Jaden by Tijan

CHAPTER FIVE

I was tired the next day. I was tired the day after and the day after that. In fact, I was tired the entire week and the week after that, too. The thing that pissed me off was that I was the only one. I swear. Bryce and Corrigan seemed to have renewed their friendship. They were all about the hugging, laughing, slugging each other’s shoulders, and they even started to have their own inside jokes.

Gag me.

Their cheerful attitudes wore off on Neil and Beth. My dad always adored Bryce so he seemed in heaven having him here. I could tell he got over whatever issue he had before allowing my friends to the house, and Beth, I didn’t think she could prance any more around the house before it turned into a skip. She was giddy with Corrigan. It took me another week before I finally got it.

I was sitting outside on the patio lounger, watching both of them in deep conversation with Neil and Beth. Bryce was sitting under the shade, nodding at whatever my dad was saying and using his arms to make gestures. I heard the word ‘soccer’ a couple of times and ‘football’ the rest of the time so it didn’t take a genius to figure out what they were talking about, but then I turned to the grilling area. Beth and Corrigan had their heads bent over a mixing bowl. He was wearing the apron she handed him, both in matching pink frilly aprons, and when she pointed to a garnish, he picked it up and broke it into pieces into the large bowl. After giving him an approving grin, she handed it over, and he resumed whisking it, smirking a little to himself. He glanced up, caught my gaze, and his eyes widened. He looked like he got caught at something.

I frowned.

They’d both been up their asses the whole month—then it hit me, smack in the forehead, and I felt like an idiot.

Bryce and Corrigan were working Neil and Beth. I didn’t know why, but I knew they were. It made more sense. Bryce was always polite to my dad, but never this congenial, and Corrigan, well, he loved his mother so much that baking wasn’t too far of a stretch, but his banter with Beth was flirtatious, not adoringly like he was with his mom.

Things made more sense. The world was right again. I could relax, not worried I woke up in an alternate universe.

I didn’t get a chance to ask them their plan until after dinner. Beth made meatloaf—yes, meatloaf—but she topped it off with three glasses of Moscato wine. Neil joined in, and the two were as drunk as skunks. It didn’t take long for the adults to giggle their way down the hallway and up to their room. That was when I shoved back from the table and stood up.

Both Bryce and Corrigan looked up.

I jerked my head toward the back door. “Outside. Now.”

Each wore a guilty expression.

I snorted. I wasn’t mad. I was just out of ‘the know,’ and that didn’t sit well with me. As I sat in one of the loungers and they took the other two seats, I folded my arms over my chest. “I know you’re doing something. Fill me in. Now.”

They shared a look.

Bryce shook his head. “Fine.”

Corrigan nodded. “Okay.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows onto the table. “We’ve been out here too long. It’s been three weeks and nothing. We need to get you into the city, and we need to do what you always do.”

My eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

Corrigan’s mouth flattened, and Bryce sighed. “Cut it out, Sheldon. You wreak havoc. It’s what you do. We need that again. We need to figure out who’s framing you.” He glanced to Corrigan and seemed to hesitate for a moment. “I can’t speak for Corrigan, but I’ve tried calling Officer Patterson. She won’t return my calls, and she’s never done that. I know Denton’s tried, too.”

“You’re in contact with Denton?”

Bryce nodded. “Yeah. He tried to send his lawyers in, but your dad beat him to it.”

I shook my head. “I thought it was his too, but they were my dad’s lawyers.”

“Yeah.” Bryce scratched at his head. “I think he said something about that. He wasn’t given a choice, just told to back off or something.”

Corrigan’s arms dropped and landed on the table with a thud. His eyebrows furrowed together. “Can we skip these pleasantries? Sheldon, Bryce is buttering up to your dad, and I’m kissing your new stepmom’s arse.”

I winced. “Please don’t say that word.”

He waved that off. “Whatever. We’re doing what we have to do.”

I pursed my lips together.

He rolled his eyes at that. “You can be annoyed all you want, but we didn’t tell you because you couldn’t act any different. If we’d told you, you would’ve been a lot nicer.”

He had a point. Bryce finished for him, “And if you’re nice, they would’ve been suspicious.”

“I’m not that bad.”

Nothing. Total silence. They both gave me pointed looks.

“Fine,” I relinquished. “I’m nice to you guys.”

They shared another look, but this time both wore small grins. Bryce turned, including me in on that look. “And we love you for it.”

“So, what’s the plan? Kiss their ass and hope they’ll let you take me to the city?”

“No. Kiss their ass in the hopes they’ll trust us.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

Corrigan answered, “Hope they trust us . . . enough so they might leave . . .”

