Blood Threads: The Star Seamstress Book One Page 5

  I also felt my heart beat a bit faster at the compliment, and I'd be lying if I denied how much I was enjoying our chemistry. "I'm actually a big fan of makeup, and am kinda good at it," I was being more than a little modest, "but I'm just trying something new right now. He's probably not wrong; I just needed a break, you know?"

  He nodded vigorously. "Well, you'll rock it either way."

  I almost hugged him; after seeing the exquisite Erica and Jake's comment, that was exactly what I needed to hear. "You're a good guy, Mr. Essen."

  "Why, thank you, Miss Geroux." He couldn't be any more precious if he called me 'ma'am', and I twinkled at him in response.

  The night started pleasantly, with the all-ages crowd trickling in slowly and putting little pressure on the two of us. A young woman with nutmeg skin and bright pink dreads who went by the name DJ Honey Slam was spinning a fun mix of 80s new wave hits and remixes, and I had the feeling it would be a nice, chill evening.

  Jordan and I fell into a companionable rhythm, newly connected by the fact we both found Maywen confounding. When I had some mental breathing room we'd chat, or I'd think about how I was going to approach the cops when I stopped by the station after work. Erica seemed to have forgiven me for my rude questions earlier and would chat with us both when she'd pick up her drinks.

  At a little after midnight, the club half full and the drinks flowing, I saw Erica at the edge of the VIP lounge, talking to a tall figure I recognized as the man in the velvet coat.

  His styling was normal tonight, closer to what I'd seen him wear yesterday, although now he was wearing a tight black T-shirt that highlighted the fact he had a ridiculous body. At least 6' 3", his shoulders were wide, which was balanced out by a long and just-right neck, and that strong chest and tight stomach. His legs were epic, and I wished I could get a better look at the black leather shoes he was wearing. They looked expensive, and I was a true connoisseur of expensive shoes.

  As I stared, they both turned, and as I quickly busied myself wiping the bar I had the distinct feeling they were talking about me. Of course she would tell this 'Adin' I'd been asking about him. Why hadn't I thought of that before harassing the poor woman?

  Now someone my daytime coworkers talked about in terrified, hushed tones was heading towards the bar, and it was my own damn fault.

  With a languid stalk that gave him a music video vibe, the man came up to my side of the bar and sat down, staring at me the whole while.

  I looked over at Jordan in the hope that we could switch places and he could take the order, but he was dealing with a large group of drunk college girls and I saw there was no escaping interaction.

  "Hello," I said with a bland smile. "What can I get you?"

  Damn him, he didn't answer at first, simply staring at me with those hazel eyes, gaze considering. His black hair tumbled around his shoulders, and I'd find him and his sharp, strong features extremely attractive if he wasn't watching me like a cat right before it pounced on a mouse. "IPA," he finally said.

  I grabbed one from the fridge and put it down in front of him. "Five do—hey!"

  His hand had snaked out and grabbed my wrist right as I put his beer down, and suddenly I was terrified.

  "You were asking about me." His voice was deep and languid, perfectly pitched and utterly bored. "Why?"

  I grit my teeth. "Let me go or I scream." I swear the bastard smiled a little at that, but he released my wrist and I pulled it back, enraged he touched me without permission. God, maybe he really was some sort of serial rapist or murderer.

  Adin took a pull of his beer, still watching me. "You didn't answer my question." I noticed now that no one was approaching my side of the bar now that he was here, which was really annoying. What, did he smell? He certainly didn't to me, unless you counted that subtle leather and wood scent that wasn't at all displeasing.

  "Yes, asshole, I was asking about you, and I think you probably know why."

  Now he really was smiling, but it wasn't a welcoming one. The flash of white teeth was almost mocking and stupidly sexy, and I found myself hating him for the intimidation. "Enlighten me."

  "You were there when that guy, Shawn, got captured. I saw you." That hadn't been my initial focus when I'd asked Erica about him, but now that I knew the kid was missing it was at the top of my mind. "We're witnesses, and you should go to the police like I am and demand they take our statements."

