by K. M. Hodge
Geez, do they ever quit?
“Come on, cut it out, Sal.” Jason swatted away at her hands.
“I’m gonna be sick,” Zane mumbled loud enough to be heard.
“Oh, Zane, don’t be so melodramatic.” His mother brushed off his concerns with a wave of her hand.
“Ma, can’t you at least put on some pants?” Zane looked away, irritated by his mother’s blatant lack of modesty around him.
“Sal,” Jason said. “Why don’t you go and get cleaned up, and Zane and I can make breakfast for Manny and you girls.” He gave her a quick kiss and waggled his eyebrows, making her giggle.
Zane sunk into one of the chairs and hid his face in his hands. “Kill me now.”
His mother patted him on the shoulder as she walked past.
Some things will never change.
When she was out of earshot, Jason poured Zane a cup of coffee and placed it on the table in front of him. “I’m sorry about all that.” The sincerity of his apology seemed genuine.
The heavenly scent of roasted pecans and coffee beans wafted up to his nose. He peeked out at the coffee and hoped it tasted as good as it smelled. ”Thank you.” He lifted the cup, blew away the steam, took a sip, and released a slow sigh. It did live up to his olfactory hype.
“You’re welcome.” Jason riffled through the half-empty cupboards. “And I thought I lived the bachelor way. Well, I think there’s enough to at least make pancakes for everyone.”
Zane stood, taking his cup with him. “How can I help?”
Jason smiled at him in a way that made him smile back. “We need a big mixing bowl.” He pulled out the eggs and set them on the counter beside the flour and other ingredients. “I don’t want to brag but I make some mean pancakes.” He then retrieved a bag of frozen blueberries from the back of the freezer.
This guy seems way too normal for Ma.
“I don’t get it.” Zane started to open random cabinets in search of the bowl.
“Get what?”
“Why the fuck you’re with my ma? You seem like a normal kind of dude.” The third cabinet was the charm. He reached inside and took out the large metal mixing bowl, then handed it to Jason. “You must know by now how crazy she is, and how she just always happens to find herself in trouble.”
Jason gathered all the ingredients into the bowl.
The silence made Zane uncomfortable, but he waited. He really wanted to know why this man wanted to be a part of his mother’s crazy train.
Finally, Jason turned to face him. “I know she isn’t perfect, but I do love your mother and plan to stick around for as long as she’ll have me.”
The back door opened and Manny snuck in, closing the door behind him.
Jason chuckled. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.”
Manny jumped and held his hand to his chest. “Shit, you scared me. Gonna give me a heart attack.”
“Walk of shame, you dirty old bastard.” Jason’s grin grew wider.
“Fuck you.” Manny muffled the curse over his shoulder and disappeared down the hall.
Zane leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee. “What was that all about?”
“I dunno, but I’m glad to see he’s found someone. His wife passed away last year,” Jason said, his voice dropping low.
“Cancer?”
“No, she was murdered by The Syndicate.” Jason looked away, busying himself with the food prep.
“Damn.”
“Yeah.” Jason took a deep breath. “Your mom may not always go about things the right way, but she’s right in wanting to put a stop to Scott once and for all.” He heated up a pan and lobbed off a thick slab of butter.
He doesn’t know.... No, of course not.
“Did she tell you she’s sick?”
Jason’s body stiffened. “How sick?” His voice cracked and his face became pinched.
In for a penny....
“It’s why she stopped dyeing her hair blue. The dyes are hard on kidneys. She’s in end-stage renal failure and needs a transplant.” Zane sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s got some dangerous scheme cooked up—”
“I was going to tell you.”
Zane and Jason turned to see Sally standing at the opening of the kitchen.
His mother’s cool gaze sent a shiver down Zane’s spine.
Jason turned back to making the pancakes. His shoulders hunched and his head bowed.
Zane looked away from both of them. “I’ll just—”
“Yeah, you do that.” The sharp tone in her voice was reminiscent of the reprimands of his teenage years, when he would borrow the old man’s car without asking.
He walked passed her, whispering under his breath, “I’m sorry.”
She kept her eyes trained on Jason, ignoring the apology.
He didn’t know how his ma was going to talk her way out of this one, but he didn’t doubt for a minute that she wouldn’t go down trying. Once he was out of view, he paused in the hall to listen.
“Jason—”
“Sal, all I have ever asked is that you be honest with me.” His tone had turned cold.
“I’m gonna be fine.”
“Sal....”
“I really was going to tell you,” she said. “I promise I’m going to be honest and upfront with you from now on.”
For a second, even Zane believed her, but he knew her all too well. She was incapable of being transparent in any relationship. He could only hope that this time would be different.
***
After breakfast, the others dispersed, leaving Jason once again alone with Sally. He hadn’t eaten any of the pancakes—the boy’s news of his mother’s health had done a number on his gut, and the mere thought of eating made his stomach roil.
Sally had pushed her own food around the plate without eating much either. Now she sat at the kitchen table alternating between nibbling her thumbnail and drinking her coffee. Her pale skin and the dark lines underneath her eyes became even more pronounced in the morning light.
