All the Love in the World: A Holiday Anthology

by Karina Halle

  A little background: Sage used to be in the 70’s rock band Hybrid. Dawn was the young journalist sent to cover their North American tour. Jacob was their band manager, who was also managing a contract with the Devil who aimed to collect Sage before his twenty-eight birthday.

  You know how it goes.

  Anyway, the tour went horribly awry, people died, Dawn and Sage managed to fuck and fall in love, and now they’re here, in their sixties and retired, living next door to the Palominos.

  “I wasn’t expecting you, Dex,” Sage says, raising his hand in a high-five, and fuck yeah I never miss an opportunity to high-five a rock legend.

  I slap his hand and he winces slightly, which isn’t nothing when he’s pretty tall and solidly built for an old dude.

  “Sorry. Little too excited there.” I need to calm the fuck down. “Anyway, I just dropped by to run something past you guys.”

  Dawn and Sage exchange a furtive glance. “Everything okay next door?” Sage asks.

  “As far as I know,” Jay says, giving me an expectant look.

  “It’s not about them,” I explain. “It’s about me. And Perry.”

  I launch into everything about Mr. Harry Cox from beginning to end, and somehow I don’t even laugh once. By the time I’m done, all three of them have completely different expressions on their faces. Sage looks wary, Dawn looks curious, and Jay, well he’s impossible to get a read on. I think he just might be constipated.

  “So?” I ask. “What do I do?”

  “Why isn’t Perry here?” Dawn asks. “Does she even know you’re talking to us?”

  I give her a look. “Why would you assume I’m doing this without telling her?”

  Jay lets out a loud laugh.

  “Shut up, Ginger,” I snipe at him.

  “Ginger,” he says, shaking his head. “I expected a more creative insult from you, Dex.”

  I glare at him. “Yeah well, I ran out of all my ginger insults a long time ago.” I give Dawn an apologetic smile, since she still has some fiery red in her hair. “Sorry, Dawn. You’re okay.”

  “It’s hard to say what the right thing to do is,” Sage says carefully, ignoring our skirmish. “I err on the side of caution these days. I’ve had too many hard lessons, I’m sure you understand.”

  “But that’s a lot of money,” Dawn says to him.

  “It is only if there’s no catch. No exchange. Otherwise the price is too high.”

  Dawn turns to me. “I think if both you and Perry are open to dealing with the unknown for a night, if you think you can handle it, then it might be a great opportunity. I know why you might think there’s a catch, but to me it just sounds like a man in love. Maybe I’m a romantic.”

  Right. Well I haven’t quite told her that Perry’s not really on board. I just wanted to see if these guys saw any major red flags.

  Then again, Jay hasn’t said anything.

  I look at him. “Well?”

  He folds his arms, chewing on his lip for a moment. “What are you most afraid of?”

  “Clowns,” I reply. “And the dentist.”

  He gives me a look like I’m an idiot. “I mean, what’s your worst fear happening if you do this?”

  “That it unleashes something. That if we contact the dead, that something else, something worse, is listening. Waiting. That we open a portal to the Veil and can’t shut it. That some demon fucking beast thing comes on out. And, personally speaking, having been dragged to Hell by my brother Michael, I really don’t want to go through that again.”

  Sage raises his hand. “Am I the only one here who hasn’t died and or gone to Hell yet? Yeah? Then perhaps you better take my advice.”

  “You know, what you fear will harm you,” Jay says to me. “If you want to do this, you have to go into it with no fear.”

  I laugh. “Right.”

  “I’m serious. And if you can avoid it, don’t let Perry punch any holes into the Veil. I’m still not sure what she’s capable of. I know that she can do things that Ada can’t, and I’m not sure how much control she has.”

  “Hey, Perry’s got all the control, okay? Don’t you worry your pretty redhead about her.” I glare at him. “Anyway, if things play out like they used to with us, I’m sure we’ll just roll on into that house, walk around talking to the walls, and eventually this lady will show up. That’s how it worked before. You seek them out and they appear.”

