Page 79 of Reading Between the Lines
“Youaremad. I can tell.”
He didn’t confirm or deny it, but I sensed it. I also didn’t know how to fix it. The disquiet it caused turned me inside out.
“Tallus—”
“Don’t treat me like I’m delicate. My father used to call me a delicate fairy. He told me I was too soft to be a man. Too pretty. This was long before I came out. Long before I was old enough to realize what he meant. I’mnotdelicate. I’mnotsoft. I’m as capable as anyone else.”
“I know.”
“I might be half your size, but I’m a feisty bastard.”
The corner of my lips curled into a half smile. “I know, Tallus. I never doubted it for a second.”And your feisty attitude is what drew me to you on day one. I didn’t say that part.
He reached for his fork and peeked up from behind his glasses. “So, what are we hoping to find in the woods?”
Cautiously settling, I sipped my tomato juice and organized my thoughts. “I didn’t get a good look at the cabin the first time. It feels important, and I can’t dismiss it. I want to know if it’s used or abandoned. I want to see if there’s evidence of teenagers being out there. Empty alcohol bottles or condoms, you know. If there is, we could be onto something.”
“What about the library?”
“We don’t need to go anymore. Londyn’s reaction was proof enough that she and Weston weren’t there.”
“So, we’re going with the idea that they were out at the cabin having a secret teenage rendezvous?”
I grunted, cutting a sausage link. It was the best we had and gave us something to do. Otherwise, I had to admit defeat and sacrifice a potentially decent paying job. I wasn’t able to do that.
Tallus lifted his breakfast wrap but stared blankly into the middle distance as the gears in his head seemed to spin.
“What?”
“Did the twins’ dynamic seem… odd to you?”
I considered. “How?”
He put his untouched wrap down. “When we suggested Londyn might have been meeting up with Weston at the cabin, Loyal looked ready to explode. Not only that but… the whole protective brother thing. It… sat wrong. I mean, I kind of get it. Maybe he looks out for his sister, and the thought of a guy taking advantage boils his blood, but…” Tallus shrugged and picked up his wrap again, this time taking a bite.
“What do you mean?”
He shook his head as he chewed and swallowed. “I don’t know. I got a weird vibe. Plus, did you see Duke’s affectionate touches? Even when we were here yesterday, he was… eyeing up Londyn like a man with a major crush.”
“I saw that.” And not two weeks after Londyn’s boyfriend—a fellow club member—landed in intensive care on life support. I would have thought romance would be the last thing on their minds.
“But Duke acting affectionate toward Londyn didn’t trigger Loyal the same,” Tallus pointed out, reaching for his phone.
I made a noise of consent as I ate, unsure what it meant or if it was important. “Eat your food before it’s cold.”
A lot of our theories hinged on getting a look at the cabin in the woods. If we could tell it was used as a club meeting spot or a one-star hotel for teenage hookups, it might give us a direction. Otherwise, we would have to stalk a few less-than-legal youths, chat with them, or follow them around town to get answers. We’d stirred the pot, so chances were, if they had a hand in Weston’saccident, they would be worried. Guilty people tended to get antsy. Antsy people stood out.
We finished eating, and I paid using the business credit card. Delaney Mandel would reimburse all expenses later, thank fuck. In the parking lot, as we moved toward the Jeep, an angry voice called out, stopping us in our tracks.
“Hey. Stop. Wait a minute.”
I turned. Irvin Mandel, Weston’s father, barreled toward us, and he did not look happy. A newer model car I recognized from his house ran in the background, and I suspected he’d been waiting for us to leave the diner.
Red highlighted his cheeks, likely more from anger than cold. When he stopped, his nostrils flared. His volatile demeanor activated my own until Tallus placed himself between us.
“Good morning, Mr. Mandel. How can we help you?”
Irvin ignored Tallus and peered around him to glare at me. “This has gone on long enough. Your little phone call and update this morning set my wife off, and I won’t have it. Let us mourn in peace.”