  His smile dropped. The wolf had returned. "Are you an idiot?"

  My blood turned to lava in rage and I came very close to grabbing a bottle of rail vodka and slamming it over his handsome head. "What the fuck?" I saw Jordan look at us, and leaned forward, changed my voice to a hiss. "No, you asshole, I am not an idiot. I am just trying to do what's right. Why does everyone in this idiotic town treat me like a child for wanting the police to do their job?"

  He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, and I noted how thick and dark his hair was. There was something feral and dangerously attractive about him. He was also somewhat alien, as if he didn't move like the way most humans did. This was, of course, absolutely ridiculous, but the feeling wouldn't go away. "When did you get here?"

  "Two weeks ago, give or take."

  "Haven't your mentors told you how dangerous the police are?"

  Now I was simply confused. "Mentors? I don't have any damn mentors. And I don't see how whatever passes for law enforcement here can be dangerous in anything other than their jaw-dropping incompetence."

  He was puzzled now, and those rather epic eyebrows were furrowed. "Then why are you here?"

  The question threw me off, being utterly unexpected. He was asking me questions like he knew something about me, which was highly unlikely. "I was left an inheritance here, it seemed like a nice town, and I was sick of LA. Although the longer I stay, the more I regret my decision, honestly. Why are you asking?"

  He shook his head, ignoring my question, and his expression became annoyed. "Someone is an utter fool."

  "Great, I'm not the only idiot around here." I was tired of this weirdo scaring off my clientele and wanted him off my bar. "Will you or won't you give a statement to the police about Shawn?"

  "I will not, because it will have absolutely no impact, nor am I welcome in the station. I recommend you avoid them as well. Making yourself their target could be quite dangerous to your health."

  "Funny," I said dryly as he stood up. "That's what they told me about you."

  He grinned suddenly, flashing white teeth, and I felt very vulnerable. "They were right," he purred, and put twenty dollars on the bar.

  Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd, and I gaped at both the tip and the utter weirdness that had been that conversation.

  "What was that?" Jordan asked, coming up beside me. "You know him?"

  "No." I took a deep breath and tried to get my heart rate under control. "I've never met him before in my life, only seen him."

  Jordan looked confused. "Why were you arguing if you don't know him?"

  "Because he witnessed Shawn's kidnapping as well, and he refuses to go to the cops. He's a serious dick."

  "Yeah? Adin's a pretty good customer, although all the locals are afraid of him for some reason."

  "Erica's not, even though she's not a local."

  "Are they hooking up? Huh."

  "Why 'huh'?"

  "Because she told me a couple of months ago she thought he was hot, but he also intimidated her. Guess she got over her nerves."

  "Guess she did." I agreed that was impressive of her, since making out with the guy made me think of an unguarded woman taking on a pack of wolves.

  "Three tequila shots!" someone called out, and I turned to see the dance floor had all but cleared and the bar was swarming with thirsty patrons.

  This rush continued through the last hours of my shift, and by two-thirty, after everyone had been kicked out and we'd cleaned things up, I was a dead woman walking, finding it hard to keep my eyes open.

  A steadying hand
landed on my back. "Whoa there, girl," Jordan said and handed me my cut of the night's cash tips. "Looks like you're still getting used to the schedule."

  "Oh, I am. I haven't bartended since I was nineteen." I hadn't considered how much harder the hours would be for a twenty-seven-year-old versus a teenager, but I was learning fast.

  "Do you want me to drive you home?" There was real concern there, and I was touched that he didn't just want to get in my pants.

  I shook my head. "Thanks, but I'll be fine—I need to stop by the police station and give them a piece of my mind again. It's time to try this in person."

  "You sure that's a good idea?"

  "It doesn't matter, because it's the right thing to do, damn it."

  His smile warmed my heart. "You're a good person, Veda."

  "Nah." I was embarrassed and felt that wasn't true, not with how I left LA. Good people don't blow shit up as completely as I did.

  Jordan insisted on driving me to the north side of town where the main station was, but I refused to let him accompany me inside; we barely knew each other and it seemed unfair to eat up his night like that.

