“Thank you.” Trevor stood up to take the folder.
Connor’s energy was flagging by the time they talked through the details—the rest of which Connor had heard already from Laurence’s blogger. Trevor noticed.
“Thank you for meeting with us.” Trevor shook Tracy’s hand.
Connor’s goodbye was waving off more of Peter’s apologies. In the car, he leaned back in the seat and picked at the loose seam by his thigh. He watched the house until they were pulled out of the driveway, and trees hid it. He was silent for a few minutes before he inclined his head toward Trevor.
“Peter’s an outgoing guy, usually. Loud and proud. He’s always got something to talk about.” He paused. “I didn’t think about him as a victim. I mean, when I came home, I was bruised, too. I figured we were in a two-way fight. But he was spooked. You see how nervous he was? He should have been picking a fight with me like he normally does, not—” Connor let out a frustrated breath, unsure what he was trying to say.
“It’s upsetting to see him hurt,” Trevor said with understanding.
Connor stared out the window and didn’t blink until his eyes burned. “Yeah,” he admitted softly. Trevor knew what he was getting at, even when he didn’t. “He shouldn’t be. Why would those two men beat him up? What did assaulting Peter get them?”
“They assaulted you, too,” Trevor said quietly.
“I’m fine.” He met Trevor’s gaze. “I don’t even remember it. And I’m confused, not scared like Peter is.”
“I know you wouldn’t admit it even if you were scared.”
Trevor was probably right. “Did you contact the guardaí? Laurence told you who those guards were from the picture?”
“I did. The head detective wants to speak with us. They’ll be at the house first thing tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“In the meantime, it’s safer for you to stay away from your dad’s lab.” Trevor gave Connor an apprehensive look as if he might object.
Connor bristled. “Do I look stupid? Why would I go where the men who assaulted Peter—and me, as you pointed out—are?”
“I’m just making sure you’re not going to go off and confront them yourself.”
“I’m not.”
“Okay, good. And I also think it’s important not to contact Ben either.” Trevor’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he stared straight ahead at the road. The cat’s-eyes winked at them from the centre and sides, but beyond the illumination of the headlights, there was little to see. “I don’t want to assume anything or make any insinuations, but—”
“He’s obviously involved.” Connor interrupted before Trevor tried to dance around the obvious. “I don’t have a clue why or in what way, but there’s something there.”
“The detectives will be here in the morning. We’ll coordinate with Tracy, and we’ll figure this whole thing out. I don’t want you to worry,” Trevor said.
It was impossible not to believe him when he spoke like that.
“Yeah,” Connor said. “I know.”
Chapter Thirty
Connor snuck out his window again. He claimed tiredness after dinner and went to bed early. It wasn’t a lie—his mind was a mess. There was a puzzle of a conspiracy laid out before him. He had the pieces; he just didn’t know how they fit together yet. The bribes. Getting drugged. The guards. Austin. Why? Why any of it? What was the point of it all? He took the time to change into a warm hoodie before sneaking out. He didn’t glimpse anyone as he walked backwards down the path in the twilight, and soon he passed the bend and was no longer visible from the house.
“Adonis?” Connor called out.
A loud cry answered him. Adonis surged toward him, passing through the shallows without hesitation. Connor’s eyes widened as Adonis broke into ankle-deep water and, using his elbows, dragged himself onto the sand.
“Adonis!” Connor’s voice was still a hoarse croak, and it broke in the middle as he raised it in alarm. He sprinted forward. “Don’t beach yourself. I’m coming to you!”
Adonis’s hand snaked out, grabbing Connor by the ankle. He pulled with enough force that Connor ended up on his back. He grunted at the impact and yelped as Adonis dragged him with a hard yank.
His damp body flattened over Connor, and he grunted as Adonis’s weight dropped onto him. He pushed his face roughly against Connor’s, keening loudly.
“I know,” Connor said. He accepted his sandy bed and reached up to sink both hands into Adonis’s hair, knowing how much he liked that. He dragged his fingers along his scalp, along the bite mark, and Adonis shuddered.
