Silver & Black (30 page)

“God, you’re so jumpy today.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I get this way when I’m sick.”

“Well, I’m sure the cigarette you just smoked is going to help with your sickness,” he says sarcastically. “Doesn’t matter. The pilot says we’re clear to fly, if you’re ready.”

“I’m so ready.”

We get into plane and buckle in tight. My nerves are so shot about the situation, that I’m not even worried about flying. I’m just worried about getting home. Home is where I need to be.

~Chapter Thirty-Four~

We’ve been on the plane for a bit over an hour. I haven’t talked to Silver. I’m leaning on the chair playing my sick card. Silver watches over me the entire time. I take off my seatbelt and turn into the chair. Silver sighs. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah.” I’m short with my answer.

“I’m not upset that we’re leaving, Greyson. If that’s what you think. The truth is I have some pertinent business I want to take care of.”

“Is that so? Hope it’s nothing serious.”

“I’m beginning to think this is more than you not feeling well.”
Smart man.

“Why do think that?”

“You haven’t said one word since we left and now you’ve taken off your seatbelt. What’s going on, Greyson?”

“Nothing.”

“I’m not dumb.” He reaches over and turns me to face him. “Tell me. Whatever it is, we can fix it together.”

“How much longer do we have until we land?”

He puts his fingers to his mouth and exhales harshly through his nose. “I don’t know, but I guess you don’t want to talk about it? Something is scaring you and I can’t figure out what. Did I do something to scare you, to hurt you?”
Yes. I think.
The sadness in his eyes is killing me.

I rub my hand through my hair. “Ok,” I say. “Ok, you want to know?”

“Yes. Please. It’s paining me to see you hurt like this.”

“You never want to hurt me, right, Silver?”

“Never.”

“So what was the―” My words are interrupted by his phone. “Maybe you should get that. It could be your ‘pertinent business’.”

He glances down at the screen. “Fuck. I do have to take this. We’re finishing this after.” He gets up and walks to the back of the plane. He’s not far enough away because I can hear most of what he’s saying. “I didn’t get any messages. No. I told you it’s being taken care of. We’re on our way back. I can meet you later tonight. Give me some time.” He pauses and turns further into the wall. “Fuck, Marcus, what do you want me to do?”
Marcus? They’re working together?
My stomach starts to turn and the bile creeps slowly into my throat. My mouth waters and I know I’m going to be sick. I run to the back past Silver. “Greyson, are you ok?” I don’t answer. I run into the bathroom and lock the door. As I throw-up my fear into the toilet. I panic more. Silver knocks at the door. “Are you ok? You looked green. Is it motion sickness? I can get you something for that.”

“No, Silver. Just leave me the fuck alone. Can’t you hear that I’m not ok?” I’ve never screamed at him. Ever.

“I just want to help,” he mutters caringly through door. “Let me in, Greyson.”

“How much longer until we’re home?” I sit on the floor next to the toilet.

“Not much longer. You should probably finish up in there as fast as you can. The pilot should be issuing the seatbelt warning soon. I’ll get you an airsickness bag.” He walks away. I hear the announcement to buckle because we will be landing. I have no choice but to go back out.

I take my seat next to Silver, and buckle in. He grins at me, but doesn’t speak. The plane descends onto the landing strip. The landing seems hard, or it could just be my emotions making everything seem that way. We come to a complete stop. After the engine is turned off, the assistant opens the door. I look at Silver and get up and run out off the plane. He follows me. “Greyson.” 

“I called Levi to meet me here.” I point to the cab that Levi is pulling up in.

“Why?”

“I need to think, Brian.”

“Brian? Oh,” he says, through an emotional sign. “You never call me by my name.” He nods. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what for. I don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry you feel like you need to run from me.” He turns to Connor who is originally there to pick us both up. “Get Mr. Black’s things from the cabin and put them in the cab.” Connor nods and then locks eyes to me. I turn away.
What the hell am I doing?
“I’ll give you the space you need, but I promise you, you will be the only thing on my mind.”

