by Flite, Nora
The black and white photo was old, but the print was recent; crisp and unmarked. It contained a blurry face, but I didn't need detail. One look at those eyes, and I knew. Even with a filling replacing his once upon a time gap-tooth, I fucking knew.
I crushed down on the paper and tore the edges. “Tell me where he is.”
“I take that to mean it's the man we want,” Jacob said calmly.
I shot my glare at him, knew I was speaking too fast—too anxiously. “Where is he, Jacob? Tell me where he is and what the hell his name is.” It was him. It was really him.
I held the mugshot of my long lost monster.
“Take a breath and chill out,” Kite said. He reached for me, tried to grab my shoulders soothingly.
I shoved him away, lips pulling back over my snarling teeth. “No! If you got this photo, you must know his name! That's what I paid you for, right? Do your part and tell me!”
In my mind, all I could see were her eyes. Wet, wide eyes that fixed on me and saw me. A little girl who realized I couldn't save her. How could I have? I was six years old, what was I going to do?
But she'd watched me. Cece had known I was in that closet.
And she'd known I was a coward.
I'd let her die.
“Shit!” Kite hissed, gripping me under my arms when I fell. I didn't remember falling, but the edges of my vision were a black sinkhole.
He was warm against me, my cheek on his bare shoulder until he settled me into the booth. Someone went to take the photo from my fingers; I dug in, a death grip. They stopped trying.
“Breathe,” Jacob instructed. He bent over me, his familiar scent filling my head. I was dizzy, though the humiliation of nearly fainting grounded me.
Sitting up, I put the photo between my knees so I could grab the glass of water Kite handed me. I wasn't giving the picture up. It was the closest thing to proof—physical proof—that my memory of that murderer was real.
The two men sat across from me, their eyes wary and unsure. Wiping my mouth, I put the glass on the table as steadily as possible. It still trembled, which I hated. “I'm fine. Stop looking at me like that.”
“You nearly fainted, you're not fine,” Jacob said.
My attention swayed to him, sticking on his subtle frown like glue. I wanted to watch him for a reaction. “Of course I nearly fainted. You found the man I'm after. Tell me who he is, Jacob.”
His inhale made his shirt ripple upwards. His composure was infuriating. “I only have the photo. I don't know his name.”
I thought I was going to pass out again. I reached for the glass, stopped when I saw how my arm vibrated. I didn't want them to see me so unstable. “How?” I asked. “How could you get a photo and not his name?”
He said, “I met with a man who had heard of your murderer. He knew about Frankie and the insurance bullying.” Jacob sat next to me, his arm on the cushion over my head. “All he could give me was a printed photo, but trust me, Marina... with this, we can find out who he is.”
Looking him in the eye, I tried to see into his head. Was he lying? I couldn't say. “It took four days to get this photo?” I asked cautiously.
Jacob didn't move a muscle. “Yes.”
Glancing at Kite, I spotted how he was standing there with his hands deep in his pockets. He looked at me, forced a small smile. I swear, they knew something I didn't.
Finally able to drink the water without spilling it, I took a big swallow. I drank until it was nearly empty, breathing out in a rush. “Thank you for finding his picture, Jacob. I mean that. You must have gone through a lot to get this. Four days is a long time.”
The edges of his eyebrows dipped. “Yes, it is.” Deep within his eyes, a slow burn of complex heat and sadness grew.
I shifted side to side. Why is he looking at me like that?
Jacob lifted a finger, rubbing the indent of his lower lip. A jolt of excitement slammed between my thighs. I had to resist reaching up and touching my own lips. They were buzzing with the memory of his rough kiss.
Did he... miss me? Is that what he's trying to say?
Kite stepped in, putting a new glass in front of me. The liquid inside was dark; he offered a similar drink to Jacob. “Let's celebrate,” he said, beaming proudly. His knuckles stood out, catching the low lights. The letters of his tattoo were engraved like forgotten names on old gravestones. “Step one is complete, we have a lead on this guy.”
