27. Rory

CHAPTER 27

RORY

“ W e’re going to want to talk to you again after we get Miss O’Mally’s statement,” said the officer who had just finished asking me a long list of questions—only half of which struck me as being relevant. “Make sure it all adds up.”

“That’s fine,” I said. “She knows you’re out here waiting and will come to talk to you whenever she’s feeling up to it.”

The cop eyed me as she scribbled something down on her pad of paper. She hadn’t been rude, but she clearly didn’t fully believe my account of events. I couldn’t blame her. It was hard to piece everything together while keeping the most important detail completely hidden. I wished them good luck on their investigation and headed back down the hall. On my way to Daphne’s bedside, a hand jutted out from nowhere and ripped me into a nearby supply closet. The door shut behind me with a loud thud, and I raised my hands to fight.

“Motherfucker, what?—”

“It’s just me,” hissed Nic. My eyes adjusted to the dark, and I confirmed this.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“I didn’t want the cops to see us talking because I’m not interested in giving a statement.”

I laughed. “You could’ve just texted me to come talk to you outside.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I didn’t want you going outside either.”

“Why not?” I shot her an angry look. Now wasn’t the time for games. “What the hell is going on? I thought you were back at the school with Matt and Cornelius. Why would you come here if you didn’t want to talk to the cops?”

“I came here to check on you… and also to warn you.”

“Warn me of what?”

“Cornelius made contact with one of his sisters tonight,” she said.

“He what? How?”

“It turns out he’s had an emergency phone number that he has been sitting on for a while. He finally called it and told her to come to Solara Bay so that they could talk—so that all of us could talk to her.”

“What?” I yelled.

“Shh! They’ll hear you.”

“I don’t care who hears me. He told his sister where we’ve been living? Is he insane?”

“Yes, and also probably yes,” she said. “But you have to understand, this whole thing with Daphne getting kidnapped by some fucking werewolf collector has totally freaked him out. I tried to talk him out of it, to at least have his sister meet him somewhere else, but you know how he is. He made up his mind, and there was no changing it.”

“This is ridiculous! He can’t make this call for the rest of us.”

“I know. That’s why I’m telling you now. So that you can get out of the area while there’s still time.”

I scowled at her. The only light in the supply closet was coming from underneath the door, but I could still make out most of Nic’s face. “If you’re telling me to get the hell out of dodge, that means you think it’s a bad idea as well.”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“Don’t give me that,” I groaned. “He’s taking a huge risk, and we both know it. Are you really going to stay and hear what his sister has to say?”

“I haven’t decided yet. But I know that’s not what you want, so you should go. Take Daphne and run. Get as far away as you can, and don’t tell any of us where you are going.”

“Daphne can’t travel. She’s still recovering. The doctor hasn’t even come around to go over her test results.”

“Then leave her for now,” she said. “We’ll make sure she gets home okay.”

“Not a fucking chance,” I growled. “I don’t want her anywhere near you guys if there’s going to be drama.”

She groaned. “There isn’t another option. It’s either stay here with her and risk being found out by the old pack or leave without her.”

“I can’t leave without her,” I said unwaveringly. “I won’t.”

Nic took a step back. “Oh my god.” She gulped, but I wasn’t sure where this sudden sadness was coming from. “You’re—you’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

There was no point in denying it. She was going to put two and two together if I decided to stay, which I already had. “Yes. I am.”

She looked at me for a long while without saying anything.

“Nic, what’s?—”

“I have to go,” she cut me off. “Matt and Cornelius are outside waiting for me in the car. We’re heading back to the house before the police try to question us, too. You didn’t tell them we were anywhere near the crime scene tonight, right?”

“I’m not an idiot.”

“Okay, good. Then I guess… I’ll either see you at the house later tonight or… I won’t.” She reached for the door handle.

“Wait, what’s going on?” I demanded to know. “Why do you seem upset all of a sudden?”

“I’m not upset,” she said. “I just—I need some time to myself. That’s all.” She offered me nothing but a half smile as a goodbye, then opened the door and walked out.

One of the officers was kind enough to offer Daphne and me a ride home after my friends took the car back to the house that morning. Neither of us spoke much on the journey to Solara Bay. I was lost in thought, and Daphne was still groggy. I gave the officer the address for Smart Choice instead of my house and basically carried Daphne up the steps and to her bed when we got there. I’d texted Al on the way there, letting him know that Daphne was safe but that she was probably going to be too out of it to talk right away. He met us at the curb when the patrol car arrived and waved to her but didn’t hound her with questions.

In the apartment, Al had made her bed and put out a glass of water. Daphne smiled when she turned in bed to see the fresh flowers he’d left for her as well. It was good to see her looking happy after all we’d been through.

I was seated next to her, contemplating what I was going to do about Cornelius’s sister.

“That was really sweet of Al,” she said. “I wonder if he somehow subconsciously knew that daisies were my favorite flower.”

“Could be.”

“You know, the only good thing to come out of all of this is that we were able to stop Missy from taking all of his money. That would’ve been just awful, don’t you think?”

“I guess, but if you’re asking me which I would prefer, for you to get kidnapped or for Al to lose some money, I think you already know the answer.”

She laughed. “I suppose so.”

I looked down at my hands and released a heavy sigh. One that I knew wouldn’t go unnoticed by Daphne. She sat up and patted the empty spot in bed next to her. “Come lay down,” she said. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

I hesitated.

“C’mon,” she insisted. “I know something happened when you went to talk to the police, and if you’re trying to keep me in the dark for my own good or something, that’s just stupid. And patronizing. I talked to them too, told them the same version of the story we agreed on, and I really think they bought it.”

I chuckled. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what is it? Come talk to me.”

When I looked at her again, I saw nothing but warmth behind her beautiful eyes, and I was powerless to say no. I crawled into bed alongside her and began what I knew was going to be a very long and drawn-out story.

“It all began before I was born—when my original pack was formed, and their violent, oppressive ideas began to spread.”