Strike at Midnight(79)

He gave me a dubious look and leaned against the bar to give me his usual inquisition.

“Why?”

My eyes rolled and I moved to get the key, but he caught my wrist before I could.

“I may have a lead to where they’re holding the duke, and I just want to go and stake out the place.” I put my hands up in defense when he raised his eyebrows. “The weapons are just a precaution. I’m just staking out. I promise.”

“Want to wait until I close so I can come with?” he asked as he removed the key and placed it into my hand.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, grateful for his offer but not wanting to wait any longer to see if the duke was alive. And Lord Camembert, I supposed. I kept forgetting about that guy.

“Where is it?”

“What?”

“The place that you’re going to be staking out.”

A sigh escaped my lips and I went to walk away, but he stopped me. “Where?” he asked, more firmly this time, and I shrugged his arm away.

“You’re not my keeper,” I said through gritted teeth, and he just smiled.

“I know that. But this case has been a twisted pile of crap from the beginning. It’s different. So tell me where you’re going, or I’m taking the key back.”

“And leaving me to go off with no weapons?” I snapped, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

“Your choice.”

“You’re a paranoid asshole,” I said, rolling my eyes. I snatched out the crude map that Billy had drawn up for me and flashed it in his face. “I’m going into the Northern Woods. Happy?”

“You’re going into the Nightmare Woods alone?”

“Yes,” I said, pulling the map back and stuffing it into my tunic.

“At night?”

“Yes.”

He pressed his lips together as if he were fighting an inner war on being my friend or an annoying big brother. He also knew that I could take him down if it came to a one-on-one fight, so goodness knows why he was having such a dilemma. It must have been because he had seen me in one too many gowns lately. He had forgotten I could actually kick some ass.

“Be careful,” he said eventually, and I couldn’t help but laugh as he relented.

“Yes, Daddy. I’ll be careful.”

“If you’re not back by morning…”

“Then you’ll come looking for me?” I asked, batting my eyelashes in his direction.

“Only to collect on my rent.”

“Asshole,” I said as I made my way towards his living quarters to where the weapons hold was.

“Don’t you know it.”

Rem made me almost jump out of my skin when I shut the door to the weapons hold and saw him standing there. He had been snoring his head off on Marcel’s couch only moments before.

“You okay, Rem?” I asked, allowing my heart rate to go back to normal.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he replied, rubbing a hand through his hair.

“Sorry if I disturbed you.”

“You didn’t,” he said, but then he couldn’t hold back the large yawn that forced his mouth open.

“Go back to bed.”

“Where are you going?” he asked as I packed up some of the weapons I had selected into my carrying sack.

“I think I might have a lead on where they’re holding the duke,” I said, standing back to lock the weapons hold now I was done. “I’m just going to check it out in the Nightmare Woods.”

He was quiet at that comment, so I turned to see a frown on his face.

“Are you okay?” I asked again, and he quickly nodded. He didn’t think I’d noticed that he had dragged his sleeve across his eyes when I had bent down to pick up the sack, but I had. He had been wiping tears away. “Look, Rem.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I haven’t had much time to look into your brother’s disappearance. But I will after this is done. I’ll dedicate myself a hundred percent to it soon. Deal?”

His eyes filled with tears again, so he took a step back from me and coughed to clear his throat.

“Would you like me to get Jessie ready for you?” he asked, and my heart went out to him.

“I’m going on foot,” I said, lifting the carrying sack onto my shoulder. “It will give me a stealthier approach that way. But I’ll be back in the morning.” I nodded to him, avoiding any further contact to give him comfort. “Go back to sleep.”





*



A prickly bush was getting a bit too comfortable with my ass as I stayed crouched down among some bushes.

The place on the map that Billy had drawn was not far in front of me, and now that I had gotten closer I could see under the moonlight that it was a cottage of sorts.

It had been crudely built as if the ill-matched bricks and thatched roof had just been thrown together. There was no glass in the windows, seeing as the drapes that had been shut across them billowed out every now and again with the breeze. The candlelight from inside forced its way through the thin fabric, and that—alongside the smoke that was coming out of the chimney—informed me that someone was definitely home this evening.

It required more investigation, seeing as someone obviously lived here, but I wanted to wait a little while longer. It would be stupid going in and swinging my sword around when I didn’t know what would be on the other side of it.