow grin was forming the longer we traded jokes and jabs. I agreed with him. It was good to see him, too. It felt like too long. Then the reminder of why it’d been so long since we last saw each other filtered in—nope, not going to the last night I saw him. It was too serious. I needed to bring the light-hearted banter back so I made a show of looking around.
“And are you serious?” Not only had he added a security gate, but skimming over his house, I saw he had added almost an entire house onto his. It was a mansion now. I waved a hand at the renovations. “Did your house birth another home?”
He burst out laughing. “No, I’m not serious about the butler. I have no staff except a chef that comes in, and yeah, my house got pregnant.” He turned to look at the outside of his home. “Once the community put up the gate out there, I decided to add my own. I figured it was time to expand. I didn’t want to move and find a new home so there you have it. I did my own expansion. It was a bitch to plan, though. Some of the pictures were sold to a celebrity gossip website. They didn’t run the story. Nothing there, but still pissed me off. I had to fire half the construction crew to weed out the freeloader.”
I was still grinning that his house got pregnant. Feeling the rest waiting behind us, being polite, I allowed myself one more joke. “Your house got pregnant? All your orgies do that? Too much sperm flying all around?”
“Yes.” More laughter came from him. “What can I say? I’m fertile enough to infect my wood structure.”
Oh no. There was so much I could do with that, but Neil came up the stairs. He held a hand out. “Please stop, you two. Seeing you two joke like this is bringing back a lot of memories right now. Let’s keep the traumatic events to one thing right now.” He held his hand out, and the lines around his mouth softened into a small smile. “How are you, Denton? It’s been a long time.”
Denton withdrew completely from me and reached to shake my dad’s hand. He glanced sideways to me, but said, “Likewise, Mr. Jeneve. It’s been a long time.”
“Yeah.” My dad stood there a moment, just looking at Denton. A sad look appeared in my dad’s eyes, and his mouth twitched before he turned away. “Your parents are well?”
“They are.” Denton snuck another look to me. “I’ve heard about your recent . . .”
My dad had gone missing, but he’d never been declared missing. Just wanting to bite any future awkwardness in the butt, I clarified, “Yeah. He disappeared. The details are still fuzzy, but my bet is that he owed money to the mob. Did you, Neil? How much do you owe them?”
“Sheldon!” Beth gasped from below.
“What?”
“It’s fine, Beth.” Neil lifted a hand to appease her. “And yes, Denton, I did move away for a while, but it’s not what my daughter is insinuating.”
I frowned. “No insinuation. I stated it for the record.”
He ignored me, a forced mask of politeness coming over his face. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Thank you again for letting us into your home.”
“Ah. Yeah.” Denton stepped inside and held the door open. “Come on in, everyone. Do you guys have any bags with you?”
As he asked, Neil held a hand out to Beth, and she was the first inside. My dad rested a hand at the small of her back. Bryce and Corrigan came next, both meeting my gaze with their own mirroring smirks.
Bryce laughed softly. “Same old Sheldon.”
“Yeah.” Corrigan indicated for me to go ahead of him. “It’s nice to know that even being framed for murder doesn’t slow her down.”
They were talking to each other, but watching me. I pointed to my chest. “Yeah. Right here. Address all statements with the appropriate pronoun, me, not her. Wait. You, not her. Right here. Stating it again. No insinuations here.”
We had stepped inside, and Denton shut the door. Overhearing our conversation, he piped in, sliding his hands into his pockets, “Oh, we all know.” He glanced at Bryce. “I heard Sheldon’s in the house? Is that true?”
Bryce’s grin grew. “I heard that, too. You think she’s around? Corrigan?”
“Nah.” Corrigan clipped his head to the side. “I don’t think she’s here. I think the mob came after her instead of her dad. She’s gone. That ship has sailed.”
“You guys are annoying.”
Bryce ignored me. “You’re right. We should make up now, for real. No reason for this distance.”
“You’re right.” Corrigan held his arms out. “Come here, you big Super Soccer Stud. Let’s be best friends again.”
Bryce stepped forward, and the two hugged each other, their arms patting each other on the backs.
“Yep. Annoying. That’s what all three of you are being.”
“Wait.” Bryce lifted his head. He turned to Denton. “We’re not including Denton. Come here. He’s the big star. He’s an A-list movie actor. That’s what Oprah told me. I watched her Master’s Class last night.”
Denton burst out laughing.
Corrigan tugged him over. “You’re right. How selfish of us. Come here. You’re so handsome, Denton. You make my lady parts throb.”
“Oh my god.” Denton was shaking his head, but he hugged both of them back. “I forgot how the three of you could be.” He glanced at me. “Sheldon—”
I flicked him off, then held my hand up and waved my middle finger at all of them. “Screw you, guys.”
“Come on.” Corrigan lifted an arm to me. “We’re just having fun. Get in here, too.”
I didn’t move and continued to glare at them. My middle finger was still in front of me. I wanted that gesture showcased and dipped in bronze.
Corrigan waved my hand away and grabbed my wrist. He tugged me in. Bryce and Denton both moved and all three of them tugged me so I was in the middle of the love fest.
This was just wonderful.
I stood there, rigid, as the three of them moved closer.
“Oh, Sheldon. You’re the glue in our friendship lockets.”
“Screw off, Corrigan.”
His head rested on my left shoulder.
Bryce’s head went to my right shoulder. “She’s the stick in our kebab.”
Corrigan barked out a laugh. “That was good, Bryce.”
“Thanks. I’ve been working on being funnier.”
“It’s paying off.”
“You guys,” I growled in warning.
Denton added, squee
zing closer and his forehead rested on the back of my skull. “My turn.”
“Oh god.” I groaned.
“Sheldon, you’re the hotdog in our bun.”
“That’s a good one,” Corrigan murmured in my ear.
“Without you, it’s just bread.”
Bryce said, “Yeah. No taste. We’d go dry. Cracked.”
“Pure carbs. No enjoyment.” Corrigan was laughing in my ear.
“We’d all get fat then.” I could feel Denton’s silent laughter, as he pressed closer into the back of me. “Denton and I can’t. Our careers depend on our lean beautifulness.”
“Ha. Our beautifulness.”
“Oh my god.” I’d had enough. I tried to break away from them, but all three tightened their hold on me so I ducked down and crawled out through their feet. “You guys are too annoying now.”
Corrigan started for me. “Come on, Sheldon. We’re having fun.”
I rolled my eyes and darted out of his reach. “Forget the murderer. Take me away now.” Wait. “Never mind.” I asked Denton, “Where’s your wine? Can we please all get drunk tonight?”
“Yep. Same old Sheldon.” Bryce and Corrigan shared a look; both were trying to hold back their grins now.
Denton nodded and headed down the hallway. “Yeah, that sounds like a perfect plan. Let me get your dad and his . . .” He halted and lifted an eyebrow.
I answered, “Girlfriend.”
“Ah. Got it. Let me get your father and his girlfriend settled for the night. I need to ask if I should find bedding for all those guards too or not.” He kept going down the hallway and turned in the same direction Neil and Beth had gone.
I turned to see Bryce and Corrigan laughing. They were whispering more jokes to each other, and I shook my head. “Screw waiting. I’m going to find his liquor stash all on my own.”
“Where are you going?” Corrigan called out as I took off.
“Away from you two. It’s like I stepped into an alternate universe or something.” They weren’t faking like I thought they had been. As that realization settled in my gut, I stopped in my tracks. I thought they had been faking it, putting on a good front for my sake, but they weren’t. They actually were getting along. Turning back around to them, I just stared for a moment.