Even though I had pulled her into the kitchen to sneak some information from her, I felt bad. She seemed like a nice kid, and I was never a fan of anyone being picked on, least of all for something that wasn’t even their fault.
“I was never that popular in school, either. People liked me, but I was always boring compared to my brother or my friends. I know if I didn’t have them, then I would have wound up bullied.” I replied, doing my best to be kind. “My boyfriend Price was notorious for kicking ass. I’m ninety percent positive he did it on my behalf on more than one occasion until people stopped messing with me. Either way, I got the last laugh in the end – none of them have done anything with their lives so far. And I’m sure the people who are mean to you will go the same way.”
Though I wasn’t a spiteful person, a part of me was spitefully happy. The kids I knew would have loved to laugh at me for being what they thought was weird, had done nothing much with their lives already. Most worked in minimum wage jobs and none of them had gone to college or had plans to learn a trade. They had no partners or future prospects of anything remotely important, and would no doubt stay in Diamond Grove until they died. It was hard to feel sad about anything that happened to me in high school when I’d already done a thousand times more than they ever would and I was only just twenty, and school had led me to meeting both Price and Logan.
“Huh.” Hades said. “I didn’t realize you were homosexual. I thought you were in love with Sapphire based on how much you stared at her and the widening of your pupils when she looked back at you and smiled earlier. Plus, you’re nothing like how Ares acts with boys, even if I can’t use my brother as a big enough sample size for evidence.”
There was no hostility in her tone, just curiosity. But I rather liked it. It was fun talking to someone who had no filter and said whatever came to her mind. Even more so if it widened her horizons on how non-straight men acted, other than her brother.
I smirked, cheeks burning. “I’m dating both Price and Sapphire. It’s a long story.” It wasn’t that long, but I wasn’tentirely sure speaking about my dating life with a barely teenage girl was a smart move.
Hades nodded. “You like men and women, I see.” She thought for a moment. “According to a government survey done last year, there are approximately seven-point-two percent of Americans who classify themselves as belonging to the LGBT-plus identification bracket. So the fact that you found Price in your friend circle of majority straight males is rather sweet if you think about it. Like fate or something, if such a thing exists.”
“I’m lucky.” I grinned at the idea of fate working to bring Price and me together. “Am I’m pretty sure you have a highly superior autobiographical memory, right? You show a lot of the signs for it.”
I didn’t know much. Tech was more my thing over science. But I knew enough to recognize the signs Hades had a wicked memory that not many people around the world would be able to match. I was almost jealous. My IQ had been tested, and I knew I was very intelligent – not in a cocky way – but I was sure Hades was twice as smart as me, maybe more. It was seriously cool.
“That’s what I’ve been told.” She finished washing the mugs and dried her hands on a spare towel hanging on the oven door. “I remember things I see, and read, and I like to read a lot.” She paused a moment before muttering to me in a hushed voice, as though she wasn’t sure if she should say anything. “I don’t know if this is helpful, but I was listening to your conversations on the landing. And basically, I was with mum at work one day last year that this woman that I think you’re looking for came in. I remember seeing her before mum refused to speak with her, and she left. But she fits the profile of who you’re trying to get information about, and I understand she’s a criminal of some kind, so I would prefer she was caught.”
I froze, the towel slipping through my fingers onto the countertop with a slight thud. My quest for information had hit gold, even if I was a little surprised it had worked at all.
“What did she look like?” I asked, glad to have had my suspicions about Shannon proven, even if it meant she had lied about not knowing anything about her sister.
“Like my mum, but shorter. She also had a terrible gray wig on that was blunt to her chin. I remember she kept itching at it as though she was uncomfortable.” Hades recalled. “She had small feet, was quite petite, and she was pretending to be English. It was what first drew my attention to her even before she got mad that mum wouldn’t see her.”
I yanked my phone out of my pocket, typing up everything Hades said so I wouldn’t forget a single detail. “How did you know she was pretending?”
“Because her vocabulary was off. She mentioned having trouble in the parking lot and asked for creamer in her coffee when the receptionist offered her a drink. Nobody English says parking lot, and we don’t have creamer here either. Most English people wouldn’t even know what it is.”
My head bobbed, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Would you recognize her if you saw her again?”
“Yes. So if you manage to get pictures of suspects, then I would be happy to take a look at them for you.” Her brows pulled a little. “But don’t tell my mum. She refuses to talk about her family and her life in America where she can, and I don’t think she would enjoy it if I got involved. And whilst I disagree with her logic, I will respect her opinion as my mum.”
“How do you know anything about her family, then, if she doesn’t like to talk about it?” I was curious even though I was sure Hades had probably either guessed, or simple found it out for herself.
She shrugged. “I enjoy listening to other people’s conversations. And my parents showed enough signs of suspicious behaviour over the years that I came to the assumption that they were either criminals or hiding something of a similar calibre. So I investigated and found their old passports and things like that, and confronted my mum with it because I dislike secrets and being lied to.”
“She told you the truth, then?” I asked.
“She told me off for snooping.” Hades snorted. “But then she said her family was not very nice, and that she had escaped the country to get away from them. She explained that her brother had killed his wife and been horrid to her since childhood. And that if he knew of my existence, he would love nothing more than to kill me, too. Seeing as domestic and familial violence are common occurrences, she seemed genuinely terrified, and I had no reason to assume she was lying, I let it go after that.”
Before we could continue the conversation that was almost bordering dangerous territory, there was a shuffling of bodies and a padding of feet, and I heard my girl saying her goodbyes. And seeing as I didn’t want to get Hades in any trouble, I whispered that I would be in touch soon enough, took her mobile number, and then hurried to talk about random science things again until we were joined in the kitchen by her mother.
Shannon pointed to the side where the clean dishes lay, her smile just as false and tight as earlier.
“You’re a good lad.” She breathed as she eyed up the clean dishes. “Your ma must have done a good job raising you to be so polite.”
I blushed a little as I joined the others after bidding Hades goodbye and thanks, and hurried toward the front door. As everyone put their shoes back on, Shannon squeezed past meto unlock the door, but paused a moment, only a few inches of sunlight peeking through the gap.
She turned to me.
“Listen.” She said, voice low. “Regardless of what happens in your quest for Cassie, I want your word that my children will be safe. I want you to promise me you will look out for them.”
I wasn’t sure why she thought we would do anything to bring harm to the twins, or why Cassie would suddenly come after them, but I was happy to offer assurances to ease her mind, regardless.
“Of course we will.” I promised. “Sapphire would never-”
“I don’t mean her.” Shannon cut me off. “I meanyou, Misha. I want you to promise to keep my kids safe.”
