Von waved Frank over after the cheese and the turkey were sliced and bagged. “Three big containers of the kale salad, mate.”
Frank looked to the case in confusion. “The what?”
I hung my head. “It’s honestly not worth it, Von.”
“The kale salad,” Ollie repeated through his chuckle.
Frank grabbed a large plastic clear container and pointed to the meatloaf logs. “This one?”
“No!” Mason replied, indignant. “I’m not even from here, and I know what she’s asking for. The kale salad!” When he realized the alien implications in what he’d just uttered, his neck shrank into his shoulders.
“This one?” Frank asked, perplexed as he pointed to the water-logged block of ricotta cheese.
Von intervened before Mason had a conniption and I lost my patience. Ollie had fallen to his knees, clutching his stomach while he roared. “It’s ricotta cheese!” he howled. “He thinks kale is ricotta cheese!”
Von steered Frank to the correct bowl, watching with his mouth open in confusion as Frank attempted to get the kale into the cylindrical plastic container without the use of a serving spoon. He stabbed at the salad with the lip of the cup, scooping some inside, but scattering much of it out of the bowl and into the bottom of the case.
I dropped Mason’s grip and squeezed my fists in frustration. “It’s not worth it, Von.”
Von arrested the cup from Frank and turned him back toward the slicer. “Why don’t you go cut up the rest of that log of salami for anyone else who wants it. I’ll handle this part.” He shot me an expression that read, “Yikes. This guy.”
My blood pressure dropped when Von used a spoon, scooping enough kale salad from the bowl into a container for me. “What else, darling?”
Gabby’s hand flew over her heart as she swooned on my behalf.
I narrowed my eyes at Von. “Whatever you guys want is fine. And don’t call me ‘darling’ in public.”
“Very well. Only in private then, my love.”
“You know you’re just trying to get a rise out of me.”
He grinned at me like the boy who would never apologize for tracking mud into the house. Von took Gabby’s order, Mason’s and, when Ollie collected himself enough for speech, my brother’s. Everyone at the deli took their bagged portions of salami and ran with gratitude, delighted that finally they could get something without having to deal with Frank.
The commotion died down as we shopped around the store, making our way through the aisles until the cart was so full and difficult to maneuver, Mason took over pushing it.
“You want more honey?” I asked Von after putting ten bear-shaped plastic bottles in the cart.
“Do I want more what, sugar?” he teased. Then he reached to the higher shelf to grab down the econo size tub of honey I couldn’t reach.
Gabby counted the jars and laughed. “What could you possibly be using all that for?”
“I’m trying my hand at making mead,” Von answered without missing a beat. He smiled down at me, and I saw the practiced patience in his eyes that warned me this wasn’t his ideal day when Frank wasn’t there to mess with.
I pulled Von aside when the others moved ahead and whispered in his ear, “Hey, you want the day off? Like, to go spend with Penny or something?”
“Aw, that’s sweet of you. Penny’s at Girl Scouts, though. I’m alright playing fifth wheel. Pretend I’m not even here.”
“Why don’t you go call Katrina? You don’t want to be here for the boring stuff. Before you know it, you’ll be domesticated, and then what would the world do? Take advantage of the space while you can.”
He was wary of the gift. “But what about you? You could barely move without screaming yesterday.”
“That’s the thing about Pullers who’re good at their jobs. I feel fine. Plus, Mason’s here if I’m not.”
“Really?” His eyes darted to Gabby, who was preoccupied fixing Ollie’s collar so he looked more “dashing”. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not. You’re going to start resenting me if you don’t get a breather every now and then.” Though I was a stranger to relationships, I understood the mechanics well enough. I made sure Gabby couldn’t hear us. “You said you needed to get laid and drink blood. I can’t help you with the second part, but Katrina’s probably more than happy to help you relax. She gets off work at four. Go surprise her, dude.”
“Best work wife ever.” He drew me into a tight hug, pecking my lips just to make me blush.
“We’re in public, Von,” I murmured, my cheeks heating as I lingered in his arms.
