by AJ Jarrett
“I owe him that much.”
“You don’t owe that fucker shit!” Kevin shouted. He was mad. Not at Kayson but at the fact that Kayson cared so much for that monster.
“If I don’t then he’ll come searching for me and I don’t want that. I also need to talk to my brother.” Kayson shrugged. “Me leaving might have consequences for him.”
“Fucking hell.” Kevin groaned. “I hate this. Being in love shouldn’t be this hard.” Kevin glanced up at Kayson when he saw his mate’s head jerk upward. “What?”
“You love me?” Kayson asked.
“I do,” Kevin whispered. He hadn’t planned on saying it like that but there it was. He loved Kayson and didn’t want to see him get hurt. Kevin didn’t trust Hale and didn’t want his mate to be another victim of his. “I love you so much that I don’t want anything to ever happen to you. I don’t trust Hale.”
“I know you don’t but I need to do this.” Kayson leaned in close to rest his forehead against Kevin’s. “I need to know he won’t come after us. I want us to start this new chapter in our lives without having to look over our shoulders.”
“Babe, I think we’ll have to do that anyway.” Kevin sighed. “A war is on the horizon. It’s just a matter of time before it begins.”
“Maybe so but I don’t want to add more to our plate.” Kayson grinned. “Once I do this then I’ll feel free. You and me together is all I’ve ever wanted.” Kayson wound his arms around Kevin’s waist. “And now that you finally said you loved me then nothing can go wrong.”
“Famous last words.” Kevin rolled his eyes but smiled. “Just be careful. I don’t want to lose you.” No matter what assurances Kayson gave him Kevin still didn’t trust Hale. He didn’t want his mate to be a casualty of that psychopath.
“You can never lose me, Kev.” Kayson tilted his head up and pursed his lips to the side. “What’s that saying?” He snapped his fingers. “We’re stuck together like glue.”
“I guess we are.” Kevin pressed his lips to Kayson’s and savored his mate’s spicy, heady flavor. “But now I must get ready for work.” Kevin pinched Kayson on the ass then walked into the bathroom, determined to make it out of the house on time.
* * * *
“Got one for you.” Wes dropped a file onto Kevin’s desk then leaned against the side. “Dead white male. Age twenty to twenty-five. He was found in an alley behind Rudy’s bar down off of 3rd Street. His head and hands are missing so unable to get an ID on the poor sap. Oh, and his heart was ripped from his chest.”
Kevin opened the file and winced at the photos staring back at him. The body was gruesome. Being out in the Louisiana sun hadn’t done them any favors. The body was swollen and there were marks where the flies had started to eat away at the body.
“Any leads?” Kevin asked.
“Nope.” Wes shook his head. “Without knowing who this guy is, nothing really to go on. There’s no identifying marks on him. He’s just another person in a long line of missing people. We had no call-ins for missing people and the coroner said time of death was within the past twelve hours.”
“Do you think it might”—Kevin darted a glance around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him—“be paranormal involvement in this case?”
“I’m wondering the same thing.” Wes snorted. “His heart was torn out of his body. Either paranormal or a new killer is out on the loose on the city streets. I’m not sure which would be better.”
“I’ll go see what I can scrounge up.” Kevin stood. “Can’t lie.” He gave Wes a tight-lipped smile. “I’m really hoping this is just some sick human behind this one.” He slapped the folder against his hand.
“Me, too. We could use a break after that last one.” Wes reached out to rest his hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “How’s things going with Kayson?”
“Good.” Kevin smiled. “It’s hard to believe he’s been with the Warriors of the Dark for over two hundred years. He’s so normal.” Kevin chuckled. “Kind of boring. I like it.”
“Yeah, he’s an anomaly, that’s for sure.” Wes shook his head and chuckled. “Meeting him does open up the possibilities of more of his kind being out there. For so many years we all believed the Dark Warriors were mindless monsters but knowing that some of them do have free will is a game changer. If we can get those with the ability to choose for themselves on our side, we might win this battle.”
