"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter One-Hundred-And-Thirty-One: The Winning Shot
(The Hellfire Club, Pt. 4)
***
*content warning: references to near-intimacy and undressing. It's very vague and nothing really happens, but thought I should put this in*
Rowan had almost finished getting ready when the phone rang.
Her aunt's footsteps sounded a second later before the ringing ended and Rowan heard Aunt Aco say, "Who is this, what do you want and never call this number again."
A beat, then a hushed, "Murray?! What are you—can you slow the fuck down, I can't understand—wait, what? Joyce received what and it says fucking what?! Okay... okay, I get it now. I'll be there. Just give me five."
And then the phone call had ended and her aunt sighed heavily before Rowan heard her heading to her room and Aunt Aco knocked on the door.
"Hey, kid," Aunt Aco said.
"Hey," Rowan replied. "What was that Murray was calling you about? And what does it have to do with Joyce?"
"You heard that?" Aunt Aco asked, before she scoffed. "Figures with our shit trailer walls."
"Yeah, exactly. Now, what was it?" Rowan reiterated, trying to hide the seed of worry with a look.
Her aunt returned it before she sighed. "Look, kid, Joyce needs some help with something and she called Murray to come and help her with it, and he in turn asked me to come with him. So, I might be gone for a few days, and I'll let Wayne know so if you or Alistair run into any trouble you can come to him. There's plenty of food in the fridge and cupboard and money in the drawer, and the bills have already been paid for so don't worry about that."
Rowan bit her lip. Her aunt had a good poker face—came with being a career-criminal—but Rowan could tell Aunt Aco was lying. Maybe it was to keep her and Alistair from worrying, which had failed because Rowan had already been worried. The lying just had her more worried.
Yet, Rowan knew her aunt would have a good reason for lying. It didn't make the worry fade.
Aunt Aco, seeing her worry, smiled and assured, "Hey, it's gonna be okay, kid. Murray and I are just going to help Joyce out and then I'll be back. Nothing to worry about."
Rowan looked at her aunt, frowning, before she nodded. "Okay. Just... you'll be okay, right Aunt Aco?"
"Course I will, kid. C'mere," Aunt Aco said as she extended an arm. Rowan fell into the embrace, letting her aunt pull her in close as she kissed the top of Rowan's hair.
When they pulled back, Aunt Aco gave what Rowan was wearing an appraising look.
"You look really nice, kid. Rich boy isn't gonna know what hit him," her aunt complimented, and Rowan smiled.
