by Jae Hood
“You’re wrong, Tanner,” Graham’s amused voice drawled. “I’d say that’s Mr. Brodie Monroe sitting in our driveway right now. He’s not out of the truck yet. No, he’s nervous, sitting in the Montgomery driveway. He’s debating on whether showing up here unannounced was a mistake, but ultimately he’ll step down from that big ole truck. He cares about his cousin. I saw the look on his face at the hospital and at the funeral home. He’s worried about her.”
A barstool scraped against the floor. “I’ll go invite him in,” Shelby said.
“Like hell you will,” Tanner said. “What if Amos sent him here?”
“Brodie’s not like the rest of the Monroe men. He helped me the night Drew attacked me. I haven’t spoken to him, not once, since that night.”
I spotted Shelby from where I stood at the landing. She walked across the foyer and grasped the doorknob in her hand, determination in her eyes.
“Aren’t you gonna stop her?” Tanner asked. “Aren’t you gonna follow her? Or are you gonna sit there and drink your coffee?”
Graham laughed. “Sit here and drink my coffee. Oh, and read the newspaper. Don’t give me that look, son. I think you can handle Brodie on your own. I’m going to sit with my beautiful wife and have a lovely meal that she, hopefully, hasn’t burned.”
“Jerk.” Melissa laughed.
Tanner followed Shelby to the front door. Bright sunlight flooded inside the house. I walked downstairs, bypassing Graham smiling at me over his newspaper.
I stood in the doorway behind Tanner and Shelby on the porch, greeted by the early morning heat, the sound and smell of river water churning nearby.
Brodie’s truck sat in the driveway, large and fierce. He didn’t wait long before sliding out of the vehicle. His monstrous frame seemed small and non-threatening next to the truck. He slammed the door behind him, approaching the house cautiously.
Brodie’s pace halted at the foot of the porch steps. His arms were crossed in a defensive stance when he finally spoke. “I’m here to speak to Rue.” His voice was firm with little room for argument.
“Rue’s not feeling well,” Tanner lied.
Brodie scowled in disbelief.
“Before I came downstairs for breakfast I peeked my head in her room,” Shelby said. “She was still asleep. I can wake her up if you want.”
Brodie nodded his head in my direction. “She looks fine to me.”
Shelby and Tanner exchanged a questioning glance and turned in my direction.
“Brodie,” I said. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
Brodie ran his fingers through his hair. “Nothing could keep me away. Not even a Montgomery could keep me from checking on my cousin.” Brodie paused, looking at Shelby. “I’m glad you’re doing all right, by the way. I wanted to tell you at Lucy’s funeral, but I didn’t think it was the best time, with everyone’s tempers running high and all.”
“Thanks,” Shelby replied, her dimples deepening. “Stay a little while? We can sit on the porch and talk. Give me a chance to apologize?”
Brodie stood in the driveway for a moment before he caved. He followed Shelby up the porch steps, trying not to check out her ass as he did so, but failing. I gave him the stink-eye. The big lug had the audacity to shoot me a sheepish grin and shrug.
Tanner leaned on the deck railing. Shelby and Brodie sat stiffly in the wicker chairs, facing one another. There was a long silence, only interrupted by the chirp of a bird or the splash of a fish hitting the water. Then Shelby began to speak, apologizing for the way she’d acted at the hospital.
Once she finished, Tanner relayed the tragic events prior to Lucy’s death, how he’d heard Amos and Buck discussing how they hired Drew to shoot Lucy up with enough drugs to put her in a coma.
“Your cousin, Olivia, overheard a conversation between the Monroe men before the fire,” Tanner said. “Your father, her father, hell, all the Monroe men … they helped murder Jeb. They had Davis kill Rue’s father.”
“You’re a dirty liar,” Brodie whispered, his face turning a brilliant shade of red. “My father would never be involved in his own brother’s murder.”
Saying nothing in response, Tanner leaned back against the railing, raising an eyebrow at Brodie.
