by Pandora Pine
“Don’t give me that shit, Tennyson. I’m willing to believe in your gift to a certain point, but, don’t push your luck.” Tony looked like he could sleep for a week.
“My son was always a stubborn bastard.” Lucia Abruzzi laughed. She reached out a hand to set on her son’s shoulder.
“Yeah, you tell him that, Mrs. Abruzzi.” Tennyson grinned. He turned his attention back to Carlie. “As I told you earlier, your Nonna is here too. Just because there are welcome spirits here, doesn’t mean that there aren’t unwelcome ones here too.”
“What are you saying? That Casper the unfriendly ghost knocked my cross off the wall?” Tony rolled his eyes.
Tennyson shrugged. He didn’t want to upset Tony any more than he had to. He was only being asked to give his opinion about Mark’s behavior, not about the paranormal happenings in the house.
“Ignore my husband, Ten,” Carlie urged. “Explain this to me. Why would an unfriendly spirit do something like this?”
“They don’t like symbols of religion for a start.” Ten knew he was skating on thin ice. Both Carlie and Tony were devout Catholics. “Whatever did this wants to make its presence known.”
“Can these kinds of spirits affect someone’s behavior?” she asked carefully. “I mean, Mark went from being thrilled about living here with us to being sullen and depressed. There are times when the look in his eyes is almost vacant.”
Ten took a deep breath. Carlie was asking a tricky question. He’d felt something was off with the boy, but at the same time, didn’t want to alarm Carlie either. “I wasn’t reading anything malevolent in him. I also didn’t sense any spirit glommed onto him, but that doesn’t mean that a teenager with his mindset isn’t attractive to the lower element of spirits.”
“The lower element of spirits? What’s that bullshit even mean?” Tony looked and sounded like he was starting to lose his temper.
“The lowest common denominator of humanity, Tone,” Ronan said. “Think about the hookers we used to bust or the guys who’d drink themselves to death at the worst bars in the city. Those kinds of spirits are looking for a light to cling to when they die. Mark could be that light if he isn’t strong enough to resist.”
“The good news is that the symptoms, for lack of a better term, are all normal teenage behaviors, so what he’s going through could just be a product of being seventeen.” Ten offered a weak smile.
“Or they could be a product of something much darker...” Carlie’s entire body shivered.
“There you go again, being dramatic.” Tony grinned at his wife and slung an arm around her shoulder.
Ten took one last look at the broken cross and wasn’t so sure she was being dramatic at all.
16
Ronan
The car ride back to Salem had been a quiet one. It was unusual for them to be that quiet unless, of course, they were fighting, which mercifully, they weren’t. Ronan was stuck deep inside his own head, thinking over what Tennyson had said about Mark and unfriendly spirits. He had no doubt Ten was also lost in his own thoughts.
“Home, sweet, home,” Ten said with no enthusiasm when they pulled up in front of their new house.
“Are there any unfriendly spirits in our house?” Ronan asked quietly.
Ten turned in his seat to face Ronan. He reached out to take Ronan’s hand. “Oh, no, sweetheart. Carson and I cleansed it with sage before we moved in. We also said some words over the house as well.”
“Words? You mean spells?” Christ, was Ten practicing Wicca in addition to speaking with the dead?
“No, Ronan. Calm down. There are incantations and blessings you can speak that tell spirits that they are, or are not, welcome in your home. And if they are welcome, what the rules are.”
“Rules? How can you give spirits rules?” Ronan shook his head. Of all of the crazy things Tennyson had taught him about the spirit world in the last eight months this one made the least amount of sense.
Ten stopped short of grinning. “Remember Ebenezer Scrooge’s chain rattling visitor?”
Ronan nodded, feeling more lost than ever before. What did Dickens have to do with giving ghosts house rules?
“One of the rules I gave the spirits was that they couldn’t make noises like that. No going bump in the night or knocking things off tables or off the walls…” Ten trailed off.
That last one brought Ronan up short. “So, you don’t really think that cross just fell off the wall and broke in two.” It wasn’t a question.