  As he drove off, I looked up at the gray edifice and wished he was still there.

  The building was a daunting, looming creation built out of gray stone, and it looked more like a masonic temple than a bureaucratic office structure. There were only windows on the first two floors, and there were six columns framing the double doors that led inside. The famous Agrimony River flowed behind it, and there were oak trees on the riverbank.

  Maybe I should just stay outside, enjoy the late night peace, and stop by tomorrow. The fall air was very pleasant, and a slight breeze was causing the leaves to flutter. The river hummed.

  That stopped me for a moment. A hum?

  Rivers burbled, they flowed, but they did not hum. Those more natural, fluid sounds were there as well, but it seemed there was a singsongy thread to the rhythm, something ethereal and sweet.

  It was almost as if the Agrimony was yearning for me.

  Remembering Jordan's creepy story, I shuddered, chided myself for being a child, and hurried up the front steps and yanked open the door.

  Walking into the receiving area, which was a sickly shade of yellow and housed several wooden benches and a wall-to-wall desk situated in front of a door, I found myself facing a wall with a painting of a red crest with a crossed sword and key over a roaring flame.

  Turning, I was faced with a middle-aged woman with steel gray hair and a shockingly young face. It smelled like years of body odor and cleaning supplies in there, and my exhausted brain quelled at staying there more than ten seconds.

  This was my duty to poor Shawn, I told myself, and stepped forward.

  Instinctively, I knew this woman was my nemesis, the asshole chick who'd shut me down twice before. Our eyes met and I knew she suspected who I was, as well, judging by the sigh and eye roll combo she threw in my direction before looking back at her cell phone. Her sign said "Officer Nancy Ortell."

  Reminding myself I was trying to be helpful, not get in a fight, I took a deep breath and put my hands on the desk. A smile that felt sickly was plastered on my face. "Hello, Officer Ortell." I hoped my voice didn't reflect the latent anger I felt at that moment, but it probably did.

  There was a reason I wasn't an actress.

  "Can I help you?" She didn't look up, and my hands clenched into fists.

  "Yes. I'm Veda Geroux. You and I have spoken a couple of times over the last two days. I called in the initial report of Shawn's kidnapping, since I witnessed it happen. I've heard he's officially been declared missing and I'd like you to take my statement. I think I can assist the investigation."

  "No."

  "What?" I blinked, not believing what I was hearing.

  "No," she repeated, her eyes and the way her fingers moved on her phone suggesting she was playing a game. The contrast between her face, which was just so young-looking—it was actually dewy and fresh—and her wiry hair was continuing to throw me off. She acted like the young twenty-year-old her face said she was, so I figured she must have been on the younger end of the scale and was trying out a new hairstyle.

  "But I'm trying to assist an investigation."

  "No, you're trying to mess it up."

  "How is telling you something I saw messing up the investigation?" My brain wasn't keeping up with what was happening. Was this the Twilight Zone?

  With another big, annoyed huff of air, Officer Ortell finally put her phone down and looked at me. Her eyes were a clear gray, and rather unsettling. "We looked into your claim and found that Shawn was nowhere near that neighborhood at that time, and that what you saw was a fraternity matter."

  "That's a lie!" I had a damn good memory, and Shawn and his spiky blond hair were pretty distinctive. Why was I being gaslighted by the cops? "I know it was him, and how can you prove he wasn't there at that time? What fraternity was it?"

  "We can't share either piece of information with you." She was awfully smug about that. "The only liar here, Miss Geroux, is you."

  Okay, I officially hated this bitch. "I want to talk to your supervisor."

  Her response, a smile, was not what I was expecting, and I knew then that this was useless. "Gladly. It's your lucky day. Craig Metzger, our captain, is actually still here." She picked up the phone. "Craig? You have a visitor—that woman who claims to have seen the latest kid get snatched. Yeah, Veda Geroux." She hung up and smirked. "He'll be right up."

  I considered just leaving then, but that seemed cowardly.

