Stealing Joy Page 9

  Jones cleared his throat. “If the man we expect is Gordon Hanson also known as Gordon Jamal, you called him Gordon Dryer, were to end up dead before we were able to identify him as this serial killer, Miss Hastings would be questioned every time another case came up.”

  “And if you had a confession before his untimely demise?” Gage’s voice was low and menacing. “Hypothetically speaking.”

  “We could close the case, and Bailey could forget that part of her life to the best of her ability,” Jones said.

  “Good to know,” Gage replied.

  “Yes, good to know,” Jade agreed.

  I got a chill from both of them. I could tell they were both plotting convenient accidents to happen if he ever got near me again. I approved.

  “There’s more isn’t there?” I asked the FBI guys.

  “There is,” Jones confirmed.

  “Can we take a break? I’m really tired, and sort of hungry,” I whined.

  Jade kissed me on top of my head. “I’ll go find you some noodles okay?”

  She knew my comfort food. “Extra cheesy.” I nodded.

  “You like mac and cheese?” Gage asked.

  “It’s probably my most favorite food. I’m not a fan of the boxed stuff, but doctor it up with some real cheese and it will work.”

  “Mac and cheese,” he repeated.

  “Yeah, so?” I felt really self-conscious of the way he grinned at me.

  “I’ll go shopping tomorrow and make you some of the best-damned mac and cheese you’ve ever had. You good with onions and jalapenos and bacon?”

  I stared at him. “In my noodles and cheese? Hell yeah. You cook?”

  “Does he cook?” Travis scoffed.

  “We’ll leave you to rest, and we can pick this up after your dinner,” Jones announced.

  I watched as he and Smith left the room, but I kept cutting my gaze back to Gage.

  “I cook. We all cook.”

  “Yeah, but you can make more than I can. I can only make a few basics plus chili.”

  “Nothing wrong with the basics. You can feed yourself, and you can feed a group out on the trail.”

  The conversation between the two men was wildly interesting. I don’t think I had ever met a man who admitted he could cook; which was a shame, because I knew far too many guys my age who were clueless about how to take care of themselves.

  Eventually, they stopped talking about cooking, and Gage stood up like he was going to leave.

  “Travis, do you mind?” I tried to waggle my eyebrows at him to get him to step out of the room. I wanted Gage for myself for a second before he had to go anywhere.

  Travis gave me a dejected sigh and headed toward the door. “You know you could make out with me here. I’d be okay with it. We are pack.” He sort of sneered those last words, telling Gage he belonged here too. I think.

  I glanced up at Gage. “Pack?”

  “You’re tired, rest, eat. Let’s finish with the FBI before we delve too far into the other areas you have questions about. It’s best you don’t know just yet while the FBI is around. That way nothing slips out accidentally.”

  “Are you saying I can’t be trusted with your secrets?” I asked.

  “I’m saying you can’t share secrets you don’t know.” He leaned down and inhaled the air by my neck.

  I wrapped my arms around him.

  He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “I can’t believe you are even willing to touch me after all of that.”

  “You’re safe, you’re my hero. You make the bad memories go away like a puff of smoke. Tell me about the pack later.”

  He kissed me on the tip of my nose.

  Travis came back in and crawled into bed next to me when Gage left. He snuggled into my side all warm and comforting. “We are pack. We are yours,” he whispered.

  My stomach lurched. I wanted to puke. Maybe having two bowls of cheesy-noodle-goodness wasn’t the best idea. At least the photos were in black and white. Well, the “after” images were.

  All the women were like me. And those pictures were in color. If I had met anyone of them, we would’ve been besties. Crazy hair colors, frills, and tutus. Cupcake purses. Kawaii and cute to the max. And Gordon had taken all of them and killed their shine. Took their clothes and put them in dull drab colors. Removed all color and fun from their hair.

  There were a few pictures from surveillance cameras, and the two women were bowed and stooped, and hunched up into themselves, barefoot and scared for their lives. Their short lives.

  Gage sat on one side of the bed, Jade the other, and the pictures spread over my good leg on top of the blankets. Six of me, dead. I would’ve been the seventh in five years.