Ten shook his head. “Why don’t we go inside. I’ll feel better in the house where it’s light.” He shivered as if it weren’t nearly eighty degrees outside.
“Okay.” Ronan shut off the Mustang’s engine and raced around to the passenger side of the car to help Tennyson out. He kept looking behind them as they walked up the brick steps to the front door, as if he expected to see someone behind him. Dixie was barking her fool head off. He unlocked the door as quickly as he could and ushered Ten inside before scooping up the tiny dog. While he was locking the door, Tennyson was keying in the alarm code before resetting it again. Ronan almost burst out laughing. It wasn’t as if the alarm could protect them against unfriendly ghosts.
He brought Dixie into the kitchen, not willing to set the tiny dog down. She was busy trying to lick the one-day stubble growth off his chin. “I know, pixie girl. Daddy missed you too.”
“We should have brought her with us.” Ten reached for the puppy, who thankfully went to Tennyson willingly.
While Tennyson was settling in at the table with the dog, Ronan started making tea. He was glad for the few extra minutes to get his head in order. He brought the steaming mugs to the table and set one down in front of Ten. “You were saying about the cross at Tony’s house?”
Ten gave one last kiss to Dixie before setting her back on the floor. She gave a longing look at Ten before she settled herself at his feet. “No, I don’t think the cross just fell off the wall. I think something very angry deliberately snapped it in two.”
“Something? Not someone?” Ronan didn’t like the sound of that at all.
“Tony was at the end of his patience with what I was trying to explain tonight. It’s obvious that Carlie is the more receptive one in the relationship. Her Nonna was telling me that she had a little bit of a gift herself. She had premonitions. Simple things like knowing who was pregnant and knowing if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. The kind of gift that, back in Sicily, would have been considered Old World wisdom.” Ten took a sip of his tea.
“Can you say a blessing or burn sage like you did for our house?” Ronan had a feeling Tony wouldn’t allow any of those things to be done in his house.
“It’s a slippery slope, isn’t it?” Ten sighed. “I mean, Tony would smell the sage. It would be a dead giveaway that I’d been there doing my kind of hocus-pocus. I could probably get away with reciting an incantation, but that makes things difficult for you and Carlie. Would she keep this from him? Or, would she come right out and tell him she was inviting me over for a house cleansing?”
“Everyone’s marriage is different.” Ronan blew into his mug. “Carlie has never kept things from Tony. It’s one of the reasons their marriage is so strong, but with this situation where they seem to be at opposite ends of this issue, I’m not sure what she would do.”
“Like I said, I didn’t notice any kind of malicious spirits in the house tonight, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any there.”
“What does that mean?” Ronan would swear he felt his blood run cold.
Taking a deep breath, Ten squared his shoulders. “Those kinds of spirits, the ones strong enough to knock things off the wall and snap a thick piece of wood in two, are devious and clever. They wouldn’t have survived this long if they were weak. They know how to hide or mask themselves as something else and fly under my radar.”
Ronan was silent, taking in what Ten was saying. “Jesus Christ, Tennyson. Are you saying Tony and Carlie could have the Stealth B
omber of malignant spirits in their home?”
Ten shook his head. “I don’t know. All I know right now is that none of the living, breathing people in that house broke the cross. Can you text Carlie in the morning and ask her if she’s willing to have me come back and do a more thorough walk-through of the house?”
Ronan nodded. He stood up. “Right now though, we’re going to bed.”
“We are? I haven’t even finished my tea.”
Fisting his hands on his hips, Ronan frowned. “Do you want to drink your tea or get your dick sucked?”
“Hmmm, let me think…” Ten started to laugh. “Get my dick sucked.”
“Come on, then.” Ronan held out his hand. When Ten took it, Ronan started dragging him toward the stairs. Dixie barked and started running after them. “Aw, not right now, Princess. I’ll come get you later.”
“Bye, Dixie!” Tennyson waved to the puppy as Ronan dragged him past her.
Dixie started to cry.
“Oh, Ronan. Our baby.”
Ronan stopped halfway up the stairs. “Do you want to comfort the puppy or get it on?” Ronan waggled his eyebrows at Ten.
