What Remains

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

What Remains
ISBN #978-0-85715-595-5
©Copyright Bailey Bradford 2011
Cover Art by Lyn Taylor ©Copyright July 2011
Edited by Claire Siemaszkiewicz
Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination
and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or
places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form,
whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of
the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound
Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil
proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs
and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator
of the artwork.

Published in 2011 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL,
United Kingdom.

Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature
readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

WHAT REMAINS

Bailey Bradford

Chapter One

Sheriff Laine Stenley stood outside squinting against the bright morning sun. A sharp,

biting wind slapped against him, cold enough to sting his cheeks and have him pulling at his

jacket. He lined up the tab then proceeded to zip the heavy material shut.

Octobers in Texas could be tricky things, weather-wise. One day it would be sunny and

in the seventies, and the next, like today, the temperature dropped so fast and the wind

kicked up and all a person wanted to do was find a warm place to hide away.

If he had a choice, he’d be home in bed with Severo, his partner for over three years.

Just thinking about all that smooth, honey-brown skin pressed against him was enough to

warm Laine more effectively than his jacket had. He closed his eyes and let the memories

from earlier this morning work through him. Sev, smiling, his celadon coloured eyes heavy

lidded with sleep, his full lips stretched in a sultry grin. Flashes of taut, dark nipples and

ridged muscles, silky black hair and nimble fingers, a firm, rounded ass and hard, dripping

cock—everything about Sev still called to him.

There’d been no lessening of the desire between them, no doubting their love or

commitment. The years had sped by so quickly once Sev had come into his life. Laine figured

he’d blink and be standing here, a whole decade gone by, and still he’d feel this all-

encompassing love for his partner.

A little fear niggled at him, telling him things couldn’t go on as they had been. It was

tempting Fate or God or someone way up the food chain, being this happy.

And I’m just a melancholy, moody fool. Laine shook his head and tugged his Stetson lower,

shading his watering eyes. One of these days he was going to break down and buy some

sunglasses before the Texas sun fried his retinas. Sure enough it must have already cooked a

few brain cells, making him all contemplative and, though he hated to admit it, superstitious.

He couldn’t shake the unease caused by his guilt over being happy. And that’s what it was,

Laine knew it. Sev was always on him about feeling responsible for everyone, trying to

convince Laine he wasn’t—but he was, in a way, and his failures cut deep.

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A bright yellow Miata turned in the parking lot, as if summoned by Laine’s thoughts of

guilt and responsibility. He watched as the driver parked. Rich Montoya got out of the

vehicle and Laine waved at him.

“Did you lose your trucker?” Laine called out, smiling slightly at the way Rich lit up

with the mention of his lover.

“Nah, Chris is at the house visiting with his mom and a few of her friends. Coven.

Whatever.” Rich grimaced as he approached, and if Laine wasn’t mistaken, there was a

ruddy flush crawling up the man’s neck.

“Thought you got along with Miriam.”

Rich’s cheeks darkened. “I do,” he said, his shoulders tensed. “It’s just weird, having a

Wiccan High Priestess for a mother-in-law. She and a crew—well, some of her coven, I

mean—just did some extra special blessing thing for us. I figured why argue, it couldn’t hurt

anything.” He shrugged, glancing down as he scraped the toe of his shiny boot over a crack

in the sidewalk. “Chris said she was bringing the High Priest, too. They want to bless the

Hawkins Senior and Youth Centre.”

The way Rich muttered that last bit nearly made Laine chuckle. He swallowed it down,

aware of how uncomfortable Rich was and what the man was asking without saying. “When

do they want to do it? I don’t think Carlin and Virginia will have a problem with it, but I’d

need to clear it with them first.”

Hopefully it wouldn’t be during the ribbon-cutting ceremony or something like that.

McKinton was a great little town, a lot more tolerant than it used to be, but some of the

residents might freak over having a Wiccan High Priestess and High Priest dancing

around—Laine narrowed his eyes at Rich. “They aren’t going to be dancing around naked or

anything like that, are they?”

Rich paled, his normally warm brown skin going an unattractive shade of grey. He

gulped and muttered, “God, I hope not.”

Laine arched a brow at Rich. It was getting harder and harder not to snicker. “Are you

planning on participating in the ceremony?” Laine might just go along to keep an eye on the

whole deal himself instead of assigning a deputy the task. Maybe he’d bring Sev along, too—

Sev would make sure Laine didn’t put his foot in his mouth or tease Rich too much.

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Of course, if there was dancing involved, Sev would probably be right out there in the

middle of it. Especially if it was naked dancing. That didn’t do anything to discourage Laine

from the idea of bringing his partner at all.

“Chris wants us to participate,” Rich said as he canted his head to the side. Sunlight

brought the almost unnoticeable scar running from Rich’s eye to the hinge of his jaw into

silvery relief.

Laine’s gut clenched with guilt—the scar, along with several others on Rich’s body, had

been left there by a man who’d stalked Laine for years. James McAlister was dead now, had

been for years, but the damage the man had done, physically and mentally, still remained—

and not just for Rich, although he’d got the worst of it. Laine pushed his own emotions aside

and gave Rich a sly grin. “Don’t you think maybe you should talk to Miriam first and find

out what she’s planning on doing before you agree?”

Rich snorted and rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah, and I imagine you’re going to want to

talk to her too before giving the all-clear.”

Laine nodded as he tucked his thumbs into his front pants’ pockets. “Definitely. Ask

her if she can stop by my office tomorrow morning since the ribbon-cutting ceremony’s in a

few days.”

“Will do. You got somewhere to be, or were you just out here holding the sidewalk

down?”

“Thought I’d go get a cup of coffee from the café. Doreen’s on vacation and her sister is

filling in. Loretta informed us right off the bat that she was only here in an administrative

sense. Coffee making is not in her job description.”

It wasn’t in Doreen’s, either, but she loved her ‘boys’ at the Sheriff’s Department. She

made coffee for them because she wanted to, and because she used it as a weapon when one

of them irritated her. Piss Doreen off, and it was fend for yourself for coffee. She’d smack

your fingers plumb off your hand if you touched her pot.

Damn, Laine wished she’d come back early from her vacation. Loretta was a sour-faced

woman with an even sourer disposition.

Rich’s laughter was good to hear. It warmed Laine inside to see his friend so happy

after all he’d been through. “Yeah, Matt’s mentioned Loretta. I believe he said something

about spending as much time as possible out of the office.”

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“He’s not the only one,” Laine admitted, his lips twitching as he darted a glance over

his shoulder at the Sheriff’s Department. “He wanted to arm wrestle me to see which one of

us got to go get the coffee. He’s in there pouting right now.” Laine turned back to Rich.

“Were you coming by to see him?” Rich and Matt had been at odds at one time, but they’d

slowly been building a friendship. Laine was relieved—he didn’t want his favourite deputy

and his friend hating each other.

Rich tipped his head down for a moment then looked at Laine. “I actually just came by

to visit either of you. I can’t… I’m a little weirded out by this whole Wiccan thing. Stupid, I

know, considering the whole spirit stuff, but…” He shrugged. “There you go. I can deal with

knowing there’s spirits hanging around, but any religion’s always given me the

heebeejeebies. Stupid, like I said.”

Laine didn’t miss the fact Rich hadn’t said anything about being possessed by James

McAllister’s spirit, not that he blamed him. That was a hell Laine couldn’t imagine, having

the spirit of a psychotic killer, who’d tried to kill you, dwelling in your body. How Rich

hadn’t gone insane before the spirit had been ripped out was beyond Laine’s comprehension.

All he did know was Rich was a stronger man than he could ever be.

“It’s not stupid,” Laine said. He nudged Rich’s arm with his own. “How many wars

have been fought over religion? It’s definitely a touchy subject. People kill each other over it

every day. It’s understandable that it’d make some people uncomfortable.”

When Rich only nodded Laine decided it was time to get off the deep subjects. He

nudged Rich again, playfully but hard enough to make the man take a stumbling step back.

That got him a glare, which was better than the miserable expression Rich had worn a second

ago. “So. You want to come with me to fetch some coffee or go rescue Matt?”

Rich’s smile was one Laine hadn’t seen in a long while, the flirty, heart stopping one

that made most women and men’s knees weak. Laine, however, considered himself Rich-

proof, but he could admit the man was a looker. The scar only added to his attractiveness.

“I’ll bet you five bucks I’ll have Loretta wrapped around my little finger by the time you get

back.”

It was a sucker’s bet, but Laine took it anyway, he was so delighted to see that spark

back in Rich’s eyes. “You’re on.” They shook on it, then Laine headed towards the café,

knowing he’d be five bucks poorer when he got back to the Sheriff’s Department.

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* * * *

Sev chewed his lip as he waited for Laine to get home. All day, he’d felt off in a way he

couldn’t pin down. It wasn’t like he was precognitive or anything—he just communicated

with the dead, if their spirits were still on this plane. Yet he kept feeling an icy tingle down

his spine off and on, and that spot between his shoulder blades itched, like someone was

watching him.

No one was. He was at home, alone. Even the spirits who usually popped in had been

absent today. It happened occasionally. Sev didn’t know where they went or what they were

doing, but it amused him to think of them all being required to attend some spirit behaviour

training course or something like that.

He could easily imagine Conner, Laine’s deceased lover who’d been murdered by

James McAlister, acting the clown in such a setting. In spirit, at least, Conner was a prankster

a lot of the time, but not always. He was the whole reason Sev had come to McKinton, the

reason Sev had even met Laine to begin with. Sev often wondered if Conner had known Sev

and Laine would hook up and fall in love.

Whether he had or not, it didn’t matter. Thanks to Conner, Sev had finally found love,

and faith enough in himself to accept love from someone else. That was one of the reasons

Sev was so fond of Conner. It also didn’t hurt that Conner liked to get Laine’s dander up,

which could be quite entertaining. Laine was a wonderful man, but sometimes he was a little

too intense and needed shaking up. Conner could do it with a flick of Laine’s badge,

knocking the star to the ground, or he’d shove Laine’s hat off. Those were Conner’s

favourites, but he did other things as well.

Sev, however, had his own way of dealing with Laine when his lover started to brood.

Blood rushed to his cock, heating his veins on the way down as he closed his eyes and

pictured Laine naked and spread out, his strong arms stretched above his head, wrists cuffed

to the headboard. His body Sev’s to explore. The trust Laine showed by giving himself over

to Sev.

God! Sev shuddered as his arousal grew. He scrubbed his palm over his erection,

moaning at the rough scrape of denim against sensitive skin. Maybe ditching his underwear

hadn’t been the smartest move. As much as he loved that rough friction against his dick, he

was too close to coming for his peace of mind. Here he’d thought to turn Laine on past all

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reason, be all lubed and ready to go, yet Sev was the one who was almost quivering with

need—and Laine probably wouldn’t even be home for an hour or so.

An hour was more than enough time for him to recover if he jerked off now. In fact, that

would pretty much ensure he lasted longer once he and Laine made love.

Sev didn’t see any reason to resist that bit of logic. He unbuttoned his jeans then slowly

eased the zipper down. Before he could so much as trail his fingers over his aching cock, the

home phone rang.

“Ugh!” Sev gave his erection a stroke that made him shudder. Answer the phone or beat

off? The hard flesh in his hand felt so good—he was already leaking, pre-cum dripping from

his slit onto the floor. Whoever was calling could wait. It wasn’t like it was Laine, who

always called Sev’s cell. It was probably just another telemarketer. Sev moaned softly as he

ran his palm over the crown, gathering the moisture there. He got in a couple of good

strokes, smeared the liquid around for an easier glide.

“Fuck!” His hips bucked, shoving his length through his fist with enough force his balls

slapped the side of his hand. Sev frantically shoved at his jeans, pushing them down one-

handed so he could grab his balls. A sharp tug on his sac sent goose bumps skittering over

his skin. Sev tightened his fist around his dick and pumped harder, moaning again as every

nerve from his balls to his nipples lit up.

He needed more hands, that was all there was to it. His tits ached to be pinched, twisted

to the point of pain. Laine knew just how to do it, making Sev ache with pleasure. Sev settled

for rolling his balls. He squeezed them gently, mindful that he didn’t particularly like things

rough down there. As the answering machine kicked on, Sev delved the tip of his thumbnail

in his slit, barely penetrating the tiny hole. His cock pulsed and his damned nipples burned.

Another stroke, another soft squeeze, and he was teetering on the brink of orgasm.

“Severo, this is Alma, your sister.”

As if he didn’t know who Alma was. Sev’s erection wilted so quickly it left him

breathless and dizzy. No one in his family ever called him. It was always Sev who contacted

them, a pattern they’d fallen into when Sev used to move around from place to place.

“I need to speak to you. We’d…we’d like to come visit, if that’s okay. I hate to leave a

message like this on here, but I didn’t want you to worry it was something bad, you know?”

Sev was too stunned to move. He stood staring at the answering machine as if it were

an alien. It dawned on him he was still holding his dick, which was just gross what with his

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sister’s voice echoing in his ears. Quickly tucking it away, he listened to the rest of her

message. Picking up the phone was out of the question. One hand was coated in a fair

amount of pre-cum and both hands were shaking.

“I know we’ve all been crappy siblings. You’ve always had to come to see us, and…I

just think it’s time for us to start being a family again. So will you call me back and let me

know if you and your”—there was a slight hesitation, then—”boyfriend? Partner? I don’t

mean anything bad, I just don’t know how to refer to Mr Stenley. But will you please call me

back tonight?”

Sev blinked stupidly as Alma said goodbye. What did she mean, it was time for ‘us’ to

start being a family? Sev thought they were family, just a fucked up one. He’d seen his

siblings—some of them, anyway—exactly once since he’d moved to McKinton. That was

when he’d taken a consulting case with San Antonio PD.

He’d figured since he was in San Antonio, he might as well see his brothers and sisters.

Only Alma and Berto had been home when he called. Sev had got to stop in for a short visit

with each of them before the case went ass up and he’d been inundated with spirits trying to

either help or hinder him.

Once he’d managed to pry enough information out of the spirit of one of the killers’

deceased victims, Sev had been physically and mentally exhausted. All he’d wanted was to

return home to Laine, which was what he’d done.

That had been over a year ago. None of his family had ever met Laine, and to be honest,

Sev didn’t think Laine was too keen on meeting them. While he never said it, Sev knew Laine

thought his siblings were jerks or worse for leaving the bulk of the responsibility for their

relationships on Sev’s shoulders.

Sometimes Sev agreed, but he reminded himself his brothers and sisters hadn’t, for a

long period of time, known where Sev was going to be from one day to the next. That was

why Sev was the one to instigate phone calls and such.

The fact he’d been in the same place for over three years now and his siblings hadn’t

bothered to alter their established pattern wasn’t good, but it wasn’t entirely their fault,

either. Sev hadn’t asked them to visit more than a couple of times. He understood they had

their own lives, their own families to take care of.

And he understood, all the way down to his still bruised heart, that his brothers and

sisters also had their parents to consider.

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Sev didn’t. With his clean hand, he touched the silver necklace he always wore. It was a

gift his grandmother had given him years ago, when he’d been a terrified, emotionally

damaged kid. An abandoned kid.

Once his parents had him committed as a child, preferring to believe he was mentally ill

instead of psychic, they’d disowned him. If it hadn’t been for his grandmother getting him

out of that place, he’d probably still be there. Or he’d be dead.

Being gay only compounded his parents’ dislike of him. Really, Sev was amazed any of

his siblings talked to him, what with the vitriol he was sure they heard spewed about him.

Not to mention, his parents were wealthy now, his father having inherited all of

Grandmother’s estate when she passed. As much as she loved Sev and despised what her

son- and daughter-in-law had done, she had still been very traditional.

It wasn’t difficult for Sev to picture his father using money to control his family. In fact,

it was likely. There wasn’t anything he could do about it, though. He wasn’t rich, and even if

he was, he wouldn’t try to buy his family. Sev did miss them, though. Not his parents—what

they’d done to him had cut too deep, but he would like to have something more with his

siblings, if possible.

He was almost afraid to hope for it, though. Sev sighed and moved over to the couch

where he dropped down bonelessly into the plush cushions. The weird feeling he’d had off

and on all day returned and he squirmed deeper into the couch, shifting some of the throw

pillows around until he felt sufficiently comfortable.

The pressing need to touch Laine, feel his thick cock spearing into him, had lessened

somewhat to a slow simmer in Sev’s veins. They wouldn’t be having sex the instant Laine

walked in the door, not now. That was definitely a bummer, but it didn’t seem right to jump

the man then shatter that lovely afterglow by bringing up Alma’s phone call.

Not that Laine would object to her and her family coming out, he wasn’t that sort of

man. But he would be wary, and Sev couldn’t blame him. He was more than a little wary

himself.

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Chapter Two

All he could figure was, word of Loretta’s refusal to make coffee had spread like

wildfire. By the time Laine pulled into the long driveway of the home he and Sev had bought

together, he was damn near jittery from all the caffeine.

There’d been half a dozen people who stopped in to drop off steaming cups of coffee,

and Zeke and Brendan had brought two big thermoses of the stuff. Laine couldn’t see letting

such an offering go to waste, and the consequences of that, besides feeling like he was hyped

up on meth, was that he’d pissed more today than he possibly ever had in his life.

Not that he was the only one. It’d got so ridiculous the he and Matt started tagging each

other, like some warped wrestling team, each time they passed one another coming and

going from the restroom.

The good part of all this caffeine-induced energy, however, was how he planned to

burn it off—deep inside Sev’s tight little ass. The way he was feeling right now, he’d be able

to go at least a couple of rounds before he crashed and slept like the dead.

Except, some of them didn’t really ‘sleep’, did they? No, they hung around and in some

cases, scared the shit out of the living.

Laine tossed his hat in the passenger seat, knowing the Stetson was going to be in the

way shortly, then he parked the truck and shut it off. He was unbuckled and out the door a

second or two later, anticipation ratcheting up the edginess brought on by the caffeine. He

didn’t slow down to admire the pretty landscaped yard like he usually did. The yard was

Sev’s domain; Laine had learnt not to so much as pluck up a weed—or what he’d thought

was a weed. It was sometimes hard to tell, and it sure wasn’t worth getting his ass chewed

out.

He took the three porch steps in a sprint and in one long stride he was at the door and

sliding his key into the first lock. Before he had the key twisted around he heard the sounds

of the deadbolts being unlocked. As soon as the last one tumbled open Laine was inside the

house, his hands on that smooth, warm skin he’d fantasised about all day long.

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Sev grunted when his back hit the wall. Laine took advantage of his parted lips and

whatever Sev was trying to say was lost under the crush of Laine’s mouth. Laine didn’t care

about finesse—he only sought to lose himself in this one man.

The first sweep of his tongue over Sev’s made them both moan, then Sev was holding

onto his shoulders, grinding that sexy muscled body against Laine’s. Laine slid his hands

down and cupped the firm swells of Sev’s ass, first holding him still so Laine could thrust

and rub his groin against Sev until he was on the verge of coming. The way Sev was

trembling and whimpering, Laine knew he wasn’t the only one fixing to go off.

Releasing Sev’s sweet ass was hard, but necessary for what Laine wanted. He shoved

his hands between them and started pulling at the button and zipper on Sev’s jeans. Sev gave

an alarmed squeak, his pale eyes shooting wide open as he turned his head aside only

enough to separate their mouths. He grabbed Laine’s wrists, pressing them against his

erection even as he tried to hold them still.

Laine wanted to growl, but Sev smiled so seductively he couldn’t find the breath to

push the sound out with. Then Sev compounded his lust, the constriction in his chest.

“Careful, no underwear.”

“Fuck,” Laine drawled, turning the word into two syllables. He jerked his wrists free

and tucked one hand into Sev’s jeans. It was a tight squeeze, what with the way Sev liked to

wear his jeans so tight it made Laine’s nuts ache in sympathy. And the way Sev was

squirming around wasn’t helping. Laine thought he’d lose his damned mind before he

managed to cover most of Sev’s cock.

Once that was done, Laine popped the button free and unzipped Sev’s pants. Sev

whipped his shirt off while Laine pulled those tight jeans down Sev’s leanly muscled thighs.

Sev finished taking his jeans off, wriggling his hips, making his fat cock bounce and Laine’s

knees weak. Sometimes he had trouble believing Sev was all his, from the soft soles of his

delicate feet to the top of his silky black hair.

