Nate asks their sister and cousins, “You guys were in on this?”
Zoe grins.
Lexi shrugs, “Of course we were in on it. We know everything. We’re women.”
Wyatt rolls his eyes before asking Haven, “Where did your friends go?”
“Those screeching tires? Probably them.”
“Fuck,” he mutters.
My DJ is waiting for go-time. I nod, “Saber, hook it up!”
She leans over her equipment, headphones bouncing as the beat finds its way out patient speakers. The warehouse comes to life and I put my arm around Gabriella. “You okay?”
“I almost couldn’t do it!”
“I’m proud of you.”
She beams at me, and something happens in the back of her eyes. Something I’ve never seen before. I quickly withdraw my arm and turn to the group. “You guys want some meatballs?” To Haven I add, “Best balls in Atlanta.”
Her powdered face is devoid of emotion. “I bet. No, thank you. I’m going to call my friends and tell them…” Trailing off, she excuses herself.
Never occurs to me that she won’t come back.
But then again, sometimes, I’m not too bright.
CHAPTER 9
BILLY
I ’m overseeing the cleaning crew’s arrival at four in the morning after we’ve kicked everyone out. Other than them, it’s just me, Wyatt, Nathan, and Gabs. She’s staff, but as my assistant, she’s involved in the day-to-day and will not be cleaning up tonight. She’s done enough.
I’m a little uncomfortable with her hanging around, after that adoring look she gave me earlier. I don’t know what that was about.
I’m hoping if I ignore it, it’ll go away.
Speaking of going away, Haven never returned and my mind doesn’t forget that for long. Even as we’re chatting, I’m wondering if my stunt went too far. She screamed. Did I piss her off by scaring her so bad? I know the zombies really got to her. She’s the only person I saw actually running from them.
Lexi, Sam, and Zoe worked all night so they took off as soon as I shut the party down. They share a three-bedroom apartment. Walking out in their vampire costumes, makeup slightly melted, they made up a song about their beds calling to them, and vanished from sight. I heard Sam say something about her friend Logan texting her from NYC, and how she had a phone call she had to make before bed.
“You guys didn’t find anyone to leave with, huh?”
Wyatt cocks an eyebrow as he opens a bottle of Orpheus beer from my hidden stash. “You think I’d be here with you? I can see you any day.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Nathan interrupts, “I was interested in those two friends of Havens. Don’t remember their names.”
Wyatt doesn’t remind him, but from the look in his eyes as he takes a swig, he knows.
Gabriella is poking through her phone, and the air is tense.
“You can go home, Gabs.”
She looks up, staring at me like she wants to say something. Her eyes shyly dart to the brothers and she nods to the dirty floor like it’s time to go. “Goodnight, Billy. See you tomorrow. I mean, today?”
“No, I’m going to sleep in, then I’ll catch up on some normal life stuff. Take the day. We’ll reconvene on the next one, okay?”
“Mmhmm.” She stares at her feet. “Okay, night.”
As she walks away, I extend my hand for a beer and Nate hands me one, keeping another for himself. We pop them open as Gabriella finally disappears. Was it my imagination or did she walk slower than normal?
While a crew of eight knock down Halloween decorations, me and the guys stand among the disarray, throwing a few back and chatting about life.
Finally, Wyatt chuckles, “You’re looking pretty satisfied.”
A grin breaks free. “My prediction is I succeeded. They’ll be talking about this for years.”
Nathan nods, “That’s for sure. Planned and executed a fake death to the point that you actually lost attendees.”
“Made room for the line,” I chuckle. “Not my intention, but a nice byproduct so at least more people could come inside and see the place. They bought tickets.” Jogging my beer at him I add, “If your damn fire department didn’t have rules about how many people I can allow in, we’d have doubled the number!”
He loses the smile. “Fire hazards are no joke, Billy.”
I stare at him to discern if he’s serious. When I realize he is, I offer a short, “Sorry.”
He nods and goes back to his beer, eyes gliding to the white horse being led out by it’s trainer. “How’d you get the horn on him?”
Wyatt’s curious, too, and waits for my answer as the mythical creature passes us, shaking its mane.
I lock eyes with the trainer who says simply, “It’s a real unicorn.”
Nate snorts, “Okay, whatever.”
“You don’t believe in magic?”
“I believe in what I can see.”
“Then you’re missing out,” the trainer smiles.
I turn to the brothers, “Speaking of magic, that red-eyed witch cast a spell on me and then poof…disappeared.”
Wyatt downs the remnants from his bottle, making an ahhhh-sound, to announce with all-knowing certainty, “She didn’t like how your assistant was looking at you.”
I blink in surprise. “Shit, you saw that?”
“I’m a cop. Observing people is what I get the big bucks for.”
“Cops don’t make a lot of money.”
“It was a joke.” He rubs his forehead, the late hour getting to him. “We should make more for how much danger we’re in every damn day. Same as teachers.”
Nathan mutters, “You love it,” before taking a sip.
Wyatt admits on a slow grin, “I’d do it for free.”
“So stop complaining.”
“It was an observation, Nathan.”
“We don’t whine.”
“I was just saying…never mind.” Wyatt returns to me and the question I asked. “Yeah, I saw it. How long has she been hot for you? Have you two…?”
“You always ask me that! No! Never.” I sip my beer as jack o’lanterns are carted away on a low, rolling cart. “Hang on. I need a picture of that.”
Nathan pulls out a lighter. “Let’s light their candles back up.”
He works on the task while I search for
