by Scott, Raven
“Hi.” His bushy, greying brows rose at my greeting, and I cleared my throat roughly. “I was in Springfield, and I was hoping we could talk, but if you’re busy . . . ”
“Uh . . . n-no. Of course not.” Sputtering slightly, my uncle glanced over his shoulder briefly before stepping to the side, and surprise prickled the bridge of my nose. “Come on in. It’s funny you decided to come today— Jack just got back from his deployment. You didn’t know he went into the Army, did you?”
“No, I didn’t.” Stepping over the threshold, I blinked hard, and I gestured to Theo as his hand slipped from my back. “Um . . . this is Theo, my . . . my boyfriend.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jack. Senior, of course.” My uncle had a beer in his right hand, and Theo automatically stuck out his mangled palm. Jack grabbed it without thinking, and I held my breath as slight discomfort rippled across his features. “Come on in. I never thought you’d come back here after what happened, Illya. I wouldn’t blame you.”
“Me either, to be honest. I . . . I got a new job, and I went to my parents’ graves, so I figured, you know, since I was here . . . ” Shutting the door behind us, my uncle nodded in understanding, and I silently wondered if he was so . . . so mellow. “How have you been? It’s been a long time.”
“Ah, yeah, about that . . . it’s a story. Do you want a drink? Congratulations on your job. What do you do?” People I didn’t recognize filled the house— and a few people I did— and I nodded as we entered the kitchen. Rounding the wall, I paused as a memory of my aunt sitting there, with her purse and her mail spread out around her, gripped me. A soft touch on my arm dragged me back. The reverie was a fraction of a second, and I shook my head vigorously.
“It . . . it's just an office job. I work as a translator.” Straightening my shoulders, I followed my uncle to the fridge, and he opened the door with astounding ease. “What about you guys? Jack went into the Army?”
“Yeah, he just got back from his second deployment.” Nodding awkwardly, I took the dark-bottled beer my uncle offered me as a sense of surrealism swept through me, and he leaned on the counter to sigh heavily. He scanned me slowly, through shrewd, narrowed eyes, and I held my breath when he licked his lips in preparation. “You look good, Illya. I’m not gonna lie, I always hoped you’d come back so I could apologize properly.”
“You look really great, too, Uncle Jack. I don’t know what I was expecting, but . . . ” He smiled fondly like he did when I was younger, and my heart ached as my words failed me. Running my hand through my hair absently, I glanced around the kitchen, but everything was the same. Jack even wore the same brand of cargo shorts. The same spatula was sticking out of the drain. “It’s weird.”
“Well, not a lot has changed on the outside, except the kids. They’re all grown up now. So are you.” His eyes caught mine, soft, brown, and warm, and my lip twitched in a frown. “Why’d you go to your family’s graves? You don’t necessarily believe they’re listening, still, right?”
“Um . . . it’s been really hard these past few years, so I figured that coming back would help me get some perspective. Plus, I had thought about it in the past, but I never had the opportunity. I actually was living in southern California these past couple years.” The admission earned me a hum, and my uncle’s gaze shifted to Theo to fill with questions. Gesturing to him, the sense of an almost out of body experience intensified, and I cleared my throat heavily. “Theo actually helped me get the job. I start on Monday. It’s been a really long time since I had a stable job, so maybe it’s freaking me out.”
“I bet. Your mom came over when she got approached by someone about working for the government. Funnily enough, it was whenever Carol wasn’t around . . . or maybe not so funny.” My eyes widened at the fondness that tenderized Jack’s expression, and he twirled his beer in his hands, unopened and forgotten. “I would have to listen to her go on and on and on about the job over and over again. She never shut up until she decided she was out of stuff to say, and then she’d just walk out. One time, she was here until two a.m., almost.”
“I didn’t know that.” My dumb answer earned me a low chuckle, and my uncle twisted to grab the bottle opener with memories dancing in his eyes. “I’m not here to complain, Uncle Jack.”
“I wouldn’t mind it if you were, Illya. I . . . ” A soft knock interrupted him, and I twisted as his gaze slipped past me to a middle-aged woman I didn’t recognize. “Ah, Illya, this is my wife, Marley.”