“You're right,” Jacob agreed. Both of them sat on either side of the booth, sandwiching me. I had no where to go, my skull throbbing with their combined voices and scents.
When the glasses were raised, I shook myself and smiled. Yes, this is worth celebrating. We were some perverse version of the Three Musketeers, our glasses raised to clink together in unison.
Something warm touched me on my left. Glancing down, I spotted Jacob's leg against my thigh. Before I could think of how to react, Kite put his hand on my shoulder.
Goosebumps ran outward. My flesh was a security system, warning me I was under attack from all angles. What the hell were these two men thinking?
Strangling my glass, I chugged it back and emptied it in one go. “Well!” I coughed, tears burning from the harsh alcohol—I thought it was whiskey. “What happens now?”
Pushing his empty glass aside, Kite leaned across me, speaking to Jacob. “While you were gone, I finished moving Marina out of her apartment.”
He nodded, one blue eye rolling my way, then back to his friend. “So everything is packed up?”
“She has some more stuff at my place, but otherwise, yeah.”
I didn't like how they were ignoring me. I also didn't like how light-headed I was getting from the pressure of their warmth on me.
Tapping the glass downwards, I acted like it was a judge's gavel. “Hey, hello? I asked what happens now.”
Kite tilted his empty drink, frowning at the air inside. “We need to find out where this guy is.”
“And who he is,” Jacob added flatly.
“Right.” Kite stared at his hands, focusing there. “Yeah, that too.”
Wriggling in place, I tried to subtly indicate I wanted them to let me out of the booth. Neither of them budged. “Fine. Let's go do some research. I can start showing this picture around.”
Jacob's chuckle was velvet and ice. “That's a great way to let him know someone is after him.”
Their cavalier attitude was getting under my skin. “You two know how badly I want to find this man. I've been sitting on my hands since the start, I want to take some action. To be proactive.”
“You haven't been doing nothing,” Kite said with a shrug. “I took you shooting.”
Not just shooting, I thought with a flutter. We did so much more that night. Kite had spread me open on the floor of that old building. Then, afterwards, he'd exposed me to the dark, dangerous side that lived low in his heart.
My thankful smile was a little weak. “Yes, and I appreciate that. But I want to start looking for this man.” Gripping the envelope, I brought it up between all of us.
Jacob was too fast; the paper left my fingers, stolen by his. My mouth fell open, gawking at his speed. He asked, “You really want to look for him, starting right now?”
I couldn't take my stare off of that envelope. It was like Jacob had taken my limbs, my guts.
My soul.
I needed it back and I knew he realized it. “Yes.” I licked my dry lips. “I would rather look for him right now.”
There was a sly edge to Jacob's grin. “Lucky for you, there's a chance I know where he'll be tonight.”
I stopped breathing; my tongue was wooden. “Where?” I whispered.
When he offered the envelope back, I clutched it to my chest. Jacob was so close to me, I noticed the freshness of his skin. He'd taken a shower before he came here, the edge of his collar was still damp.
“Do you own any fancy dresses?” he asked softly.
Warily, I shook my chin side to side. “What? No,
I don't own anything like that.”
Looking over my head, Jacob winked at Kite. “Then we're going to need to fix that.”
- Chapter 17 -
Marina
Jacob's car was oddly familiar to me.
Kite had driven it the first night I'd met them. But Jacob himself had never been in it, not with me.
Not until now.
He sat inches away, reclining comfortably. Soft, classical music flowed from the car's speakers. Outside, the world was dreary and limp.
In our private little pocket, the air was wild fire.
I couldn't sit still. Digging my nails into the seat belt, I fought to find words. Why did Jacob make me so nervous?
Because the last time you were alone with him, he kissed you.
He made you bleed.
Unconsciously, I brushed my lower lip.
We'd been driving for only a few minutes when Jacob guided us into the parking lot of a huge mall. He'd explained that tonight, a charity event was being held in the city. According to Jacob's secret informant, if we attended, we might run into the man who'd killed my family.