  “He built up trust. He fooled all of them and their families,” I whispered.

  “They’re all like Bailey,” Gage said. He wasn’t looking at the pictures, but at Jade. He wasn’t talking about the shared sense of style. He had asked what I was when he first met her. That’s what he meant.

  “What were their names?” Jade asked softly. “It’s important.”

  “The first victim was Bliss Haverty. Joy Cummings, Joy Reynolds. Uh, I can never pronounce this one right, Aye-oye-efee. It’s spelled A O I F E.”

  “Ayfa,” Jade corrected. “It’s Celtic and guess what it means.” She lifted her eyes to Agent Jones.

  He nodded. “Joy. We noticed that. But there was also an Allison, a Toni, and you, Bailey.”

  “Bailey is Joy,” Gage said so quietly it was practically under his breath.

  Smith cleared his throat. “Bailey doesn’t mean Joy.” He was looking at his phone. “It means… it means capable.”

  “I didn’t say her name meant joy. I said she is Joy. That explains everything.”

  It explained nothing. “My middle name is Jovie, so yeah, I fit right in,” I said dryly.

  “Did Gordon know?” Gage asked.

  “About my name?” I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

  “He wouldn’t need a name to confirm what she was,” Jade sighed. “Let me guess, all of these women were described by their friends as vivacious, life of the party, lit up the room, would show up and make everything better. Those kinds of things?”

  Jones agreed.

  “He is killing joy.”

  All I could do was stare at Jade. That was me, never met a person I couldn’t make smile. I think that’s why I loved being around Yuki so much, when the two of us were together, everyone was happy, everything was good. Even if it wasn’t to begin with, we fixed it.

  “Sorry, but Bailey doesn’t seem very joyful at the moment,” Jones said.

  Gage tightened up.

  Mom whisked into the room. “My daughter is a source of constant happiness and sunshine.” She brushed past Jade and kissed my cheek. “Aren’t you, baby? She’s allowed a little downtime after everything she’s been through. Don’t you think?”

  She gave the FBI man a squinty glare, daring him to say otherwise.

  “Zeke said he is going to head out and grab some DVDs, did you want anything?” she asked me.

  “You know what I like, why don’t you go with and grab something.”

  “No,” Gage’s voice was very loud, very big, very annoying. It was enhanced because both Jones and Smith also said ‘no’ at the same time.

  “What do you mean, no?” Mom beat me to it.

  We are pack. You are ours. Telling me and my mom what to do, who did Mr. Hot Sheriff Pants think he was?

  “If Gordon is out there, he’d recognize your mom. Yuki and me too. We need to stay put, so that if—big if—he is poking around town, he only sees the people who are normally here,” Jade explained with a cool even tone.

  “Okay, that makes sense,” I agreed. “Mom?”

  She nodded. “She’s right. That makes perfect sense. But you boys have got to stop being so jumpy. Scare me half out of my skin, because I mention going to pick out some movies. Geez. Rom-com and buttery popcorn, girls?”

&nbs
p; I nodded.

  “Mrs. H, can you ask him to get some ice cream too. And tissues if it’s a good movie, you know how Yuki gets before the happy ending,” Jade added.

  “Mint chocolate chip for you. Yuki still likes strawberry?” Mom headed for the door.

  “You had better ask her. She’s been on a peach-mango kick lately,” Jade said.

  “Will do.” Mom waved and left to give Zeke a shopping list. Man, I hoped he picked out a decent movie.

  Everyone watched as Mom left the room.

  Jones turned back to Jade. “What do you mean he’s killing joy?”

  “You mean like a killjoy?” Smith asked.

  “A killjoy is a party pooper.”

  I looked at Gage, he confused me. Hot, commanding, in charge, and says things like ‘party pooper’.

  “She means he is killing women who… bring joy, let the sun in, point out how beautiful lightning is in the middle of a threatening storm.”

  When he met my eyes while describing a thunderstorm, a shiver zigzagged down my spine and straight into my core. My nipples pearled. I wanted to kick everyone out of my room right then.

