Smoke & Mirrors

by Charlie Cochet

  Sloane didn’t say a word, mostly because he had no idea what to say, and even if he did, he doubted he could get his voice to function. Which was fine, because Ash wasn’t done.

  “Wait, you told me you didn’t know I had a brother.”

  “I didn’t. At least I didn’t think so. When Gina spoke of you and Sloane, she referred to you by your surnames. Brodie and the Keeler boys. When I checked your file, you were listed as an only child. I figured maybe Gina had made a mistake. So when you told me about Arlo, I was genuinely surprised. During my search, I never found any record of an Arlo Keeler. Now I know it’s because Shultzon altered your records just as you’d stated.”

  It suddenly occurred to Sloane that Dex had been silent throughout this entire exchange. Sloane stood, startled by Dex’s stillness.

  “Dex?”

  Dex turned to Maddock, tears in his eyes. “You knew. You knew this whole time that they’d been murdered? Why did you keep letting me believe it had been a random shooting?”

  With a heavyhearted sigh, Maddock turned to face Dex. “Because I knew what it would have done to you, and I didn’t want that life for you. I didn’t want you to throw away everything they wanted for you to chase ghosts.”

  “That wasn’t your decision to make! Did you even bother to look for the men who killed them?”

  Maddock flinched so hard Sloane was sure everyone in the room felt it.

  “Dex,” Cael warned gently, getting to his feet, but he remained where he was. Dex’s anger was rolling off him in waves, yet Maddock maintained his calm.

  “Of course I looked for them. Do you really think I didn’t try to find the sons of bitches who took them from you? From us? Gina and John were like family.”

  Dex began to pace the office, his eyes red and filled with unshed tears. His face was flushed, and Sloane wished he could go to him, but he didn’t dare. He’d hurt Dex so horribly. How could he possibly hope to make it up to him?

  “So what, then? You just stopped? Explain it to me, Dad, because I need to understand how you could keep something like this from me. How you could look me in the eye knowing what you did.”

  Maddock walked over to the far wall where he pushed against a small panel. A tiny section slid open to reveal a black scanner. Maddock placed his finger to it and a different section opened, exposing a medium-sized safe. Once Maddock had disabled the security measures, the door opened. He pulled out a heavy-looking set of files bound together by small bungee cords. With a grim expression, he placed the files on his desk, then slid them toward Dex. They looked old, beat-up. Dex swallowed hard.

  “People came asking questions after their deaths. Questions about Gina’s work at the CDC. I didn’t know who I could trust, so I didn’t trust anyone. Remember how I left you with Aunt Danelle for a while, even after Cael joined us? I left you boys on and off with her for months.”

  Dex nodded, his gaze still on the files. He didn’t move to touch them.

  “A week before the funeral, I received a call from the HPF. There was a break-in at your parents’ house, and mine. Here I was, grieving with a five-year-old who’d just lost his family, and someone was still trying to hurt us. I wanted nothing more than to hunt down those assholes and make them pay, but I had the funeral to take care of, your parents’ will, the estate, all the paperwork and red tape that followed. Not to mention I was holding on by a thread myself. Once I’d legally adopted you, I started investigating. Soon Cael joined us, and I went to work for the THIRDS. I kept looking. I did everything under the radar, because if anyone suspected I knew something, they’d come after me, and God help me, if they came after you boys….” He shook his head and sighed, a weary sigh that seemed to go down to his bones.

  “It was eating away at me. I had nothing. Any information Gina had was gone. I couldn’t find a damned thing. No files, lists, nothing. I’d even lost Sloane and Ash. Disappeared. Whoever these people were, they left nothing behind. I had a choice. Keep looking, continue the path I was on, or be a father to two boys in desperate need of one.” Maddock’s conviction never faltered as he stood before Dex. “I chose to be a father.”

  Cael stepped up beside Maddock, offering his silent support, ready to step in if his family needed him to. Maddock’s voice was quiet when he spoke to Dex. A tear finally escaped those pale blue eyes and rolled down his cheek. Maddock wiped it away with his thumb.