Laine took a few seconds to just ogle the man, drinking in the sight of all that smooth

skin with its light smattering of hair. Sev even kept his bush trimmed down, unlike Laine’s

own wiry nest of curls. Laine dragged his gaze up and noticed the erect copper nipples

topping Sev’s heaving chest. Now, those he couldn’t resist.

Dipping his head, he bit at one, foregoing a softer touch, knowing what Sev needed,

what he needed. He clamped his teeth around the nub and pulled back, using his thumb and

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forefinger to do the same to the other tit. Sev’s back bowed and he keened, his hands fisting

in Laine’s hair and tugging until Laine’s scalp stung.

Laine released Sev’s nipples then immediately latched on again. He trailed his other

hand down Sev’s ass, his fingers buried deep in the man’s crack. As soon as he felt the first

bit of slick moisture under his fingertips what little control he’d hung on to snapped. Laine

knew good and well what that meant. His man was already lubed up and ready to go.

Laine didn’t do more than open his pants and shove them and his boxers down enough

to free his cock and balls. He gave Sev’s nipple one last suck and pinch then he was lifting

and Sev was practically climbing him. Laine fisted the base of his cock and braced Sev’s

lower back with his other arm as Sev wound his legs around Laine’s waist. His heart

pounded in his chest as hard as he was going to be pounding in Sev’s ass.

“Now, now, now, now!”

At Sev’s shouted demand, Laine plunged into his lover’s hole. Sev howled and

slammed down, using his arms around Laine’s neck and his strong legs around Laine’s waist

for leverage. Bright white streaks exploded behind Laine’s eyelids as his dick was enveloped

in gripping heat. A groan was torn from him as Sev’s channel rippled around his length,

massaging it so tightly he couldn’t move.

Sev’s answering groan caused his whole body to vibrate. Laine’s eyes rolled back as he

ground deeper into Sev’s ass. “Move,” Sev panted, his fingers clenching, the tips digging

bruisingly against Laine’s shoulders.

Laine leant forward, using his weight to pin Sev firmly to the wall, then he canted his

hips and lifted Sev until only the tip of his cock was imbedded in Sev’s hole. With the flared

underside of the crown tugging against the inside of Sev’s rim, Laine could feel each pulsing

of that ring of muscles around his dick. He snarled as he rammed back in, shoving Sev down

hard enough to knock the breath from both of them.

And Laine didn’t let up, driven by Sev’s whimpers and curses and the spiking arousal

that swelled unbearably in him. He couldn’t think of anything but the exquisite pleasure of

fucking Sev, the feel of the man’s body sucking him in, clenching and strangling his cock.

Laine grunted and bit the sensitive skin under Sev’s ear. Sev bucked and writhed

against him, spurring him on, his heels digging into Laine’s ass. He dragged his teeth down

Sev’s neck, scraping and nipping as he went, then sucked hard on the join of shoulder and

neck.

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Sev’s scream rattled Laine’s eardrums, sweet music that fired his blood. His dick

swelled inside Sev as came, spurting cum between their stomachs. Sev’s ass tightened

impossibly more, encasing Laine’s shaft in the tightest, hottest vise.

Laine couldn’t shout, couldn’t even moan as his climax slammed into him, sending jets

of spunk pouring into Sev’s ass. He bit down unthinkingly, in the grips of an orgasm so

intense his head swam. Sev’s voice was muffled by the roar of blood in Laine’s ears, the

pounding of it in his temples and behind his eyes as he emptied himself into his lover.

The last little shot of cum trickled from his dick then Laine’s legs must have turned to

jelly because he was falling, sliding down, squashing Sev between himself and the wall until

Laine’s knees hit the floor.

Slowly, Laine became aware of the growing pain in his knees and the metallic taste of

blood on his tongue. He cracked open his eyes and blinked until he could see Sev’s loopy

grin.

“That was so fuckin’ hot,” Sev said, the words slurred as if he’d just woke—or been

fucked stupid, much like Laine felt.

Laine grunted, the lethargy that replaced his spastic energy quickly trying to pull him

into sleep. He came to with a jerk of his head that made his teeth snap together. Pain flared in

his jaws as he pried his eyes open. “Wha?” Surely Sev didn’t expect him to move.

Sev looked at him, an earnest and slightly worried expression on his handsome face.

“We need to talk. Alma called.”

Well, that was like being dunked in a pool of ice water. He was going to need some

more coffee.

* * * *

Sev was back to gnawing on his lip as he watched Laine from across the kitchen table.

The man was not happy, not anywhere near the happy universe, for that matter, but he

hadn’t said no. Sev didn’t expect Laine would, but Laine wouldn’t be eager to have Alma

and her family visit. It wasn’t that Laine didn’t want Sev to have contact with his family—he

just wouldn’t want Sev hurt by them again.

Well, Sev wasn’t exactly eager to experience that, either. He planned to keep his sister at

an emotionally safe distance, at least until he found out whether she was sincere or not.

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“They’re not staying here,” Laine said, then added, “right?”

Sev nearly snickered at the grudging tone carried in that one word. If Laine hadn’t just

fucked him through the wall, Sev might have teased him, let him worry for a moment or two,

but he was feeling way too sated despite his familial concerns.

“She didn’t say, but I’ll make sure they know I’ve booked them a couple of rooms at the

motel.” Sev scrunched his eyebrows together. Alma and her husband Roger had three kids.

“Or one room. Whatever, I don’t know if they want their kids in a separate room or not.”

Laine sat back in his chair, pushing against the table and groaning through a stretch. He

canted his head and popped his neck, something that made Sev cringe every time Laine did

it. “How old are the kids?”

“Ah.” Sev tapped his chin as he tried to remember. “I think the oldest is about sixteen.

Alma had Rogelio when she was twenty, so yeah, that’s about right. The youngest just

started school, kindergarten, so he’s probably five. Adela is in the middle there, she’s

eleven.”

After seeming to consider it for a couple of minutes, Laine finally shrugged. “Well, I

don’t know. Not like I know anything about kids. You better ask her when you call her back

and find out when they’ll be coming to McKinton.”

Sev stood up then darted around the table, unable to keep from chuckling.

“I get the message loud and clear, Laine,” Sev said, nuzzling Laine’s cheek. “You don’t want

them staying here. Neither do I. Then I wouldn’t be able to do this.” He cupped his lover’s

package, grinning when Laine humped into his hand. Laine’s cock was hard as steel—the

man was ready to go again.

A few minutes later, when Laine had him bent over the table, his ass spread as Laine

rimmed him to the point of insanity, Sev’s last rational thought was that he was one very,

very lucky man.

* * * *

Something woke Laine in the middle of the night. He came to with a whole-body jerk

that left him gasping for breath as he lurched into a sitting position. Sev grumbled beside

him, patting at Laine’s thigh clumsily.

“S’wrong?”

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“I don’t know,” Laine muttered, catching Sev’s hand in his. “Must have had one of

those nightmares you don’t remember. I just woke up borderline panicking.”

“Yeah?” Sev sounded more alert and he was scooting around so Laine reached over and

turned on the lamp. The low-wattage bulb still seemed way too bright for his sleep-darkened

vision, and bright spots danced before his eyes. Laine scrubbed one-handedly at his eyes,

which didn’t do anything but make more dots appear, although at least they were different

colours.

“I’ve had a weird feeling all day,” Sev said from beside him. He leaned his dark head

on Laine’s shoulder. Sev’s warm moist breath wafted over Laine’s chest, teasing at one

nipple. “It always makes me feel off when Conner is too busy to give me crap.”

Laine suspected that, like him, Sev worried Conner had gone on to wherever it was

spirits went if they weren’t staying around after their bodies died. As odd as it may have

seemed to anyone other than Sev, Conner, Laine’s deceased lover, was a part of their bent

little family. It was his spirit that had brought Sev and Laine together, and really, they

couldn’t imagine not having the playful spirit around.

Frowning, Laine ran the prior day’s events through his mind. “You know, I’d have

thought Conner get a kick out of showing up at the Sheriff’s Department and messing with

Loretta. She’s just the sort of uptight person he’d enjoy tormenting. You know, hide her pens,

restart her computer—goose her just to piss her off.” Laine could picture it all perfectly, right

up to Conner grabbing Loretta’s ass. He shut that image down before it could fully form. “I

wonder where he goes when he isn’t around?”

“Wish I knew.” Sev sighed and burrowed closer to Laine. “Maybe he spends time with

other spirits. For all we know, he has a boyfriend or something.”

The idea made Laine’s stomach flutter and his chest ache. He hadn’t considered that

particular possibility. He wasn’t sure he cared to. Stupid, he knew, considering how much he

loved Sev. It was just his own ego acting up. Well, he’d stuff it back down to where it

belonged. If Conner could find someone in the spirit world, why shouldn’t he? Laine

couldn’t imagine being alone for eternity—the three-plus years after Conner’s death up until

Sev had come into Laine’s life had been pure hell.

“Maybe,” he allowed, surprised to find himself hoping Conner wasn’t always alone. He

was also a little relieved that he wasn’t such a selfish asshole. Some of the tension from the

sudden startling wakening drained from him and he nuzzled Sev’s hair, drawing in the spicy

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scent of the man. “I kept feeling a little…I don’t know, off maybe, too. All those little hairs on

the back of my neck were having a field day, vibrating off and on. Couldn’t find a reason for

it at first, then I blamed the coffee.”

Sev snorted and nipped at his pec. “Well, if too much coffee is what made you fuck my

brains out twice in one night, I will personally see to it you have a few pots of the stuff every

damn day.”

Laine laughed as he slid down and rolled Sev under him. “That was all you,” he

informed his lover, feeling himself pulled into the welling need in Sev’s eyes. “I can prove it,

even. No coffee in hours, and”—he thrust his hard cock against Sev’s warm thigh—“I’m

thinking we can make it at least three times in less than six hours.”

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Chapter Three

With his sister arriving tomorrow, Sev was already thrumming with nerves. The

anxious call from Zeke Mathers asking him to come out to Zeke and Brendan’s place didn’t

help any. Sev hadn’t felt quite normal since a few days ago—the day Alma had called. While

he could attribute part of his unease to that, the majority of it was related to something else

entirely.

Three days, and no Conner. Four, actually, counting the day Alma called. Laine hadn’t

caught so much as a hint of the spirit, either, and between the two of them, they were more

than a little worried. Conner had never disappeared like this. And maybe Sev should have

wished Conner on to the great beyond, whatever the fuck that was, but the truth was, he

couldn’t. He missed the damned spirit too much.

As he waited for Zeke and Brendan to arrive—maybe one day he’d get his licence—Sev

paced the length of the living room and back, turning the puzzle of Conner’s disappearance

over and over in his mind. He realised with a start that he hadn’t had any contact with

spirits, not for days now. That wasn’t unusual, depending on where he was and who was

dead—with the exception of Conner, of course. But there were a few spirits here in McKinton

he was used to, and he hadn’t heard from or felt any of them.

Not Stefan, the sweet, innocent spirit of Darren Brown’s brother. Not Mrs Hawkins,

who in life had got her kicks out of greeting unsuspecting deputies in sheer lingerie. Even

Zeke’s momma, who sometimes popped in and offered comfort when Sev was upset…

“Ugh!” Sev rubbed his forehead. If he kept frowning like this he’d either end up with an

ugly wrinkle there or his head would shoot off his shoulders since frowning for very long

tended to give him a headache. His mind veered right back to the fact he hadn’t detected any

otherwordly presence in days and the sound of Zeke’s worried voice as he asked if Sev had a

few minutes to spare.

He considered calling Carlin or asking Laine to talk to Matt, Carlin’s partner, and see if

they’d had any contact with Mrs Hawkins’ spirit. Or he could go to the diner, see if Darren

was working…

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Or, he could start by seeing what Zeke wanted since the rumble of a diesel engine

outside meant the man was here. That’d probably be the smart thing to do.

Sev grabbed the house keys off the stand in the hallway and darted out the door. He

made sure he locked every lock, not wanting to catch a lecture about it if Laine got home

before him, then Sev turned and bounded down the steps, waving at Zeke and Brendan.

Brendan opened the passenger side door and scooted over to the middle. Sev greeted

both men, noting the tight lines of strain around Zeke’s mouth. Brendan didn’t look much

better, but at least he managed to smile at Sev once he climbed in the truck.

“What’s wrong?” Sev asked even as he reached for his seatbelt. “You two look worried.

Eva didn’t get out of prison, did she?”

Zeke shook his head and Brendan cursed. “No, that bitch is going to be there a long

time after what she did to Zeke.”

Sev flicked a glance at Zeke to see if he was going to get pissed over Brendan calling

Zeke’s sister a bitch, but he didn’t even flinch. Good. Maybe he’s got over feeling guilty about her

being locked up for trying to kill him. Twice. One thing Sev could say about his own sisters, at

least none of them had tried to do him in.

Eva had run Zeke over on Main Street in downtown McKinton in front of at least a

dozen witnesses. Then the psycho had been astounded when she’d actually been arrested

and tried for attempted murder. She and her husband had both been tried actually, and

found guilty.

It didn’t seem wise to comment on the whole matter, though, so Sev merely nodded

and snapped on his seatbelt. The ride to Zeke and Brendan’s ranch wasn’t entirely

comfortable. It wasn’t that the two men were quiet, or angry. Sev thought it was something

else, and his concern that he knew what it was grew with each mile they drove.

By the time they arrived and Zeke parked the truck, Sev was as tightly wound up as his

two friends. “Are y’all going to tell me what’s going on now?” He unbuckled and opened the

door, all the while watching the other two men.

Zeke scowled as he shut the truck off. Brendan slumped in his seat. “Can you…can you

see if you can feel her?”

Sev knew immediately who Brendan was talking about. Apparently Conner wasn’t the

only spirit who’d gone missing, and the realisation settled like ice along Sev’s spine. “How

long since y’all have felt her presence?”

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Zeke turned pain-filled eyes towards him. “I—we—haven’t felt Mama or smelt her

scent for four days.”

The confirmation of Sev’s suspicions were like a kick to the balls. He nearly fell out of

the truck, his legs felt so weak. Communing with spirits had been a part of his life, a big part

of his life, for well over twenty years. He’d first encountered one when he was seven. He

couldn’t imagine not being able to do so any more, even if he had spent several years

fervently wishing his freakish ability would disappear.

Except it wasn’t just him, was it? Sev steadied himself on the outside door handle for a

moment, waiting until Brendan got out before slamming it shut. Zeke and Brendan couldn’t

do what he did, but they did know spirits existed. They’d interacted with Zeke’s mama for

years. Now they couldn’t find her, so maybe the problem wasn’t that Sev had lost his psychic

skill—maybe something else was going on.

Like someone’s abducting spirits? It was a ludicrous idea, but the only one Sev could come

up with as he followed his friends inside the house. He didn’t imagine there was some big

otherworldly convention being held in the great beyond. Or Vegas.

Sev knew as soon as he stepped in the house that Zeke’s mother wasn’t there. He didn’t

have a way of seeking out spirits, usually they came to him. It would start as a low buzzing

in his brain, as if a single bee had been caged in his skull. The more intensely a spirit tried to

contact him, the louder and stronger the buzz, until sometimes it felt like he had a whole hive

in his head.

There were some exceptions with spirits he was more familiar with, but those he could

actually sense, like when you caught a whiff of someone’s cologne or perfume and you knew

right away who it was. Not that it was always an olfactory experience—it was more a

recognition of a familiar presence.

He hadn’t felt anything like it in four days. The complete lack of any contact with the

dead left him feeling bereft and uncomfortable in his own skin. The ability was now so

ingrained in him, Sev didn’t know what he’d do if it ceased to exist.

Zeke and Brendan’s hopeful gazes were like weights on his shoulders. He didn’t want

to disappoint these men. “Maybe, if I can walk around the house…”

Zeke nodded, the hope draining from his green eyes. “Yeah, sure. Wherever you need

to go.”

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Sev was relieved his friends didn’t follow him. He walked from room to room, fingers

rolling the necklace around his neck as he silently prayed for help—from his grandmother,

from God, from whatever deity existed. If any such being did exist, he or she didn’t bother

answering him. Or else, this is the answer. The spirits, at least two of them, are gone. Fuck!

His usual optimism ebbed as he stepped into the living room and looked at Zeke and

Brendan sitting on the couch. It didn’t matter how much he didn’t want to, Sev was fixing to

hurt them. His throat tightened against admitting he’d found nothing. By the time he’d

cleared his throat enough to speak, he knew Zeke and Brendan already figured out the bad

news.

It wouldn’t make them feel any better, but at least they would know they weren’t alone

in their loss. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on, but Conner’s gone missing, too.”

“What?” Zeke and Brendan frowned at him, both snapped out the same one-word

question.

Reminding himself these two were some of his closest friends, and that they must be as

freaked out as he was, Sev ignored their sharp tones, concentrating instead on the fear

creeping into their expressions.

He walked over and sat on the couch beside Brendan. Turning to put his back against

the armrest, Sev then pulled one leg up and tucked it under his butt, angling himself so he

could see both men. “We haven’t seen or felt Conner’s presence in days. Four days, just like

y’all with Zeke’s mom. I thought it was maybe just Conner, but I haven’t felt anything.

Nothing.” And it scared the shit out of him. Sev glanced down and found a string on the

inseam of his jeans to pluck at. Letting his friends know how much this whole thing shook

him wouldn’t help Zeke or Brendan at all.

“So what do we do?”

Sev looked up at Brendan’s answer, hoping his expression projected a confidence he

didn’t feel. “I was wondering if y’all had time to take me to town. I thought maybe I’d stop

and see Darren, at the café or at the Hawkins’ place. Or Matt—that might be better, actually.”

If he had any luck at all, Laine would be in. The man was Sev’s rock, and right now he

needed him. Just speaking to Laine, seeing his eyes light up with joy because Sev was there,

would go a long way towards calming some of the fear bubbling inside him.

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Half an hour later, Sev was resigned to dealing with it on his own for a while longer.

Neither Laine nor Matt were in, and as much as Sev tried he couldn’t charm their location

out of the battleaxe filling in for Doreen.

“That woman’s just harsh,” Brendan muttered as the loaded back into the truck. “I bet

she makes babies cry and kicks every puppy and kitten she sees.”

Despite the gloom permeating Sev’s mood he chuckled. “I don’t know about that. Laine

said Rich bet him five bucks he’d have Loretta eating out of the palm of his hand by the time

Laine went and got coffee. Laine was grumbling about his wallet being five bucks lighter.”

Brendan snorted as he glared at the building. “Yeah, but that’s Rich. He could charm a

habit off a nun.”

“The hell would he want to do that for?” Zeke asked, but the upward curl of his lips

made it clear he was joking. “Wish I had a bit of his charm. I just don’t have the patience for

people like that. Spent too many years keeping to myself, I guess.”

“Yeah, it was ingrained by the time I met you,” Brendan said, “but I think that’s part of

your charm.”

Sev had seen that sappy lovey-dovey look on Zeke’s face before, but it always made

him grin. Zeke reminded him of Laine a lot—both men liked to growl but inside they were

just giant mushy teddy bears.

Zeke cleared his throat and went back to looking serious. “Do you want to try Darren

and Lee?”

“Sure, but let me call them first.” Sev called and arranged to meet Darren and Lee at

their home, which was also the Hawkins’ Senior and Youth Centre. Darren had started out as

a waiter at Virginia’s Café. Virginia, his boss and Mrs Hawkins’ nephew, Carlin, decided to

go invest in the place and turn the deceased widow’s home into something the community

could benefit from. They’d encouraged Darren to take some classes so he could work there in

the centre.

Darren’s partner, Lee, worked there as well as head of maintenance. It was Stefan, the

spirit of Lee’s younger brother, who Sev wanted to ask about. Sev had a really bad feeling he

knew the answer already. Darren had sounded nervous at first then eager to talk to him.

Sev texted Laine on the drive to the Hawkins’ place. As succinctly as possible, he told

him what he’d discovered and where he was going as well as why. Laine hadn’t replied by

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the time they arrived to talk to Darren and Lee, so Sev tucked his phone in his shirt pocket

once he got out of the truck. He called out a greeting to Darren and Lee.

Both men were sitting on the porch swing, each with their arms slung over the back of

it. They made a striking couple, Darren with his lithe, youthful beauty and Lee, brawny and

masculine despite the long blond hair flowing over his shoulders.

Zeke and Brendan trailed behind Sev. Sev avoided the ramp and took the steps instead.

Darren and Lee stood and walked over as Sev stepped onto the porch.

“Severo, Zeke, Brendan.” Lee shook each of their hands. “Would y’all like to come

inside for some tea or coffee?”