“Your plan sucks.” Bryce held up a hand. “Just wait. There’s more.” I waited. He tilted his head to the side, searching for more. Then his head jerked back, and he slapped a hand to the table. “Like for a date night. We all saw how they were tonight. Maybe they’d go to a hotel for a weekend alone. You know. To get away from all of this?” He turned to both of us. “It’s worth a shot? Right?”

I snorted, shaking my head. “That plan sucks. My dad’s been on lockdown for years. He’s not going to be talked into leaving for an orgy. No. We need to make them leave.” I frowned, thinking over the possibilities. “I don’t think he’d leave if the lawyers made him go. He’d demand for them to come here. No, the only people he’d leave for would be the police.” I shuddered. “And let’s not re-enact that scenario. The less I step foot into a police station, the better off I am.” No, no, no. Wait. I snapped my fingers. “Explosives.”

“Uh,” Corrigan started, jerking forward in his seat.

Bryce’s eyes narrowed to slits, but both were quiet.

They were thinking it over. Finally, after another moment of silence, Bryce glanced to Corrigan and their gazes locked for a few seconds. Then he started, “Sheldon, I don’t think letting you near explosives is a good idea.”

“Yeah.” Corrigan laughed abruptly. “Imagine if the police caught you. Talk about making yourself look even guiltier.”

I scowled. “Not me. You two would have to do it or one of you would have to sneak out to do it.”

“Wait.” Bryce held up a hand.

Corrigan looked ready to argue, but he silenced and leaned back in his chair again.

Bryce added, “What are you talking about, exactly?”

“My dad won’t leave, not unless the police order him. The only other way he’d leave is if he’s forced, like if we’re under attack.”

“Meaning?”

“’Meaning.’” I held my hands out. It wasn’t that hard to figure out. Was it? “Get some big ass fireworks and set them off next to the house. It’ll be awesome. They’ll think we’re under attack, and off we go, being carted right back to the city.” I loved the plan. It would work. I knew it. I was getting buzzed just thinking about it. Gazing at the other two, still silent, and showing no reactions, I asked, “What do you think?” They looked at each other for the fourth time. “Come on, you guys. It’s a good plan.” I was pleading here. Almost. “No one gets hurt. There’s nothing illegal about it. Just . . . make sure to get the biggest fireworks that gokaboom. That’s it.” I waited another second, then added, “It’ll work.”

It’d be awesome. I knew it.

The corner of Bryce’s mouth curved up into a half-grin. He said to Corrigan, “You or me?”

Corrigan’s eyes got big. “Me. Definitely me.”

“What are you guys talking about?” I looked between them.

“Who’s getting the fireworks?”

Corrigan placed his elbows onto the table and nodded, one firm movement. “Me. I’ll get ’em. I’ll make it be awesome.”

I wanted to purr like a cat being petted. I was loving this. “Good. Then we get back into the city and figure out who killed Grace.” I had my own explosive plan for when we figured out who that was. “This is going to be amazing.”

Corrigan was excited. I could tell, but Bryce still seemed hesitant. He shot Corrigan a warning look. “Just don’t get something that’ll actually leave a crater-sized hole in the ground.”

Corrigan nodded. “Got it. No crater-forming fireworks. I can do that.”

Bryce said further, “And don’t set fire to anything.”

“No fire-starting fireworks. Got that, too.”

“I suppose we can’t test it out?” Corrigan and I shared a look. What was he talking about?

I snorted. “Right. He can go to a gun range and set one off . . .” I trailed off. “You could do that.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Corrigan was all business now. I saw the anticipation and excitement building. He grinned. “It’s been a long time since we caused havoc. It feels good.”

“Good?” I shook my head. “It feels right.” We were both grinning at each other.

Bryce groaned. He said, “Why do I have a feeling this isn’t going to go how it’s planned?”

I frowned at him. “Hush it, Superstar. Let us deviants do what we do best.”

Corrigan added, his grin now stretched from ear to ear, “Causing chaos and kicking a little ass.” He gestured to me and back to him. “That’s what we do best.”

I nodded. This would work. I knew it.

*

The plan started without a hitch.

Corrigan feigned he needed to go to town the next day at lunch. He said a professor was arguing his online courses so he needed to go in to deal with it.

Neil hadn’t been happy. He said, “Do you realize the trouble it took to get you here? There are people who are going to be following you. They know you’re close to my daughter, and a lot of people want to kill her.”

I grimaced. “Don’t sugarcoat it or anything.”

Neil turned on me with a scowl.

That was how I must’ve looked whenever I glared. He looked scary and ominous. I made a mental note to try not to scowl so much. I’d have to figure out something else, maybe a half-glare?

