The Wicked Beasts That Roam

Chapter 23-Part 2

Pages scattered across the balcony, flapping and darting across the cement. The book’s binding had ripped completely in two. He didn’t think he’d fucked it up that bad—to the point that she needed to destroy the rest. Damian grimaced as he bent down and picked it up. He guessed the thing could only stand so much abuse. He gathered the papers that hadn’t flown off and drifted to the ground below.

He closed the doors and set the book and its papers and pictures on the dresser. With a glance at the bathroom door, he left to pick up the rest. His head hung low as he passed his brothers on the staircase. Apparently, they knew he was in a mood, because they moved out of his way and didn’t say a word.

Outside, a hundred or so papers and pictures flitted across the lawn, the little rectangles covering the dead grass like snow. The look on her face when she’d held up the book snaked its way into his mind. He’d never seen her look so . . . broken, and the fact that he was the cause of it made his chest hurt. Something inside of him cracked.

As he began picking up the mess, he heard the front door open. He lifted his head, cursing under his breath when Aidyn and Zeke stepped out. Both looked puzzled as they stared at the yard, their eyes looking to him for an answer.

His silence seemed to only make them more curious as they walked down the steps and picked up a few of the papers.

Zeke grabbed a mangled vanilla page. “Aren’t these Jade’s?”

“Yeah, why are they scattered across the yard?” Aidyn asked.

What was he supposed to say? The real story would take a second too long, and Damian found himself too stupid to come up with a quick lie.

“I accidentally dropped my book on the balcony.”

All three turned, finding Jade on her haunches and sweeping the pages together in her hands. The boys didn’t look like they bought her bullshit, but started collecting the papers that were farther out anyways. Damian knelt down beside her and picked up a few she hadn’t gotten yet.

When they were out of hearing range, she spoke, “Usually, when keeping someone captive, you lock the door.”

“I figured you’d wanna go back to your room.”

She stopped gathering papers and glared up at him. “Why now do you decide to stop being an asshole? I wanna be mad at you, but you’re looking like a kicked-puppy.” Her eyes softened, and she sighed. “You’re gonna have to put up with me for a few more days. My room still reeks of sweaty bodies.”

He told himself to thank Aidyn.

He cast his eyes downward at the pages in his hand. “I didn’t mean to fuck it up.”

“I know.” She stood, shuffling the papers in a neat pile. “Throwing the book was a douche-move on my part. I just littered a thousand papers across the yard.”

Glancing around, Damian searched for more papers, but realized his brothers had collected the rest of them and were heading their way.

“The rest of it’s in my room.”

Jade nodded, fiddling with a ripped sheet. “You got any tape.”

“In the kitchen, I think.”

Jade scaled the porch steps and he followed suit. As Damian trailed Jade through the hall, a hand grabbed the crook of his arm and jerked him around. A sketch of his eyes stared at him on the vanilla page that was thrown in his face. The same one he held three months back.

“This is dated from two years ago.” Confusion flared in Zeke’s eyes. “Did you two know each other before she moved in?”

“Leave it alone, Zeke.” Aidyn snatched the paper from him and handed it to Jade, who had paused at the opening of the dinner hall.