Page 78 of Hide From Me

“You ask an awful lot of questions for being some innocent little squirt. Fuck, Rylee. Let’s just wait for Cas. But yeah. Cas thought he was all secretive, but it’s pretty hard to sink thousands of dollars into a hobby and not have us follow the dollar signs.”

That cleared up absolutely nothing. Hobby?

“Are you calling me a hobby? And what? He’s the only one who cared what happened to me?”

Xander’s knuckles were white as he gripped the wheel.

“Fuck, we all cared. He just seemed to care more. Believe me, he wouldn’t have ever found this aunt had it not been for us. She didn’t have the same last name as your mom or the Whitehalls. Different dad or some shit. Rich people have all the fucking affairs.”

Maybe I should be using the drive to think. Cas was hiding lots of shit. Then again, welcome to the club of Rylee’s fuckinglife. I was tired of being lied to. I felt like everyone’s dirty little secret, and I can’t say that I wasn’t just used to it.

Still, what was this family I had no idea about wanting from me? It was a bit much thinking they were looking for someone to just give money to. But then that PI said I was worth millions. I was. Why would I be?

“I think I liked when you were talking more than I like you being all quiet,” Xander said.

I’d be wrong to say the vision of the PI guy’s dead eyes wasn’t trying to push front and center in my mind if I slowed down the thoughts. Then again, what dead people didn’t seem to haunt me? I was kind of okay with the dead people part. I could blame my mom and say it was because I couldn’t have closure with her. I couldn’t even get a funeral for her. There hadn’t even been a face to identify.

“Do you think the body will be there tomorrow?”

Xander gave me a funny little side glance.

“Yeah, kid. I’m pretty sure that body isn’t walking itself home.”

If I had been able to, I’d have thrown my hands on my hips.

“That’s not what I meant. You guys won’t be cleaning it up? Can’t it be traced back to you?”

Xander looked at me this time.

“You are so innocent, it’s cute. I’m sure if you ask real nice, Cas will let you in on some of our fun secrets.”

“Have a seat anywhere.”

Xander pulled into an industrial park, and at this time of morning, it was just starting to come alive. I hadn’t expected topull into a building accessed through what I guess was a garage door, but it was metal and looked a bit more secure.

As he parked, I wanted to stop and look at the cars and bikes. There weren’t that many, but still enough I was shocked. But then there had been the lock on the door that needed Xander’s thumbprint and a code.

“Just how well is the gang doing these days?”

He shrugged, heading straight to the fridge and grabbing out sodas. He handed me one, and I looked at it. What kind of world had I just stepped into?

“What? You a diet soda girl? We can’t have that. I can make coffee if you’d prefer.”

How long had I been gone? This was like the twilight zone.

“No. This is fine. I just. I dunno. I expected you to come in and grab beer or something.”

He headed for a recliner and stretched out his tall frame.

“Short stuff, it’s like,” he said and checked his watch, “six in the morning. I don’t know about you, but that just doesn’t hit right to start my day. This body?” He beat his chest like a gorilla. “It’s a precision machine. Beer might be lunch.”

He took a sip of the soda and gave me a wink.

I hadn’t spent enough time to know these boys, not really. I just remembered the kindness they’d shown me in the worst days of my life.

Funny how I’d hated all the moving around until that was my past and I couldn’t have it all back.

I was comfortable here, even if I wasn’t sure where here was.

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