“What’s the plan, Sally?” He cleared away the last of the breakfast dishes.
She got up to help and paused with a dish underneath the running water. “We’re going to visit with Charles.”
“And why the fuck are we gonna do that?” His back stiffened and the muscles of his jaw began to twitch.
“I’ve been hiding out there.” She looked away from him and busied herself by washing the same dish again.
Jason tried to distract himself with clearing off the table, but his trembling hands caused him to almost drop a glass; he caught it, but not before it hit the table with a bang. He cleared his throat and brought the last of the glasses and plates to the sink.
Without speaking, they washed and dried the dishes together. The quiet left him vulnerable to his inner thoughts, which reminded him how it felt to lose her. He didn’t want to go through that kind of pain twice.
“How sick are you, Sally?” His heart skipped an anxious beat while he waited for her answer.
“Since I’m technically dead. I can’t just waltz into any old hospital.”
“Sally.”
With a deep sigh, she stilled her hands and looked down at her feet. “If I don’t get a new kidney soon, I’m going to die.”
He dropped the dish towel and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You can’t die, Sally.” His whispered words fell against her trembling lips.
They stood that way, holding one another, a long time.
***
After breakfast, everyone seemed preoccupied with their own things, so much so that they paid Zane and Julie no mind as they walked together to her upstairs bedroom. They lay side-by-side on her bed.
“I dreamed about you last night,” she said.
“Oh?” He smiled wide and looped his arm around her waist.
“Yes, we were doing this.” She closed the gap between them and kissed him.
Zane smiled, breaking the kiss. “I had a very similar dream.�
�� He slipped his hand under the hem of her shirt and ran it up her side.
“You sure you want me tagging along?”
Zane gave her a quick kiss and tugged her closer. “And not just because you’re a good kisser.”
Julie laughed and her cheeks reddened. “Oh yeah?”
“My ma said that the lab’s supposed to be state of the art. I have a lot of work still to do with my prototype. It may have saved her life but it also totally shot Ma’s kidneys. I could use a fresh set of eyes on the project to help me fix all the kinks.”
Julie shifted so that she rested on top of him—a place he very much liked her to be.
“Sounds good to me. In the meantime....” She kissed him slow at first and then soon deepened the kiss.
When her warm tongue met his, it sent a shock through him straight to his groin. His heart raced as he cupped the back of her jeans and squeezed. She groaned and rocked her pelvis against his, bringing him almost to the point of no return.
Julie broke the kiss, sat up on his lap, and tugged her t-shirt up and over her head.
He sat up with her still in his lap and removed his shirt as well. Her breathing became shallow as he cupped her breasts and brought each to his mouth. She arched her back as he sucked and nipped at her tender skin, leaving a trail of red oblong marks in his wake. The growing need to be with her obliterated all other thoughts from his mind. He normally didn’t sleep with a girl after only knowing her a few hours, but he guessed there was a first time for everything.
He pressed her back down against the bed and she wasted no time in reaching between their bodies to undo the button of his jeans.
“Julie!”
The sound of her father calling for her caused them both to freeze.
“Julie, can you come down here, please?”
“Shit!” She scrambled out from underneath Zane and put her shirt back on. Before going downstairs, she checked herself in the mirror and tried to make it look less mussed. She caught his eye in the mirror’s reflection and gave him a small smile. “Rain check?”
Zane chuckled. “Yeah.”
Her smile widened and she gave him a quick kiss. “Come down when you’re... presentable.”
“Julie!” Her father’s voice rose.
She bounded out of the room and clomped down the stairs.
Zane rolled onto his back and buttoned up his jeans, his heart still thundering in his chest. The smell of her perfume still lingered in the air. He closed his eyes and allowed himself the luxury of being happy about the progression of his connection with Julie. Sometime in the near future he would be getting laid by a fucking hot girl.
Yeah... things don’t get much better than that.
Chapter 5
Charles MacAvoy’s Estate
Danville, Virginia
June 26, 2026
5:30 PM
~~~
Jason sat in the back of the automated car with the rest of the group as it drove up the long, twisted driveway and came to a stop at a wrought iron gate. Manny and Sally had both agreed they should all go together so, against his better judgment, he’d trusted Sally and left his bike behind.
He barely noticed as Manny punched in the code. When the gate opened, his mind flashed to the scene in Star Wars when the door to Cloud City opens on Darth Vader sitting at the head of the table.
I’ve got a bad feeling about all this.
Sally squeezed his hand and he glanced over at her sitting beside him. Her jaw was clenched and the tip of her thumb was bloodied from her constant nail biting. Her nervousness did little to encourage him.
The car pulled up in front of the mansion and a butler—A butler, for fuck sake!—waited to open their doors and lead them inside. The man’s close-cropped hair and expensive suit made Jason look like a homeless person by comparison. He grumbled to himself and followed the others into the foyer, and when the door swung shut behind him he jumped.
A scotch. I need a three-finger scotch and a dark room.
“We’ll bring in your things so you needn’t worry yourself about that,” the butler said.
