Page 25 of Hide From Me

“This wasn’t a crime of passion, was it? Those normally have the wife somewhere, right?”

Cali shrugged.

“Right now, your guess is as good as mine. Detective Fuller will go over all the details soon enough.”

Cali laid out the paper, and I got more shots of it before she put it in a bag and then seemed to have a change of heart as a text came in on her phone. Her gloved hand slid over the password and she frowned. A quick look from the phone to Cas, Zeid, and X, as I remembered them call each other, and she was handing out the bagged paper.

“Hey, boys, maybe this is something you want.”

I didn’t really understand anything on that paper. Drawings and some messy handwriting. It wasn’t my job to understand everything, just give ideas and look for clues.

Xander reached for the bag and looked at the paper. He showed the other two and then looked down at me.

“Hey there, short stack. I’d erase the photos of this. This doesn’t need to go public.”

I looked at Cali and held my camera close. I’d do anything for these three after they saved my life, but I also needed to look out for my job. I had nothing and no one to go back to. My aunt wouldn’t take me back, not when I’d left for college and away from the life she expected me to fall into. Cali nodded at me.

“Rys, there’s a reason you don’t see any police in here right now. I have strict orders to make sure certain things disappearand certain things make it to the records. This? Do as those scary fuckers say.”

I pulled up the images on the camera and deleted each one, showing them as I did.

“I’d ask questions, but I’m not stupid. Maybe one of these days you guys fill me in on what’s happened around here since I was sent away.” I gave Cas a pointed look that he didn’t notice.

That’s how it had been from the start and why I’d been alone that day. They always had their stuff to do on the orders of someone else. They had been old enough to be in the gang. They always had stuff to do that I couldn’t know about. Some days I counted myself lucky I had an aunt that at best ignored me. Some days, I wondered if it would have been worth staying and at least having these three around.

But the reality was I was a terrible shot with anything other than a camera, and I didn’t know if I could actually kill anyone. Looking at these three, I was fairly certain they could shoot anything and everything and they had almost certainly killed people. The only thing I’ve killed is the Tamagotchi I forgot about a lot.

One more look at Cas, and I decided maybe I didn’t care about the why anymore. I hadn’t come back because I thought everything here was on a moral high ground. But I also didn’t pretend that I had any idea how everything worked. I had only spent a very small time actually a part of this world. I’d spent more time on the run and look where that got my mom.

I guess if I looked at it this way, these guys were the only family I’d ever really chosen for myself, and I’ve barely had a chance to even get to know them. This was my turn. I’d come back to find a family.

“Yeah, sure, shortcake. We can fill you in on a lot of things. You missed a whole lot after Cas got you evicted,” Xander said.

I laughed. “You mean burning down my house and everyone in it? I’d say I appreciate that.”

He scratched at the hair on his chin.

“Yeah, sure. That’s what I mean. So, Rylee, you’ve seen the art scene. Have you been to any fights yet?”

I was looking around, trying to figure out what exactly I was supposed to still take pictures of. I don’t think there was a clear line of evidence vs. just chaos. Probably more than one crime happened here. Cali hadn’t said anything for a few minutes, so I stood away from the bodies.

“What fights?”

Cas grabbed Xander’s shirt and yanked him back.

“Nothing. Just go do your job.”

My jaw dropped, but Cali called for me a second later, and I was reminded that I needed this job more than I needed whatever Xander was asking me about.

TEN

cas

And just like that,she walked away. At least Rylee was locked away in her apartment for now. Her lingering glance back was the thing I had to drive me crazy.

I looked back at the text I’d shot off to Gran. She was my best chance at gaining trust with Rylee. My gran was sort of on guard duty, along with several of my guys who were dumb as fuck but loyal to the bone. I could trust them to protect what was mine, and Rylee was mine, even if I really didn’t have a damn clue what to do about it.

My cock seemed to.

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