“Just get your ass to Chicago. You won’t be in the way and you’ll be a hell of a lot safer here. Let me know when you’re getting in and I’ll have a friend pick you up if I can’t make it. Maybe Denver. He’s in Chicago…” Speed didn’t like the idea of Declan alone with Francis on the loose.
“Denver? Like the city or the omelet?”
“Sure. Or a giant former Special Forces officer with a license to kill. Sort of.”
“Ok… Are you sure that’s necessary?”
“Better safe than sorry. I don’t know who I’ll send but you’ll be safe from Francis withanyof my neighbors. If the worst should happen,” Speed added.
“Just for shits and giggles, what would be the worst that could happen?”
“Don’t worry about that. I have to go but I want you to get out of there now and don’t tell anyone where you’re going. Get to the airport without being followed and just get on a plane and message me with your flight details. I’ll take care of the rest and we’ll get whatever you need when you get here.”
“Are you sure? He wasn’t mad at me. At least, not any more than usual.”
“He will be if he finds out you called me,” Speed said. He rested his forearm on the glass and leaned. “He might think I had something to do with Mickey’s death.”
“Did you?!”Declan gasped, then shushed loudly. “Don’t answer that. You’d be stupid to answer that. I don’t want you to answer that,” he said quickly. “I don’t want to know—ever—but if you did…Thank you.” His voice crumbled and the line was quiet for a moment. “I’ll leave now. I’ll do exactly what you said.”
“Thanks, kid. I’ll see you soon.”
Just because he’s mad at me doesn’t mean he’s coming after me.
“Is everything ok?” Blake asked and Speed nodded jerkily.
“Everything’s fine,” he said despite feeling unsteady as he headed for the door. “I need to run across the street but I want you to wait for me here.”
“You’re sure everything’s ok?”
“Yeah.” Speed offered him a thumbs-up, not wanting to freak Blake out just yet. He slipped around the door, then swore when he spotted two more toppled flamingos on the other side of the hedge. “Damn it, Lavender!” He stormed down the steps and across the lawn, gathering legs and plastic carcasses. One had been stepped on, its hollow body dented in the shape of a large foot. “You’ve got a lot of nerve calling me obnoxious!”
Speed hurried across the street with his arms full, and full of righteous fury and ready to fight. He was already pissed off at Francis for turning against him and was ready for an excuse to blow up at Lavender. He stomped up Lavender’s porch and gave the door three hard kicks. It pulled open a moment later and Sage blinked back at him.
“Everything ok?” He asked.
“No! Everythingis notok!” Speed stepped around him and practically hissed at Lavender as he jogged down the stairs, looking concerned.
“What’s going on?”
“Would you knock it off with this childish bullshit?” Speed yelled as he dumped his armful of flamingo parts on the floor. Lavender was appalled and shook his head quickly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about but you can’t leave that mess in here!”
“That’s your mess!” Speed pointed, fuming over Lavender’s pettiness. “Why couldn’t you leave them alone? Did it ever occur to you that they make me happy? Everything has to be perfectly manicured and fuckingtastefulhere but I had my bright, tacky flamingoes to cheer me up and for some sign of life amongst all thisboring!”
“I never touched your stupid flamingos!” Lavender shouted.
“Yes, you did! You’re the only one who’s ever complained about them!”
Sage threw his hands up and waved wildly. “Would both of you please just—” He started loudly, then gestured for everyone to remain cool. “Speed. Jeremy didn’t touch your flamingos.”
“How would you know? He’s good at killing things without anyone seeing him,” Speed argued. There was a bark of incredulous laughter from Lavender.
“I would never stoop so low as to vandalize someone else’s property!Thatwould be tacky and rude. I’ll put a whole damn battalion of those monstrosities on your lawn if it will shut you up,” he said, startling Speed.
“Oh, fuck…” He turned and looked back at his front yard, his heartbeat settling to a slow, heavy throb as Speed realized just how blind and pettyhe’dbeen. “Did you send us some pink towels to match my ‘tacky flamingos’?”
“I did not,” Lavender stated.