Tiny Dark Deeds: Chapter 11

Dorian

I passed Thatcher in the locker room.

He was rubbing oil down his abs.

I lifted my eyes to the rafters but didn’t give him shit about it. He often was one of the last people out of the building after practice, vainer than shit. He was one of the few dudes who kept a mirror in his locker, and Wells and the rest of the football team were long gone by now. I’d only stayed late for some time in the shower, the heat getting me out of my head a bit.

I was in there a lot lately.

We didn’t have long until the end of the season, but Wolf was out for the remainder of it. His parents would have let him play, but he’d had no interest. He’d never been as passionate about the sport as the rest of us.

Everything going on now in his life obviously took priority, but I, unfortunately, had to be here. I was still the captain and people relied on me. It also gave my brain something to do so there was that.

Thatcher studied me on the way to my locker, and after he finished his abs, he tossed the rest in his inky hair. That shit was basically black it was so dark brown. His lips pulled together. “We all at Wolf’s tonight?”

We always were. I opened my locker. “Yeah.”

“Cool.” He lingered for a beat before recapping that bottle in his hands. “I was hoping to talk to him tonight. Try to convince him out of that shit about leaving. You know that’s not good, and I’d like you to help me. I already talked to Wells, and he’s down for it.”

Normally, I would be too, but after that talk with my dad didn’t go so well, I didn’t know how I was feeling.

“I’d like your support on this, D. I know how you feel and how this is for you, but…” He tapped a locker. “Wolf doing shit like that isn’t good for anyone, and we got to think about him.”

I swung a glance his way. “If he went anywhere, I’d go with him.” I’d already decided this basically.

Thatcher angled a look down before scrubbing into his slick hair. He raised a hand. “You both need to stay. The parents are already going through shit, and who knows how close they are to finding Sloane. Just help me keep him here for a little while. Please?” He shook his head. “We got to be supporting him right now, don’t you think? Keeping him calm and not going rogue.”

I honestly didn’t think I was the best one to do the job right now considering my place in all this, my personal stake. I was in my head just as much as Wolf.

I had no words for my friend, so I just got dressed.

“Just think about it, okay?” Thatcher pushed before throwing that bottle in his locker. He tugged on a shirt, then closed it. “You know, out of all of us, he listens to you the most. We all do.”

I knew they all did, which was what scared me the most. I shouldn’t be the voice of reason right now.

And I was sure they knew that just as well as I did.

It was something that none of us would talk about, and that mostly had to do with me because I didn’t want to talk about it. I had a job to do, and it was being the voice of reason.

I finished getting dressed after my buddy left the locker room, and when I eventually left it, I was surprised to find someone else in the place of Ronald. Our family butler parked in generally the same place to get me after school or practice, but he wasn’t there today.

My father’s Tesla sat idle in Ronald’s spot, and when I walked toward it, Dad got out. He was dressed for the office without the tie and jacket and was probably downtown with everyone else today at the capitol building.

Noa’s search was still operating out of there, and that was where all our parents spent the most time. Dad rested an arm on the top of his ride as I sidled up to it. His head tilted. “Practice go okay?”

About as good as it could. I nodded, and he angled a nod for me to come with him. He never surprised me at practice and definitely didn’t these days. He didn’t have time for it.

It made me worry about what this impromptu visit was about, but I did get in the car with my dad.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to take you somewhere today,” he said, strapping in. “Gave Ronald a break so we could go.”

“Where?” I strapped in too, but I noticed we didn’t move after I did. My dad just kind of sat in his seat.

He tapped the stirring wheel. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how you came to the office.” He hooked an arm on the wheel. “And I’m sure that was very hard for you. Coming to me? I know I don’t make it easy sometimes.”

My dad could be stubborn, but I got it. I mean, I had lied to him.

I’d dug my own grave with him.

My parents didn’t trust me, and they had good reason. I was literally just talking about going on my own again, so yeah, I got it.

