End of Night, page 9
Ryan’s voice was too muffled for Boone to understand.
“She’s still there,” Grayson said. “Shay just texted Ryan a pic of Hedra on her couch.”
“Fuck,” Boone said.
“What’s going on, buddy?” Grayson asked. “Did you and Hedra fight?”
“Yeah, sort of. I mean, we did. Fuck! She got a threatening text that she said was just a wrong number, but she was lying. I called her on it and asked her to tell me what was going on. When she didn’t, I…”
“You what?”
“I sort of demanded she tell me.”
Grayson laughed. “Your ass still hurt from when she handed it to you?”
Boone huffed out a laugh. “She did get super pissed at me and left the house. I’ve texted and called, but she’s refusing to answer. I’m worried about her, Gray. Does Shay still live on Hemmings Street?”
“Yes, but I don’t think you should go over,” Grayson said.
“She’s in danger, Grayson,” Boone snapped as his tiger snarled. “She needs me.”
“You’re her employer, not her mate,” Grayson said.
He hated how calm and rational Grayson was being. “Someone’s after her.”
“We’ll send Max over to keep an eye on Shay’s place tonight, okay?”
“We know nothing about him,” Boone said. “I don’t want some new guy watching out for my ma… for Hedra.”
“He’s skilled,” Grayson said. “Give Hedra time to cool off before you talk to her again. If you piss her off enough that she quits, what will you do about your nan?”
“Fuck,” Boone snapped before banging his forehead on the window glass. “Yeah, okay. Send the new guy over. Give him my number and tell him to call me if he sees anything or anyone suspicious. Promise, Gray.”
“I promise I’ll give him your number,” Grayson said.
“Thanks, man,” Boone said.
He ended the call and paced the room for another few minutes before returning to the living room. Arranging his face into a semblance of a smile, he sank onto the couch beside Nan.
“Everything okay, Boone?” Nan asked.
“Fine,” he said.
“You never did say where Hedra went tonight,” Nan said.
“Uh, I think she’s out with her friend, Shay,” Boone said.
“Right,” Nan said. Her eyes, still as sharp as ever, burrowed into him until he had to fight not to squirm, and his tiger made a soft growl of submission.
He waited for Nan to say something else like maybe Boone seemed awfully agitated for some reason, but she only gave him a light poke in the thigh. “Find that channel that plays the eighties sitcoms, would you? I want to watch Designing Women.”
“Sure, Nan,” he said. He turned the channel and stared blankly at the screen as his tiger whined and growled for him to go to their mate.
Nan yawned and petted Alfie, who was curled up on her lap. “You ready to talk yet, Boone?”
It was almost an hour late, and even though Grayson had texted to tell him Max was outside of Shay’s place, his worry for Hedra had only intensified.
“About what?” he asked.
“Why you’re so worried about Hedra,” she said.
“I’m not.”
She growled at him, and his tiger retreated as he muted the television. “Hedra is fine, Nan.”
“Then why are you worried?” she asked.
When he didn’t reply, she said, “Start talking, Boone, or I’ll give details about my sex life with Jerry.”
He winced. “Nan, you need to be careful, okay? You don’t want to reinjure your hip or -”
“Stop fretting about my hip,” she said. “It’s fine. Besides, Jerry and I haven’t had sex yet.”
“Thank God,” Boone muttered.
“We’re just doing mouth stuff,” Nan said.
“Nan!”
She just shrugged as Boone rubbed at his forehead again. “Hedra got a threatening text tonight. She said it was the wrong number, but she’s not telling the truth. She got mad when I pushed for more information, and now she’s at her friend’s house and ignoring me. Grayson sent the new guy over to keep an eye on her and Shay, but….”
“You’re still worried,” Nan said.
He nodded. “Yeah, and I feel bad for upsetting her.”
“You should go talk to her,” Nan said. “Ain’t nothing that a good apology can’t solve.”
“Gray said I should give her space. He said I might piss her off to the point where she quits,” Boone said.
