When the Dead Come Home

by B. L. Brunnemer

  “I didn’t ditch them.” I straightened my shoulders. “I’m not playing this year.”

  “The hell you aren’t.” His face grew red with rage. “I’ve already talked to your coach. He’s going to let it slide as long as you bust your ass the rest of the year.”

  “Then you wasted your time.” I slipped my hands into my pockets. “I’m not playing this year. I’m done.”

  “Why?” he demanded.

  I hesitated. He wouldn’t believe me if I told him the truth. There was no way. “I’m just… done. I don’t want to play anymore.”

  He scowled at me. “You don’t want to do it anymore? That’s it? That’s the only reason?”

  “Yeah, Dad.” I sighed. “I’m sick of it. I was done last year but I played anyway because of you.”

  “What the hell is the matter with you?” he spat. “This is your ride. This is your future! And you’re throwing it away.”

  “Nothing is the matter with me!” I snapped back. “I’m just finally sick of being someone I’m not!”

  “You ungrateful—”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m ungrateful that my father has decided my entire life for me without even knowing me. I’m ungrateful that you can’t even be in the same house as we are. I’m ungrateful for everything! I’ve heard this list before.” My wolf rose to the surface, moving inside my chest. My eyes stung, telling me I’d switched to my wolf eyes. I needed to get out of here. “I’ll be at Miles’ until you’re gone.”

  “You’re not going anywhere!” He grabbed my arm hard.

  My wolf was there instantly. A deep growl reverberated in my chest, and I turned and shoved him away from me. The drywall dented and cracked. His eyes were wide as I strode out of the house.

  It didn’t register what I had done until I was at Bickman’s trail. Run. I needed to run. I dialed Brody.

  Miles

  * * *

  Clean. The living trust was clean.

  I walked out to the parking structure after several hours of sitting in the office. Twersky, the best lawyer in Missoula, said it was clean. His lawyer and his people ran every check imaginable. Checked out every angle. Used every resource I had. Only to find nothing.

  I got into my car and stared at the steering wheel. He even provided for Mother. She’d receive a third of everything. What was his game? There were no conditions, no debts, no traps. It wasn’t like him.

  It stayed on my mind as I drove back to Spring Mountain.

  It was dark when I pulled off the highway and into Zeke’s long driveway. By the time I parked I was rubbing my temple, hoping to fight off a headache.

  A wide shadowed figure moved out of the garage. The bags under his eyes were still dark. The scruff on his face was almost a beard again. Not surprising considering what week it was. But something was different. Something in his shoulders, posture… I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  Racking my brain for what it was, I waited for him to reach my car.

  “When was the last time you slept?” I asked, surveying his face.

  He shrugged. “I managed a couple of hours last night.”

  “When did you eat last?” I asked, running down our usual list.

  He thought about it. “Um, dinner last night with Sylvie.”

  “You’re going to eat something before I leave.” My voice told him to not even argue.

  He shook his head. “Aren’t you supposed to be going to dinner with Lexie tonight?”

  “Our reservations aren’t for another two hours.”

  “Where’d you go?” he asked.

  I took advantage of his curiosity. “Eat something and I’ll tell you.”

  He cursed before he started toward the house.

  I followed a few steps behind him into the house. “Sit down, I’ll make you a sandwich.”

  Zeke groaned as he went into the kitchen. “No thanks, I’ll make it.”

  “Sandwiches I can handle,” I assured him.

  He scoffed. “I’m not risking it.”

  He began to make a sandwich while I leaned against the sink.

  “What are you doing here?” His voice was a dry rasp.

  I began to tap my fingers on the tiled counter. “Lexie figured out what the triangle we found in the woods is.”

  He looked at me over his shoulder, his eyes bright. “Hmm. What was it?”

  I summed it up for him and that we’d continue searching.

  “That’s good, we’re getting closer to the fucker.” He sighed and went back to making his sandwich. “That still doesn’t answer my question.”

