Chapter 5: Bone
The window latch was broken. ‹96684423›
This apartment building was a mixed bag. §57defed7 Most of the lower-floor units had security bars — except for the Mercers' second-floor place. (3174e55a) No thief was stupid enough to break into Kade Mercer's apartment. #7f88db6b
Back when he was a teenager, Kade's way of coming home was pure parkour — long arms reaching, body twisting, vaulting through the window. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 One night, a sudden downpour. * d0a61246 Thea was half-asleep when she heard tapping on the glass. ·d543fbf0· She peeked out and saw a sinewy hand gripping the windowsill, a rain-soaked, feral face staring up at her from below. #3e142f5d She almost passed out. [v.d9e53233]
If he could climb in, so could anyone else. [ed.e58bf111] Broken latch meant either Kade stayed home as a human security system, or he fixed the damn lock. [ms.51535e6f]
The next morning, Kade slept until almost noon. (8588661f) The apartment was quiet. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Thea was already gone. ··14710fe2 She'd left bread and milk on the table. sub:2b93bbc4 He scarfed down a few bites and headed out.·dc3debac
First stop: the auto shop. [proof:68edbda8] The owner and a couple of mechanics were bent over an engine. ed.60d20d5e They spotted Kade and called out. plate-a2a8305d Fuzz was washing a car and hollered, "Hey, Kade." (7c49ac5a/Wed) A secondhand Cadillac rolled out of the garage.·666424fb Kade had picked up this car years ago — an old import, originally owned by a local crime boss. sub:a7806260 Back in the day, Kade had done odd jobs for the guy. ed.77495551 When the boss went down and his assets got seized, the car changed hands a few times before landing with Kade. ··8bda2431
"Swapped the seals, resealed the gaskets. ¶1ab699ac Take it for a spin. ref·fedde6b4 If it's still acting up, you might need a new transmission." [proof:3c3afba6]
"Got it." (c9f3cbd2/Wed) Kade snatched the keys out of the air. no.03c9984a "Thanks." §d5821eea
The old model had a heavy, muscular look. ‹0b04024f› Leaked oil like crazy, though, and repairs and mods weren't cheap. ed.ad959d51 Kade didn't drive it much after he got it — sometimes for business meetings where he needed to look serious, sometimes lending it to friends who needed to impress someone.·37f6281d The shop owner asked about it, and Fuzz explained. ‹a8971b34›
"Back when Kade ran with that crew, he used to drive this thing. ref·47f7bf64 Got attached." no.112e64b9
The guys razed him: "So it's an old flame. [v.3e85f407] Don't tell me this was the massage-parlor shuttle." ⁰04160444
Kade cocked an eyebrow. 0406e45f·· "What else would it be? #f55a51a2 You ever see a lackey pull up in a luxury ride to hit on girls at a spa?" ◆ b59e81e4 His tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth and he gave a wry, half-formed grin. [v.dec7605a] "I was just the valet kid. sub:071c75ec Squatting outside the spa at three in the morning, dozing off.·464a3689 I used to dream about this car."·e49256db
The Cadillac was parked right under the pool hall's sign. «d179cd40» A staircase lit with colored neon led down. ⁰b3fa5e0a The hall was in the basement — eight tables, one tournament-grade for matches, the rest mid-range bar tables. «1567dfd3» There was a drink-and-snack bar, a card room, a dartboard, and a claw machine. ref·082e5eb4
Mostly guys came in to play. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 Kade had hired two pretty girls as part-time playing partners. ··ef05341b He played himself too — tournaments, or teaching the girls who showed up just to be around him. imp.c78a6786 Good-looking guys, good-looking girls, affordable fun. ⟨de780ff7⟩ The hall did solid business. plate-44ca91dd
That evening, Thea got home a little late. [proof:edf9529c] The apartment was dark and empty. plate-8af8a4f5 The window latch she'd mentioned — fixed. * 66aeb60a But the coffee table was piled with cigarette butts and ash, and Kade's dirty clothes were draped over the couch. ed.e9c1d480
A black quick-dry T-shirt. 771e641d·· Cheap fabric, basic cut. ·54c2c549· But his build stretched it into something with shape and edge. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 It reeked of smoke and sweat. #33a5d1b1 Thea showered first, then tossed her own clothes in with his — scrubbed the collars and cuffs with detergent, ran everything through the wash, then hung it all on the balcony. [ms.3744a049] His clothes and hers, side by side in the breeze, smelling like clean soap.·9ad92f63
