by S. M. Shade
“Gene left a message asking me to visit. Can you believe that shit?”
“Are you going?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because he wants me to. The execution is in a few days. I’m sure he can count that down on his own.”
Ian’s concerned gaze meets mine. “Are you going to the execution?”
“I plan on it.” My tone is defensive, but I can’t help it. I know I’m going to hear an earful from my brothers, and I don’t want to hear it from Ian too.
“I’ll take off work the next day. It’s at midnight isn’t it?”
Shocked, I stare at him. “You aren’t going.”
A frown mars his face. “The hell I’m not. Who else will be there?”
“Nobody I know, but that doesn’t mean…”
Ian hops to his feet, carrying his bowl to the sink. “Shut up, Alex. I’m going. End of story.”
My head falls into my hands. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure, but we’d better get moving if we don’t want Ev tearing us a new one. Their cookout starts at four and we still have to pick up Kyle.”
Ian
“Relax,” Alex says, squeezing my hand as we enter Ev and Mason’s backyard. “Everyone already knows about us.”
“I’m fine.” I am. It’s just a little awkward.
“Lovebirds are here!” Parker announces, and Macy elbows him in the ribs. “Don’t make me go all caveman on you, woman.”
“Or I could make you rub my swollen feet in front of everyone.” Macy grins up at him.
“Truce, baby.”
Ev approaches, cradling baby Mason, and Cody races up beside her to grab Kyle’s hand. “You got to see what I built on Minecraft. It’s a cannon!” Laughing, Kyle follows him inside.
Ev shakes her head. “I’ll never understand that game. Last night I heard him yell, ‘Give me back my diamond or I’ll hit you with a pork chop!’”
“Give me that baby,” Alex says, taking little Mason from Everly’s arms. I lean to kiss the baby’s soft cheek before dropping a kiss on Alex’s lips. I want to talk to Mason alone while Kyle is caught up with Cody.
Mason stands over a massive grill, flipping pieces of barbecued chicken. “Hey, Ian. How are you?”
“Doing good.”
“Didn’t you have a cancer test this week?”
“Just a blood test. Everything’s good. I’m good to go for the next six months.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Listen, I want to talk to you about Kyle.” Mason steps back with a look of concern.
“Is he having trouble at school?”
“No, nothing like that. What would it take to adopt him?”
After he shakes off the surprise, he rubs his chin. “Well, he’s almost eighteen. I’m not sure I see the point.”
“There’s a point. He needs a family. Needs to know there are people who have his back, no matter what age he is.”
“True. I know it’s possible to adopt someone even after they’re emancipated. Gay couples used to do it so they could have a legal tie to their partner. Like everything else though, it has to wait a few months, until he’s eighteen and no longer considered missing.”
“I figured that.”
“I’ll get my lawyer on it, see what has to be done. Have you asked Kyle if it’s what he wants?”
“Not yet. I’ll let you know.”
“Okay.” It’s silent, but I can feel Mason staring at me.
“What?”
Shaking his head, he grins and adds a piece of meat to the grill. “Alex chose well, I think.”
“Hell yeah, I did,” Alex says, approaching just in time to overhear.
“Did what?” Parker asks, butting in with Ev on his heels.
“Found the perfect man,” Alex brags.
“You mean the guy you were protecting?” Parker goads, and Alex grabs him in a headlock.
“Don’t stir up shit! You’re probably the one who told Ian the guy was gay to begin with.”
Parker twists out of the hold, offense stamped on his face. “I did not!”
With a scoff, Mason eyes his wife. “I wonder who it could’ve been.”
Alex turns to Ev. “Everly!”
Parker cracks up. “Of course, makes perfect sense. When Macy and I were separated, she set her up on a date, then called and told me she was going. The devious matchmaker strikes again!”
“Everly Reed,” Mason scolds, smacking her on the ass.
“What?” Her smile is pure innocence. “Jealousy is a powerful motivator. And look.” She gestures to the back door as Ms. Den and Arthur arrive. “Another one of my success stories.”
The rest of the day speeds by in a blur of laughter, drinks, and multiple games of pool and badminton. Sitting at the patio table surrounded by happy couples and kids, it strikes me how lucky I really am. Not just because I have Alex, but a whole family now.
“Kyle, help me take this stuff in,” I tell him. “I want to ask you something.” Out of the corner of my eye I see Ev grab Cody’s hand when he tries to follow.
“What’s up?” Kyle asks, leaning against the kitchen counter.
“I want you to be my son,” I blurt.
He looks at me like I may have lost the cheese off my cracker. “Pretty sure the DNA won’t match up.”
“I mean, I’d like to adopt you, if, you know, that’s something you would want.” Why is this so awkward? “I realize you’re grown, but I’d still like you to be part of my family.” I glance toward the backyard that has just erupted with laughter. “This family.” It occurs to me I probably should’ve run this by Alex. Surrounded by all this family, I got caught up, but I can’t imagine he’d object.
A look of confusion creases Kyle’s face. “I-why?”
