“Excuse me?” She drew back.
Dylan held her hands in his. “With the truth. I feel bad when I have to accept the truth about my shortcomings. It’s hard, but I hope I’m learning.”
She leaned in and kissed him, unable to help herself. “I have no clue why it’s so important to me for you to understand. But it matters that you do. Thank you.”
“It matters to me too, Nile. You matter to me.” There, he said it. It was real. It was true.
“I shouldn’t.”
“But, you do.”
She touched his bandage. “You matter too, Dylan. More than I want to admit.” She wanted to say something else.
He felt her hesitation and covered her hand with his, holding it over his heart. “What is it?”
“This intense feeling I have for you scares me. It’s so soon and everything is crazy. I don’t know what to do with it.”
“We let it grow. That’s what we do with it.”
“How is it going to grow? You can’t stay in Rain and I can’t leave.”
“That hasn’t stopped it from growing yet, has it? It’s silly to pretend I’m leaving. We both know I’m not going anywhere any time soon.”
“You have a life in Bridgeport.” She touched his bandage again. “You’ll die here.”
“You’ll save me.”
“I can’t save you.”
“You can.”
“I won’t save you.”
“You will...and, I promise you, Nile, I’ll save you right back. Every damned time.”
They stared at each other unblinking, his heart making promises to hers.
“What is this?” Her whisper was filled with awe and wonder.
“I think we might have an idea...but we’re too chicken to own it. I know I am.”
She giggled. “Seeing as this is all your fault because you were supposed to be our conscience, if we get there—”
“When we get there.”
“When we get there, you have to go first.”
He pretended to think. “Deal.” He kissed her nose. “Can we go back to talking about your bra now?”
She burst out laughing. “I’m not wearing a bra.”
“That’s the conversation I want.”
“You are such a guy.”
“Yes, I am.”
DYLAN INSISTED ON WALKING Nile to her door. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, and he wanted to see her room, these were his excuses. Truthfully, he wanted her bed. It was a queen - big enough for him to spread her and devour her like the animal she turned him into.
Not even a bullet wound could slow him down. Twice he brought her to climax before he reached his peak. Sated, exhausted, and deliriously happy, he dragged himself out of her bed.
She whimpered, gave him a pouty kiss, and snuggled under the covers, too content to care.
Putting Nile to sleep made him proud.
Near exhaustion himself, he tip-toed down the hall and stumbled into the elevator, obliviously selecting the wrong floor. Instead of opening on the second floor, he found himself in the basement. Not a clubroom in sight. A long sterile hallway with windowed rooms and heavy doors lining each side. Tucked in nooks were computers, equipment, and cabinets on wheels. A box of rubber gloves and a dispenser of sanitizer were mounted outside each secret room. It looked like a hospital ward and felt like a laboratory. One door, halfway down, had a light on. Creeping closer, Dylan could hear a television. Somebody was watching a game.
Dylan peeked in and saw Jordan sitting in a large recliner, watching the Orioles and the Twins play game three for the League Championship. He was shirtless with his left arm extended. A machine went through the process of drawing his blood and collecting platelets.
It was too much to see and more information than Dylan wanted to know. He backed away fast.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rain came to a standstill. Without the bakery or the restaurant, no one could function. A parade of people lined the Bishop’s drive, begging for a chance to plead their case and/or prove their innocence.
Sheriff Brown and his deputies patrolled the line, keeping people in order.
The Bishops set up council in a large conference room. Ronald, Keisha, Tigris, Jordan, Nick, Earlene, Ernest, and Sugar sat on one side of the long table. Mackey was at school and Nile was not there. Jacob and Dylan had to attend. For them, it was a humiliating experience. They felt accountable for the fear and suffering around them. They earned the judgments and dislike for interrupting the town’s system. And, they received preferential treatment.
Dylan wished Nile was there but was glad for her family’s wisdom in keeping her tucked away from the desperation. If people understood her capabilities, she’d be overwhelmed and possibly harmed. In fact, they were all in danger.
To combat the mob mentality, on the sideboard, behind the family, were several trays of sandwiches and baked goods. After each interview, the individual was offered some form of nourishment. Some people felt better immediately. Others, did not, and would have to wait for the bakery and restaurant to reopen.
Most of the citizens were quickly cleared, and all the children received special brownies —children were royalty in Rain. However, some residents had a tougher time. Slow answers and unverified excuses raised alarms. Even if people were innocent of wrong-doing, they weren’t free. The healing solution was there, in the snacks, but random. The Bishops were big on letting people choose their own fate.
Halfway through the morning, Dylan and Jacob learned why they were participating. Called before the Family, one at a time to speak, Eddie, Gossett, Pryor, Prince, and Nipsey, gave their alibis. The boys went home to change after the game. Nipsey worked late. Gossett was at the bowling alley with JB. Confident their stories were solid, the men ate their snacks and went about their day.
When JB was asked to join the council, he came in jovial. “I was beginning to worry,” he joked. “I thought maybe Wild Thing beat up Boss like that time he put paint in her hair.”
The laughter was hollow.
“We have one or two more questions before we let Tigris beat up anybody,” Ronald said.
“Shoot...no pun intended,” JB pointed at Dylan. “Any news on your friend?”
Dylan shook his head.
Ronald cleared his throat, and the room went silent. “Who is working with you?”
JB was thrown. “Uhhh...what?”
“I believe I was clear,” the patriarch said. “We know you are behind this. We know you are helping Limetech. What we need to know is who—besides Eddie and your crew—is helping you, and who shot Mr. Spegal?”
“I’m not helping anybody!” JB came toward Jake and Dylan. “Why are you psychopaths involving me and my family in your craziness?”
Jake, Jordan, and Ernest stood up.
JB lost his aggression. “I can’t believe you would think that of me. I’ve known you kids your whole lives... These...these...troublemakers came into town and went nuts...this is crazy.”
“JB,” Jordan said. “You’re busted. Period. We can do this in the easiest way possible or we can leave it in the hands of everybody you’re making sick. Your choice.”
The sheriff came in. He nodded a confirmation to some unspoken question.