I know you’re pissed at me. I’m pissed at me. I let blind fear and desperation cost me you-cost you time with our babies. Eva didn’t have to do a thing and she won anyway.”
Hill’s phone buzzed then. He ignored it for a few moments and then pulled it from his jean pocket to greet the caller.
“I’ll let you get dressed, Sef,” he said, following the brief exchange on the phone. “We’re gonna have to leave in about an hour,” he turned for the door, let his hand hover over the knob.
“Yes Sef, I-I’m upset because you didn’t come to me. Because you didn’t trust that I could overcome anything that threatened you. Just as there are things you don’t think you’ll ever move past, I don’t think I’ll ever move past that.”
He opened the door then and left.
***
Napa, California~
“Oh...oh wow...your brother is a genius.”
Caiphus snuggled his head deeper into a pillow and sighed. “For future reference, such things are not the sort of item a man wants to hear his new wife saying fifteen minutes after sex. Besides...I already know Smoak is a genius.”
Bill was pushing herself up in bed. “Not Smoak and not Pike either.”
“Hill?” Caiphus laughed drowsily and snuggled deeper into the covers. “You need to wake up from that nightmare you’re havin’.”
“Hush,” Bill scooted from bed. It wasn’t quite 5am when the idea struck. While sex with her husband was at its usual level of supremacy, thoughts of their current case crept back in just as sleep tried to claim her.
“What the hell, Bee?” Caiphus grunted when lamplight doused the bedroom in soft gold.
Bill was at the round work table they had set up in the room’s alcove. The setup allowed the newlyweds to indulge in intermittent bouts of work and play.
Bill was hunched over a set of blueprints. “What Hill said about Lamont giving us this stuff for another reason...mmm hmm...mmm hmm...Cai? Baby come look at this.”
“Later,” Caiphus’ voice was half muffled into a pillow.
“These Black Island symbols on each level of the construction- three to the left- three to the right of each end. Lamont’s narrative paints a picture of a man obsessed with his work and paranoid enough to do anything to protect it.” Bill slapped her hand against the blueprints. “I think Lamont wanted us to figure out how to destroy his dad’s hideout.”
She heard the covers rustle and turned to find Caiphus observing her with his sleep-softened sapphires.
“Now, we only need to know
where it is,” she shrugged and waved a hand to the
blueprints.
***
Seattle, Washington~Two Days Later...
“I was surprised to get your call,” Mick was saying as she came out of Hill’s embrace. She moved to hug Persephone while Hill knelt before Quincee who had answered the door with her mother.
By no means shy, Quincee tapped a pudgy hand to the back of Hill’s head. “Your hair.”
Grinning, Hill nodded. “It’ll grow back,” he took her hand, kissed it. “Can we talk to your Mommy for a minute, doll?”
“‘Kay,” Quincee graced Hill with a beaming smile when he stood and took her up with him.
Persephone moved close to put a kiss to Quincee’s hand as well.
“Sefi,” the child said, causing everyone to laugh.
“I can’t believe how good she is with names,” Persephone marveled.
Mick shrugged. “She gets it from her mom.”
“Play with Leeya Layah?” Quincee joined in when her audience laughed that time.
The three girls had become quite chummy during the Nevada trip. The sisters, like everyone else, had gotten a kick out of how easily Quincee could tell them apart. It was to be expected. After all, Quincee did live among three sets of twins.
“You can play with them soon, baby,” Persephone promised. She and Hill had stopped to check in on the girls and their grandparents before heading out west. Roman and Imani would be following with the twins later the next week.
“Michaela, where’s Q?” Hill asked, giving Quincee a little bounce.
“His study. Quinn was playing there,” Mick hiked a thumb over her shoulder. “Should I put her down for a nap?”
“She’s fine,” Hill gave the child another bounce, kissed her cheek.
“Guys is everything okay?” Mick queried.
Hill traded a look with Persephone before
looking back to Mick. “Do you have anytime for a book club
meeting?”
~~~
“Jacob Shelanon,” Mick breathed the name and flopped back against the loveseat she shared with Persephone in Quest’s study. “Are you sure?” She asked Hill.
He nodded. “Jasper confirmed it when I talked to him yesterday. He asked how I knew the name, apparently Shannon changed it not long after he came to the island. Everyone had a past on the island, and when Shannon’s education creds checked out, Jasper never bothered to find out anything more on his background. Such things didn’t matter there.”
