He curses under his breath as he comes in behind me, reading over my shoulder.
Unknown:Your dorm room was empty last night. A shame... I just love our visits.
Jack sets the table,arranging plates and cutlery in front of our respective seats while I entertain Sienna. She’s comfy in her highchair, babbling happily and waving her spoon like a scepter—fitting since she’s the queen of this castle.
It’s weird having to go on about our day as normal with all the shit that’s happened over the last several hours, but I suppose when there’s a baby in the picture, they always take precedence regardless of the scenario.
Someone should have told my parents that.
He walks across the kitchen and comes back with a cup of coffee in each hand, sitting mine on the rustic wooden table next to my plate before going back to grab the plate of pancakes he just made for us. Typically, I would have insisted on making them myself, but it was honestly nice to just sit back and watch him work.
“Everything alright?” he asks, taking the seat across from me. He partially peels a banana and breaks it in half, handing the broken-off piece to Sienna. I grin at the way she attacks it and pet the top of her head knowing her hair will be crusted with the fruit long before we finish this meal.
“Yeah, just... processing.” My fingers idly trace the rim of my mug. “You’re really good at keeping it together, you know.”
He makes a sound that is half snort, half chuckle. “I thrive under pressure.”
Sienna gurgles in agreement, slapping her chubby hands on the tray of her highchair.
“You put that on your resume?”
He shoves his fork through two pancakes and moves them to my plate. “Yeah. Right beside ‘team player and skillful in a variety of positions.’”
The words are laced with a playfulness that is so at odds with the conversation we need to have, but I can’t help myself so I match the innuendo. “Easily motivated and eager to learn?”
He’s briefly thoughtful before he responds. “Veryeasily motivated with the right employer.” The look he gives me is loaded. “Eager to learn, and excellent at giving direction.”
I cut off a piece of my pancake, dip it in syrup, and take a bite, chewing and swallowing before I say anything back. I point my fork at him. “You’re hired.”
He laughs. “This was an interview?”
“You interviewed me without telling me first,” I say with a shrug, taking another bite. “Just returning the favor.”
He leans across the table and hooks a finger under my chin, pulling my face toward his before placing a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. “Can’t wait to get to work.”
We are both so freaking smitten with one another that it’s hard to keep from falling into banter, but we both realize the gravity of the situation we are in. He sobers before I do. “You’ve been through a lot,” he says gently, and I know he doesn’t just mean last night and this morning. “If there’s anything you need to put out there…” He trails off.
I sigh, taking a sip of my coffee. The warmth spreads through me, giving me the courage to say what I need to say. My guy has no idea what he just asked for, or what I’m about to tell him.
“I think I know who killed my dad. And it wasn’t a random group of students or for no reason.” If he’s shocked by my admission, I can’t tell. “He’s been deep into dangerous shit with dangerous people for my entire life. I wasn’t exactly surprised that this happened.”
Jack’s brow furrows. “Care to elaborate?” There is no judgment in the question and he doesn’t ask whether or not I have divulged this information to the police like I expected he might.
I haven’t and I’m not going to. I don’t want anyone else to know, and I don’t know if I can even trust them. The last thing I need is to be on someone else’s shit list. If they’re in The Assembly’s back pocket and I go to them with this, I might as well just grab a shovel and start digging a plot up next to Ophelia.
“Yeah,” my voice is weaker now. “You’ve heard people talk about The Assembly, right?” It’s a dumb question. Of course, he has. That doesn’t mean he takes it very seriously. I feel like most people don’t. I probably wouldn’t if I didn’t know for certain.
He reaches across the table and intertwines our fingers. I don’t know if it’s a signal that he’s listening and willing to hear me out or if he’s certain I’m nuts. “I’ve heard things here and there.”
“Well. They’re not exactlyallrumors,” I admit. “My dad had been heavily involved with them for as long as I could remember. I’ve always let on that I was just as oblivious as anyone else...” I trail off. “But even with the limited contact I’ve had with him since I was younger, it’s pretty undeniable. I saw too much and heard too much before my parents ever realized I was old enough for it to register, and even after I movedout, there were so many things that pointed to all that he was involved in. Drugs, cybercrime, bribery.Illegal surveillance.” I emphasize that last one because someone having hacked into Jack’s security system is five million percent something someone in The Assembly would do.
I just don’t knowwhythey would do it. What would they even want from me now that my dad is gone?
Jack squeezes my hand, his thumb brushing against my knuckles. “This is all pretty bizarre to hear out loud, I’m not going to lie. But I suspected this orsomethinggiven your history.” Finally, his roundabout admission that his digging around had told him more about my family situation than he’d let on, though probably not as much as what I’ve just shared with him.
It means more to me than I can voice that he’s making a solid effort to believe me. “I don’t know,” I say, doubting everything. “I really don’t. But I just have this feeling that he wanted out.” Andoutis not exactly an option. “Our last conversation was strained, to say the least. I walked out on him like I usually do when he pisses me off, and he said something about ‘this being the time I regret it’. He was always overdramatic, but then he was murdered that same evening and I can’t help but wonder if he knew it was coming.”
You’re a member of The Assembly for life, and the only way out is exactly what my dad got.
