Page 114 of Brooke's Bliss
She was about to learn.
“Her name was Meli Smith when Shane and I knew her, but herreal name was MeliGreybird.She ran away from herparents at seventeen after a fight.”It hadn’t taken Nate long to puteverything together.“She was a hand when we met her.”
“Real nice,” Shane chimed in.“She was sweet and caring.Shewas barely nineteen when he hired her and started sleeping with her.Apparentlyhe always keeps a young mistress around.”
“Why did he kill her?”Brooke asked.
“She was pregnant, and she didn’t want to terminate it,”Shane said flatly.“She told him she wanted to go home.Apparently the wife issaying she was there, and all her husband said was he would take her back toher parents’ place after they saw a lawyer about taking care of her.”
“And he killed her with a hammer?”Brooke asked.
“From what they’ve put together, he brought the hammer alongand killed her when they got to the ravine.They already found her body and herfolks have been informed,” Bay said.“And I’m getting calls from some dude whosays he’s directing a documentary and that this is the wildest turn he’s everseen, and will I sit for an interview.I can say no, right?”
Brooke put a hand on his.“Of course, but let’s see if Cleoknows him.The indie film world is small.If she says he’s legit, you mightthink about it.This might be the first time art solved a murder.It’s a crazything to happen.”
“Bay, it’s not like you caused the murder,” Shane said.“Youliterally solved it.”
Bay’s head shook.“No, Kingman’s paranoia caused it.Iwouldn’t have done anything with it.I didn’t know what it meant.If he’d leftus alone, no one would know.”
“I’m not sure about that,” Brooke mused, sinking down besidehim.“You’re about to have a big showing that will likely lead to an evenbigger showing.Stef said he thinks one of the gallery owners he’s invited isgoing to want to do a showing in New York.At some point that drawing wouldhave been seen.Her parents cared about her way more than Kingman knew.They’dbeen looking for her since she left, and they contacted someone who producestrue crime documentaries.That picture, whenever it came out, would have causedthe police to look more closely at Kingman, and once they did, it would allhave fallen apart.”
“I won’t let it get out,” Bay vowed.“I told Nate I’ll showher parents if they want it, but then I would like to keep it out of thepublic.I’m not going to make money off Meli’s death.”
Brooke nodded.“That’s a good thing for you to do.”Sheturned his way.“Maybe we should talk.I know we all said some things in theheat of the moment, and I need you to understand that I won’t hold you to it.”
Shane sat up.“Really?”
Bay saw her tense, like she hadn’t expected that.“Ofcourse.It was a lot.We should talk when we’re less emotional.”
Oh, she misunderstood that “really.”Shane hadn’t said it inan “I’m getting out of something I don’t want” way.That “really” was askinghow deep a hole she was going to dig for herself.
Because while she might not hold them to it, they were damnstraight holding on to her words for the rest of their lives.
“I think we shouldn’t talk at all.”Bay stood up.It wastime.She’d had dinner with her brothers and they’d all taken showers andgotten ready for rest.Except he wasn’t feeling like sleeping.She’d beenwearing a plug for over a week.It was time to put that training to use.
He understood her.She was worried she was putting them in acorner.She needed to understand that they were hers.Forever.There were nocorners.Only the home they shared, and it was wherever the hell that girlwanted the home to be.Here in Bliss.In California.If she wanted to try thecity again, he would find a way to deal with it since she was the mostimportant part of their lives.
“Bay,” Brooke began.“We need to talk about what I said.What you said.”
“Why?”Shane stood, too.He was wearing pajama bottoms andhad conveniently left off his shirt when he’d come downstairs from his shower.“We said everything we needed to say in the barn.It’s done.It’s settled,Brooke.”
He watched the moment it registered Shane wasn’t trying towriggle out of it.Her shoulders relaxed and her expression was suddenly saucy.“Oh, is it?It’s all settled now?
“No.”Bay stepped up and had her in a fireman’s hold inseconds.“It’s not settled at all, and we do have something to talk about.We’re going to discuss what happens the next time I attempt to save you frombeing assaulted and you yell at me.”
He wasn’t mad.He should have been calmer, but he would useany excuse to get her into that playroom.
“What are you doing?”Brooke asked, her torso coming up.
He slapped her ass.Hard.“Teaching you to give me theslightest bit of respect when I’m in jail for you.”
“I did not ask you to…” she began.
He smacked those cheeks again.“To what?To stop that manfrom putting his hands on you?”
“Bay, he could have hurt you,” she argued.
Bay snorted and so did Shane.
