Kodiak Dating Agency

by Haley Weir

  “I called into a radio program for conspiracy theorists. No one ever believes what those people say, so I thought it was my best bet. At first, I got nothing but spam emails and phony offers in exchange for proof.” Brock waited for Michael to sit down before he continues. “Then I got a phone call from someone named Hydra. He hires contract hunters to find people like us, but he doesn’t kill them. All he wanted was what I had already been selling, but more.”

  “You think that would have been enough?” Michael asked. “You think he would have stopped at photos and videos when they’re a dime a dozen whether it’s the real thing or not? We’re freaks, Brock! Dad sure as hell never let me forget that. To be treated otherwise would be a lie.”

  “I hate that bastard just as much as you do,” Brock yelled. “You took a lot of pain for me, Michael, and I’ll always be grateful that I’m alive because of you. But don’t ever think that I had it easy in that house.”

  Every time something bad happened to either one of them, their father was brought up to just add extra punch to the fight. Michael had made more enemies in his lifetime than he had friends, but no one got under his skin the way family did. Between Brock always screwing up and his father trying to put him into an early grave, it was no wonder why he was hesitant to fall in love despite his line of work.

  Michael always made it seem like he had his life together, but he was one of the most broken people he knew. It was a miracle that Sapphire had been willing to put their differences aside and become allies for the sake of his idiot brother.

  “You might not have had it easy, but you sure as hell never had to clean up after your own messes,” Michael snapped back. “And it’s not like you have to this time either. Don’t worry, little brother, even if we don’t speak to one another ever again…I’ll make sure Corey Reed isn’t your problem anymore.”

  “By what? Making him your problem?”

  “Haven’t you hear? That’s what I do,” Michael replied. “I fix other peoples’ problems and I don’t get to complain. Have a nice life. Close the door on your way out.”

  But Michael went back. He had chased his brother down to the crappy little digs he called a home and tried to give him the easy way out again. Did he take it? Absolutely not. Michael was convinced that Brock had been put on this earth to make both of their lives more difficult than they had to be. He used to go to Dorian for these sorts of problems.

  Since his best friend got married, Michael was no longer a priority for anyone. He tried to keep his nose out of their business, but they owed him, didn’t they? If it weren’t for his algorithm and his money, none of them would be out there finding love. Michael poured himself another drink and tried to wash away the bitterness that seemed to be part of his inheritance from his father.

  Michael pulled Brock out of the bed by the back of his shirt and slapped an envelope to his chest. “There’s eight thousand dollars in cash in there.”

  “Why are you giving me this?” Brock demanded. “Stop being so damn cryptic and actually answer my question this time.”

  “I can’t clean up your mess if you’re still here. Eventually Corey will realize that you’re a loose end he can’t afford and he’ll come after you. I want you to leave Haden Springs. Don’t come back until I summon you.”

  “Wait a minute!” his brother yelled. “Are you serious? You want me to pack up my life and leave another town? I can’t do this all over again, Michael.”

  How many times had Brock failed to see the big picture? He flopped down in the chair behind his desk and clicked through the video footage of the Sector A tapes. So many faces flashed on the screen that it was hard to keep track, but eventually, he was able to make screenshots of each one of them to be identified later. One of them was Hydra. One of them was the man who wanted his brother dead; the one who more than likely had Brock in custody at that very second.

  “You don’t have a choice! They will kill you, Brock. This isn’t another of your gambling sprees gone bad or like that time you pissed off a mobster by sleeping with his daughter.” Michael raked a hand through his hair. “This isn’t an easy fix this time.”

  “I know that. I’ve thought about that every day since our conversation and I don’t want you to clean up after me.”

  Michael rolled his eyes as usual and force the envelope back into Brock’s hands. “No matter how much we argue, you’re still my little brother, Brock. If anything happened to you, the promise I made mom…just take the money and get as far away from Haden Springs as you can. Contact me when you get to wherever you’re going-”

  “Enough!”

  His head snapped around so quickly that Michael felt dizzy. He hadn’t slept in days and the amount of alcohol he had consumed was more than twice his body weight. Not even Chloe’s company had been enough to distract him. “What do you plan to do if not leave? You want to fight back, is that what this is about?”

  And yet, there was something about Brock’s abduction that seemed almost…convenient. Right when things were going well and they were close to cracking down on the bad guys, an obstacle appeared in their path. Michael couldn’t quite place his finger on the moment he began to question his brother’s motives again, but there had never been a time when Brock turned down money.

  Brock claimed that he originally reached out to the conspiracy theorists because they bought pictures so he could earn money to pay off his debt, then why wouldn’t he accept the money that Michael offered?

  “No, it’s not what this is about, but I want to make things right. And I’ll need your help to do it. I’ll need your help, Michael,” he enunciated. “I don’t want you to do it on your own. Like you said, we’re brothers and that should count for something.”

  “I’ll make you a deal.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Michael folded his arms over his chest and nodded toward the front door. “You stay in my loft. There’s better security and I’m rarely there as it is. In return for your safety, I ask that you don’t do anything stupid. Don’t do anything without talking to me first. This isn’t a peace offering between us, Brock. I’m still furious.”

