Chapter 144

YENA

The money was in my account and spendable within hours. I couldn’t believe it.

I was officially in business – for myself.

And I was ready to spend some of my new money on exactly what I intended it for: to help me and Evan with our move, so I didn’t have to rely on Nolan for all the expenses.

Packing to prepare for the trip had been feeling impossible, and I realized it was because I didn’t have the right kind of luggage for moving by airplane. And I knew Evan didn’t have any luggage at all.

I shopped around for the best options and placed an order online. I smiled as I started sorting my belongings, planning for what to pack in each of the new suitcases I’d ordered.

I got matching sets of rolling suitcases for my brother and myself, his in gray with blue accents, and mine in those same colors but in reverse. And I got myself a set of hat boxes and garment bags as well, and a cute little vintage-inspired briefcase for my design notebooks and portfolio.

And it turns out, if you’ve got extra cash and don’t mind the charge, you can get same-day delivery for all kinds of stuff. The luggage was at our door within hours.

Evan had been out during the morning, and I heard his movements as I quietly opened up all the boxes downstairs in the dining room. He returned through the garage, took a shower upstairs, then closed himself in his room. Ten or so minutes passed while I opened up and collapsed all the boxes and packaging and sorted our new items. Finally, I took the two suitcases I’d gotten for Evan – they were so handsome and sophisticated! – and carried them upstairs.

I knocked on his bedroom door and he opened it.

“Check it out!” I beamed, standing back to show off the goods. I took both suitcases by their handles and swiveled them around on their wheels.

“Fancy,” Evan said, reaching out for one of the suitcases. He looked it over. I got the feeling that he was trying to find a reason not to like it, but he could not think of one.

“Come on,” I said. “It’s not that fancy. Just… nice. I think it suits you.”

He smiled, blushing, and said, “Thanks.”

“No problem. How are you feeling, by the way? About the trip and everything?”

Evan’s smile started to droop. “Anxious. Excited. I dunno. You?”

I laughed. “That’s a good summary. I’m right there with you.”

He got a funny look on his face, narrowing his eyes. “Come here,” he said quietly, pushing the suitcase aside and holding his arms wide open.

I took a step into his room and sank into his arms. Evan took a couple tiny steps forward to wrap his body all around mine, holding me in a bear hug.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he said. His mouth was pressed into my neck, his breath tickling me as he spoke. “I’m so proud of you for following your dreams like this. And there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than by your side to help you.” He pulled back and planted a quick kiss on the top of my head.

I was aware that he lingered, breathing in my scent, before releasing me. I stepped back and smiled at my brother. I was tempted to stroke the light brown stubble beard that was growing on his cheek, but I gave him a weak smile and disappeared back down the stairs instead, before I letting anything happen that we’d both regret.

ADAN

The doorbell rang, telling Adan that his guest had arrived. He took off his reading glasses and left them on his desk, heading downstairs to meet his friend.

Kerr was stepping into the foyer with a half-smile and raised eyebrows. “It’s about time you invited me to your new pad,” he called out to Adan, who was lazing his way down an ornate staircase.

The servant that had opened the door offered Kerr a highball glass full of amber liquid atop a tray that appeared as if from nowhere.

He took the beverage, squinting critically at the servant as she scurried away, her head bowed and eyes downcast throughout the whole interaction.

“Your place is so much more conducive for our business meetings, Mr. Secretary,” Adan said with a charming smile. His voice was unique, soft in tone at times, but always thick and booming with volume. “That gorgeous office of yours. I’ve got nothing like that here.”

“I get it,” Kerr replied gruffly. He looked up at the elaborate crystal chandelier that hung from the high ceiling. It was refracting rainbow light all around the white-walled foyer. “Keep your work and personal lives separate. Got to have somewhere romantic to bring all your lady friends.”

Adan shrugged, his lips curling. “Haven’t had too much time lately for fun, though.” He motioned for Kerr to follow and started off toward the back of the house.

“No? What about that pretty little student? You told me she was sweet.”

“Done with that,” Adan replied flatly.

In fact, he had just promised Lucy they were going to get together again next weekend. But that was not something he actually intended to do. He had just been pressing the girl for information.

Yena wouldn’t tell Adan when she was leaving, but Lucy gave up the intel he wanted in seconds. All he had to do was tell her that he missed her.

Lucy would figure out soon enough exactly what had been going on all along. He didn’t need to keep playing around with her for much longer.

KERR

“It’s time. Saturday. That’s when we’ll do it.” Adan lit the cigarette between his lips, making a tiny beacon of red light at its tip.

The sun was starting to set, even though it was only afternoon. The days were getting shorter lately. Another storm season was coming.

Kerr nodded, his hands in his pockets. He focused on manifesting confidence, knowing that Adan would smell it if he even let his emotions start to betray his hesitance.

He had already questioned Adan once about the werewolf orphanage. And in response, Adan had threatened him.

Kerr did not need to be threatened twice.

The truth was that he had been lying awake in bed every night since Adan had brought it up, that night when they went to stake out the orphanage. Kerr had been mulling over exactly what would happen to him if the truth about that old homicide ever came out.

Most of the time, his thoughts circled around and around a single question: whether he was more likely to be sentenced to death and executed or murdered in prison before he even got to trial.

Adan could not only provide eyewitness testimony of the crime. After all, he had helped Kerr dispose of the girl’s body. But Adan had also claimed, way back then, to have taken something from the crime scene… something that could be used to link Kerr, directly, to the victim.

And so he whiled away a tense evening at Adan’s house, eating, drinking, and trading banter with his old buddy and doing his best to keep his doubts buried deep, deep down inside of him.

It was just not right. Sending an assassin into an orphanage.

There would be so many innocents nearby. So much risk for collateral damage.

Children.

Children were likely to die.

“She was a child,” Adan said quietly. It was almost a whisper. Kerr could not tell if he had even really heard it aloud… or if Adan’s voice had floated inside his mind.

Adan opened his mouth, allowing smoke to float lazily upward out of his lips in a soft gray ribbon. Kerr stared at him, his jaw wanting to drop, his resolve to keep cool tonight nearing its maximum capacity.

“How old?” Adan continued, his volume increasing enough to let Kerr know he wasn’t imagining this. “She was, what, seventeen when you killed her?”

Kerr had the assassin on the phone before he pulled out of Adan’s driveway.

“We’re ready,” he said, flooring the gas pedal. “Saturday. The place discussed.”

The deep voice booming from the car speakers said, simply, “Confirmed,” before exhaling loudly and hanging up.