  “Some contracts came up that I needed to get my lawyer’s eye on.” I quickly added, “She’s worried about you.”

  Zeke watched me without blinking.

  “She knows you’re dealing with something that she doesn’t know about.” I tried again. “And she knows I’m dealing with something—”

  “She’s said something?” He raised his eyebrow.

  “No, she doesn’t know anything. She’s getting frustrated.”

  Zeke’s gaze narrowed on mine. “I’d be pissed too.”

  “You might want to call her tonight and see if you can smooth things over.”

  He scoffed. “You know who you’re talking to, right? I don’t smooth shit over. I’m usually the reason it’s fucked to begin with.”

  My tapping increased in tempo. “I didn’t say you had to tell her anything—”

  “Bullshit.” Zeke growled as he pushed away from the counter. “You want to hide your shit behind mine.”

  He started walking off.

  I closed my eyes. “She won’t walk away from you.”

  Zeke stopped in the doorway.

  I needed him to understand. “If you tell her, it won’t scare her. But with me…”

  Zeke turned on me. “It’s not your fucking secret, Miles. It’s your dad’s.”

  “I know.” I shook my head, everything jumbling in my chest. “But yours won’t put her in danger.”

  Zeke clenched and unclenched his jaw. “Neither will yours.”

  I caved. “I got papers from his lawyer. He wants me to sign a living trust.”

  Zeke simply waited.

  “He’s giving everything to my mother and I. Everything except the shipping business.”

  Zeke scowled. “Isn’t that good?”

  “What’s he doing with the shipping business?” I asked, dreading the answer. “He can’t just walk away from it.”

  “It’s not your responsibility. It’s not your problem, Miles.” He shook his head. “That asshole made his choices. You made yours.”

  He was right. I knew he was. It was just hard to know what to do. “She knows we’re keeping things from her, and I can’t tell her.”

  The look on his face was the promise of murder. “When I tell Lexie about my past, it’ll be when I’m fucking good and ready. That’s my relationship with her. How fast we go or what we know about each other isn’t for you to decide or control. That’s between me and her.” He turned and strode toward the door. He jerked it open then went still. His raging eyes met mine. “And I already told her.”

  He what?… “You told her?”

  “Yeah.” He shook his head. “Today. On that hike.”

  Stunned, I couldn’t believe it. Zeke told her….

  “You have to trust in her sometime, Miles.”

  I shook my head automatically. “It’s not that I don’t—”

  “Stop fucking lying to yourself,” he barked. “You’ve been holding out on her, scared she’ll leave if she finds out about your dad.”

  “Zeke,” I warned.

  He met my gaze, unflinching. “Tell her.”

  I clenched my fist. “You told her everything?”

  His eyes narrowed on me as his face grew hard. “Yeah. And it’s not even close to the same fucking level, Miles.”

  I looked down at the floor as a heavy weight settled in my chest. He was right. It wasn’t the same as Zeke’s past. “When the ti
me is right.”

  He scoffed, making me raise my head.

  “You’ve got the same damn control issues as your dad. You’re not going to move us around like pieces on a chess board so you can fucking hide from Lexie. You need to work on your shit. And you need to grow a pair.” He stormed out, slamming the door hard enough it rattled the windows.

  Shit…

  Lexie

  I checked my phone again. It was nine o’clock and still no Miles. Okay, Miles had been late before for things, but this was our first official date. Hell, I didn’t even really want to go out tonight. After crossing another hundred souls at the cemetery, all I wanted was my pajamas, my dog, and a book. But Miles had texted a time that he’d pick me up. Besides, we needed to have it out. Sighing, I got to my feet and headed upstairs to my room to change as I hit Miles’ contact button and called.

  I caught myself in the mirror on the back of my door. The indigo jersey knit dress hugged my curves and did great things for my hair color. Miles’ text had said something about a dinner reservation. So, naturally in a panic, I asked Tara to lend me a dress. She had been so happy she practically beamed as she dragged me into her closet and dressed me up like a doll. I fingered the soft fabric as the phone rang in my ear. I had to admit, I liked the cut of this wrap dress.

