Page 105 of Web of Lies
“My car too,” I grumble, making matters worse for myself.
“And you want to stay? That seems… just….” He’s biting his tongue. He knows how I am. He knows how I work, although he doesn’t always understand it. He knows how I feel about significant changes, but he knows how I am in the friend’s department. “I’m coming to that campus, and I’m going to have an endless discussion with that piece of shit man who calls himself an educator. Marvin will assist me, too. I’ll let you know when I’m there, and then we can have a very long meeting.” I agree, knowing this is the only way to get him to back off, and he lets me know he’ll be here in a few days once everything is in order. Plus, having his trusted lawyer, Marvin at his side, makes me feel better about it.
“If my father can’t fix this situation, he’s going to pull me.” Seger cups my face, shaking his head like it’s the worst possible idea I’ve ever had.
“Fuck that. If all four of us gang up on him, it’ll be impossible. Besides, I’ll lock you in my secret basement and never let you go.” What I could interpret as a sinister smile crosses his lips.
“Secret basement, huh?” I ask, shifting a little in the pokey grass.
“Yeah—secret, hence why I’ve never shown you. If that big bad wolf thinks he’s about to come to take my lamb away, he’s in for a world of pain.” He grins again, pecking my lips, and stands up. He doesn’t waste a second tossing me over his shoulder before I can protest.
“Seger!” I hiss, slamming a fist into his kidney. He grunts but takes off through the maze, letting the blood rush to my head.
“Secret basement, babe, it’s time.” He laughs, slightly jogging towards the house in the distance.
Seger dumps my flailing body onto the couch with a grin plastered on his face, looking more awake than he did ten minutes ago.
“What are you doing?” Zepp asks, looking up from his laptop.
“I’m locking our girl in the secret basement so she can’t run away,” Seger says, crawling over me on the couch, settling himself back down on top of me.
Zepp snorts. “We don’t have a secret basement, asshole.” He says, then snaps his eyes to me. “But why would she run?” Concern laces his tone, and he sets his laptop down, leaning his elbows on his knees.
“My dad found out about my newest fine.” Seger snuggles his face into my hair, breathing deep as our closeness settles him down. I wrap my arms around him, running my fingers through the longer ends of his hair.
“He threatened to take her away, so I threatened to lock her up and keep her,” he grunts, holding me tighter.
“He’ll figure it out. He’s just a hothead.” I soothe my hand down his back. His muscles relax under my touch, almost like it’s a little reassurance of his racing mind. “I don’t plan on going anywhere, I promise. I’ll fight him tooth and nail.” I whisper just for Seger. His head bobs up and down with his grip still tight around me. A tiny whimper escapes his throat for just me, and I sigh. It’s weird to think he’d be that broken up if I left. Would they all? This whole relationship is so new, but—it’s been so good.
“I—” Zepp looks up from his opened laptop again, leaning back in his seat. A deep frown burns onto his face, his eyes dropping towards the screen. “Would it be a bad thing if you left?” His face falls at the words, but his eyes won’t meet mine. I know exactly why he’s saying this to me.
“I get it,” I say, trying to think with my brain using logic and not with my aching heart. Pounding against my chest at his rejection, but it wasn’t rejection. It was protection. He wants to keep me safe from whatever is going on around here.
“Just to protect you, I don’t want you to leave,” Zepp says, bringing his forest green eyes back to mine, pain emanating from their depths. “But if you’re gone….”
“Then they can’t hurt me,” I agree, nodding my head. “I won’t, though. You understand that, right?” Zepp nods his head, returning to work on his computer with slumping shoulders.
“Am I a selfish bastard if I don’t want you ever to leave?” Seger mumbles against my neck.
“Hmm—no, because I don’t want to leave you either.” My fingers stroke through his hair.
“Who is leaving?” Chase asks, barreling through the front door with a bang. He gazes at a dejected Seger and me, frowning at the two of us.
“Kaycee’s dad threatened to kidnap her from us,” Seger mutters.
“Errr—it’s not kidnapping if it’s her father. Right? That’s definitely not a thing. But why would he want to take you away? You can’t leave!” Chase protests, jumping on top of me, too. Seger grunts from the added weight but shifts, so they’re on my sides, draping each leg over mine.
“I’m not leaving,” I say again, running my fingers through his thick, blonde hair. “I need to investigate more. I don’t feel any closer to answers.”
I can’t leave them—my boys. I only just found them. They’re like the missing puzzle pieces to my life, finally finding their spots. They’re turning into essential people in my life, but I don’t tell them. Not right now.
“Found something,” Zepp says with his nose buried in his laptop. “They finally uploaded the autopsy of that kid. Plus, I found a backdoor to all the autopsy pictures and the police report they didn’t post in the coroner’s report.”
“Smartypants,” Seger grumbles half asleep.
I chuckle, swatting his back playfully. “What’s it say?” My heart pounds against my chest. This could be our next clue.
“Ligature marks around his neck show suicide.” Zepp breathes. “But there are pictures here too, and they don’t look like just a hanging. There’s old and new bruises, handprints around his arms, and….” He swallows hard, looking towards me.