She was pretty, with wrinkles in the right places, and her greys were just the right shade. Smiling politely, she stepped into the kitchen, and I nodded curtly as tightness tingled the smeared skin on my chest. Something cold touched my arm, and I turned back to Jack as he held out the bottle opener for me.
“Like I said, it’s a long story, but I think it’s about time you heard the whole thing.” Leaning back, my uncle took a deep swing of his beer, and I clenched my jaw hard as I tightened my grip on my bottle. “We were getting divorced. Carol was always worried about bills because her lawyer was consuming her money. I couldn’t stand her doing what she did to you, and there were a lot of problems for a long time beforehand, but the deaths of your family were what pushed me to take that step.”
“You said you didn’t know she was stealing?” Uncle Jack gave a guilty, grim smirk and slight shrug, and I lifted my beer to my lips. I hated beer, but even it couldn’t wash the sour taste from my tongue.
“I didn’t know the extent, but I knew the moment she took the property managers to court that she’d waste it all and leave nothing for you. I wasn’t in a position financially to stash money for you, or I would’ve done that. We tried to keep it up for the kids and for you, Illya, but when Carol started remodeling the house, I knew you’d know that she was up to something. At the time, it seemed like the less horrible option, for you to hate me instead of hating yourself. I wasn’t expecting you to sue her for it, and I wasn’t expecting her to commit suicide, but I was really proud of you for it at the time.”
“I don’t hate you, Uncle Jack. I don’t even hate her. That’s just using energy I don’t have.” Marley popped open the refrigerator out of the corner of my eye, but I focused on my uncle as a sigh rattled my sternum. “It is what it is, I guess. It took me a long time, but I’m on track now.”
“After she died, I wanted to offer you your room back, but you’d disappeared. I hired a private investigator, but you’re really good at blending into crowds, always have been. Needless to say, things stabilized after a few years. Jack was having a lot of problems in school, so he decided to go to a reform camp on his own. He’s flourished. Grant is a senior now. He’s doing well. I’d talked to them about divorce long before I actually did it, and I got lucky they were starting to get to that age where they had a contention with Carol. Of course, her death hit them hard, but for what it is, if possible, I believe in the right way.” Nodding in understanding, I licked my lips heavily as my mind whirred furiously. Maybe, at the time, I’d just been so disinterested in anyone but myself that I’d never noticed. Maybe, because it’d been like that since I arrived, it was just normal to me. To be honest, the ‘why’ didn’t matter anymore, and I lifted my beer to my lips to neck the contents before inhaling deeply.
Whatever concoction of words my mind was about to belch out was cut off by a shout, and I twist as my heart leaped into my throat. Jack, in his full Army garb, stood in the mouth to the kitchen, and the fine hairs on my arms stood up. He wasn’t pudgy-faced anymore, even as shock reddened his features. My mind raced— what did he know about me? He was young when my parents died, and I’d moved in.
Jack started toward me, and I tensed when I realized he was going to tackle me. My heart stuttered, and the anxiety in my gut spread to my fingertips and toes.
But, in about the time it took to blink, Jack was on his back. There wasn’t even the slightest thump against the tiles or faintest shudder of the floor. In one fraction of a second, he was standing, and then, his knees w
ere up against his chest, and he was staring at the ceiling.
“Don’t touch her.” Standing over Jack menacingly, Theo frowned darkly, and my cousin gasped stupidly as he caught up with events. My brows rose as surprise dried my mouth when Theo stuck out his good hand, and he helped Jack to his feet to pat his back hard. “Welcome back.”
35
Theo
“You were right— this is way too good to be true. Something bad is gonna happen.” Grumbling in Illya’s ear, I tapped my feet on either side of the outdoor lounge chair and glanced around the back yard. “I have a feeling you’re spot-on, Illya. This is the calm before the storm. Just when everything’s going perfect, it’s gonna fuck up.”
