Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
B uzzing sounded in Kai’s bedroom. Who the hell was that? He opened his eyes and grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand, then held it to his face.
Conner
Lunch today?
He smirked. Suddenly Conner had become his best buddy. What was that all about?
Kai
Sure. Where and what time?
The phone dinged.
Conner
Pick you up at noon. Your choice on the restaurant.
Kai
OK
He looked at the time on his phone, 11:15 a.m. “Shit.” He needed to get going so he could shower before Conner picked him up.
Kai stood in the front window of his duplex, wearing a slim white button-down shirt untucked over jeans, and tapped his hand on his thigh. Conner invited him to lunch. Conner was taking him to lunch. How weird was that? Something was definitely going on here, but he wasn’t sure what.
Conner’s BMW pulled into his driveway, angling slowly over the curb.
He rushed out to the car, then jogged to the passenger side and slid into the soft leather seats, giving Conner a wide smile. “Hey.” Conner looked absolutely stunning, as usual. The guy really should have been a model.
“Hey.” Conner, in a gray polo shirt and black jeans, grinned and backed the car out of the driveway, being careful of the front end over the curb. “So, where do you want to go for lunch?”
It would be good to get out of Fountain Hills for a change. “How about something over the hill in Scottsdale, like Ling and Louie’s?” He hadn’t been there in months and it was one of his favorites. He gazed at Conner.
“Yeah, sure.” He drove the car out onto Fountain Hills Boulevard, then took a right at Palisades. As they passed their old high school, he shook his head and chuckled. “We had some fun times in that building.”
Kai looked out over the clay-colored brick building with turquoise metal accents. “Some bad times, too.” The memory of Conner denying what happened between them flashed through his head. When would they ever talk about that? Probably never. He thinned his mouth.
He glanced at Kai and lifted his brows. “How bad were things for you there?”
“Oh, it wasn’t that bad. I guess it just never felt like I fit in anywhere.” He stared at the dash. He was taking the fun out of this little outing. He should change the subject. “Anyhow, fill me in on what you’ve been doing since high school. I mean, I’ve only heard bits and pieces of it.”
Conner smirked and turned onto Shea Boulevard, heading up a hill, then down the other side into a sea of Tuscan-style houses all painted in desert brown. A small mountain rose up on the left with the remnants of an ancient lava flow falling down its sides underneath cacti and brush. “After high school I moved down to Tucson and went to U of A for biology. I was going to do what my father wanted and get into med school.” He frowned. “But you know that didn’t happen.”
Kai scanned over the houses and apartment complexes on either side of the road, hiding behind masonry walls, and the deep dirt wash running next to them. Maybe he could figure out what happened between Conner and Paige. “So, did Paige go down there, too?”
“Yeah. We lived together for a few years. We both stayed in the dorms the first year.” He stopped the car at a light and studied Kai. “Why didn’t you ever go to college?”
Kai lifted a corner of his mouth. “Me? Why?”
“You were good in school. You totally could have gotten in.” He started the car back up.
Kai gave his head a shake and adjusted the rectangular, chrome vent. “It just wasn’t for me. I wanted to work.” He needed to work, more like. Maybe that was something Conner would never understand. He didn’t have a lot of choices like Conner had.
“Live simply?” He smiled at Kai and drove the car into a parking lot.
“Yeah.” That was one way to put it. Though he didn’t have much of a choice but to live simply, either. He took in a brown building in Hacienda style. A tall square turret rose up at one corner with natural stone covering a few feet in from the edges and tiles at the roofline. A large covered patio stood in front of the building. Kai opened the car door and stepped out, then shut the door.
Conner got out of the car and strolled to him. “Patio?”
“Definitely.” He looked up at a clear blue sky. “Too nice to sit inside.” He followed Conner to a short iron gate and stepped inside the patio. “Let’s sit at the bar.” After all, that was where he felt most comfortable.
“Sure.” Conner walked up to the bar, which was half facing the patio and half facing inside the restaurant. He took a seat and set his cell phone on the wooden bar top.
Kai sat next to him, scanning the racks of liquor bottles hanging over their heads and wine glasses dangling upside down. He’d always liked this setup. It was small, but efficient. Everything within quick reach. “I have to work tonight, so I’m not drinking.”