I sighed, my mind and body feeling so weary. “It’s all true, Brodie.”
I crossed the porch, my feet padding against the rich wooden boards. Tanner tugged the hem of his white shirt I wore and I leaned into him, smiling as he took me in his arms. He ran his fingers through my hair, pulling the tangles from the unruly mess, kissing me on my forehead.
“Okay, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” Brodie grumbled.
Snickering, I said, “You better get used to it, that is, if you want to continue visiting your favorite cousin from time to time, ‘cause Tanner’s not going anywhere.”
Brodie muttered something below his breath, but I didn’t catch his words.
Tanner sat in a chair, bringing me down onto his lap. I snuggled against him, my head resting perfectly in the bend of his neck, so perfect, in fact, I believed it purposeful, as though some great deity designed the two of us specifically for one another.
“How are you holding up, Rue?” Brodie asked.
“I’m doing okay,” I said, twisting my fingers through Tanner’s. “I mean, considering …”
“Yeah.”
“I really miss my sister,” I whispered.
“Yeah. I do too.”
The air became stiff and uncomfortable. I wondered if I should break down and try to convince Brodie that Lucy’s death was a hoax, but something deep inside me screamed against the decision, so I said nothing.
Brodie cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. “I, uh, just wanted to check in on you. We haven’t heard from you as much as we’d like. Nana’s been worried. She really misses you. Are you coming back to school soon? Are you quitting the cake shop?”
“I’ll be back in school next week,” I replied, ignoring Tanner’s sudden, intense stare. “I’ll continue working at the shop after school.”
“Maybe that’s not a good idea,” Brodie said, holding his hands up in defense at my angry stare. “Just hear me out. If Amos and Buck are behind Lucy’s overdose, what makes you think you’re not next? You can’t go back to Mayhaw. You’d be safer here with Tanner.”
He spoke my boyfriend’s name like it was a curse and glowered at Tanner. I couldn’t help the snicker that escaped my mouth. Tanner shot him a smug, lazy grin.
“I dunno, Brodie,” I responded. “I don’t know anyone from Birchwood, other than Tanner, Shelby, and Bryce. Shelby drives to and from MSU every week, so I only see her on the weekends. I’d just feel so lost going to high school here.”
“What about the GED program?” Brodie asked, causing me to cringe.
“I’m not a quitter. I’m not quitting high school because of Amos. I’m not a freaking statistic.”
“Who cares if you get your GED or have a high school diploma?” Shelby asked. “They’re basically the same thing. No college is going to turn you down just because you have a GED. It’s not quitting; it’s being reasonable and making a smart decision. I’m in agreement with Brodie. It’s much safer to stay here with Tanner, Graham, and Melissa than running around Mayhaw. Just think about it, Rue. We haven’t known each other long, but I care about you. Truly. And Melissa thinks of you as a daughter. She’d be devastated if anything happened to you.”
“The hottie with the banging body is right.” Brodie grinned and Shelby blushed. “Beautiful and smart. Niiice.”
*
A week later, Brodie once again pulled into Tanner’s drive unannounced. When Tanner and I greeted him on the porch, he casually dropped a set of keys in Tanner’s hand.
“What’s this?” Tanner asked.
Brodie shrugged, grinning. “Keys to Amos’ office.”
“How’d you get these?” I snatched the keys from Tanner’s hand.
“I talked to Olivia. She
admitted she was working at the office when she overheard Amos, Saul, Alex, and my father talking about working with Davis. She told me they killed Uncle Jeb. She thinks there may be some information in Amos’ office that could help put him away.
“I want y’all to know that I’m in. Call me a traitor against my father. I don’t give a shit. I’ve always said, done, and believed everything they’ve told me, but that ends now. They told me the Montgomery family was the enemy, but they’ve been working with two Montgomerys all these years. Lucy … Lucy was like a sister to me. How could they? How could our own flesh and blood do something like that? They hired someone to murder her.”