“Hedra won’t quit. She won’t give up the magic that is helping my bony ass into the tub,” Nan said.
Boone smiled a little, and Nan patted his leg. “Help me off the couch, Boonie.”
He helped her stand, and she patted his cheek. “You’re a good boy, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Nan.”
“Help me to my room, and then you can leave.”
He frowned. “I’m not leaving you alone, Nan.”
“You can and you will. I’m climbing into my bed and staying there,” Nan said. “You won’t be gone long. Go on now, Boone. Go get your Hedra and bring her home where she belongs.”
“I am soooo drunk,” Hedra giggled before collapsing on the couch.
“And high,” Shay said. “Can’t forget the high part.”
“I’ve never been high on a Monday night before,” Hedra said.
Shay leaned her head against Hedra’s shoulder and yawned. “Me either. I’ll regret this tomorrow when I have to drag my ass to work.”
Hedra squinted at her phone. “Shit, it’s nearly eleven. I gotta go so you can go to bed.”
“You can stay the night,” Shay said. “I don’t have a spare room, but you’re cute. I’ll share my bed with you.”
Hedra laughed. “That’s nice of you, but Nan is an early riser. I’d have to leave at, like, five am tomorrow to get home in time.”
“Ugh. Morning people are the worst.” Shay took another drink of beer. “You can’t drive home. You’re way too drunk for that.”
“And high,” Hedra said. “Can’t forget the high part.”
“Right,” Shay giggled. “Gimme your keys.”
“I’m not gonna drive. I’m calling an Uber.” Hedra squinted at her phone again. Fuck, why was the screen so fuzzy?
Shay hiccupped and giggled again.
“Thanks for letting me hang out tonight and listening to me complain about stupid Boone.” Hedra tried to squeeze Shay’s shoulder, overshot, and got a handful of boob.
Shay laughed. “Hey, watch it, Handsy McGee.”
“Sorry,” Hedra said.
“Eh, it’s fine,” Shay waved a careless hand in her direction. “It’s the most action I’ve gotten in a year.”
She squinted at Hedra. “Hey - you like girls?”
“Nah, I’m straight,” Hedra said. “You?”
“As an arrow,” Shay said. “Which pisses me off because you and I would be such a badass couple.”
“Word,” Hedra said. She held her fist up and grunted when Shay tried to fist bump her, missed, and punched her in the boob.
“Oops, sorry!” Shay said before giggling.
The doorbell rang, and they blinked at each other like tired owls.
“I guess your Uber’s here,” Shay said.
“I didn’t order one. Did I?” Hedra tried to focus on her phone screen.
“Musta,” Shay’s words were slightly slurred as she stood.
“You’re so drunk,” Hedra stood and staggered after Shay.
“And high. Can’t forget the high part,” Shay said. She opened the door and stared at the man standing in the doorway. “You look familiar. Have you Ubered me before?”
She snorted laughter. “Ubered me… good one, right, Hedra?”
She tried to high-five Hedra and slapped her on the side of the head. “Ooh, sorry.”
Shay stroked Hedra’s face as Hedra said, “What are you doing here, Boone?”
“Shit, it’s Boone.” Shay rubbed Hedra’s face again. “Bad luck getting Boone as your Uber driver, babe.”
“Are you drunk?” Boone asked.
“Yes,” Hedra said.
“And high,” Shay said. “Can’t forget the high part.”
“Why are you here, Boone?” Hedra asked.
“I came to apologize and bring you home,” Boone said.
“How’d you even know I was here? Shit, have you bugged my phone, you creeper?” Hedra said.
“He prolly injected you with a microchip while you were sleeping,” Shay said. “That’s a thing now, you know.”
“I didn’t bug your phone or,” Boone scowled at Shay, “chip you. Grayson told me you were here.”
“Narc,” Shay said. She rubbed Hedra’s face again as she stared at Boone. “You want me to kick his ass, babe?”
“Nah.” Hedra squinted at Boone. “He’s gonna drive me home and save me spending money on an Uber ride because he’s a jerkface mcjerky face.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Boone said. “To take you home. I know you’re pissed at me, and you have every right, but ignoring my texts isn’t cool. I was worried about you, little lamb.”