“I don’t, so I’m having a beer.” Conner smirked at him.
A male bartender with short spiked, blond hair approached them. “What can I get you?” He dropped menus on the bar top.
“Iced tea for me.” He picked up the menu.
“Pale ale on tap for me.” Conner lifted a menu to his face.
“Be right back.” The bartender walked off.
“What do you like here?” Conner perused the menu.
“The Evil Jungle Princess Chicken is good.” Once he found something he liked, he usually stuck with it. He set his menu down and glanced at Conner. “In fact, that’s what I’m getting.”
Conner nodded and rubbed his chin. “I’m getting the Drunken Shrimp.”
The bartender set their drinks down. “Did I hear an Evil Jungle Princess Chicken and a Drunken Shrimp?” He set his hands on the back bar.
“Yep.” Kai handed his menu to the bartender and looked him over. This guy was good.
“Be right up.” The bartender took both menus and sauntered off.
Kai stirred his iced tea with the straw. Maybe he could find out what Conner’s deal was. “So, you said some things last week when you were drunk.” He sipped his tea and peered at him.
Conner released a quick exhale. “Yeah, well, I was drunk. People do that.” He shifted in his seat and drank his beer.
Kai examined him. He seemed a little uneasy. Why? “You said you fucked up,” he said. “Were you talking about the break-up with Paige? Like are you sorry you broke up with her?”
“No, breaking up with her was definitely a good thing.” Conner nodded, then tilted his head and twisted his lips. “But that’s part of it.” He focused on Kai, gazing into his eyes. “I was living a life that wasn’t real.”
Kai narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean by that?”
“I, uh...” Conner chewed on his lower lip and stared at his beer, then snapped his brows together for moment. “What was it like before you came out? How did you get the nerve to do that?”
Kai blinked. That was quite a change in subject. Conner obviously didn’t want to talk about whatever had happened to make him move back to Fountain Hills. Kai lifted his chin, thinking back. “I didn’t get the nerve. I was outed.”
“By whom?” Conner’s attention focused on him and he leaned toward him.
“Bryce.” Kai released a quick laugh, the memory flooding his mind. He was so stupid back then, even more stupid than now. “I tried to kiss Bryce when we were freshmen. He told his mom, then his mom told my mom, and I was outed.”
“Bryce?” Conner pinched his lips. “But you guys are such good friends.”
“He was the boy next door. Literally.” And as usual, he’d mistaken a close friendship for something more. He let a faint grin work its way over his lips. “Bryce was cute, but he’s very straight.”
Conner frowned. “Do you still think he’s cute?”
He choked out a laugh. “God, no.” He sipped his tea. “We’re best friends now. I got over him.” He took Conner in from head to toe. “Found someone else to crush on.” What would he say to that? He held his breath. He was playing a potentially dangerous game. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.
“Dare I ask who?” Conner offered a sly grin.
Of course, he went there. “No, you may not.” Heat flushed his face and he gazed at his tea. Conner would never have pretended to be his boyfriend if he knew. They might not be sitting here right now if he knew. He tensed the edges of his mouth.
The bartender came up and set down plates of food. “Here you go. Enjoy.” He walked off.
Now maybe he could change the subject. “This looks good.” He tore open the wrapper on his chopsticks and shoveled rice and chicken into his mouth.
“Is it someone I know?” Conner picked up a shrimp with a chopstick and ate it.
“Who?” Apparently, Conner was going to keep this going. Why did he care so much? He gulped some tea from his straw.
“This guy you had a crush on. Do you still have a crush on him?” Conner sipped his beer, then set it down and fixated on him.
Kai looked him over, the side-swept, wavy brown hair, the ice-blue, narrowed eyes, the pointed nose, the generous lips, the gentle scar on his cheek. One day, he’d love to kiss that damn scar. Longing squeezed his heart. “Yeah. Yeah, I still do. I’m not telling you who, so quit asking.” He furrowed his brows and slipped chicken and vegetables into his mouth.
Conner scowled. “I want to know, Kai.” He glared at him.
“Why?” Jesus, the guy was persistent. He gazed at Conner.
