Not that I could blame him.
He had a lot of reasons to be pissed at me.
And I deserved every single one.
“You’re friends with Trey?” Nolan asked.
“Friends, sure,” Isaac answered, his eyes shifting to Newt. “Let’s go with that.”
I saw Nolan pale and realized why when I understood what Isaac’s response meant. No, I still didn’t know who Trey was, but from Isaac’s answer and Nolan’s reaction, I figured Trey was someone Nolan had once been romantically involved with.
From the sounds of it, so had Isaac.
Which meant Isaac was gay or at least bi.
The realization did something funny to my stomach, but I forced the uncomfortable sensation away.
“I shouldn’t have taken it, but Trey was pretty convincing, and he paid me a lot to get it back for him. When I realized it was a scam, I thought about going to the cops, but I… I just couldn’t.” Isaac’s eyes went to Newt for a second and I knew why.
And it reinforced my belief that it was just the two of them against the world.
I resisted the urge to interrupt and ask Isaac if that were true–if it was just him and the little boy. I had to remind myself that this kid was trouble. He’d already admitted to being a thief and fucking around with men who were involved with other people… he didn’t deserve my pity or concern.
Dallas typed something into his phone and handed it to Isaac. It was hard to watch my brother communicate through the little device. When I’d left town so many years ago, Dallas’s mutism had been so new that I hadn’t really had a chance to adapt to it. When I’d seen him again a couple of years later, I hadn’t been interested in anything he had to say, so it hadn’t mattered. I’d only been back a few weeks and had just assumed my brother had eventually gotten his voice back, but I’d been shocked to find that the only way he could communicate with the outside world was through the written word.
And it had gutted me.
Lots of things had gutted me, but that had been one of the hardest things.
Because it was a reminder that my brother hadn’t walked away unscathed from the car accident that had taken our mother’s life and put our father in a wheelchair for the final years of his life.
“Um, yeah, I sent those recordings to the cops. I started taping Trey when I realized he’d lied to me. I didn’t want to go down for that shi–stuff, you know?” Isaac explained.
Before Nolan or Dallas could respond to Isaac, two cars made their way up to the parking lot from the driveway.
The sight of the sheriff didn’t particularly bother me, but when my eyes landed on the truck behind it that read Animal Control on the door, I stiffened and glanced at my brother. I was momentarily distracted when Isaac suddenly reached down and grabbed a very quiet Newt and picked him up. To my surprise, Isaac stepped toward me. Newt was wrapped around him like a vine.
I heard Isaac whisper something to Newt that sounded suspiciously like, “Don’t worry, buddy, I won’t let them take you,” but I couldn’t be sure. The little boy nodded his head and then tucked his face against Isaac’s neck. I did hear what he whispered to Isaac.
I love you, Isaac.
I recognized the sheriff as he made his way toward us. His name was Curtis Tulley and he’d been the sheriff of Pelican Bay for years. We’d actually been on good terms with him when we’d been kids because he’d been our father’s best friend.
But that had all changed after the accident.
I could practically feel the hatred seeping off Sheriff Tulley as he approached Dallas and Nolan.
“Mr. Grainger, Mr. Kent,” he said, nodding his head slightly. The contempt was dripping from his voice and I knew why.
He blamed Dallas for our father’s death.
We all had.
But the conversation I’d been having with Dallas and Nolan right before Isaac’s arrival had planted a seed in my mind that was sprouting and growing like the most invasive of plants. My father had been the one to break it to me that Dallas had been drinking the night of the accident that had killed our mother. He’d said both he and our mother had begged Dallas to hand over the keys. When he wouldn’t, they’d gotten in the car with him so they could try and stop him. It had ended in disaster.
Dallas’s betrayal had ripped a hole in me so wide I hadn’t been able to breathe after I’d been given that piece of information. As kids, my brother and I had made a pact that we’d never so much as even touch a drop of alcohol if there was even a remote chance we’d be driving. After spending so many years trying to keep our alcoholic parents from killing themselves or others by driving drunk, it had made sense to vow that it was a trap we’d never fall into.
