BANE

CHAPTER SIX - BAIT

/Maybe you should research the death of Kevin Bennett for yourself.../

Holden stared at his phone, reading the last text from Lorelei over and over again. He sighed and raked both hands through his hair, gripping at the back of his head and staring up at the ceiling as though the answer to what he should do would be written on it for him to read. Minutes ticked by like hours until Holden could not bear the unknown any longer.

He sat down at the computer typed the name "Kevin Bennett" and the word "death" into the search bar. The top hit was an article from a local newspaper entitled "Suspect in Attempted Murder Found Dead in Woods." Holden took a deep breath, and clicked. He read through each paragraph twice as the details began to sink in. Kevin's body had been found outside an abandoned hunting lodge where he had been hiding since the night he stabbed Layla. The article went on to say that given his injuries, it appeared Kevin had been attacked by a pack of wolves.

Holden's stomach twisted into a knot. He knew that it hadn't been a wolf that attacked the man—it had been Corbin. He skimmed through the rest of the article which contained a standard warning to the public about safety while camping, as well as an update of how Layla was still recovering in the hospital, but Holden's head was swimming with this new revelation. He had to get out of the apartment. Holden threw on his shoes and a zip-up hoodie, grabbed his wallet, and hurried from the building. He stopped when he got down from the street, looking both right and left as he tried to decide where he could go. He opted for left, and walked to a nearby coffee shop to clear his head.

Only fifteen minutes had passed since Holden sat down at the coffee shop when his phone buzzed on the table to alert him of an incoming text. It was from Corbin. Holden put down his coffee and picked up his cell phone.

/I saw the computer. We need to talk. Please come home./

Holden was torn. Part of him knew he should give Corbin the chance to explain himself, but the horror of what had happened made him hesitate at the thought of having to look at the raven-haired man at that moment. Holden took a few more minutes before making his walk back to the apartment.

Corbin met him at the door. "Let me explain..."

"Why else do you think I came back?" Holden replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Will you at least look at me?" Corbin tried to maneuver into the blond's eye-line, but Holden turned his head. "What the hell, Holden?"

"Just say what you need to say, I can't look at you right now."

Corbin threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't understand—you already knew that I killed him. What is the problem here?"

"I knew you killed him—I didn't realize that you ate him!"

"I never said that. He was bitten and bled out."

"I don't even know how to respond to that..."

Corbin spoke quietly with a shake of his head. "I knew you'd freak out if I told you..."

"Well, obviously."

"So, if I had stabbed him and left him for dead, you would be fine with that, but because we attacked him with our own 'weapons' suddenly you care?"

"Vic bit him too? I didn't think he could."

"He led us to the hideout, Vic didn't kill him."

Holden furrowed his brow. "Who else was with you?"

"It's not important. The point is, Kevin got what he deserved. End of story," Corbin became defensive when the other man didn't respond. "What?"