Page 74 of The Lies We Steal

We searched for another ten minutes, the seconds ticking down quickly, too quickly. We were running out of time and patience.

“There is nothing in here! A few crinkled Hustlers with schoolgirls on them proves he’s a fucking pervert, not a goddamn killer.” Rook yells, frustration coming off all of us in waves.

“Well, what did you expect, numb nuts, there to be a message written on the wall in big letters, I killed Rosemary Donahue?” I bite out, if anyone needs to be pissed it’s Silas. Our jobs as friends is to keep our shit together for him, not blow up when things don’t go our way.

“You know, you don’t have to be such a fucking cunt.” He snaps.

“No big letters but, how about a metal safe hiding behind a curtain?” Thatcher’s voice is the only reason I have not punched Rook’s teeth in. That and that alone.

I turn to see Thatch holding back a curtain that I assumed hid a window, which was what Mr. West had wanted I assumed. In the wall was a large safe equipped with a built-in combination lock.

The only way we were getting inside of it without being caught is to figure out the code and from the looks of it, he didn’t look like the kind of guy to just write down the password to his sketchy safe.

“Anyone know someone who can crack a safe?” Rook mutters from the corner.

The alarm on my phone begins to go off, alerting me that we need to leave because there is only ten minutes left before the security cameras cut back on.

“If we get caught it won’t matter if we know anyone. Let’s go.” I wave, making sure everything is put back in its original place before opening the door and looking both ways.

When I make sure no one is coming we all slip out easily, locking the door behind us. Making our way down the hallway of the Rothchild District and towards the exit of the building.

It wasn’t a complete failure and it wasn’t the best news, but it was something. Another task, another name to hunt down. Whatever it took to keep Silas from turning his favorite weapon on himself.

I didn’t want to bury another friend this year.

Rook was already texting half his contacts asking around about safe crackers and people who specialized in it by the time we made it outside of the building, starting to walk past the commons when two bodies in front of the library, the library with my name on it, caught my attention.

I was quite close with the sin of wrath. If the devil was handing out awards for who represented which the most, I’d win the trophy with flying fucking colors. I knew about lust, my pride had gotten me into more fights than I could count, I think gluttony and greed went hand in hand and I was a glutton for punishment.

Envy was one of the only sins I didn’t practice often. Jealously and its green monster showed up around one person, and over the years it had slowly faded. I’d recognized there was nothinghehad that I wanted as I got older, soon my jealously as the unwanted younger brother drifted into hatred. I couldn’t care less if my dear older brother lived or died, I meant that in the worst way.

And right now, I’d never wanted to commit first degree murder so badly in my life. Dorian Caldwell.

The bane of my existence was exchanging conversation I couldn’t hear with the thorn inmyside.

I hadn’t seen my brother since Christmas three years ago, I’d made it a point to be out of the house until he was gone. He stood a few feet away, a stupid fucking tweed jacket over his shoulders that looked like a burlap sack.

Success, wealth, it stuck to him the way flies lingered on shit. I despised him a little more for the way he styled his hair, the same charcoal color sitting on top of my own head, just less gel.

Two opposing forces, both I wanted to ruin in very different ways stood before me.

The weather was decent out, warm enough for Briar to be sporting a pair of shorts moms wore in the eighties. I traced her long legs all the way to her busted up Converse, the one on her left foot had a piece of silver duct tape along the side. Assuming it was there to cover up the big ass hole that was still evident.

Her hair caught a gust of wind, slipping it behind her as she smiled at my brother who was helping gather her books off the ground.

I wanted to rip his arms off for making her smile like that.

For having her attention.

My fingernails dug into my palm, squeezing so forcefully I thought I might have brought blood to the surface. The way she laughed at something he said, and how he purposely made sure their fingers touched as he handed over her books.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kill him or punish her first.

Dorian wasn’t supposed to be in for another week or two, at least. He never showed up for holidays this goddamn earlier and the year he does, he’s trying to take what is mine. Once again, he is ripping what belong to me right out of my fucking hands.

Proving I was nothing but his spare. Everything I had was only his to take.

But not this time. Not her.

---