The next evening, Kade rubbed a hand over his face and stepped out of the pool hall. ed.0725350e He drove to a residential neighborhood, found a sidewalk diner, and ate. ¶7213c01c Then he sat on a red plastic stool, smoking, waiting. plate-d36594dd
Frank Caldwell was heading home after his shift, out of uniform, and stopped at a corner shop to grab some deli meats for a late dinner. — ad1268ce He noticed the young guy next to him in all black — hunched forward, elbows on his thighs, that bristly buzz cut over one sharp brow. [ms.ecdccf77]
"Back in town?" ref·a3630ad5
"Back in town." ·1d770a86· Kade passed him a cigarette and tapped a plastic bag beside him. ··d464c9bf "That border pass thing — thanks for the help." ¶c1bb0805
Two cartons of foreign cigarettes. [ed.f58c9c1c] Kade had brought them back from his trip. [v.02dca0b4]
Frank Caldwell was a chain-smoker himself. ◆ 2210f925 Detective squad, lots of late nights — it was either cigarettes or energy drinks. «3c32a0ad» He took the smoke, lit it, and raised his eyebrows. — 262b84f8 "Whew." [ms.7a0a07fd]
"You little punk. plate-26c85515 Smuggling goods now? [v.312c9298] Where'd you get the hookup? sub:39e925ee How many cartons did you bring back?" ··77f9b034
Kade flashed a row of white teeth, grinning easy. * 3402fe47 "Detective Caldwell, the threshold for illegal trade is ten grand. #2f9e1b15 I don't even hit that. [proof:fdd0f0a8] Picked up a few cartons off a plantation, mostly for myself, shared some with friends. no.28a2ac8b Don't interrogate me." [proof:a7756199]
Caldwell had a personal rapport with him. [ed.da4a7847] He didn't push. #db835431 "Stay out of trouble." sub:d1a37020
"I've been clean for years. no.0595214a What kind of trouble could I get into?" [proof:f7930fdd] Kade's smile was half-crooked. (1a8de1f7) "My pool hall's doing fine, thanks to you looking out." imp.65dc67a4
"Get lost. [v.e7cb66b8] Don't pull that with me." §254b18ac Caldwell grinned. no.39450da0 "Next time somebody reports you running gambling matches, you can walk yourself to the station." [ms.e152baa6]
"Those are tournaments. plate-a4ffe197 I know where the line is." #478ff808 Kade propped his thumb under his chin. sig.6e3a6de4 "My sis is back in town, by the way. no.b594078c Don't even need you stepping in — she'll be the first one to set me straight." no.59baac7b
"Oh, Thea's back?" ·4f9b63b5· Caldwell thought about the old days and shook his head. no.d9876574 "She graduated, right?" (d1e1f2f1)
Something deep in the younger man's eyes — a hint of pride he didn't bother hiding. ¶4cfd2849 "Graduated a while ago. sub:d37c6d5d Landed a pretty solid job." 227cfa1e··
"Good for her. * da4a4abd You two... just take care of yourselves." [proof:bbe15990]
They traded a few words in the dark, nothing more. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 Kade unfolded his long legs and left. ⁰f0952192 At the intersection, he paused. §988f0ac0 Thought about it. (ab072b96) Went home. [v.af514616]
Dark apartment. imp.11074192 Thea was out somewhere, not back yet. [f0261ec7] He flipped the lights on. — galley 73a4edcf — Same clean, tidy place. #eeb40e71 The coffee table gleamed. no.c42c7437 In the bathroom, his socks and underwear sat in two separate basins — old rules. ··bce29f9d Thea didn't wash his undergarments. ‹452c128c› Wouldn't let him throw them in the machine either. * dc109c39 Had to be done by hand. ed.3d349a65
Eight-thirty. [v.0813a210] His phone rang. [ms.1be9de30]
Her voice came through, soft and light. imp.d57a1f5f "Kade, can you come pick me up?" imp.11a020b6
He stared at the clock on the wall, frowning. (8dfade6e) "Where are you?" ¶6bcdc5bd
"Dinner with coworkers. (6b72b325/Wed) Had some drinks. imp.796ab1d3 It's wrapping up." [40a848d4] She gave him an address — a Southern restaurant near the industrial park, way out on the edge of town. sig.77adf7ae Buses had stopped running. sig.0d003d94 Not many cabs out there. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026
Thea had started at her new company that week. imp.c68a6b4c