My mouth parted of its own free will, ready to share the truth of Lucy’s existence with my cousin, but Tanner’s fingers digging into my arm made me give pause. I closed my mouth.
“So we’re gonna break into Amos’ office …” I said.
Tanner grinned. “Yeah, we are.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“Good,” Tanner said. “Dangerous plans are my favorite kind.”
Chapter 25
The plan was set in motion.
We’d discussed it at length. Bryce and Brodie were to stash their cars in the woods, one near the highway off-ramp and one on the opposite end of the road where our family’s construction business was located. At the off chance of any sign of our uncles, the boys were to call or text Tanner’s phone in warning.
Tanner tried to convince me to stay behind, but that was not happening. My father had been murdered as well, and I had as much right to search for evidence as Tanner had. He eventually caved, after lots of begging and persuading on my part.
One favor that Josie had called in from a friend and we were off.
We left the driveway in the dead of night in the borrowed 8 Mile car. As soon as the bald tires hit the bridge separating our two towns, my stomach began to roll. I stared down over the railing, searching for the muddy waters, but my search was in vain. Even the brightness of the moon was snubbed out by the inky black night. All that lay below that old bridge was a blank void of nothingness. It gave me chills deep down to my very bones.
Monroe Construction wasn’t just an office downtown. No, it was a warehouse in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a chain link fence with barbed wire roped across the top of it. We parked half a mile down the road, nudging the car into an old off-road that adjoined the property. The road was practically grown over with thick weeds, and the branches hanging overhead provided a good canopy to hide under. Tanner cut the engine, and we were met with nothing but the stillness of the night.
He shot me a twisting grin before popping open the glove box and tossing a black ski mask my way. I rolled my eyes at his exuberance as the two of us pulled the masks on in sync. After that he called Bryce and then Brodie, confirming their location and our safety. He ended the call within seconds, put it on silent, and slipped it in the back pocket of his jeans. We exchanged one breathless kiss before the two of us pulled on our gloves and slipped from the old car.
Tanner was in his element. Through the opening in his mask I saw his mischievous grin. Was this how it was for him all the time, when he went out for hours on end, doing whatever it was he did to come home with a wad of cash? Did he thrive on the thrill of it all? Did he live for the moment, for the chase, for the chance of being caught?
My thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the warehouse looming ahead. The building was massive, made of blue and grey metal. Just inside the fence, the large, ghastly machinery sat scattered about the property in eerie silence, as opposed to their normal clang and clamor.
We broke free from the woods and approached the property, our hands dropping from one another. My skin felt clammy and alone under my glove without the comfort of Tanner’s hand clasped so tightly in mine, and I shivered at the loss. I wrapped my arms around my torso and peered around the property, cringing at the sound of rocks crunching beneath my sneakers as our feet hit gravel.
A thick chain and a heavy lock hung from the gate. Tanner slipped the keys Olivia gave us from his pocket and slid one in, turning it this way and that until a satisfying click sounded out, silencing the crickets and frogs that had begun their encore once we emerged from the woods.
Tanner gave the gate a good push, and it creaked open. He made a grand sweeping gesture with his hands. Groaning at his strangely good mood, I shoved past him onto the property, listening for the sound of guard dogs. There were none, however, and it didn’t surprise me. Amos and the good ole boys were cocky. Their half-assed attempt at securing the premises was predictable. They’d gotten away with so many things over the years, so why start worrying now?
Once we entered, Tanner situated the chain and lock back in place, making it appear as though the lock had never been disturbed. A shiver ran through me, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. Although he didn’t snap the lock into place, I still felt confined, trapped. There was no means of escape other than through that front gate. I began second-guessing our plans, but Tanner eased my troubled mind.
“Bryce and Brodie are on opposite ends of the road,” he reminded as we approached the warehouse. “If anyone comes down either end they’ll call. My phone is on vibrate. Stop thinking so much about getting caught. Focus on finding the evidence, hard evidence we need to prove once and for all that they murdered our fathers.”