“He calls you little lamb?” Shay clasped her hands between her breasts. “Oh, that is so adorable. You’re adorable, Boone.”
She reached out to pat his shoulder and smacked him on the ear. “Oops, sorry.” She turned back to Hedra. “He’s adorable, Hedra.”
“No, he’s a jerkface mcjerky face.” Hedra grabbed the wall for support as Shay giggled.
“Okay, but also adorable and with a super great ass, am I right?”
“His ass is okay,” Hedra said begrudgingly. She slung her arm around Shay’s shoulders. “Thanks for letting me get drunk with you.”
“And high,” Shay said. “Can’t forget the high part.” She kissed Hedra’s cheek. “Love you, babe.”
“Love you too.” Hedra staggered toward Boone, not objecting when he put his arm around her waist. “Let’s go, Boone.”
“Are you good?” Boone asked Shay. “Maybe you should come back to my place for the night.”
“Ooh, your boy is kinky,” Shay said to Hedra. “Just straight up asking for a threesome.”
Boone rolled his eyes. “No, I just don’t want you choking to death on your own vomit in the night.”
“Gross,” Shay said. “Also, I’m not that drunk, and I never throw up.” She patted her flat stomach. “I once ate three pounds of nachos and digested every bit like a champ.”
Boone laughed. “That’s great. You sure you’re good?”
Shay waved him off. “I’m fine. Take your little lamb home and tuck her into bed.”
“I will,” Boone said. “Good night, Shay.”
“Night. Call me in the morning, Hedra, and we’ll compare hangovers,” Shay said.
Hedra waved at her as Boone led her outside. She breathed deeply in the fresh air as Boone walked her slowly to his car. He stopped beside a dark SUV, and the driver lowered the window. He had short dark hair, pretty dark eyes, and crazy long lashes, and he gave her a brief once-over.
“Hey, I’m Hedra,” she said.
“Max,” he said.
“I like your eyelashes,” she said.
“Thanks.” He glanced at Boone. “We good, or you need me to watch the other one?”
“We’re good. Thanks, man,” Boone said.
Max nodded and started the SUV before driving away.
“Who was that?” Hedra asked.
“He works at the security firm,” Boone said.
“Why was he here?” she asked.
Boone just shrugged, and she groaned, “Oh my God. Did you send him to watch over me?”
“No,” he said as he opened the car door.
“Boone,” she said.
“It was Grayson and Cooper’s call, not mine,” he said.
“Because you didn’t ask them to do it or anything,” she said with a heavy sigh as she sat in the passenger seat.
He didn’t reply, concentrating on buckling her seatbelt instead. He started the drive home, and she glanced over at him. “Thanks for the ride home, Boone.”
“You’re welcome.” He reached across and took her hand. “I’m sorry I pushed you to talk to me earlier, but I’m worried, Hedra.”
“I know you are,” she said, “but I promise you it’s not a big deal.”
He sighed, and she shook her head when he started to speak. “Not tonight, okay? I’m too drunk and too tired to have this conversation.”
He squeezed her hand. “Okay.”
CHAPTER 11
Her head pounding, Hedra sat up in bed with a soft groan. She glanced at her phone, muttering a curse before sliding out of bed. It was after eight, and she usually started her day with Althea at seven. Rubbing at her temples and grimacing at the decomposing frog taste in her mouth, she stumbled into the shared bathroom and knocked on the door leading into Althea’s room before opening it.
“Althea, I’m so sorry, I…”
She frowned at Althea’s empty bed before heading back into the hallway and to the kitchen. Her headache worsened exponentially when Boone sat at the table with no sign of Althea.
Fuck. She was so fired.
“Where is Althea?” she asked.
“Jerry and his son picked her up about five minutes ago. They went for breakfast. Did you know Jerry’s son is a personal care worker?”
She shook her head, wincing when it made her feel like barfing. “I only met him once when he dropped Jerry off.”