The weather had turned warm, or at least warmer than that frigid spell they’d had a

few days ago. “Tea would be awesome,” Sev said as he shook Darren’s hand.

They went inside after Darren finished greeting Zeke and Brendan. Sev was stunned by

the transformation to Mrs Hawkins’ house. It didn’t look like a home anymore, at least not

inside. The wooden floors gleamed, the warm honey colour lighting up the room. What used

to be a living room was now some sort of lobby, Sev guessed, with a dozen or so plush

looking chairs covered in a red and striped pattern.

The walls were a soothing cream colour. Vibrant prints framed in aged wood adorned

the walls. Two bookshelves were tastefully stocked with a mixture of books, pamphlets and

knick knacks. A large desk sat close to the back wall, the top immaculate except for the

computer monitor and keyboard on the gleaming surface.

“Y’all have done an amazing job,” Sev said as he took in the room. “This looks

professional but not stuffy, you know?”

“Lee did the carpentry. Virginia let me decorate.”

The pride in Darren’s voice was impossible to miss. So was the tender look Lee gave his

lover. Darren blushed, and Sev was surprised, pleasantly so, that the shy younger man was

crawling a little further out of his shell.

“Anything?”

Sev bit back a surprised yelp upon hearing Zeke’s deep voice so close to his ear. He

hadn’t even realised the man was that close. Now he no longer needed a cane, Zeke moved

quietly—too quietly, Sev decided, casting his friend a baleful look. He shook his head then

faced forward again as he followed Darren and Lee into a hallway. Like the front room, this

one was tastefully decorated as well.

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“We figured we’d give y’all a quick tour,” Lee said when they stopped in front of a

door. “This is the rec room.” Lee crossed his arms and looked at Sev. “Actually, that’s not the

entire story. We were kind of hoping maybe you could find Stefan and Mrs Hawkins.

They’ve been gone for—”

“Four days,” Zeke muttered before Sev could. “Same with Mama and Conner,

according to Sev. Where the fuck did they go?”

Lee blanched and reached for Darren, as if needing support—or comfort. Probably

both. Lee tucked Darren’s head against his shoulder as both of them looked at Sev with

fearful expressions. “Is… You don’t know where they are? If they’re okay or if they p-passed

on?”

Sev hadn’t ever heard that nervous stutter from Lee before. It just didn’t seem right,

didn’t fit with the image of the big tough former Army Ranger. He wished he could say

something to make it all better, but lying would only make everything worse.

“No. I haven’t felt a single presence for several days.”

* * * *

After one more stop—one Sev had dreaded so much he almost didn’t ask Zeke to take

him there—Sev’s hopes were all but demolished. Any hospital was hell on him. There were

so many spirits in them, and they would swamp Sev, buzzing in his brain until he wanted to

scream.

But he’d rather have felt that than nothing. Abso-frigging-lutely nothing. It had so

unsettled him that he’d practically ran down one hall after another, drawing more than one

odd look from various members of the hospital staff. He’d been desperate to find just one

spirit, just one. Sev didn’t get so much as a quiet hum in his brain, much less the usual

cacophony.

“I don’t understand,” he said over and over, stunned stupid by the experience. “Last

time I was here I could hardly stand it. There were spirits everywhere, clamouring for

attention. Something bad has happened,” he blurted before he thought better of it. “Conner,

Stefan, Mrs Hawkins, your mama,” Sev said with a tip of his chin towards Zeke. “They

wouldn’t just all up and leave, not like this. They wouldn’t abandon us.”

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“No, they sure wouldn’t,” Zeke grumbled as he hooked an arm around Sev’s waist.

Brendan was on Sev’s other side, his arm linked with Sev’s.

Sev hadn’t even realised he’d been stumbling along or that he’d needed assistance. He

was so out of sorts, so on the verge of full-scale panic that he could barely concentrate to

speak.

“Come on, get in.” Brendan opened the truck door and gave Sev’s butt a nudge. Sev

climbed into the truck. His chest felt tight, his heart beating so fast he was dizzy. Sev reached

up and felt for his necklace. The silver chain was warm from his skin, and it immediately

started to soothe him as it so often did.

Rolling the necklace between his fingers, Sev closed his eyes and concentrated on

calming down. He was vaguely aware of Brendan’s arm pressing against his chest as his

friend grabbed his seat belt.

Zeke and Brendan were blessedly quiet on the drive, giving Sev the time he needed to

pull himself together. When he finally felt like he wouldn’t lose it, he opened his eyes and

discovered they were almost back to his friends’ ranch.

“Zeke and I didn’t think you should be alone.”

When Sev glowered at Brendan the man only arched a sandy brown eyebrow. “You’ve

been kind of out of it for a while, and frankly, you scared the hell out of us at the hospital.”

Sev sighed and gave up on being irritated. “Yeah well, I scared the hell out of myself,

too. I don’t…” He looked out the passenger window, unable to deal with the sympathy in

Brendan’s eyes. “I don’t know what to do. This ability to commune with spirits has been with

me most of my life. Even if the problem isn’t me, which I don’t think it is since everyone

seems to be missing their spirits, regardless, it feels like the biggest part of me is gone.”

He didn’t know what he’d do if it turned out he was wrong and he really couldn’t

interact with the dead like he had all these years. If someone or something had eradicated—

Sev’s mind skittered away from that train of thought. No matter how downtrodden he might

feel right now, he wouldn’t give up hope that Conner and the other spirits would return. He

couldn’t.

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Chapter Four

Laine did his best not to let Sev know how worried he was but his lover was one of the

most observant people Laine had ever met, and he knew Laine better than anyone else ever

had. Sometimes he suspected Sev knew him better than he knew himself.

“I could call Alma, tell her something’s come up,” Sev offered after recounting the

details of his day. “It wouldn’t be a lie, and I’m not sure I’m up to having them visit right

now.”

As badly as Laine wanted to jump on that offer, he didn’t. Laine hated to admit it, but

maybe having some family down would help Sev in ways Laine couldn’t. Distract him, at the

very least. Sev wore a pinched expression that sat unnaturally on his normally cheerful face.

Nothing Laine had said yet had wiped that look away.

“No, it wouldn’t be right to cancel on her at the last minute.” He bit back a sigh at the

lost opportunity to avoid what he fully expected to be an uncomfortable week spent around

Sev’s family. “And anyway, it won’t make a difference if they don’t come. Something has

happened to the spirits in McKinton.” He gave Sev a determined look, knowing he would do

whatever it took not to let the man down. “We’ll figure out what happened and how to right

it. We’ll get them all back.”

Sev relaxed a little and rested his head on Laine’s shoulder. It felt good, so Laine

decided it’d only get better if he stretched out on the couch under Sev’s sexy body. He

resituated them both then groaned as he closed his eyes. “Chris’s mom is a trip. She damn

near talked my ear off when I went out there to talk to her about that ceremony they’ll be

doing in a couple of nights. You are coming with me, right?”

“Like I’d miss a bunch of skyclad people dancing around under the moonlight.” Sev

snorted. “Not gonna happen. Of course I’m going.”

“Skyclad?” Laine twitched, afraid he knew what that meant. Sev confirmed it.

“Yeah, you know, naked? Dressed in the sky or something like that. I’m not sure of the

technical definition, but it does mean bare-ass naked.”

Laine’s eyes popped open. He glared into Sev’s pale eyes. “Oh no. No, no, no. There’s

not going to be any of that naked dancing stuff. I made that perfectly clear to Miriam and

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that High Priest fellow, Vincent. They agreed to keep their clothes on and light any fires in

proper fire-safe containers. When they’re done the place will look like they were never there.

Chris promised he’d see to it.”

“Aw, you just took all the fun out of it, but I still want to go.” Sev propped himself up

on Laine’s chest. For the first time in a good hour, Laine saw a hint of Sev’s usual optimism.

“Hey, maybe we can ask Miriam about the spirits. Chris and Rich probably aren’t aware of

what’s going on since they don’t have any hanging around them. Did you mention anything

about this to them?”

Laine knew he was giving his lover an ‘Are you serious?’ look. He wasn’t exactly the

most talkative man on the planet.

“Right,” Sev said, laughing softly as he shook his head.

That little bit of laughter was enough to warm Laine through to his marrow. He cupped

Sev’s angular chin and looked into his pretty pale eyes. Laine’s cock started to fill, pressing

uncomfortably against the inseam of his pants. “You know, we might be pretty busy while

your sister’s here.”

This time Sev’s laughter was louder as he dipped his head and kissed Laine’s palm. He

licked up to the pad of Laine’s thumb then sucked the digit in his mouth. Laine’s eyes nearly

crossed when Sev sucked, his tongue swirling and flicking just like Sev did when he sucked

Laine’s dick.

Sev pulled off with a lewd slurp the leered at him. “Like you need to bother thinking up

an excuse to get me naked.” He bit the tip of Laine’s thumb then waggled his dark eyebrows.

“And there will still be lots of sex while my sister’s in town. She isn’t going to be spending

every minute with me.”

“What else is she going to be doing? It’s not like there’s a lot to see here.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Sev gnawed on his bottom lip for a moment then shrugged. “The

Senior and Youth Centre will be open in another two days. She can take the kids there. And

they’ll probably want to spend a day in Dallas or Fort Worth, or maybe both.”

“I would think so. They’re going to be bored out of their minds if they spend a whole

week here.” An idea occurred to him. “Hey, if they do go to Dallas, you could go with them

and have your visit with Carlin’s dad.” Sev had been visiting Mr Douglas in the Alzheimer’s

care facility weekly for a while now. At first Sev had been trying to help the man with an

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ability much like his, but Mr Douglas’s health had deteriorated quickly. Sev said he hadn’t

had even a hint of lucidity from the man in months.

Neither had Carlin. Laine couldn’t imagine Carlin’s pain. Watching his father die a little

more each visit had to be tearing the guy apart. Laine’s parents had died when he was in the

Houston Police Academy. His father had suffered a heart attack while trying to land his

beloved twin engine plane. He and Laine’s mother had died instantly upon impact. It had

been a horrible shock, but he thought it would have been even worse to watch his parents

suffer the way Mr Douglas was.

“It’d save me from having to take the bus since if Carlin isn’t going to be visiting him

that day, so maybe.” Sev narrowed his eyes. “You were quiet there for a bit. Where’d you

go?”

Laine considered distracting Sev in a manner that would make them both happily

boneless, but that would just delay this conversation. Sev wouldn’t let it drop, and it wasn’t

that Laine minded talking to him, he just really wanted to make the most of tonight since he

had a feeling Sev’s visitors would be more of an imposition than Sev thought. Laine kept

envisioning Alma—in his mind’s eyes she was a sterner and feminine version of Sev—and

her husband and kids all camping out at the house. It made him want to shudder.

When Sev poked him in the ribs Laine yelped and scowled at the man. Sev merely

raised his brows and started tapping his fingers on Laine’s collarbone. Any chance he’d had

of getting laid first was well and gone.

“I was just thinking about my folks and Mr Douglas. How even though I lost both of

my parents at the same time and in such an unexpected manner, it had to be easier on them,

and me, than watching them slowly die a little each day.”

Sev’s fingers stilled, his gaze going distant as if he peered inside himself. “Yeah, it is

hard. Mr Douglas isn’t even my dad and it hurts, watching Alzheimer’s eat away at him. I

can’t imagine how Carlin must feel. I suppose quick would be better.” Sev sighed and looked

at Laine. “What really sucks is that you and Carlin had parents who loved y’all, and they

died way too soon, or, in Mr Douglas’s case… Well, you know what I mean. My parents

aren’t nearly so nice, aren’t anywhere near nice, and they’ll probably outlive all of us just to

gloat about it. Not that I wish them dead or anything. Just funny how Fate seems to cut the

strings on the good ones sooner than the others.”

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“Not always,” Laine argued. “You and me are a couple of the good ones and we aren’t

going anywhere for a long time. Even when we do, I’m sure we’ll be together even then.”

Laine believed it with every fibre of his being. They might be separated briefly by death if

one died before the other, but they both knew there were spirits, that it was possible to

remain behind on some level after the body died. The how if it wasn’t clear, but Laine didn’t

doubt for one second he and Sev would figure it out, not as strongly as they loved each other.

Sev’s frown sent a shard of spiky pain straight through Laine’s heart. “What’s wrong,

sweetheart?” Laine asked, cradling Sev to his chest. He buried his hands in the silky black

hair, drawing comfort from the warmth of it against his skin as well as the feel of Sev’s body

on his.

“What if all the spirits are gone, Laine? What does that mean for us? I don’t ever want

to lose you, not in death or any other way. I don’t know where the others go when they die,

the ones that don’t linger. They could just cease existing, or maybe they’re reincarnated—”

Laine refused to even consider any of those scenarios. He tugged gently on Sev’s hair

until those pretty eyes met his. “Hey. Nothing—nothing—is going to keep us from being

together, okay? We aren’t going to just disappear. Whatever happens, we’ll find each other,

even if we end up back here as…” Laine searched his mind for something ridiculous,

anything to replace Sev’s frown with the smile he loved so much. “Even if we come back as a

couple of ants, or…or platypuses, we’ll be together. I promise.” Somehow, he’d make sure of

it. Sev was imprinted into his very DNA. If there was such a thing as reincarnation, Laine

would spend his next life looking for Sev, and he’d damn well find him.

Sev’s lips curled up and the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Gay ants? Gay platypuses?

Really?”

Laine strove for his most serious tone. “Who said anything about being gay? Maybe

you’ll be the little woman and I’ll be the big strong man—hey!” He yelped as a tiny bit of

pain spread from his chest outward. “You pinched me,” Laine grumbled, hoping Sev didn’t

notice the effect that bite of pain had on him.

Sev’s wicked smile dashed Laine’s hope. “And you liked it,” Sev purred, reaching

between them to palm Laine’s cock. “A lot, judging by how fast you got it up.”

Sev sounded so smug Laine was tempted to paddle him, or… Sev’s teasing expression

changed, turned to something darker, demanding. “So you think I’d be the ‘little woman,’

hm?” He pinched Laine’s cockhead hard through the layers of clothes.

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A streak of fire burned down from the tip of Laine’s dick to his asshole. He clenched his

butt cheeks as that whole area tingled with anticipation. His heart hammered in his chest as

trepidation bloomed like a morning glory. Maybe teasing Sev like that had been a little…too

much.

Sev gave him a heated look then nodded. “That’s right, baby. You’re in for it now. You

just threw down the gauntlet, so to speak, and challenged my manhood.” He wiggled his

hips, rubbing his erection against Laine’s hip. “So now I’m going to have to prove just how

much of a man I am. You know, all that machismo bullshit.” Sev smiled wickedly as Laine

shuddered. “Oh yeah. Next time you want me to fuck you, just ask. You don’t have to goad

me into it.”

Was that what he’d done? Laine thought about it while Sev continued grinding against

him. Yeah, it was. Sev had topped exactly twice, and he’d been so nervous when he’d done it

Laine hadn’t pushed for more.

Plus, he was a little worried about how much he liked feeling Sev pounding into his ass.

Laine tended to think, at least when Sev was fucking him, that he might just prefer to bottom

the majority of the time. Then he’d come out of that well-fucked bliss and panic at the

thought of never being in Sev’s sweet ass again. He knew it didn’t have to be one way or the

other, but still, it kind of kept Laine from initiating a change in their love-making.

Except he obviously had tonight. Laine locked stares with Sev and pulled up his most

commanding tone. “So prove how much of a man you are already.”

Sev’s nostrils flared, a small thing that Laine found incredibly sexy. “Don’t expect me to

go easy on you, Laine. I’m kind of on edge here.”

Even though he couldn’t quite snuff out a trickle of fear, Laine nodded. “I don’t want

easy. Just don’t do any permanent damage down there.”

Sev rolled off him and onto his feet in one graceful movement. He stared down at Laine

with a fierce look in his eyes, exuding a confidence that nearly made Laine cream his pants.

“I wouldn’t hurt you, ever. But you will feel me for days.” He held out his hand. “But we

need to be in the bedroom. Can’t fuck you into the mattress otherwise.”

Need coiled in Laine’s groin and spread up to his stomach. He took Sev’s hand and let

his lover help him up. The walk to the bedroom took twice as long as it should have with

both of them groping each other and pulling off clothes. By the time Laine tumbled down

onto the bed he was utterly naked in more ways than one.

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The previous two times Sev had taken him Laine had been on his back, but tonight he

wanted, needed, more. He rolled to his stomach and rose up on his knees. “Come on,” he

ordered, dropping his shoulders and spreading his legs. His cock brushed over the blanket. It

felt so good but wasn’t nearly enough friction so Laine arched his back and rubbed his dick

against the nubby material.

“You want this bad, don’t you?”

Laine turned his head and grinned at the sight of Sev holding his cock at the base,

waving the wet-tipped length back and forth. There were no signs of nervousness in the man,

just that same confidence Laine had noted in the living room.

That didn’t, however, mean Laine was giving up control. Bottoming didn’t mean being

passive, not in his book. He reached back and pulled one cheek aside, knowing he was

exposing more than just a hole. “Almost as bad as you want this.”

Sev groaned and let go of his dick. Laine watched him as he grabbed the lube. He

hadn’t realised until this moment how bad Sev needed this. The vanishing spirits had shaken

Sev up, shaken them both up. This promised to be a very pleasurable diversion that would

help them let go of that particular worry for a while.

Laine brushed his fingers over his pucker then pressed lightly against the tight ring.

“Stop that,” Sev snapped, shooting him grin. “That’s mine, and I have the lube.” Sev

held up the bottle in one hand while pushing Laine’s eager fingers away with the other.

Laine settled his forearm back under his head while Sev crawled onto the bed. He

closed his eyes, expecting to hear the snap of the lube cap and was startled when Sev

grabbed his ass and pried his cheeks apart. Laine’s breath stuttered from his lungs in a series

of whimpers as Sev lapped at his hole.

“Love this, love you,” Sev mumbled from behind him. Laine opened his mouth to

respond and ended up groaning when Sev licked down to his balls and sucked them into his

hot mouth.

“Shit! Suck them harder!” Laine half shouted the demand, his diaphragm clenching as

pleasure enveloped him. Each sucking tug on his balls pulled at Laine’s insides, tightening

everything from his toes to his skull. He moaned and dug his fingers into the blanket, trying

to keep himself from floating away.

Sev’s tongue swirled over his nuts then pressed firmly between them. It took all of

Laine’s strength not to buck, not to howl, as his blood roared in his ears.

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Sev gave his balls another mind-boggling suck then he nipped his way back to Laine’s

hole. Laine writhed shamelessly, curses wrung from his lips as Sev ate his ass. When Sev

scraped his teeth over that delicate tissue, Laine started begging mindlessly. Sev continued

tormenting him, ignoring Laine’s pleas.

“God damn it,” Laine found the strength to rasp, “get something bigger in there

already!”

Sev chuckled darkly, the sound low and rough. It sent shivers down Laine’s spine and

made his ass clench with anticipation. “I’m getting there. Just had to make up for you saying

you wanted me in your ass almost as bad as I want my dick inside you.”

“Fucking smart ass,” Laine muttered, much to Sev’s amusement since it sent the man

into a fit of laughter. Laine was ready to snarl by the time Sev slipped one finger inside his

hole. He shoved back into the penetration, demanding more. Sev’s tongue had stretched him

some already—Laine didn’t need to be babied along in this right now. “Sev…” he growled,

only to hiss as a second digit joined the first.

“What?” Sev crooned, twisting those fingers inside him. A lightning zing of pleasure

shot out from Laine’s gland. Laine panted and canted his hips, spreading his ass hungrily.

“Oh yeah, feels good, doesn’t it? Always drives me out of my mind when you touch me right

there.” Sev added slight pressure to Laine’s prostate, enough to make him gasp. “Feels even

better when you’re fucking me, though. Then I’m full and getting to experience this.”

“Sev, sweetheart, fuck me now or I’ll throw you on your back and do it myself!” Laine

was borderline frantic to feel Sev pounding into him, and if he was interested in playing

around back there some more, he’d just have to get with the new plan.

“You don’t know what it does to me to hear you so needy,” Sev said over the gurgle of

more lube being poured out. “Makes me feel like a god, like the luckiest man who ever lived,

knowing it’s me you need.”

Apparently Sev had got past his nerves, and Laine couldn’t be happier. Well, he could,

if Sev would just hurry the fuck up. Before Laine could snap out another demand, Sev settled

between his legs and pushed down on the small of Laine’s back.