It took Jason a second to realize the man had addressed him. He stood in front of Jason with outstretched arms waiting to accept the bag slung over Jason’s shoulder. He really wanted to hang on to it himself, but didn’t feel up to fighting about it.
“Your bag, sir.”
Jason let the strap slide down his shoulder and into the palm of his hand.
The butler reached out for it and Jason sighed as he let it go. The butler gave him a small smile and stepped away. “Please wait here and make yourselves comfortable. Mr. MacAvoy will be with you shortly.” The man then spun neatly on his heels and walked out of the room.
Former military man.
Jason paced back and forth while the others sat on the edges of the stiff furniture scattered throughout the room. The click clack of the shoes on the white tile made him pause near the entrance of the room where a familiar man now stood—Charles. Jason met the cocky bastard’s gaze head on. For a moment, they stood there like two wolves fighting for supremacy in the pack, all but circling each other and smelling their respective asses.
Charles broke the standoff by clearing his throat and breaking eye contact. He smiled widely at the others. “You made it. Wonderful. Dinner is waiting if you’ll just follow me.”
Charles led the way down a series of cheerful hallways decorated with bright oil paintings. The abstract works of art with thick brush strokes were showcased with high-tech light installations, making the hallway look more like an upscale gallery than part of a home. “Beautiful isn’t it?”
Jason nodded and half smiled.
“Alesha Belton, a curator in Paris, found them for me,” Charles said. “This one makes me think of the woods in Northern Virginia, where Katherine and I used to go hiking.”
Charles walked away, but Jason stayed behind a moment longer to look at the painting. He touched a thick swatch of blue with the tip of his pinky finger. For a moment, he understood what Charles spoke of, though it evoked memories of another woman for Jason. He turned his head and caught a glimpse of her as she disappeared around a corner. A small smile crept across his face and a warm feeling spread across his chest.
They entered a long dining room sporting an antique buffet at the end, holding a dozen or so tumblers and crystal decanters filled to the brim.
Jason’s mouth watered, considering what the cut glass held in store for him. He knew from their history together that Charles loved scotch almost as much as Jason did.
One year, he reminded himself. One year sober.
Manny tugged hard on his arm. “Sit down, Jason.”
He has his AA sponsor hat on today.
Jason sat down beside Manny and placed the cloth napkin in his lap.
Charles, of course, chose to sit at the head of the table, the self-imposed kingpin boss of the anti-Syndicate. “We have a lot to discuss tonight, but I would like to hold all serious conversation until after we’ve eaten. I find this kind of thing requires full and happy bellies.”
The king signaled a whole horde of servants. The first course came with glasses filled with wine, except for Jason and Manny, who requested mineral water.
Jason tried to eat but the stress of the last twenty-four hours had tied his stomach in knots. Everything tasted like ash, and each bite brought on another spasm. An acidic burp escaped his parted lips and he grimaced.
Sally’s scrutinizing look bore into him from across the table as she eyed his food sitting untouched on his plate.
Beside him, Manny whispered, “You all right, son?”
He shook his head and sucked in a slow breath as the servants removed his plate.
“I can see now why you’re in such great shape, Jason. If only I had such self-control around food.” Charles patted his round middle-aged belly.
Jason nodded and half smiled at the comment. It hurt too much to talk. When the servants placed the main course in front of him,
he whispered, “Where’s the restroom?”
The woman smiled. “Follow me, sir, and I’ll show you.”
“Please excuse me.” Jason stood and followed the young woman down the hall and through a short corridor, to a half bath with brass fixtures and an odd painting of a young Bill Murray, from the movie Stripes, pointing his finger. Before Jason could ponder the painting further, the contents of his stomach bubbled up.
The muscles in his legs gave way and he crumpled to his knees in front of the toilet. When the spasms subsided, he stood and ran cold water over his cupped hands. He splashed his face and swished water in his mouth before spitting it back out, then dried his face on one of the monogrammed towels with tiny embroidered flags.
Knock, knock.
“Are you all right?”
Sally.
He sighed as he opened the door and looked down into her beautiful blue eyes. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
She nodded, but narrowed her eyes at him like she didn’t believe a lick of what he’d said. “Manny and Charles are getting into it, so I think it’s time to talk about the plan.”
“All right then. Let’s get this show on the road.” He followed her back to the dining room.
Charles folded his hands together over the space in front of him on the table, like some kind of super villain ready to lead his henchmen to battle.
Jason plopped down into his chair, still feeling weak from throwing up. His stomach spasmed and clenched, making him grimace. If only he could crawl into bed and sleep through this whole ordeal. The thought of getting Sally back only to lose her again left him feeling hollow. His heart began to race and his breath quickened.
“Jason...?” Sally sat down beside him and shook him from his intrusive thought pattern.
Ugh... I don’t feel well.
He slumped in the chair as his muscles started to give. A wave of dizziness washed over him and his visual field narrowed until everything went black.
***
Memorial Hospital
Richmond Virginia
June 26, 2026
6:00 PM
~~~
Ellie tied the laces to one of her green Chucks, which matched the brand new green cast on her other foot. Mari sat in the chair beside her, cursing at her phone.