Dad’s head shook. “You and I are a lot alike, Dorian. We both have reactive personalities. We react first, then think about the consequences later, and in my case, I had to think about why I said no so quickly to you. No about your grandfather, and why I’ve been saying no instead of really thinking about what good could come out of working with him to find Noa.”

I angled in his direction. “I know why you said no.” My grandfather was a bastard, point blank. All of the things he’d done recently only stressed it. “I get it.”

“I don’t think you do,” he said, his head tilted. “My issues with your grandfather… well, they’re deep, but they’re also in the past and something I did take the time to deal with. It took a long time, and it wasn’t always pretty, but I did deal with it and not wanting his help didn’t have anything to do with that. Our history?”

I didn’t understand.

My dad moved a hand down his jaw. “I think it just triggered me that you went to him instead of coming to me when it came to everything with Charlie,” he said, my lips parting. He frowned. “That you chose that route instead of trusting me.”

I sat up. “I went to him because I didn’t want to hurt you. You? Mom?” I swallowed. “I just had suspicions about Mayberry, and I wanted to protect you guys. Mom was already going through so much and…” My jaw shifted. “I just didn’t want to hurt you guys when I didn’t even know something as fact.”

And he had to know that. I didn’t trust Grandpa more than him. I didn’t trust that fucker as far as I could throw him.

“I know, son.” Dad brought his hands together, nodding. “But you have to understand that doesn’t stop how it felt. How it feels to know your kid went behind your back to someone else regardless of the fact that person happened to be my father.”

“Dad—”

He raised a hand. “These are things I have to deal with, but they’re not enough to keep your grandfather out of the fold. I’ve set up a meeting with him today, and well, I’d like you to go with me.”

I blinked, his hand lifting higher.

“I want you to see for yourself everything that is going on, and after, I’d like for you to drop it. There will be no more sneaking around and definitely no more lying.” Dad’s lips turned down. “Your grandfather is going to be a part of all this, but only on my and your mother’s terms. We were up all night talking about this, and the only way this will happen is for you to follow some rules. One is you are never to reach out to your grandfather directly. There’s no need for it, so it won’t happen, and you’re definitely not going to see him. You may be right that he doesn’t want to hurt you, but you having any type of relationship doesn’t sit well with me or your mother. It was all I could do last night to convince her that this meeting should happen.”

“Why is it happening?” I asked. “You working with grandfather doesn’t have to have anything to do with me.”

That was something he’d made clear in his office.

Dad started his car. “Because again, you’re like me. You won’t drop this issue until you get some closure. My dad has agreed to meet with us today to talk about a collaboration, but your presence is only as a spectator. You agree to that, and you can be a part of the initial conversation.”

It was sad he felt he had to do this for me, and I hated that he was right. I needed to feel like I could control something, anything.

I nodded quickly, and Dad sighed again. He got us moving, and we were silent for the most part. We were going to see my grandpa.

And I was going to see him with my father.

*

The meeting my grandfather and dad had set up ended up being at the house my grandfather had purchased in town. Thatcher, the guys, and I had found out he’d purchased a property in Maywood Heights, and though my grandpa had yet to explain that, I was surprised my dad had agreed to meet him there.

I didn’t when I got there.

My dad had half the cops in the city there to meet us, and even one of my god dads was present.

When LJ had made it into town exactly, I didn’t know, but he and his wife Billie had shown up pretty early in this thing. He was there now outside my grandfather’s mansion, standing with the fleet of police when my dad rolled up in his Tesla.

“Hey, brother,” LJ had said to him when he got out, then hugged me. “How you holding up, kid?”

As well as I could, hugging him tight. It was always good to see him. I started to let go, but he didn’t let me right away.

“This is taking a lot for him, so have his back in there, all right?” he said, pulling away. Dad was shaking hands with the chief of police, and LJ squeezed my shoulder. “You be sure to be his support. I’m going in there too, but you need to stand by him with me and especially listen to him.”