  Gage closed his eyes and inhaled. When he opened them again, he wasn’t smiling. His gaze was intense and sexually charged.

  “Lordy, you two need a room,” Jade muttered.

  I pushed on her with my shoulder. “I have one. Everyone is in here.”

  “New moon is in a couple of days,” Gage said as if I would know what he meant. I mean, I think for some reason he had to wait, but, I don’t know… it wasn’t a full moon, so who the hell knew.

  “Let me see if I get this straight. If he is killing women who exhibit or embody, joy like you say, why Bailey? Why not Yuki?” Smith held up his hand, palm out toward me. “Please don’t take offense, but while it’s pleasant to be in your company, Yuki Jasper radiates…” He rolled his eye up to the ceiling looking for a word.

  “Delight,” Jade offered.

  “Yeah. So why didn’t our killer pick up her instead?” he asked.

  Gage slid his hand into mine. I looked down at our fingers wrapped around each other and felt a strange belonging. He was telling me he’d always pick me over Yuki. Always. I sort of knew the answer, but it was a valid question. More than once, I wondered how I ended up with a cute guy, and Yuki ended up with stuffed animals. But more than that, I lost the boy of the hour to fawn at Yuki’s feet. Like how I lost Max.

  “That’s easy. Yuki doesn’t do sex. She’s asexual. Bailey is—”

  “Don’t you dare call me a slut.”

  “I would never.” Jade glared at me. “And if you are, so am I. Geez girl, I was going to say Bailey is sexual and certain men can tell the difference right away. Some men don’t care and bask in whatever glow Yuki emits, while others prefer a much more visceral connection and lean toward the energy you radiate.”

  The FBI guys got their paradigm shift and understood what Gage and Jade were saying regarding joy. It finally came after a very surreal side conversation where Yuki’s lack of sexuality was explained in detail. Yet, everyone, and I do mean everyone, loved to be around her.

  Eventually, they cleared off for the night. Jade left to put on some pajamas and make sure our popcorn was properly buttered and to dig Yuki out from underneath a pile of wolves.

  Gage nuzzled into my neck. I giggled.

  “You smell like sex.” His voice was low and seductive.

  I shoved him off. “You’re on duty, sheriff man.” I reminded him. “I can’t help it, you heard Jade. I’m visceral.” How was I supposed to tell him one sideways glance and he made me wet?

  He laughed. Not exactly the reaction I was going for. A nice growl and a lunge pushing me back against the mattress was what I really had in mind.

  Not until you are mine first.

  I rubbed at my temple. Seriously, Doggo in my head right now?

  New moon in two days. Two days.

  “Max again?” Gage asked.

  “Yeah, he said the new moon is in two days? What’s the deal with the new moon? If you’re what you keep hinting at, it’s a full moon you need.”

  Gage stood up and pulled my fingers to his lips. Holy Hecate they were soft. Then he began nibbling and my body could not take it.

  “I’ll explain everything with Max in two days. Timing couldn’t be better.” He grinned.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

  “Your period. Should end tonight or tomorrow.”

  I glared at him, which was hard because I was blushing like a stop sign. I knew what he was hinting at.

  “Counting days?”

  He tapped the side of his nose. “I don’t have to.”

  I was left mouth hanging open as he left.

  I wasn’t alone long before Yuki in a furry unicorn jammie onesie scurried in carrying a large bowl of popcorn and a DVD.

  “No puppers, you wait outside,” she admonished the wolves as they crowded around her trying to all get through the door at once.

  I had to laugh. It was ridiculous to watch these huge beasts—each one outweighed her by at least eighty pounds—press up against her as if she were their source of air.

  Jade’s jammies were just as thick and warm looking, and equally fun. She wore a blue fuzzy monster onesie.

  “They can come in. But they are staying on the floor. The bed will be too crowded with the three of us.”

  Doggo jumped up next to me as if he had never abandoned me.

  “Yes, that goes for you, Doggo. Get out of Jade’s spot.” I pushed on the beast until he moved.

