Broken (The Captive #5.5)(49)

"When is your mother coming back?" he asked.

"We never know when Marie is coming back," Camille answered.

Atticus's teeth ground together, it would be a disaster if that woman returned now, but if he had anything to say about it, he was going to meet her. "We have to take care of the body, Merle."

He was an aristocrat, this man no more than a commoner but there were still laws that had to be obeyed, even for him. He had just broken into another man's home and murdered him. That wasn't something that would be approved of anywhere. It didn't matter that Felix had been abusing Genny, for many vampires that was an acceptable practice, especially if she was living under his roof. They might not kill him for what had just occurred, but they would lock him away for years. Worse yet, they may kill Genny if they thought her death would punish him even more. That would be a sentence far worse than death to him.

"I'll dispose of his body; make sure that no one finds him but what will you tell people who know you live with him?" Merle inquired of Camille.

"Felix left here tonight in a foul mood and never returned," Camille replied. "He's not well liked in the community. I doubt many will miss him or question his whereabouts for long, if at all. What will we do if his body is found?"

"It won't be found," Merle vowed.

"Even if it is, no one will believe you or Genny had anything to do with his death," Atticus assured her. "That either of you would be able to kill him. I would guess that he was at least a hundred years old."

"One hundred and ten," Camille confirmed. "What if someone saw you come in here?"

"No one saw me," Atticus said forcefully.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"How will you explain the ruined furniture to your mother?" Merle pressed.

Camille guiltily looked toward where her sister was sleeping before staring at the far wall. "If we clean up Felix's blood and body she won't question the missing furniture."

Atticus's hands fisted, he was unable to stop the rumble of displeasure that rolled through his chest. Oh yes, he definitely wished that the man was still alive so that he could kill him all over again. Merle leaned away from him and Camille took a hasty step back.

"That's what we will do then," Merle murmured. His eyes fell on the coin scattered around the room. "Why is all of this money on the floor?"

A distressed look crossed Camille's face, she glanced at Genny again and then at him with pleading eyes. "Please, can't some of this wait until Genny can speak with you?"

Atticus squeezed her arm reassuringly. "Yes. We'll need your help with this."

"Gladly. What do you need me to do?"

"I'll take care of the body," Merle said. "If you can clean up the blood."

"I can do that," Camille promised.

Atticus walked over to help Merle with the body but his cousin waved him away. "I have it." Merle glanced over at Camille before lowering his voice. "Can we trust her to keep this secret?"

"Yes. She won't do anything that might endanger her sister. She also came to get me; she's an accomplice in all of this."

"You better make sure she knows that. There are many that would do anything for money or to elevate their own position in this world." He gestured around the small hut. "Who would do anything to get out of a place like this."

"They will not be here for much longer," Atticus vowed.

Merle's eyebrows lifted but he kept his mouth closed as he turned away and grabbed hold of Felix's arms. "It could only raise more questions if you relocate the woman that lived with the man that recently disappeared."

"They will whisper rumors no matter what, but if there is no proof that I killed him, or of his death, they will remain only whispers and no one will accuse a noble without proof."

"True," Merle agreed. He knelt down and easily tossed Felix's body over his shoulder. "I'll be back as soon as possible."

Atticus nodded to him and moved the ruined door out of the way so that his cousin could exit. He watched Merle swiftly disappear into the woods with the body. He didn't know what he would have done without his cousin here to help him tonight, but then Merle had always been the one he could count on. He glanced at the huts closest to them but they remained dark and quiet. They were far enough away that even if someone had been home, they probably wouldn't have heard much of what had occurred anyway.

He placed the door back the best that he could. Bending down he began to pick up the ruined pieces of the chair as Camille brought out a couple of tattered blankets that were full of moth holes. She began to sop at the puddle of blood that was already soaking into the hard packed dirt.

"Your mother will smell the blood," he commented.

Camille's eyes were remorseless when she lifted her head to meet his. "Marie is a selfish woman, if she smells the blood she won't go out of her way to do anything about it. What could she possibly do anyway? You're right; no one will believe Genny was capable of killing Felix, or even that the two of us together were. Marie will move onto her next lover without a second's hesitation. No matter what your friend may think, I will never reveal what happened here tonight. Genny is all I have; she's all I've ever had. I'll never do anything to hurt her, anyone she cares about, or anyone that has helped to keep her in my life. He was going to kill her, have no doubt about that. This secret will die with me."