INK: Vanishing Point (Book 2) Read online

  The thought rolls around in my head, but honestly, it’s just a little too comfortable here. There’s no way I can get past Aiden’s death if I’m constantly breathing him in and surrounded by all of his memories. I’m going to have to suck it up and go to my dad’s until my house is livable again. That reminds me, I need to call the insurance company and get that in motion.

  Look at me. I’m a real grown-up thinking about insurance companies and going to work. I suck in a deep breath, only to be reminded of how sore my ribs are.

  After I shower and put on a fresh set of Aiden’s clothes, I’m ready to go. As though I’m leaving here for the last time, I take a look around the room. There are several pictures of Eli, Aiden and me in various states of growing up. There’s a picture of just Aiden and me. A pain drags through me, but it’s good. I’m feeling, and this is real. My eyes fill with tears.

  “I love you, Aiden.” I run my fingers along a photo of us kissing while out on the boat.

  The door opens, and Eli runs to me and picks me up. “Shay!”

  “Hey, whoa. Put me down.” I push him away because of the soreness. Carl and McNab are close behind.

  “Oh, sorry.” Eli puts me down. “Thank God you are okay.” He holds me at arm’s length, inspecting me.

  “I’m fine.” I back out of his hold.

  “You okay, kid?” McNab asks with a head nod.

  “Yeah, I’m okay.” I return his silly nod and try hard to smile.

  Carl stands stoically behind McNab with an unreadable expression.

  “How did you get here?” Eli rapid-fires questions at me. “Why didn’t you call? What the hell happened? Where were you?”

  “Hold on. You need to slow down.” I put my hands up in surrender.

  “Give her a minute there, flyboy.” McNab maneuvers around Eli to stand in front of me. “So, ah, you wanna talk about it?” he asks.

  “No, I don’t,” I say simply, wishing I had a purse to sling over my shoulder. I’m not ready to go into everything.

  “I’d like to know where you’re going.” McNab gives me this stern fatherly voice laced with warning.

  “McNab, this doesn’t suit you,” I say and move around him.

  “Shay, where are you going?” Eli grabs my elbow and I see Carl shake his head subtly.

  “Eli, let me go. I have some things to take care of, like my life.” I pull free from him.

  “We were really worried about you. We still aren’t sure what happened. I didn’t know where you were, and I was afraid…” Eli is a mess, but I just can’t care about that right now. It could be a manipulation or it could be sincere. Either way, it’s irrelevant to my plans.

  “It’s sincere,” Carl says quietly.

  “Thanks, but I can handle this on my own.” I give Carl a look of warning. Get the hell out of my head.

  “I’m just trying to help.” He looks down at his shoes.

  “That’s all any of us are trying to do is help.” McNab takes a step toward me. It looks like he desperately wants to grab on to me to keep me from leaving.

  “Shay, why don’t you just come home with me for a while. Get some rest, and we can talk about what happened,” Eli pleads.

  “I’ve gotten all the rest I need.” I resist the urge to wrap my arm around the pain in my belly. “I have things to do.”

  “Where are you so hell-bent on going, kid?” McNab lays on the charm that so does not work on me. “Can’t it wait just one day?”

  “No, it can’t. I’ve been waiting my whole life based on someone else. Today is mine.” I turn on my heel and walk out the door with the three stooges following behind. Okay, Carl isn’t hot on my heels, but he’s close behind McNab and Eli.

  “Shay, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone, and we have some things we really need to discuss.” McNab is trying to convey some other message to me, but the only message I’m sending is a simple one.

  “No.”

  “Angela, thank you so much for the wonderful breakfast, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.” I kiss her cheek on the way out the door. “I’d love to have you read my tea leaves when I bring the car back.”

  “We miss you; please come back. But you should keep the car; that’s what Mr. Oliver wanted.” She clasps my hands in hers.

  “I didn’t say I was bringing it right back.” I wink and head for the door.

  Rodney is outside standing by the car. “Hey, Shay.” He smiles. “Here it is. All you need to do is contact Jason Eddins and he’ll get all of the paperwork transferred over.”

