THE BOOK OF SECRETS BY TRISTAN SNOW

CHAPTER 6

Once back home, we quickly went about getting 2 suitcases ready to pack stuff we might need for the stay in his beach house, he told me he bought the place in cash as a place to store the antiquities he had gotten over the years, for safe keeping, it was off the books and because I had loved the area after we went there as kids, and there we would lie incognito till the funeral.

The 2 weeks passed like molasses, so slowly it was like watching grass grow, I mean I loved being tuck back up in a hunter burrito every night, and the sex was amazing, but my mind was racing day and night to find out what was in that safe, i was imaging all kinds of things and it was driving me insane not knowing, I was shit at patience, always had been , always would be.

Finally the day had arrived, and I pottered about, because a had no patience and was a hair away at biting my own nails right off, so I cleaned, also a girly thing, when nervous we clean and tidy, like if you have a clean house you have a clean mind, I know its stupid, but our girly thing, most men however find cleaning aberrant and most find beer or sex to be there cleaner of the mind.

Hunter was outside on a lounge chair, feet propped up sipping on a cold one, enjoying the day, watching the surf role in and out, bastard, mean while I was sweating from head to toe , cleaning up all the mess, maybe men have it right, its just seems so, so.....lazy.

Eventually 2.30pm rolled around and we left to go to the funeral which was at 3pm.

It was a sad event and a lot of people cried and sniffed, and through roses and dirt, I stayed beside Samantha and hunter, holding there hands and I to have to admit I also cried and sniffed, saying good bye to a dear friend , and the only father figure I really had growing up, and knowing I would never see him again until I went to the pearly gates was , well , it sucked donkey balls, I would rather have eaten cat shit with a knitting needle than be here saying goodbye to my surrogate father.

Afterward was a wake at Samantha and Marcus's house, which for me was way worse because there was memorabilia of him everywhere, the house even smelled like him, me and Sam spent most of the time handing out food , trying to keep busy, to keep the numbing grief from seeping back in, girly shit again, at times of great need we either just flat out fold and cry till we can cry no more or turn into Susie home maker, or the third option, but that wasn't what was called for now, for men how ever they turn to beer and regales of the good old days and how big a fish they caught, if it wasn't for take out, let me tell you, MEN WOULD STARVE.

It was a little after 5.30pm when every one had left, it was just me, Samantha and hunter, we had spoken to her earlier at wanting to speak with her after everyone had gone, she acted like she expected it." Thought you might", was all she said and went about plating food, Malcom made a big deal about wanting to stay, but she promised to contact him after we were gone, but after i lied and told him Marcus had given me a letter stating, a ritual he wanted us and Samantha to perform in light of his death, he relented and left in a huff.

"God i thought he'd never leave, I don't know what it is about that man that has my hackles up, I don't know, he just gives me an icky feeling, he's always hovering, its unnerving" said Samantha, as she watched from the window as Malcom's car disappeared off down the road.

"Yes, something about him makes me feel the same way, but i thought if Marcus trusted him, he must okay" I said.

"Yes well, Marcus believed in keeping his enemies closer" said Samantha.

"Well now he's gone" said hunter closing the curtains, "Marcus sent us to you, he said he has something for us in the safe".

"Yes he does, come with me, hurry in case the nosey vermin comes back". said Samantha, then she went to his study, once inside she went to a picture in the room and removed it from the wall revealing a safe, she punched in the number and it clicked and opened, she reached inside, and pulled out a manila A4 envelope, "This is for you" she said passing it to me, i was about to open it when she said, "no not here, to many eyes and ears, find a safe place, then open it, now hurry before he comes back", suddenly out of no-where the sound of a cars engine began to rumble out side.

"Hurry , go out the back" said Samantha, "I'll try to by you some time, I'm sorry eve, I know you might me mad at Marcus, but he had his reasons for why he did what he did its all in that envelope, now hurry go".

No sooner had she finished but we could hear Malcolm knocking at the door.

"Samantha, I need to speak to you its something I found out about Marcus, its important , open up", said Malcom.

"GO" she shouted and hunter grabbed my hand and took for the kitchen back door.

We made it outside and waited at the side of the house for Samantha to lure Malcom into the house, we could cut through the front yard to get to our vehicle then.

"Malcolm, what is the racket, come inside, the neighbours will have a conniption". said Samantha.

"I need to talk to you about Marcus" said Malcom entering the house.

"Well come in , the others are in the garden" she said.

"Oh okay" said Malcom and stepped inside the house, as soon as the door closed hunter said "Run" and we took off across the lawn, we ran to the end of the road which had now had cleared of the cars from the wake, only our car was left, but as soon as we reached it , hunter ran around to the drivers seat, I had my hand on the handle, when a single shot rang out, my blood ran to ice, stilling me to solid form, Samantha.

"Fuck" said hunter, "Get in fucking car eve" he shouted, but my blood was to ridged to move, had he murdered her, or had she shot him. Something in me ignited at that thought and I wrenched the door open and shouted "Hurry hunter get in and get us the fuck out of here".

"Don't have to ask me twice" said hunter getting in the car , and firing up the engine and tearing off backwards down the road, he swirled the car into the right direction once we were at the end, and we headed towards the beach house again. Going this way and that making sure we weren't followed along the way, my veins ran cold the entire way, with only one thought running through my mind, if he had killed Samantha, I was gonna find a way for the state to kill him.