“A little lower, okay?”

Laine slid his knees further apart. He was a good foot taller than his lover, something

that led them to some creative contortionism at times. His inner thigh muscles burned with

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strain when Sev patted his hip. “That’s good, perfect. God.” Laine heard Sev’s breath rattle

free. “I want you so fuckin’ bad I’m afraid I’ll just shove right in!”

As good as that sounded, Laine figured it would probably hurt more than he’d be able

to handle with any sort of dignity. He bit his lip to keep from saying so, though. He trusted

Sev to take care of him.

Sev ran his thumbs down Laine’s crack then parted his cheeks. “You open so

beautifully for me, Laine. Why don’t we do this more often?”

Laine guessed Sev didn’t expect an answer since the next thing he knew there was a

broad blunt wet cock prodding at his back door. Laine kept his breathing steady, his body

relaxed as Sev began penetrating him.

Despite the stretching, it burned slightly as his hole gave, opening for Sev’s dick. Laine

couldn’t stop it when something like a sob slipped past his lips—it just felt so damned good!

He’d been a flaming fool to deny him and Sev this on a more regular basis.

Sev stopped with just his cockhead lodged inside. His hands opened and closed on

Laine’s hips, gripping and releasing, a sure sign he was struggling to keep in control of his

body’s demands. “Laine, I don’t know…”

Laine didn’t like hearing Sev worrying now, not when he’d been so confident seconds

ago. And he wanted more, wanted to feel Sev’s dick lodged so deep inside him he could taste

it. That was worth what would be, hopefully, a little pain.

Teeth gritted, Laine shoved his whole body back. Sev’s garbled shout was drowned out

by Laine’s louder one. Pleasure-pain flashed hot through his rectum as Sev’s cock sank in to

the hilt. Laine gasped, his throat raw and aching, competing with his ass for which hurt

worse. As the ache ebbed, giving way to the exquisite sensation of fullness in his channel,

Laine moaned and pressed back harder.

“Fuuuck!” Sev dropped over him, gripping Laine’s shoulder in one hand and planting

the other above one of Laine’s arm. “Christ, it’s like having my dick wrapped in the

smoothest, tightest satiny heat!”

Laine thought all those adjectives were just fucking great, but… “Move!”

Sev huffed a breathy laugh and bit the back of his neck. “Whatever you want, baby.” He

pushed back up but kept his hand on Laine’s shoulder. His other went to Laine’s hip, then

Sev began fucking him hard and deep just like Laine needed him to do.

“Yes,” Sev hissed as his balls slapped against Laine’s. “You feel so fucking good!”

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Sev’s words only added fuel to the flames of arousal burning through Laine’s core. He

pushed back into each forceful thrust, revelling in the sensation of Sev’s thick cock filling

him. Laine rocked forward then slammed back, chasing the climax tingling in his balls.

“Mmm, God, Laine,” Sev moaned. He moved, did something Laine couldn’t see, not

with his eyes squinched shut. The next inward stroke brought the tip of Sev’s cock over

Laine’s gland. Laine’s moan was torn from him, searing a path from his gut to his lips as

nerve endings shot to life in his ass. The tingling in his balls spread to his dick, and up over

his hole and ass, settling at the base of his spine.

Sev kept his cock angled just so, each thrust milking Laine’s gland, setting his mind

spinning as the tingling sensation crawled up his spine. The repeated brushing of his prostate

made the fucking one long, sweet climax. Near-constant ecstasy was riding him, a low sweet

hum that was escalating to a full-scale chorus.

Laine jerked one arm from under his head and reached for his dick. He didn’t start off

gentle, not when his skin kept pricking with the promise of release. As Sev fucked him with

all the force of a wild thing in rut, Laine jerked his cock, matching the rough thrusts that

ploughed his ass.

Sev’s hips snapped faster, harder. His moans and curses mixed with Laine’s in the air.

Laine inhaled and let the scents of sex and sweat fill him. Sev’s rhythm stuttered, became

more of a frantic attempt to bury his dick all the way to Laine’s chest. Laine flicked his thumb

over his glans then slammed his hips back hard as he delved the tip of his nail into his slit.

A white-hot ball of ecstasy burst inside him as his balls drew tight. Sev’s shout was cut

short as he rammed in one last time. The first jet of cum spewing into his ass sent Laine into

orbit. He couldn’t do more than keen as spunk poured from his dick. Each pulsing release

from Sev’s shaft was followed by an answering one from Laine’s. Sev whimpered when one

last weak spurt trickled into Laine. He ground against Laine’s butt, the sharp blades of his

hips likely bruising Laine’s flesh.

Laine didn’t give a damn. He wanted Sev’s marks, inside and out. A warm tickly trail of

cum leaked from his hole as Sev carefully pulled his softening cock free. Laine shifted,

intending to swipe at the stuff but remembered his hand was covered in it as well. He wiped

it on the blanket then started to reach for his inner thigh before he started squirming—it felt

like a spider or some other creepy crawly making a path through his leg hair.

“Nuh uh,” Sev scolded in a rough voice. “I’ll get it.”

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Laine pulled his hand back, then Sev threw his already sex-fried brain into a state of

total confusion.

“Mmm,” Sev hummed against his skin. He lapped up the trickling cum, then licked the

trail it had left.

Laine didn’t know whether to be horrified or horny when Sev’s tongue slicked over his

asshole. “Sev?” If his voice quivered, well, who could blame him? He didn’t know what to

make of this at all.

“It’s all right,” Sev said before driving a startled grunt from Laine by shoving his

tongue inside Laine’s opening. All Laine could think was, oh my god, that’s…so nasty it’s

fucking making me hard again! And he decided he must have liked it more than not, what with

the way he was pushing his butt up in a silent plea for more.

A lewd, and likely exaggerated, slurp from behind him had Laine opening his eyes and

trying to crane his head around to see what Sev was doing. He finally gave up and flopped

onto his side, his chest heaving as he looked at a very self-satisfied Sev.

Sev swiped a hand over his mouth but the smirk he’d been wearing stayed in place.

“Always wanted to try that, but considering I don’t top, or didn’t until recently…” He

shrugged, his cheeks darkening.

Laine furrowed his brow as a question prodded at him. “Is that…do you want me to do

that? Because I don’t know if I can.” It kind of made him feel queasy even if his dick did

seem to like the idea.

“No, I don’t ever want you to do something that you don’t want.” But Sev averted his

gaze. “It didn’t, um, I didn’t gross you out or anything, did I?”

As tempting as it was to lie, Laine wouldn’t, not to Sev. “Once my mind slammed back

down to Earth, kind of, but…” Laine swallowed his embarrassment and pushed aside his

prudish side which, luckily, didn’t come out very often. “I liked it. Just didn’t expect it, you

know?”

Sev looked at him, studied Laine for a second or two, then beamed at Laine. “So, you

wanna kiss me?” He puckered his lips and made smacking noises.

Laine wrinkled his nose. “Sure—right after you brush your teeth and gargle.”

Sev’s laughter chased off the last of the worry in his pale eyes. It also made Laine’s chest

swell with the strength of his love for Sev.

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Chapter Five

The weather had done another one-eighty by morning. The grass and truck windows

were edged in glistening white frost, adding a layer of beauty to McKinton Sev had seldom

seen. Not that he thought the town was horrifically ugly or anything. It was just a quaint

little town, full of more good people than bad. But the summers were brutally hot, and they

seared their miserably hellacious temperatures and droughts into Sev’s brain so that he was

always startled to find winter approaching.

Sev watched people walking past the big window of Virginia’s Café. He swallowed his

last sip of coffee and waved away the waitress when she would have approached with an

offer to refill his cup. A glance at his phone showed it to be almost noon. Probably time for

him to head back to the Sheriff’s Department since that’s where he’d told Alma to meet them.

He’d wanted his sister to meet Laine right off the bat, so he could judge her reaction to their

relationship. Sure she knew about it, said she was okay with Sev being gay, but he couldn’t

forget that not once when he called her had she ever asked to speak to his lover.

Laine hadn’t exactly asked to talk to her, either, but that was different. Sev was the one

putting forth the effort at building a relationship with his family. It was him who called, so in

his opinion the least Alma and the rest of his siblings could do was ask to be introduced to

Laine, even if it was over the phone.

But they hadn’t. When he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure any of them had ever

asked after Laine’s wellbeing. Sev usually just started talking about Laine and their life

together early on in the call, unwilling, he admitted, to give them a chance to enquire about

his lover because he was afraid they wouldn’t.

That’s just a little messed up. He needed to stop that. It would hurt if what remained of

his family didn’t truly accept him, and Laine, but it would be best to know. Self-deception

was a dangerous thing, and Sev didn’t have any intention of letting it continue. With that

decision made, he scooted out of the booth and dug a couple of bucks out of his pocket. After

leaving them on the table he headed to the register to pay his bill and pick up the cups of

coffee for Laine and Matt.

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Hopefully Matt would be back when Sev returned. He had yet to have the opportunity

to talk to his friend about Mrs Hawkins’ spirit. Matt had taken the day off to pick Carlin up

from the airport—which was why Laine couldn’t take the day off—but he’d promised Laine

he’d stop by on the way home. Sev didn’t imagine Matt or Carlin would be eager to talk for

long, what with Carlin having been gone for over two weeks for some trial up in New York.

Carlin was a civil rights attorney, and a good one, judging by the number of cases he had

even though he lived in McKinton.

“Got your coffee all ready to go,” Virginia said as she met him at the register. Sev

grinned at the woman, he couldn’t help it. If nothing else her bright green metallic eye

shadow made him happy, though he couldn’t begin to fathom why.

“Thanks,” Sev said as he pulled out his wallet. “I bet your making the mortgage on this

place in coffee sales to the Sheriff’s Department since Doreen’s been on vacation.”

Virginia snickered as she set the drink tray on the counter. “Don’t have a mortgage on

the place, but yeah, I’ve been running through several more pots of coffee a day. I don’t

know what Doreen was thinking, having Loretta fill in for her.”

Sev snorted as he looked at Virginia through his lashes. “You don’t?”

“You do?” Virginia’s drawn on eyebrows rocketed up near her hairline.

“Sure.” At least, he was pretty certain he did, what with Doreen being somewhat

devious even if she did love them. “Just think how glad everyone’s going to be when she gets

back. I bet Laine even tries to get her a raise.”

Virginia cackled as she plucked Sev’s ticket off an upside down nail sticking up from a

small piece of two-by-four. “I bet you’re right. Doreen’s a smart woman, she just made sure

she’s going to be treated like a queen for a long time.”

“As if she’d tolerate being treated any differently,” Sev sniffed, then laughed and

ruined his attempt at sounding haughty. “Doreen is all that and a box of chocolates, too,

though. Everyone at the Sheriff’s Department would be lost without her, kinda like they are

now.” It didn’t hurt to exaggerate a little, not when he knew Virginia would be passing along

every bit of this to Doreen just as soon as Doreen got back from vacation.

Besides, while the deputies and Laine weren’t exactly lost, they sure as hell weren’t

happy with Loretta being there. Sev didn’t blame him. The woman looked at him like he was

something she scraped out from under her long fake nails.

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Sev finished settling his bill then picked up the cardboard drink holder and told

Virginia goodbye. The tinkling of the bells that hung on the doorknob was drowned out by a

gust of icy wind. Sev scrambled to keep from dropping the coffee as his fingers began to go

numb from the cold wind. He’d just managed to get the thing braced against his chest and

walked a whole two steps when a car horn blared behind him.

“Shit! Shit!” Sev shouted as his heart tried its damndest to leap up his throat. Even

though he was on the sidewalk, this was just about the same place where Laine had told him

Zeke had been run over. It was a good thing he had a strong bladder. “Shit!”

As much as he wanted to shake his burning hand, he’d kept from dropping the coffee

and he didn’t want to drop it now after having scorched some skin trying to save the drinks.

Instead he carefully turned halfway around, a reprimand on his tongue. It died when he saw

his sister’s smiling face through the passenger window of a silver minivan.

The window lowered and Sev stared into a pair of eyes as light as his own. Alma’s

smile flipped to a frown as she looked at him. The wind gusted over him, cold seeping in

intensely here and there. Sev glanced down and saw he’d splashed coffee on his jeans.

“Oh!”

He looked back up at Alma’s exclamation. “Hey, sis.” Sev nodded at Roger in the

driver’s seat. “Roger.” His nephews and niece weren’t in the van. “Where’s the kids?” Sev

had been looking forward to seeing them at least as much as he had his sister. Probably even

more. He loved kids.

Alma opened the van door and stepped out. She planted one hand on a hip and pointed

a finger from her other hand at him. “Severo, you think we want to scare the poor man to

death? You told me he’s a quiet man, that he didn’t have anyone for years. And, Roger

pointed out, Mr Stenley probably doesn’t think much of us. We haven’t been the best family,

I’ll take the blame for most of it, but that’s all changing now.” Alma took the cardboard

holder from him. “Now, get in the van and get out of this cold weather, and tell me and

Roger what we can do to not screw up meeting your man.”

This wasn’t anything like the greeting he’d been expecting, and for the first time since

telling Alma it would be fine to visit, Sev thought this whole thing might turn out okay.

There was still the matter of the spirits, though. They had to find out where their friendly

spirits had gone and bring them back.

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Right now, however, he needed to get in the van. Sev got in, trying to avoid a scattering

of pillows and toys. He eyeballed the nearest seat, trying to figure out what kind of stain that

was. It looked…wet. And gross.

“Ah, you might not want to sit there.”

Sev craned his neck and saw Roger watching him in the rear view mirror. “Do I want to

know?”

Roger’s eyes crinkled as he said, “No, probably not. I did try to scrub it out real quick

but…”

“But it wouldn’t be there in the first place if Adela had taken that Dramamine like she

told us she did.” Alma huffed and got in the van. “That girl. She doesn’t want to do it, she

just won’t, and damn the consequences. We are going to have so much trouble with her in a

few more years.”

It sounded that way to Sev, though he hoped Alma and Roger were exaggerating.

Otherwise, Adela was in for a rough life until she learned she couldn’t just do what she

wanted. If she learned that. Some people never did.

Sev sat in the seat behind Roger. He buckled up and leaned over to poke his brother-in-

law’s shoulder. The guy had always seemed the good natured sort to Sev. “Really, a

minivan? Did the person who sold you this take your balls as a down payment?”

“Severo!” Alma scolded then snickered with Roger. “I’ll have you know Roger is still

intact!”

“Barely,” Roger retorted as he drove towards the Sheriff’s Department. “I did have to

give up my man card for it.”

“Man card.” Alma huffed and shook her head. “It’s just a vehicle, for heaven’s sake!”

Sev grinned as Roger and Alma bickered playfully back and forth. Roger seemed like a

perfect match for Alma, both in personality and in looks. Alma was about an inch shorter

than Sev, a little stocky though he’d never say so. He wasn’t stupid. She looked like an older,

feminine version of him, really.

Roger was an attractive man, his black hair streaked with white and large down-turned

brown eyes that made you want to pet his head and tell him everything would be okay.

From what Sev knew of him, he had an easy going personality. He’d be one of the guys

everyone liked. Sev wondered if his parents liked Roger.

“Anywhere in particular I should park?”

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“As long as you don’t take one of the numbered slots, you’re good,” Sev told Roger.

“And if y’all are done picking at each other, the only advice I have for y’all in regards to

meeting Laine is just be yourselves, be honest. The man can spot deception from a mile

away.” Sev thought of one more thing as he was getting out of the van. “And don’t call him

Mr Stenley. It drives me nuts. Don’t know why, but it does. So Laine’ll do, since we’re all

family.” He looked at Alma and Roger when he said that last bit, wanting to gauge their

reactions.

Roger nodded but Alma frowned at him when she handed over the drink holder. “But

he might prefer us to call him Mr Stenley. Maybe he’d rather keep some distance between

us.”

Sev thought Laine might. Not the whole Mr Stenley crap, but keep some distance?

Probably. This would be kind of a shock to Laine’s system, if it all worked out. Laine was an

only child, so to suddenly find himself with a herd of in-laws who treated him like a

brother—Sev hoped his family would do that—as well as with several nieces and nephews

might just scare the beejeezus out of the man.

But Sev still wasn’t having any of the Mr stuff. “Call him Sheriff, then. Lots of people

do, but he’s generally reserved and using his name will draw him out whether he realises it

or not. You know, establish a bond to build on and all that.” Sev didn’t know that for sure. It

wasn’t like he’d ever gone to college and got a psych degree, but it sounded good. “I doubt

he’s going to be calling y’all Mr and Mrs Martinez.”

Turning around, he hissed as a gust of stinging wind kicked up. Sev paused for a

moment, feeling a bit hinky, as if something was off. When he couldn’t figure out what, he

put it down to his imagination then shrugged and led the way towards the Sheriff’s

Department.

* * * *

Laine sat at Doreen’s desk, grateful as hell Loretta had decided to leave for lunch today

instead of eating in the break room. Lord knew he needed a break from her. The woman had

been plumb surly all morning and Laine was about fed up with it. He didn’t know what bug

had crawled up her butt and died, but she could either extricate it along with her snarky

attitude or she could just stay gone. Surely he could get someone else to work the desk, even

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if all they did was answer the phone and greet people. Maybe Rich, if Laine begged him

enough.

Or perhaps he wouldn’t have to beg, what with Miriam and her coven being down for a

visit. Rich might appreciate a valid excuse to escape for eight hours.

Laine drummed his fingers on the desk. It was too quiet, had been, in the way he was

thinking, for days. Who knew he’d miss Conner’s pranks so much? Laine snorted. What he

wouldn’t give now to have his hat knocked off by that ghostly hand, or for the papers on

Loretta’s desk to fly up in the air in a whirlwind of Conner’s making.

Where is he? Where are all of them? Laine’s thoughts centred in a moment of clarity. Five

days ago, all this weird stuff had begun. The spirits of McKinton had disappeared without a

warning. The only other unusual thing he could think of that had happened besides that five

days ago was Miriam and some of her coven had arrived. He heard Rich’s voice in his head,

telling Laine about a blessing ceremony Miriam had done.

The fine hairs on his arms prickled with an electrical current of unease. She’d know

how to get rid of spirits, wouldn’t she? And considering her son’s partner had been the

victim of two malevolent spirits, maybe she’d think getting rid of all the spirits here would be

a good thing.

It made sense. It also scared the crap out of him, because if she had sent them away,

Laine wasn’t sure they could be brought back. The dull ache in Laine’s chest grew to a

breath-stealing intensity. Sending spirits along to wherever was all well and good if they

wanted to go, but Conner wouldn’t have.

After what Conner had suffered during the last hours of his life—restrained and

tortured to death—the idea of him being forced to leave the Earthly plane was too much.

Laine drew in a shaky breath and rubbed at his stinging eyes. He didn’t have any proof, but

he felt the truth of the situation all the way to his bones.

Someone had sent the spirits away, and if it wasn’t Miriam, maybe she could tell him

who would have the power to do such a thing. Or maybe Chris could, what with him

reading auras and such. Laine wasn’t sure how that worked, but he knew Chris could do it.

One last swipe at his eyes and another long breath and Laine had himself back under

control. He’d find a way to fix this. First thing to do was to talk to Miriam, something he

wanted to do in person, but he needed to make sure she was at Chris and Rich’s. She and the

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people who came with her were all staying there, although all of the other coven members

were in tents whereas Charlene was staying in the house. Looked like a damn campsite.

Laine reached for the phone just as the door swung open. Sev smiled at him and Laine

spotted the two people behind him. Laine stood and rounded the desk as Sev, another man,

and a woman who could only be Sev’s sister entered the building.

“They got in a few minutes early,” Sev said. “Scared me half to death when I was

outside of the café trying to keep the wind from dumping your coffee.”

Laine nodded then held out his hand. Roger and Alma could decide who shook it first.

“Laine Stenley.” He thought about adding, ‘Sev’s partner,’ but they knew that, and besides,

he wanted to see how they reacted to him.

Roger smiled easily and shook Laine’s hand with a decently strong grip. “Roger

Martinez, and this lovely lady is my wife, Alma.”

Laine looked at Alma as he shook her hand. She appeared to be a little nervous, but he

didn’t see even a hint of disgust in her pale eyes. Laine was glad—she looked so much like

Sev he wasn’t sure he could hold a grudge against her. Then he realised he’d been doing

exactly that towards all of Sev’s family for years now.