  Although I’m a bit worried that won’t be the case on my medication. At any rate, Perry will definitely see her.

  “And then what?” Jay asks.

  “I don’t know, ask her what the weather’s like over there? It’s not up to me anyway, her husband is the one who wants to talk to her.”

  “Is he going to be there?”

  “I assume so. Or maybe I’m just supposed to ask and transcribe.”

  Jay looks at Sage and Dawn. “Maybe I should go with them.”

  “Okay, just wait a fucking minute here,” I tell him. “We don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Then why did you need to talk to me about it?” he counters.

  Fucker.

  “I wanted your advice, that’s all.”

  “And my advice is that I should go with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I can close up the Veil if shit goes down. Because I can suss it out ahead of time and see that the coast is clear.”

  “Is your own babysitter going to let you do that?”

  “Jacob?” Jay smirks. “Jacob doesn’t have to know.”

  “Whoa, whoa,” Dawn says, walking over to us. “Jacob knows everything.”

  “Not everything,” Jay says quickly, smiling about something I assume is Ada-related, but I don’t want to know. “And anyway, I think it would be a good idea.”

  “I don’t,” I tell him. “We’ve gone the threesome route before, and it gets pretty messy.”

  “Tell me about it,” Sage remarks.

  Dawn whips around, nearly spilling her tea, and punches him on the arm. “Hey. No one needs to know about what you did with your groupies.”

  “Also,” I say loudly, clearly my throat, “I was talking about being a threesome when it comes to filming. Since it’s usually just us two.”

  “Oh he knows what you meant,” Dawn says to me, rolling her eyes. “He just likes to brag about it when he can.”

  Sage just shrugs. Can’t say I blame the man.

  “So, what do you say?” Jay nods at me. “I can be the back-up, make things go smoothly. Safely.”

  I don’t like it at all but that’s purely because of my ego. I used to be a fucking pro at this, this was my job. Then again, the last few episodes of EIT did have either Rebecca or Maximus with us, so maybe I really do need someone else around to keep me in line. Lord knows Perry can’t rein me in all the time.

  “Okay. Just this once.”

  “Just this once?” he asks, tilting his head at me. “Is this going to be an ongoing thing.”

  I guess I just let that slip, didn’t I?

  “No,” I tell him. “But maybe it’ll be easier to convince Perry now that you’re on board.”

  “You haven’t convinced her yet?” Dawn practically screeches. “Declan!”

  The woman sure has a way of making you feel sheepish. “What? She’s stubborn. I’m just trying to, you know, streamline things a little.”

  Dawn does not look impressed. Sage seems more on my side, thank god.

  And Jay, well I tell Jay I’ll seek him out later once I’ve figure out what Perry is going to say. If he can keep this from Jacob, it’s worth a shot. I just don’t want two supernatural freaks fucking with the job that Harry wants to hire me to do, especially when I trust Jacob the least.

  I bid farewell to the trio and head back upstairs through the house and out the front door, just in time to see Perry marching down the driveway toward me, looking irate.

  “What were you doing in there?” she asks, and from the determined look on her face, plus this dull pr
essure building in my sinuses, I know what she’s going to try and do.

  “No fair!” I yell at her, putting my hands over my ears, as if that will help. Where the fuck is a Magneto helmet when you need one?

  I dodge to left and go over the fence again, leaving her in the Knightly’s yard, then run up the front steps and burst into the Palomino residence.

  “Dex?” Ada says, stepping in front of me in the hall. “What’s going on?”

  “Tell your sister to get out of my head, please,” I tell her, patting her on the shoulder as I grab my overnight bag off the floor and head up the stairs two at a time.

  Okay, so I realize I’m a husband running away from his wife, but I need to compose my own thoughts first before she tries to get a read on them.

  Of course Perry is stubborn as hell, so even though I’m in her old bedroom, which is now the guest room, and I’ve shut the door, she comes right on barreling in.