  “Whoa, I forgot how pretty it was.” My eyes widen, and I feel a stream of power run through me even though I haven’t even started the engine.

  “Mr. Roth always listened.” Rodney opens the door to the shiny black nineteen sixty-eight Camaro Z/28. I think I just achieved an orgasm looking at it. I let out a breathy moan.

  “Yes he did, didn’t he?” I slide into the driver’s seat of my dream car. There on the dash are some big black sunglasses. I put them on.

  “So you wouldn’t rather have the Saab?” He smiles as I crank the engine.

  “Please.” The sarcasm drips off my tongue. “Thanks, Rodney.”

  “Shay, I really have to insist that we talk about this.” Eli leans down to the window. McNab has already given up and is standing several paces behind Eli. “Shay, you shouldn’t be alone right now. You need me.”

  “Oh fuck no, you didn’t.” I look up at him over my sunglasses. “I don’t need you, I don’t need him.” I point to McNab, who returns an injured look. “I don’t need anyone but little ol’ me. There’s a new sheriff in town babe; get used to it.”

  “What’s gotten into you?” I’m a little affected by the hurt look in his eyes. God those gorgeous blue orbs get me every time. But not this time, I resist.

  “Call you later.” I pop up quick and lick his nose, push the gear shift into first and let the engine do the rest. I watch in the rearview as they all stand stunned in the driveway. I throw my head back in laughter as I pull out onto A1A and drive along the ocean.

  ***

  Eli

  “What the fuck was that?” I can’t believe that just happened. I glare at Rodney, who’s working to contain a laugh. He and Shay were buddies; he used to let her help with Oliver’s project cars.

  Carl is leaning against one of the columns in front of the house disgusted, and McNab is just as shocked as I am.

  “I think that went well,” Carl belts out, adjusting his sunglasses.

  Rodney turns and heads back toward the garage. “I’ve been telling you boys for years, that’s one wildcat you’ll never really tame.”

  “Thanks, Rodney.” Damn that old man.

  “Look, Eli. We knew there would be a chance she was going to be…different.” McNab hesitates. “And, well it could have been worse, don’t you think?”

  “But she’s not safe,” I plead. They can’t be serious that they think this is okay.

  “No she isn’t, but we can’t help her if she doesn’t let us near her.” McNab walks toward my car with Carl in tow. “We have to be careful how we approach her. She’s going to need to talk about this soon. We need to give her time.”

  “Bullshit. What she did in there, what she’s doing now, that isn’t her.” I slam my fist on the roof of my car.

  “Eli, this is the girl you never got to know,” Rodney calls out. “Maybe it’s time one of you boys smartened up and got to know her.” He continues to mumble something, but I can’t hear him the further away he gets.

  “Interesting,” Carl remarks, getting into the car.

  “What’s interesting?”

  “That you’ve known her the longest and you’re the only one surprised at how she’s behaving.” Carl raises his eyebrows.

  “Thanks for the nugget of wisdom Carl, but I’m worried about her.” I get in the car and start the engine, contemplating whether I should try to catch up to her.

  “Not a good idea, man, She’s
got a lot of power beneath her. Let’s not give her a reason to rabbit,” Carl warns.

  “Carl’s right, Eli. Let’s head back to your place and figure out what our next steps are.” McNab states the obvious since we have no other choices.

  Chapter 34

  Bitchin’ Camaro

  Shay

  Holy shit leaving them in the dust felt amazing, and the car’s 427- V8 engine rumbles beneath me. This car is so powerful, just like me. I am on a power high right now. Having control of my life again feels good. I wonder if I can beat Eli to his house and get my shit before he gets there. Ha! Of course I can. I floor it on the green light and go straight to Eli’s.

  Getting in is a snap; it’s not like I don’t have the keycode to the garage door. No key required. When I walk into the house, the first thing I notice is the smell. It smells like the haunted forest, where Aiden was. It shakes me up, but I push through it. I go to the bedroom to get my pack and cell phone, and I’m met with a couple of guys that I’ve never met and a freaky-ass mess of a disaster in here.

  Both guys startle and get up from their seats, moving away from me.