Well, he’d let it go in this case, unless Alma turned out to be something other than what

she seemed—a caring, nervous sister who maybe knew she’d made mistakes where her

younger brother was concerned.

Laine looked past the trio in front of him. He spotted a silver minivan in the parking lot.

“Y’all lose the kids?”

“They didn’t want to scare you off,” Sev said, winking at him. “It seems all the times I

told them what a calm, quiet man you were, Alma here took that to mean you had a delicate

disposition—”

“Severo!” Alma’s face flamed as she popped her brother on the arm. “I did not! Adela

smelt like puke and needed to shower, and…” Alma looked at him unflinchingly. “I thought,

well, Roger and I thought you might be angry with us. We know we haven’t been the family

we should, but please believe me, we would like to change that, if you’ll give us a chance.”

“Even if I had been angry, I wouldn’t have said anything rude in front of your kids,”

Laine pointed out, only a little irked that Alma and Roger would think different. It wasn’t as

if they knew him, after all. “And, yeah, I think Sev deserves better than what he’s got from

his family, but—” He held up a hand when Sev started to speak. “I know the family

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dynamics are kind of…” He couldn’t think of a polite way to dig himself out of the corner

he’d stupidly shoved himself into.

Roger’s eyes lit with amusement. “Screwed up? Yeah, you could say that. But we’re not

really involved in those parts of the dynamics, as you called them, any more. Maybe

eventually Sev and Alma’s other siblings will get tired of catering to their parents’ demands.

One can only hope, because it’s a shitty way to live.”

Sev asked the question Laine was wondering. “What happened? And what are you

saying, that our parents wouldn’t let y’all have anything to do with us?”

Roger looked at Alma, as did Sev and Laine. Her face tinted again. “Well, something

like that. They didn’t know you kept in touch with us or the rest of our brothers and sister.

Then Rogelio said something a few months ago—you remember, you talked to him on the

phone for a long time? He thinks you hung the moon, Sev. Anyway, we were at Mama and

Papa’s for dinner, and Rogelio made a comment about watching some show about ghosts.

That set Mama and Papa off.” Alma darted an apologetic look at Sev. “Rogelio got mad and

started defending you. They kind of went nuts.”

Roger shook his head. “There wasn’t no ‘kind of’ to it. Your mother can screech like a

damned banshee. But what it came down to was a big family meeting where everyone was

told in no uncertain terms were they to have any contact with you. To do so would mean

being cut from the will, and anyone receiving any financial help before then would be on

their own.”

Laine kept his expression bland even though he felt like driving to San Antonio and

kicking Sev’s parents’ asses. And the rest of Sev’s siblings, too, if they were stupid enough to

allow themselves to be manipulated.

“I’m sorry,” Sev whispered brokenly.

Laine forgot about his anger and took the drink holder from his partner. He handed it

off to either Alma or roger, Laine didn’t pay attention who took it. “You’ve got no reason to

be apologising,” Laine said clearly as he pulled Sev into his arms. “It’s not your fault your

parents are the way they are.”

Alma stepped behind Sev and placed a hand on his shoulders. Her cheeks were

streaked with tears. “No, baby brother, it isn’t. They’re hateful people, and they won’t ever

change. That isn’t your fault. I’m just sorry we put up with it for so long.”

“Why did you?” Laine thought he knew, but he wanted to hear it.

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“Who doesn’t want their parents’ approval?” Alma said, confirming his suspicions.

“We were raised up to believe certain things, behave certain ways. It was always easier to go

along. Having children of our own…well, I don’t want them to grow up like we did. I just

hope it’s not too late, that they haven’t been exposed to so much hatred that it’s become a

part of them, or will in the future.”

“It hasn’t with Rogelio,” Sev mumbled against Laine’s chest. “He wouldn’t have talked

to me as long as he did or defended me if he wasn’t a good kid.”

Alma’s watery smile quivered. “I told you, he practically idolises you. He went online

and printed out everything he could find about your work with police departments. He has

them all in an album he keeps on his dresser. When he told Mama and Papa that I thought

they were going to have a stroke.”

“He brought it with him,” Roger added. “That boy was not happy being left at the

motel, but we needed him there since Adela and Martin are too young to be left alone. We

were hoping maybe we could all go get lunch, although I’m not sure, with Adela…”

The door opened and Loretta came in, her usual scowl gone. She looked at Laine and

Sev then blinked as if unsure she was seeing the two of them. Whether it was because of the

embrace or something else, Laine didn’t know. He couldn’t figure the woman out. She darted

a glance at Roger and Alma before returning her attention to Laine. “Could I speak to you in

your office?” she asked, and Laine nodded as he grudgingly released Sev.

“All right.” He excused himself and patted Sev’s shoulder when the man looked at him

and arched a brow. Laine shrugged; he didn’t know what was going on either. He gestured

for Loretta to precede him then followed her into his office. Once she’d taken a seat, he sat

behind his desk, the springs in the chair groaning and reminding him he needed to buy a

replacement soon. One of these days he’d come in and plop down and end up on the floor.

Laine scooted the chair a few inches away from the desk and tried to look as attentive as

possible. “What can I help you with? Are there supplies that—”

Loretta hugged and flapped a hand towards him. “Nothing like that. This job just isn’t

working for me. I don’t know why Doreen thought it would, because it seems obvious to me

our personalities clash.”

Laine’s stomach tingled as he realised what Loretta was getting at. He sat back and

steepled his fingers under his chin as he considered the woman for a few seconds. “Is it

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because of me and Sev? Did you decide to quit when you walked in and saw us together?” It

didn’t make sense to him, because it wasn’t like them being gay was a secret.

“No,” Loretta said slowly, as if she was speaking to someone slow on the uptake. She

leant back, mimicking his pose as she tucked her fingers under her chin. “I told you, we just

don’t click or whatever you want to call it. I know you’re aware of it, and surely I’m not the

first person you’ve met who ruffles your feathers. You certainly aren’t the first who ruffled

mine.”

Laine bit back a comment about how that didn’t surprise him, as Loretta seemed rather

unpleasant to him. Maybe she wasn’t like that with everyone, he didn’t know. “It has

happened on occasion,” Laine conceded. “Usually there’s a reason for it, though.”

Loretta sniffed and dropped her hands to her lap as she sat up straighter. “Well, I don’t

always have a reason. Sometimes I just get these feelings about people, and I trust them. I

knew when I walked in here the first time this probably wouldn’t work, but thought I should

give it a try. Maybe if the people here behaved with a bit more decorum, acted more like

serious minded servants of the law. But no,” she said with what sounded like a tinge of

disgust in her voice. “This place is like a madhouse. Your employees treat you more like a

friend than a boss, and you let them. And hugging your partner, that’s unprofessional. It

wouldn’t matter if it was a woman, either. There’s a time and a place for it, and neither of

those are when you’re working and here in this office. Doreen’s been too lax, letting such

behaviour occur during work hours.”

Laine knew his mouth was gaping as he tried to wrap his mind around Loretta’s way of

thinking. He just couldn’t do it. What’d she think, that they were all supposed to be stern-

faced and stoic? Did she believe the only way to be professional was to make sure there

wasn’t a bit of levity at work? Judging by the way she always seemed to be scowling, except

during this conversation, he was inclined to believe that was the case.

“Anyway, this just isn’t working for me,” Loretta said before Laine could figure out

what, if anything, he should be saying. She flicked at something on her sleeve then nodded

once before rising. “I just think everyone here should conduct themselves with more

decorum. As that isn’t going to happen, and I am simply not happy here, it’s best I leave.

Normally I’d give notice, being a professional myself, but it seems silly to do so, all things

considered.”

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Laine was still trying to process the way Loretta phrased her resignation—he was pretty

sure the last time he’d heard anyone use the terms ‘conduct’ and ‘decorum’, he’d probably

been a kid listening to his grandma go on about ‘young people nowadays’. Somehow he

found himself standing and shaking Loretta’s hand, then the woman left the office and Laine

shook his head. About all he’d got out of that was Loretta thought Laine and his deputies

were unprofessional—unprofessional enough that she didn’t feel the need to give any notice,

and he was now in need of another temporary receptionist.

He heard Loretta’s voice droning on, and the rumbling sound of Sev’s reply although

he couldn’t make out the words. Worried there’d be some sort of confrontation, Laine

quickly headed back to where he’d left the others.

Alma was staring at the door with her eyebrows arched just like Sev did when he was

puzzled or amused. “Well, she was…something else.”

“I’d say you’re well rid of her,” Roger added to his wife’s commentary. “She made sure

to inform us how unprofessional you and everyone else working here was.”

Laine looked at Sev, halfway expecting the man to be fuming. Instead Sev was shaking

his head and frowning slightly. “She must be very unhappy, poor woman.”

Laine wasn’t the only one who goggled at Sev. “What?” Sev asked, his eyebrows arched

high and his hands raised in front of him. “Would any of you like to be that miserable? I

mean, what a horrible way to spend your life. I feel sorry for her.” He sighed and pointed to

the empty desk. “Guess this means you can’t go to lunch with us.”

Laine remembered his fears about having Sev’s family camped out at their place. That

didn’t seem so terrible now, though he still would rather they spend their nights at the motel.

But having them to dinner wouldn’t be so bad.

“Why don’t y’all go on and we’ll all have dinner at the house tonight? We can do pizza

if you don’t want to cook, I’ll grab it on my way in.”

Sev’s face lit up with a grin so big Laine didn’t see how anyone could resist smiling

back. “That’d be great! I can cook—”

“Can I?” Alma asked, looking from Sev to Laine. “I’d like to make dinner, if you

wouldn’t mind.” Then she grinned, looking so much like Sev Laine’s heart lurched. “I’ll even

make coffee and bring you a cup or two.”

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Chapter Six

There were too many things Laine had to do to spend the day sitting behind a desk,

especially one that wasn’t his. He picked up the phone and called Rich, who said he’d be

more than happy to help out for a few days. That settled, Laine leant back in Doreen’s chair

and contemplated the missing spirits. He hoped having his family here would help distract

Sev a little from the whole issue, but Laine knew it wouldn’t, not for long at least.

Communicating with the dead was an integral part of Sev—it’d shaped him into the

man he was now. It had to feel like he was missing a limb or two with that ability now

useless. Of course, it would probably work just fine somewhere else. Laine suspected this

was an isolated thing, occurring only here in McKinton. If not, surely there’d be stories of

others… He should check that out.

Laine was elbow-deep in Google links when Matt and Carlin arrived. He hadn’t found

anything useful, just confirmed what he’d already known. There were a lot of weird people

in the world. He closed the page and pushed out of the chair, a smile teasing his lips. “Matt,

Carlin. You win your case?”

Carlin’s smile would have put a model’s to shame. “Of course. Hopefully the lower

courts will never do something so stupid as to bulldoze over a woman’s rights like they did

Mrs Odon’s. If nothing else, they should think twice before forcing hospitalisation and tests

on a woman just because she asks her doctor for a second opinion. Maybe they’ll think four

million times, once for every dollar the state has to pay Mrs Odon.”

Matt beamed at his lover. “Yeah, and she gets all of it since Carlin took this case pro

bono.”

“Wasn’t like we needed the money, and what happened to Mrs Odon was just so

wrong.” Carlin shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Laine was impressed. He knew Carlin was a good man, but to give up a chunk of

money the size he must have… That put Carlin in a whole higher class of good. “I bet Mrs

Hawkins is very proud of you,” Laine said, referring to Carlin’s deceased aunt.

Matt and Carlin looked at each other then at Laine. “We figured out on the way in from

the airport, neither of us has felt her for days.” Matt slipped his hand in Carlin’s and tugged

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the man closer to his side. “I thought she was hanging around New York keeping an eye on

Carlin, and he thought she was here. Turns out we were both wrong. We thought we’d talk

to Severo, if we could.”

“About that…”

By the time Laine had explained that all the spirits had vanished and what his theory on

the why of that was, Matt was ready to storm Rich’s place and demand to speak to Miriam.

“Let Laine handle it for now,” Carlin said. He patted Matt’s chest when the man

grumbled. “You’re too emotional right now, and I’m exhausted. I’m sure Laine will tell us

what he finds out.”

“I will,” Laine promised, then proceeded to encourage the men to leave as politely as he

could. With Matt being so upset about the spirits, Laine didn’t know that him running into

Rich would be a good thing at this time. Not that he thought Matt would do anything stupid,

but Laine hadn’t had the chance to talk to Rich about what was going on, and he’d rather do

it himself calmly. He breathed a small sigh of relief once Matt and Carlin were gone then sat

down and waited for Rich to get there.

* * * *

Rich had called ahead and told Chris what was going on, and while Chris agreed

banishing spirits was something his mother could do, he also had Rich inform Laine it wasn’t

something Miriam would do without forewarning or a good reason. All Laine could do was

take Chris’s word for it until he talked to Miriam and could decide for himself.

Chris also didn’t think anyone else in the coven would have done such a thing, not even

the High Priest, whom he didn’t sound too fond of. According to him, the man’s aura was

pretty pure, although it swirled with lusty colours when he was around Miriam. Laine had

told Chris to pull on his big boy pants and deal with it. Chris’s response was less polite, but it

had made Laine laugh.

He wasn’t surprised to see Miriam and Chris both waiting for him once he found a

place to park around the tents. Unless he was mistaken, there were more now than there had

been the last time he’d stopped by. Made him wonder just how big the blessing ceremony for

Hawkins’ Senior and Youth Centre was going to be. If it went by participant body count, it

ought to be the most blessed place in the world.

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“Come on inside before the tea gets cold,” Miriam called out to him as Laine strode

towards them.

That wasn’t really an incentive for him to hurry. He liked his tea iced and sweet enough

to cause cavities.

“It’s a special mix I made just for you,” Miriam crooned. Laine was pretty sure she was

teasing him, what with the way she waggled her eyebrows and such. He hadn’t had a

problem with Miriam—she seemed like a decent person, and just because Laine didn’t share

her religious beliefs didn’t mean she was weird.

For all he knew, Wicca could be The Way. If so, he’d just stay off trail. Religion wasn’t

his thing, although he couldn’t say whether or not there was some sort of god. Laine didn’t

dwell on it much, choosing to believe each person was responsible for their own lives for the

most part.

The bangles on Miriam’s wrists jangled as she gestured at him to hurry up. She was

grinning, obviously enjoying poking at him. He gave her a narrow-eyed look because he

knew she’d get a kick out of it. Miriam laughed and tucked a long strand of blonde hair

behind her ear. “Oh, come on, I know you’re happy to see me.”

Laine glanced at Chris, who shook his head. The man hadn’t filled his mother in on the

reason for Laine’s visit. Did he wait so Laine could see Miriam’s reaction?

“Quit thinking so hard,” Chris told him when Laine stopped in front of them. “I figured

you should explain everything to Miriam since you’re involved.”

Miriam’s smile dimmed as she looked at Laine. “What’s going on? Is someone

protesting the blessing? I know how people can be about Wicca. They think we’re all witches

brewing cauldrons of cute little animals or casting evil spells. Ignorant idiots.”

Laine had kind of thought that way himself until he’d met Miriam and started doing a

little research. “There might be some people who aren’t happy with it, but in general, the

people of McKinton aren’t ignorant idiots.”

Miriam looked contrite. “Oh. Well, I shouldn’t generalise like that. Sorry. That made me

the ignorant one.” She rolled her eyes then turned and started walking to the front door.

“You’d think I’d have learned to be more tolerant and less judgmental…”

Laine greeted Chris, his eyes drawn, as usual, to the labret piercing on the man’s chin.

Every time he saw the dangling silver jewellery, he thought of Sev mentioning he’d like a

Prince Albert piercing. Laine thought that had to hurt like hell, but he’d told Sev if he really

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wanted one to go for it. The fact that Sev hadn’t yet got his dick pierced made Laine think

Sev had decided against it after all. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

Once inside the house, they sat in the living room, Laine in a leather recliner and Chris

and Miriam across from him on the couch. Laine ignored the steaming cup of tea as he

explained to Miriam why he was here. Miriam was silent except for an occasional hum here

and there, and the clanking of her bracelets when she took a drink of her tea.

“You think I did this, sent them away?” Miriam asked, giving Laine a hard look. Laine

felt about an inch tall under that look. “You do. Why would I do something like that? They

weren’t hurting anything. It was obvious they were loved.”

“I’m sorry,” Laine said, “it’s just…the timing of it coincides with your arrival. I don’t

have any other ideas, and…it just feels wrong, having Conner and the others gone. It’s like a

part of me is missing, and it’s even worse for Sev. He used to be able to interact with Conner

and the other missing spirits. I know he has to feel like a vital part of himself is missing along

with them.”

Miriam seemed mollified as she leant forward and braced her elbows on her knees. “I

can understand that, and I agree the timing probably isn’t coincidental. Maybe the spirits

weren’t happy with us arriving. I won’t lie, there’s more than me here who could cast a spell

to vanquish them.”

Laine shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s it. I don’t know how to describe it except

to say I can feel that they’re gone. Not hiding out somewhere, but gone.” He was close to

begging but his pride was nothing compared to the weight of his loss. Not only his, but Sev

and everyone else who had a deceased loved one they were used to having in their lives.

“Miriam, please, is there anything you can do to fix this? Conner, Stefan, Mrs Hawkins,

Mrs Mathers—they’re all part of our lives. We love them just as much now as we did when

they were alive—maybe even more since they did whatever they had to in order to remain

here. Losing them again like this…” Laine’s voice hitched as a hot ball of grief burned in his

belly. “I can’t tell you how much it hurts. Conner was my lover when he was alive, and I

didn’t, I didn’t love him enough to let anyone know about him. Now in death he’s one of the

dearest people, to me and Sev both, and neither of us will let him be taken from us without a

fight. And we won’t stop fighting.”

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“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Miriam told him. “You carry your guilt over his death with

you, you know. It wasn’t your fault. Coming out and showing the world he was your lover

wouldn’t have saved him. James McAlister still would have taken him from you.”

So Conner had been destined to die simply for being Laine’s lover. How the hell was he

not supposed to feel guilty for that?

“Laine, Conner made the choice to be with you,” Chris pointed out. “I doubt you

twisted his arm. The blame for his death is and will always be on James McAlister’s soul, not

yours, not Conner’s, only McAlister’s. You have to learn to let the guilt go.”

“What the fuck do you know about it?” Laine snapped in a rare fit of temper. These

past few days had worn him down to a nub. Laine regretted the outburst even as it left his

lips. He sagged into the chair and dropped his head in his hands. “I’m sorry, Chris, Miriam. I

just…I don’t know. I don’t know what to do, but getting nasty with either of you isn’t it. I’m

sorry. There was no excuse for that.”

“It’s all right,” Chris said from beside him. Laine peeked out through his fingers. He

hadn’t even heard the big guy move. The chair groaned as Chris sat on the padded armrest

and slung an arm over Laine’s shoulders. “You’re right, to a point. I don’t know much about

it, except what I see in your aura. Guilt. See that a lot, but the rest of it’s all good, dude. And I

kind of know you. You wouldn’t have done anything to endanger anyone, much less

someone you loved. So, I know you didn’t—endanger Conner, that is. And I know James

McAlister was a psychopathic bastard who killed several gay men besides Conner. Would

you blame the lovers of his other victims for their deaths?”

“No,” Laine drew the word out as what Chris said penetrated through the hard shell of

guilt he’d carried for years. “No, I wouldn’t, but…”

But why was he fighting letting that guilt go? Laine dropped his hands to his lap and

looked up at Chris. Damn guy was huge. Chris looked at him expectantly. “No. It wasn’t

their fault any more than it was the victims’.”

A weight Laine had carried around inside since Conner’s death began to lessen.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Chris murmured, “what happened to Zeke wasn’t your fault

either, neither was McAlister’s spirit tormenting Rich.”

That was a bit much, Laine thought. If he had only kept Zeke’s sister locked up she

wouldn’t have nearly killed him out on Main Street. He didn’t know what he could have

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done to protect Rich, short of never calling the man and asking him for information on Sev

when he first came to town. But still—

“Eva would have found a way to hurt Zeke,” Chris continued, bulldozing over Laine’s

internal arguments. “Her husband was in that car. It’s likely he would have gone after Zeke.

And you don’t have the ability to control spirits, you couldn’t have stopped McAlister from

going after Rich. Even Miriam didn’t know it was possible for a spirit to latch on to someone

and inhabit part of their soul. That’s some scary shit, Laine. How could you have stopped

that?”

“You couldn’t have,” Miriam said.