And all I needed was something fancy to wear to the party.
It seemed... easy.
Too easy.
“So,” I said, hating how hollow that single word sounded, “You really think he'll be there tonight?”
Jacob parked the car in an empty space among the packed lot. “I can't say. It's just something I was told was a possibility.”
“By who?” I asked anxiously. “You haven't said anything about your informant.”
He cut the engine. With the rumble gone, I couldn't hide my nervous breathing. Jacob faced me, reminding me how blue his damn eyes were. “What are you fishing for, Marina? Are you trying to figure out if I know more than I'm telling you?”
I hesitated, then gave up. “Yeah. Pretty much.”
“Still don't trust me?” he whispered. He was referencing our last meeting.
I didn't want to be reminded about how warm his lips had been. I had a hard enough time forgetting that morning as is. “I feel like you're leaving things out. You were gone for four days, Jacob. What did you do that whole time?”
His lips curled at the sides. “It isn't important. All you have to go on is what I've found so far. Right?”
Of course he was right.
I looked out at the parking lot. I didn't want to see his face, not when I braced myself for my next question. “Did you... do something terrible?”
The silence was long and stifling. I felt the white noise in my ears, the hairs on the backs of my arms. After a minute, I wondered if he'd answer me at all.
His voice was gentle. “Yes. I did a terrible thing.”
Fingers cupped my elbow. Jumping, I spun to find him inches away from me. The intensity that normally hid under his surface was peeking at me through a thin curtain.
“Marina,” he said in a throaty hush. “If I lie to you... lie for you, and the result is the same, does it matter?”
The structure of my spine was giving out. Jacob's nearness was making it hard to focus; I kept thinking about the sweet taste of his mouth. “Even if I'm scared of the truth, I don't want you to lie.”
The corner of his smile went up, an invisible wire pulling it towards one ear. “You, scared? I can't believe that.” He still held my elbow, fingers doing nothing but feeling me. “Let me keep my secrets. Please. I prefer it that way.”
I hesitated. “Secrets I can understand.” Glancing at his fingers where they touched me, I swallowed. “Tell me this much, and I'll quit probing. You are planning to find my family's killer, right?”
He ran a finger over his chest. “Cross my heart, I promise. You'll know his name soon enough.”
There was a fierce urge building in me, a wave made from hungry lust. Jacob vibrated with strength, and I knew how easy it would be to lean forward, close the gap, and feel his sharp teeth again.
Another moment, and I might have crumbled and kissed him. Me, the one initiating it this time. I wasn't proud of my desire.
It was the thought about Kite, and how hurt he would be, that kept me from acting on my impulse.
Jacob watched me, studying me in that vivid way of his. I felt exposed under his stare, wondering what he was seeing... thinking... feeling.
Abruptly he turned away, opening the car door and sparing me any further conflict. Leaning out, he eyed the sky. “It might rain, we should hurry.”
Freed from the tension, I dove eagerly into the cold air. It cooled the sweat on my throat. Shaking my arms out, I asked, “Is Kite going to meet up with us?”
“He's sure to find us after he gets his own shopping done.”
“You trust him to buy an appropriate outfit for tonight?” I teased, hoping to erase the awkward mood.
Snorting, Jacob held the mall doors open for. “He's capable, though I doubt he'll look as sharp as me.” Tugging at his shirt, Jacob preened. He was playing around, but I could have watched him adjust his outfit for hours.
Making fists, I dug my nails into my palms. Focus! Following Jacob onto an escalator, I stared up at him. “He told me that you guys have been friends since he was nine.”
Jacob spaced out, eventually looking down at me with a faded grin. “Has it really been that long?”
I gazed at his face, wondering what he was remembering.
He twisted away, giving me a view of his strong jaw and the tiny indent in his chin. He could have been a model, or maybe an actor.
Pretending to be someone else was definitely his strong suit.