  “You always are, Mikey.”

  There was something he was missing and Michael felt as though Sapphire might be the only one able to help him figure everything out. And even though they settled the problem between them, he didn’t want to come off as desperate or helpless. His brother had chosen the enemy over the safety of their town and he wanted to know why.

  Michael wanted to know the real reason behind his brother’s deception rather than his well-versed lies. Brock had never been too good with words, he was more of a hands-on sort of guy. But somehow he had convinced everyone that his reason for turning his back on them had been as simple as owing someone money. None of them had questioned it and they all forgave him.

  He ignored Brock’s blatant use of his despised childhood nickname. “One of us has been defending our very existence for much longer than the other. One of us has wasted his time on blonds and booze instead of taking responsibility.”

  “I always knew you hated me, Michael, but you’ve always been too much of a coward to say so,” Brock said accusingly. “Do I even stand a chance at earning your forgiveness? Or will I grovel at your feet endlessly?”

  Michael didn’t take back the money, but he handed Brock a new key to his loft. “I’ve never hated you, Brock. All I ever wanted was for you to open your eyes and see what brought all of this upon us. I’m not talking about the fires or the hunters, but what happened before you hit me that day in the woods when we were boys.”

  There was not much that Michael would not do for his brother, but sacrifice the lives of Haden Springs and that of their friends was not one of them. Even if it killed him in the end, he would right Brock’s wrongdoings so that the rest of them could live peacefully. He would do it for Anders and Sapphire, Dorian and Jenny, and he would do it for the few loyal friends they had made.

  EPILOGUE

  Two
months later…

  Sunlight streamed in through the stained glass windows of the cathedral. People filled the pews from one end of the room to the other, but they were mostly just random folks around the town. Anders and Sapphire didn’t have much in the way of family, but they did have friends to stand with them as they said their vows. That was if Sapphire could ever finish getting into her wedding dress.

  She laid halfway across an ottoman with tufts of fabric pooling around her waist as she struggled to get everything on at once. No one told her that wedding dresses didn’t come with instruction manuals. Tilly walked into the room and burst into laughter at the sight of her friend looking like a circus tent. She helped straighten out the bottom and then called in the rest of the girls to assist.

  Jenny didn’t laugh like the Tilly and Destiny, but she smiled. The three of them helped wrestle her into the dress and then fussed over her hair. “This is like in the book when Lucas gets to marry Eve,” Destiny blubbered, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “I always love when stories end happily. I’m so glad that you’re getting married!”

  “You’re like that drunk aunt that flirts with all the guys and tries to steal the wedding presents, aren’t you?” Tilly asked Destiny. The banter flowed freely, as did the wine, until the wedding planner announced that everything was ready. Jenny shooed the other ladies out of the room while Sapphire took one last look at herself in the mirror.

  Her dress was traditional in the sense that it was white, but had a high neckline and Victorian style bodice with leg of mutton sleeves. Her hair was it’s natural color for the first time since moving to Haden Springs and she hoped it would be a pleasant surprise for her husband-to-be. “You can do this,” she whispered to herself.

  The door opened and Michael Adair, of all people, was there to walk her down the aisle. “I know Brock would have done this if he were here, so I thought I should step up and take on the responsibility,” he said, a bit uncomfortable by the show of kindness. “And don’t think that I didn’t get you a wedding gift. I know you aren’t fond of material items, so I went ahead and put in a good word for a lawyer in New York. He’ll be looking into your stepfather’s case to see if we can get him an early parole.”

  Tears pricked in her eyes and Sapphire tossed her arms around Michael. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” she sobbed. He held her until the tears subsided and then motioned for the double doors to be opened. She stared straight ahead down the length of the aisle at the most important thing in her life.

  Anders seemed to brace himself before he turned to look at her. His eyes grew damp as he saw her in the dress for the first time. Sapphire watched his bottom lip tremble and teased him by pouting a little. He laughed through his nose, but he couldn’t wait any longer. Her impatient beloved waltzed down the aisle and took her arm from Michael saying, “I’ll take it from here.”

  Michael took his place on Anders’ side and apologized to the priest for the ‘tacky’ display of manners. Father Joseph didn’t seem bothered by it and simply waited for the happy couple to make their way down the aisle. The ceremony was beautiful in the sense that it was filled with love and laughter. Sapphire insisted that they dance to music performed by bands no one heard of and Anders didn’t want to dance at all.

  Her grumpy bear swayed back and forth with her in his arms despite his many protests and never missed an opportunity to steal a kiss. The ladies separated from the gentlemen once more as they went to change into their second outfits for the big day. Sapphire was pulled into a dark closet on her way back to the dance floor.

  She tried to elbow whoever attacked her, but the hand over her mouth released her to turn on the light above their heads. Sapphire couldn’t breath as the battered face of her best friend came into view. She ghosted a hand over his healing bruises. “Brock…how…how did you escape?”