God, he was being tag-teamed by a pair of people determined to make him see past his

failures, or what he’d thought of as his failures. Laine couldn’t even be mad about it because,

for whatever reason, what they were saying was actually getting through to him.

This wasn’t the first time someone had told him he wasn’t responsible for Conner’s

death or any of the other horrible things that had happened since then. But this was the first

time he was actually beginning to believe it. He wished like hell Sev was here, though. Laine

could have used those strong lean arms around him.

It might have been better that Sev wasn’t there. Laine was afraid he’d have completely

broken down in the man’s arms. Sev seeing him so vulnerable was one thing—Laine didn’t

want there to be anyone other than his partner around to witness it if it did happen. He

concentrated on calming his breathing, which had become shaky and harsh. His shoulders

relaxed under Chris’s arms, and as Laine exhaled slowly, he realised he felt less burdened

than he could remember feeling in years.

Sure, he was still worried about Conner as well as the other spirits—that concern hadn’t

lessened. But the sometimes almost overwhelming feelings of guilt and failure, those weren’t

nearly as strong as they had been. They weren’t gone entirely, but Laine thought they might

just be easier to bear now. And maybe, eventually, he could learn to let the rest of it go. He

was almost feeling like he had himself pulled together when Miriam spoke.

“I’m going to make you some more tea, and this time I want you to drink it.”

Laine couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose at her. “Do I have to?”

Miriam nodded. “Yup, you sure do, but I’ll be nice and add some sugar and milk, will

that make it more palatable?”

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“I have no idea.” Laine always avoided hot teas except when not drinking it would hurt

someone’s feelings. “Guess I’ll try it and find out.”

“Good.” Miriam patted his hand. “I’ll fix your tea then we’ll figure out a plan for

finding out what’s happened to the spirits of McKinton.”

* * * *

The plan, as it turned out, wasn’t all that complicated—not the first part, anyway.

Miriam called her coven together then told them what had been done to the spirits. From

their higher positions on the porch, they had a good view of the coven.

As Miriam talked, Chris studied auras and Laine studied faces. When he looked at the

High Priest, he didn’t need Chris’s ability. He could easily see the desire in the man’s

expression as he watched Miriam. Wonder what Miriam thinks about it? As sharp as the woman

is, she has to be aware of it.

Laine muttered to Chris, “You know, I never thought about using you as a human lie

detector before.”

“It doesn’t exactly work that way,” Chris murmured back, “not everyone feels like

they’re lying when they are. It’s all in how they perceive themselves and their truths—”

“Guys, I’m talking here,” Miriam scolded.

Laine and Chris obediently shut up. By the time Miriam finished, Laine had studied

each of the twenty-two people gathered in front of them. He hadn’t seen anyone wearing a

sign that said ‘I did it’, not that he’d expected to, but he also hadn’t seen anyone who looked

nervous or guilty.

“Anything?” he asked Chris, who was still studying the crowd.

“No, but like I said, that doesn’t mean anything. Someone could have done something

and really not think there was anything wrong with it.” He shrugged. “I wish I could have

been more helpful.”

Vincent, the High Priest, came up onto the porch and offered Laine his hand. “Sheriff,

we’ll do what we can to fix this. I have no doubt we can make it right, we just need a little

time. We’ll have to make sure, of course, that it was a spell that banished the spirits and it

wasn’t simply their time to pass on.”

“It wasn’t,” Laine bit out. He refused to believe otherwise. “Surely you see how

suspicious it is that every single spirit in this town is gone, not just the ones people are

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familiar with, but all of them. Sev even went to the hospital, a place he usually can’t stand for

long because of all the spirit activity, and he didn’t find a single presence there. Are you

really going to tell me that’s a natural occurrence?”

“N-no,” Vincent sputtered, backing away from a finger Laine hadn’t even realised he

was jabbing at the man. “No, of course not. I just mean we have to make sure it was an act of

magic, n-not some…something else.”

“What else would it be?” Laine snapped. “You think they all went to the Bahamas

together?”

“I’m sure that’s not what Vincent thinks,” Miriam said from behind Laine. “Quit

scaring the poor man, would you, before he falls off the porch.”

Laine glared at Vincent but stepped back. Then he glared at Chris since the man was

snickering. “I fail to see anything amusing about any of this.” Laine winced at sounding like

an uptight prick, but damn it, he wanted all of the spirits back where they belonged.

Chris quit snickering. “The only thing amusing was watching Vincent here try not to

piss his pants. Sorry.”

Vincent sputtered for a few seconds until Miriam sent him inside. She turned to Laine

and pointed one red-tipped finger at him even though her lips were twitching against a

smile. “It’s not going to help at all if you scare off my High Priest. We need him to help us,

not pack up and head for the hill ‘cause he’s scared you’re going to bite his head off, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Laine knew better than to let his temper get the best of him, yet twice in

as many hours he’d lost it. He’d better get his shit together before he did anything else

stupid. “I’ll apologise—”

Miriam waved off the offer. “Nah, just let him be. He was kind of a twit about it. Of

course it’s magic, we just need to find out what kind, and whether it was someone from this

coven or not. As Chris said, he could have missed something, or there could be people

missing. I didn’t check to see who all arrived today or how many there were now total.”

“Twenty-two,” Chris answered before Laine could. “I don’t know how many there’s

supposed to be, but that’s how many were here.”

Miriam nodded. She frowned as she looked out at the tents. “I’ll have Vincent go

around and do a head count in a few minutes. After that, he and I will start doing our thing

to find out what kind of magic was used, white, black, something else entirely…”

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Chapter Seven

“…and this one, what’d you do on it?”

Sev looked at the inch-and-a-half-long article in Rogelio’s album and wished he could

groan without hurting the kid’s feelings. Rogelio really did have an album that contained, as

far as Sev could tell, every single mention of Sev on the Internet—which wasn’t much—as

well as the cases where he’d been able to fly under the media’s radar.

He figured Alma must have helped Rogelio even though she hadn’t said so. She knew

what cases he’d worked on because he’d always called to let her and his other siblings know

where he was.

“Rogelio, stop pestering Severo. I’m sure he doesn’t want to go over all that horrible

stuff,” Alma scolded as she walked into the living room.

Alma was right—he hated going over ‘all that horrible stuff’. Murders were not

something he cared to recount. It was bad enough he could still remember clearly the faces of

each victim he’d ever seen a photo of. Talking about their deaths was well beyond

unpleasant.

“Sorry, Uncle Sev,” Rogelio mumbled. “You could have told me to stop. I wouldn’t

have gotten mad.”

Sev smiled at his nephew. Rogelio looked enough like him that he could easily pass for

Sev’s little brother. Rogelio had the same shaped face, right down to the pointy chin. The

only glaring difference was his eyes, which were brown like his father’s rather than the pale

green of Sev and Alma’s.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind…” Rogelio arched one fine black eyebrow. “Much,” Sev added.

“I don’t like talking about the crimes, the victims, but I have enjoyed spending time with

you.”

Rogelio’s grin about melted Sev’s heart. “Cool. We can do something else, maybe—”

Alma brushed her hand over her son’s head. “Maybe you should let your Uncle Sev

spend some time with Adela and Martin, too.”

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The younger two kids looked up at him from where they were sitting on the floor

playing their handheld games. Sev didn’t think either of them looked eager to spend time

with him.

“Grandpa says he’s a bad man,” Martin said, glaring at Sev. “He said you’re going to—

”

“Martin Eduardo Martinez! You watch your mouth, young man!”

Martin cringed at his mother’s reprimand but he didn’t look any less angry to Sev. “But

Grandpa says—”

“Your grandpa says a lot of mean things that aren’t true,” Roger said as he got up from

his chair. He walked over and sat on the floor between his youngest children. “You heard

him say I wasn’t good enough for your mom. Do you believe that, too?”

Martin looked at his dad and shook his head so hard Sev was surprised it didn’t come

right off his thin little neck. “No, but—”

“No ‘buts’,” Roger said gently, “Grandpa is a bitter, angry man. Your grandma is a

bitter, angry woman. They say a lot of mean things, but you need to get to know your uncles

on your own and form your own opinions, you and Adela both. Do you think your mom and

I would hang around with bad people?”

“Y’all hung around Grandma and Grandpa,” Rogelio said bitterly.

Sev leaned over and whispered, “You’re not helping!”

Roger’s lips quirked as he glanced at Sev, then his expression turned serious when he

looked at his youngest son. “Rogelio’s right, we did, and that’s how we learned that hanging

around with people like your grandparents wasn’t a good thing. They don’t like their own son

because he can do something they don’t understand. Do you think that’s right, for a parent to

treat their own child like that?”

“And ‘cause he’s gay,” Adela piped in, “they were yelling about that, too, and in school

the nuns say—”

“What do they know?” Alma put a hand on Sev’s shoulder. “They just repeat what

someone else said, they don’t think for themselves. And we told you, you, Martin, and

Rogelio will not be going back to that private school! Your grandparent’s won’t be paying for

it anymore, and we can’t afford it—and your father and I don’t care for a lot of what they are

teaching you.”

“Thank God,” Rogelio muttered. “I hated that stupid place.”

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“What’s gay?” Martin asked. “Why would it make you go to Hell if it’s not bad?”

Sev stood up slowly and patted Alma’s hand, still on his shoulder. “I think I’ll let you

and Roger talk to your kids about this. I’ll just…” He gestured towards the front door. “Go

water the plants, it’s about that time. I also need to see how much damage the frost did.”

“I’ll come with you,” Rogelio volunteered, bounding off the couch. “I already know all

this stuff anyways. It’s just that Grandma and Grandpa have their claws sunk into Adela and

Martin more than they ever did me.”

Sev cast a glance over his shoulder at Alma. “Well, if it’s okay?”

Alma’s expression shifted into one of concern but she nodded. “Yes, I think…I think

Rogelio wanted to talk to you alone anyway.”

“Mom!” Rogelio yelped.

Sev’s head swivelled around at Rogelio’s indignant exclamation. The younger man’s

cheeks were darkly flushed and his eyes were nearly bugging out of their sockets. Hm. What’s

this? Maybe there’s more to the whole story than what Alma’s told me.

“Come on, let’s go check the gardens.” Sev caught Rogelio’s elbow and tugged. They

grabbed their jackets and went outside.

When they were far enough away from the house that Sev was sure they couldn’t be

heard, Sev stopped and turned to his nephew. Rogelio’s cheeks were still ruddy, though Sev

didn’t know if it was from embarrassment or the wind that slapped at them both.

Rogelio huffed and dragged his gaze up from the ground to meet Sev’s. He shrugged

and his cheeks went darker.

Sev watched the boy fidget with his hands before he tucked them in his back pockets.

When it seemed Rogelio wasn’t going to speak, Sev figured he’d have to get this

conversation started.

“Do you want me to guess the reason for that back there with your mom?” He kind of

hoped Rogelio would say no, because if Sev did guess and was wrong, this could go badly.

Rogelio shrugged and went back to studying the ground.

Great. Where’d the talkative kid from a few minutes ago go? “Are you sure you want me to

guess? I mean, I will if I have to, but if I do and I’m wrong, you can’t get mad at me, because

that just isn’t fair, not when it’s obvious”—maybe—“there’s something you want to tell me

but are too scared to. That’s a lot of pressure on me, Rogelio.” Sev cracked a grin that had no

effect he could see on his nephew.

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“Look, it’s already making me babble. I don’t want to screw this up, not when for the

first time in my life, or at least since I became psychic, I have a chance to have a family again.

I don’t want to blow that.”

Rogelio glanced back up at him but only for a second before muttering, “I won’t get

mad.”

Well, that’s helpful! Sev touched the necklace his grandmother had given him. He caught

it between his fingers then tipped Rogelio’s chin up with his other hand. Anguished brown

eyes met his, and Sev knew he was right. His heart broke for the kid. It had to have been hell

being around Sev’s parents—and the private school, too.

Sev looked intently in those eyes and hoped Rogelio could see how sincere he was,

would know he had Sev on his side. “If you can’t even say it, Rogelio, then you won’t be able

to accept it. That’s a hard way to live.”

Rogelio’s eyes filled. The younger man swiped at the tears that spilled down his cheeks.

He swallowed so loudly it made Sev’s throat ache with sympathy. He sobbed and Sev

thought, fuck it! He pulled his nephew to him and held him, each shudder and sob that shook

the boy’s thin body hurting Sev deep inside.

“I take it your parents know?” he asked when he thought Rogelio was calming down.

“Yeah,” Rogelio croaked, his voice as raw as Sev’s emotions, “they know I’m—I’m

gay.”

Alma was going to have to explain how they knew when Rogelio could hardly even say

the word. Or maybe not.

“T-they… Mom got on my laptop to check some stuff, she said. I forgot I had some p-

pages up…”

Sev’s eyebrows tried to crawl to the top of his head as his stomach plummeted to his

ankles. “Porn? Oh my god, Rogelio, don’t look at that shit!” Whoops. Get your mouth under

control! “That stuff isn’t real. I mean it is, but it isn’t like real sex with—” Shut up, shut up, shut

up! Sev would have slapped himself upside the head if he hadn’t been hugging his still

sobbing nephew.

Except, that didn’t sound like crying. He peered into Rogelio’s face and found the little

shit laughing at him! Sev did his best to look stern. “It’s not funny. That sh—stuff will rot

your brain and totally screw up your expectations!”

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Rogelio chortled for a few seconds then slapped Sev on the back before putting a few

inches between them. “I know that stuff is just acting—bad acting at that.” His cheeky grin

was a big improvement over the mulish attitude or the crying jag, but Sev wasn’t happy

knowing his nephew had already been trolling porn. Like you didn’t at that age! It’s just a lot

easier for Rogelio now with the Internet.

“Anyway, that wasn’t what she found. And I don’t look at it much.” Rogelio shrugged

when Sev gave him a doubtful look. “I don’t. It kind of grossed me out. Well, it was hot at

first, until I started finding stuff like fist—”

Sev thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head. “Stop! I don’t want to know!”

He took a slightly shaky breath then rethought what he’d just said. Someone has to be there for

Rogelio. Oh shit. “Ugh!” Sev scrubbed at his forehead. “What I mean is, if you have questions,

legitimate questions, I will, of course, do my best to answer them. But I won’t go into stuff

that’s inappropriate just so you can get your jollies, and I will not talk about mine and Laine’s

personal life.”

“Ugh back! I don’t want to know what you and your boyfriend—”

“Partner,” Sev bit out. “You would have a boyfriend. I, as an adult gay man in a

committed relationship, have a partner.”

“Okay, partner. I don’t want to know about what y’all do, and I already know most of

that stuff anyways. I don’t need sex ed, Uncle Sev, I just…” Rogelio sighed and rubbed his

forehead in a gesture so familiar Sev couldn’t help but smile. “There were some places I

would go online, chat rooms for kids who were trying to figure out who they were, you

know?”

Sev barely stopped himself from starting in on Rogelio about that. Chat rooms were

bastions of perverts looking for naïve boys and girls, weren’t they?

“They were run or recommended by very well-known Gay Support groups, so don’t

look at me like that. There were moderators in each room and no exchange of personal

information with other chatters, no personal IM’ing. It was safe, and I needed…I needed the

help.”

“Okay, I can understand that,” Sev admitted. “I grew up in that family, too, at least

until your great-grandma rescued me.” He nudged Rogelio playfully in the ribs. Even

through the jacket the boy felt bony. “You know your grandparents—my parents—had me

committed to a mental institution when I was years younger than you?”

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Rogelio’s eyes widened dramatically. “No? You knew you were gay that far back?”

Sev couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. “No, but I was psychic that far back, and even

when I proved it by talking to the spirits of people they’d known who’d passed away, told

them things no one but they and those people would know, they still didn’t believe me.”

“I bet they did,” Rogelio argued. “I bet that’s why they had you committed. You

probably scared the crap out of them and they were terrified of what else you might find out.

Maybe they murdered someone or sold drugs, or—”

“I think they’re just narrow-minded and can’t accept anyone different from them,” Sev

said before Rogelio could go on. The kid sounded way too excited by the idea of his

grandparents being criminals. “Anyway, they took me to a few shrinks, then had me

committed. Your great grandma had all the money back then. She told my parents to get me

out or she’d cut them free. They did, and Grandma—my grandma—forgave them enough to

let my old man inherit everything.”

Rogelio spluttered for a solid minute before getting his tongue to work. “But that’s crap!

Why would she do that after what they did?”

Sev couldn’t deny he’d been hurt by it. He didn’t care about the money, but he’d have

liked to have something other than just this necklace and his memories of his grandmother.

“She was old-fashioned. Well, in some ways. She didn’t like me being gay, but she didn’t

turn away from me because of it. My dad was her son, the first born and all of that, and other

than the exceptions she made for me, Grandma was pretty traditional. Plus, it wasn’t like I

was going to have kids to pass the money along to, right?”

“That doesn’t matter!” Rogelio practically shouted. “How could she…” Rogelio trailed

off at the sound of an approaching vehicle.

Sev grinned, happy to his soul to hear Laine approaching. He knew every click and

growl of that engine. He turned and stood beside Rogelio to watch as Laine drove down the

drive. Sev hooked his arm through his nephew’s. “Come on. I want you to meet my partner.”

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Chapter Eight

“Mm, Chiles Renellos,” Sev purred, making the dish Alma set on the table sound like a

pleasurable sexual experience.

Laine took a whiff and thought his partner might just be right. The spicy scent went

straight to Laine’s rumbling stomach. He might have been embarrassed if he had been the

only one whose stomach was demanding food. Alma set down a bowl of Spanish rice.

Adela, who kept looking at Laine as if he might bite no matter how friendly he tried to

look, carried a tortilla warmer to the table. Along with the frijoles, tortilla soup, chips con

queso and guacamole, Laine figured his and Sev’s table had never held such a mouth-

watering meal.

“Are we going to say Grace?” Martin asked. Laine got a bad feeling in the pit of his

stomach.

Sure enough, Alma nodded at him. “I think either your Uncle Laine or Uncle Sev

should say Grace since this is their home.”

Don’t do it, don’t—Sev grinned. “Laine, would you mind?”

He’d show Sev just how much he minded, later. Feeling like a hypocrite, and trying not

to be one, Laine dipped his head, closed his eyes and folded his hands on the table. That was

as good as it was going to get. Then he just got the whole prayer thing over as quickly as

possible.

“Please bless this food and thank you for our guests. Amen.” It was good enough for

him. He opened his eyes and peered down the length of the table. Sev was laughing quietly,

the shit, and Rogelio was, too. That kid looked at Laine with a little too much interest. Laine

was sure it was just a kiddy crush, but… Well he wasn’t used to anyone but Sev looking at

him like that.

Roger was trying to smother a snicker, and Alma was busy explaining to Adela and

Martin that, no, Grace did not have to take five minutes.

Laine shrugged and started fixing his plate. The others soon followed suit. Laine tried a

spoonful of the tortilla soup. The spicy blend hit his tongue and Laine moaned.

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Cilantro, some kind of peppers, garlic, tomatoes and several other flavours melded

together in what he knew had to be ambrosia. He quickly spooned up some more, making

sure he got a strip of fried corn tortilla. Alma beamed at him from her seat and Laine beamed

right back.

“Alma, this is the best tortilla soup I’ve ever had.” Then he didn’t speak again, not

much at least, until he’d stuffed himself with the feast she’d prepared.

Leaning back in his chair, Laine groaned and wondered if he could get away with

popping the button of his pants. He rubbed his stomach and noticed the other men looking

similarly sated.

“That was way better than pizza,” Sev muttered, drooping in his seat. “God, I’m so full

I think Laine’s gonna have to roll me out of here.”

“I like pizza better,” Adela said, then followed that proclamation with another

mouthful of Chiles Renellos.

“Me too, but this was good.” Martin looked at his mom. “What’s for dessert?”

“Flan,” Alma informed them.

Laine groaned again. He was going to get fat as all get out if Alma cooked for them the

whole week she was here.

* * * *

“So, was it as bad as you thought it’d be?” Sev asked as Laine flopped onto the bed.

“No, they were great, but I’m so full I’m miserable.”

Sev eyed Laine’s trim stomach. “Can’t tell you packed away half the food.”

“Hey!” Laine pried an eye open to glare at him. “I did not eat any more than you or

Roger!”

“Uh huh,” Sev teased as he settled in beside Laine. “And you sucked down that flan

like nobody’s business.”

Laine’s other eye opened and before Sev knew what was what, he was grabbed and

rolled onto his back, with Laine on top of him. He grunted, Laine about squashing the

daylights out of him. Laine propped himself up on his elbows and gave Sev a stern look.