“I love when you say saucy things like that. Don’t you know? Embarrassing you is the high point of my day. Oh, let me slap your pert little backside in front of Gabby. Just a little pat. It’s been absolutely begging for it.”
I thrilled at the blatant flirt, but quickly swallowed any kind of lean toward a green light. I ducked out of his arms with a glower I pretended was sincere, though neither of us bought it. “You’re dismissed. Run along, Mr. Brady.”
“Oh, don’t turn me on with that sexy talk.” He feigned a shiver and then broke out in a handsome grin, presenting his fist to me for a quick bump of friendship. “Thanks, November. See you later tonight? Call if you need me.”
I slipped into my southern accent just for kicks. “But if you’re gone, who’ll I get to tie my shoes and hold my purse? What shall I do without my gentleman caller?”
“I think I should like you to only refer to me as that. Your gentleman caller. It’s more dignified than ‘dude’.”
“You’ll have to behave like a gentleman, then. It’s the one catch.”
“I’ll stick with Mr. Brady, then.” He lingered, almost as if he was reluctant to leave. He pulled me in for another hug, using the closeness to tickle my ear with his whispered, “Thanks for last night, and for not dodging me today. You’re top shelf, you know.”
“I’m well aware of my general awesomeness. Enjoy your day. Go have double-jointed fun.” I kissed his cheek, braving public affection to make sure Von knew that he was treasured.
“You, too.” He winked at me and then gave a meaningful look toward Mason, who was trying to figure out how the grocery store worked, his eyes wide at commerce in action. “He’s been a good dog, but don’t you think about giving him all your treats.”
I shooed Von away and moved toward Gabby, who’d caught just enough of our public affection to give me a giddy grin. I shook my head and looped my arm through Mason’s, who was trying his best to blend in and not rock the boat with me. He was soft-spoken, and offered me hesitant smiles as we moved through the store. My body was still moving slower than my usual let’s-get-this-done speed, but Mason was never impatient, instead matching my sluggish pace. We took our time warming back up to each other, taking baby steps instead of the flying leaps we had done earlier. “Have I said I’m sorry today?” he whispered as Ollie put two bunches of bananas in the cart. I reached for seven more bunches, knowing the guys would plow through all the food in the store if I had another day like yesterday.
“Yes, and we’re fine.”
“How fine?” Mason asked, pushing the boundaries to see if they were still in place.
I wasn’t sure how committed I was to my defenses, so I shrugged. “Fine enough to enjoy a day with you, not so fine that we’ll be kissing anytime soon.”
“I’ll take what I can get. You and Von aren’t…”
I winced. “No. Of course not. Von’s my friend. My best friend these days. He’s off hooking up with one of my girlfriends.”
“Best thing you’ve said to me in weeks.” Mason slipped his hand in mine, alerting the entire world to the very relationshippy thing I wasn’t known for.
Every time Mason did something nice, Gabby could barely hold back her squeal. “Man, I leave for a month or two, and you’re serious with a new guy who’s all mature.” I knew she’d meant to say “old,” but kept a lid on it to be polite. “Boyfrie
nd?” she inquired to Mason.
Mason answered with a quick, “Yes” before I could respond with the truth. “We’re trying it out to see how it fits,” Mason told Gabby, squeezing my hand. “I’m loving it so far.”
I didn’t like the caged-in feeling it all gave me. “We’re not serious.” I huffed at Mason’s squint that told me he was about to argue. He’d moved from doghouse to my bed, though I couldn’t imagine why he still wanted to be there. All I did was remind him that he wasn’t ready to move on from his wife, even though it seemed he still wanted to try.
Gabby motioned to our joined hands. “Um, yeah you are. I know the difference between you serious and you with Beto. You’re holding hands in public! Good for you!”
“Thanks, and hush up about it,” I murmured, completely embarrassed. I removed my hand from Mason’s and shoved it in my pocket. My back immediately felt the ache of stiffness without his stream of pulling.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Gabby said, her nose in the air. “I was talking to Mason. Good for you, man. You’re the luckiest SOB in the world right now. Our girl’s the best there is, even if she doesn’t return phone calls.” It was the third time she’d jabbed me for that, though I couldn’t blame her. I hadn’t even listened to my voicemails yet; I was too afraid I’d hear the warden’s voice asking me to come back – or worse, him not asking.