So to learn Dallas had broken that pact had felt like the ultimate betrayal and I’d punished him gravely for it.
Only now I was starting to fear that I’d gotten it wrong.
Really, really wrong.
The sheriff spied me, and I could tell he was surprised to see me. “Didn’t know you were back in town, son.”
I’d always disliked the man because he’d been a blatant suck-up around my father, but around everybody else he looked down on them like they were nothing. The man was a self-righteous prick.
“I’m not,” I responded. Sheriff Tulley’s lips pulled tight for a moment, then his gaze shifted to Isaac and Newt.
I had no clue why I did it, but I moved closer to the pair so that I was partially blocking them from the sheriff’s view. The grizzled man looked back at Dallas and I felt my hackles go up because I knew whatever was coming wouldn’t be good.
“Mr. Kent, we’ve received several complaints about your business. This serves as notice that a public forum has been scheduled for tomorrow night to address those concerns and what steps will be taken to shut you down, since this place is clearly a threat to the residents of Pelican Bay.” He handed Dallas a piece of paper. My brother, clearly angry, opened and scanned it, then started to type a message on his phone.
But the fucker didn’t even give Dallas a chance to respond before he continued with, “We’ve also received a complaint that your wolf viciously attacked a resident who was in the area recently.”
“That’s a lie,” Nolan cut in, which earned him a sharp look from the sheriff. He didn’t respond to Nolan and instead handed my brother another piece of paper.
“This is an order authorizing me to remove the animal from the premises for quarantine purposes and to determine what action should be taken to make sure he can’t hurt anyone else,” the sheriff said, not bothering to try and hide the smirk on his face.
Before Dallas or Nolan could even respond, the animal control officer appeared and looped a snare around Loki’s neck. The wolf hybrid was startled by the action and jumped back when the noose tightened around his neck. My brother let out a strangled shout and began rushing the sheriff. Nolan tried to stop him but wasn’t strong enough. I was already moving forward and reached Dallas before he got to the sheriff. I grabbed my brother by the arms and held him as gently as I could while still keeping him from moving any closer to the officer, who had his hand on the butt of his holstered gun.
“Don’t,” I said firmly. I might not have been around my little brother much in the past ten years, but I knew what that look of determination in his eyes meant. I’d also seen for myself what the wolf hybrid meant to him.
“Dallas,” Nolan said as he grabbed my brother’s face to force him to look at him. “Please, don’t. We’ll get Loki back, but not like this, okay?”
“Dallas,” I said softly and waited until he looked at me. “It’s what he wants,” I whispered so only he and Nolan could hear me. It was the absolute truth. From the moment Sheriff Tulley had learned Dallas had been driving the car that had put my father in a wheelchair and my mother in the ground, the man had wanted vengeance. My father had begged him to officially call the accident just that and leave out any mention of Dallas having been drunk. But in private, the sheriff had railed at my
father that Dallas should spend the rest of his life behind bars. I hadn’t really understood his anger until my father had told me Dallas had been drinking.
Then I’d shared his rage, though I hadn’t wanted my brother to end up in jail.
But I’d pursued my own form of vengeance when I’d tried to keep Dallas from inheriting part of our family’s money after our dad died two years later.
Guilt tore through me as I silently pleaded with my brother to heed my warning. His eyes went to the sheriff, then the wolf hybrid who was struggling violently against the man trying to drag him to the animal control truck.
Dallas gave me a quick nod and I released him. He motioned something to the sheriff and while I couldn’t figure out what he wanted, Nolan did because he said, “He wants to put Loki in the truck himself, Sheriff. Please, it will go easier on everyone if Dallas does it.”