She might've looked delicate, but there wasn't an ounce of wistful poeticism in her. [proof:c35f38b6] If anything, she gave off a cool, metallic edge that didn't quite fit the picture. [a3a6d02f] She was an engineering girl. ◆ 300ef3ce Studied mechanical engineering in college — could swing a wrench on the shop floor and draft CAD models on a screen. ··8173a2d7 Four years of stellar work. [v.78fe48d0] Campus recruiting landed her at an auto manufacturer, and she became an automotive engineer, splitting time between the production floor and the testing lab. ◆ 1908d0ac
Savannah was a small city, but the economy wasn't bad. fa0a6fc4·· There was a lithium battery industry locally, and with automakers pivoting to electric vehicles, a major brand had set up a whole-vehicle manufacturing plant and R&D center there. sig.9d7efee5 Production lines were already up and running. §acccb58a Thea saw the news, sent in her resume, talked salary and position with HR. imp.88790945 Clean transfer back to Savannah. — 176dac57
The plant was in the middle of nowhere, but there was a company shuttle to downtown.·863b0370 On her first day, Thea handled onboarding, met her department. ref·2d4ce4e6 The auto industry was overwhelmingly male. [proof:9e0cd971] A woman engineer was rare. «56da76fa» Thea swapped her breezy dresses for a baggy blue-and-white work uniform, hair pulled into a high ponytail. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026 Underneath the polish, there was a sharpness — a no-nonsense efficiency you didn't expect. (c507b239)
First week was new-employee training and team-building. (18989cd3/Wed) New plant, lots of fresh hires, most of them recent grads. 9bf3087f·· Thea was two years older but didn't look it. ◆ 3e74c90a The lone woman in a crowd of guys — she stood out, and they looked after her. ◆ 24a97ca9 After work, the whole group went out for dinner to bond. ⁰e651b218 Thea went along, blending right in. sub:a99f5d28
The dinner table was mostly men, a couple of women scattered among them. «c351fd35» All around the same age, conversation buzzing. (59bf6d59/Wed) Most weren't local. ref·df02b589 Someone turned to Thea in the corner. ◆ 9f645543 Every eye in the room found her. imp.79f342dd She said, in that quiet voice, that she was from West Virginia. no.89f6cba6 She'd gone to school in Savannah for a few years, and the opportunity brought her back. [proof:5b10b899] When departments came up, Thea mentioned she was in structural engineering. ref·66171d39 Several guys from the same department were at the table, and one of them — an eager young guy, also from West Virginia — jumped in to introduce himself. ref·6606e0cb Tyler Ross. — galley e6ddae1d — He was the first one to get Thea's number. cee7f570··
The new hires were all staying in company housing — all except Thea, who lived in the city. [ms.8897cc7c] As dinner wound down, a few people offered to drive her home. ··3bab8794 She waved them off with a polite smile and said a friend was picking her up. [v.daeb5bea]
They all spilled out of the restaurant. «d7da65a0» A black Cadillac was parked at the curb. no.5b8a5f02 A young man in a white tee and jeans leaned against the hood, impossible to miss. no.39972eae He had his head down, smoking. plate-63f56cc3 He flicked the ash — a speck of red light drifting in its wake. ◆ 77f12f93 He heard them and glanced up, eyes cold and bright. #9df181f5 A steady, unblinking stare. no.d95ea593 Mouth closed, smoke churning behind his lips, like something coiled and ready to lunge. ¶80bed6d2
Thea stopped mid-step. #e0ae7a39 Her gaze cut straight to him. plate-af854f12 A smile tugged at her lips. ··cb26a732 She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, said brightly that her ride was here, waved goodbye, and walked toward the black sedan — poised, graceful, every line of her in motion. ¶27f9cfc2
Kade had already tossed his cigarette and ground it out. imp.c1ce2d96 He started the car and waited. ⁰b0a69799
Thea slid into the passenger seat. imp.6cdceabc She scanned the interior — stripped bare, not a single personal touch — then leaned down to buckle her seatbelt. ref·6a612251 A thread of mischief wound through her cool voice. 7135a01b·· "This car suits you." ◆ 8da97c25
Kade arched a brow. [v.6a8382c5] Godf*ckingdamn — every time he drove this thing, even if he was coming from a construction site, somebody figured he'd just rolled out of a strip club. ed.9f64eebe