Mason gave Gabby a modest smile and tucked my arm into the crook of his elbow. “I am pretty lucky.”
Mason was lucky, Gabby was giddy, Ollie was wary and I was unsure.
34
Ollie’s Little Sister
That night, Von snuck into my bedroom where Mason was spooning me, completely asleep. I watched as he undressed silently and in slow motion just to amuse me, doing his best impersonation of a male stripper. He pulled on pajama pants for Mason’s sake and slid into the bed, trying not to wake Mason. “Thanks. I needed that. Katrina was a great stress relief,” he whispered.
“Good.” My eyes rolled back when Von ran his knuckles over my cheek, giving me the double dose of pulling I’d been missing. “Oh, I needed that.”
“She’s angry I didn’t stay the night again.” We both shrugged at this, knowing Von’s capacity for commitment wasn’t much greater than my own. “How’d things go with Fido?” he asked of my time with Mason. The whisper between us felt like kids planning the future, holy and laced with trust that bespoke of something grander than just our fort.
“It was nice. Not as nice as you and Katrina. Going slow, still pretty platonic. Feeling our way around the landmines.”
“That’s my girl. Good for you. The slower the better. Or, you know, the never the better.” He yawned and stretched, bringing his hand back down to hold mine, ensuring I didn’t scratch my scabs open while we slept. “Goodnight, darling.” He leaned forward and smooched my lips, our eyes closing in sync with each other.
That night I slept soundly, wrapped in Mason’s arms and holding Von’s hand. With any other guys it would have felt claustrophobic, but with them it felt right. Peaceful. I didn’t feel the need to conjure up Philip to come meet me in my dreams, though I had questions for my fake boyfriend aplenty.
I awoke to Mason kissing a line down the back of my neck, which incidentally, is the very best way to start your day. A knock sounded on my bedroom door, and I wondered how long the person had been trying to wake us. “October!” Ollie’s whisper sounded through the door.
“Come on in,” I murmured, not totally awake.
Ollie hissed, waving his hands like there was a stench in the air, his voice carrying enough to wake Von. “Get off my sister, guys. I know you have to be touching her to do your pulling thing, but this is overkill.”
I refused to feel bad about the weird sleeping arrangement, since I hadn’t been the one to choose any of this. “It’s fine, Ollie.” I sat up and stretched, smiling down at Von, who refused to wake up if at all possible. The stretch felt amazing, without a hint of the pain or stiffness I was growing accustomed to. Von wrapped his arm around my legs and snuggled his face into my hip, looking totally precious. I reached down and ran my fingers through his hair to wake him more gently.
Mason sat up next to me, yawning loudly and rubbing his stomach. “Is there breakfast, or should I go hunt up some squirrels? I’m starved.”
“Do I look like your maid? Fridge is in the kitchen.” Ollie was in a mood, so I knew to step lightly.
“Is everything alright, Ollie?” I asked quietly.
“Get dressed and come on out. Bev’s been calling all morning. What’d you do to her?”
“Huh? Nothing. Why would you even ask that? I’ve been in Terraway or working Topside the whole time. The last time you saw her was the last time I saw her.”
“Well, something’s wrong. Normally I wouldn’t care, but I picked up your phone when she called, and she was crying. Actually crying. Said if we don’t come over, she’s coming here.” He motioned to Mason and Von. “I don’t think you want her in on this freak show. I could barely understand her on the phone. We should go before we have to get to Ezra’s to leave for Terraway.”
I did a doubletake, blinking up at my brother. “We? Who’s we? You’re not coming.”
Ollie reared back. “Oh, yes I am! I’m not sending you off with any number of dangerous monsters without some sort of supervision. I’m gone for barely two months, and look what’s happened!” He motioned to Von and Mason as the source of his problems that particular morning.
