Page 23 of Too Cursed To Kiss
“You did, but right now, you need to drive.” He pointed a gloved finger at the road ahead.
My glare was a blend of confusion, horror, and annoyance at being ordered around, but I still hit the car’s start button. “Fine but start talking. I want answers. I want to know why Gentry is dead, who killed him, and what this means to me.” The tires threw gravel as I pulled off the shoulder.
He exhaled. “Always with the questions. I will tell you now because my danger is now yours.”
That lay there between us in silence like an axe.
I gritted my teeth, but internally, I was a ball of fear. He’d killed those things. They could have killed me too. That was worse than jail. “Well, that’s not ominous at all. You’d better goddamn well tell me then.”
He adjusted a glove. Had he cleaned them, or had he killed those things without using his hands?
“I’m waiting.”
“You are, but the story is difficult to tell you because itinvolves my family. Gentry is dead because he knew some of our family’s secrets or, at least, had been given information he shouldn’t have had and would be able to reveal it.”
“Okay, so who killed him?”
“Britannia.”
“The snake teeth woman?” Great, so my feeling of dislike was warranted.
“Our father ordered all of us to stay out of it, but Britannia doesn’t take orders well. I followed her, but then there was an emergency. By the time I got back, Gentry had died from the poison. I got out of Britannia what she’d done, but when I arrived to retrieve the item she said she’d used, you had arrived and were picking it up.”
“Yeah, Gentry called and asked me to get the pen. I’m confused. How does Britannia know Gentry?”
“She’d been sleeping with him and gotten pregnant. It doesn’t happen easily, our species with a human, but it did. Our family forbids it, and Father told Britannia to take care of it, or he would do it for her. She caved and got an abortion, but it’s been eating her alive.”
“Species? Oh my God, Gentry got Britannia pregnant?” It sounded to me like Britannia wasn’t really being given a choice. A choice was not an order. That was not cool with me. I didn’t have to like her, but she had the right to decide.
“Also, I suspect it wasn’t Gentry who called you. It was likely Britannia. She poisoned the pen to kill Gentry because he was going to tell his police friend about our family. She had to silence him, and now she hates everyone.”
“Yeah, Gentry is a dick. Or was. Fuck me, I have Gentry’s murder weapon in my purse. Wait, no I don’t. It was destroyed, right?”
“Right.” He nodded.
I breathed out relief. “Well, then I’m off the hook for that.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Britannia knew you had the pen.” He rubbed gloved fingers along the point between his jaw and his ear. He might be hairy underneath, but the illusion of him was truly a stunning specimen of pale Greek god.Focus on the road, Harlan.
“Are you saying your sister told the police I had the pen, and it was poisoned?”
“You are wanted for questioning, yes?”
I ran through all the facts, looking for the connections. “I mean, officially, I don’t know. But probably because Gentry had called me last, they’d have questions. But holy mother of jeezus, if I—wait, it’s no problem. I’ll tell them the truth. I took the pen, and it got destroyed. My record is clean, and I’m a mostly credible person.” I gripped the steering wheel and looked into the rearview mirror to change lanes. I’d had run-ins with the cops, but nothing ever stuck to me. Sure my mom had died in jail, but I was a good person. She was too. She’d just never been able to call the shots. Never found her voice.
“Then why were you in Gentry’s apartment? Why did you take the pen?” Wald asked. The rustle of his jacket rubbing against the seat distracted me. I glanced over, and he turned to look at me. Rage roiled in my gut, granting me an inner calm. Ridiculous, but there it was. Being angry at him was helping me deal.
“Uh, because Gentry asked me to deliver it to Tyre. And I was covering up his murder. Nine hells.” I slowed down, and a car behind honked as it rushed past.“You’re a total bastard. Why didn’t you tell me before?” I gave the passing driver a finger as I returned to normal speed.
“You hadn’t asked before.”
“Yeah, I was busy running away FROM YOU.” Which was a good point, why hadn’t I gotten out of the car and hitchhiked home? I was behind the wheel, so I was in an empowered position. Or was I?
“Because now, you are the only human witness to six murders.”
“Six?” I yelled, swerving out of the lane. I needed to calm the hells down. Maybe he should be driving. Wait. No way I was giving him control.
“The visitor to my underground house and the four from this SUV, and the owner of the house.”
