Slice (The Elledge Family #1) (37 page)

“We need the knife.”

“Well get a warrant.” I closed my notebook. “I mean, if you have all of this evidence against him it shouldn't be so hard.”

“It's the one he keeps on him. We want you to get him here and then we'll confiscate the knife. It is no telling how much blood there is on the knife. Then we will have him extradited to England and then back here. He is done.”

“That's good for you. Why would you need me to get the knife for you?”

“I don't have a warrant.”

“He is my friend. I am not doing anything to bring him in. You have the wrong guy anyhow. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Plus, his girl is pregnant and they are happy. Leave them be.”

“He is a serial killer.”

“Are we done here?”

“Why the sudden attitude change?”

“There is no sudden change, sir.” I paused. “I just don't want to be involved with investigation anymore.”

“Did he threaten you?”

“No,” I paused. “How long is this going to go on?”

“I guess I'll dig into you some then.”

“Please do, maybe I'll have time to finish up my homework and be a normal student. I have to go.” I pushed passed him. “I have to go. Is there anything else that you need?”

“When we investigate him further everything will come to the light. If there is something that you are hiding I suggest that you just tell us now. This can save you a ton of time.”

“Well, you should know that I found out that they are both my brothers.” I looked at him. “And I don't want to have anything further dealings with your investigation. I just want to be left alone.”

“Brother?”

“Mark and Lucas both… they are kin to me and I feel like this whatever partnership you think you have here...” I pointed to him and then back to me. “It can't go on. I just need to be left alone to find myself and I don't want anything else to do with it. Now if you would leave I have some packing to do.”

There was another knock at my door and he flinched. “Don't fall into this trap.”

“I'm not. Come in!” I yelled.

Mark entered the apartment holding three suitcases. “How much is too much? I mean I don't want to sound like a chick, but there is a chance that I might stay a little longer. Especially if there are chicks there worth seeing ag...” he paused. “Um, hi?”

“Yeah, he was just leaving. I thought you were bringing Shia?”

“I am… but she knows that we are friends. Why is he here?”

“This new brotherhood between you three is a nice twist.” McMillan smirked. “I can help you both. I can make sure that when your brother fries you at most get 5 years for conspiracy. Four if you cooperate with me.”

“Get out?” Mark chuckled.

“Yeah do that please.”

“You are going to regret being involved with them you know that right?” McMillan opened the front door. “You are not like them. It doesn't matter if you two are brothers are not. He will drag you down. He will make your life...”

“Man get the fuck out,” my voice rose higher than I expected and there was a true expression of shock on his face. “Please.”

“Alright, good day.”

Lucas

Cypress had left for more than an hour and I was alone for the first time in a few days. I didn't know rather to be relieved or not just yet. There was a part of me that wanted to follow her down there just to make sure that she made the trip. I lie on my bed, my eyes hooked to the ceiling I watched the smoke dissipate in front of me. This weed was comforting. It was something that I could not do when she was here. I reached inside the cabinet and felt for my knife. It had been a while since it was even in my hands. The woes of fatherhood had started and the child was not even here.

I rattled my hand around in the drawer and I could not feel it. I inhaled another drag of the blunt and sat up on the side of the bed. Where was it? I looked through the drawer. Whatever the fuck had happened to it, I didn't care. It must have been in my car.

The elevator doors opened slowly and Mark waltzed through the doors. There was no such thing as privacy with Mark. I just wanted to smoke my weed alone and in peace. “Good grief, what do you want?”

“Are you smoking?”

“Why ask if you know the answer Mark?”

“I thought you were giving up on that shit?”

“What the actual fuck do you want?” I exhaled the smoke. “Why are you here?”

“Well, I stopped by Asher’s before Cypress kidnapped him and he told me some interesting news. The Agent in the case is on the hunt for your knife. “That knife… connects you to murders in England and in America.”

I blinked. “England?”

“Yeah England… where is the knife you have to get rid of it.”

“Absolutely not,” I spat. “Declan gave me that knife.”

“Why would you even want to keep it. You don't even like Declan, all you do is tell us why he was a horrible father to you.” Mark said.

“What has he to do with it?” Asher was confused.

“It's his knife and it’s why you are so connected to it. You can’t fool me Lucas.” Mark said matter of fact. It was true, I could never hold a strong face when it came to him and that was bullshit.

“Oh...”

I could feel the questions as they wandered into his mind. “Ask me Mark.”

“How was he?”

“He was a cold hearted manipulative bastard that I loved.” I shrugged. “I’m more like him than you know and I hate it more and more every day. But I would never allow someone else to raise my child. He was wrong for what he done to you two. And I'm sorry that he chose me at most days. But I like having you two around. You keep me level headed.”

“You are high.” Mark smiled.

“Ruin my speech asshole.”

“Okay, I will.” Mark chuckled. “Where is the knife?”

“I don't know it was in here?” I pointed to the night stand. “I'll find it later. Could you order me a pizza from downstairs?”
      

“Could you start paying for your food? I feel like you are destroying the cost margins for this place.”

“No, Mark, are you hungry? Do you want a puff?” I held out the blunt and he surprised me as he took a deep drag from it. “Make that two pizzas.”

Cypress

Asher was a talker. It was a perfect road trip for me because I did like to talk about random shit that popped into my mind when I was on the road. I sat in the passenger’s seat with my seat let so far back it touched the back seat. “So how are you liking being kin to Lucas?”

