by A. P. Moraez
Energy buzzed from the inside of his elbows all the way to his fingertips, coiling and itching and burning, warming him all over. When Ash opened his eyes, surprised, several of the runes and symbols, both angular and round, had lifted from his arms and settled along Trav’s body. They disappeared under the bed covers and Ash panicked, not knowing what the hell was gonna happen. In seconds, the whole room was filled with so much blue light, that Ash was afraid something would catch fire. He narrowed his eyes, trying to protect himself. Trav’s body had disappeared in the middle of all the light, and Ash silently prayed that he’d be okay. That it wasn’t hurting him. It lasted less than ten seconds and, before he knew it, all those symbols lifted from Trav’s body and contracted to their original size; then, with no pain at all, settled back onto his forearms, ignoring his clothes.
Ash was tense all over, gazing intently at his arms, trying to understand how and why and how.
A small movement caught his eye, and Ash, daring to hope, lifted his gaze to Trav’s face.
Lively green eyes, still half-closed, greeted him and, dear God, that little shy smile was right there. It was real and it was right there, greeting him.
“Uncle Ash. What you doing here? Where’s uncle Logan?”
Ash couldn’t believe it. “Why would your uncle Logan be here?”
Trav, looking very much the old soul that he was, rolled his eyes. “He’s everywhere you are.” His voice was so low and rough, it broke Ash’s heart. Then Trav frowned, twisting his head a little to both sides. “Where am I? Where’s my mom?”
A gurgled sound erupted from Ash’s mouth and he found himself leaning down and pressing gentle kisses all over his godson’s confused face. “They’re right outside, Trav. You were just a little bit sick, but now everything is fine. They’re just outside, don’t worry.” Then he assaulted the kid with one more onslaught of kisses. And Ash only stopped when Trav was growing red from how much he was laughing, trying to defend himself from Ash’s attack.
“Want me to go grab mom and dad?”
Trav’s kind eyes gleamed. “Yeah.”
Ash ignored his protests and pressed just one more kiss to the boy’s forehead, before he leaned back and started moving, walking backwards, toward the door. “I’ll be right back, okay? Just a sec.”
He couldn’t help the huge grin that was probably stretching his face and making him look like a lunatic. He closed the bedroom door behind him and paused, thanking whatever the freak was now inside of him, marking his skin, for having just saved that boy’s life. Ash didn’t know how he’d survive had anything happened to him. Like an answer of sorts, both his arms warmed for just a second, then went back to normal. It freaked him out, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that now. Now it was time to give his family some good news.
They all turned to him, faces immediately confused at seeing the way he was beaming.
“Trav’s awake. I think he’s fine. You guys should go see him.”
“What?” Hugh’s voice boomed from right behind him. Ash whirled around and repeated to the doctor which he’d failed to see before. He must have been coming from the bathrooms or something. Ash tried to hold back laughter at Hugh’s perplexed face. “He’s awake.”
“That’s not possible,” Hugh said in a low voice at the same time he flew to Trav’s room.
“Ash, if you’re messing with us, I swear to God—”
“Go see, then,” Ash cut his brother off as the big man rushed from his seating position on his way to follow Hugh. He stopped briefly in front of Ash, looking lost and confused beyond measure, like he wanted to go but didn’t want to find out if it was true or not. “Go, you idiot!” Ash laughed, tears for the hundredth time in just a day running down his face.
Soph followed her husband down the corridor, Tom and Martha not too far behind.
“What happened?” came Peter’s groggy voice from Ash’s back.
He whirled around to greet his friend.
“Trav just woke up. He’s fine.”
“Thank fucking God,” Peter exhaled, hugging Cass to his side. Ash winked at her. He hadn’t even said hi to her yet. He missed her. He missed all of them. He was just glad they were all safe now.
Logan took his hand in a firm grip and brought Ash’s eyes to him with a hand on his cheek. “You sure he’s fine?”