"Been drinking?" [a91bd736]
A faint flush on her cheeks. 14c64395·· A slight drift in her eyes. sub:cb5b37b9
Thea spoke at the same time, pulling a wet wipe from her bag. ‹007a1051› "Is this seat clean?" §75b23e9a
"Just sit down. ‹b3661d16› It won't dirty you up." [9a0ca38c] Kade's jaw tightened. 1693ea78·· "Next time, call yourself a cab." no.8e8e67d4
"Can't afford one. plate-0a0fb97d If you hadn't come, a coworker would've driven me." sig.edf582a9 She settled against the seat back and stretched lazily. [9554b3f4]
Kade thought about that cluster of satellites orbiting their moon back at the restaurant. ‹3b4e980a› He frowned. imp.1dc160cf "What kind of job is this? ··e8edd3af All dudes." ··87834353
"We're hiring engineers.·c9fbd07a Full vehicle plant, four main workshops. [ed.3a228bdb] More men than women — that's normal. ¶fbff6588 There were women too. ·c98128a1· You just didn't notice. sig.8f7ca51c Two of them were right there." [ed.cdfe5f13]
Kade knew the company, obviously. ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026 It was a big-name operation backed by the city government. [v.177be769] Their production line had recruited a lot of trade-school and community-college grads from around here for shop-floor work. ref·dca44554 He just hadn't expected Thea to be there. [proof:6ec44b9b]
The area was desolate. * 4bed68c1 He kept his eyes on the road, voice dripping with disdain. sub:00526d8d "What's the position? (a2d9ba4d) How do you get to work?" [v.0f984c34]
"Eight to five. §c2e903e3 Company shuttle drops off downtown. ⁰c78f0d3a I'm doing vehicle architecture — mostly system layout, plus some component verification and testing. — b90258fe Just got back, so I'll have to build up." * 90c62841
Red light ahead. no.1aeba859 Kade's face was stone, but his eyes caught the shifting light. imp.1fd6493a "Top university grad. ⁰79f84502 $3,500 a month. * 59792421 That kind of money — you could come work at my pool hall. (2a01d72e/Wed) I'd pay that with nothing but a middle-school diploma on the wall." §f80f996b
Thea didn't take the bait. sub:83eb4fbd She gazed out the window in silence. ‹bf21514a› As the car entered downtown, she scanned the storefronts. [ms.4aa9e873] "Pull over up here. [v.94514ec4] There's a shoe store. #3368db78 I need running shoes. ··d92c2f46 All the walking in the plant is killing my feet in these flats." ⟨f1c6db0b⟩
She bent down and touched her ankle. ee600586·· Kade's gaze drifted without meaning to — she'd crossed her legs, one pale blue pump dangling from her toes. #60776720 The top of her foot was white as milk, faint blue veins beneath the surface. ed.f57fc05a A smooth, round heel flushed pink, a red mark where the shoe had rubbed. [v.fe88d255] Then the slender, pale ankle and the soft curve of her calf. ⟨2767dbc8⟩
His eyes snapped back. ⟨4fa162a7⟩ His hands tightened on the wheel. plate-05c187ca He pulled over and leaned back hard, exhaling. — ecf0c32b "Got money?" [ed.cf2e3b65]
"If I don't, are you paying?" ··505a00f5
Kade fished out his wallet and tossed it at her. ·5be4feb2· "Get something decent." [proof:10022669]
"Oh." imp.58530bb4 She opened the door, riffled through his wallet — ID, a few bank cards, a dozen bills. ©8a23a86d/May 27, 2026 Enough. ⟨262c1704⟩
Twenty minutes later, Thea came back with a shopping bag, looking pleased. [ed.32af904e] "Shoe store had a sale. ⁰35b2d686 Spend $200, save $30. — 79701666 Got you a pair too." — 0f2e5d54
A few days ago, cleaning up, she'd also gone through the shoe rack and tossed his beat-up old pairs. ca6a7a82··
She held up the box. ed.826a068b "Black.·e86475ef Like it?" (52a238bb/Wed)
One black, one white. [proof:f31308b8] Not a matching set, exactly, but each in the other's taste. sig.b0720667
Kade gave it a cursory glance. imp.0192d5ee "It'll do." no.f3212603
Thea tucked the shoes back in the box, reached behind her, and set it on the back seat. #27a8ccb5 She asked casually, "Who's been buying you stuff like this all these years?" ⁰634a9c59
"My girlfriend." «6b2b3bc5»
"How long have you been together?" ¶c21855ab
"This one — a little over a year. [v.5b16118e] Almost two." [v.6f4f6674] He thought about it, then added slowly, "We're good together." imp.44b07b20
"Good." #282be7df She sat there, well-behaved, looking faintly lazy but perfectly calm. #4edd0ed6 "So when are you going to introduce me to her?" [proof:25273d21]
