Page 52 of Infected By Virus

“I hate to ask, but was there anything to the claim?” Squatch asked.

Virus turned a murderous glare to his brother. “That’s my ol’ lady you’re talking about.” He didn’t miss the fact that no one questioned his claim on her.

“We just need all the facts, man.”

The reality of his words deflated Virus’s anger a little, at least any directed at his brothers for asking the hard questions.

“At the time I thought maybe, but the more I think about it, the more I don’t believe it. Rae isn’t like that, never was.”

“Then why would you doubt your girl like that based on just the word of another man? Men lie when it comes to getting what they want, especially women.”

He wanted to be pissed at Santa for asking the question, but there was a wisdom in it.

“He mentioned a physical trait that can only be seen naked. But honestly, it was more because I was an idiot back then.”

Silence prevailed for a few moments. The only sounds were his brothers’ breathing and the clacking of a keyboard. His gaze followed the source of the latter sound.

Wall Street was tapping away at the club’s laptop. His head snapped up.

“Do you think he and Celeste were in cahoots to break you guys up? She wanted you; he wanted Rae. Two heads are better than one, especially two as close to you two as they were. Feeding information back and forth that helps their cause. Including physical traits that a sister would know about.”

Stunned silent. That was the best description of what Virus was experiencing. He sat there unmoving as the past pelted him. It was like staring out of the front of a spaceship, moving at warp speed. All the stars flying at him were little bits of the past.

“Damn,” Virus declared in awe. “That makes so much sense. Everything fits. All the shit he would tell me about Rae that would get under my skin and make me doubt her.” His voice started to rise. “All the shit Celeste knew about me. It was like she was operating out of a playbook I wrote.”

He stood and paced, raking his hands through his hair. God, he’d been so stupid not to see it.

“Wall, you’re a genius,” Squatch praised.

“Wow, you don’t have to act so shocked.” Wall Street’s nose was out of joint because he was constantly being underestimated.

Virus knew what Wall was capable of. He’d been working at Royal Guard longer than Virus. So, Virus had been working closely with him, upping his computer skills and Virus hated to admit it, but he might even be better than him. But he’d be damn if he’d ever say that aloud. Wall Street was still better at the physical security side of things, and Virus, the cyber, but they each could hold their own on the other side if needed.

“Get all that from a computer search, did ya?” Santa asked.

“No, that was a hunch, old man. It was him being on her old cell phone plan that made me ask it though.

“Is there more to your history with this son of a bitch other than him wanting your girl?”

“Just high school shit. I took his spot on the soccer team, and his prom date … on prom night, oh, and I fucked his sister.” He didn’t speak in a bragging tone, just a matter of fact one.

“If you’d done that to me, I would’ve kicked your ass, then fucked your next three girls as revenge.” Outlaw declared.

“Dude, you weren’t a very stand-up guy back then, were you?” It bristled to hear the disappointment and shock in Squatch’s tone, but it was a true statement.

“No, man. I wasn’t. I didn’t give a shit about anyone above myself. As much as I hate to admit it, Rae dumping me was the catalyst to me growing the fuck up and finding the Bastards. If not for this family, I’d be dead in a ditch somewhere because I messed with the wrong man’s woman or wallet.” Yeah, he wasn’t just an asshole to women, he’d swindle anyone in a pool game just for fun.

“Well, good thing I didn’t meet you back then. I never would’ve given you the nod.” Coming from Santa, that fucking burned.

“Yeah,” he agreed. What else could he do? “But it was high school—would he really be holding on to that? Not that it makes me sound any better, but it’s not like I can sound worse at this point. The truth was, we changed girls and shit more than we cleaned our rides. We were still tight after all that, or so I thought. We didn’t even meet Rae until years later. So why wouldn’t he have moved on by now?”

“Some dudes never graduate, if you know what I mean. Plus, you fucked the man’s girl and his sister, brother. You don’t get over that. Just ask Croon when he comes in. He doesn’t even know who or if, and it’s been eating away at him for months now.”

“Fuck. I don’t even remember that chick’s name. Hell, I don’t even remember his sister’s name.”

After a few moments of silence, Wall Street spoke. “Tricia Langdon. Oh. Her and her mother were killed in a suspicious single vehicle accident across the state line,” he drew out the last word as he typed. “Thirteen years ago.”

“Suspicious?”

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