by Kade, Teagan
Ian simply smiles. “Go on then. Get it out.”
I gesture to the front door Dex just left through. “He thinks he has a brother, is genuinely concerned about whether it’s right of him to find them and disrupt their life. Meanwhile, you’ve gone to ridiculous lengths to actively deprive him of his rightful inheritance. What does that say about you?”
Ian leans forward, but I don’t back off an inch. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction.
“I might be a vindictive asshole,” he says, “but unless you want all your quaint hillbilly friends here to know what a vapid fake you are, you’re going to help me finish this out once and for all.”
“Why should I?”
He laughs at that, loud enough to attract attention. “Why? You mean why don’t I just fire your incompetent ass and leave him be?”
“Yes,” I reply.
He pulls in closer, sneering. “Because where would be the fun in that?”
I stand, start to move towards the doors. “I’m leaving.”
Ian follows me.
From the counter Geena gestures at me, but I can’t tell what she’s trying to imply.
Ian refuses to shut up, even when we step outside.
“Look at these fucking people,” he shouts. “Trashy, classless, fucking inbred scum, and you want to be part of this? You enjoy living here amongst this filth? Get a grip.”
I ignore him, fishing out my keys but dropping them in the dirt.
Ian stands beside me. “Down on your knees again, huh?”
I continue to ignore him and stagger towards my car, opening the driver’s door and hopping in, pulling it closed even as Ian continues to knock against the window. “We aren’t done here. Not by a long shot.”
I pull away, wrestling the steering wheel as the tires struggle to grip the gravel.
On the main road, I check my rear-view, a car with bright blue lights swinging into view and driving up quickly behind me.
I shake my head, tapping it against the top of the steering wheel. “No. No, no, no.”
I head towards my apartment. It’s the only place I can go.
The lights remain in my rear-view and I’m certain it’s Ian.
My suspicion is confirmed when I pull up to my apartment complex, Ian stepping out of the dark BMW beside me. “Well,” he says, arms wide.
I walk up the stairs, but he follows me, right on my ass all the way to my front door.
He pushes past me with a key of his own, sliding it into the lock. “Allow me.”
“What are you doing?” I protest, but he’s already through the door.
“I don’t need to remind you I’m the one paying for this place, do I? Besides, I’m your ‘fiancé.’”
He’s enjoying this. He settles himself on the sofa, looking around. “Can’t say I like what you’ve done with the place.”
This is the worst possible scenario. “I’m going to my room.”
“No problem,” he replies, hunting for the TV remote. “I’ll make myself at home, and it goes without saying that if you need anything, and I mean anything, you know where I’ll be.”
The bile at the back of my throat resurfaces at the thought of getting with Ian. He might be Dex’s long lost brother, but I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot freakin’ pole. I’m probably going to get an STD simply having him in the apartment.
I close the door to my bedroom and lock it, pressing myself against the back of the door and reaching up to rub my temples.
It’s begun—the descent into hell I’ve been dreading. Ian is here and that means there’s zero chance this is going to work out for anyone.
Be smart, I think. Maybe this will work in your favor, keeping your enemies close and all that.
But, technically, Ian isn’t my enemy. He’s my boss.
Only one thing is truly certain. From here on out, whatever I do, Dex is going to hate me.
CHAPTER TWENTY
DEX
I throw the keys at the fruit bowl, but they ricochet off onto the kitchen floor.
How could I be so stupid, ignorant of my own instincts? I knew something was up from day one. My gut’s never let me down in the past. Why would it now? But no, what did I do? I allowed myself to be used, to fall for her like a schmuck.
I walk in circles trying to clear my head, but it’s doing no good. I take out my cell and switch it off, tossing it onto the sofa. Whatever she’s got to say, I don’t want to hear it. For the first time in my life I’ve worn my heart on my sleeve, allowed myself to be vulnerable, and all it has led to is pain.
“Never again,” I say aloud.
I take a shower and get into bed, even though I know there will be no sleep tonight. But the worst part of it all? The pillows, the sheets—they smell like her, drag those memories right to the surface where they hurt the most.
*
I sleep in late and force myself out of bed. I don’t bother with breakfast, opting for a cider instead.
On the deck, the forest coming to life, things slide fractionally towards normality, but it’s still a long way from being right.
I finish the cider and switch on my cell in case I’m needed at the Den. I have to admit I’m surprised there are no texts or missed calls from Lexi. I thought at least she’d try and explain herself, but maybe Wall Street’s got her on a tight leash.
Good. Let him have her.
Even as I think it my thoughts turn back towards happy memories together, the freedom I felt talking to her, being with her, being inside her. How in hell am I going to recover from this?
You will. You’ll recover and you’ll move the fuck on. Nothing left to see here.
The sound of my ringtone is startling. I immediately assume it’s Lexi until I read the caller ID.
I answer tentatively. “Edie?”
“Dex, hi. Sorry. Is it too early?”
I hold the railing. “Ah, no. It’s fine. I just got up. Does Deric need something? He’s okay?”
“My husband is otherwise engaged, by which I mean he’s snoring up a storm, but no, I wanted to talk to you about the thing with your mother.”
