"Someone is here." Paul stiffened as he heard a car pull into the driveway. Things had been quiet for the three of them since Joe had sent them away. It had been a long and tedious drive to New York but they had made it. Emma had stopped bitching about her shoulder so it seemed she was going to make a full recovery. She had even been up for a little tumble in the sheets last night but Paul was still feeling bitter about it because he hadn't been invited. The night the three of them had shared together had been something special but it seemed that Jacob and Emma were back on their own train. He was feeling like the third wheel once again but he hoped that feeling wouldn't last too long.
"What?" Jacob stood up and walked to the window with Paul. The two of them scanned the vehicle that pulled in. It looked familiar and just a few seconds later they were reminded why. Joe stepped out of the driver's seat and rounded the car to grab Liette's door. He held it open for her and she stepped out, taking a look around. "It's Joe." Jacob said, looking back at Emma who was resting on the couch.
The girl seemed to spring to life with that comment. She used her fingers to push back her short hair and let a smile cross her lips. "He came back." she said in an airy breath. He had not abandoned them for Liette. There had been a few moments when Emma had feared that. She had worried that Joe no longer cared for them but now it was clear that she had been over thinking all of it. He had needed to be away from them for a while but now they could be together again.
Liette had still been confused as to why Joe had brought her here until he had spoke up in the driveway. "I know it isn't Times Square but I figured you'd like the view." She had always talked about wanting to go to New York. Back in college she hadn't had the money to take the trip but she had seen it since. Now Joe was trying to ensure that she would see it again. This house was right on the bay and you could see the skyline of skyscrapers from the front porch. It was beautiful and under different circumstances Liette would have loved the idea of residing here. Right now she didn't like the fact that she was about to be reunited with three psychopaths once more.
"Do you like it?" Joe asked as he took Liette's hand. She gave him a small nod. She didn't seem as impressed as he had thought she would be. He bit his lip and tried to think of something else to say but instead his attention was caught by the front door opening.
"Joe!" Emma practically flew into his arms, separating the link he had with Liette as he let go of her hand to hug Emma. He wrapped his arms around her carefully and pulled her in tight. It was good to see that she was okay. Now that the anger about them losing Joey had subsided Joe was able to appreciate having Emma close. She had always been so loyal to him. Her thrill to see him made him feel wonderful. She was one of the few lights in his very dark life.
"I told you I'd come back," he laughed as he pulled back from the hug to see that Emma had tears in her eyes. "I'm not leaving you this time," he promised with a smile. Emma's emotions rushed at this. Joe was staying for good. They could all finally be together. "Soon, we'll be with the others. Has anyone contacted you?"
"The others?" Emma's face twisted just as Maggie's had days ago. This was news for her as well. She had been kept out of the loop and only knew about the small immediate group that Joe had charged her with. She had pretty much been the leader of her sect but clearly this was much bigger than she had ever imagined.
"Oh come on Emma, you had to know he wouldn't tell us everything." Paul was standing in the doorway listening to the whole conversation. His face formed an unamused grimace. He still wasn't so sure he wanted to trust Joe anymore. The man had sent them up here to New York to just sit on their asses and wait. Paul was sick of waiting. He wanted to trust Joe. He wanted to believe this whole thing was going to amount to something for him but it was looking less and less likely. This was Joe's story, they had been fools so far to think they were anything more than pawns in his sick game. He didn't care who loved or who died and he certainly care how it happened. What if their deaths weren't beautiful? What if they died before they could amount to anything? That was what Paul feared.
"Dude, shut up." Jacob hit Paul's arm, knowing that angering Joe would get them nowhere. They just had to keep going with this. Clearly this was bigger than they had ever imagined but maybe that was a good thing. They had a chance to be a part of something great. Paul was going to lose that chance if he didn't calm down.
"Paul, I had to keep some things from all of you to keep you safe." Joe said as he left Emma's side to approach Paul. His hand came up to touch the side of Paul's face. He hooked his hand back to the nape of the younger man's neck and pulled Paul in closer to speak to him. His face was filled with emotion and motivation but Paul wasn't sure if he bought it. He watched Joe's every move from his closeness. He tried to read the man but was aware of how difficult it was. Joe was the master in this game. "Everything will become clear very soon. Roderick will call."