I climbed over Von and retrieved a fresh outfit from my dresser, not willing to engage with Ollie before I’d had a shower to get myself fully awake. “Is Gabby still here?”
“No. She left just before I came in here. You know I don’t usually care about Bev’s latest drama, but this sounded different. She sounded scared, kid.”
“Huh. Alright. We can make a stop there before Ezra’s, but you’re still not going. You don’t know the first thing about how dangerous it is down there.”
“All the more reason for me to go to keep you safe!”
“I’m the one who’ll have to keep you safe. Don’t you see that?” I shook my head and shut myself in the bathroom, ignoring him when he shouted through the door that we weren’t finished discussing this.
Showers were one of the few times I was truly alone, so I took my time soaping myself up. I luxuriated in the scent of the shampoo I knew I wouldn’t get to use again for a while. When I came out, all dressed with my damp hair in a bun atop my head, Mason’s hand found mine. He drew me to his side at the kitchen table, proudly displaying the breakfast he’d made everyone.
“Oh, thanks. It looks awesome.” I plated more food than I could reasonably eat, but knew I somehow had to. I was behind on the whole getting enough calories thing, and wasn’t sure what kind of food we’d get our hands on when we went down to Terraway, since everyone down there lived off the buhay shoots.
My phone rang, but before I could tell Ollie to leave it, he answered for me. “Yeah?” His brows furrowed as he cast me a wary look. “Hey, Crayfish. Whatcha need October for?” He paused, and then handed the phone to me. “Can you two play nice?”
“Hey Darius,” I said, cradling the phone with my shoulder.
“So you can answer the phone. I had no idea. Didn’t you get my messages?” Darius’ strained lightness told me he hadn’t smiled in a while.
“No. I was out of town. Sorry about that. Did I miss anything important? Your brother buy a mountain and paint his face on it or something?”
“Not yet. We’ve got a bit of a situation here.”
“What kind of a situation? I gotta tell you, if it’s anything short of a unicorn parade showing up at your house, I don’t really have the time for it right now.”
“Bloodier than a unicorn parade. One of our guys was shot. He’s… Can you come by?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, instantly torn and on edge. “Was it you or Judge?”
“No. We’re fine. It’s… You know, it’s pr
obably best you don’t know his name.”
I clung to my boundaries with resolve I willed myself to feel undivided about. “I’m sorry, hun. Unless it’s you, Judge, Terence, or maybe Big Mike, I’m not available.”
“We can pay you.”
My temper swung, as if money was the reason I wasn’t running to help. “I don’t need your money. I’m not coming because I don’t want to be part of Judge’s world. You can tell him to shoot himself in the foot if he wants me to help him out, which is basically what he does every time we talk. Hospitals are wide open. If you’re still a good guy, you’ll take Random Drug Dealer #27 in and get him help. I’m not interested in doing favors for a drug lord.”
Von’s eyebrows tented, and Ollie frowned, but thankfully didn’t intervene. It bolstered my confidence that he trusted me to handle friction with the McCray brothers.
Darius handed the phone to Judge, and at the first sound of his voice, my spine straightened. “So now you’re not only turning your nose up at me, you’re too good for the sick people you swore to heal? Isn’t that part of your nurse’s oath?”
I tried to sound bored, and not like he’d poked at my sore spot. “I totally would be there in a heartbeat, but I’ve got plans today. I was thinking of getting my nails done. Man, if only there were emergency rooms for just such an occasion. Sorry I’m leaving you with no options, like you know, the EMT you already have on payroll.” I paused at his intake of breath. “That’s right; I know things.”
“I don’t want our EMT. You’re closer. I need your help.”
“Wow. You uttered the word ‘need’. That had to be painful. Might want to sit down.”
“October,” he warned me, his velvety timbre turning sharp.
I let out a gust of feigned boredom, though my insides were twisting at turning my back on someone who was injured. “You should probably let your man bleed out while we go back and forth.”
Judge sighed, and I could tell he hadn’t gone to sleep. “Fine. I’ll call the doc. You’ve turned cold, baby girl. I don’t like it.”
Torture (Terraway Book 3) Page 20
