by AJ Sherwood
“Go back to the hotel,” Falisa ordered, sounding tired now. “We’re going to submit a report about this and let the higher-ups decide what to do. Frankly, I’m not interested in training you anymore.”
He stayed rooted to the spot for several seconds more. Then he shuffled away, still not looking at anyone. More interested in escaping at this point, probably.
I stared after him and felt like I’d entered Act IV of some drama. “Am I missing something?”
“Delaney,” Ken said on a long sigh, “is one of those problem children the FBI takes a chance on. He barely meets the threshold of power for a medium, to be honest. I’m sure you saw that yourself.”
I nodded.
“But worse, he’s very opinionated, as you’ve also seen. He was raised by one of those super conservative, religious families. Delaney spent most of his life lying about his ability to cover it up.”
“And it’s a habit he can’t seem to break,” Falisa pitched in, pulling her phone free of a pocket. “We’ve had trouble with him reporting that he’d taken care of some ghost, only to find he’d done no such thing. Or he reports seeing something that isn’t even there. You aren’t the only one he’s had beef with, either. Six months this kid has been with me, and he’s ruffled more feathers than I care to count. He’s extremely homophobic and won’t admit to it, won’t even try to keep his mouth in check. No matter how many times I’ve talked to him about it, it doesn’t seem to sink in. I really thought I’d gotten through to him this time, though. Once I figured out you guys were together, I gave him a stern talking to. He assured me it was fine.”
It obviously had not been. “It’s why he waited to get me alone, isn’t it? So he could shut me down without tipping his hand.”
“Like that ever works,” Brandon said in disgust. “But are you really kicking him out for this, Falisa?”
“Not really my call. But that’s going to be my recommendation. He’s a mediocre medium who can’t be trusted. Why keep him?”
It sounded harsh, but that was the reality. And really, if he was that unreliable, then bringing him into cases like this one just invited trouble. It was dangerous to have someone like that watching your back.
Falisa called someone and lifted the phone to her ear. Her mouth was a flat, grim line as she said, “Hey, Davis. You can tell from my tone, can’t you? Yeah, he screwed up again. Well, this time he was pressuring the other team to not be so openly affectionate. Yeah, gay couple. No, there was no grounds for that. They’re acting fine, it’s just him being homophobic. Sure, hang on.” She handed the phone to me. “He needs your report on this.”
Oh boy. I accepted the phone with misgivings. “This is Mackenzie Lafayette.”
A gruff, growly voice answered me. “I’m Davis, Falisa’s boss. Talk to me, Lafayette. What exactly did he say?”
I repeated it, not verbatim, but more or less the gist of what we’d both said. Davis heard me out with only the occasional grunt, and a lot of typing sounds coming from his end.
“And you’re work partners and in a relationship with Brandon Havili, is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you—” the call abruptly dropped.
I pulled the phone from my face to see what was going on, only to find a dark screen. Uh. I wasn’t Jon. Why did the phone just die? “Falisa, was your battery low?”
“Uh, no? Why, did it just die on you?” She came over to my side to see. In tandem, we shot each other looks.
This could be good or bad, depending on which ghost had just drawn energy from the battery in order to manifest. I handed the phone back to her even as I looked around us uneasily. I really had no idea what might pop up next.
Brandon and Ken both slid goggles over their eyes, also looking around. Brandon shifted to stand at my back, which I appreciated. It meant one less thing for me to worry about. I hated being ambushed from behind.
It felt like an earthquake at first. The whole building shook, items on the tables in the room rattling, the pictures on the walls skittering sideways on their hooks. I breathed out a curse even as I frantically looked around for the source. This wasn’t good. This kind of energy, enough to shake a building of this size, was enormous.
In a second, every window in the room shattered at once, glass spraying everywhere. The sound was almost deafening, my ears popped from the change in pressure, and adrenaline shot up my spine. I threw up my arms automatically to protect my face. Ice-cold wind blew past me, carrying shards of glass through the air. Warm arms wrapped around me and I was tucked in against Brandon’s chest before I could properly register what he was doing. I clung to him, hiding my face against his torso, even as I worried what would happen to him, acting as my shield. He took us down to the ground, his body covering mine.
As fast as the attack had started, it ended. The lights flickered once, then came back on with a brighter glow by degrees, the miasma in the air clearing so that it was barely visible. I unfurled a little from Brandon’s chest, looking up at him with my heart in my throat. Blood streamed from somewhere, coming down his cheek.
“God, cher, how bad are you hurt?”
“Something stings, but not bad,” he assured me, gingerly pulling us back up to our feet. “Stray piece of glass got me. You okay?”
“Nothing hit me.” I reached into his left pocket, the one that always had a small med-kit, and wrenched it free. “Show me where, let me clean that up. Falisa, what the hell?”
“Took the words right outta my mouth,” she said, standing with Ken’s aid. “I did not expect that. It must’ve taken a lot outta the entity, as the miasma’s clearing, but the fact it did it at all scares the living shit out of me. This is bad, Mack. We need more than two mediums; we need an exorcist.”