“Yeah.” Ash staged a shrug. “I was just there… talking to him, and he woke up. He seems fine to me; has a bit of color back to his cheeks and everything.”
As a group, Logan, Cass, Peter, and him followed down the corridor. The hospital probably didn’t allow for that many people to crowd into a room, but to be completely honest, in that moment he didn’t give a damn.
Even before they reached the room, there came voices and sobbing and laughter. Cass and Peter rushed to Trav’s side, and the boy seemed overjoyed to have all his loved ones pampering him, asking him questions. Logan was grinning, sapphires shining in his stupidly gorgeous face, hand squeezing Ash’s in a death grip.
Hugh was a few feet away from the celebrating family, eyes wide and mouth agape. Their eyes connected and the doctor schooled his expression. Then he came in Ash’s direction.
“Please tell me exactly what happened.”
Ash shrugged. “’Dunno. I was talking to him and he just… woke up.”
Hugh shook his head, clearly flabbergasted. “That shouldn’t be possible.”
Ash smiled and patted his old friend on the arm. “Sometimes we just gotta accept the good things, right? Maybe today was Trav’s lucky day. Who knows?”
Hugh nodded, not looking particularly convinced. “Yeah, I’ll… I’ll check in with the nurses. Run a few tests. Check if he’s really out of danger.”
Ash grinned, gaze shifting to where Jeff had Trav over his shoulders, going up and down, pretending to be flying his kid on an airplane. Trav was laughing his ass off, holding firmly to his dad’s big head. Ash, cheeks hurting from happiness, turned his gaze back to the doctor. “Seems well enough to me.”
A kind smile graced Hugh’s lips then. “I’ll just run a few tests anyway. One can never be too sure.” And then he excused himself and disappeared from sight.
Ash’s phone buzzed in his back pocket. Logan noticed it. Ash had a pretty good idea of who it might be and, incredibly enough, the idea didn’t scare him now.
“Go on,” he urged Logan, shoving him gently toward Trav and their family. “He was asking for you. Go see him.”
“He was?” Logan seemed unsure. Idiot. As if he didn’t know he’d charmed his whole family, like, ages ago.
“’Course he was,” Ash assured, leaning up to press a quick kiss to Logan’s lips. “I’m just gonna get this real quick. It’s probably Arthur wanting to know if we landed okay. I’m his golden pot now, you know.”
Logan just grinned and nodded, then turned around to go see the boy nobody knew had just been brought back from death’s door by forces Ash couldn’t even comprehend himself.
“Hello,” he said, voice way firmer than last time, to the unknown number.
“So,” came Leo’s smug voice through the line, “how was it? I imagine everyone must be bawling and screaming right now, right? Was it sad, his last breath? Tell me.”
“Yeah, everyone is bawling and screaming right now.”
Leo laughed, the monster. “That’s excel—”
“They’re laughing because Trav just woke up, better than ever. You failed.”
Leo didn’t say anything for a second, then he coughed out a laugh. “Come on, Ash. No need to lie to me.”
“I was there when he woke up. He’s playing with his dad right now. You. Failed.”
“That’s impossible.”
Ash chuckled, feeling inspired. “I don’t know, Leo. Seems you’ve been losing your touch lately. I don’t know how far you can go if you only seem to be able to hit the target when said target in and eighty-year-old man.”
“YOU’RE LYING!” Leo screamed, and Ash had to lean back
from the phone a little.
Laughing, Ash responded, “Nope. You failed.” He lowered his voice and checked his surroundings before continuing, “Exactly as you failed your daughter… your son.”
“I didn’t fail Nate.” Leo coughed two or three times in a row, and Ash started wondering what was going on there. Was he sick? “We just had an argument a few nights ago and he left for his girlf—”
“It felt good, you know,” Ash cut him off, “when I blew his head off.”
Leo’s heavy breathing was the only sound coming through the line, and Ash basked on how shocked he’d rendered him.
