Page 18 of A Wild Darkness

Only a few minutes later, Lux is sitting next to River on the leather in my office and briefed on what’s going on.

“So, what do you think?” I ask her.

“If you think my sense of justice is intense, my sister’s a force to be reckoned with.” She smiles, but there’s weariness behind it. “She’ll probably be open to it, but I think you should speak with her yourself, Sebastian.”

I blow out a puff of air and slump back into the chair behind my desk. “Yeah, I need to have this conversation with her.”

“You can probably catch her at the mortuary in a few hours,” Lux tells me. “She’s usually alone.”

My eyebrows snap together. “Is it safe for her to be there by herself this late at night?”

“Probably not, but Stevie does what Stevie wants. And she prefers to work late at night or in the early morning hours,” Lux explains. “Plus, there are cameras and an alarm system.”

River and I exchange a brief glance as Christian stifles a laugh on the other end of the line. “That means nothing.”

She chuckles uncomfortably, placing a hand on River’s arm. “To you guys, but most people can’t pick locks or hack into security systems.”

“She’s not wrong,” River says.

River smiles lovingly at Lux for not trying to make the decision for her sister, which makes my upper lip arch with irritation.

Lux straightens and walks to the side of my desk. “I would speak to her about it, but then she’d only do it because she thinks she’s helping me. And now that I’ve been inside this world with you guys, it has to be a choice she makes completely on her own.”

“I won’t lie and say it won’t be dangerous, but hopefully she doesn’t have to be too involved, and I’ll do the heavy lifting,” I say.

“Stevie’s not that easy to control, Sebastian, so good luck.” Lux smiles, pitying me.

After a quick recap of the plan with Christian, we end the call, and then River and Lux leave my office.

Now, in the dead of night, I sit here in silence, staring into the black, lush forest that surrounds Thompson Manor with a million thoughts about Stevie and the entire project running through my mind.

When Lux was staying at the manor, Stevie was here often, but as soon as our last project finished, Stevie moved back to her apartment downtown. It’s been only a couple of days since I’ve seen her. But her attitude and large, intoxicating brown eyes have haunted my dreams since then.

I replay the conversation with the man from the society as well as the encouragement from River and Lux before ultimately grabbing my backpack to head to the mortuary. After packing everything I need, including my laptop, I’m on my way.

I can’t simply knock on the business door at this hour, so I’m going to have to jam the security system to get in.

CHAPTER FIVE

STEVIE

Alight coolness floats across my face. The preparation room is chillier than usual as the clouds hang low all afternoon. I push a single corkscrew curl away from my eye with the top of my shoulder and refocus on Mr. Branson’s body lying peacefully on my table.

With Lana Del Rey’s “Gods & Monsters” playing in my earbuds, I trace my fingers along the vertical wound that runs down his sternum. Nestled between his breastbones, the tissue is still raw from the recent open-heart surgery he had done while admitted to the emergency room less than a week ago. Unfortunately, the team of doctors was unable to save him.

I purse my lips together, staring down at his lifeless body with somber feelings settling in my heart. Running the back of my gloved knuckles across his cheek, I whisper, “I’m going to take good care of you, Mr. Branson. I promise.”

Although I want to focus on giving him his final moments of serenity, I can’t help but stare at the strange marking on the inside of his thigh. There’s an X carved into his skin. Normally, I’d brush it off, but Mr. Branson is the third client I’ve seen with this X in just the last week.

“What is this?” I say under my breath, examining the slices in his flesh.

A warm pressure appears on my left shoulder. Startled, I jump since I should be the only living soul in this mortuary at two in the morning. My reflexes from the self-defense training my dad forced me to take for as long as I can remember engage, and I swing my right arm, slamming my elbow back. As my body whips around, both earbuds fly from my ears, cutting off the music.

“Stevie!” I hear a masculine voice say as a muscular arm blocks my punch. “It’s me, Sebastian.”

“Sebastian!” I yell out of breath. “You scared the shit out of me!”

He’s standing so close to me, I’m sure he can feel the heavy beats of my heart from inside my chest. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”