Roderick was the name of the main character in Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. Liette remembered Joe talking about it in class but it wasn't a story she had cared for. It was all still there in her head but that wasn't what she needed to focus on. Of course the name was relevant to Poe's work but the greater question was who was Roderick really and why would he be contacting them?
"Now, Liette and I came a long way. I'd like to make us all dinner." Joe said, casting a glance at Liette. He raised his hand to her to get her to come. She did not hesitate. Her hand was in his almost in a moment and he was leading her inside. The house was just as nice on the outside as it was on the inside. Clearly a lot of Joe's followers had money that they had been wiling to spend on him. This wasn't surprising at all. She wouldn't be surprised to find out that some people had emptied their bank accounts just because Joe had asked. He could be a persuasive man and to these people he was practically a god.
"I can make dinner," Emma offered quickly.
"No thank you Emma, you've done enough, I want to take care of all of you." he said with a soft look. Emma's smile remained on her face and she gave him a nod. "Perhaps you can show Liette upstairs so she can get comfortable. I'm sure she'd like a shower and a fresh change of clothes." Joe said with a soft smile. Liette gave him a nod that suggested she agreed with him. She needed a bit of alone time to wash off and get her head clear. She had spent almost every minute with Joe over the past couple of days and it would be nice to have a break.
Emma didn't protest. As Joe let go of Liette's hand she took a soft hold of Liette's wrist. "Come on," she said softly. She was going to try and show Joe that she'd play friendly with Liette. Hopefully this would promote Joe's appreciation. If Emma and Liette could become friends, Emma had a better chance at staying close to Joe.
While Emma was charged with Liette, Paul and Jacob were once again given nothing to do. Joe found his way to the kitchen and immediately started pulling things from the cupboards. The slice of a knife hitting the cutting board rang through into the other room. It was only slightly unnerving.
"I don't like it." Paul said as he took a seat in the living room. Joe's little show of physical closeness had done nothing to convince Paul that he was actually emotionally attached to them. He definitely liked Emma the best but that didn't mean he wouldn't let her hang on her own noose one day.
"Dude, you need to just chill out." Jacob shook his head as he sat on the arm of the couch that Paul had sat on.
"Don't tell me to chill out." Paul snapped, emphasizes the first word.
"You've been tense ever since we've got here." Jacob said with a sigh.
"What do you want me to do?!" Paul's voice raised once more. He was done with everyone criticizing him. He couldn't just be the rag doll they wanted him to be. He did have a brain and he could see when things weren't right. He wasn't as blind as Emma and Jacob seemed to be. "I got to play third wheel to you and Emma again and now I get to play fifth wheel."
"Is that why you're being a little bitch?" Jacob asked. If Paul was always going to pull fits about him and Emma this house was going to be uncomfortable. He loved Emma. In a way he loved Paul too but he wasn't so sure he could be what Paul wanted him to be. He was scared of accepting that part of his life. He wasn't even really sure if it was what he wanted. He was attracted to Paul in one way and to Emma in another. They both gave him something he needed but he couldn't decide what he needed more.
"Don't call me that!"
"Boys is something wrong?" Joe was standing the doorway of the living room. He had been listening to their conversation from the kitchen but had decided not to interrupt until he heard their voices raised. He didn't want their to be a full out fight tonight. This needed to be a relaxing night for all of them. Soon enough their lives would get very busy so it was important to have a night where they could just take a breather.
"No." Jacob said the moment Joe's question finished.
Paul looked at Jacob, anger burning in his brown eyes as he stood up from the couch. "I have a headache, I'm going to lay down." he said to both of them and then left the room without another word. He pushed past Joe in the doorway and headed upstairs. Joe watched him go and then allowed his eyes to fall back on Jacob.
"Paul's having a hard time."
"He'll be okay." Jacob said, standing up straight in Joe's presence. He didn't want Joe to think that they were falling apart. They needed to be a cohesive unit. They had already screwed up by losing Joey Matthews. They had almost lost Emma that day as well. It was vital for them to not screw up again. "He just needs some rest, he was worried about you."
"Of course."
"Do you need any help with dinner?" Jacob asked.
"No, thank you Jacob. Maybe you should get some rest too."