“We need to talk, Hedra,” Boone said.
She nodded. “Yeah, I know. Can you let me pack my stuff first so it’s not as awkward?”
He frowned. “Why are you packing your stuff?”
“Because you’re firing me,” she said.
His mouth dropped open. “Why would I fire you?”
“Because I yelled at you last night, then I went out and got drunk and -”
“And high. Can’t forget the high part,” Boone said with a small grin.
She groaned and rubbed her forehead again. Fuck, did her head hurt. “Then I overslept and didn’t do my damn job this morning. Tell me you didn’t have to help your nan get dressed.”
“I didn’t,” Boone said. “She did her morning routine on her own. She couldn’t shower alone but said she’d have you help her with that when she returned home. Apparently, Jerry prefers her natural,” he grimaced “musk anyway.”
Despite her aching, throbbing head and how her stomach had really kicked up the churning, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Nice.”
“I’m not firing you, Hedra,” Boone said.
“Why not?” she asked.
He stood and walked toward her, cupping her shoulders before pressing a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Go take some Advil for your head and have a hot shower. I’ll make you my guaranteed hangover cure breakfast.”
“I cannot eat,” she said, grimacing lightly, “and you’re supposed to be at work.”
“I don’t need to be at Abena’s until this afternoon, and I already told Coop I wouldn’t be in the office this morning.”
“Boone -”
He kissed her forehead again. “Do as I ask, little lamb.”
“You feel better, don’t you?” Boone said with a satisfied smile.
“Shockingly, yes.” Hedra drained her water glass before sipping at her coffee. “I had no idea that avocado toast, a poached egg, and strawberries are a good hangover breakfast.”
“People think they need to eat greasy foods to absorb the alcohol, but that’s bullshit,” Boone said. “The alcohol has long been digested and processed, and now you’re just feeling dehydration and low blood sugar. What you need to do is have some carbs to get that blood sugar back to normal, but balance it with protein and healthy fats.”
She blinked at him. “You don’t strike me as someone who drinks a lot.”
“I don’t, but I had my moments back in the day,” Boone said with a grin. He wiped the counter of toast crumbs and threw the avocado peel into the food waste bin. “But this is actually all Derek. He hated hangovers, so he did everything he could to mitigate the effects.”
His face went soft with the memories. “We’d drag our asses out of bed in the morning, both of us looking like shit and regretting every drop of beer we’d drank the night before. Derek poached the eggs and brewed the coffee, and I made the avocado toast.”
She smiled at him as he rinsed the dishcloth and laid it carefully over the sink before joining her at the table. “That sounds like a lovely memory.”
“The breakfast with him was almost worth the hangover,” he said. His happy grin - God, she loved how he looked when he talked about Derek - turned into a laugh. “Derek hated shaving and always used the hangover as an excuse not to do it. Except Cooper would have torn him a new one if he showed up without shaving. Lucky for Derek, I was more than happy to help him sha -
He cut himself off with a harsh cough before jumping up and taking her empty plate and cutlery. He loaded it in the dishwasher as Hedra sipped her coffee and watched him silently. He turned back to face her, a weird look of guilt on his face. “Do you want more coffee?”
“I’m good, thank you,” she said.
He filled her water glass and sat across from her again. Alfie pawed at his legs, and Boone picked him up and set him in his lap. “Will you tell me who texted you, Hedra?”
“First, I want to assure you that neither you nor Althea are in danger. He isn’t crazy or a stalker. He’s just… sad,” she said.
“Who?” he asked.
She blew out her breath. Thanks to the Advil and the caffeine, her headache had lessened, but she still wasn’t sure if she was up to talking about Dianne. But a small part of her wanted to tell Boone about Dianne. He, more than anyone, would understand Hedra’s grief and sorrow.
“My best friend was a woman named Dianne. She was a human in a family of shifters, like me, and when we met in high school, we instantly clicked. It was like we’d been friends our entire life.” She smiled at Boone. “It was like that for you with Derek, wasn’t it?”
Boone nodded. “Yeah.”