“Sorry, Dixie.” Tennyson actually sounded truly sorry. Ten gave Ronan’s ass a whack.
Ronan pulled Ten up the rest of the stairs and into their bedroom. He shoved Ten against the door and locked it behind them. “That was a dirty trick, making you choose between our baby and sex. I promise to make it up to you.” Ronan kissed him. Their lips came together hard. Ronan could taste a hint of green tea on Ten’s lips. He licked across the closed seam, urging his fiancé to open up for him.
“God, Ronan.” Tennyson was trying to undo Ronan’s belt and then work on his button and zipper, while Ronan kept kissing him as if this were his last night on earth.
Backing away from Tennyson, he hauled his shirt over his head and tossed it behind him. He skated his hands up the hard plane of Tennyson’s abs, pulling his shirt up with him. He pulled it off over his head and kept Ten’s hand pinned. “Stay.”
Ten nodded. His breath was coming in hard and fast puffs.
Hitting his knees, Ronan made fast work of Ten’s jeans and boxer briefs. Ronan moaned out loud when Ten’s erection was bobbing in front of his eyes. Instead of going right for his prize, Ronan sucked one of Ten’s balls into his mouth. He moaned again when the musky flavor of his lover washed over his tongue.
Releasing his prize, Ronan licked up Ten’s shaft as if it were an ice cream cone. When he reached the top, he swirled his tongue around the head before taking his cock all the way down the root. He stayed down for a few seconds until his gag reflex kicked in and his eyes started tearing up. He lifted back up and took a deep breath.
He managed to look up at Tennyson, whose arms were still pinned high above his head. His brown eyes were even darker than usual and filled with a hungry look. “Keep looking at me like that and I’m gonna come in my pants.”
“We can’t have that, now, can we?” Tennyson asked.
“Oh, and where would you prefer I come?”
“I need you to fuck me, Ronan. Please, baby. I need you,” Tennyson pleaded.
Ronan didn’t need to be psychic to see Tennyson was speaking the truth. He stood up and pulled Ten’s arms down, setting his hands on Ronan’s face. “Up on the bed.”
Ten nodded and crawled up onto the bed, situating himself in the middle. He started to slowly stroke himself while Ronan took off his pants and shoes.
His eyes were glued to Tennyson’s hand as it pleasured himself. Ronan stalked to the bed and rifled through his nightstand drawer. While he looked, he felt Ten’s lips on the back of his neck.
“We use that stuff every day. Why are you having such a hard time finding it?” Ten laughed gently in Ronan’s ear before sucking on the lobe.
Ronan grinned. “I was digging around in here this morning for something else.” Ronan said absently “Oh! Found it!” He held the bottle up in triumph.
“Thank God.” Ten sighed and pulled back. “I was afraid I was going to have to run back downstairs for the butter.”
“Any port in a storm, right?” Ronan winked. He snapped the cap off the lube and drizzled some on his fingers before rubbing them together to warm the viscous fluid up. “You ready for this?”
Ten nodded. The hunger was back in his eyes.
Ronan rubbed his index finger against Ten’s entrance to smear the lube around before pressing against the muscle. His finger slipped inside easily. “This is why having so much sex is good for us.”
“More, Ronan,” Ten panted.
He couldn’t argue with that. Ronan finished prepping Tennyson for his invasion and quickly lubed up his own dick. Now wasn’t a time for witty banter. It had been a weird night, even for the two of them. All he wanted to do now was put it all behind them and reconnect as a couple. He lined his slicked cock up with Ten’s entrance and pushed forward.
“Ronan!” Ten cried out. His hand gripped Ronan’s shoulders, as if he could draw him in closer. “Harder, I need more.”
“I know you do, babe.” Ronan needed more too. He bottomed out and counted to five. “Hold on tight.” Ronan pushed Ten’s knees up toward his head and pulled back.
“Do it,” Ten urged.
Ronan didn’t need to be told twice. He pulled back and slammed his hips forward. He noticed Ten’s teeth were gritted, but that wasn’t the reaction he was going for. He angled his hips a bit more to the left and tried again.