“It’s nice. I like having family around here.” He tapped the steering wheel. “And I like the fact that they both get me free food from the restaurant. Cooking a student’s worst nightmare. Especially because I suck at it.”

“You can cook something.”

“Not at all.” He laughed. “So why are we really headed down here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you said just last week that your mother was headed out of town for some kind of convention. Lucas has been so worried about your safety he kind of missed the main thing that should have tipped him off.”

This smart bastard had made me two hours in. I remained quiet and looked out at the mountains in the distance. “Why are you so damn smart?”

“Well, I don’t mind defying his wishes. I just hope that whatever we are doing down here doesn’t bite me in the ass in a few weeks. So spill it Cypress.”

Asher flashed a smile at me and then focused back on the road. I cleared my throat as I reached for the brown purse under my feet. It took a moment, but I finally had it. I felt the knife in my hand. “I don’t know much about Lucas’ secrecy or why he thinks he has to be secret. But this knife is the one that he keeps in his night stand. It has his father’s named inscribed and I kind of guessed it had a bad air to it. I don’t know if it’s true.”

His face was white. “Why would you think that it had a bad air to it Cy?”

“There is something about him that I have not figured out yet. And he won’t let me in to see it. And since he won’t I can’t do what I need to in order to make sure that he is not out here making an ass of himself. And I know he talks to you and Mark here lately and he seems so much more laid back about everything. I love it about him. But I feel like hiding this knife far away from us is the best way to insure that everything is safe.”

“Okay,” He shook his head in agreement. “I can’t say that you are wrong or right. But I agree that you are making a good decision. Just keep it to yourself.”

“I can do that.”

“Good and I want you to know that you can talk to me in confidence. I don’t run and tell everything I know to Lucas. He doesn’t need to know everything.” Asher said.

Chapter Eighteen

Lucas

I had not put thought into rather she would like Ireland or not. I just knew that the getaway was much needed for the both of us. The last month had been stressful. We were a month away from graduation and then there was the final exams that Cypress swore she wasn’t prepared for but she knew every subject like the back of her hand. Being pregnant made her worry. She was a big five months. She had grown so much here recently I felt bad for her. Her feet ached constantly and she had to pee every five seconds.

Thankfully the plane ride for her was peaceful, she slept most of the time while she listened to her newest favorite band The Paper Kites. She would occasionally shift in her seat and gasped at the change views. Then every other bump she gripped my hand at the thought of a crash. Then, once we entered the country and she saw her first glimpse of Ireland, she had grown silent.

“What's wrong?” I whispered. I feared that she didn’t like it and all hope that I had for us to relocate here was out of the door before we landed.

“I've never seen anything like it.” Her voice was soft. “It's simply beautiful.”

“And you haven't been to England yet.” I chuckled.

“I know. I can’t wait”

Shia was nestled into Mark. She had slept the entire flight and then there was Asher. He had come stag but he was unbothered by it. He had found himself so lost in his book that nothing else mattered at the moment. It took long enough, but I finally had gotten used to the fact that he was an older brother too. It was still weird though, and there were still questions for Tracy that lingered in the back of my mind.

“How long has been since you've seen Callum?” Asher nudged me.

“About three years,” I answered.

“And he's your cousin?”

“Our cousin,” I pushed Asher lightly.

Asher smiled. “Yeah, whatever,” he nodded his head. “This shit is unreal.”

“I know.” Mark looked out at the window. His eyes mesmerized by the row of brightly colored townhouses that covered the street.

“I have some friends that live there.”
      

“How do you know so many people?” Cypress raised her eyebrow at me. “Were you like playboy over here? Will I have to step off of the plane and start beating some European ass immediately?”

“I swear it to you that I was not a playboy over here, I just got out the house a lot sometimes. Living in three countries your entire life, you know everyone, love.”

Callum's house sat in the middle of the land like a castle. The stone walls and vines grew up the home that was surrounded by a garden of flowers ranging from every color. Then there were two red head beauties. Holly, I remembered her from school, stood holding a very red head little girl. Her hair waved down her back fire red just like her mother's. I could only assume she was her mother because even from 100 feet away the similarities in the two were uncanny.

“I didn't know he was married.” Mark said.

“He isn't.” I chuckled. The car came to a halt at the beginning of the gravel stoned driveway. “Um driver...”

“This is as far as I go.” The driver thick accent filled the car.

Cypress sighed. “Even for the obviously pregnant woman whose feet have developed a mind of their own?”

“Far as I go.” He snapped. It was enough to send me into protective mode.

Mark gripped my shoulder. “Get out.” He laughed.

Callum ran up the driveway playfully. “How was the journey?”

I smiled. “It was grand.”

“Oh, I'm sure.” Callum made it to us. His blonde hair was still short and in a disarray on top of his head. And the only obvious change was his development of some type of muscle and a few extra inches in height. “Welcome back to Ireland brother.!” He pulled me in for a hug. “Dear Jesus, it's been forever mate! Why the fuck would yah stay away for so long?”

“I know it’s been way too long.” I pulled back and shook his hand again. “I want you to meet some people… family really.”

“Mark and Asher, the two boys me father told me about,” Callum smiled at Mark. “We've met once before.” He shook his hand. “Just not as cousins.”

They had met once and it had been awkward. Mark had always been over protective of me and he saw Callum as a piss poor excuse for a friend. But I saw the opposite. He shook his hand sternly, “Right, how have you been?” Mark asked.