“Few things feel as good as ending the life of someone gunning for you. You should remember that.”
“You’re lying. He said he was going to his girlfriend’s. He should be back in a few days. You’re lying.”
Ash only laughed. “Sure, man. Keep on believing that. But really, you should remember what I said. Wanna know why?”
Leo didn’t answer, only coughed a few times more.
“Because I’m tired of running, you son of a bitch. I’m fucking done with it. You failed your son. You failed your daughter. You failed on hurting my family. And now I’m done with this. You wanna play a game? Let’s play, then. I’m all on board. I’m coming for you, Leo, and you better pray I don’t get to you before you get to me, because this time I won’t turn my back on you until I’m sure you’re fucking dead.”
With satisfaction beyond belief, Ash clicked the call off.
He made to go back to his family, but decided to take a breather in the waiting room. He didn’t want to get them concerned again; not after just having come out of a nightmare. And that’s what’d happen if they saw his face right then.
He scurried to the nearby couch and slumped down on it, closing his eyes and automatically rubbing his forearms, feeling the raised swells of all the markings resting there now. It’d be hard to explain to Logan how the hell that had happened. He couldn’t hide them from people forever, but he could tell the others he’d gotten a few tattoos or something. Only Logan would know tonight when they were in bed that Ash hadn’t had those last night when they fucked all night and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Ash had just opened his eyes when the small TV mounted on the wall right in front of him called his attention. It was the sound of the local emergency news, the distinct little song they reserved only for urgent news which generally involved death, accidents or tragedies. Or really bad incoming weather.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announced the passing of Deputy Miller Fuller, resident of Hoofslope.” Ash’s stomach dropped, not believing what he was hearing. “The Deputy fell victim to a horrible car accident on his way back home this morning, around five AM. We send our love and prayers to Fuller’s family and hope they can find comfort in this difficult time. Not many details have been disclosed by the authorities so far, but the local news will have more to offer along the day.”
The pretty journalist faded to black and a commercial for diapers started rolling on the screen. And all Ash could think about was that maybe Leo hadn’t completely lost his touch, after all.
talisman
ASH BREATHED A sigh of relief when they parked in the underground garage. The red Lexus, surrounded by Logan’s three other sports cars, caught his eye immediately, and Ash couldn’t help smiling. A few months ago, seeing that car had become his worst nightmare, because it meant Logan. Now, seeing it filled him with longing. He missed being able to just… just get into that car alone with Logan and driving somewhere, having picnics or just walking on the mountains. It felt now his life was funneled into black Mercedes and dread.
Dread. That was that day’s operative word.
Ash’d be forever traumatized by the events of the last few hours. The image of a sick, sweating, and gray Trav dying before his eyes on a hospital bed would be forever imprinted in his mind, even now that everything had turned out okay.
Ian and Duke, carrying the four suitcases they’d taken to Italy, followed both Logan and him up the stone stairs and, in a moment, they were all taking off their boots next to the front door. All but Duke, that was.
“I’ll just have some water and something to eat, then I’ll head out to meet with the guys responsible for Jeff and his family,” Duke let them know in a low voice. He turned to Logan as they moved to the living room. “I’m sorry for what happened. This… what happened… it’s unacceptable.”
Logan stopped in his tracks, hand tightening a little around Ash’s, then he nodded curtly. “It is. Travis could have died today.”
Duke nodded in return, unblinking as his gaze met Logan’s. He rubbed his face with his left hand and exhaled heavily. “I just can’t understand how he did it. It was all just too perfectly planned and executed. How could he have known the boy would head straight to the marshmallow stand? Hell, how did he know they would be there in the first place?”
Those exact questions had been running through Ash’s mind from the hospital all the way home. Jeff had told them they’d just gotten to the circus and Trav had beelined to the marshmallow stand in a corner outside the arena. Jeff bought one packet for himself and one for his son. Just a few seconds after the boy swallowed the first piece of candy, he’d collapsed to the ground.