  “I don’t regret that choice. I could have told you when you were old enough, but by then you had your heart set on becoming an HPF detective like your dad. I raised you, son.” Maddock put his hands on Dex’s shoulders. “If I told you the truth, you would’ve gone out there, and you wouldn’t have stopped looking. It would’ve destroyed you.” Maddock straightened, his arms dropping to his sides. “I’m sorry I kept the truth from you, but I’m not sorry for the choices I made. Not where you and Cael were concerned. You both finally had a family again, and you were happy. I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from you. I watched you grow into the fine men you are. Revenge is a poison that spreads and destroys everything it touches. I didn’t want that for you.” He turned, and put his hand on the stack of files. “I never stopped looking, Dex. Once you boys were old enough, I picked up where I left off. I exhausted all my resources, ran every lead, left no stone unturned. God knows I tried to find something. All I found were dead ends. That failure has lived with me for a long time.”

  Dex swallowed hard. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He pressed his lips together before hugging Maddock, his head on his shoulder. Maddock patted his back, murmuring comforting words. Sloane silently stood. They shouldn’t be here. This moment was for Dex, his father, and his brother. He motioned for Ash to follow him.

  Silently, they left the room. He headed for his office with Ash quietly at his side. Once inside, Sloane took a seat behind his desk, curious when Ash sat in Dex’s chair. Usually his best friend avoided touching anything that belonged to Dex. Afraid he might “catch the crazy.” His friend was surprising him often these days.

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “About what?” Sloane asked.

  Ash wasn’t impressed. “About Dex.”

  “I don’t know, but if he kicks me to the curb, I deserve it.”

  “But you won’t allow it,” Ash said pointedly. “You fucking fight for him, Sloane.”

  “Where’s this coming from?” Sloane asked, curious about Ash’s vehemence.

  Ash let out a sigh and sat back. “I’m just getting tired of all the fucking drama. Haven’t we had enough? You have a good thing going on, Sloane. This is everything you wanted. Dex is everything you wanted. Live your life, get a dog, get married, have a bunch of little Sloanes—because if you have Dexes, I swear I will kick your fucking ass—and be happy. Don’t you think it’s about damn time?”

  Sloane nodded. “I got it. So does this mean you’re not pissed at Maddock?”

  “Maddock’s a good man. Shit, he was more of a father to me than my own. He had his reasons for what he did, and I respect that. Case solved. Let’s move on to the next shitstorm.”

  Sloane was surprised. If anyone knew how to hold a grudge, it was Ash. That whole incident with Herrera and that damned fern was proof, but these days Ash was pretty laid-back about most things. He wasn’t as angry at everyone and the world. Oh, he was still angry, but it was different. Lately, most of it was just for show. It occurred to him now, as he watched Ash texting, a smile on his face, that even his best friend was making changes, and for the better. He was talking less about how screwed up the world was and how happy they should be. He was looking toward a brighter future. Maybe Sloane could actually learn a thing or two from Ash.

  DEX SAT in Cael and Rosa’s office staring at nothing in particular. What a strange day. He didn’t quite know what to make of it. His dad had confirmed everything he’d suspected. His mom had tried to save Sloane and the First Gen kids. Whatever his fears regarding who his parents had been, he hadn’t been wrong
about the kind of people they’d been. Whatever they’d been involved in, they’d died trying to do good. It was still hard to believe Tony had known about Sloane and Ash. It made him wonder what else his dad might know about.

  As for the files, Tony would be taking them home, and Dex was welcome to go through them. He hadn’t made up his mind on that yet. Anthony Maddock had been a damned good HPF detective and an even better THIRDS agent. Dex trusted him when he said all he’d found were dead ends. It wasn’t surprising considering who they were dealing with and how long it had taken for all this shit to come to light.

  “Dex?”

  His arm itched, and he sat forward, a thought occurring to him. “Cael, can I use your desk?”

  “Sure.”

  Cael placed his palm to the desk’s interface, and it came to life. He motioned to it, and Dex logged into Themis, bringing up the algorithms screen. He set up several search processes.

  “What are you looking for?” Cael asked.