  “Hey.” I smile and wave. I don’t get what has them so spooked.

  “Hey.” The taller of the two waves back.

  “I’m Shay.” This little exchange is taking too long. “I wanted to grab my backpack; have you seen it?”

  “Eli’s office,” the smaller one replies.

  “Thanks.” I turn back toward the door. “Hey, who are you guys?”

  “I’m Pitch and this is Quag.”

  “Ah, so you are McNab’s guys. What the hell happened in here?”

  “You did.”

  “Huh, really?” I look around again before leaving the room for my stuff. “Catch you later.”

  “God I hope not,” one of them says. I can’t help but smile. Ha, I’m so harmless, but they don’t know that.

  In Eli’s office, my backpack is sitting on the credenza with my phone next to it. Even better! Lucky day! I head for the foyer and notice drawings on the coffee table. The imagery is horrific. These look like my art style, and even look like I did them, they aren’t mine. I know my own hand well enough. Each image is more terrible than the last. I want to study them all, specifically the one where I’m holding a sword, but I know I don’t have time. I shove them in my bag and head out the front door.

  Cell phone battery’s dead. Screw it. I’ll just run by Trish’s after the bank. I pull into the Credit Union parking lot. It’s time to check just how abysmal my finances are. Surely I’ll have to get to a computer and see what I’ve got on my credit cards. Cause today this girl’s getting some clothes. I look down at Aiden’s slip-on sandals that I’m wearing. “And some new boots, methinks.”

  The teller calls out. “Can I help you?”

  I approach the window. “Yes. I’d like to check my balance, please, and maybe make a withdrawal.”

  She slides a slip of paper and a pen across the counter. “Please write your account number here, and I’ll need your I.D.”

  “Here you go.” I slide it back with my I.D. I’m full of energy and I’m having trouble standing still, but I don’t want it to be misconstrued for nervousness, even though it probably is. There’s going to be like five dollars in there, I just know it. Hey, it’s better than negative.

  The teller writes something on the slip of paper and hands it to me along with a counter check. “If you’d like to make a withdrawal, please fill this out.”

  When I see the number on the slip of paper, my eyes nearly fall out. “Holy shit.” I can’t contain my surprise. “Um, I think there’s a mistake here.” This can’t possibly be right.

  “I don’t believe so. Would you like a printout of your recent activity?” she asks, using a little bit of a sweeter tone. Apparently the level of customer service increases with the number of digits you have to the left of the decimal point.

  “Yes please,” I answer, nearly out of breath.

  She brings it back from the printer, and I walk away from her window, absently staring at my account activity. “Holy Mary Mother of God, I love you Raphael!”

  With a bounce in my step, I get back in the line after filling out my withdrawal thingy, and go to the window when called. “Do you need my I.D. again?”

  “No, Miss Baynes, that won’t be necessary.”

  ‘Miss Baynes,’ fancy now. “Okay.”

  With my envelope of cash tucked neatly in my backpack, I get back in the car and head to Trish’s, but not before stopping at the 7-Eleven for a cell phone charger that will work in the car.

  I dial up Trish so she can be ready to go. She doesn’t answer right away, and I have to try to think what day it is. She could be at work, but then she answers. “Shay? Is this Shay?”

  “That’s right, I’m back and I’m going shopping. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Be ready.” I hang up because I’m not going to get into all the ‘where I’ve been' bullshit with her right now.

  She’s standing outside her apartment when I pull up. She doesn’t realize it’s me, but why should she? New car. But damn it, it has crank windows and they are tinted as black as the legal limit so she can’t see me. I give the horn a quick burst, and she jumps and looks in the car. She sees me through the windshield and opens the passenger door. “Shay? Oh my God” She throws her arms around me and there are genuine tears in her eyes. “Where the hell have you been and what the fuck is with this car?”

  “Don’t go soft on me, Trish. I’m fine,” I say, pulling away from her.

  “Holy shit you look awful. Who did this to you?” She’s bewildered.

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m on the mend. I’m back and I’m going shopping. Close your door; we’re going to Orlando.” I rev the engine.