“He is getting info he shouldn’t be getting, somehow,” Logan said after a few moments.
“But how? I know there’s no bugs in this house, neither O’Farrell’s or the Hill Top. Those are all the places where his potential targets are and we comb every nook and cranny twice a week.”
“What you suggesting, then? That someone is passing him information? One of us?”
Duke’s eyes darkened as he scratched his square jaw, overgrown with a week-long scruff. “It’s a possibility, but who could that be? I mean, why would anyone choose to work with the guy?”
“I don’t think it’s that,” Ash interrupted. “I’d trust every member of my family with my life. Billy, Lauren, and Grace too.” Ash snorted. “Grace’d probably be hunting the guy down herself if it weren’t for us practically keeping her locked up in that hotel. And Lauren and Billy are one of the most genuinely good people I know. They’d never do something like that. They don’t have any reason to. I trust them. All of them.”
Duke let out a heavy exhale and dunked down on the sectional, next to Ian. “Maybe he was just lucky this one time, then. Maybe he heard about the circus coming to Hardcliff and decided to just be there every night and hoped Trav and his family would show up? It’s kinda too risky, but I’ve seen people fueled by revenge do worse.”
“I don’t think it’s that, either. I think he knew exactly when they’d be there and how he’d lure them to him.”
“What makes you say that?”
Ash swallowed, mouth going dry. “He’s got my phone number. He called me today. Twice.”
“WHAT?” Logan roared, letting go of his hand and turning Ash to face him.
“He called me while we were at the hospital.”
Duke had shot up from his seat. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
“Everyone was already fried from nerves. How could that have helped anybody?”
Logan covered his face with both hands, rubbing up and down before he propped them, clearly pissed, at his hips. “I can’t believe this,” he sneered. “How the fuck did he get his number?” he shot at Duke, as if the poor man would know.
“How did he know Trav’d be at that exact time and place on a Sunday night? How did he know he’d be easily lured by marshmallows?” Ash countered. “He’s getting info on us, that’s pretty clear to me. We just have to figure out how.”
“What did he want?” Ian asked. “What did he say to you?”
“He wanted to gloat, basically. Was proud of the substance he’d created and poisoned Trav with. Wanted to get a first-hand peek at my reaction to when Trav died.”
“Who the fuck even does that?” Logan asked with an expression that mixed anger and disgust.
“Who the hell finds pleasure in murdering an innocent kid.”
“A sick fuck,” Duke snorted out, as pissed as Logan seemed to be, “that’s who.”
“And there’s Miller’s case too,” Logan added. “You guys really think it was that psycho who did it?”
By the time they’d all grouped around the waiting room outside of Trav’s room back at the hospital, Ash told everybody about the news about Miller. To say it’d shocked everybody would be an understatement. Martha had collapsed down on the couch, lost in tears. She’d known the guy since he was a little baby.
“I’m positive it was him,” Ash said as he took the seat next to Logan, who immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “It’d be just too much of a coincidence otherwise.”
“But how?” Ian asked. “How did he know where Miller would be driving to? How did he know he was digging dirt on him?”
Ash shrugged, beyond exhausted by all the interminable mess. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Well,” Duke said as he rose from the couch, “I’m just gonna make a sandwich or something, then head out to meet with the team responsible for Jeff’s family. I wanna know in detail what happened exactly. You guys want something to eat?”
Ash and Logan declined, but Ian got to his feet, saying, “Imma make something too. I’m starving.”
Both men started on their way toward the kitchen, when Ash stopped Duke with a hand on his wrist. “Hey,” he said, “try not to be too hard on the guys, okay? I’m sure Leo is using people to do the dirty jobs for him. They had no way of knowing the guy selling the candy would be someone setting out to poison people to death.”
Duke had had a closed-off, hardened expression up to that moment, but when Ash squeezed his wrist for a moment just before letting his hand drop to Logan’s thigh again, the big, burly agent let his lips perk up in a rare smile.
