The three of us carried our trays the corner spot, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that Ryan’s chair had been filled. His friends surrounded him with wide grins on their faces. They all talked and laughed, making the dead silence upon our approach that much more noticeable.
“Look who’s back in town, Babe!” Chad said, standing to greet Beth.
Beth's tray slapped against the table when she dropped it to throw her arms around Ryan.
“Hi, Bethy,” Ryan said, giving her a squeeze.
“Yay!” Her pageant-smile stretched to its limit, showing every one of her teeth.
To the others, lunch with Ryan was a celebration, but as the questions about his last days at war, how he got hurt, and why he’d waited so long to tell them came, I grew nervous. So did Ryan.
He stood. “Well! I have to go home…get the old uniform on.”
“I bet you look great in it,” Lisa smiled. “I love men in uniform.”
Kim rolled her eyes. “I’m out, too. Let’s go, Nina.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, looking up at her.
“Yeah. Where’re you going?” Ryan said.
Kim tugged on my arm until I stood. “To class, Detective,” Kim said. “That okay?”
Ryan glanced at me, and then shrugged. “Just asking.”
Kim gestured for me to follow, and we walked to the parking lot. She glanced up once, but didn’t stop to explain why. Her long legs and quick strides had me struggling to keep up, and I was panting by the time we reached the Sentra.
The light sprinkles still falling from the gray clouds gently disturbed a large puddle near Kim's car. She barreled through it, splashing my jeans with dirty water.
“What’s your hurry?” I asked, annoyed.
“I'm taking you to Quincy. We could talk to my father to see what he knows, and if he knows what I think he does—nothing—we present my idea to Jared.”
“But, I have class!” I protested.
“Jared doesn’t show it around you, Nigh, but he’s desperate. He knows something is coming. They’re planning something, and we’ve got nothing. We have no idea how to protect you when we don’t know what we’re protecting you from.”
“Demons,” Ryan said. “Isn’t that all we need to know?”
“No,” Kim said. “And you’re not invited.”
“Well, that’s too bad. Because I’m coming,” he said. He opened the car door behind the passenger side, and slammed it behind him.
Kim looked to me.
“Jared will follow us,” I warned.
“So?” Kim said. “He’ll want to know what my dad has to say…if he says anything.”
I looked around; the Escalade was notably absent. “I haven’t heard from any of them all day.”
“Does being in the dark make you feel better? You should know by now why they keep things from you.”
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” I said, afraid of the answer.
“Just get in the car,” Kim said, settling in behind the wheel.
The drive to Quincy was silent, but when we slowed to a stop in front of a large gate, Ryan and I shared a collective gasp.
“This is your house?” Ryan asked. Staring in awe at the looming mansion ahead.
“Yep,” Kim said, keying in a code.
The gate opened slowly, and then Kim accelerated slowly. The gravel drive crunched beneath the Sentra's tires.
“No way,” Ryan said, his mouth hung open.
“Yes, way,” Kim said, turning off the engine.
Ryan and I leaned against our windows, amazed at the colossal building in front of us. It wasn’t a home, it was a fortress.
“If you’re so rich, why do you drive this piece of shi—,” Ryan began.
“The Sentra serves her purpose,” Kim interrupted.
I stepped onto the gravel drive. It snaked all the way to the large, detached garage. Her house was bigger than mine, and far more equipped with security. Cameras were mounted on every corner, and the black iron fence blocking general traffic from entering the drive spanned the entire estate.
Two large dogs ran with great leaps, barking wildly until they reached us.
“Hey boys!” Kim said, giving them both loving, vigorous scratches. When the reunion was over, she turned to us. “This is Zeus, and the little one is Hera.”
“Neither of them are little,” Ryan said.
The dogs led us to the front entrance, wagging their tails with such fervor, their entire back half wiggled with the movement.
Kim opened the door, revealing a vast foyer. A small, round table stood in the center of the room, boasting an incredible vase that held beautiful, long-stemmed flowers.
“Charlie!” Kim bellowed into the air, causing the dogs to bark. “Charlie!” she said again. Her voice echoed across the marble tile.
Two men entered the foyer, both no less than six feet, six inches tall. They were nearly equal in their massive size, and so intimidating that I realized I was unconsciously cowering behind Ryan.
The largest of the two had a full, brown beard. When his eyes focused on Kim, he held out his arms, and a wide smile broke across his face. “Boo Boo!” he said, his booming voice reverberating throughout the house.