“Does Bryce know?” Conner gulped hard.
Kai scratched his cheek. “Well, yeah.”
“Fine. Then I’ll ask Bryce.” Conner chuckled.
He lifted his brows. “No, you won’t.” He slapped Conner’s knee.
Conner seized his hand and tugged him close, focusing on his mouth. “I want to know, and I will know.” He licked his lips, his breathing heavy.
Kai’s heart thumped in his chest. Fuck if he didn’t want to kiss Conner right this very second. He drew a deep inhale, gazing into Conner’s intense eyes. “Maybe someday I’ll tell you. When I’m ready. If I’m ready.” Except that day would never come.
Conner freed his hand and cleared his throat. “Yeah, okay.” He straightened in his chair, grabbed his napkin, and wiped it on the side of Kai’s lips.
“What are you doing?” He swatted his hand away.
“You had some stuff on your mouth.” Conner sniggered and sipped his beer.
Kai laughed. So that’s why he was looking at my mouth. Figures. “Okay.” Time to change the damn subject again. He thought back to last night. “So, do you have the game cameras?”
“Yeah, I can show you how to set them up when we get back.” Conner ate a shrimp and some rice.
“This thing really terrifies me.” A chill flickered up his spine and he brushed his palms over his arms.
Conner placed his hand on Kai’s arm, wrinkling his forehead. “I told you not to worry about it. I’ll help you get to the bottom of this. I know these guys who can figure out what’s going on and probably settle things back down.”
“But what if they can’t?” His body shuddered. He really hated thinking there might be a chindi in his house.
“Then I guess you’ll have to move in with me.” Conner laughed and drank the rest of his beer.
He snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Kai pulled his blazer into the carport of his duplex, shut the headlights and the engine off and climbed out into the dark, wearing his black restaurant t-shirt and jeans. He really didn’t want to look at the camera footage. Maybe he was better off thinking it was raccoons, even if it wasn’t.
Bryce stepped out of the passenger side of the blazer. “Here we go.”
“Yeah.” He turned to see Conner pull his BMW up to the curb and turn off the headlights. As goosebumps broke out over his skin, he wrapped his arms around his waist. Hopefully, he wouldn’t lose his shit too badly and look like a pussy in front of Conner.
Conner got out of his car, wearing a gray polo and black jeans, then jogged up to Kai. “Ready?”
At least he wasn’t alone. “No.” He shuddered and took a deep breath, then followed Bryce to the carport door with Conner following.
Bryce pulled a key out of his front pocket, then opened the door. He glanced at Kai. “You, first.”
“No, you go in first.” Fucking Bryce. He clenched his jaw.
“I’ll go.” Conner straightened his shoulders and stepped inside.
“Well?” Kai walked in behind Conner and looked around. All the cabinet doors and the drawers were opened. Silverware rested on the tile floor. “Fuck this.” His voice cracked. It was already too much to deal with. He trembled.
Conner grabbed the game camera from a round, glass and ratan dinette, then flipped the back open and turned on the screen. “Come here.” He waved to Bryce and Kai.
He stepped to Conner with Bryce close behind.
Conner hit buttons on the camera, rewinding it, then stopped and hit play.
The small screen showed the cabinet above the sink opening, then slamming shut. A few doors down, a cabinet opened slowly and stopped. The silverware drawer groaned open. A fork flew out, clinking on the floor. No raccoons at all. Nothing.
Fear prickled up Kai’s spine. He shuddered. His breath hitched. This is too much. Too damn much. “Fuck this shit. I’m out.” He sped to the door, slammed it open and ran out into the street, panting. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. He paced back and forth, glancing at the duplex, fisting his hands in his long hair at the temples. How could this be happening?
Conner ran to him and wrapped him up in a tight embrace. “Kai, it’s okay.”
A pack of coyotes howled and yipped from beyond the duplex in the tree-laden wash, piercing the quiet night.
Kai startled. “Holy shit. Not coyotes, too.” Under his breath, he said, “Chindi...” He shook in Conner’s hold, his arms drawn up between them. “It’s not okay. It’s fucked up.” He peeked at the duplex. “What am I going to do? I can’t go back in there. I can’t. I-I could get sick.”
