FRACTURED (14 page)

She smiled tightly and nodded once.

“Come here,” I ordered before scooping her up into a big hug. “Tell her everything too. She needs to know that you and Jay are having issues.

This isn't time to skimp on the details." She shot me a dubious look.

“Well, yes, skimp on
that
detail. We still don't need her knowing about the PC.”

“I'll manage to leave that one out,” she joked weakly. “I'll see you tomorrow.” She turned away from me, heading toward the door before stopping just short of it. "And, Ruby? I really am sorry about my meltdown. If I can help you say goodbye to the Matty you claim he is, I'll do it.”

“Peyta, I am hardly one to talk when it comes to epic meltdowns. If you need to, melt away, my dear. I'm totally good for it."

She giggled as she walked through the door, tossing a parting goodbye over her shoulder. Those shoulders were carrying a lot of weight. I hoped she was on her way over to her mother's to unburden them.

*

Hours later, I found myself mindlessly playing with a trio of silver hammered beads on the front desk. I couldn't manage to do anything that required focus on any level. My mind was a million miles away in Clusterfuck Land, trying to sort through all the craziness in my life. I had been working under the impression that the CF list and I had finally broken up. Perhaps I jumped the gun on that assumption.

By the time I was entirely too frustrated to stay at the shop any longer, I put a note up on the door saying that we were closing early and locked up behind me. The unseasonably cold weather was still going strong, but I'd planned ahead for once and brought my down vest and mittens with me to work. I slipped them on outside the door and took off to walk through town. It always brought me clarity when I needed it, and I hoped that trend would continue as I made my way down to the docks.

There was one more person I needed to see since my return.

The wind whipped down the winding streets of Portsmouth, stinging my cheeks to a rosy pink. It felt refreshing and was exactly what I needed to bolster my resolve. When I rounded the final turn by the waterfront, I looked down at the boats in the marina―and my heart sank instantly. The houseboat was gone.

Sighing heavily, I proceeded down to the dock anyway. It brought forth a wave of bittersweet emotions. I had nearly died there thanks to the keen and sociopathic efforts of the Rev. Gavin had been the one to save me, but in the aftermath of his efforts, he caused a whole new dilemma for me. For whatever reason, he seemed hellbent on warning me off of Sean, and it almost worked for a fleeting moment. Almost.

I had come back to get those answers he promised me and to find out once and for all why he had it in for Sean so badly. It was clear that Gavin wasn't telling me something, but the
what
was a gnawing question mark in my mind that needed to be erased. For good.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't going to get much of anything out of someone that wasn't there. Frustrated, I plopped myself down at the edge of the dock, making sure to keep my feet well above the water line. Not only was it way too cold to dip my feet into, but it was also just a little too soon after my near drowning with the Rev to tempt fate.

I knew how much fate adored me.

As I stared off into the harbor, searching for answers that weren't there, a familiar voice nearly scared me right out of my pants―and into the water.

“I don't think that went so well for ya last time, missy. I don't suggest ya be trying it yet again.”

Gavin.

I turned to find the aged version of him, cocking his head at me in mocking. He had poured the accent on pretty thick, making me a little concerned that he and I were going to be starting off on the wrong foot, just as I had with nearly everyone else upon my return. As far as I knew, Gavin only spoke with that accent when he was good and riled up.

I seemed to have that effect on him.

“Wasn't planning on it,” I smiled, pulling myself up carefully so as not to repeat the impromptu swim he was implying. I didn't think it was likely that Scarlet had decided to take swim lessons during the three weeks she took off and held me captive in my mind.

“I haven't seen you around here for a while...” He trailed off at the end, leading me to offer up an explanation.

“Yeah, well, it seems that I took an unplanned vacation of sorts.”

“Indeed. The kind that requires teams of police and volunteers to dredge up Portsmouth Harbor and the greater portion of the lower Charles River," he said, narrowing his eyes slyly. “I think you need a better travel agent. The one you have did a shit job.”

“No arguments on my end.”