I start to get emotional as my eyes water. “I’m sorry.”

“Then talk to me. This isn’t fair.”

“You’re right. It isn’t fair at all.” I walk toward the cab and open the door. “Not at all.” I get in and shut the door. “Just go,” I tell the cab driver. He pulls away. I glance out the window to Silver standing there broken.

“Well, honey, I expected you to come back exasperated, but in a good way. What the fuck happened?” Levi asks.

“Everything was perfect. He was perfect. I was in heaven. He bought me such a thoughtful and amazing gift: a toy boat just like the one my mom had gotten me―you know the one my dad stole. Everything this weekend was so thoughtful.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

“Yeah.” My voice cracks. “This morning when I got up Silver’s phone was beeping. I glanced at it and it had this cryptic message. I opened it.”

“He didn’t have his screen locked?”

“No.” I take my phone out of my pocket and scroll to the picture I sent myself. “Here, look at these. And don’t worry I deleted them off Silver’s phone.”

Levi looks at the screenshots and shakes his head. “What the hell?”

“Exactly what I said.” I bang my head back on the headrest. “Should I go to the police? Maybe I should call Cynthia.”

“Cynthia?” Levi asks. I forgot he doesn’t know her.

“The detective Silver took me to.” I look sincerely at Levi. “Tell me what I need to do. What I should do?”

“I don’t know. This wasn’t in the movie.”

“Levi.” I am not in the mood for
Pretty Woman
references.

“Sorry, honey, I was just trying to make you smile. Ok, let’s think. You don’t recognize the number?” I shake my head. “But you for sure heard him say ‘Marcus’?” I nod. “Let’s call the number and see who answers.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“We can block my number from showing up and make up an excuse like it’s the wrong number.”

“That might work. We can at least hear the voice.”

“Exactly.” Levi takes out his phone and begins to dial the number, but before he can finish, my phone beeps with a text. I glance down at the screen assuming it is Silver, but I couldn’t be more wrong. It’s
the
number. Levi glance over my shoulder and reads with me.

Greyson Black, how your life is about to change. The man you know as Silver is tarnished. Check your door when you get home and see for yourself.

The cab pulls up to the front of our building. Levi pays the cabbie and we get out. We reluctantly walk into the building with my bags. “He said to check something out by our door. What if someone’s there?”

“Should I call the police, Levi? Help me out here.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this.”

“Shit.” We wait for the elevator. As it opens, the man in the gray hoodie sees and runs past us, pushing Levi in the process. I throw my bags to the ground and run after him. I am beyond tired of this shit. I have to try and see this man or catch him. He’s running so fast I can’t keep up. He takes off down the alley a few blocks from my apartment.

I go back to the apartment building. Levi is waiting outside. “Did you see him?”

“No,” I answer, breathless. “He had to be here delivering whatever it is that the number said.”

“Should we go check?” Levi asks.

“Yeah, let’s go. I’ll call the police after.” We grab my bags and head upstairs.

We look by the door, we don’t see anything. Levi huffs and then opens our apartment door. He cautiously opens it and flicks on the lights. He reaches down and picks up a single large envelope.
He must have slid it under our door.
Levi holds it, and I stare blankly at it. “Do you want me to open it?”

“No. I’m going to do it.” He hands it to me. I run my finger under the sealed paper to rip it open. Inside is a piece of paper. I pull it out and read it out loud. “Every move, every step, he has watched and took note. He’s been watching you for years. Ask him about your mother.” I drop the note and it falls to the ground. Levi picks up the note and continues to read it.

“Ask him about college. Ask him about when he first met you.” He stops. “And then ask him about Derrick.”

“What?” I sigh. “What would Brian have to do with him?”

“That’s all it says.”

“This doesn’t make any sense.” I pace the floor. “What do I fucking do?”