“You made me say Grace.”

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Sev strived for his most innocent expression. It wasn’t one he was very familiar with.

“Well, I thought with you claiming you were going to be the big strong man in the next life,

Grace should be your responsibility.”

“Aw, shit,” Laine mumbled, “you aren’t ever going to forget that, are you?”

“Probably not,” Sev conceded. “It’s too much fun to tease you about it.”

Laine grinned, which caused Sev’s entire body to tingle. Too bad he thought he’d puke

if he and Laine got down and dirty. “Next time Alma cooks I am not going to eat so much.”

“Me neither.” Laine dropped a quick kiss on his lips then rolled off Sev and flopped

onto his back. He slung an arm over his eyes. “You know we’re both lying?”

“Yeah. Alma promised us chicken enchiladas tomorrow.”

“I’m not eating a thing until then,” Laine promised, then apparently reconsidered. “Or,

I will, so I’m not starving by the time I get home. Got to be able to do more than waddle after

dinner since that Wiccan ceremony is tomorrow night.”

“What time?” Sev perked up a little. The ceremony sounded…interesting.

Laine lifted his arm up enough to peer at him. “What time do you think? They want to

get it started at midnight, on the dot.”

He should have known. “Of course. Well, I still want to go. I wonder if Alma will let

Rogelio go?”

Laine took his arm away from his face completely and turned his head towards Sev. “Is

he gay?”

Sev wasn’t surprised at Laine’s blunt question. Rogelio had all but drooled every time

the kid looked at Laine. “Ya think? He’s having a hard time with it, though, and I suspect

him being gay is a big part of why Alma and Roger cut ties with our parents. They’d insist

Rogelio be sent to one of those scared-straight camps.”

“Idiots.” Laine glared up at the light for a second. “Weren’t you the last one in bed?”

The last one was supposed to turn the overhead light off. “Yeah, but I wanted to be able

to see you clearly while you told me about your day. I’ve been waiting all evening to hear

about your visit to Miriam. Well, I’ve been waiting ever since you texted me and told me you

were going. So what did she say?”

Sev listened while Laine talked. He couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope that the

High Priestess would be able to bring the spirits back. Then Laine’s voice went low and soft,

hesitant, which was so unlike him Sev’s senses went on alert.

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He rolled to his side and propped his head up on one fist, but he didn’t interrupt, not

once, while Laine told him about Chris and Miriam helping him to let go of some of the

burdens he’d carried for so long. A small part of him wanted to be jealous that Chris and

Miriam had managed to do what Sev hadn’t, but he ignored that petty little bitch in him.

Instead, he let the waves of joy roll over him as he took in Laine’s relaxed pose, the

relief evident on his rough, handsome features. Then he held Laine as the man quietly broke

down, years of guilt streaming free with every tear.

* * * *

A godawful racket woke Laine from a sound sleep. He sat up, Sev grumbling beside

him, and felt around the night stand for his cell phone. Prying his heavy lids open was

asking a tad too much just yet. His hand slapped the cell and he scrambled to keep from

knocking the stupid thing to the floor. Folding his stiff fingers around the phone, he forced

an eye open and cursed when the number was blurry.

Both eyes open wasn’t much better, but Laine found the right button to push and if he

was a little growly when he answered, who could blame him? It was dark-fucking-thirty in

the middle of the night.

Miriam’s voice penetrated his sleep-fuzzed brain and Laine sat up further. He turned

the lamp on then took Sev’s shoulder and shook gently. Then not so gently. “Miriam, can you

hang on a minute? I want to wake Sev up and put you on speaker so he can hear this.”

Miriam agreed and Laine set the phone on the night stand. He shook Sev a little harder

and was rewarded with a hard slap to his arm. “Shhtopit.”

Even though he was nervous about what Miriam had to say, Laine couldn’t hold back a

grin. Sev was so adorable when he was all sleepy and rumpled and grumpy. Not mad—then

Sev was downright scary, but grumpy was just cute.

Laine bent and placed his lips against Sev’s ear and hoped to hell he didn’t get smacked

upside the head. “Wake up, sweetheart. Miriam’s calling about what she found out.”

That got Sev awake in record time. He set up so fast his shoulder clipped Laine’s lip.

Laine tasted blood and slapped his hand over the wounded part. Obviously he was getting

too old and slow. He should have been able to dodge that hit.

Sev looked at him and frowned. “What happened?”

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Laine rolled his eyes. “Talk to Miriam while I get a wet washcloth.” If Sev didn’t realise

he’d clocked Laine, Laine wasn’t going to tell him. Although, maybe he should. It might get

Sev over that whole man-woman crap Laine had so stupidly spewed in jest.

When Laine came back from the bathroom, Sev was sitting with his arms crossed over

his chest and his legs dangling off the side of the bed. He stopped mid-sentence in his

conversation to Miriam and blanched when he looked at Laine.

Laine wished he’d been able to stop the bleeding but Sev had got him pretty good.

“I did that, didn’t I?”

It wasn’t a question, but Laine still nodded.

“Hang on, Miriam, will you? Apparently I busted Laine’s lip when I woke up. Or was

asleep. Whichever. Be right back.” Sev was already up and almost to Laine by the time he

finished babbling.

Laine lowered the washcloth under Sev’s pointed look and felt a stream of blood trickle

down his chin. He swiped at it with the cloth then covered his lip again. “You didn’t do it. I

mean, you did, but I should have moved,” Laine said around the wet material.

Sev glared up at him. “I did do it. You not moving doesn’t make it your fault. But it was

an accident, you know I would never deliberately hurt you. I’m sorry.” Sev stood on his toes

and bussed Laine’s jaw. “Forgive me?”

“Always.” Like Sev even needed to ask. Laine wrapped an arm around Sev’s waist and

gave him a hug. “So, no feeling guilty for either of us?”

Sev stepped back and tapped his chin, his eyes turned up as he looked at the ceiling.

“Well, no, but I will quit giving you shit about what you said.”

“Then it was worth it,” Laine said fervently. He took Sev’s hand in his and headed for

the bed. He and Sev sat on the edge. “Okay, Miriam, what can you tell us?”

“Well, besides the fact that the two of you are about as sweet as that tea you like, I can

tell you it wasn’t anyone here who did it, but yes, a spell was definitely cast.”

“How do you know? I mean, that it wasn’t anyone there?”

Miriam harrumphed at Laine’s question. “Because Vincent and I both are very adept at

scrying. And before you ask, yes, I said scrying. It’s a form of divination that—well, it

worked, okay? After we discerned that it wasn’t Wicca magics used, we had to find out what

kind it was.”

Laine looked at Sev who shrugged. “How many kinds of magic are there?”

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“More than you care to hear about,” Miriam said. “Anyways, Vincent, Chris, Rich and I,

along with eight others in the coven, focused our energies. We all felt pulled to four very

distinct points—north, south, east and west. A direct line of each, mind you. We split into

four groups and each one found the exact spot. Like if I was holding a compass—well, I was,

I stopped exactly when the needle was perfectly aligned to the North. My senses were

leading me forward, so we kept walking. The other groups did the same in the other

directions. What we found, exactly three-point-three miles outside of town, were four very

small but ornate altars.”

“Y’all don’t use altars?”

“We do, but these weren’t ours. The offerings on the altars were…well, they weren’t

anything we’d have used. Nothing illegal, mind you, but things that make me and Vincent

certain there’s a curandero or curandera in or near McKinton.”

Laine looked at Sev. “You know anything about curanderos?”

“Some, yeah. My grandmother took me to one right after she got me out of the

institution. The curandera looked me in the eye and I’d have sworn she looked all the way

into my soul. She murmured some things I didn’t understand, then told my grandmother

that I was ‘precious’”—he smirked—“and had the gift of communing with the dead.

Grandma never doubted me from then on.”

“If it’s a gift, why would a curandero interfere like this?”

“Laine, not every curandero is good, although the majority are. There’s good and bad in

all religions and professions,” Miriam pointed out. “And the curandero who did this might

not think they did anything bad. He or she may see it as aiding lost spirits or some such

crap.” Miriam put enough emphasis on the last word that her disgust was patently obvious.

“Regardless of the reason, we can undo this. But, I can’t…I can’t guarantee all the spirits will

return. Some might choose to stay where they’ve been sent.”

“Conner will come back,” Sev said when Laine’s throat felt too tight to speak. “So will

the others who interact with their loved ones. They hung around after death to be here for us,

I don’t think they’ll change their minds.”

Sev sounded so sure, but Laine wasn’t. Hadn’t he thought Conner might want more

than just drifting along as a spirit? If Conner had the opportunity to be reborn, have another

go at life, why wouldn’t he take it? The man…spirit, was vivacious and playful, like someone

who just enjoyed existing. Wouldn’t he enjoy it more in the flesh?

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Or maybe he was content to move on to whatever spiritual plane others went to when

they died. Damn it, Laine didn’t know, but he suddenly had to wonder why Conner would

ever choose to come back to Sev and him.

Laine became aware that Miriam wasn’t speaking and Sev was looking worriedly at

him. He cleared his throat and gave Sev an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I kind of zoned out

there.” He had a feeling, from the way Sev was watching him that he would have to give a

full explanation once Miriam was off the phone.

“It’s okay, I know it’s a lot to take in, but if you’re fine with us moving the blessing to

the following night, we’ll cast the spell to bring the spirits back tomorrow night instead.”

Sev was nodding eagerly.

“That will work.” Laine just hoped he and Sev didn’t have to learn to live without

Conner in their lives when it was all said and done.

“There is one other thing,” Miriam said with what sounded to Laine like reluctance.

“What?”

Miriam was silent so long Laine thought she wasn’t going to answer. When she finally

did, Laine’s entire body went cold. “I know I said the curandero might have had the best of

intentions, but he or she might not have, too. We found a few strands of black hair on each

alter, set in melted wax. In case…in case the spell was directed to hurt Severo, I think it’d be

best if he participated in casting the spell. But it could have been someone else’s hair. This is

just a precaution. I mean, unless you can think of someone who’d want to hurt Severo?”

Laine could, and judging by the pain flaring bright in Sev’s eyes, he thought the same

thing.

“My parents,” Sev said in a tight voice. “They’re the only ones who’d want to strip

everything they could from me.”

* * * *

After making arrangements to meet with Miriam tomorrow to learn what he needed to

do to help cast the spell, Sev settled beck beside Laine. His heart hurt, knowing, believing as

he did that his parents had done such a thing.

“They probably came up with this idea after Rogelio mentioned me. They’d seemed to

have forgotten about me before then.”

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Laine pulled Sev over until he was sprawled half on top of Laine. “I don’t believe they

ever forgot about you. But yeah, I think that’s probably what set them off, that or Alma

telling them she wasn’t going to cut you out of her family’s lives. Either way, it was a hateful

thing to do. And if that was your hair, I wonder how they got it?”

Sev knew the answer to that. “Mom used to save bits of our hair every time we got it

cut. I would have thought she’d burned mine, but then again, I wouldn’t have thought she or

my father would ever turn to a curandero. It’s stupid of me to think I know anything about

them other than that they hate me.”

“I think they’re scared of you,” Laine corrected, his words so similar to Rogelio’s Sev

almost smiled. “People fear what they don’t understand, we’ve heard that often enough, seen

it at least as many times as we’ve heard it.”

“Yeah, but why couldn’t they just accept me? Tolerate me, if they couldn’t love me?”

Sev willed his welling eyes to dry. He wouldn’t break down over this, not when he’d come to

terms with it years ago. Or thought he did.

“Because they are some seriously fucked up people, sweetheart.” Laine dipped his head

and kissed the corner of Sev’s eye. “I don’t see how anyone can’t love you. The problem lies

with them, not you. Never you.”

As he closed his eyes and listened to more of Laine’s comforting words, Sev wished he

could believe him.

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Chapter Nine

Rogelio looked a little thunderstruck, Sev thought. He’d brought his nephew with him

to meet with Miriam. Alma had been unsure about it, but once Sev told her and Roger what

someone had done to the McKinton spirits, and just who he and Laine thought that someone

was, Alma had quickly agreed to let Rogelio accompany him.

She’d also told him that their mother had been going to a curandero in secret for years

now. In secret, at least, in regards to their father. There was no way that rigid old man would

tolerate his wife turning to such a heathen practice.

He’d been furious when his own mother had gone to a curandero, but all Grandma had

done was point out who held the purse strings and Sev’s father had shut up. If he found out

his wife was going, who knew what he’d do, even if she was using the curandero to hurt Sev.

“Will you be participating in the ceremony too, Rogelio?”

Rogelio swallowed noisily. “Sure, if my parents will let me. I, uh, I don’t have to get

naked or anything, do I?”

Sev thought the kid sounded more hopeful than not.

Miriam laughed and ruffled Rogelio’s hair. “No, there’ll be no getting naked. You’re a

minor, none of us want to go to jail for dancing skyclad around you.”

“It means naked,” Sev said before Rogelio could ask.

“I also have someone outside of the coven coming to help. I made another call last

night.” Miriam turned and waved to someone in a group of people behind her. A pretty

young woman with dark brown hair and large almost black eyes walked over. She was

dressed in a long skirt and a loose blouse, but even so Sev could tell she was built in that

voluptuous way that made most straight men drool. Rogelio didn’t even look at her breasts,

which, Sev noted, jiggled when she walked.

Yep, the kid’s gay. Not that I really doubted it.

Miriam took the woman’s hand and held it. “Severo, Rogelio, this is Veronica, a good

friend of mine. She’s also a very well-known and powerful curandera.”

Sev wondered if he imagined the shimmering power he felt when he shook Veronica’s

hand. He doubted it, considering her eyes widened and her full red lips parted.

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“You’re a very powerful man as well,” Veronica purred. It freaked Sev out, because he

was relatively certain she was…ogling him.

“He’s also very happily gay,” Miriam dryly pointed out. “Down girl, and don’t do that

sultry stuff with this one”—she pointed to Rogelio—“he’s still a kid.”

“And gay, too,” Rogelio rushed out as he shook Veronica’s hand as quickly as he could.

Sev noticed he wiped his palm on his jeans. Did his hand tingle too or was he afraid Veronica

would give him girl cooties?

Veronica laughed good-naturedly then gave them both a friendly smile. “Figures. I’m

destined to be attracted to men I can’t have.” She winked at them, which brought a flush to

Rogelio’s cheeks and a grin to Sev’s lips.

“Maybe you should make a charm for that,” Sev teased and laughed along with

Veronica.

“Right. I prefer not to interfere in my life’s path. I’m too busy delving into others’.”

Veronica cocked her head and stared into Sev’s eyes. He was thrown back over two decades

to when he was a child, staring into another curandero’s dark eyes. “You have a good soul.

Someone close to you hates you for it. It’s not because of what you do, but because they fear

that you are pure of soul and touched by the gods because of it. There’s intense jealousy,

envy…we’ll need to cast a protection spell for you and your loved ones to keep these people

from hurting you again.”

“Sounds great,” Sev said through a too-tight throat. “Let’s do it.”

* * * *

Laine was wound tighter than spring. Work was slow, which was good, but the day

was dragging by at a glacial speed. Slower, considering global warming. He was twitchy and

jumpy, and snarly enough that Matt and Rich both snapped back at him.

When he’d told them what Miriam had discovered, though, both men had said they’d

give him a pass for his grumpiness then asked if they and their partners could come to the

ceremony. Laine figured the more the merrier—or more powerful, hopefully—and he readily

agreed. He also called Zeke and Brendan as well as Lee and Darren and asked them to come

as well.

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Then he called Miriam, who thought he was brilliant for inviting the core people who

were involved. “We’re going to be in five groups, one in each spot where an altar was found

and one centred between all four points. That one will be the power source for the spell.

Vincent GPS’d it and that will put us—you, Sev, Rogelio, me, Vincent, Veronica—she’s a

curandera, you’ll meet her this evening—and three of our coven standing in the centre of

Main Street at midnight. Think that’ll be a problem?”

Laine had assured her he’d handle it if it was. He wouldn’t let anyone keep them from

bringing back the spirits to McKinton.

Now he was stuck behind his desk, watching the minutes crawl by. He hoped this

worked, and he hoped Conner came back. Maybe he should have been ashamed for being so

selfish, but Laine couldn’t help it. He and Sev missed the guy.

But, if Conner didn’t return, he and Sev would deal with it, together, and they’d wish

Conner a good life…or death, whichever it was he chose.

* * * *

At Alma’s insistence, Sev and Rogelio met up with her at the motel. Sev handed her his

house key. “I want y’all to go wait there. There’s a guest room you and Roger can use, and

the kids can camp out in the living room.”

Alma took the key but put a hand to his shoulder when he would have hugged her. Sev

looked at her, a little hurt.

“I’m just nervous about this,” Alma admitted. “You have my baby with you—”

Rogelio groaned. Alma shot him a withering look. “You will always be my baby, so get

over it.” She tipped her chin at her son. “Just take care of him, okay?”

“Of course,” Sev answered, stung she’d think he wouldn’t.

Alma sighed and pulled him in for that hug she’d denied him. “I don’t doubt you mean

it. It’s that I don’t know about all this woo-woo stuff.”

“Moooommm,” Rogelio whined, making Sev’s ears ache. “Everyone’s going to be

dressed. It’s not like they’re gonna be dancing around naked and sacrificing small children.”

He leaned to the side and peered past her to his siblings sprawled on the bed. “Although…”

“Rogelio!” Alma let go of Sev and reached over to pop her son on the back of the head.

“Any more jokes like that and you can just stay here with us!”

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“Sorry,” Rogelio muttered as he rubbed his head. “Sheesh! That’s, like, child abuse!”

Alma’s brows drew together, she frowned so sternly. “I didn’t break you and you’re not

bleeding. That would be child abuse. Don’t tempt me, son.”

Sev was relieved when Rogelio only said, “Yes, ma’am.”

After saying goodbye, they went back outside and waited for Veronica to pick them up.

Rogelio tapped his foot on the sidewalk and looked at Sev. “Why don’t you drive, Uncle

Severo?”

It was a good question, and one he didn’t really have an answer to. He tried, though. “I

don’t know. I never had driver’s ed. Grandma was afraid I’d be driving and have a spirit pop

in my head and I’d wreck. I guess the idea stuck. And I liked not having the responsibility of

a vehicle.”

Rogelio’s expression said Sev was nuts.

Sev shrugged and went on. “Maintenance, insurance, tags, all that stuff. I just didn’t

want to deal with it. I…I used to go wherever I wanted, just hop on a bus and go, or

wherever I got a consulting contract. Then I came here, met Laine, and bam! That was it. I

knew where I belonged. And I—I guess I just didn’t think about getting my licence. I’d never

really needed it before.”

“And you don’t want to be hijacked by a spirit.”

“No, it doesn’t work like that. Grandma didn’t understand, and neither did I, really, but

they don’t just slam into me and take over. It’s—there’s like a buzzing in my head, that’s all.”

Except Conner had nearly froze Sev’s balls off when he’d first tried to really speak to

him, then there’d been that whole thing with McAlister settling his nasty spirit in Rich.

“It’s complicated,” Sev settled on saying. “I don’t know if I should drive or not, so I

won’t.”

“That sucks, dude.”

Veronica pulled up saving Sev from trying to think of a comeback. They loaded up in

her car and headed back to Chris and Rich’s place to prepare for the spell casting.

* * * *

“I’ll meet y’all and everyone else at your place,” Laine told Rich. It was finally five

o’clock and he was eager and scared both, but he wanted to get this spell thing done.

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“Sounds like a plan.” Rich looked past Laine to Matt, who was right behind him. “You

think you and Carlin will be long?”

“Nope. He’s here now. I’m just going to change out of my uniform real quick then we’ll

be heading out there.”

Laine had a duffle bag with a change of clothes in it out in the truck. His boots were in

the truck, too. “All right. Zeke, Brendan, Lee and Darren should be there by six. See y’all

there.”

Laine left the Sheriff’s Department and was hard pressed not to speed all the way to

Chris and Rich’s. He wished they could just do the whole deal as soon as everyone got there,

but Miriam insisted midnight was the time for this. Her other suggestion had been three a.m.

but Laine and Sev both had just about begged her not to make them wait that long.

When Laine got there, he realised the other guys were in for a surprise. Miriam slapped

a bottle of some greenish stuff in his hand. “Go shower and use this everywhere, head to toes

and all places in between.”