  “I want to see how many marked Therians and Humans there are, especially Humans.”

  Cael looked thoughtful. “You’re thinking it’s possible they would have sought medical treatment after being marked, so there’d be a record.”

  “Exactly.”

  “You didn’t seek medical treatment,” Rosa reminded him.

  “No, but Sloane is a THIRDS agent. He tended to my wounds, and he was able to control himself enough to know how deep to cut. I’m thinking not everyone would have that kind of control or know how to tend to the wound.”

  Rosa nodded her agreement. “True.”

  It took some time, but eventually Themis presented its results. The window split, Therians who’d marked Therians on the left and Therians who’d marked Humans on the right. The list on the left was small, considering the population of New York City. The list on the right was even smaller.

  “This is fucking weird,” Dex murmured, frowning at the screen. “Is that right?”

  Cael looked down at the results. “If Themis says it is, then it is.”

  “What is it?” Rosa asked.

  “All the couples on this list here, with Human and Therian mates, are all deceased.” An icy chill went up his spine. How was that possible? He clicked on the first name, bringing up the THIRDS report. “May 24, 1985, the wife goes to the hospital after being marked by her husband, a lion Therian. She was marked on her back, saw to the wounds, and three weeks later she and her husband are killed in a traffic accident.” He went back and clicked on the next report. “October 5, 1989, husband is marked by his leopard Therian wife. His arm is tended to. A month later he’s killed by his wife. She was convicted of first-degree murder and imprisoned. Shortly after, she was stabbed to death in her cell.” The more reports he read, the sicker he felt. “How can they all be dead?”

  “Well, these are just the ones we know about,” Cael offered. “Think of how many must be out there who didn’t get medical treatment.”

  “Don’t you find it strange that all these couples are dead? I mean, all of them? Either they died together in accidents or happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or their mate killed them and then ended up getting killed in prison or killing themselves.”

  “It is weird,” Cael agreed. “Why would they kill their mates?”

  “Exactly. I don’t get it. Sloane was pretty convinced that Dylan Reynolds was telling the truth. You saw the video. It was like the guy’s heart had been ripped from his chest. That wasn’t a man who’d just killed his wife. His instinct would be to protect her, to tear apart anyone who’d try to hurt her.”

  Something seemed to strike Rosa, and her eyes widened. “Shit. Dylan.”

  “What about him?” Cael asked.

  “If all these couples ended up dead….”

  “Shit.”

  Dex jumped to his feet and tapped his earpiece, connecting to dispatch, who put him through to the psychiatric ward Dylan was being held in.

  “Agent Dexter Daley of the THIRDS, badge number 2108. I need the status of a patient named Dylan Reynolds. He—What? When? Yes. Thank you.” Dex tapped his earpiece and sank into his chair.

  “What happened?” Rosa asked worriedly.

  “He’s dead.” Dex closed his eyes. “He killed himself this morning.”

  Cael shook his head. “I can’t believe it. How?”

  “Somehow he managed to get the security glove off and used his claws to slash his wrists. He bled to death.” Dex hated what he was even thinking, but what if Sloane was right? What if the anomalies Shultzon mentioned caused Therians to kill their marked mates? No. Sloane would never hurt him. Not physically anyway. To do what those Therians had done, to maul their spouses, would mean them going feral or possessing a great deal of rage. Sloane wouldn’t do that. Dex was sure of it.

  “Are you okay?” Cael asked softly, bringing Dex out of his thoughts.

  “Yeah.” He gave his little brother a smile. “I’m good.”

  Cael turned to look at Rosa. “Do you mind giving us a few minutes?”

  “No problem, gatito. I think it’s time for another cup of coffee. I’ll be in the canteen if you need me.”

  Cael thanked her, waiting for the door to close before he took a seat behind Rosa’s desk, his big gray eyes filled with worry. “Have you talked to Sloane since Dad laid those truth bombs on us?”

  Dex shook his head. He worried his bottom lip with his teeth, feeling embarrassed. “I’ve kind of been avoiding him.”

  “Why?”