“It’s a long shot but it would make things easier,” Kevin agreed. He looked down to frown at his shoes. Kayson was a good man and wanted to do the right thing, which meant telling Hale he was leaving. Kevin understood why his mate was doing that. It was to keep him safe. Kayson was too self-sacrificing for his own good.
“What’s eating at you, Kev?” Wes lifted Kevin’s face by the chin to stare into his eyes.
“Kayson wants to tell Hale in person that he’s leaving.” All the air whooshed out of his lungs. Fear was a cancer taking root inside him. “He’s afraid if he doesn’t then he’ll come searching for him and Kayson’s afraid he’ll hurt me or my family once he discovers why he left.”
“It makes sense.” Wes nodded. “Kayson’s your mate. He’ll do whatever he thinks is best to keep you safe. I can’t fault him for that.”
“Yeah, but I worry that Hale won’t take no for an answer. Plus, Kayson doesn’t want anything to come back onto Kane. We’re not sure if Kane is going to stay with the Warriors of the Dark once Kayson leaves.”
“I don’t think you need to stress on that one.” Wes chuckled. “They’re brothers and twins at that. Something tells me where one goes the other is sure to follow. I have a feeling that our family dinners on Sunday will include two extra people.”
“You think Kane will leave Hale and the others?” Kevin hoped that was the case. God knows he’d do it for Matt. A bond between brothers was strong and one not easily ignored.
“I do.” Wes started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Kevin smiled.
“I’m just imagining Matt’s face when he realizes he’s stuck with Kane. Oh lordy, I can hear the bickering now.”
“Sunday dinners will never be the same.” Kevin laughed. “Well, I’m off.” He held up the folder. “Duty calls.”
Wes waved as Kevin walked away. Kevin had a job to do and wanted to snag any leads before the case went cold.
On the way out of the back doors his mind wandered to Kayson. He said a little prayer that his mate stayed safe. Hale was a dangerous man and Kevin didn’t want Kayson nor Kane to be victims of his madness. Kevin had already lost a lot to that man. He wasn’t about to lose his new family either.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kayson stepped out of the shower and toweled off. He walked into the bedroom to get dressed. He had just pulled on his boxers when he heard his brother’s laughter behind him.
“What?” Kayson asked as he turned around. He reached into the drawer for the salmon colored shirt he’d bought the previous day. It had a pocket on the left side of the chest and was soft to the touch.
“You’re wearing boxers with pineapples on them and now you’re putting on a pink shirt. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” Kane’s eyes were watering, he was laughing so hard.
“It’s not pink.” Kayson snatched up his blue jeans and stabbed his right leg in the opening then his left. “It’s salmon.”
“Any way you spin it.” Kane pointed at him. “That’s pink.”
“Real men wear pink,” Kayson snapped.
“Did you get that from one of your precious books?”
“No.” Kayson finger-combed his hair with his hands then pulled it all back, spinning the long strands to put into a bun. “I read it on a shirt.”
“Let me guess.” Kane could hardly breathe. “It was a pink shirt.”
“Fuck you.” Kayson sat down on the edge of the bed to put on his socks then shoes. “Why are you here, Kane? Everything okay with Athena?”
“Yeah. She’s still loony as ever. I covered for Sawyer l
ast night so he’s watching the crazy bat while I’m on break. I need to be back in an hour. It’s weird.” Kane turned his head and looked to the side. It was as if he was caught in his own thoughts. “She seems calmer when I’m there. The mumblings have stopped and she seems content and nice.”
“Nice?” Kayson was taken aback by that. Athena was never kind to anyone. She was cruel and calculating. “Don’t fall for it, brother. She might be up to something.”
“That’s what I thought, too.” Kane shrugged. “I just ignore her.” Kane moved closer to sit next to Kayson. He poked at the shirt Kayson was wearing. “Damn, that’s soft. I bet that shirt would look better on me.”
“We’re identical twins. It’ll look the same.” Kayson tied the shoestring on his Converse. He noticed how his brother changed the subject and let it slide. He trusted Kane to take care of himself. “And besides, I thought my shirt was funny looking.”