I wondered just how much he knew about my little three week disappearance, but I didn't want to offer up anything more than I needed to. I was there to get answers, not give them. Instead, we stared at each other silently for a moment, neither seeming to want to budge on their agenda.

Finally, I caved.

“I got your note...”

“Did you now?” he mocked, dialing the accent back to his normal American one. I hoped it was a good sign. "Did you actually
read
it?

Seems it might have saved you some grief.”

“How do you figure that?”

He smiled wide.

“The dark-eyed one has a bit of a temper, doesn't he? Even with
you
.”My mouth hung agape in response to his words.
How could he know
that?
“I warned you about him. I'm wondering how long it will take for you to decide that I'm telling the truth.”

“Probably about as long as it takes you to give me something solid to go off of as far as evidence is concerned. Or maybe once you stop talking in riddles and actually explain in detail why you think he's bad news for me," I quipped, irritation tainting my tone. “Either would be fine.”

“And that's exactly what I'd planned before your little escapade, or should I say,
Scarlet's
little escapade?”

My irritation started to bleed to anger. Even when he shouldn't, Gavin seemed to have all the answers about everything, and I had none. It felt like the early days of Sean and me, minus the animal attraction and occasional flirting.

“I came here to talk to you. If all you’re going to do is be an all-knowing prick about everything, I'll leave," I said, starting to make my way past him. “I don't suppose it really matters anyway. You'll know where to find me.”

He caught my arm just before I was out of reach.

“You may not like my methods, Ruby, but I can assure you that everything I do for you is in your best interest."

“Hmm, that sounds oddly familiar. I think I've heard it before,” I mocked, rolling my eyes up and to the right as though contemplating something. "Oh, that's right. I believe the '
dark-eyed one’
has used that line on me a time or two, and, correct me if I'm wrong, he is the one that you're warning me against, no?” My observation was met with a sour look. "Interesting. Shall I hold that against you too?”

“I don't care for your tone.”

“And I don't care for your double standards.”

“You seem to be awfully fond of his,” he purred, his voice and energy laced with disdain. “And I don't recall ever threatening to kill you.

Would that be helpful? Would you be more likely to listen to me then?"

“No,” I replied flatly, “I wouldn't. Sean can pull that off. You can't.”

“Yes, it's actually quite amazing the feats that Sean can '
pull off
'

when he's motivated. I think I'll tell you some of those stories about him soon, but not today,” he said condescendingly. “You're not ready to hear them just yet."

“Well then, why are we still here talking? You're not going to tell me anything helpful and I'm over it, so...?"

“Tell me something, Ruby. Did you sleep with Sean the night I warned you about him just to spite me, or had that been on the agenda from the get-go?"

My skin crawled as every hair on my body stood at attention.

Apparently, the list of things he knew about was far longer than I had bargained for.

“Like it's any of your fucking business. How could you possibly even―”

“You're easy to follow. You don't pay any attention to your surroundings, and, for your information, I was trailing you to be sure that the Rev didn't come back and finish you off," he snarled as the sparkle died out of his eyes. “You went to
his
place and didn't come out for an hour or two. When you did, it was clear that something was wrong, given the speed with which the dark-eyed one peeled out onto the street."

“And from that you determined I slept with him?”

“Are you denying it?”

“What does it matter?”

“Because this is how he works, Ruby. I've seen it time and time again. He destroys those closest to him,” he said, willing me to read between the lines. When I didn't, he did it for me. "I believe you've had the pleasure of meeting Sophie.”

“Yeah, though a 'pleasure' is hardly what I would call it, and just what are you getting at there?” I growled, not liking the direction our conversation was taking. "Sophie was a damn headcase as far as I'm concerned. She was a well-contained sociopath, and I would know. I've met more than my fair share of them over the past year or so.”

“Yes, she certainly was,” he chimed, scratching the side of his face where his five o'clock shadow lurked. "I wonder how she got to be like that.”