I didn’t know what had been said before I got here, but Dad had told me I was a spectator today. I would listen, and I knew this was going to take a lot for him. I mean, how couldn’t it?

This was Grandpa.

I didn’t want to be putting my dad through any of this, and it tore my stomach up just thinking about this. My father and grandfather in the same room.

It shouldn’t be this way.

I really wished my dad would just let me do this myself, but I knew that wasn’t happening. I could possibly keep myself out of the equation here and not go, but then my dad would worry about me sneaking around. It was a lose-lose situation either way. This meeting was going to happen.

After speaking to the police, my dad hugged my godfather.

“The police got everything secure, brother,” LJ mentioned, letting Dad go. “Got people both inside and out. Your dad made it easy.”

Yeah, he was being super agreeable here, super helpful.

I didn’t know how to feel about that, but I guessed nothing. He owed us all at least that, and I stood by my father.

“Remember our agreement,” Dad said to me before waving his hand to the police chief. He wasn’t the one who’d arrested me. I’d found out later that’d been the county sheriff and thank fuck for that.

Today, I was surrounded by allies, and the Maywood Heights’s police chief himself personally escorted my father, me, and my god dad up to the house. LJ flanked my dad and me, and where LJ had my back, I would have my dad’s. I’d listen to him today.

It was the least I could do.

We passed a lot of security on the way inside of the estate that took up like half a city block, and I found out some of the people were our own as well. My dad had hired private security on top of acquiring help from the police force, and my grandfather’s goons were actually few and far between. The dudes were definitely there. They had their fingers to their earpieces and looked ominous as shit. They were actually the ones directing us through the property, but for the most part, my dad and LJ had the most guys, security.

I didn’t know what that meant either, never knowing my grandfather’s games. It could be a show of trust or just him being arrogant, but I didn’t think my dad would ever have his people hurt anyone. Them being here was just for our safety.

This place was busy.

Everywhere I looked, there were folks clustered in rooms, people in front of computers and large screens like this was some intense government operation. They were passing off files and talking both above and to each other. Did they work for my grandfather? A part of his business?

Dad seemed surprised by all this chaos too, and I noticed LJ lean in and tap his shoulder.

“Our guys tell me your dad’s been doing his own searches,” LJ said. “This is it. Our people inquired about all this when they allowed us in to post our men and comb over the area.”

What the fuck?

I scanned around. All this was for Sloane?

Again, Dad appeared surprised by this, his blond eyebrows dashing up half his brow. He flattened his tie. “Nice he’s being of some use.”

He’d mumbled this, but it was audible enough for me. Dad passed a look over his shoulder, and I made sure to stay in his sight. I wasn’t trying to be a bother today.

“Glad you could come.” When my grandfather made his grand entrance, it wasn’t much of one. He’d been chatting with more of these people, all of them in a cluster when Dad, LJ, and I were escorted into the room. This was one of the biggest and nearly the size of a small movie theater.

Grandpa appeared to be at the heart of the show after what he’d said, still with that ridiculous-ass cane. The ruby on top alone could probably put more than one student through a full year at Windsor Prep.

My grandfather liked to show off, money he still had despite not being an active part of Prinze Financial. Sure, I bet he still held a nice part of it, but I didn’t know the details there.

I just knew my dad was in charge now, and I watched him, not at all rigid in my grandfather’s presence. I was quite sure he hadn’t seen his father in years.

But not once did he show it.

No weakness, or really anything else displayed on my dad’s face. It was as if he had no emotion for my grandfather. His expression was passive, calm. His chin raised. “Well, we should be doing everything we can.”

“I agree.” Grandfather tapped that cane across the home’s polished tiles, coming closer. If anything, I stiffened and noticed LJ place a hand on his jacket. It wouldn’t surprise me if my godfather was strapped. Hell, Dad might be too.

If only for me.

Once more, my dad didn’t act threatened, and he put a hand on LJ’s shoulder. “I’m sure you remember LJ.”