The house was nice. Not quite as nice as Lane's End but a bit nicer than the place in Virginia Town. Emma showed Liette the master bedroom. Clearly she and Jacob would be moving out of this room to give it to her and Joe. Liette wished she could just have a room on her own but she knew requesting that would not go over well. She had to keep up this charade with Joe which meant she had to pretend that he had a chance to win her love back.
But how much was she pretending?
Every second with Joe was harder and harder. Every moment with him brought more memories into her mind of how they used to be. She was reminded of the man that was her best friend and of the man that she had fallen in love with. She could feel that old blush finding her cheeks every time he complimented her and sometimes she felt herself falling into the flow of their old conversations. She felt herself getting comfortable because she was allowing to see him as separated from his crimes.
But then when she closed her eyes she remembered the horrors again.
This time it was in the shower. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't get soap in her eyes when suddenly she saw the faces of girls from her classes flashing before her eyes. Their faces were eyeless and cold. They appeared as they had on the board in the briefing room in the FBI. With enough focus she could pretend that she was there again. Of course that wasn't the case. Her eyes opened once more as the water turned cold and she was reminded of the choice she had made.
She had decided to be one of them even if she was just pretending. Right now this was her life. No matter how this ended there was never a way she would see the inside of the briefing room again. Her badge was useless now and her gun would be taken away the moment they got her into custody. If she made it that far. In reality the most likely end to this involved the end of her life.
"Liette." a knock came after Emma's voice sounded. "Joe says dinner is almost ready."
"Alright, I'll be down in a bit." she responded, turning off the water. Her body shivered as she stepped out of the shower into the bathroom. She grabbed a towel of the back of the door and wrapped it around herself. She used the back of her arm to wipe the steam off of the mirror to get a look at herself. Under her eyes were two dark circles from the lack of sleep she had been getting. Overall she looked exhausted. Maybe she needed a night to relax as well.
"I've set some clothes out on the bed for you to pick from."
"Thank you Emma." Liette didn't like how friendly Emma was being. She imagined there was some sort of underlying reason for this new amiable nature that Emma was displaying. Liette had a feeling it wasn't just gratitude for stitching up her arm.
"See you downstairs."
Dinner was strange. The five of them slipped into the table in a quiet nature but as Joe began to command conversation the atmosphere lightened significantly. Liette and Paul were by far the quietest but the others kept trying to drag them back into conversation. It was Jacob who was constantly encouraging Paul to interact but Paul gave him nothing but head nods and one word answers. He thanked Joe for dinner but he was the first one to get up from the table. He claimed it was his headache again.
"He'll be alright, just needs some sleep, I'm sure." Joe said before standing from the table "Now, who would like a drink?" he had not had a sip of alcohol since his incarceration. His body was suddenly craving it and he had noticed a few bottles in the cupboards of the kitchen. There was no reason they couldn't drink.
"I'll take a glass of wine please," Emma said with a nod. They had broken out a bottle a few nights ago but it would nice to have a drink with Joe. He deserved it. They needed to celebrate, with or without Paul. If he didn't want to be part of all this now then it was his own fault for missing out.
"Same please," Jacob nodded.
"Liette?" Joe looked to his favorite blonde but she was already shaking her head.
"I'm alright." she didn't think alcohol would be a good idea.
"Whiskey and coke then." Joe said, deciding for her. He was back in the kitchen pouring drinks before she could really protest. She got up from her seat and followed him.
"Joe, I really don't want anything," she said as she came into him opening a new wine to pour out for Emma and Jacob. She walked up to stand beside him but he kept working on the drinks before turning to look at her.
"Please Liette, have a drink with me." his hand was already on the whiskey bottle. He was unscrewing the cap with the hand Ryan Hardy had not hurt.
"Joe..." she went to protest again.
"It means a lot to me."
"I..." she wanted to keep protesting but suddenly he was looking right at her with those piercing brown eyes. The way he was looking at her almost made her feel guilty for no. Suddenly she was coming up with excuses in her mind. All the excuses were made to allow herself to not feel bad about having a drink. Just one. You won't get drunk. You'll stay safe. All these thoughts ran through her mind and suddenly she had convinced herself no harm could come out of this. "Oh alright, just one."
"Just one...to start." he smirked.
Just one Liette, just one...to start.