Page 79 of The Magic of Betrayal
"You found him," I commented, pointing at Maven.
Sloane looked down at Maven who was sitting beside his feet obediently. "Yeah. He was in the apartment, that's where Red left him when we..." he trailed off, not needing to continue that sentence.
Shifting my weight to my other foot, I nodded, "Good. I was worried he was gone.”
"Is she... has anything happened?" he asked, looking at the ground.
"No. Everything is a dead end."
Sloane nodded gravely. "I've been searching for information, anything that might work."
"And why haven't you contacted us? I thought you were gone," I scowled.
"I didn't want to until I had something useful. I'm going to do everything I can to make this right, K. I'm so fucking sorry. How did Larson hide his true nature from us for so many years? I swear, I never would have taken her there if I had known he was a threat."
He was being sincere. I could count on one hand the number of times I’d ever heard him apologize.
"Why'd you have to fuck up so spectacularly, Sloane?" I asked softly, shaking my head at him.
"I don't do anything unless I do it well, brother. You know this," he replied, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth and my own lips twitched in response.
We just took each other in for a beat, unspoken words passing between us. We'd been together forever, we didn't need to verbalize right now. His eyes said, I'm so sorry. Mine said, I know, brother.
His hand ran through his hair, which was getting longer than he usually wore it and he exhaled a deep breath.
"Is um, I mean, I know I probably shouldn't ask but... is he okay?"
"No, Sloane. He's not okay. None of us are okay, but Fischer? He's battling with his demon, or maybe he's not really fighting it anymore, I don't know. He's not talking," I admitted and watched pain bloom on his face again before he stiffened and shoved it down.
"He will be okay. We all will. Red, too. You'll see, K. I'm close to coming up with something to try, okay? Just don't give up on me, brother."
"Laurie has something she wants to try tonight."
"Laurie? Red's mom? She's back? What the fuck, man?" Sloane snapped, looking at me as though I'd lost my damn mind, and maybe I had. Shit, maybe we all had.
"Chill. She's gone above and beyond the past three days working around the clock with us. She hid Saige here and left to keep her safe from Larson. He played us, man. He played us all," I bit out, teeth clenched tightly as my hands fisted with violence.I can't wait to get my hands on that son of a bitch.
"You trust her? Do they?"
"We really don't have much of a choice right now, we're doing what we have to. So far, she's been useful and hopefully whatever she's planned for tonight will work." I wasn't holding my breath.
Sloane nodded, "Okay then. Call me if you need help. Tell them... I'm sorry."
"You can tell them yourself when you pull your nuts out of your ass and show up." I grabbed his neck and pulled his forehead against mine, letting my eyes shut, his smokey scent invading my senses.
"It really hurts here." He pounded his closed fist over his heart, his voice cracking as he echoed the words that he'd told me so many times in my childhood bedroom.
"I know, brother. I fucking know."
He pulled back and turned away, continuing down the sidewalk. Maven stared up at me, his brows furrowed in that grumpy foxy way he'd perfected.
"Are you coming back to the cottage? You'll have to run, I can't take you on the bike."
Cocking his head to the side, he paused for a second and then took off after Sloane. Guess they really were kindred spirits.
* * *
My arms werefull of my beer and Cheetos when I walked into the kitchen ten minutes later.