“Jesus! Fuck!” Tennyson howled.
Bingo… Ronan set a quick pace with fast, hard strokes designed to get them both of quickly. “This is gonna be a fast ride,” Ronan managed to grit out between clenched teeth.
“Close…” Ten gripped Ronan’s shoulders tighter.
Ronan increased the pace of his thrusts wanting them to blast off at the same time. He was close too. His lower back had started to tingle and his balls were tightening. “Come on, Grimm.”
“Fuck, Ronan,” Ten gasped.
Pulling his right hand off Ten’s knee, Ronan wrapped it around his cock and started to stroke. He wasn’t going to last much longer and hoped Ten was in a similar state. “Jesus, Ten!” Ronan couldn’t hold back a second longer. He felt his cock jerk deep inside Tennyson’s passage.
At the same time, Ten’s cock spasmed in his hand and started spewing his release. Ronan couldn’t keep his eyes off of Tennyson’s face as he moaned through his orgasm. His eyes were screwed shut and he looked like he was in pain. It was the most beautiful damn thing Ronan had ever seen.
When both of their bodies had finished exerting themselves, Ronan rested his forehead against Tennyson’s. “Love you, babe.”
“I love you too, Ronan,” Ten whispered back.
It struck Ronan that in all the talk tonight of what was going on with the boys at Tony and Carlie’s house, he’d never gotten the chance to tell them about Max Harmon’s murder and the possibility that there was a Rod Jacobson copycat killer on the loose. Ronan couldn’t decide if that was a blessing or a curse.
Ronan knew there was a lot of fucked up shit swirling around them at the moment, but they had each other and that’s all that mattered.
17
Tennyson
Tennyson felt funny pulling up to Tony and Carlie’s house by himself. He felt like he was doing something he shouldn’t be doing by showing up here alone. The other times he’d been here it had been with Ronan and with Tony home. Today it would be just him and Carlie Abruzzi.
Carlie had texted Tennyson around 5am this morning to ask if they could meet for lunch at her house. She wanted to talk about the things they’d spoken about last night, but without her husband and his judgy attitude there throwing them off the subject.
Tennyson had agreed on the condition that this meeting not be a secret from Ronan. Carlie hadn’t minded Ronan knowing, but she was still on the fence about telling her husband. She’d figure that out after she and Ten had a chance to speak.
“Tennyson!” Ca
rlie greeted just as effervescently as she’d done last night.
“Hi, Carlie!” Ten was better prepared for the bear hug his friend was about to lay on him. Carlie didn’t disappoint.
“It’s so good to see you.” Carlie squeezed him tighter.
Tennyson could feel the genuine warmth in her words. “It’s good to see you too.” He also remembered a time, not so long ago, when Carlie was threatening to break his kneecaps for thinking Tony had killed Michael Frye, but that was all water under the bridge now.
“Come on in.” She ushered him inside and closed the door behind him. “I really appreciate you coming down here on such short notice.”
“Sure, you know I would do anything for you guys.” Tennyson meant every word. He knew how much Tony and Carlie had done for Ronan over the years.
“Where do we start?” Carlie asked nervously. She was twisting her hands together.
Tennyson took her hands in his. “It’s going to be okay. Whatever is going on, we’ll figure it out.” He smiled at her. “I’d like you start by telling me the full story about what’s happening here. Don’t leave anything out, okay?”
Carlie nodded. She took a deep breath as if she were steeling herself for what was to come. “It was all very hectic when the boys came to live with us. They just had the clothes on their backs and they only trusted each other. We were concerned in those first few weeks with getting them supplied with the basics, having them in to see a doctor, and then getting them settled in to some kind of normal family life.”
Ten nodded. Those were exactly the things he would have done if he had adopted any of those boys himself. “Were there any problems after that?”
Carlie shook her head. “Everything was great. I mean, sure, we had some squabbles and adjustments, but we were all getting to know each other, and that’s par for the course when your house is filled with teenagers.”
“When did things start to seem off?”
Carlie tilted her head. “A few weeks ago. I can’t even tell you what was wrong.”