  “Jesus Christ, Shay.” She closes the door and I take off. “Okay, seriously I need some answers. I went to Eli’s and there were these guys, and there was this stuff and these drawings…” She’s trying to organize her thoughts, but she can’t manage it. Trish braces herself on the dashboard when I slam on the brakes. “Put your seatbelt on and shut the fuck up, or get out.”

  She looks at me like I slapped her, and I guess, in Trish’s view, I just did. “Shay?” She slowly slides her seatbelt across her chest.

  With my hands holding the steering wheel so tight it might break, I grit my teeth. “Trish, I don’t want to talk about it. If you are okay with just hanging out with me for a while so I can blow off some steam, then cool. If not you, should get out now.”

  “Okay.” She puts her hands up in surrender. “When you’re ready. It’s just we’ve all been so worried about you.”

  “I’m fine, let’s leave it at that.” I start rolling forward again and get on the road.

  Trish is silent for a solid five minutes before she speaks. I must have scared the shit out of her. “So, um, does Eli know you’re back?”

  “Yeah, he knows.”

  “Okay. Good. He really was worried.”

  “I know he was,” I answer, focusing on the road.

  After another five or ten minutes of silence, she asks, “So, what’s with the car?”

  A smile rises to my lips like the cat that ate the canary. “My graduation present from Oliver.”

  “No shit, you finally took it?” She huffs out a laugh. “I thought you would never take it. I’m glad you finally did. It’s nice, and it suits you.”

  “It even came with these cool-ass sunglasses.” I pull them down my nose and strike a pose to show them off.

  She laughs again. “So you’re going to keep it?”

  Trish knows me all too well. “Maybe, I haven’t decided yet, but I will say that we’ve bonded with each mile I’ve driven and we’ve become pretty close.” I lick my lips.

  Trish is loosening up, the tension seeping away from her shoulders, and she sits back into the leather seat.

  “So, what are we shopping for?” she asks with a sparkle in her eye.

  “I need some clothe
s; I’m thinking this raiding-the-locker-room look is getting old.” I roll my eyes as I pluck at Aiden’s t-shirt.

  “Yeah, that shit’s only cute after a good night of whoring. When you fuck up your clothes enough that you can’t wear them.” She laughs.

  “Or they are too slutty for a Sunday morning,” I add.

  “Oh, girl, you know it.” She pauses for a minute. “Well, that’s when you just head straight home.”

  “So, I’m assuming Sanguine Specter has been doing well while I was gone?” Trish will know most of the ins and outs of what’s going on at Blood-borne.

  “Um, yeah, we’ve all gotten bonuses, and Raphael doesn’t even give a shit that you’ve been a no show for a month.” Her eyes widen.

  “Really? He didn’t miss me?” I put on a mock pout.

  “Well, he’s waiting for issue six, and there’s talk of a merger with Monster comics picking us up as an imprint.” She nods.

  “Huh, I always dreamed of being published through Monster. I think we should definitely look at the payout structure,” I counter.

  “Wow, when the fuck did you become fiscally conscious?” She asks amazed, knowing that all I ever wanted was to be published and make enough to get by.

  “When I saw the direct deposit from Blood-borne in my bank account,” I answer emphatically.

  “Oh, yeah. That would do it.” She picks at her nails a second. “Have you decided what you are going to do?”

  “Yup, I’m going to buy some clothes.” My answer should be enough to let her know that I’m not talking about anything serious right now. “And some badass boots, maybe even two pairs.”

  We pull into my favorite thrift store on highway five twenty, and Trish lets out a groan. “Bitch, please tell me we are not going to the fucking thrift shop.”

  “Then I won’t tell you.”

  “Seriously, I know how much you got off of issue one. You cannot be serious. Buy yourself something new for fuck sake,” she pleads.

  “Not used, vintage,” I argue, and I bring the car to a stop in the parking spot.

  “At least you’ll fit in with your current outfit.” She folds her arms across her chest in protest. “Listen, just think about it. You’ve always wanted to go to Menagerie. Not my taste, but it’s on the darker side of things. Like you like.” She’s negotiating.