“Because you’re a great kid and I care about you. We all care about you. I grew up in a group home, and after I was grown, I thought I didn’t need anyone. That I would be fine on my own, but I was wrong. You can make it on your own, sure, but it’s fucking miserable. You need people who care about you to fall back on.”
I’m nearly bowled over when he gives me a fierce hug. Laughing, I cup the back of his head. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” he mumbles, stepping back, his face red. “What do we have to do?”
“Mason’s going to look into it. It’ll be a few months.”
“Okay.” He suddenly finds his feet interesting.
“We better get back before Cody wears a hole in the ground looking for you.” Grinning ear to ear, he bursts through the backdoor.
Alex comes in a few seconds later. “Is everything okay?”
“Never been better.” His reaction when I explain what we were discussing is exactly what I’d expect of him. He kisses me hard on the lips.
“You’re too damn good to be true.”
* * * *
The day of the execution comes with storms and torrential rain. The temperature has been over eighty, way above normal for spring, and now we’re paying for it. Alex has been withdrawn and sullen for days. Nothing I say helps and it kills me to see him suffer when there’s nothing I can do.
Mason and Parker have both tried to talk him out of attending the execution, but he won’t be swayed. “I need to know he’s gone,” he says, as I try again to get him not to go. “You don’t have to be there.”
“I’ll be there, babe. You know that.”
The prison requires the witnesses to be present two hours before the execution. I have no idea why until we drive up to the prison gates and are instantly surrounded by protesters. Men and women who have nothing better to do than march in the rain and scream at our car. Flipping the locks, I grab Alex’s hand. His nerves are raw enough without this shit.
We wait, and try to ignore the yelling while guards let one car in at a time. When we reach the front of the line, we show our ID’s and are given a special badge to show to the officers inside. Wet and pissed off, the guards cl
ose the gate behind us, shoving a few of the protesters back.
Since it’s late, I expect the prison to be quiet, but it’s far from it. The clanking of metal on metal is accompanied by shouts and hoots from the prisoners. There’s a hum in the air, like I can feel their excitement and expectation. A man will die tonight, killed by the system who put him away for doing the same. I’ve always been against the death penalty, but there’s no way I was going to share that with Alex. If he thinks this is what he needs to move on, I’m with him.
We’re led to a long room with three rows of folding chairs, a few of them already occupied by witnesses. At the far end, a curtain covers a long window. The guard who’s leading us gestures to his right. “There’s a restroom there if you need it.”
“Thanks,” I murmur, leading Alex to the back row of seats. His face is pale and drawn as the reality starts to set in. “Hey, we don’t have to do this. We can go. Wait in the lobby until it’s over if you want.”
A stubborn shake of his head says it all. For better or worse, we’re in it until it’s over. The curtain slides to the right, revealing a metal table with an I.V. stand beside it. Two uniformed corrections officers lead in a dark headed frail man, and Alex’s breathing speeds up. He swallows hard, trying not to show any emotion as his father stares at him. The entire time they’re strapping him to the table and inserting the I.V. his eyes never leave Alex’s face.
I can’t imagine the fear I’d feel being strapped down to a table, knowing I’ll never get up again. I slide my arm around Alex’s shoulders, but he doesn’t seem to notice. When the officer in charge asks him if he wants to make a final statement, Gene continues to stare at Alex and says, “I loved my boys. All of them. Loved my boys.”
He finally breaks eye contact and stares at the ceiling as the officer nods to the doctor standing against the wall. The doctor presses a button and a small machine administers the drugs, one after the other. Alex buries his face in my shoulder, his eyes squeezed shut. “I can’t.”
My own heart is beating a mile a minute. I don’t have any compassion for the man who killed my boyfriend’s mother, but still, I’ve never seen a man die. It’s a mind fuck to say the least. I make sure not to show it. If ever Alex needs me to be solid, it’s now. “I’ve got you,” I murmur in his ear, cupping his head. “I’ll tell you when it’s over.”
There’s none of the shaking or foaming at the mouth that I feared. He just stops breathing. The doctor checks his pulse and nods to the officer, who closes the curtain. It’s finished. “They closed the curtain, it’s okay.”
Alex opens his eyes. “He’s gone.”
“Yes.”
“Get me out of here. I hate it here.”
I lock my arm around his waist and we head for the exit. “You never have to come here again.”
Alex is quiet on the ride home, only speaking once to ask me to be careful. It’s really foggy tonight now that the rain has stopped, and I know he’s thinking of the night Cooper died. They were on their way out of town when Cooper missed a curve because of thick fog. I want to say something to help him, to break through his somber thoughts, but there’s nothing I can say. Nothing I can do to bring back the people he’s lost.
When we get home, I pour him a double shot of whiskey and he throws it back, then heads to his room. “I need a shower.”
I’m in over my head. His brothers should be here. They’re the only ones who can understand how he feels. No sooner than I pick up the phone, there’s a knock at my door, and Parker, Mason, Macy, and Everly come in. Mason raises an eyebrow at me and I gesture toward Alex’s room. “He’s upset, but not really talking. He’s in his room.”
