Page 8 of Night So Silent
“Not really,” she admits. “But I’d rather be embarrassed in front of Sergei than deal with whatever the hell that is with Caleb. You need to keep an eye on that. You have a security system, right?”
Part of me thinks that Brett’s overly cautious because of what happened with Bowen…and Colson. But she’s not wrong. A triggered person can escalate very quickly if the conditions are right. And, clearly, I don’t know Caleb as well as I thought I did.
“Maybe Colson can fly out and rig up my house like he did yours,” I grin.
She returns a devious glance. “Technically,Sergeigot the equipment and Colson rigged it all up.”
“Oh, good. Sergei won’t steal my luggage, but he can find the latest in illegal surveillance technology.”
“Something like that,” she chuckles. “Did I ever tell you how he and Colson know each other?”
“They were both polar bear bodyguards in Canada or something, right?”
“That, and Sergei was friends with Evie.”
My eyes round in surprise. “What?”
Evie? Colson’s stepsister who was murdered in high school? Sergei knew Evie back then?
“Sergei was a foreign exchange student at Evie’s school, and since they didn’t go to the same school as Colson, he didn’t even know about Sergei untilafterhe’d already been working with him in Canada.”
“That’swild,” I murmur. “So, after all those years, he moved to Canada from Russia and randomly met Colson?”
“Well…notexactly,” she replies. “Sergei already lived in Vancouver when he traveled to Canaan in high school. But apparently, they treated him like he was a Russian exchange student anyway.”
“Okaaay…but why would they do that?”
“Don’t know,” she shrugs.
That is weird, so obviously I’m going to have to investigate this further. But it spurs another thought.
“Speaking of Evie, did they ever find Hildy? Or Jay’s brother—what’s his name?”
“Wells,” she deadpans. “And no.”
“It’s been months, right? Where could they be where someone wouldn’t recognize them?”
“Dead, if they know what’s good for them.”
Her blunt response catches me a bit off-guard. But, then again, it’s not surprising. I know what dark deeds Wells has committed, just like he tried to do to Brett that night at the Rickhouse. Not to mention what a narcissistic sociopath Hildy turned out to be.Just like her twin brother.
I don’t press it, and eventually, we hear the front door open and Colson and Sergei return with bags wafting with heavenly aromas of Lebanese food. By the time we dig in, Ev is sacked, limp in the crook of Colson’s elbow.
“What did you think of Brett’s news?” Colson asks me.
I knit my brow. “Which news?”
Colson’s eyes dart to Brett. “You didn’t tell her?”
“Tell me what?”
Brett bites her lip and glances at me sheepishly. “Right, so someone fromToucancontacted me and they want to adaptHeart So Hollowinto a show.”
My eyes bulge and my jaw drops. “Like, the streaming service?Are you for real?”
“And maybe a couple of spin-offs, too,” she adds quickly.
“Oh my god!Why didn’t you tell me?”