  “You’re running away from me now?” she asks, slamming the door shut.

  I sit down on the bed, totally trapped. I hold up a hand in defense. “You’re trying to read my mind. I had no choice.”

  “Because I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you. You suddenly ran after Jay and disappeared into That 70’s Show.”

  “I had questions.”

  “About the damn séance.”

  “Hey.” I press my hands at my temples. “You said you wouldn’t do that.”

  “I’m not trying to,” she says, putting her hands on her hips. Damn it, I wish she didn’t look so fucking sexy when she was yelling at me. “And even if I was, you’re actually doing something to keep me out.”

  “Right.” That’s something she’d say to make me lower my guard. “So then how do you know we were talking about Harry Cox?”

  “It was a lucky guess,” she says, a brow quirking up. “You think I don’t know you by now?” She leans in, wrapping her hands around the back of my neck, her palms warm and instantly calming me. She’s got a way.

  I give her a wry grin, reaching for her waist, and pulling her closer to me. “I think you know me better than I do, baby.” My hands slip under her sweater, sliding against the unbearably soft skin above her jeans. I lean in slightly to kiss her, my eyes falling closed.

  She pulls her head back and gives me look.

  No dice.

  “Why were you talking about that with them?” she asks pointedly.

  Oh right. The part where I fucked up.

  “I needed a second opinion.”

  “And a third and a fourth?”

  I shrug. “They were there.”

  Her hands drop away and she walks away toward the closet, staring at it for a moment, perhaps remembering all the crazy shit that went down in there a year ago. No wonder Ada wanted to change rooms again.

  “You know you’re a dick for not including me, right?” she says, turning around and folding her arms across her chest.

  “Yes?”

  “You can’t just go around getting second opinions for something I haven’t agreed to.”

  “Look, you can’t blame me for being proactive.”

  She studies me, and I can tell she wants to snoop inside my head, but what difference does that make if she already knows me so well?

  “So, what did they say?”

  “Well, Dawn seemed to think it was a good idea and probably innocent. I believe she used the word romantic. Sage just wanted to talk about a threesome he had once, and Jay said he’s going to be our chaperone.”

  “Excuse me? Our what?”

  “Yeah he’s volunteered to make sure we don’t fuck things up. Apparently I have a history of doing that.”

  She wiggles her lips, which in turn makes her nose wiggle slightly, and fuck if she doesn’t always look completely adorable when she does that.

  Then she comes over to me and sits beside me on the bed.

  “Maybe that’s not a bad idea…”

  I glance at her in surprise. “What, Jay coming with us?”

  She nods and then puts her hand on mine. “Yeah. I’d feel better.”

  “You think I can’t protect you?” I have to admit, that fucking hurts.

  She gives my hand a squeeze. “I worry that I can’t protect you. I almost lost you once, Dex. I’m not going through that again. But if something like that were to happen, maybe it’s good that we have one of them with us.”

  That hurts, too. I know I don’t want Jay to be the sacrificial lamb, just like Maximus was with me. I hate how this is setting up to be that way again.

  “This time will be different,” she adds

  “How do you know that?”

  “I talked to him.”

  “Who?”

  “Who do you think?” she says. “I called Harry while you were over there.”

  I break into a grin, leaning in to kiss her shoulder. “You are full of surprises, my love.”

  “Just trying to compete with you.”

  “And so…?”

  She stares down at my left hand, using her forefinger to slide my wedding band around and around. “He’s the real deal. Granted, I couldn’t really get a read but I’m trusting my gut here and my gut says he’s just a man with some money who wants one more chance to contact his wife. He says he has questions that need to be asked, even if he doesn’t get the answer, and he seems to think if we do it tomorrow, we have the best shot.”

  “But tomorrow we’re supposed to go to Cannon Beach.”