  The movie started. Jade plopped a new box of tissues onto Yuki’s lap and then scooted in next to me.

  Yuki put her unicorn head on my shoulder. I leaned my head onto hers. Jade leaned on my opposite shoulder. Collectively, we all sighed. Friends, ice cream, popcorn, rom-com; now, this was good medicine.

  “Bails?” Jade asked.

  “Yeah?”

  “So now I know you didn’t change your hair on purpose, can I please strip that color out? It’s so not you.”

  “Would you please? I hate it. He dyed my pubes too, can we strip those?” I wanted to cry, she was going to help me get me back.

  “What you need is to wax those off. Rip! And bam no hair, no worries.” Yuki’s sweet little voice sounded evil the way she described waxing.

  “She’s got a good point. Shaving might actually do less harm to your skin than the chemicals would. And you don’t want that shit near your lady bits, you really don’t.”

  I nodded. Yuki handed me a tissue and I blew my nose. I guess I was crying.

  11

  I bit my lip and tried not to cry, or cry out. Tracey was as gentle as she could be, but my feet were a mess, and they hated me. The tiny bit of walking I did wasn’t doing my recovery any good.

  “I’ve got to call Doc MacGee about getting you another round of antibiotics,” Tracey announced as she held up one of the bandages from my right foot, the one with five toes. The seepage from the damage was turning a funky color.

  At first, it was bloody and red, and then as I started to heal it was gold with some blood in it. We were at the stage I should start having no blood and the gold colored weeping ooze should start to clarify until it disappeared without any color. I wasn’t a medical professional, but even I knew brownish red of old blood and a gray-green tinge was bad. Really bad.

  When I transferred from the hospital to the lodge I was on the last round of antibiotic. I still needed the saline because of reasons, remember I’m not a professional. But I had gone more than twenty-four hours without any antibiotics. It was a bummer that I was going back on them.

  It was extremely difficult to not walk, especially when that was the only way to get to and from the toilet. I didn’t want the bedpan, that thing was so gross. And pee didn’t behave properly. Introduce a bedpan and suddenly pee defies gravity, and I’m stuck in a damp hospital gown, in a damp bed waiting for an orderly to come change everything.
So undignified. And there is no pooping in a bedpan. Uh uh, the body won’t do it.

  Of course, having someone carry me to the potty, and then stand over me while I take care of business, or wait outside the door makes it near impossible to take care of business. It’s like my bladder knows there are ears listening.

  Having a walking boot on for a few hours a day had really made the bathroom more convenient. I hated it, but I could hobble there and back on my own. Nice thick cushy sock on the right, walking boot on the left.

  That nasty colored bandage meant my walking days were gonna get set back.

  “Could that be why I’m super tired all of a sudden,” I asked.

  “You aren’t running a fever. Maybe…” Tracey paused and pulled her phone out her pocket. A few clicks later and, “I sent a few pics to MacGee. There is a possibility it’s a surface issue and not something we need to treat systemically.”

  She proceeded to squirt a cold liquid, which had the horrible effect of tickling and hurting all at once. She finished washing off my foot.

  “I want to let that have some air time before I wrap you back up.”

  She began working on my left foot. I couldn’t watch. I was curious, but also scared and freaked out. I was missing a toe and a portion of the side of my foot. I caught a glimpse a few days before, and as soon as I saw spikes of black stitches I looked away. I wasn’t ready to look again.

  “This foot is doing much better. The suture is also looking good.” She moved my foot around getting a good view. “The bottom is healing nicely. No discharge at all. You’re doing well, Bailey.”

  I had my eyes clenched tight and my head turned into the pillow.

  The cleaning process didn’t hurt as much or take as long.

  She was re-bandaging my foot when she screamed out a whoop, and my foot fell onto the pillows.

  I opened my eyes. The darker of the wolves that typically swarmed around Yuki was nosing into Tracey’s butt.

  “For pity’s sake, Brooks, I’m working here. I know tomorrow starts the new moon.”

  She bent over and placed her forehead against the wolf’s brow. She held her clean hands up and away from him. She hummed and the wolf began to make a singing noise in his throat.