“My mother?”
“Yeah,” she continues, “I know you hired that PI in Mosier, but my dad and brother both work at the FBI, plus I’m a Fish and Wildlife Special Agent, not to toot my own horn, so I called in some favors and dug up some information on your mother’s time in New York. Deric thought it would be important to you, and I’m always happy to help out.”
This takes me by surprise. I vaguely recall speaking to Deric about this, mentioning how I had someone looking into Mom’s past. I’d forgotten about what Edie did for a living. “You didn’t have to.”
She replies with a puff of exasperation. “Just take my damn help, will you?”
I can’t help but smile. “Okay. What did you find out?”
“One moment.” I hear paper rustling. “Yes, here we go. Turns out she was living under a different name, claiming to be older than she was. Seems like she was part of the Studio 54 party crowd.”
I can’t picture it. “Really? New York?”
“Really. We know she was there for a while.”
“Anything else?”
“That’s about it, sorry. I wish I could be more help. You sure you’re okay, Dex?”
“I’m fine.”
“Says the guy who’d never miss a chance to slip in a sly joke or dick pun. We’re friends, right? Tell me what’s up.”
It’s true. We’ve grown to be good friends ever since she got together with Deric. Ava and Edie are almost like sisters to me. I decide to fill her in. What harm can it do? Besides, I’m eager to get it off my chest, to move on.
“You know Lexi Shane, works down at that tiny, A-frame Ranger station?”
Edie thinks. “Ahhhh, yeah, that girl who’s always looking at you like you’re the Channing Tatum of Tamanass?”
“That’s the one. Well, we started hooking up.”
“O-kay, but I sense congratulation
s are not in order?”
“To cut a long story short,” I tell Edie, “I just discovered she’s got an out-of-town fiancé, a real suit-and-tie prick, looks like he’s straight out of Goodfellas.”
“Wow,” comes Edie’s shocked reply. “That’s… crazy. I really wouldn’t pick her for that type.”
“Guess I’m just not that great at reading people,” I admit.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Dex. It happens to the best of us, but maybe it’s better you found out now than ten months down the track, yeah?”
I shrug to myself. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Cheer up,” says Edie. “There will always be more girls coming through the town, and one of them, bless her, will worm her way into that carbine heart of yours. Wait and see.”
“It’s not for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Commitment.”
Now it’s Edie’s turn to laugh. “Never say never.”
My cell starts to beep with an incoming call. I hold it away from my ear so I can read the screen. “Sorry, Edie. It’s Dean. I better go.”
“Okay,” she says, “be good, yes?”
“Always.”
I switch over to Dean. “You there, brother?”
“Dex, fuck.” He sounds stressed out. There’s a horrible, gut-wrenching wail in the background.
“What the hell was that?” I ask. “A wounded deer?”
“That’s my wife, dipshit. She’s in labor.”
Oops. “Oh, shit. Really?”
“You heard her.”
“Dean!” comes the strained voice in the background, though it sounds more like something from a creature than well-to-do Ava.
Dean exhales. “Bubba Two is on the way and I really need your help, man. Ava’s mom has the flu and she can’t watch Talisa. I need you to step up.”
I suddenly realize what he’s asking. “Me? I’m the last person you should put in charge of your child.”
“Stop being a fucking tool. I need you. We need you.”
“Deeeaaaannnnnn!” comes the cry.
I stroke my beard, breathing out. “Okay, sure. When do you want me to come over?”
“Right the fuck now,” he replies. “Speed like you’ve never sped before.”
*
I hear the wailing before I knock on the door, can’t help shaking my head at myself again.
This is insane.
Dean answers in a fluster, an overnight bag already over his shoulder. I see Ava leaning against a wall by the hallway holding her stomach, her teeth tightly together. “Come in.”
Dean’s spinning on the spot, his hands on his head. “Ah, Talisa’s down in the playroom. There’s apple juice in the fridge, food, emergency numbers on the kitchen counter. Oh, the Desitin’s in the cupboard in the nursery, top shelf.” He reaches behind himself. “She’s got a rash on her… yeah.”
“What do I do with that?” I ask, a little too loud.
“Google it,” Ava bellows, staggering towards Dean.
He helps guide her out of the house. “You’ll be fine, bro. Any questions, call Geena… or something.”
“But, what about—”
The door’s already closed.
I take another deep breath and head down to the playroom where Talisa’s sitting up stacking Lego blocks. She sees me and for a moment I’m sure the waterworks are coming, but it’s more of a natural inquisitiveness, her pincushion features soon flexing into a wide, toothless smile. “Dex!” she exclaims.
I can’t help but smile back and get down onto the mat, placing blocks on top of her tower. She picks another up with her pudgy hands and does the same, giggling in delight before the tower topples down.
“Oh, dear,” I say.
“Have you come to keep me company?”
“I have,” I reply.
“Mommy says you’re a man whore.”
I choke. “She said what?”
Talisa lifts her shoulders. “I guess it’s like an important job or something?”