  “I know,” she says, giving me a sweet smile. “But we can always do that after. I mean, it’s our anniversary right now and we’re here, so what’s the difference? I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Neither am I,” I tell her. I lean in and kiss her, slow and soft and just so fucking sweet. Her mouth opens against mine, hesitant at first, probably because she knows how I get when I kiss her like this, and that I’m two seconds away from pushing her back down on the bed and having my way with her.

  Then the door springs open and Ada steps in, making us break apart.

  “Jesus H. Macy,” I swear. “Don’t you knock?”

  “You guys can make out some other time,” Ada says, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. “I’m going with you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Perry asks.

  Ada points at the both of us. “You. Tomorrow. I’m going with you and Jay.”

  “How the hell did you know about that?” I ask her. “I literally just talked to him.”

  “While you two were about to have sex, I saw Jay,” she says, sounding rightfully disgusted.

  “We weren’t about to have sex,” Perry says, sitting up straighter, her cheeks flushing.

  I give her a look. Liar.

  “I’m going with you,” Ada says with a roll of her eyes.

  “I haven’t even committed to going,” Perry says.

  “What the fuck, woman?” I stare at my wife. “You literally just did.”

  “Anyway, Jay approved,” Ada says.

  “Yes, but I don’t approve,” Perry says, getting to her feet. She’s short, and her younger sister towers over her, and yet there’s so much life force in Perry that she’s completely overpowering. It’s hard to explain, but it makes me very proud.

  It’s enough that Ada takes a step back.

  “Why would you have to worry about me? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through over the last year?”

  “I would if you opened up to me more!” Perry fires back. “You tell me nothing!”

  “Ladies,” I interject. “Calm your tits.”

  “Dex, please,” Ada admonishes my choice of words, scrunching up her nose as she looks at me.

  “Look,” I tell them, splaying my palms. “If Jay says it’s fine, I think it’s probably fine. He knows what Ada is capable of more than we do.”

  “Only because she won’t open to me,” Perry says snidely.

  Ada crosses her arms, leaning back as she appraises her sister. “Well, well, well, sounds like you can�
��t read my mind anymore.”

  “I told you I wouldn’t,” Perry says, but from the hesitation in her eyes, I can tell she’s tried.

  “All I need you to know, blondie,” I say to Ada, “is that the money is our money.”

  “What money?” she asks, eyes round.

  Shit.

  “We’re getting paid to do this,” Perry tells her reluctantly.

  “How much?”

  I let Perry handle that one. She gives me a nod and then shrugs at Ada. “A hundred thousand dollars.”

  Ada gasps. Hand at her chest. Pretends to stumble backward.

  “What?! Are you serious?”

  We both nod. She shakes her head. “And you only committed to this now? What the hell is wrong with you?” She stares at Perry, open-mouthed. “Do you know how much money that is?”

  “I’m aware,” she says carefully, running her hands down her face. She eyes the both of us. “Okay. Fine. Let’s do it.”

  “You said that before,” I remind her. “Is this for real now?”

  “Yes. Let’s do it.”

  “And I can come?” Ada asks.

  “Would it matter if I said no?” Perry raises her brow.

  Ada seems to think that over.

  “It’s going to be fine,” I assure Perry. “I promise, kiddo.”

  “Ugh, you still call her kiddo,” Ada says, walking to the door.

  “Nicknames stick, Little Fifteen,” I shoot back.

  She leaves, sticking up her middle finger at me as she goes.

  “Are you telling me I’m number one?” I call after her. If I don’t get to piss Ada at least once while I’m here, then I’ve failed at my duty as her brother-in-law.

  “She’s rude, you know,” I comment to Perry, who looks pretty stressed for having just agreed to all this. “Are you okay?”

  She nods. “Yeah. Yeah I just…I’m nervous. You know?”

  I get off the bed and take her hands in mine. “No use being nervous about it now. We have all night tomorrow for that.” I lean in and kiss her softly, pulling back to search her eyes. They carry every single color of the ocean in them. “Thank you for saying yes.”

  “I didn’t just do it for you, Dex. I did it for us.” She licks her lips, her throat moving as she swallows. “It really could change everything.”