“I realize that. I’m just gonna enjoy this for now, though.” I grunted as I scanned the backyard, full of people I didn’t know and didn’t care to know, and Illya sighed as she hunched a little. “I didn’t expect things to go well at all, let alone . . . ”
“You expected them to hate you for their mom committing suicide?” Nodding slowly, she leaned back into my chest, and I rubbed her hip as my gaze flickered around and around. “I guess it’s not unexpected, all things considered. Do you want to leave?”
“Not really. Jack’s got a crush on you. It’s kinda cute.” Frowning at Illya’s cheeky smirk, I sat back in the chair and propped my arm under my head. Jack hadn’t seen a lot of action, that much was clear, but I didn’t think he’d be so starstruck. “What?”
“I guess that just goes to show you why being a Marine is better than the Army. Dude’s a baby. He’s only two years in. That’s a lifetime.” I could remember my first deployment like it was yesterday— a lot of fucking sand, a lot of downtimes, and a lot of training. Now that we weren’t actively warring with the bad guys, kids in the military had it easy. Firefights were simple things, after all, and being in one didn’t make Jack a badass. “He’s a good kid, though.”
“I bet he’s gonna come over and ask you to show him some moves.” Rolling my eyes at that, I only shook my head, and Illya giggled a little as she twisted to face me. She looked good— fresh and glowy and happy, that happy of a person experiencing something unexpected. “Would you show him something if he asked?”
“I’d have permission to beat the fuck out of him, why would I turn that down?” She laughed again, and I savored the sound as it twinkled against my eardrums. Licking my teeth, I glanced over at Jack to find him mustering up the courage to approach me, and I hoisted myself up with a grunt.
Truth be told, I just wanted Illya to experience all the greatness that she could while she was here. Jack sized me up, and I could practically smell the tension thrumming through him under his uniform. Not gonna lie— seeing that hurt. I hadn’t put on my dress in ages, and I wasn’t even sure where they were at this point.
“Wanna get punched?” Jack obviously didn’t expect my straightforward question, and I couldn’t help but smirk when his brows rose in surprise. His face flushed, and he handed his beer to his friend as I rocked back on my heels.
“How long were you in for?”
“I’d still be in if I didn’t get my fingers blown off.” Holding up my hand, which I knew he’d noticed a long time ago. I shrugged lightly, and Jack shuffled in discomfort. “It’ll happen to you eventually, though maybe not physically. The ones with missing limbs are the lucky ones.”
“I’ve heard. Once I do my four years, I’m just going into college.” Nodding absently, I scanned this kid from top to bottom, and he straightened a little and clicked his heels. “You look like you’d do well in a fight.”
“Are you gonna try to find out?” I took a moment to think about that before shaking my head. My hand-to-hand combat skills were shit now. Jack looked a little disappointed, and I exhaled a big breath as I watched him deflate noticeably. “So, why’d you come over here?”
“To make Illya feel good.” Glancing over my shoulder, I reached to rub my head and neck as Jack smiled faintly out of my peripheral. I really didn’t have anything to say to him, but I knew Illya would appreciate the effort. She seemed different in this atmosphere.
But it wasn’t going to last. She came here for closure before her life took an irreversible sharp left. That was all.
“I consider myself lucky to get dropped like that.” Grinning at that, I turned my attention back to Jack, and he tinged red up to his ears. “I’m glad we’re not on different teams.”
“You should be.” The ominous threat in my tone made me chuckle, and I shook my head a little at how fundamentally Jack understood the differences in our abilities. “I’d kill you before you even realized you were gonna die.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” The conversation stalled, and I didn’t try to revive it before heading back to Illya. The sun shone brightly off her hair and illuminated her whole face, and I sat back down behind her. I should probably savor the atmosphere, too.
It didn’t escape me that everything was going a little too well lately. Just like Illya, I’d been feeling apprehensive about her starting work, but like fuck I was gonna say that to her.
Today had been such shit. I woke up to an argument, got dragged up the coast, and now I was at a party full of people I didn’t know. If that wasn’t bad enough, I felt like this whole trip was a waste in some ways. I was honestly hoping that Carlyle would call me back, so I had an excuse to go home.
Just as the disgruntled thought slithered through my mind, my phone began to vibrate, and I fished the thing out of my pocket. Speak of the devil.
