Return to the Darkness - Ripley Proserpina Page 0,35

him so I can go next.”

Thorn said something loudly and Oliver laughed. Good, let them make a scene. If it bought us more time. I pointed toward the bedroom. “That’s where I showed up.”

Aaron nodded once. “This is lunacy. I don’t break into people’s homes.”

“We didn’t break in. We’re just stealing once we’re here.”

That didn’t make it better, but that was the best I was going to get here. It was technically my stuff, not theirs. But I couldn’t very well say that I wanted it back.

I opened the bedroom door and went inside. Aaron closed it quietly behind us. Immediately, I dropped to the floor to explore the place where all lost things went—under the bed. There were hat boxes and old laptop boxes. I pulled out the ones I could reach and slid under. My nose immediately began to twitch from the dust. What a fucking pathetic comedy this was. I could just picture it. The door would open, Aaron would make a comment about thinking the bathroom was in here, and I’d try to stay quiet, only to be given away by a sneeze.

Then we went to jail.

I didn’t want to go out that way. Digging around, I pushed past boxes and explored every nook and cranny. I could see Aaron’s feet from where I was, lifting the boxes I pushed out to check beneath them. Finally, I had to admit to myself that they weren’t here.

I crawled out, pushed the boxes back, and went to work in the rest of the room.

Aaron and I were a good team. We moved fast but efficiently. Together we moved chairs and checked beneath cushions.

I had a horrifying thought. “Aaron, what if it’s stuck in the walls or something?”

He shrugged as he pulled the comforter back from the bed. “Then we buy different ones and hope that it’s the type of stone that works, and not those stones specifically. We’ll figure it out. Holy shit. I found them.”

The relief was so great my knees wobbled. “You’re kidding me.”

He held out his hand to reveal a stone of soft blue and another that looked like—well—fungus. “This them?”

“Yep.” I put the pillows back and smoothed the blankets. We crept to the door and hurried out. In the hall, we stared at each other, eyes wide and shoulders heaving with breath. “Holy shit, we did it.”

He shoved the stones in my pocket and took my shoulders, giving me a little shake. “We did it. Now, let’s go.” He grabbed my hand like it was nothing, dragging me behind him through the house. “Colt?” he called out.

“Yeah?” His voice was far away. Aaron winked at me.

We found the guys outside with Betsy and Ken. “Sorry,” Aaron said. “We were looking for you. Beautiful home, but big.”

Betsy, who had seemed a little put off by our arrival, smiled at Aaron’s words. “Thank you so much. We know it’s a lot for just the two of us, but when we saw it, we had to have it. Ken and I are like that.”

“There’s no saying no to Betsy.” Ken swung a club, staring out at the spacious backyard. From the corner of my eye, I saw the hot tub. So strange to think that only hours earlier I’d been in there, relaxing.

It struck me that Ken and Betsy probably owned this house in my reality. I wondered if I’d find them to act and speak the same there as they did here.

With the guys being so different, I had to imagine they would be, too.

“I didn’t get your name.” Betsy pinned me with a stare.

“Lacey,” Colton said. He was studying the clubs, pulling them out one by one. “Ken, I have to tell you. I feel like I’m stealing from you here. These are gorgeous. You’re sure you don’t want to keep them?”

That got Betsy’s attention off me quick. “No. He doesn’t. He has enough golf sets. Did he show you Jack Kennedy’s?”

Colton slid the club back into the bag, standing slowly. “JFK?”

“Spent a mint on them from some guy who bought them at auction back in the nineties. Worth every penny. And no, I’m not selling them.”

Colton held up his hands. “I’d never try to take them from you. But these that you’re giving to me will go a long way for the auction. Thanks.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, and I shot him a look. The last thing that we needed was for them to notice.

“I’m going to the car, Oliver, with me, please.” I hurried