“What is it?” It looked like the green sludge that had backed up in the bathtub once.

Nasty.

“It’s a cleansing bath. Just do it so you’ll be ready for the purification ceremony to

prepare for the spell casting.”

God, how many spells and ceremonies are there going to be? Miriam’s expression

discouraged him from asking. Laine trudged up the porch steps and didn’t smile until Sev

pounced on him inside the door.

“Ooph.” Laine dropped his boots trying to get a hold on Sev. “Miss me?”

“Always.” Sev peeled himself off and picked up Laine’s boots. “Come on, you have to

shower with that stuff.”

“Looks nasty,” Laine groused.

“Yeah, reminded me of that crap that backed up into the bathtub, but it isn’t so bad—

and it smells a hell of a lot better.”

“You already used it?” Laine dipped his head and sniffed Sev’s still damp hair. “You

smell kind of minty.”

“That’s me, minty-fresh,” Sev crooned, “and soon, you will be too. Bunch of people will

be. Miriam’s making everyone wash with the stuff. And she told you—”

“To wash every nook and cranny, yeah. Got it.”

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Sev led him to the bathroom and opened the door. “Go on, I’ll watch for the others.

And I have to keep an eye on Rogelio. Most of the coven has been showering with the hose

out back since today is warm.”

Laine remembered what it was like to be a horny teenaged boy. He gave Sev a gentle

shove. “Go find Rogelio before he gets himself in trouble.”

“I’m on it.” Sev closed the door behind him and left Laine with the green goop.

“It can’t be that bad.” Laine started the shower then stripped down quickly, aware that

there’d be at least eight other men who needed in there soon. He stepped under the hot

water and adjusted it to lukewarm. Scalding would have been perfect, but he didn’t want to

hog all the hot water.

Laine uncapped the bottle and took a tentative sniff. It wasn’t bad, smelt minty. He

poured some out and grimaced. It was thick and gritty, chunky, actually. Deciding it was

best not to examine it too closely, Laine set about washing every inch of his body.

Once he was finished, he got out and tossed the empty bottle in the trash. He towelled

off and got dressed, then went to find Sev. He bit his lip to keep from smirking at Rich,

Carlin and Matt, who were all holding bottles of the green stuff and looking a little nervous.

“Quit being wimps and go use it,” Miriam ordered, then clarified, “don’t shower

together. I have a feeling some of you might end up getting messy all over again. One at a

time in the bathroom. Rich—” She pointed at the man. Rich flinched like she’d slapped him.

“Oh, cut that out and go shower.”

Miriam spotted Laine and pointed at him. “Laine just used it. Does he look like it hurt

him any?”

Matt smirked at him and Laine knew he was fixing to get some shit from his friend.

“Well, I don’t know. He does look kind of different. More wrinkles, maybe? What do you

think, Rich?”

Rich winked at Laine but went along with Matt. “Maybe. More white at his temples,

too.”

“Then for goodness’ sake, you two wash with it twice,” Miriam sniped. “Y’all could

both use a heaping helping of maturity!”

It was Laine’s turn to smirk when his friends’ mouths snapped shut. “Maybe you

should give them a few bottles each.”

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“A gallon,” Chris offered, earning him a glare from rich and Matt both. “What? Y’all

can joke but I can’t?”

Rich stuck his nose in the air and muttered something about Chris not getting any for a

while, but he stopped and gave the man a big, sloppy kiss afterwards.

Miriam wandered off to greet Darren and Lee, who’d just parked their vehicle. Carlin

held the bottle up and shook it. “What’s in here?”

Laine couldn’t resist picking at the man, and Matt as well since he was looking at his

bottle like it was evil incarnate. “Miriam might have mentioned something about frogs.” He

strode off leaving both men gaping at him.

Laine found Sev outside talking to Vincent and Veronica. He sidled up to his man and

slipped his arm over Sev’s shoulders. “Where’s Rogelio?”

Sev pointed at the house. “Miriam put him to work bottling more of that green goop.

She handed him a box of about thirty bottles and a funnel and told him to have fun.”

“Woman’s a genius.” Laine and Sev spent almost an hour walking from group to group

and introducing themselves. They also thanked everyone. On occasion they’d find someone

off by themselves, but for the most part, the coven members seemed to prefer to gather in

groups rather than be alone.

Laine liked the sense of community he got from them. It made him consider whether he

was too harsh about the whole concept of religion. That was something he’d have to think on

more.

By the time they’d met everyone, the other men had showered and Miriam came out

onto the porch and hollered that it was time for the purification ceremony. From what Laine

could tell, it included everyone. Even Rogelio was there.

There also didn’t seem to be much to it. Miriam and Vincent had everyone hold hands

and form into a series of circles, the smallest of which was ringed by a few larger ones. She

and Vincent sprinkled something on the ground and began chanting as they walked around

the largest circle of people.

Laine held Sev’s hand on one side and, because he couldn’t figure out how to get out of

it without hurting the kid’s feelings, Rogelio’s on the other. As the chanting grew louder,

with the coven members joining in, Laine felt a ripple of power flow from Sev into him then

on to Rogelio.

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The kid gasped and looked at Laine with big startled eyes. Laine tried to smile

reassuringly at Rogelio, but in reality, he was a little freaked out himself.

The chanting died down then ceased completely. The circles brokeand people started

hugging…whoever they could reach, Laine decided as a woman latched onto him and

murmured something about ‘many blessings’.

When all the love-thy-neighbour stuff was done, Miriam invited them to form a line

and make their way through a buffet of special foods set up in the house.

“What do you think we’re supposed to be eating?” Sev asked. He sounded worried,

and Laine couldn’t blame him.

“It’s all organic stuff,” Rogelio answered. “I helped set it out. There’s no meat?—

Miriam said she didn’t want anyone eating flesh.” Rogelio crinkled his nose. “So it’s

vegetarian food, no eye of newt or anything like that.”

“I’d rather have Alma’s cooking,” Laine grumbled, but rabbit food was a small price to

pay to get the spirits back.

Sev nodded but got in line. “You’re not the only one, but once this is done, Alma’s

promised to make us a huge dinner. Tamales, even.”

“Tamales?” Well, that was different. Laine would eat this vegetarian food a lot more

eagerly knowing there’d be tamales in the near future.

And judging by the way Sev snickered behind him, Sev knew it, too.

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Chapter Ten

There was a definite energy in the air. It teased at the hairs on Sev’s forearms, making

them quiver. “Do you feel that?” he asked Laine.

Laine rubbed the back of his neck. “Feel something. I thought maybe I was just creeped

out.”

Sev wasn’t creeped out. He was excited and worried. What if Conner didn’t come back?

What if Mrs Hawkins or Stefan or Mrs Mathers didn’t come back?

“Stop fretting.”

“How can I not?” Sev asked. “I know you’re worried about them all coming back, too.”

Laine nodded and took Sev’s hand. “Yeah, I am, but it’s their choice. I think. I hope this

spell doesn’t force them to return if they don’t want to. That’d be wrong, and more selfish

than any of us ought to be.”

It’d suck if they lost any of their friendly spirits, but Laine was right. Miriam

approached them, her cell phone in hand. “Everyone’s where they should be. We’re going to

set out the candles and Vincent is gathering the herbs we need. We’ll start the chant in five

minutes, right at midnight.

“I hope I remember all the words.”

Laine mumbled an agreement. They walked to what Vincent said was the centre of

town, a spot between a vacant building and a thrift store.

“Form a tight circle,” Miriam instructed as she lit a candle.

Sev and Laine scooted in with the others. Veronica came over and held up a leather

necklace with a pouch on it.

“This is for you to wear, Severo. It will keep the curandero from being able to strike

against you. Keep it on for as long as it lasts. When the leather breaks, the curandero’s power

to harm you will be severed as well.” She settled it around his neck.

The pouch hung low, lying over his heart. Veronica began chanting, words Sev couldn’t

quite make out. The pouch felt as if it warmed against his chest. Sev thought he was

imagining it at first, but soon his entire upper body seemed unnaturally heated. It didn’t

hurt, but he wasn’t sure he cared for it.

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Veronica finished the chat with a pat to the pouch. “There. You’re safe now, but

remember, don’t take it off until it breaks.” Then she addressed the group. “It’s time to begin.

Join hands, please.”

Laine’s hand was rough, warm and familiar. Sev held it tightly. Rogelio was, of course,

on Laine’s other side. Sev’s other hand was linked with Ciara’s, a very shy young coven

member.

Miriam, Vincent and Veronica began chanting softly. As their voices rose, Sev and the

other members of the circle joined in.

“Return to us those who were taken

Whose will to remain was forsaken

Free them of their spiritual prison

Bring back those who we envision

Loved by those left behind

Stolen by evil design
Return those lost to those who are pure

Let their love strengthen and endure

Come to us who’ve gathered here

Break the spell that sent them there

Bind the hands that sought to destroy
Return to McKinton the town’s secret joy”

They repeated the words over and over, the sense of power and unity growing with

each repetition. Sev could feel the strength of their gathering building in the air, making it

dense with their words and hopes.

The pouch on his chest was now almost too hot to tolerate. Sev forced his mind away

from the pain, unwilling to mess up any part of the chant. His mouth was dry as the Sahara

when a sharp snapping wind slammed over them, snuffing out the candles and leaving them

in utter darkness.

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Bailey Bradford

No one stopped the chant. Sev tightened his hold in the hands in his and spoke louder.

He wasn’t the only one. The wind became colder, stinging his skin with a thousand little

pricks.

Sev got louder, straining his voice. Nearly shouting, like everyone else.

A loud unearthly howl ripped through the night. Sev shuddered so hard his eyeballs

ached.

Then the wind stopped as suddenly as it had started. Miriam led the chant into softer

and softer tones, then stopped it all together.

Silence loomed louder than their chanting had been. Sev waited, feeling oddly bereft.

A sharp tug to his hair and several buzzing bees in his head made him weep with joy.

Laine grunted then gasped beside him. His breath hitched, then Sev was lifted in

Laine’s strong arms and rocked back and forth.

“They’re home,” Laine rasped, tears dripping from his cheeks to Sev’s. “God,

sweetheart, they’re really home.”

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Epilogue

“Talk about déjà vu,” Sev whispered.

Laine grinned, something he hadn’t seemed to be able to stop doing since last night

when Conner and the other spirits had returned. There’d been a whole lot of crying there

between those two buildings, and probably at each of the other four points where Sev and his

friends had been.

Now it was almost midnight again and they were standing in front of the Hawkins’

Senior and Youth Centre. Laine still didn’t know why Miriam wanted to bless it. He’d asked

and she’d just told him she did as she was told to. That was good enough for him. After last

night, he wouldn’t doubt Miriam’s power again.

“It’s about to start,” Rogelio said. “Laine?” The kid held out his hand.

Sev poked Laine in the ribs and snickered, but Laine ignored him. He let Rogelio hold

his hand as they formed a circle and throughout the blessing chant. Laine did, however,

draw the line at dancing with the kid when Vincent started banging on some kind of drum.

The sound it made was loud and primal and went straight to Laine’s dick. No way was he

letting the kid feel that.

“Ready to go home?” Sev asked. “I promised Alma I’d have Rogelio back at the motel

before two a.m.”

Laine looked over to where Rogelio was dancing with…no one. No one alive, that was.

“I think Conner likes the kid. He seems to have a soft spot for them, with the way he

took to Stefan and now Rogelio.”

“Yeah,” Laine agreed, “he always wanted kids and told me he’d resigned himself to not

having any. Maybe this makes up for him missing out on being a parent.”

Sev called Rogelio over and received a pinch from Conner for it. “Cut it out, Conner.

You can follow him back to the motel, just don’t scare the sh—” Sev glanced at Rogelio.

“Don’t scare the stuffing out of her. She’s making us that big dinner she promised us

tomorrow. I don’t know when we’ll be seeing her again, or eating her wonderful dinners, but

I do not want Alma and her family leaving any sooner than they’d planned.”

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“We’re your family too,” Rogelio said, “yours and Uncle Laine’s both. You should

remember that.”

“You should remember it and quit trying to move in on my man.”

Rogelio laughed and looked at Laine through his lashes. “I know Uncle Laine will

always love you, Uncle Sev. That’s why I’m brave enough to ogle him, ‘cause he won’t ever

do anything about it, except maybe tell me to cut it out now and then.”

“But he’s family,” Sev pointed out.

“Yeah, like an in-law, so it’s not incestuous or anything, sheesh.”

Laine was ready for this whole conversation to end. “All right, y’all have traumatised

me enough. Let’s go.”

Rogelio leaned over and whispered something in Sev’s ear that made the man grin so

big it looked painful. Laine didn’t ask. He was afraid to.

They dropped Rogelio off, Sev walking him to the motel room and giving him a hug.

Sev came back to the truck and got in still wearing that big grin.

Maybe Laine did want to know after all. But Sev was having too much fun shooting him

smug little glances. Laine would give the man time to spill. He doubted Sev would be able to

hold in much longer whatever it was that was damn near making him glow.

He made it all the way home, though. Laine was impressed. Sev still didn’t tell him

what he was so happy about, not even when they were both naked and eyeballing each other

appreciatively.

More than appreciatively, Laine corrected. He wanted to eat Sev up with a spoon.

Laine finally broke when Sev dove for the bed, leaving him standing and therefore

responsible for turning off the light. He did, then he walked over and got in bed, dropping

down on top of Sev and tickling his ribs.

Sev squealed and kicked, nearly taking out Laine’s balls. He wedged in between the

man’s legs and growled as he teasingly bit at Sev’s neck.

“Ohmygod! Stop!”

Laine took another couple of nips and tickles then he rolled over and turned on the

lamp. He reached over and tugged Sev on top of him. “All right, spill it.”

“It’s nothing, really.” But Sev’s grin didn’t dim a bit.

“Sev…” Laine rumbled. He smoothed his hand down Sev’s back and popped one

round cheek.

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Bailey Bradford

“Hey!” Sev’s grin turned into a frown as he glared at Laine. “That isn’t going to make

me tell you!”

“Huh.” Laine considered his options and settled on the one he liked best. “How ‘bout

this?” He cupped the back of Sev’s head and drew him down for a scorching kiss. At the

same time, Laine spread his legs so Sev settled between them. Laine humped against Sev,

making it clear what he wanted.

“Oh,” Sev whispered when Laine finally let go of the man’s sinfully gorgeous lips.

“Yeah, that’ll do it.”

Laine almost couldn’t remember what he was trying to do. Sev slid down and bumped

his dick against Laine’s hole.

“Mm,” was about all Laine could get out. He wanted Sev’s cock inside him more than

he wanted his next breath.

“Rogelio told me Alma asked him and his sibs if they’d like to go to school here.”

Sev’s happiness bled through to his voice. It wrapped around Laine and sank into his

being. “S’good. Maybe they’ll move here.” He lifted his head enough to get a good look at

Sev. “Now will you fuck me?”

Sev snickered and levered himself up. “Horndog. Of course I will.”

Laine wondered if Sev would do that whole going down on his ass after coming in him.

He didn’t want to ask in case Sev didn’t want to…or thought Laine might want to do it in

return. He might try it one day, but as for now, it wasn’t something he thought he could do.

Therefore, he’d never ask Sev to do it to him.

But he could hope.

“Spread for me,” Sev ordered.

Laine arched a brow at him and sat up. “Why don’t you lie down and let me ride you?”

Sev’s jaw dropped open but he nodded vigorously then flopped back gracelessly. Or

maybe it was shamelessly. Either way, Laine was just glad he did it.

Laine plucked the lube from Sev’s hand. He straddled Sev’s legs then reconsidered and

changed positions, still straddling Sev but facing away. “Give me your fingers.”

Laine had to twist around like a pretzel to see Sev, but it was worth it because Sev

looked so horny Laine thought he’d come before he ever got his dick in Laine’s ass. He

poured a generous amount of lube onto Sev’s fingers, chuckling when some of the cool liquid

dripped onto Sev’s stomach.

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Bailey Bradford

He turned back to facing Sev’s feet and leant forward, his chest only inches from Sev’s

legs. The position put his ass up and open, and Sev took immediate advantage, sliding one

finger in deep.

Laine tipped his butt up, ready for more in a matter of seconds.

“You’re eager for it tonight,” Sev rasped.

“For you,” Laine corrected. He moaned when Sev worked a second finger in, then he

began rocking back to meet each thrust of those digits into his ass.

A third finger breached him and Laine’s eyes rolled up. His hole was burning

pleasurably and Sev was brushing over Laine’s gland every few strokes. Everything inside

and outside of Laine’s body tingled with little electric currents as Sev stretched him.

“More?” Sev asked in a guttural voice.

Laine hesitated. It might hurt. But it might feel fucking good. “Yeah, do it.”

Sev moaned then Laine’s asshole went from burning pleasurably to burning almost too

much to bear. He opened his mouth to tell Sev to back that fourth finger right out. The pain

ebbed as Laine’s little muscle gave, opening for the wider penetration.

“Fuck,” Laine mumbled as a line of ecstasy shot up his spine from his ass. “Jesus, Sev.

Do…something!”

Sev did. He started pumping those fingers in and out of Laine, long hard strokes then

slow, harder ones. Laine arched his back and slammed his butt against each thrust. He was

bouncing eagerly on Sev’s fingers, moaning and chasing the climax tightening his balls.

“Come on, baby,” Sev purred, his other hand reaching between Laine’s legs to press at

his drawn up nuts. Laine felt a scrape of fingernails over that sensitive skin just as Sev’s

fingers filled him again and that was it. He shouted then grunted as cum spewed from his

dick. Sev kept working his balls and ass, never letting up, dragging out Laine’s orgasm until

Laine could hardly breathe.

Then the fingers were gone, and Laine’s hips were jerked down. Sev’s thick rod speared

him in one thrust. Sev made a sound close to a sob, then his hands began lifting, his hips

working, and Laine was fucked to within an inch of his life.

“Love this sweet ass,” Sev babbled, “love you, love fucking you, feeling your muscles

clench around my fingers, my dick…”

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Bailey Bradford

It was a good thing Laine loved all those things too. He found the strength to sit up and

start doing some of the work. Sev moaned his approval and fucked him harder. That was all

well and good, but Laine wanted to see Sev, watch him fall apart as he came.

Later, once Laine’s dick was properly recovered, Sev could fall apart again with Laine’s

shaft buried in his tight ass.

For now, though… Laine pried Sev’s hands off his hips before rising up and letting

Sev’s dick pop out of his hole.

Sev started protesting but Laine shushed him—and knew he’d pay for it later—then he

turned and mounted Sev again. He reached behind him for Sev’s dick then held it up to his

pucker. Laine figured his grin was probably evil as he dropped down and took Sev’s cock in

his ass in one move.

Sev howled and writhed and Laine’s cock started to take interest. He rode Sev hard,

grinding his hips with each full penetration. Sev’s hands were latched onto Laine’s thighs.

There’d be bruises there come morning. Laine liked that idea a lot.

“Laine, God, I…”

Laine squeezed his inner muscles and Sev let loose a strangled shout. Hot cum filled

Laine’s ass, painting his channel with streaks of Sev’s release. Sev whimpered when the last

shot came, then he panted and pried open his pretty eyes.

“You’re hard again.”

Laine waggled his eyebrows at Sev. “So I am. What are you gonna do about it?”

Sev made a lewd smacking noise with his lips. And Laine decided he was the luckiest

man on the planet.

About the Author

A native Texan, Bailey spends her days spinning stories around in her head, which
has contributed to more than one incident of tripping over her own feet. Evenings are
resounds for pounding away at the keyboard, as are the early morning hours. Sleep?
Doesn’t happen much. Writing is too much fun, and there are too many characters
bouncing about, tapping on Bailey’s brain, demanding to be let out.

Caffeine and chocolate are permanent fixtures in Bailey’s office and are never far from
hand at any given time. Removing either of those necessities from Bailey’s presence
can result in what is known as A Very, Very Scary Bailey and is not advised under any
circumstances.

Email:

itsbaileybradford@yahoo.com

Bailey loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and
author biography at

http://www.total-e-bound.com

Also by Bailey Bradford

Southwestern Shifters: Rescued

Southwestern Shifters: Relentless

Southwestern Shifters: Reckless

Southern Spirits: A Subtle Breeze

Southern Spirits: When the Dead Speak

Southern Spirits: All of the Voices

Southern Spirits: Wait Until Dawn

Southern Spirits: Aftermath

Love in Xxchange: Rory’s Last Chance

Love in Xxchange: Miles To Go