“What?” Leaning back, I held the speaker to my ear, and Carlyle’s frown radiated against my cheek before he’d even said anything.
“Get back. I need Illya.” Reaching to tap on her shoulder, I pointed shamelessly at her uncle, and Illya frowned under tightly knit brows. “And don’t take forever. Something just came in, she’ll be up all night.”
“Yeah.” Hanging up before I muttered the confirmation, Carlyle left the line dead, and my cheek twitched in irritation as I stood up again. Illya followed suit, and I’d guess she heard that last part as she sauntered off toward her uncle. Rubbing my face in agitation, I heaved a massive sigh. “The calm before the storm.”
We’d been here about an hour— an hour too long, in my opinion— and I hoped Illya got the answers or enlightenment she was searching for. I sure as she wasn’t going to jump through hoops to come back, and I watched her hug her uncle with a smile cresting her cheeks.
“What did Carlyle want?” Only posing her question once we were out in the street, Illya cast me a questioning glance as I pulled my keys out of my pocket. “Do you want me to drive?”
“You don’t have a license yet.” Even as I grumbled, an ache shot up my right arm, and I tossed her my keys. She caught them easily, nodding curtly, and I rounded the back of the car before speaking up again. “Don’t get us pulled over. I don’t know what Carlyle wants, but it involves you, so it must be something involving whatever internal drama he mentioned at the club.”
“That seemed like a long time ago.” A strange sensation filled me as I climbed into the passenger seat of my own car, and Illya stuck the keys into the ignition before adjusting the seat. “When I was a teenager, me and my friends used to go on joyrides and stuff. It’s fine. I won’t get caught.”
“Don’t kill me, okay, that’s all I’m asking.” I sunk in the seat a little as she adjusted the mirror, and the car roared to life.
And I saw my fucking shit-life flash before my eyes when she grinned at me from over the center console.
36
Illya
“Theo! Theo, come on, it wasn’t that bad!” Grabbing his hand to stop him storming into the complex, I couldn’t help but frown at how utterly freaked out Theo was even as he shot me a nasty glance over his broad shoulder. “You didn’t die. That’s all you asked, remember?”
“You are never driving again!” Jerking his hand from mine, he practically spit in my face, and I tensed when his eyelid twitched as it
came close to me, so close I could count his lashes. “Don’t you fucking pull that shit around on me. You shortened a four-hour drive to one and a half!”
“W-well, yeah. Carlyle said not to take forever, and I knew driving hurts your arm.” Sputtering a little in the full face of Theo’s rage, I tried to take a step back, but he followed, and I gasped when he grabbed my biceps. His short, sharp nails dug into my skin, and his eyes flashed as they narrowed into slits. “That hurts.”
“It’s a fucking miracle we made it back. Never, ever again!” Hissing at me, Theo’s spittle splattered on my chin, and my heart stuttered when he shook me. “You understand!”
“I . . . I understand.” Releasing me with a slight shove to jerk the door open, Theo left me in the parking lot, and I exhaled a shaky, thin breath. Glancing down at my arm, the deep crescents of his fingernails were prominent, a white half-moon in a sea of reddening flesh. My gaze followed a white line on the pavement, up the brick wall, and the courtyard that served as a parking lot enclosed by it. A bridge connected two buildings, technically, one for living and one for working.
“Oh.” Hanging my head as I reached to cup my biceps, I frowned at the asphalt, and my face grew hot as my skin stung where Theo’d grabbed me. “It’s not like he told me to slow down.”
That was just an excuse and not a very good one. Maybe, driving one hundred ten wasn’t the best idea, but I wanted to get back as fast as possible. Carlyle didn’t sound happy from what snippets I’d caught, and . . .
“Everything alright out here?” Slithering out the door like a snake, Carlyle frowned down at me, and I huffed as I crouched down on the balls of my feet. “I take it all’s not paradise on the island, huh?”
“He doesn’t like how fast I drove.” When I moved my lips, I could taste him, and Carlyle hummed softly in acknowledgment. An ugly blotch spread across my chest, and I sat back on the hot concrete with a grunt. “What’s going on that you wanted us back?”