“I should have watched more
CSI
and less
Bravo
,” Levi says honestly. I tilt my head. “I’m serious. Maybe Marcus is the key.”

“What do you mean?”

“Brian said Marcus. We need to find out if Marcus is behind this. I have an idea, but I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

“What?”

“How about Jeff? Maybe he knows something. I think you could get anything out of that man.”

“I think I could too. Especially if he knows I’m questioning Silver. I’ll call him and ask him to meet me somewhere. Maybe he can recognize the number.”

“Make sure it’s a place where you’re not alone.” I nod in agreement as I call. He answers right away.

“Greyson?” He is shocked to hear from me. “Is everything ok?”

“Yeah, everything is good. Are you alone?”

“I’m just about to leave work.”

“Good. Uh, do you think you could meet me, I really need to talk?”

“Of course. Are you sure everything is ok?”

“I just―I just need to ask you a few things.”

“Where do you want to meet?”

“Uh, the Silver Coffee at the university. Oh, and please don’t tell Marcus.”

“As long as you don’t tell Brian,” he says.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Now I’m very interested in what you want to talk about.”

“Jeff, it’s not―just meet me there in about twenty minutes.”

“You’re coming with me,” I say to Levi.

“But you―”

“I don’t care. I’m so fucking pissed right now, Levi. I’m mad that I let this happen again. Why do I do this? Why do I attract men like this? Derrick, Jeff, and now Silver… What the fuck?”

“In Jeff’s defense―and I use that term mildly―he was s jackass, but he isn’t a stalker. And we don’t know about Brian yet. Let’s get all the information.”

“Let’s just go.”

We catch the subway and make our way to the university. The campus isn’t busy. It normally isn’t on a weekend. But the coffeehouse is full. I wave at Liz as we walk in. I scan the tables and look for Jeff. He’s not there yet. Levi and I take our seats at an empty table near the window. Brady comes over to greet us.

“Liz said you just came in with a friend. You ready to work tomorrow?” He smiles.

“Yeah, I’ll be here bright and early.”

“Good. Good. I won’t be, but Liz will.” He faces Levi. “So who’s your friend?”

“Levi Martinez. He’s my best friend.”

“Nice to meet you,” Levi says, putting out his hand. He shakes his head and realizes his blunder.

“Nice to meet you as well. So where’s that boyfriend of yours?”

“We just got back from a trip and he said he had some business to take care of.”

Brady laughs. “That man is all business.” He places his hand on Levi’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. I can’t help but notice the watch on his wrist. It’s the same watch Silver gave me.

“I love your watch,” I say and Levi glances over to look. His eyes go wide. Marcus said that Silver buys his men stuff. Silver assured me the watch was an original. Well, there’s nothing original about that.

“Yeah, I know. It’s kind of weird for a blind man to wear a watch, right?”

“No, not at all.”

“It was a gift and Liz likes it. Not to mention, it makes me feel normal. I know that sounds weird.”

“That doesn’t sound weird at all.” The door dings and I see Jeff walk in. I wave him over.

“I’ll let you two get back to talking. My wife is probably fuming that I’m taking too long. See you tomorrow?”

“For sure. Thanks, Brady.” He nods and walks away. Jeff joins us and instantly glares at Levi. Before he could say anything, I comment. “I asked him to come with me.”

“Ok. What’s going on?” Jeff sits next to me.

“I don’t know how to ask this or even start.” I look at Levi.

“Just come out with it, Grey,” Jeff says.

“You said that you heard Marcus talk a lot about Brian, I want to know about that.”

“Why the change?” Jeff leans back in the chair.

“What’s it matter?” Levi answers.

“He wants my help, right? I think I deserve to know why,” Jeff shoots back.

Thinking of how I can get around without telling him every detail, I only give him a minor snippet. “Something happened and I heard Brian talking to Marcus. It sounded pretty intense, like they are working on something together.”