He snapped at me, “Why? Isn’t that how you are with everyone else? And no, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. People want to kill you, Sheldon. They hate you. When are you going to start figuring this out?”

I shrugged. “People have hated me since high school. It’s because of my sweet disposition. I’m so damn cheery.”

“You’re joking?” His scowl kicked up another notch. He was becoming even more intimidating. He asked again, “You’re joking?”

“What else can I do? Welcome to my life, Daddy Dearest. I’ve been stalked long before this. I killed a guy. He tried to kill Corrigan. I’ve been shoved into a glass table. This. Is. My. Life. I should’ve been expecting this, to be honest.”

He started laughing, shaking his head. “My daughter.” He shoved a hand at me, pointing. “So beloved. Yeah, right. You’ve had thisfuck-youattitude since you were born.”

I felt a burning at the corners of my eyes. I flinched, refusing to let anything he said get to me.

He continued, “Your mother and I tried to be there for you. We did. In the beginning. Then you started sneaking out, skipping school, doing only God knows what. Drinking. Did you ever do drugs? I’d be surprised if you hadn’t. You were having sex—I don’t even want to know when.” He turned to Bryce. “I know it was you. You were the main guy with her, and I don’t want to think about all the others that must’ve been between her legs—”

Bryce punched him. It happened so fast.

Neil was spilling those hateful words, each one of them was a blow to me, and I was struggling to keep my composure and thenBAM!—he was down. Bryce stood above him. His hand still in a fist, and he was shaking, staring down. A vein bulged out from the side of his neck.

My dad looked bewildered. He cradled a hand to the side of his face and looked up. “Bryce?” It was like his best friend had stabbed him in the back.

I started laughing. This whole thing was hilarious.

Everyone looked at me. Beth had paled when my dad started talking, and she yelped when Bryce hit him, but now she moaned and moved farther into the background. That’s when I knew she was made of weak sauce. She wasn’t going to hack it, whatever was going to happen with all of this.

“You’re laughing?” My dad pushed himself back up until he was standing.

Bryce moved back, now just a few inches in front of me. A set expression filtered over his face. Cold. Stony face. He was showing his alliance to me. Corrigan had a similar expression, and he moved to the other side of me. All three of us were in line now. As I registered their show of loyalty, their strength surged through me, mixing with mine, and I was comforted again with just having them there. That’s what I needed to be able to take the fight back to whoever was trying to destroy my life.

“Sheldon?”

I shook my head, sending a scathing glance at Beth. She swallowed nervously before looking away. Then I said, quietly, “Do you have any idea what’s going to happen?” I was talking to both of them, Beth and Neil.

My dad frowned. He was still cradling the side of his face and cast a wary glance to Bryce. “Yes, Sheldon. I am very aware of what’s going to happen. You might go to prison. That’s what. And you’re laughing.”

I shook my head. “No, Dad.”

He quieted instantly.

I couldn’t remember the last time I called him that term. My nostrils flared. It’d be the last time, too. I wanted his attention, and I got it. “No, Neil. This isn’t going to end with me going to prison. You’re a fool if you think that. No. This is going to end bloody. I’ll never get to that part because whoever framed me wants to torture me. Hell, they already have been. My car’s brakes were cut. They still don’t know who did that, then Grace’s death. It’s all connected. I’ve already endured one stalker. He killed two of my friends, but this is worse. This person, whoever it is, wants to hurt me. They’re taunting me, making me go on the defensive. No.” I clipped my head to the side. “This person wants me to die, slowly and painfully.”

“How do you know this?”

A hollow sensation filled my chest. It was burying deeper and deeper, making a void as it went. I jerked a shoulder up. “Because it’s what I would’ve done. If I wanted to mess with someone and really mess with their mind, I’d frame them, too.” It was genius, in a way.

Neil scoffed, “Don’t tell me you’re impressed with them?”

“No, no.” But I was, in a sick way. “It just confirms I have to find out who’s doing this to me.” I glanced at Corrigan. He still needed permission to leave. “Do whatever you need to do to make sure Corrigan can get leave and come back safely. Please.”

Neil sighed. He sounded defeated. “Sheldon, I don’t—”

“Let him, Neil.” I was putting my foot down. “This is my life, my future. He’s my best friend. Let him go and do what he needs. It’s the least you can do.”

His jaw clenched. I knew he didn’t want to, but then he looked away, and I also knew we had won. This was a small battle, one of so many to come, but a relieved sensation covered that void in my chest. It wouldn’t last, but it was small and fleeting.

I grinned at Corrigan, who nodded at me.

Our plan was a go.

Corrigan left that afternoon.