“He shouldn’t have gone,” Parker gripes.
“He wouldn’t be talked out of it,” I tell them, and Mason nods. Parker follows him back to Alex’s room, while Ev and Macy settle on the couch, playing with the puppy.
“Did you name this little cutie yet?” Ev asks.
“We’ve been calling him Drather.”
“Drather?”
“Because he’d rather piss in the house than anywhere else.”
Macy laughs and Ev shakes her head, smiling. “What does Alex think about him?”
“He’s in love.”
“We know that,” Macy remarks. “She was asking about the puppy.”
“Very funny.”
Mason, Parker, and Alex spend over two hours in Alex’s room. Though they all emerge with red rimmed eyes, whatever they talked about seemed to help. It’s nearly four in the morning when they leave, and Alex falls into my bed.
“Are you okay?” I ask, pulling his head onto my chest.
“I will be. I just...don’t know why I care. He killed my mother. He deserved what he got. I’m not supposed to give a shit that he’s dead.”
His hair is soft and damp beneath my fingers. “You care because he was your father, and because you’re a better man than I’ll ever be.” I tilt his head until I can look into those golden brown eyes. “Remember what you told me? There is no supposed to. No way you’re obligated to feel. You just have to let yourself feel however you feel, and work your way through it. One thing at a time.”
His lips brush mine softly. “Stop using my advice against me.” Silence steals over us, and I think he may have fallen asleep when he asks, “Are you going to look for your father?”
“No, not anytime soon, anyway. He didn’t care enough to keep me or leave me with my only remaining family. Besides, I don’t need him.” He sighs as I snuggle into him.
“I have a family now.”
Four years later
Alex
I’m nearly blinded by flashes, half of them coming from Ian’s fancy camera. Kyle flashes us a smile as he’s handed his diploma, and Ian looks like he’s going to cry. I can’t blame him. We’ve watched this kid come so far, live through so much to get to this moment. I couldn’t be more proud.
“Can we go now, daddy?” Franklin asks Ian, who shushes him.
“I’ll take the boys out to the lawn,” Ev volunteers, leading her boys and Franklin away.
We adopted Franklin almost two years ago from the same group home Ian and Ev grew up in. He’s an eight year old ball of energy. Smart and inquisitive, he keeps us on our toes. It’s astounding what can change in a matter of a few years.
Ian and I have had a few bumps in the road, but our relationship, or should I say, marriage, is stronger than ever. That’s right. Marriage. A year after we got together, Ian asked me to marry him. Always the hopeless romantic, his exact words were, “Let’s get married. We know we’re going to be together forever, so why not?” We actually beat Macy and Parker to the altar by a few months.
“Hey, dad,” Kyle greets Ian, approaching in his cap and gown. “Other dad,” he says to me, smiling.
“We’re so proud of you,” I exclaim, hugging him.
“So damn proud,” Ian agrees, slapping him on the back. “How does it feel to be a college grad?”
“I’m starving.”
Ian and I both laugh. Some things never change. “Let’s go. Everyone’s meeting at Mason’s,” I tell him.
“Everyone?” I know what he’s thinking. It seems like half the people here are from Striking Back. Kyle is popular among the residents, especially the kids.
“I don’t think Mason’s house can hold all your fans and well-wishers,” I tease.
Ian throws one arm around Kyle’s shoulders and tucks the other around my waist as we walk to the car. “Just family, son. Just family.”
The End
So, that’s it. All the Reed brothers are happily married and officially unavailable. Sorry, ladies (and gents). If you haven’t read the rest of this series, don’t miss out. Book One is Free.
Everly: Striking Back Book One
US Link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UEVPO5G
UK Link http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00UEVPO5G
AU Link http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00UEVPO5G
&nb
sp; Mason: Striking Back Book Two
US Link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZDT5A1M
UK Link http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ZDT5A1M
AU Link http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00ZDT5A1M
Parker: Striking Back Book Three
US Link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016YGYTFU
UK Link http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B016YGYTFU
AU Link http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B016YGYTFU
Acknowledgements
Special thanks go to beta readers, Lissa Jay, Kim Ginsberg, Heather Rawlins, Catherine Clontz, Susan Rollinson, Stacy Asher, and Meledy Blumberg for saving me from embarrassing plot holes and ridiculous mistakes. I want to say thank you to few readers who always take the time to review, share and promote my books. Teresa Hall, Chantal Baxendale, and Michele loves books Jones, I’m pointing at you.
Thanks to the members of the S.M. Shade Book Group for loving the Reed brothers as much as I do and sharing them constantly. Love you girls.
Last, but not least, thanks to all the book bloggers and page owners who make it possible for Indie authors to get their stories out there. We couldn’t do it without you. There’s no way I can list the numerous blogs and pages that have shared my books, but I want to call attention to a few who have been especially generous. Just One More Page, Saints and Sinners Books, and Chicks Controlled by Books. You all rock so hard.
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