  He broke down and pulled her against him, whimpering into her shoulder. “Corey. He visited the facility. Something went down…something bad...and then he released all of the prisoners. I don’t know what happened, but I’m glad to be out of there.”

  “You should have contacted me,” she said. “We could have come and got you.”

  “I didn’t want to endanger you.”

  “You’re my best friend, Brock! I love you and I’m glad that you’re alive.” Sapphire hugged him close, feeling as though she could breath finally. He was here and his heart was still beating. Whatever happened would eventually come to light, but Sapphire was happy to have her friend back. “Come on. Your family misses you.”

  The look on Michael’s face when he saw his brother was the most beautiful thing Sapphire had ever seen. She left them alone to join her husband and Dorian near the dj booth. “Look who’s here,” she said, pointing to Michael and Brock. The relief in their expressions was quickly overrun by suspicion. “Not now, you guys. Let’s just enjoy this moment. Brock is home and that’s all that matters.”

  In the dark, where no one could find him, stood Corey Reed. He watched like a silent predator from the shadows, waiting for his chance to make his presence known. Sapphire stopped during her dance and for a moment, he thought she looked right at him.

  *****

  Brock’s Pleasure

  Chapter One

  Haden Springs

  Wyoming

  Bang! Destiny Collier rolled off of her bed in time to avoid a bullet to the heart. She scrambled across the floor and threw open the window as a barrage of bullets pelted the wall behind her. A man’s voice shouted above the noise. “Hold your fire! Do not engage the target.”

  Footsteps echoed down the hall just as Destiny climbed through the window. Snow melted beneath her bare feet and the cold water caused her toes to tingle as she hoisted herself onto the roof. A hand gripped her ankle and yanked her down against a solid chest. Destiny struggled. She pounded her fists into the man who held her, but only succeeded in bruising her knuckles.

  The man reached up and tore the helmet off of his head. Swathed from the neck down in black tactical gear was her childhood best friend. “Calm down Des! I’m sorry. They shouldn’t have shot at you,” he barked. Destiny stiffened. She looked up into a vat of endless blue and flinched at the painful memories of her youth. Logan brushed the hair away from her forehead. “Good. I’m willing to let you go, but only if you can convince me that you aren’t going to run.”

  “Tell me one thing, Logan,” she said sharply. “Did my father send you, or are you freelancing again? Because last time we ran into each other, you were collecting a bounty on my head.”

  “Your father doesn’t want you dead, Des. He just wants to make sure you aren’t in danger. The locals kept this place locked down well enough, but the fires put Haden Springs on your father’s radar.”

  “He tried to kill me twice! He might not want to kill me now, but he wants to lock me up and call me crazy again.”

  “Aren’t you?” Logan Vetti asked skeptically. There had been a time when he was her father’s right hand man, but Logan walked away when things got too dangerous, leaving Destiny to fend for herself. “Believing in monsters and losing yourself in dusty bookshelves until you don’t know the difference between fiction and reality isn’t normal, Des. You were spouting all kinds of nonsense until he had no choice—”

  Destiny shoved against his chest, but Logan refused to let her go. “He had a choice. My father could have believed me or at least tried to help me, but he stuck me in a hospital for six years! And when I was let out, he sent you to kill me. I don’t understand how you can defend him…”

  “I wouldn’t have done it. No matter what he said or threatened me with, I wouldn’t have done it. All I wanted was to warn you.”

  “And I’m supposed to believe you?” she snorted. “He sent you here with his bloodthirsty mercenaries and they tried to shoot me the second I was in their sights. What’s my father hiding? What is so important that he’s willing to kill his only daughter over it, Logan?”

  “He doesn’t tell me
any of the details. I’m given orders to follow and if the price is right, then I obey without question. My job is to do what I’m paid to do and nothing more.” This time, Logan stepped back and allowed her to climb back through the window. The warmth helped bleed some of the cold from her shivering limbs.

  “Tell your bootlickers to leave Haden Springs,” Destiny ordered. “If they don’t, Michael Adair will tear them apart for endangering his citizens. He practically runs this place after what happened to his brother. You know what they say: don’t poke the bear.”

  Logan nodded slowly and moved away from Destiny to stand in front of her father’s men. “Get to the helicopter and wait in Cheyenne until I send word.”

  The lackeys hesitated but only for a second. One by one they filtered through the door and stomped down the stairs. Destiny waited to speak again until she heard a car peel out of the driveway and roar down the street. “How did my father really find me? I know the fires were a problem for a long time, but we haven’t had any outsiders come poking around until now. There’s been no news coverage or tourist blogs—nothing about this place at all. So what is it?”

  “Like I said, I don’t ask questions. My only concern is who my target is, how much I’m getting paid, and what the deadline is.”

  “What happened to you?” Destiny asked, raking her gaze over Logan from head to toe. “You were never like this…never like him. I know my father can be persuasive, but the Logan Vetti that I knew would never allow himself to become a mindless soldier.”

  “When I returned to Manchester, you were already gone. And you’ve been gone a long time,” he pointed out. “There was no one left to remind me that I still had a soul worth saving…so I sold it to the highest bidder. Work is my life now, I have no time for anything else.”