When we reached the third floor, he led me towards a store that was so fancy, I couldn't even pronounce the name. I just knew it was some kind of French.
Stopping short, I threw up my hands and laughed nervously. “You realize I can't go in there.”
“What? Why?”
I jiggled my purse. “I'm broke. I can't afford any of that stuff. Do you see any big, bold colored sales signs pasted all over the windows? That's my kind of store, not this.”
Arching an eyebrow, he reached for my hand; I dodged him. “Relax, Marina. I'll take care of everything.”
The pit in my belly swelled. “No. I can't let you buy me anything.”
He cocked his head, studying me as if I was a new breed of animal. “Are you afraid of owing me if I do you a favor?”
I froze on the spot. “I guess I'm nervous about what you'd ask for in return.”
Darkness entered his smirk. When he spoke, his voice had a caramel thickness. “You should be nervous.”
Inhaling sharply, I swayed on my heels. “Is that supposed to convince me?”
Chuckling, he smoothed back his hair. “No, but this is. You want to go to this event tonight, correct?”
“Of course I—”
“And,” he went on, “You want to find your killer.”
In my purse, the photo Jacob had given me acted like an anchor. I couldn't have turned and walked away if I'd tried. “Yes,” I whispered. “I want to find him.”
Taking a mini bow, Jacob motioned me towards the store. “Then, Miss Fidel, let me take you shopping.” It was a phrase I never imagined anyone would say to me.
I'd expected him to sneer, but his face was serious. I didn't feel like he was mocking me, Jacob wanted to take me shopping. He actually wanted to buy me a dress.
Knowing that, my stomach fluttered.
Brushing into the store, I was swallowed up by the racks of silky cloth and sparkling jewelry. The women who shopped here owned closets dedicated to just shoes. That wasn't me, not even a little bit.
I fought my instinct to turn and flee.
Jacob put a hand on my back, nudging me forward. I'd stopped on the threshold, frozen by indecision. “Come on,” he chuckled. “This will be good for you.”
Good for me? How could trying on clothing that was meant for movie stars be good for anyone? I didn't belong here, and my skin crawled the longer I lingered.
“It's just.
..” I waved a hand lamely. “Look at it all. That purse there costs more than my rent did!”
“You shouldn't let that stop you from enjoying yourself.” When he nudged me again, his touch was closer to a caress between my shoulder blades than a push. “Just try something on, don't look at the price tags.”
“Hah, there's a concept,” I sighed. Needing to escape his too-delicious fingers scraping over my body, I strolled quickly down an aisle.
The racks were thick with outfits. I glided my palms over each of the dresses, feeling the exquisite material. Green, black, maroon... the colors and styles never ended.
I wonder what Kite's favorite color is? Peering covertly over my shoulder, I watched Jacob browsing further away. For that matter... What would HE like?
If I was going to dress in something fancy and beautiful, which of these dresses would fit the bill and intrigue one of these men?
Or both of them.
Hah. Now THAT was a thought. A thought I didn't stick with, because it made my belly do jumping jacks and turned my tongue to water. Imagining them one at a time was enough to choke me. Together?
I'd never survive them.
It was a dumb idea, anyway. There was no way these two would go for it. If I didn't put a stop to all of this sexual tension, Kite and Jacob were going to kill each other. I needed them around to help me. That had to take priority.
No matter how tempting the alternative was.
“Find anything?” Jacob asked. For once, he hadn't startled me; I'd been spying on him and knew he was approaching.
Grabbing the nearest outfit—a green evening gown—I held it up like it was a shield. “I'll just try this one.”
“You should take a few more,” he said. Thumbing over the rack, he looped three hangers over his fingers. His smile went ear to ear. “I'll show you to the changing rooms.”
He was so polite and insistent, he could have been a store employee. Jacob had an uncanny way of blending in. He was also capable of taking one of those hangers and slicing someone's throat with it.
Pushing at the goosebumps on my arms, begging them to melt away, I followed him deeper into the store.