“Mr. Johnson and I reacquainted ourselves before you got here, son,” Grandpa said to Dad, and LJ’s smile quirked right.

“Yeah, I’m the one who patted him down personally.” LJ’s grin was high, and Grandpa’s head lifted.

“I remember, Mr. Johnson, and whatever makes you all feel more comfortable.” Grandpa raised a hand. “I just want to help and thank you for openness. I believe working together is our best bet in finding Sloane.”

“Well, you can thank Dorian for that.” Dad’s attention didn’t leave my grandfather, but he did place a hand in my direction. “As discussed, he is merely observing today. He knows this, and now, you do too.”

Grandpa’s attention shifted, falling wide on me. “Even still, I’m glad you’ve allowed him to be here. I didn’t handle things well there, and I’m sure you know this.”

I wasn’t sure if this was an apology for the threats he’d made to me and my family, but that might be the closest I could ever get.

I wasn’t allowed to talk to him.

I wasn’t allowed to do anything but observe, and this was made even clearer when my father edged in front of me. He cut all direct eye contact off, at least from my grandfather to me.

“Might we get on with this then,” Dad said, and that was exactly what my grandfather and his team moved on to do. Grandpa had everyone escorted into a quieter room, one cut off from everything and everyone.

Well, everyone but my father and all the people who’d come with us. Him and his team filled up a good portion of the room, which had been fashioned into some kind of conference room. There was a long table and chairs. Grandpa and his people took one side, and those who could fit on Dad’s took the other.

LJ and I surrounded Dad, security around us. The men on both my side and across the table began speaking right away, and I shifted my focus from one to the other. People chimed in like popcorn over a fucking fire, and it took all I had to just keep up. Everyone here knew exactly what to talk about.

They were all clearly well-acquainted with this topic.

I wasn’t surprised to hear this on my dad’s end. They’d been working tirelessly to find Sloane, but Grandpa… yeah, that was surprising.

It sounded like he’d been working on this just as hard as us.

“I’ll be starting to pull my men in closer to the city if that’s okay with you, son,” Grandpa said. “I feel their services are better here than wide with the intel your people gave us this morning.”

To my surprise, my father faced me. “We know she hasn’t gotten anywhere via any services offered to the public. Knight had some contacts that took care of that. Airports, buses, trains, and even cabs and rideshares are all out. She hasn’t used any of them, and from what your grandfather told us today, she wouldn’t have had a lot of money to anyway.”

“She used her credit card once at an ATM to get cash the day she left.” Grandpa slid a document over. “Took out five hundred dollars. Bru never used his, and though I can’t be sure how much they had on them before they left, I do know they mostly used their credit cards when they were living here. I’ve also acquired their vehicles. Bru’s Audi and Godfrey’s Chevelle have all been picked up by my men, and from what we know, the kids never got the chance to use them. We were able to get to the cars first, so there’s a strong possibility you’re right, Royal.”

Right about what?

My attention shot to my dad, and he edged closer.

“There’s a strong possibility she’s still in the city,” Dad said, and my heart fucking stopped.

It crashed.

She was in the city? But how could she be? We’d looked everywhere. The town and I had looked everywhere. My friends and I had covered a lot of ground long before my dad caught us.

“She’s got the most famous face in the world right now,” Grandpa said, sighing. “If anyone saw her… Anyone tried to help her, I think we’d all have heard about it. Especially with the reward her parents have posted.”

I think we’d all heard about that. The Mallicks had posted an amount they probably felt was low, but to anyone outside of our world it would have been life-changing. If someone had seen Sloane, no one would have kept that information to themselves. They had far too much to gain by selling her out.

But I didn’t understand this, any of this. If she was still in the city, why hadn’t we found her?

Why hadn’t I?

The talks moved on after that, me staying silent while the adults continued to talk. They were combining forces. This was something I’d wanted, but chilling thoughts surfaced again. My grandfather was right. Sloane had the most known face in the world, not just in this city. If she didn’t get help and was still in this city, she was lying low.

And doing so on purpose.