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“Dima will.”
“What? Why me?”
“Because you’re working for me now, unless you prefer getting deported.”
Dima got to his feet, rubbing his neck. He sent daggers at Chris and Jay before saying, “Fine, I’ll get rid of him. But what about shooting them?”
“No more shooting anyone.” Oscar put his palm over his heart. “I pride myself on being a pacifist—well, when circumstances allow.” He rose to his feet and placed the empty glass on the table. “Come along, you three. Time to let your friend out of his cage. Dima, start cleaning up this mess.” He sighed and looked down at Tobias’s body, the man who had been his partner for years. “That poor carpet.”
*
It took them a long time to get back to the small pier. Anthony mostly walked on his own but got dizzy every few minutes and had to lean on one of them for support. They were all worse for wear, each with his own pain and bruises to deal with.
They hadn’t said a word since they left the house. Chris just wanted to be back home, where the biggest drama was the twins fighting. He sucked in fresh air, but the thick smell of gunpowder stubbornly clung to his nostrils.
So late at night, there were no ferries to take them back, but Oscar had said there should be people with boats they could pay for a ride. Finding someone like that wasn’t easy, and when they finally did, the man watched them suspiciously before allowing them on board for aridiculoussum of money. When they made it back to Sayville, the small pier was completely deserted. Hours had passed since they had boarded the ferry to Fire Island, but it may as well have been days.
“I’m feeling better,” Anthony said when they reached his truck.
“Good, but you’re not driving,” Ethan said, the bruise on his cheek already noticeable. Chris imagined his own jaw would end up looking even worse. He would come up with an excuse to tell Melissa once he was closer to home.
“Yeah, you should drive.” Anthony looked around at all three of them. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“Did you have doubts?” Jay asked.
“Not for a second.”
“You sure you’re feeling better?” Chris asked him. He didn’t know what Tobias had given him, but it must have been strong.
“I’m sure.” Anthony crossed his arms. “It’s hard to believe he’s really dead.”
Under the orange streetlight, Anthony seemed haunted. Chris knew he was relieved Tobias couldn’t hurt him anymore, but at least for a while, those two had been close.
“He used to take me to Broadway shows,” Anthony said quietly, his eyes cast down. “He sent me poems and roses, and I think he wrote some of the poems himself. We talked about flying to other countries because he said I deserved to see the world.”
By the time the words dried out, tears ran freely down Anthony’s face. “I hate that I once loved him. I hate it.”
“I used to love Mr. David,” Chris said, and three sets of eyes moved to watch him. He hadn’t entered that dark chamber of his soul in many years, but it felt appropriate to do so now. “We talked about having a house together once I was old enough to leave the group home. He gave me chocolate in secret and took me to the arcade when I was supposed to be in school. When people thought I was his son, he said that I was more special than that. I didn’t like what we did in his room, but I loved himuntil he was done with me. It felt like a breakup, but I couldn’t tell anyone why I was so sad. You can fall in love with evil, Ant. There are no rules.”
Anthony wiped his eyes. “I wish there were at least some.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t any of us who pulled the trigger,” Ethan said, wrapping his arm around Anthony’s shoulders. “I don't feel guilty.”
Chris knew Ethan well enough to doubt that statement. Like it or not, they had lied their way into that house, and now a man was dead.
“Are you two okay now?” Anthony asked Jay and Ethan.
With everything that had happened in the last few hours, Chris had forgotten those two were not officially speaking.
“I am if you are,” Jay said hopefully.
Ethan stalled before pointing at Chris. “You will never hurt him again, and you will never make him do something against his will. I don’t care what happened between you two, he doesn’t deserve your hate. I won’t ever forgive you if you break my trust again.”
Jay glanced at Chris. “You have my word.”
Ethan nodded. “Okay. See you guys on Saturday evening?”
Chris had to laugh, although it felt inappropriate. It was surreal slipping back into normality after what happened, but wasn’t that what they had done after the cabin? Although now, with Jay no longer obsessed with revenge, normality could finally be free of secrets and lies.