“It is, but I bet I could make that shirt look damn good.” Kane raised his arm to flex his bicep on his left arm.
“There’s no hope for you.” Kayson shook his head.
“Maybe so but what can you do.” Kane held up his hands. “We’re brothers. Together until the end.”
“Speaking of the end.” Kayson’s stood from the bed. “I need to find Hale. I’m leaving the Warriors of the Dark.”
“I expected as much.” Kane sighed.
“I wanted to tell you first though. Me leaving might affect you and I don’t want you to get hurt or punished because of my actions.”
Kane and Kayson were a lot alike but also very different. Where Kayson was serious Kane was a goof-off, always joking around and being loud. But underneath all that Kane was like Kayson in that they had free will and wanted more out of life than taking orders. Kayson hoped that his brother would come with him when he left. Start a new life out in the real world. A world in the light rather than the dark.
“You’re really going to do it.” Kane smiled. “Live like a human with your sexy as fuck mate?”
“Yes.” Kayson bumped shoulders with his brother. “And stop talking about Kevin that way. He’s mine.”
“So touchy.” Kane held his hands up. “Maybe you should pee on him to mark your territory. Ya know, like a dog.” Kane laughed.
“You’re so gross.” Kayson shook his head but smiled. His brother always had that ability.
“Yeah, but you love me.” Kane tucked his hair behind his ears. “So, what happens now, brother? Where do we go from here?”
“I don’t know.” Kayson leaned against his brother. “For so long we’ve been pitted against the Warriors of the Light and for what? Do you really care about this grudge Athena and Hale have against them? I for one don’t. In fact, I’m sick of the battling. We’re not like the other Dark Warriors. We have the ability to choose what we do with our lives. Just because we lived within that darkness doesn’t mean we owe it anything.”
“True, but is it really that easy?” Kane asked and Kayson raised a brow in question. “Can the Warriors of the Light overlook where we come from and accept us? We haven’t been complete angels all these years. We’ve done some bad things.”
“Only to those who deserved it,” Kayson ground out between clenched teeth. He and his brother killed those who needed to be killed. They didn’t hunt down families to prey on like some Dark Warriors.
“Maybe so, but we stood by and watched others kill senselessly. Think about all the Colby lookalikes you stood by and watched Hale kill. Can something like that be forgiven?”
“I can only hope so.” Kayson wrapped his arms around his stomach. “Hale’s last victim I did save.” Kayson looked up to meet Kane’s stare. “Hale wanted to torture the man. I was driving them back to the house when I ran a stoplight, hitting another car. That young man got to keep his life.”
“My god, you have changed.” Kane wrapped his arm around Kayson’s shoulders. “So, what now?”
“I think we start over and see what life has to offer us. Aren’t you sick of taking orders?” Kayson asked.
“I am.” Kane nodded. “It’d be nice to just be a part of the world instead of being cooped up in a cell keeping watch over Hale’s lunatic of a mother.”
“Then let’s do it.” Kayson felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. He wanted to be with Kevin and he would be but he also wanted to know his brother was free from Hale, as well.
“I better get back.” Kane glanced down at his watch. “Sawyer is expecting me. Can’t leave him hanging.”
“Oh my god.” Kayson reached out and grabbed ahold of Kane’s hand. “Sawyer. Do you think he’d want to leave, too? He’s not like the others.” Kayson’s mind was racing. “And there’s more that are just like us. They too might want to be free from Hale.”
“Are you plotting a mutiny?” Kane’s lips tilted upward in an evil grin.
“No.” Kayson shook his head once and smiled. “Just giving them a choice. I mean, think about it. If the Warriors for the Dark lose numbers and decide to help the Warriors for the Light we can overpower Hale and stop him. Hale wants to destroy everything good in the world. I can’t speak for everyone else but I don’t want to live in a world where my free will is taken from me.”
“Me neither.” Kane put his hand over Kayson’s. “We’re no angels but we aren’t the monsters the world thinks we are.”