And I swear she simply shrugs and keeps on going. This keeps her amused for a good half an hour, and the crazy thing? I’m almost enjoying it. I’ve never really watched a kid before, focused on how much like little people they really are, and Talisa’s a real cutie, just like her momma.
“The boys are going to be lining up for you,” I tell her.
“Ew,” she replies, smiling again, her saucer eyes wide.
I’m looking around for what to do when an idea strikes me. “Hey, do you like ice cream?”
She claps her hands together. “Ice cream!”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I scoop her up, surprised at how light she is. She rests her head into the nook of my shoulder. “Let’s go, T-Bear.”
I find her a sweater and some shoes, letting her sit on my shoulders as we walk around the corner to the Mountain Cottage Café. I warned Dean he’d get fat living so close to good food, but he’s still ripped as hell.
We’re the only ones in here today. I find us a table and settle on two vanilla cones with sprinkles.
I hand one to Talisa questioning the fact the triple-scoop ice cream is basically the same size as her arm. I lean in close to her chair. “Let’s keep this a secret, just between you and me, okay? I don’t think your parents would approve.”
“Our secret,” she winks, her tiny pink tongue flicking out to lick up the side of the cone.
She’s a messy eater. Halfway through I’m pretty sure there’s more ice cream on the table than her mouth, but at least she’s having fun. She accidentally bumps the ice cream into her nose, turning towards me with a single dot of white.
I apply my own dot with my ice cream and bobble my head, Talisa in a giggly, jump-up-and-down fit of laughter.
I sit back and keep eating sort of surprised at how well I’m doing here. She’s in one piece, right?
You’re doing it, I tell myself. You’re actually caring for another human being.
My good mood evaporates when Lexi walks in, the bell above the door chiming behind her.
There’s no avoiding it. She sees me immediately.
I see her draw in a breath and slowly approach the table, crouching. She looks to Talisa first, putting on a smile. “Hi, baby. How are you doing?”
“Good,” is the simple response, Talisa too fixated on her ice cream to care.
Lexi’s expression is far more serious when she turns to me, standing upright. “Dex, I’m so sorry.”
I bet she is. The mortification on her face looks real, but what can I really believe? “Whatever excuse you’re cooking up, it’s wasted on me.”
She looks out the window for a moment. “Are you going to let me at least try to explain?”
I continue licking my ice cream, shaking my head. “Why the hell should I? We were just fucking around anyhow, weren’t we?”
“You said a naughty word,” adds Talisa, but I’m focused on Lexi.
I know I’ve driven the knife deep. The hurt is clear on her face, in the way her eyes begin to glass over.
I keep going. “It didn’t mean anything to me, so don’t sweat it, okay?”
My nonchalance does it. She turns and walks straight back out the door.
“She’s sad,” says Talisa mournfully, her lower lip downturned and what’s left of her ice cream falling out of her hand.
“I know, buddy,” I tell her, “I know, but it’s nothing for you to worry about”.
I don’t feel good about it, about lying to Lexi about what we had, but reaction was the only course of action—fight fire with fire, so to speak. At least now she knows what it feels like to be fucked over.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LEXI
Ian looks up from the kitchen table when I enter the apartment.
“Back so soon?” he trills. He’s turned the entire living room into his own personal office. Papers are piled up around his laptop, two cell phones beside it on charge. He’s wearing suit pants, but his shirt is off, a tattoo o
f a Chinese dragon running down the side of his body. I can see the resemblance between the two brothers when I look hard enough, but Ian is nothing like Dex inside.
“I changed my mind,” I reply, sitting on the opposing sofa as far away as I can get. “What are you doing?”
Ian smirks, a sheet of paper in his hand. “I’m making offers on all the properties I can in the area.”
“Why?”
He places the paper down, leaning over tented fingers. “Why do you think? So I can push these yokels out and level this town once and for all, replace it with a luxury mountain escape the likes of which Oregon has never seen, a six-star cash cow.”
I want to argue, to put up some kind of defense for Tamanass, but I’m too tired, too weak to fight.
Ian takes a folder and tosses it onto the sofa beside me. “You’ve got work to do.”
I pick up the folder and leaf through it. It’s a list of names. “What do I do with these?”
Ian snaps the lid of his laptop closed. “While I head out to see the sights, you’re going to drum up detailed banking information on all of those landowners, find a way we can hustle them out of here. Understood?”
I nod reluctantly.
“Good,” he smiles, standing and leaving the room.
I read through the names, many of which I know—friends, acquaintances, colleagues.
This is who you are.
I hate myself for what I’m about to do, for betraying these people, but better the devil you know. I was kidding myself before. There’s no way I can lead a normal, decent life. Dex doesn’t want me, and if everyone else knew who I really was, they wouldn’t care about me either. Word’s already spreading about my mystery fiancé.
No, this is what I’m fated to do. As black and insidious as it is, this world is where I belong.
I take the list back into my room and start up my laptop, typing in the first name and loading up the scripts I’ll need to hack through the relevant firewalls.
It takes me all day, but I get it done, compiling a list of details and sending the encrypted file to Ian’s Dropbox. He can do with it what he wants.
We both look up when there’s a knock on the front door.
“Who’s that?” snaps Ian.