Shadow's Kiss (Monstrous Hearts: Fleur's Story)

Chapter Fifteen

Prosy showed no sign of forgiving Fleur for leaving her behind. As she and Dario stepped inside, the cat jumped on the kitchen counter and crouched there, slanted ears warning off any attempt to pet her.

Fleur sighed. "Already making me pay?"

Then she dropped her suitcase by the kitchen doorway to change out the water bowls and put away the automatic feeder. She next opened a can of wet food and put it in a bowl, but the cat refused to even sniff it. "Come on, Prosy. I've got enough problems already."

"You don't sound surprised," said Dario, settling by the other end of the counter to watch the cat flick her tail. "Just concerned."

"She's done this before—refusing to eat from stress. She hates it when I leave her. I don't know what she'll do when I go off to the dorms. They don't allow pets there."

When Prosy turned away from the food and began licking herself instead, Fleur knew the cat wasn't about to give in. "I'll give her some space. Maybe she'll eat if I'm not around."

Unpacking seemed like the logical thing to do, but Fleur instead focused on the next most precious thing in her life: her computer. A few programs needed updates, so she did those while closing tabs in her browser that were about Mason. Then one of them caught her eye. Not the video itself—the panel recommending related content. Nearly all the titles were some form of, "Where's Mason Force?"

"Shit," she muttered, quickly closing the browser. Yet another complication to the situation. Maybe calling Alice to ask how well Colton hid the bodies would be a good idea.

Since there wasn't a phone in her room, she went to the one in her parents' bedroom instead, sitting on the bed while dialing her sister's number. She couldn't help being very aware that the nearest pillow still held the imprint of Dario's head, and quickly turned her back to it.

Alice answered on the second ring. "Fleur. Is everything all right?"

"I don't know. I just saw that people know Mason is missing."

"They won't find him." Her sister sounded entirely too serene for what she was saying. "Colton has done this before. Sometimes it's better for a body to be found, and sometimes it isn't. People will speculate and form their own theories, but that's all."

"I don't think it's that simple anymore. Now his uncle is dead." Then Fleur sighed, realizing she would have to explain what had happened. It didn't take long to sketch out the trip and its results, but she kept glancing toward the doorway, half-expecting to find Dario leaning through it to watch her with his usual interest.

She finished with, "He came off as an asshole but seemed terrified of you both. What if he doesn't clean up the house well enough?"

The indistinct growl of Colton's voice preceded her sister's answer. "Colton has known him for a long time and says Adair will do anything to save his own neck. Ben Reaper's death won't be a problem."

"I guess that's something." She wished she felt better about it.

After a brief pause, Alice carefully said, "Has there been any trouble with him?"

Fleur knew she meant Dario. "No. Just the opposite."

She hesitated, making sure she was still alone. She was. "Alice, I like him. I'm not repulsed in any way, even though I know I should be. He's so unshakable, and knowledgeable, and confident. He makes me laugh—no one makes me laugh. And his eyes look almost cinnamon in strong sunlight, and... and... I've never felt like this with anyone. Are you sure he can't influence my feelings?"

"I'm sure." Her sister sounded firm. "I wouldn't let you be alone with him otherwise."

Fleur groaned. "I'm so fucked up."