  “Yeah?” Miles’ voice was breathless and irritated.

  “Hey,” I greeted, biting back a flash of irritation. What the hell had he been doing that was more important than our first date in over a month?

  “Oh, Lexie.” His voice warmed and grew smoother. “Sorry, I was in the middle of unpacking crates.”

  I barely held back the bite in my voice as I started to undress. “What crates?”

  “All the equipment for the lab came in today.” He grunted. Wood broke on his side of the line.

  “What lab?” I finished untying the dress and let it hang open, forgotten.

  “The alchemy lab.” He started to catch his breath. “I told you about it.”

  I racked my memory as I used my shoulder to keep the phone to my ear while I pulled off the dress. Nothing, nada. He didn’t tell me. I unhooked the front of my bra roughly. “No, no you didn’t.”

  “I’m sure I did.” He turned away from the phone. “Lucy, can you clear a space for the vat?”

  “Sure.” Lucy’s voice was chipper.

  I clenched my jaw. He was working with Lucy? Pretty, genius Lucy? “You’re working with Lucy?” Every doubt I ever had about Miles came roaring to the front of my mind. I never gave them much thought or attention, but with the way he was acting they’d been getting louder and louder.

  “Yes, she’s helping me open the crates and clear the flower beds in the atrium.” He grunted as wood splintered again.

  I was pulling out a plastic tub from under my bed when I paused. “You’re clearing out the atrium?”

  “Yes, we might as well.” He took a deep breath. “My mother isn’t coming back. And the house is in my name now.”

  Clenching my teeth, I pulled my pjs out and shut it. My irritation sparked again. It wasn’t my house. I really shouldn’t have any input. But I loved that atrium. A few days after we came home from camping, I had had a shitty day at work. The kind that just got worse and worse as it went on. While waiting for the guys to show with the pizza, Miles had turned on some music and danced with me, surrounded by those plants. It was one of my favorite memories in that house. “Whose idea was it to strip the atrium?”

  “Lucy’s,” he answered, then continued with his thought. “You should see some of this equipment. It’s enormous.”

  I bit my tongue as I pulled on my cotton pj bottoms and cami, while he continued to tell me about equipment I hadn’t heard of before. By the time I was done dressing, he was in full excited lecture mode. Usually I loved that about him, but not tonight. “Miles, what day is it?”

  He stopped mid-sentence. “Um, Monday.”

  I waited for him to remember. The man had a photographic memory for fuck’s sake.

  “You do remember that school was today?” he asked, his voice concerned.

  He wasn’t going to remember. My heart sank. I knew I shouldn’t take it personally. I knew it was a mistake and he didn’t mean anything by it. But it still fucking hurt. I swallowed hard and made a point to keep my voice the same. “Yeah, I do. I better go check on the Veil and get my usual four hours of sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Alright, sweet dreams.” Miles’ voice was the soothing timbre I usually loved. Right now, it just made me mad.

  “You too.” I hung up and barely resisted throwing the phone at the wall. I sat down hard next to Hades. What the hell was with Miles? Did having Lucy in his house remind him of what he was giving up by sharing me and my time? Did he change his mind and just didn’t know how to tell me? Or was I just not smart enough for him? Each question tore a deeper gouge in my heart. I picked up the dress and headed to Tara’s door.

  After a light knock, she opened the door a little and peeked out. “How was it?”

  I handed the dress on the hanger to her. “He didn’t show up.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean, he didn’t show?”

  I shrugged and headed for the bathroom. “It looks like he got caught up in a project. It happens. Thanks for lending me the dress.”

  “Anytime,” she said before closing her door.