“Hey, a lot of times the entity is someone we know who’s passed on. Maybe it’s a relative coming to visit and see how you are?”
He stared at Conner. “My fucking dead father? Are you shitting me?” Tears stung his eyes. “He’s probably pissed off that I let him die.” Where did that come from? He blinked and a tear tumbled down his cheek. He was losing it. The thing he didn’t want to do. “Oh, shit.” He bit his lip.
“What?” Conner kept his hold on him with one arm and brushed the tear from his cheek with his thumb. “Kai, what are you talking about?”
Kai’s gaze darted over the street, the duplex, then landed on Conner. Years of pent-up emotion crashed through his heart. “I-I didn’t remind my dad to take his insulin. H-he died in a diabetic coma. It was my fault. My mom said so all the time.” Was it possible the chindi had only found him now?
“Jesus, Kai. How old were you?” Conner watched him, wrinkling his brows.
“I-I was five.” Kai’s breath hitched. His voice breaking, he said, “I was only five.” The tears came, one after the other, falling down his cheeks. He couldn’t stop it. He let out a soft sob.
“It wasn’t your fault. You were just a kid.” Conner hugged him tight to his chest. “Damn it, what kind of a mother would say something like that?”
Bryce jogged down the driveway and stopped at Conner and Kai. “I closed all the... What the fuck?” He stared at Kai and placed his hand on his back.
Conner twisted Kai around, out of Bryce’s reach. “I’ve got him.” He wound both arms around him. “Can you give us a minute?”
“Jesus, yeah. I’m going to go grab some bourbon. I think we all need it.” Bryce strode to his white, Toyota Corolla, sitting against the curb on the other side of the street, got in and drove off.
Kai took a ragged breath against Conner’s shoulder, his vision blurring with more tears. Why was this hitting him so hard? Why now? He nuzzled into Conner’s neck and sniffled. It felt so good to be in his arms. Downright heavenly.
Conner released him enough to look into his face. “Kai, I’m here. I won’t let whatever is in there hurt you.”
He gazed into Conner’s eyes, his mouth so close to his own. He swallowed and licked his lips. “C-Conner?”
Conner closed his eyes and placed a feathery kiss over Kai’s cheek, brushing his hand down the back of his head. “I’m here.” He kissed closer to his lips. “I’m not letting you go.” He claimed his mouth with his own.
Kai widened his eyes, then shut them, taking all he could from the gentle but firm kisses teasing and tasting him, the exploring tongue dancing inside his mouth. He broke the kiss and whispered, “Oh, God.”
Conner entwined his fingers in Kai’s hair, jerked his head back, and placed more insistent kisses over his mouth, filled with need. He strengthened his hold around his chest.
Kai surrendered to the solid embrace, lust shivering up his spine, his cock hardening.
Conner moaned a deep growl, rubbing his stiff shaft against Kai’s thigh .
He’s not straight . He’s not fucking straight! Kai fluttered his eyes open and broke the kisses, taking deep breaths. “W-we better get out of the street.” He looked into his hooded blue eyes. Damn, he looked hot as hell. God, I want him .
Conner cleared his throat and freed Kai, except for his hands, squeezing them. “Kai, obviously I’m, I’m... I like you.” He rounded his eyes and searched his face, his lips turned down in a pout. “I-I don’t know who you have that crush on, but I want it to be me.”
Kai dropped his jaw open. Holy shit. Should he admit his feelings? “Uh...” No, he wasn’t ready. There was some serious explaining to do first. “Conner, we should probably talk.” He had to be sure that Conner’s feelings were real first.
Conner shut his eyes tight and released a quick exhale. “Okay.” He opened his eyes.
“But not here.” Kai glanced at his duplex. “I can’t go back in there right now.” He tilted his head at the house. “But I don’t know what to do about Bryce. I can’t just leave him here.”
“How about we go back to my place for tonight and figure out what to do in the morning?” Conner drew a deep inhale.
“Yeah, that would probably work.” Kai glanced at the house, then focused on Conner. There was nothing in there he needed badly enough to go in for. “Let’s just go and I’ll text Bryce on the way. I seriously can’t go in there right now.” A shiver prickled over him.