The prick of a sheriff waited several long beats before he finally nodded. Dallas hurried to the animal, who instantly calmed at his appearance. Something deep inside of me ripped open as I watched my brother fondly hug the large animal after placing him in the truck. I wanted to tear Sheriff Tulley limb from limb for what he was doing. I quickly looked over my shoulder to make sure Isaac and Newt were okay. Isaac was visibly upset, and I could hear Newt crying and saying Loki’s name. Isaac was trying to calm the little boy with quiet words and by rubbing his hand in circles on Newt’s back.
I forced myself to return my attention to Dallas. It wasn’t until the sheriff and the animal control officer left that my brother showed the first sign of cracking. Neither Nolan nor I managed to reach Dallas before he dropped to his knees in the snow.
“Dallas,” Nolan called in a panic as he grabbed my brother’s face.
My brother’s eyes were just dead space.
“Let’s get him inside,” I said. I put my arm around Dallas’s waist and hauled him to his feet, then practically dragged him to the truck.
“Is he okay?” Isaac asked, his voice ripe with fear.
“Follow us to the house,” I said.
I didn’t know why, but I knew it wasn’t time to say goodbye to the pair just yet. I held Isaac’s gaze until he nodded because I wanted him to understand that I hadn’t been asking, I’d been telling.
I got Dallas settled in the front seat as Nolan got behind the wheel.
“Get in,” Nolan said as he motioned to the back seat. I felt my body instantly break out into a cold sweat and my throat threatened to close up.
“No, I’ll meet you at the house.”
Fortunately, Nolan didn’t seem to be interested in questioning my decision to take the footpath to the house. I quickly shut the door and hurried across the expansive property. I got to the house just seconds after the cars did.
I was pleased to see that Isaac had done what I’d said.
I reached Dallas’s side of the truck before Nolan and helped my brother out of the vehicle. He stumbled against me, but luckily, he didn’t fall. Nolan went around to his other side and put his arm around Dallas’s waist.
“Just a little longer, Dallas,” I said softly as Nolan and I worked to maneuver Dallas’s big body toward the front door. “Just a little longer and then you can lie down, okay, buddy?”
“We’ll get Loki back, baby,” Nolan said. As we got Dallas up to the bedroom, Nolan continued to talk to him, but my brother didn’t really react. I knew it was likely the mix of stress, exhaustion, and pain pills he was probably on that were causing him to zone out.
Once Dallas was sitting on the edge of the bed and Nolan began working his coat off, I turned to leave.
“Can you ask Isaac to stick around for a bit?” Nolan asked. I turned to look at him. He was focused on Dallas but kept shooting me glances. “Tell him to make himself at home.”
I nodded. I wasn’t at all surprised he wasn’t extending the same offer to me. I certainly didn’t deserve it. I spared my brother another glance, then left the room, pulling the door closed behind me.
I returned downstairs and found Isaac and Newt sitting at the small kitchen table, their coats still on. Newt was swinging his legs back and forth beneath the table as he and his brother played some kind of game with their hands. I almost smiled when I realized what it was.
“One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war,” Isaac said. As soon as he said the last word, the pair began dueling it out with their thumbs. Neither of them noticed me, so I was free to watch their interaction. A smile split Isaac’s mouth as Newt managed to pin his thumb down.
“Oh no!” Isaac cried in mock fear.
“I’ve got you,” Newt declared. I nearly laughed because Newt was holding onto Isaac’s thumb with both his hands, a clear violation of the rules.
Both of them dissolved into a fit of giggles after Isaac declared Newt the winner. They were about to start another round when Isaac looked up and spotted me. The amusement slipped from his expression and was replaced with one of wariness and uncertainty.
I tried to tell myself that was a good thing, but I didn’t like the little twinge of guilt that landed in my belly.
Isaac climbed to his feet and subtly placed himself between me and Newt. I wanted to laugh at that. One, because what exactly did he think I was going to do? And two, if I had wanted to do something, a scrawny teenager wasn’t going to be able to stop me.