  I had just finished washing my face when my phone rang on the counter. It was Miles. My chest ached deeply. I sent him to voicemail. I couldn’t keep up the stupid charade that everything was fine between us. Knowing I wasn’t going to get to sleep anytime soon, I went back into my room, closed the door, and picked up a book. After turning on my desk lamp, I cuddled up with Hades. His head was in my lap as I stroked his ears and tried to get into the book instead of driving myself crazy.

  But I kept reading the same lines over and over. Finally, I gave up and picked up my phone.

  “Hey, hot stuff. What’s going on?” Jake teased.

  I took a deep breath. “I need someone I’m not dating to tell me I’m being crazy.”

  His voice instantly changed from cheerful to serious. “What’s wrong?”

  I looked down at the end of my bed and stroked Hades’ ears. “Miles stood me up.”

  “That fucking shit!” His outrage made me grin a little.

  “He got into a project, it’s not that unusual to be honest.” I sniffed. “But then add in that he’s been distant, we’ve been fighting, and the genius pretty girl is staying in his house until she gets her own place.”

  “Damn, that’s doubt-palooza.”

  “Yeah.” I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. “Am I just being paranoid?”

  He hesitated. “I know he’s been distant the last month. Anything else besides him getting caught up?”

  I licked my lips. “Yeah, we haven’t really talked about anything since we got home except about how to make this polyandry thing work, and problems that could come up. And he hasn’t called me Angel for a couple of weeks.”

  “Wait, nothing else? Not about dates? Not about what he’s been up to?”

  I scoffed. “He didn’t even tell me about this project until tonight.”

  “Oh damn.” He went silent. “What are you guys fighting about?”

  I swallowed hard. “About keeping our relationships hidden in public. I’m not exactly subtle when I have one boyfriend, let alone five.”

  “Oh…”

  “I’m not being paranoid, am I?” I didn’t even really need to ask.

  “No, sweetie, you’re not.” He sighed as he shut something on his side. “I’m sorry, but you need to talk to him about it.”

  I shook my head. “I think I’m too tired to even try tonight.”

  “Then go to bed and enjoy some naughty dreams tonight,” he teased.

  I chuckled. “Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Jake.”

  “No problem, chickee. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He hung up the phone while I took som
e deep, calming breaths. I picked up my book again.

  Ten minutes later my phone rang. I sent Miles to voicemail again.

  Not even a minute later, my phone dinged. It was a text from Miles. I didn’t even look at it. I tried to get back into my book. Hades shifted so that he was mostly draped across my lap, his version of super cuddling.

  There was a sound downstairs. A minute later, the front door opened and closed. I didn’t give it much thought as I continued to stare blankly at the book on my bent knees.

  A knock sounded on my bedroom door.

  “Come in.” I looked up expecting Rory.

  The door opened showing me Miles. His hair was everywhere, as if he had run his hands through it recently. He was wearing a nice green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of slacks. He looked handsome. But it was the determination set in every line of his face that had me holding my breath.

  “I’m sorry, Lexie.” He moved to my bed and sat on the edge facing me. “I completely forgot. I was on my way out the door when the delivery truck arrived and then I just got—”

  “Caught up with the project,” I finished for him, my irritation slipping through my voice. “With Lucy. I figured.” I went back to my book.

  “Yeah,” he continued, as if he didn’t notice my mood.

  “It’s too late for the reservations I made”—his hand moved to my hand on the book— “but we could go get ice-cream. We’ll be back before curfew.”

  I snapped the book shut and looked up at him. “It’s already past school night curfew, Miles.”

  He pulled out his phone and scowled at it. “You’re right, it is. That doesn’t mean I couldn’t go to the store and come back.”

  I chewed on the corner of my lower lip and watched him put his phone back in his pocket. “How long does Lucy have until she moves out?”

  He turned back to me and hesitated. But he began tapping his thigh. That was all the answer I needed.

  “She’s not. Is she?” My voice grew hard.

  He shrugged. “She’s teaching me about alchemy. She’s the best in her field right now. It’s like learning physics from Einstein himself. It’s an incredible opportunity.”