I looked at the split skin along Brandon’s temple, creasing right into the hairline. I hated he’d been hurt protecting me. The thought that he might get hurt again, all because of this entity, scared me down to my core. The cut might not need stitches, but this could have been so much worse with all of that glass flying around.
Even as I dabbed an alcohol swab against the wound, I answered her. “Then let’s get an exorcist in here. We’ll need to report this and get the place cleaned up, too. There’s no working in here until that’s done.”
“And it’s not like the entity will have the power to manifest later so we can catch him, anyway,” Ken groaned in realization. “Not after using up so much power tonight. It might take days. Dammit.”
“It’s alright,” Falisa assured him, still sounding pissed. “It’ll take us days to get ready to tackle this again, I think. Shit. I’m really starting to hate this case.”
As I dabbed ointment onto Brandon’s head wound, I felt my fear slip into anger. Seeing him hurt made me want to kill something. If it wasn’t already dead, I would have. “I already do.”
I sat sideways in the Tahoe, watching Brandon converse with both the college president and Connie. He gestured a little with one hand as he spoke, his tone a low rumble, although he was too far away for me to make out individual words. I didn’t need to, anyway. I knew he was explaining to them what had gone down. Both people looked like they had thrown on the first clothes on hand, as Connie was in sweatpants, the president in jeans and a pullover sweater with the university’s logo on it. Neither of them looked happy. Connie was mad, maybe scared. The president had no color in his face whatsoever.
As Brandon handled them, I updated Sylvia. I really did not envy her job, to be up at all hours and woken up with one emergency after the other. She answered promptly enough, but it was clear from her raspy voice she’d been dead asleep when I called.
Still, she listened to my report, and only swore once. “Mack. Have you and Falisa talked about this at all?”
“Yeah. We both agree we need an exorcist.” A medium was capable of exorcising a ghost, if the medium was powerful enough. Most mediums could only see, hear, and touch entities. I was strong enough to do it, although it took
quite a bit out of me. But when something became this powerful, this malevolent, it was too much for me to handle. Even Falisa and I combined might not be enough to do this thing in. Exorcists, on the other hand, had serious mojo. In the supernatural world, they were the power-hitters. I had met precisely two in the agency, both while passing them in the halls during orientation, and just standing next to them had given me goosebumps.
“That bad? Right, well, I’m not sure how fast I can get one to you. I agree that if it’s blowing out every window in a three-story building, this thing’s too powerful for three mediums especially one still in training—”
“Uh, two mediums. We’re a medium down.”
Sylvia paused. It wasn’t a good pause. It was pregnant with potential. Her next words were flat. “What happened?”
“Turns out the medium in training is very, very homophobic. He’s also a habitual liar. He started in on me, and it was apparently the last straw with Falisa, as he’s done this too many times before. She kicked him back to the hotel. Honestly, we can’t trust him to have our backs on this one.”
“Shit. Well, this case is going well.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Mack, you and Brandon pull back for now. Put up signs around the building that no one should enter without FBI approval. Escort students through if they absolutely have to fetch something. If they can’t find another place to stay, get them a hotel room and put it on the card. I don’t want anyone in that building until I can get an exorcist there.”
Relieved, I said, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Both of you really aren’t hurt?”
“I’m fine. Pissed, but fine. Brandon’s got a deep cut on his head that may or may not need stitches. I’ll drag him to urgent care after this to take a look. Brandon shielded me so he got the brunt of it.”
“And the other team?”
“Falisa’s got a scratch, I think Ken does too. But it’s all minor stuff.”
“Thank God for that.”
“Truly. And, um, Sylvia.” I wasn’t sure if this was the right timing, but even with all the crap going down tonight, I was too excited to keep this to myself much longer. I wanted to crow and tell the world. Sylvia was one of the many people who would be happy for both of us. “Brandon asked that we make it official. After this case, I’ll bond to him.”
Sylvia blew out a breath that sounded like a laugh. “Mack, that’s great! I’m honestly happy and relieved. You two are good together. Although I’m confused why you’re waiting until after the case?”
“I—” I stopped when I realized we would likely have several days of waiting until the exorcist arrived. My plan from before didn’t make sense now. “Well, my initial thought was that I wanted a few days with him to settle properly. After the case was resolved seemed the best timing for that.”
“Mack, if you’re still okay with that, that’s fine. I’m not rushing you. But I think you’d both do better getting through this case if you’re properly bonded.”
“You’re not wrong. But I would like three days at least to get used to this. I’ve heard the stories from Beau, and it took him a while to adjust to it.”
“Not every medium-and-anchor pairing just bounces back to work afterwards, I grant you. I think you’re being sensible about this. Alright, let me confer with Falisa, Ken, and their super and see what they say about giving you time to bond. I think it’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Sit tight. And for the love of God, don’t tempt fate by going into that building again until you’ve got proper backup.”
I looked up at the building in question, saw the broken glass still sprayed out over the ground and hanging from the tops of the window frames, and answered truthfully, “I’m not even remotely tempted, trust me.”
Hanging up, I let the phone rest in my lap and went back to watching Brandon. Without any other immediate distraction, my mind instantly leapt to what it really wanted to think about: him. Brandon and his amazing offer.