“It’d be easier if we just murdered them … or made them disappear like all the others.”
“People don’t disappear.” Tanner twisted a key into the lock on the door and grinned once the door stood wide open. “They die. I’ve told you time and time again, when bodies start piling up, people get suspicious.”
“You didn’t tell me what happened after Ray left,” I whispered as we entered the warehouse, blinking once Tanner shut the door behind us and turned on a dim flashlight. “You never explained Davis either. But I know he’s dead. That was his body in my sister’s casket.”
Tanner’s eyes clouded over in the soft light. “I’ve told you over and over. Why can’t you comprehend what’s happened?”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” he grumbled. “I’ll explain it later. There’s no time for discussion. We have to find the filing cabinets, look for the evidence, and get the hell out of here.”
I nodded, leading him through the warehouse to Amos’ office. I pointed to the door once we arrived, crossing my arms over my chest and tapping my foot while he tried key after key, pressing each one into the lock without luck. Finally, down to the last key, the door popped open. The two of us exchanged grins behind our masks before moving stealthily into the office, closing the door behind us.
A long row of black metal filing cabinets rested against the far wall, beyond Amos’ desk. The beam from the flashlight bounced to lock after lock on each cabinet.
“This is where things get tricky,” Tanner whispered, pulling some sort of small tool with a red handle from his jeans.
“Tricky?” I mimicked. “What’s tha—hey!”
Tanner ignored me as he used the tool to snap a lock in half. “What?” He pulled the lock from the cabinet and tossed it to the ground.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I squeaked as he pulled the drawer out.
“Olivia couldn’t get the filing cabinet keys. How did you think we were getting in?”
“They’ll know we were here!”
“No, they’ll know someone was here.” He removed file after file from the drawer and tossed them onto Amos’ desk. “How about you stop talking and start helping?”
“Fine,” I grumbled, snatching a few files of my own from the drawer.
Then I plopped my happy ass down in my uncle’s comfy leather chair and read each file name. Tanner had chosen the drawer with the “M” files, and I wondered if he chose that for Tanner Sr. or for my father.
There was no time to ponder, and I wasn’t sure if I really wanted the answer to my inner
question anyway. I thumbed through each file in vain, as did he, finding nothing about Jeb or Tanner Senior.
“Damn it.” He stacked the files together and slid them back in the drawer. “What now? Go through them all?”
“If we have to,” I replied, standing and opening another drawer after he popped the lock.
The second drawer contained more “M” files. Again we thumbed through each file, finding nothing but construction contracts and other legal forms that had nothing to do with either one of our fathers’ deaths.
I let out a heavy sigh and lifted my eyes to meet Tanner’s. I wondered if my own looked as forlorn and despondent as his. I reached out, grasping his hand and opening my mouth to give him some sort of words of comfort, but the words froze in my mouth at the sound of his cell vibrating in his pocket.
Tanner jumped at the unexpected interruption. He pulled himself together quickly enough then slid the phone from his pocket.
“Go,” he barked, shoving the phone in his pocket and pulling me to my feet. “Now!”
“What about the files?” I gestured to the mess of paperwork scattered about.
“Forget the files. Amos just pulled off the highway. He’ll be pulling up in ten minutes. Let’s go.” He practically shoved me from the room.
We fled the building into the darkness of night. The moon hanging overhead did wonders for lighting our path, and it was a good thing too, because somewhere between Amos’ office and the gate, the flashlight fell, smashing open and spilling the batteries onto the ground. Tanner never looked back, tugging me behind him by my shirt as we approached the gate.
He easily opened it and we darted through, ducking into the woods, leaving the gate wide open behind us. I didn’t know how he knew the path to the car, but he did.
I registered the sound of Amos’ old truck racing along with my heart as it chugged down the dusty back road. We made it to the car just as headlights in the distance beamed through the branches and leaves. We both fell to the ground, landing on the bracken and soft earth.
“How did he …” I began.