“No, we are not.” Kayson winced. “Okay, there are some that are total monsters and need to meet the end of a sharp blade, and soon.”
“Like Hale?” Kane chuckled.
“Yes and no.” Kayson was still torn over Hale. He remembered Hale as a young boy. He saw the change in Hale over the years and he wanted to believe there was hope for his old friend. “I hope Hale can be redeemed but that’s up to him.”
Kayson and Kane said their good-byes. Kayson looked around the empty bedroom and smiled to himself. He was happy with Kevin and their new life together. He hoped others found the same peace that he had.
It was only a little after nine in the mooring so Kayson had plenty of time to look for Hale. If he was lucky he’d find Hale passed out at his home in New York. Kayson closed his eyes and teleported himself to the luxurious home. It was quiet and dark. All the window blinds were pulled shut. Kayson made the rounds searching for Hale.
In the kitchen Kayson found dirty dishes. Some plates were crusted with food but Kayson found a few that looked as if not to be too old. Kayson took the stairs up to Hale’s room and found the bed unmade and clothes littered the floor. The house showed signs that Hale had been there recently.
Kayson walked toward his room on the far end of the hall and checked his room. It was a cold and lonely space. No signs of life or signs that anyone had ever truly lived in there. Kayson hated it. He didn’t know how he managed to live for so long with nothing to give him true happiness.
Kayson teleported to the library and found a book. He sat down in his favorite chair and began to read. He had time to wait for Hale. He just hoped he showed before it was time for him to leave.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kevin had left the station and headed to the hospital. He wanted to speak with the coroner about the body they’d found. The way the body was found was suspicious and pointed to a paranormal killing but it could also be a regular old murderer that liked to dismember bodies. Either way, it was disgusting. No one deserved to be killed in such a manner.
There were times that Kevin asked himself why he wanted to be a cop. There were some truly deranged people in the world that did unimaginable things to others. It could make a person lose their minds seeing some of the things Kevin had to. For example, his latest John Doe. A young male barely out of his teens killed. Not only that, someone had cut his head and hands off so the body couldn’t be identified. That was upsetting to know that they may never find out who this young man was. His parents would constantly be searching for a child that would never come home.
Kevin pulled into a parking spot and got out of hi
s truck. He walked toward the sliding doors and waited for them to part then headed to the elevator. He pushed the button for the ground floor and waited as it descended. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. The hallway was quiet and empty. A slight humming sound came from the overhead lights. Knowing the morgue was down here made this place a little creepy but Kevin was used to it.
Kevin walked down the hallway and turned left at the end. Barry Smith was the doctor on duty and the one who had performed the autopsy on their John Doe. Kevin came to the double doors and typed in the code for the doors to open. He stepped inside but didn’t see Barry.
“Hey, Barry. It’s me, Kevin.” Kevin stepped further into the room and glanced around. He didn’t see any bodies out and he didn’t hear the familiar sound of Mozart playing over the speakers. Barry liked to listen to music while he worked. “Where the hell are you?”
Kevin headed toward the back of the room where Barry’s office was. It was empty, too. Kevin put his hands on his hips and stared at Barry’s empty chair. He’d called the man on his way over not more than ten minutes ago. Barry had agreed to go over his findings with Kevin. The man knew he was on his way yet Barry was nowhere to be found.
The lights in the outer room flickered then went out.
“Shit,” Kevin mumbled. He pulled out his phone and hit the button for the flashlight feature. The room lit up. He didn’t see anything or any reason as to why the lights went off in the first place. He was in the basement of the hospital. It was creepy to begin with. “Hello!” Kevin called out.
The sounds of footsteps had him turning his head toward the sound but he didn’t see anything. Kevin held his light in front of him toward where he heard the steps but he was alone.
Kevin’s stomach clenched and his hands began to shake. He had a bad feeling about this. His skin pebbled in goose bumps and his palms began to sweat. His heart raced in his chest and Kevin thought he might get sick. The darkness combined with the eerie silence was unsettling. He’d felt this way once before.