  As promised, Chief Metzger was there in seconds, a tall, solid man in his fifties, wearing jeans and a tucked in gray shirt. He was handsome and exuded authority, and didn't look even slightly affected by the fact that it was almost three in the morning.

  "Miss Geroux." He took my hand to shake it, his expression mild and interested.

  "Ow!" I said, stunned at the pain as he crushed my fingers in his. I pulled it out quickly. "What the hell?"

  "I'm sorry." His expression didn't shift. "I don't know my own strength."

  "I doubt that."

  Eyes narrowed, I saw something cold and cruel behind his eyes. This man didn't like to be talked back at. "I take it you don't agree with our version of events?"

  "No, I don't agree, because you're trying to tell me I didn't see Shawn get kidnapped and I very definitely did." I refused to be intimidated. "If all I saw was him being taken by a frat for stupid hazing rituals, fine; I don't believe that at all, but sure, whatever. Maybe you could try that line on me. But to say the person I saw taken was someone else? No. That doesn't work, no matter how you spin it."

  His dark, unreadable gaze stared at me and I almost stepped back from the violence there. I didn't like this man. Despite the well-cut graying hair and broad, attractive face, he was goddamn scary.

  And then, to my surprise, he laughed, and his face was warm and appealing again. "You're right, of course; we're not telling you the truth at all. You did see Shawn taken, and we do know more than we're telling you. But you have to believe, Veda—is it alright if I call you Veda?" I didn't answer and he continued blithely on, "this is for your own good, and that of the whole town. We are conducting a very thorough investigation of the matter, and some of theories are very sensitive and are connected to very powerful people at Maywen University and beyond."

  "The university?" Now I was flabbergasted. "You think they're kidnapping young men?"

  "Unfortunately, that's all I'm at liberty to tell you, although I will say it's much more complicated than you think." The captain said it as if there was nothing he wanted more than to tell me the whole story, which I didn't believe for a second.

  "But—"

  "Don't you worry your beautiful little head about anything, Veda. We're on this, and everything will be fine. We know what we're doing."

  "I—" He was steering me towards the door, and I was neither big enough nor awake enough to fight him. "Can you please update me going forw
ard, at least?"

  "Of course, of course. We'd be glad to." I was outside now, and he was just inside the door, his insufferably pleasant mug darkened by the light behind him. "Thank you for stopping by. We so appreciate your concern for the well-being of Shawn Drale. That sort of civic-mindedness is rare, and Maywen would benefit from more good people like you."

  I looked up at him, and he was smirking.

  Captain Craig Metzger was lying to me, and he didn't care whatsoever that I knew it. This was a joke for him, and it was at my expense.

  Bone-tired, frustrated, and hating everything about this man, I scowled at him. "Fuck you."

  He winked at me and the door slammed close as he turned away.

  I stood on the steps for a moment, listening to the humming river and staring at the street, shocked at the conversation I'd just had.

  "Told you so."

  4

  The deep voice jolted me out of my reverie and I focused on the figure below. His black shirt, hair, and boots made him largely one with the night, and it took my vision a moment to adjust. "What the hell are you doing here?"

  "I live nearby." Adin straightened and I tried not to shudder, disturbed by how oddly different his movements were. "I see they took you as seriously as expected."

  I stomped down the steps. "Well, fuck you, too. I don't even know you, but you come all this way just to mock me for trying to do the right thing? What, are you a child?"

  "This from a woman who told off the chief of police?" He smiled at me, a quirk of the mouth. "Neither of us has a monopoly on maturity, I suspect."

  Brushing past him, I pulled out my phone to figure out how to get home. "Yeah, well, if maturity equals being a wimp and letting bullies like him push me around, I'll keep my childishness, thanks."

  "Fascinating."

  "What is?" Every fiber of my being wanted to give him the cold shoulder, but there was something about his tone and voice, smooth and deep but just a little bit amused, that made me weirdly curious to see what he'd say next.

  "How foolhardy you are, despite how little time you have before they destroy you. I'm unsure if that courage will be your doom... or your salvation. It could go either way."