“Are you trying to tell me that Sean is the reason for her bat-shit crazy status?” I asked, nearly choking on the words. "No way. Noooo way is that true. There are a million reasons why that girl could have melted down over the centuries, and that's assuming that she resembled a human being at some point, which I
highly
doubt is true.”

He shrugged ambivalently while he stared me down.

“Are you willing to bet your sanity on that? Your
life
?”

“I've bet my life on less,” I replied, feigning indifference―but I was full of it. Both his words and energy were penetrating me, chewing away at my bravado and eating through my defensive façade. I was starting to doubt Sean, and perhaps rightfully so. He would never talk about his past. Maybe there was a really good reason for that avoidant behavior. Maybe I really didn't want to know who he was. Or who he had once been.

“Well, if you keep heading down the path you are on, I can assure you that it'll only end one way, Ruby―with heartache, destruction, and death,” he warned, his voice as soft and chilling as a haunting tune.

“Secrets kill, Ruby, and not just people―relationships too, especially when those secrets can't stay hidden away forever. Light eventually falls on even the darkest of corners.”

And with his words, I felt the last of my resolve to defend Sean slip away. Gavin was right, or at least he sure made me feel that way. My life wasn't headed in a positive direction, and it was likely that Sean's involvement wasn't improving that fact.

“I have to go,” I whispered, needing space and air and a way to escape the sinking feeling in my chest. I turned away from him, heading back into town, when he called after me one last time.

“Ruby? There's one more thing,” he said, sounding oddly satisfied with himself. “Your new house-guests...I'd keep my eyes on those three.

Something about them just doesn't
feel
right to me. I'm sure you can sense it as well.”

All I could sense was impending doom and an overall uneasiness that I wanted desperately to escape. I took off running through town, headed home to find Cooper. I needed to figure out what all this enigmatic double-talk meant and what the hell I should do with it.

Unfortunately for me, Cooper wasn't the most objective wall to bounce things off of when it came to certain topics of conversation. He was not a fan of the UK threesome, a fact he had made abundantly clear, nor was he a big Sean supporter. If I'd gone running in there flipping out about both, he would have been all too happy to get on board with Gavin's observations, and, though a part of me seemed to crave that, another fought fervently against it. I did not want to believe his words, truth or not.

Even if my denial meant my demise.

*

“Ruby,” Cooper growled as I walked in the apartment door. “So good of you to actually join us. We need a family huddle.
Now
.”

Before I'd even made it two feet in the door, I was whisked away to my bedroom by my elbow and plopped down on my bed. Cooper was pissed.

“What the fuck are you doing leaving these ass clowns with me all day? I'm not a goddamn babysitter, Ruby. You wanted to keep them.

You're going to help me deal with them. They can't just hang out all day doing God knows what in town. I still don't trust them and neither should you. I'm going to have to keep tabs on them, and I am so not doing that alone.”

“We can hear you, you bloody wanker,” Alistair shouted from the living room.

“I know you can fucking hear me, dickhead. That's the point. And this is America―try insulting me in a way that doesn't require translation.”

“A wanker is kinda like a douche―” I volunteered before I was cut off for my efforts.

“I
know
what a fucking wanker is, Ruby, thank you very much.”

“Right. Sorry,” I replied, wincing slightly. He was wicked angry. “I didn't mean to be gone forever or stick you with them, but...”

“But what, Ruby?”

“I had to go to work, and then something else came up, and I had to deal with that.”

“What came up?” he pressed, leaning toward me.

“Nothing crazy,” I said hesitantly, trying to stall. “I ran into that old guy, Gavin, in town. You know, the one that left me that note? I couldn't seem to duck out of our conversation politely. I'm sorry. What do you want me to do with the boys from now on? Take them to the shop with me? Have them say ridiculous things to Peyta to cheer her up?”

“No!” he roared. “I don't want them anywhere near her.”

“I was joking, Cooper. Of course I'm not going to bring them around her.”

“Good,” he barked, staring me down. I half expected his eyes to turn that familiar shade of black that belonged to Sean when he was in similar humor. “They need to move out, Ruby. There's just no way around that.