I’d honestly thought being down here, seeing where I was from, would change his mind. I had more than a bit of baggage to carry with me, and it had turned more than one man off. It also meant more work than he’d initially signed up for. It would make anyone think twice.
After nearly three months together, I knew that Brandon wouldn’t abandon me mid-case, he had too much integrity for that. He just wasn’t that kind of man. But part of me had feared that when the cases were done, he’d ask to separate. A part of me was always afraid of that, because who wanted this much work and demand on them? Instead, he’d done the exact opposite—given me firm evidence that he wanted a future together.
Was I giddy? Euphoric, even. And nervous, and determined, and a few hundred other emotions. This man had seen me and my roots and still found me desirable. I was not stupid enough to turn him down just because I had lingering insecurities trying to rear their heads.
But the question of it all was, how did I bind him to me?
14
It took many, many phone calls to get things settled enough for us to be able to quit for the night. Absolutely no one was happy about tonight’s events. Falisa and Ken handled talking to people while I went to urgent care and got the cut looked at. It hadn’t needed stitches, but they did pull a tiny glass shard out and bandage it up for me. It was very late by the time we got things sorted enough to retreat to the hotel. Or I should say, very early. I might have heard birdsong as we tumbled into the bed. Exhausted by the day’s events, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
I woke up because the sun hit me directly in the face. Squinting, I rolled over, hand automatically searching for Mack and coming up empty. Was he up already? I opened my eyes properly, looking about the room for him. With only the en suite bathroom attached, and the single room not all that big, it wasn’t hard to find him.
He sat at the end of the bed, legs tucked up in front of him, chin on his knees. A slight furrow dug between his eyes and his focus was intense, as if he were puzzling something out, only it didn’t quite add up for him. Even after he realized I was looking back at him, that expression didn’t waver as he looked at me, but I had no idea why.
“Mack?”
“All this time, I don’t think I understood my own heart,” he said without any segue, as if I’d know what he meant automatically. “I was worried about a lot of things, but I realized last night those things were camouflage. They weren’t what I was really worried about.”
I had a feeling I needed caffeine for this conversation. Still, I sat up and rubbed the grit from my eyes, trying to get my head in the game. I suspected he hadn’t really slept, too wrapped up in his own head. “Honey, back up. Walk me through this from the beginning.”
“It’s something I’ve gradually realized over the past several days. You asking me to bond with you yesterday just cemented it for me. I’ve never had a man want me on my own merits before,” he whispered, staring at the bunched-up sheets. “To my father, I was an annoyance. Even with Beau, I was an obligation.”
Beau loved him like a son, I knew that, but I had a feeling Mack was leading up to something. I kept my mouth shut and listened.
“My brothers were never comfortable with me. It got worse when I realized I was gay. Even with the two lovers I had before you, I wasn’t what they wanted. I’ve always had to prove I was enough. I’ve had to earn that affection. But I didn’t with you.” Mack’s head came up, his expression bewildered. “Not for a second did I have to do that. It’s why it doesn’t feel real to me, I think.”
Pieces started to fall into place. The reason why Mack didn’t want help from me? Because he was trying to prove he could pull his own weight. To prove himself as my equal. The confused looks I sometimes got from him, the way he’d stop and study me sometimes, as if he didn’t understand me at all—the root of all of that was this. He honestly believed he had to do something to deserve me.
“Mack, you’re the world to me.” I didn’t know how t
o else to phrase it, how to get him to believe me.
“I know.” A small smile graced his mouth, lightening his expression. “When you asked me to properly bond yesterday, I understood it then. I still don’t get why. I still don’t know what I did to earn you.”
“You walked into the room. It’s all you needed to do.”
His smile grew, joy lighting him up from within like a second sun rising. “I’ve been up most of the night, staring at you and trying to figure it out. But really, I don’t need to. All you say and do tells me everything I am to you. Which is, in a word, everything. Part of me was afraid I’d never be able to match your emotions, to return what you’ve given me. But what I realized last night is it was the fear keeping me back. Really, I’ve known for a while how I feel about you. Brandon Havili, I love you.”
For a second, I was sure I hadn’t understood him. When it sank in, that he had said the words I had been dying to hear, I scrambled the two feet separating us and snatched him up, hugging him hard. He embraced me just as fiercely.
“God, Mack, I love you. I’ve been dying to say it and afraid of pushing you.”
“Say it,” he encouraged me, the words muffled against my shoulder. “Say it often. I plan to. And Brandon, one more thing.”
I felt like he was on a good roll so I said, “What, love?”
“Oooh, definitely call me that more often. But don’t sidetrack me. I want to bond to you today.”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation, without even needing to think about it.
Mack laughed, squeezing me for a moment. “I didn’t expect any other answer. Go shower, then let’s do it.”
I wasn’t entirely convinced I was free of glass shards, despite my hasty cleanup last night, so a shower was probably a good idea. But the way he’d said it made me think he had a naughty game plan in mind. Especially since his hair was a little damp, obviously freshly washed. “You’ve already planned out exactly how to do this, haven’t you?”