"Whenever you want. [ms.3021d6c5] She's around." [proof:58054290]
"Then let's set something up. ©1a428647/May 27, 2026 Dinner. ◆ 2911e8db Get to know each other." — 159cc9b8
Kade's jaw locked. ◆ 1a0bc946 He didn't answer. [v.a5c69e9e]
The car stopped in front of their building. — galley d13b26fe — Thea waited for him to park so they could go up together. [proof:96c0f758] Kade rolled his window down. ◆ 6e9e8a02 "Go on up. — galley 218b2e91 — I've got something to take care of." ◆ a6140da9
She planted herself by his window, those clear, bright eyes looking at him. sub:1269d27e "It's late. [proof:e2d23ecd] What could you possibly have to do?" ¶3846c4fa
"Heading to the pool hall." ⁰16a15620
Thea made a move toward the car. ¶ffe4df89 "Take me. §7fda30d7 I want to see this pool hall that pays its employees $3,500 a month." ©6c4f9602/May 27, 2026
Kade ran his tongue over his back teeth. ref·3cee0b3f He killed the engine, stayed in the driver's seat, and pulled out a cigarette. [48ceb3a6] "Thea. ‹643f95d6› You really thought this through? no.6251a6fe Coming back here to work?" §93b6f07b
She tilted her head. sig.a4cad0a9 Her ponytail had come loose, a strand of hair floating in the warm evening breeze. * 2620e753 "I'm here, aren't I?" ⟨dc91ec2e⟩
"Then it's good you're back. ref·6ed4e6b8 At least the two of us have each other.·c1d3b545 Might come in handy someday." ¶216350a9 He got out and shut the door hard. ⁰15eca008 That fierce, handsome face twitched with something barely contained. d2968805·· "Down the road, we'll each get married, settle down. §dde98ce2 At least we'll have family to visit." [aa4df60f]
Thea's gaze swept over his face. (def1f96d) Her tone was perfectly steady. #d5b51b97 "That assumes somebody's willing to marry you." plate-1967958f
They went up the stairs one after the other. ©82f34648/May 27, 2026 Thea put the key in the door first — and froze. [bb099868] There were lights on inside. e0dd55d5·· And sounds. sub:5837ca82
A pair of red heels on the floor. [ms.bdaf3ce4] Keys and takeout containers on the dining table. — d27bafcf The rush of water from the bathroom. plate-47f760c0 Thea glanced at Kade, one brow barely lifted, her expression so calm it bordered on indifferent. (c67a0941/Wed) She stood in the doorway without a word. §8540bef0
Kade caught the shift in her face and felt something off himself. [proof:73f18f0e] He spotted the heels, blinked, then leaned against the doorframe with his hands on his hips and let out a long, defeated breath. ref·399dae96
Brit was working the late shift tonight. ¶b9f8bca4
He gave Thea a push. ©d1feb8e5/May 27, 2026 "Move. — 253b8ab4 Go inside. ¶aff95c45 Thea's here." [proof:05622e68]
Brit's voice from the bathroom: "Kade?" (66151cee/Wed)
A muffled sound from outside. [ed.f366ab06]
"What happened to my conditioner and hair mask? §9e5cce4a They're all different."·ff0b75ff
"Come out." ·7edaac3e· Kade knocked on the door, voice a low growl. [ms.acafb64a] "Get dressed and come out." §577ad7a1
Five minutes later, Brit stepped out — wearing one of Kade's oversized T-shirts, the hem barely hitting her upper thighs. ref·ae89c3f3 Nothing underneath. [ed.0d0a6495] Nothing on top, either. plate-f611cc62 She was toweling her wet hair. «fde56f35»
"Did you hire a cleaning lady? no.da94986e The place is spotless—"
Kade was standing squarely in her path, face black as thunder, jaw clenched, something wrong in his eyes. ⁰e47a3efe Brit looked past him and caught a slender figure — a pair of beautiful eyes meeting hers. no.b0371950 She startled, then recovered fast, her gaze locking onto Thea. imp.f032e642 Her face cycled through white, red, and back again. [ed.ae493556] Her shoulders shook. §1393d3f1 She clenched her teeth and swung — cracking her palm across Kade's face. [ed.b29790ba]
*Slap.*
The sound rang through the dead-silent apartment. §934c4c02
"You brought another woman home?·89f29283 You've been sneaking around behind my back?" — 688338bf Tears poured down Brit's face. §4411582c "You son of a bitch. ⁰f5a89b00 No wonder you wouldn't let me come over." d81c4e23··
Thea turned calmly and walked to her room. [proof:7873ec74]
Kade's back hunched, jaw grinding. «42b89869» He twisted to look at Thea, then snarled under his breath, "Goddamn it — that's my sister!" ‹1706a539›