Page 68 of Always Watching

Wylder chuckles. “No more than usual, kitty. You’re a protective one, huh?”

I shake my head. “North can take care of himself. I just worry, is all.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” North says, holding his hand out for me and glaring at his brother. “Back off, Wylder.”

Wylder holds his hands up in mock surrender. “You’re the boss. Come on, we gotta get to Dad’s.”

“I wanna go,” I blurt out, looking up at North.

He sighs, turning to me with a serious expression. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Yes it is,” I counter. “I don’t… I can’t be here alone right now.”

While I don’t care about Mr. Barlowe being dead, I don’t think I can sit in my house alone without North. I could clean up the mess or I could call Olly to sit with me, but I don’t want to be away from North right now. He makes me feel safe. I won’tfeel safe if I can’t have my eyes on him, making sure he’s not suspected of a murder he only committed because of me.

North’s face softens as he relents. “Take your car so you’re not riding with us while we’re transporting a body.” I nod quickly, a smile stretching my face. “Go on and get dressed. We’ll finish cleaning up, then we can go.”

I hurry to my room, changing out of the pajama pants I have on and grabbing a dark-blue sweater and a pair of jeans. I grab a jacket for North since it’s chilly outside and I leave the room.

Wylder and North are cleaning up the kitchen counter when I get back. I drop the jacket and grab some gloves, an old cloth, and some cleaning spray, and start on the floor. There are a few droplets of blood and a small puddle near the fridge. I clean all of it with vigor, wanting no traces left of the crime that was committed here.

We’re done a few minutes later. I grab a bag from the pantry and stuff the clothes, gloves, and cleaning supplies in. “Dad will get rid of these,” North says.

Grabbing my keys, I open the door and let Wylder walk past, dragging the suitcase. I look at it, wondering how they got Mr. Barlowe inside. It’s not a big suitcase, which means he’s probably in pieces and they had to—

“Don’t think about it,” North says from behind me, kissing my neck softly. “Put it out of your mind.”

Blowing out a shaky breath, I nod and step out of the apartment, making sure the door is locked behind me. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

“Because I know you.” He kisses me gently, then threads his fingers through mine, pulling me down the stairs. “You can follow us, but here’s Dad’s address in case we lose you.” He rattles off the address quickly before giving me a quick kiss and jogging over to Wylder.

North’s brother waves him off when he tries to help him lift the suitcase. My eyebrows shoot to my forehead as I watch Wylder lift it with one hand and an almost bored expression. Yeah, he’s fucking jacked.

I follow behind them to a modest house on a lot of land about twenty minutes from my apartment. I’ve lived in Red Hill for fifteen years and I never knew this area existed. It’s nice, with some trees further back on the property that are beautiful in autumn, the leaves changing from green to red, yellows and oranges. The house itself is homey and comfortable, with a wraparound porch and a few rocking chairs by the front door. It reminds me of my grandpa’s house before he got sick. An involuntary smile crosses my face as I think about my old home.

Atlas steps out onto the porch, his eyebrows dipped as he watches his sons get out of the car. “You didn’t cause trouble, did you, Wylder?”

“Of course I did, but not on purpose. I thought the kitty knew about the other guys.”

North growls as I step out of the car. “Stop calling him that before I snatch out your fucking tongue.”

Wylder smiles as if he wanted to get a rise out of North. Their relationship is weird.

I walk over to North and stand beside him. “Hey, Atlas.”

He smiles at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Ranen. How are you?”

“Better now.”

“Why don’t you sit with me while my sons take care of your landlord?”

I look up at North and he nods, kissing me lightly. “Dad will watch over you. I have to talk to my brother, anyway.”

“Okay.” I kiss him again, then go to stand beside Atlas.

He throws his arm around my shoulders and leads me into the house. The inside of his home is different than I thought it wouldbe. I expected a man cave type of deal, but again, I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia. It’s almost like my childhood home, but more modern.

The black couches look worn, but not old—comfortable and well used. The coffee table has chips on the surface, but again, it only looks well used. The only thing that isn’t like my old home is the large television mounted on the wall, turned to a news channel. The threadbare rug appears to have seen a lot of foot traffic, but it’s clean and matches the decor of the living room.

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