  “What if this is it?” Dex frowned down at his fingers. “What if this is all too much for him, or he realizes we don’t want the same things for us?”

  “Then he’s the king of the jerkfaces and never deserved you.”

  Dex couldn’t help his smile. Cael was adorable. “Thanks, Chirpy.”

  Cael stood and came to sit on the edge of the desk beside him. “Come on, Dex. You really think Sloane’s going to leave? He adores you. You know what he’s like. His head is his worst enemy, and despite knowing that, he lets his fears run away with him. He’s trying hard to change, but it’s not easy for him. Ash is the same. They went through a lot. I’m not excusing their behavior, and I know it’s hard for you, how much it hurts every time, but I know he’s not doing it intentionally. He gets so turned around he doesn’t know which way is up, and instead of turning to you, or asking for help, he tries to work it all out on his own, because that’s what he’s been doing since he was a kid.”

  “I know, but how many times can I sit here with a broken heart, waiting for him to come back to me?”

  “Dex, you’re angry because he broke his promise. He walked away.”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Didn’t you make him a promise too? Didn’t you tell him if he needed time, you’d understand? That you would always be there waiting for him?”

  “I did,” Dex replied, realizing Cael was right. He thought about the tattoo he’d asked Calvin to design for him, one symbolizing exactly what he’d promised. Sloane told him he needed time, and instead of understanding like he said he would, Dex panicked. “But he packed a bag this time. He left.”

  “If he needs to be off on his own, how can he be there with you? Did you specify a time frame? A few hours, an evening? That it had to be under the same roof?”

  Dex rolled his eyes. “Of course not.”

  “Right. It was for however long he needed. As long as he came back to you. But this was the first time he needed to be away while you’ve been living together, so you panicked. You argued, and because you were hurt, you let your fears get the better of you. He packed a bag because he was staying with Ash. He wasn’t leaving you for good.”

  Dex pouted. “I don’t like it when you sound more grown-up than me.”

  “I always sound more grown-up than you,” Cael teased.

  Dex sighed. Cael was right. Since when was his little brother wiser than him? No matter how well Dex thought he knew Sloane, little things popped up to remind him o
f how much more he had yet to learn about his partner, at least where Sloane’s Felid side was concerned. Felids needed time to themselves. It was in their nature. Since more often than not they couldn’t scurry off and find a tree to climb away from everyone, their Human halves needed quiet time on their own. It was hypocritical of Dex to tell Sloane he’d understand when he needed time to himself, and the moment Sloane asked for it, get all bent out of shape about it. It didn’t mean Sloane didn’t love Dex or want to be with him. He’d talk to Sloane about it if Sloane would forgive him for being such a diva. God, he missed him. He looked up at Cael, who was texting away on his phone. Probably sending lovey-dovey messages to Ash. Which reminded him….

  “Ash gave me gummy bears today. It was weird.”

  Cael wrinkled his nose. “Yeah. Something about the pheromones you were letting loose.”

  Dex stared at him. This was the first he was hearing of this. “The what, now?”

  “I don’t know. He said something about your scent changing. He felt like he had to comfort you. It was the same at the club, except that one was different. It was all gross and sexifying.”

  Dex’s mouth hung open. “Why the hell did no one tell me?”

  Cael shrugged. “Only Therians can smell it, I guess.”

  “What about you?” Dex cringed. That was wrong. So wrong.

  “Ew, gross. No. You’re my brother. All I smell is your funky citrusy shower gel and you. Sloane doesn’t smell it either. I guess ’cause he’s your mate.”

  Dex gasped. “That’s why Zach brought me Cheesy Doodles.” He narrowed his eyes. “And here I thought he was bringing me a peace offering for stealing mine.”

  Cael peered at him. “Are you being serious right now? That was like two years ago.”

  “I never forget a bag of Cheesy Doodles. So he was just smelling my emo boy scent and comforting me?”

  Cael chuckled as he got up. He poked at Dex until he was out of Cael’s chair. “It’s not emo. They were all really worried about you, and I guess whatever you were giving off just amplified that, so they came to comfort you. Seriously, you hadn’t noticed everyone was acting kinda weird?”