“Is he all right?” Isaac asked.
“He’s fine,” I said as I stalked toward them.
The kid paled a little and stepped back but didn’t move away from the little boy. If anything, he moved closer.
I practically towered over him. I guessed I had at least five inches on him and outweighed him by a good fifty pounds. “Nolan wants you to stay.”
Isaac swallowed hard and nodded but didn’t say anything. Up close, I could see his eyes were a startling shade of dark blue with what looked like flecks of gold and green in them.
Makeup aside, they were… pretty. And actually, the heavy liner surrounding his eyes kind of made them even more intense.
It occurred to me that in order to see his eyes that close up, I had to be standing really close to him.
Really, really close.
I was.
When had that happened?
I took a step back and let my gaze travel over his face. His skin was pale and I didn’t even see a hint of facial hair.
It was another reminder of how young he was.
His hair was thick and so dark it looked blue under the light. And then I realized it looked blue because there actually was some blue it. It was subtle, but it was there.
“You’re one of those goth kids, aren’t you?” I asked.
Isaac looked startled. “What?”
I let my eyes sweep his body and felt an unpleasant sensation stroke through my system.
Okay, not entirely unpleasant.
“You’re into all that heavy metal death shit,” I said.
“Oooh, he said a bad word,” Newt whispered. “You gotta do what Isaac says now.”
“What?” I asked.
“No, he doesn’t,” Isaac said at the same time.
“I gotta give up Lightning when I do it.” The little boy whipped out a red toy car from his pocket. “And I can’t get him back for fifteen whole minutes,” Newt declared, his eyes going big.
“Is that right?” I asked as I turned my attention to Isaac. A shiver of awareness went through me when Isaac’s tongue darted out to wet his lips and I found myself once again stepping closer to him. “You gonna punish me now, Isaac?” I asked, dropping my voice just a bit.
I expected him to cower, or at least look away. But he held my gaze and I saw a subtle shift in his expression. Suddenly, he was the one pressing forward, and I found myself practically nose to nose with him.
He smelled like lemons.
Why the fuck was I noticing that about him?
“I don’t particularly like wasting my time trying to teach lessons to guys like you.”
“Guys like me
?”
His eyes slid up and down my body.
“You’re one of those dumb jocks, right?”
“What?” I asked, completely caught off guard.
“The muscles, the intimidation, the inability to speak more than a few syllables at a time…” he practically purred. “I mean, that’s what we’re doing here, right? I’m the weird, freaky goth guy because I wear black and like to use a bit of eyeliner now and again, and you’re the brainless jock who can’t string more than a few words together and expects everyone to fall at your feet because you’re big and built and gorgeous.”
His hand actually came up to stroke over my chest and I felt his touch everywhere.
Yeah, everywhere.
“Newt, what’s our rule about letting people hurt us with words?” Isaac asked as he held my gaze.
“It don’t count if they don’t know our middle names,” Newt declared.
“Doesn’t count, and you’re exactly right, Newt.” Isaac dropped his hand and stepped back. “People like that just aren’t worth our time, are they?”
“Nope.”
“’Cause if they don’t care enough to know our middle names…” Isaac began.
“…they don’t care enough to be nice,” Newt finished.
I couldn’t help but feel a weird sense of pride. Not many people had the balls to stand up to me. This kid had done it with very little hesitation and made a teaching moment out of it.
I forced myself to move back and give both of them a little more breathing room. “Nolan said to make yourself at home,” I said, then turned to head for the door. I didn’t like all the shit going through my head at the moment and there was only one thing that would help ward it off.
I needed to move.
And just keep moving.
“Is there anything I can do?” Isaac called. “For Nolan, I mean?”
“Yeah,” I said without looking at him. “Don’t steal anything.”
Chapter Two
Isaac
Don’t steal anything.
What a monumental asshole.
You’re actually surprised by this?
Sanctuary Found_Pelican Bay [Book 2] Page 2