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First, I’ll try to figure things out with Aiden’s brother and go from there.
***
I emerge from the master bedroom and see him sitting on a stool at the island separating the kitchen from the living area. He’s doing something on his phone while jiggling his knee like he’s pissed off. The spider sits there under the glass bowl and startles or something when I move into view, so I startle, too.
I blow out a breath. God, it’s huge.
Austin is now looking at me and I can see he’s nearly scowling.
“The credit card thief has been arrested. Aid says you can stay here one more night if you need to. I won’t be here. Tomorrow, we’ll see what’s what. I’ve got shit to do so try not to burn the place down.”
He stands.
“Wait. You’re leaving?”
His eyes skim me with what looks like annoyance.
Here goes nothing…
“So, I wanted to take one more stab at talking to you about me working for you.”
Austin’s phone rings. He gives me the hand and answers as he heads for the master bedroom.
I blow a stray lock of hair out of my eyes.
Okay, I’ll have to try that again…
There’s a knock on the door, so I look out the peep hole and see Kevin, the security guard from last night. He’s dressed in regular street clothes. He’s standing there with Sedgewick. Oh. What?
I open the door and Sedgewick smiles, looking me over like I’m dessert. He’s a good-looking guy with kind of a punk/Viking thing going. Giant ear spacers, a long goatee in a beard with some of those Viking rune jewels, and tattoos on his neck and his hands.
“Hey, Jada,” Kevin greets, “You know Sedge? He’s here for Gramma. You still have her?”
I blink. “Gramma?”
“My tarantula. Phil, our drummer, brought her to the party last night and lost her.”
I open the door wider and Sedge obviously sees the bowl with the spider under it because he breathes out relief, calling out, “There.” He rushes for the island.
“Gramma?” I inquire.
He lifts the glass bowl off the counter and I shudder as he lifts the spider and puts it on his shoulder.
Austin comes out of the bathroom, looking tweaked.
“Yeah, Gramma.”
“Gramma,” I repeat, shaking my head.
“She’s a Grammostola pulchra,” Sedge explains, like it’s obvious.
“The fuck are these people?” Austin snaps.
“That’s Sedgewick and that’s Kevin. They’re here for the spider.”
“Hey man,” Sedgewick says calmly and extends his hand. “I’m the singer for Arachnid Asylum. Gramma’s my five-year-old Black Brazilian spider.”
Sedge points at his band t-shirt and there’s a spider as part of the logo.
Austin just stares at him.
He pulls his hand back. “Oh-kay then. Not a fan, I guess.”
“You left a deadly spider somewhere unattended? What the fuck?”
“She’s not deadly. She’s a black Brazilian spider, not a Wandering Brazilian. Someone broke up the party and Phil was out havin’ a smoke and couldn’t get back in. Tracey, that hooked up with Bonez was holdin’ Gramma for him. And then the party was over. Phil texted Bonez’s sister after Trace got him the cell. You didn’t answer. Gramma’s stressed. We gotta go so I can get her fed.”
“I got a weird text, but I thought it was the wrong number.”
“You’re Bonez’s only sister, though, right? You got another sister?”
“Bonez?”
“Yeah. Your brother. You know… dirty blond guy. Skinny. Sells. Spaced out, usually wasted. We put all your stuff in the warehouse last week?” He’s joking, acting like he needs to remind me of things I already know.
“It’s just that I’ve never heard anyone call my brother Bonez in my life. Sells? Sells what?”
“I’ve known him four years,” Sedge says. “What’s his real name then? Never heard him called anything but Bonez.”
“Shane,” I say.
Sells what?
“Hmm. Who knew?” He shrugs. “You got another sister?”
“No. What does Shane sell?” I ask.
“Didn’t think it was you when they said Bonez’s sister was losing her shit tryin’ to kick everyone out.”
“How’d you people even get in here? What’s with the lack of security in this place?” Austin butts in.
“Kevin’s the night watchman,” I say, and Kevin gives me a look of mortification.
Austin glares at him. “Good luck keeping your job, bud. I thought that was a costume.”
Kevin goes sheet-white and blows out a breath.
“Sorry, Kev, but you are one shitty night watchman if you’re up here smoking bongs instead of doin’ your job,” Sedge puts in, petting the spider on his shoulder.
“It was a good run,” he shrugs, “Lasted two months.”
“Wow, okay, well you’ve got your tarantula; fuck off now,” Austin says as he gestures toward the door.
I glare at him. “Wow. That’s rude. I’m trying to talk to them about my missing brother.”
“Bonez is missing?” Sedge asks.
“I’m rude?” Austin cocks an eyebrow at me.
“Yeah. You are rude.”
I’m just full of sass right now, surprising myself even, but I can’t make myself stop.
He scoffs and opens the door. “You wanna go with them?”
