Chapter Three
He’d almost blown it. Hands stuffed in his coat pockets, Kieran meandered down the sidewalk, trying to get his bearings.
Something about Georgia brought the darkness inside him bubbling to the surface.
She was an interesting woman, to be sure, but at the end of the day she was human—and the soul he’d been sent to escort to the afterlife.
Main Street was…quaint. That was the best word to describe it. Planter boxes outside businesses overflowed with greenery and a smattering of flowers. He noted the police station, hair salon, barber, bank, post office, shops, and more. For a small town, it appeared to be thriving.
His stomach growled. The muffins he’d eaten earlier had been delicious but not nearly enough to satisfy his hunger.
Susie’s Diner loomed in the distance. It was a likely spot to get a bite to eat while possibly picking up information on his brothers.
If nothing else, it would allow him to settle his thoughts and plot a course of action.
He should be tracking down his brothers, but he was procrastinating.
What would he say? Hi, sorry you tossed away your immortality. I’m here to save your ass. Yeah, that would not go over well with either of them.
It was unseasonably warm for late September. Sunshine beat down on his head, and he began to sweat. Frowning, he removed his leather jacket and slung it over his shoulder. He was used to California heat. Plus, as a reaper, the temperature should have no effect on him.
He pulled open the door of the diner and stepped inside. The place was about half full, and every eye swung in his direction. Ignoring them, he crossed the room and slid into the one remaining booth. Conversation gradually resumed, and a waitress stopped by his table.
“Welcome to Susie’s. You’re new around here, aren’t you?” The tall, slender woman with silver-streaked brown hair, curious blue eyes, and a coffeepot in her hand gave him a quick onceover. “You got the look of them Blackwell boys. You related?”
Kieran didn’t know if he should swear or laugh.
He and his brothers kept low profiles, living and working in the shadows of major cities.
The fact that they didn’t age was a major problem in the modern world.
It seemed that both his brothers were front and center with the locals here, though.
It remained to be seen whether that made his task easier or more difficult.
If he was a betting man, he’d put good money on the latter being the case.
“I’m their brother.” Might as well get the word out. Maybe they’d find him before he tracked them down. “Kieran Blackwell.” Practiced smile in place, he held out his hand.
“Susie Harris.” The handshake was perfunctory. She nodded at the clean mug on his table. “You want coffee or something cold?”
“Coffee, please, but I’d like water as well.”
She filled his mug. “You got it. You ready to order?”
The place was filling up fast. He plucked the menu from behind the napkin holder and scanned the offerings. “Club sandwich with fries, please. And pie for dessert.”
“Apple, lemon meringue, or pecan?”
“Lemon, please.” Relaxing back in his seat, he leisurely perused the locals. Many of them looked away when he met their gazes, but one woman slid off one of the counter stools and sauntered toward him. He’d seen the predatory gleam in her eyes before. She was on the hunt.
Curious, he waited until she stood alongside his table.
She was of average height, and her strawberry-blond hair was cut short, the style accentuating her sharp cheekbones and big blue eyes.
White shorts hugged curvy hips and nipped in at her waist. The pink cotton blouse tied at her midriff showed a hint of the lacy white bra beneath. This was a woman that men noticed.
“Well, hello there. You must be new in town.” She held out her hand. “Joley Bragg.”
He took it, lingering no longer than was necessary to be polite. “Kieran Blackwell.”
She licked her pink lips and fluttered her eyelashes. “My, you and your brothers are all big and handsome, aren’t you? You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” Without waiting for an answer, she slid into the seat across from him.
“You know my brothers?”
Her mouth tightened briefly. “I’ve met Sam, but I’ve only heard about Alex.”
Interesting. There was clearly some history with her and Sam. Rather than engage in conversation, he remained quiet. Not many people could tolerate silence for long, most rushing to fill it.
Joley frowned and squirmed beneath his gaze.
He couldn’t help comparing her to Georgia.
Both women had the same coloring, but that’s where it ended.
Georgia was slightly taller and likely twenty or so pounds heavier, all of which were in the right places, as far as he was concerned.
He also couldn’t work up any interest in his uninvited guest other than as a source of information, while Georgia intrigued him on every level.
“Are you in town long?”
“That depends on my brothers.”
Susie interrupted them with her arrival. She deposited a glass of water and his meal in front of him. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, this looks great.”
“Joley? Are you finished with your salad?” Susie inclined her head toward the counter.
Both women looked at him, expecting him to make his preference known. He should have asked Joley to stay and pumped her for gossip. Instead, he picked up his sandwich and took a bite. Joley stood and huffed off while Susie grinned.
“Don’t mind that girl. She missed with Sam. Guess she decided to make a run for you. She’s not a bad sort. Just always looking for a man to get what she wants instead of standing on her own two feet and going after it herself. Yell if you need something.”
Amused and entertained by that analysis, he enjoyed his meal. The worst of his hunger satisfied, he homed in on the conversations around him—or tried to. His preternatural hearing was nonexistent. The only audible voices were the people talking loud enough for the entire diner to hear.
“What the hell,” he muttered. First he was sweating. Now his normal hearing was obstructed. How far had dear old Dad curtailed his abilities? And had he done the same to his brothers during their assignments?
Shoving out of his seat, he dropped enough money to pay for his meal with a generous tip on the table, grabbed his jacket, and abruptly left. Strides lengthening, he headed toward the outskirts of town.
The sidewalk eventually gave way to gravel on the sides of the road.
Dense woods replaced houses and businesses.
He paused when he reached a road sign and studied it.
Redemption, North Carolina. At least he could pinpoint his location on a map.
After making sure no one was around, he concentrated on opening a portal.
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Nothing.
Throwing back his head, Kieran roared. Several birds flew up from nearby bushes, startled by his outburst.
Chest heaving, he bent forward, resting his hands on his thighs. What had his father done to him? He hadn’t agreed to this.
A truck slowed and rolled to a stop beside him. He raised his head to wave the driver away and came face-to-face with familiar black eyes. Sam reached across the seat and opened the passenger door. “Get in.”
Not exactly the warmest of welcomes considering they hadn’t seen each other in person in decades, but it saved Kieran having to search him out. He got into the vehicle and closed the door. “Samael.”
“Kier.”
His chest tightened at the shortened use of his name. Only his brothers called him that.
There was no more conversation as Sam headed back toward town.
He was likely as startled by this turn of events as Kieran.
Rather than stop anywhere on Main Street, he kept going, eventually pulling over at a local park.
It was a serene spot. Mothers sat in the shade while preschool-aged children ran off excess energy or used the playground equipment.
An older man sat on a bench reading a book, a golden Labrador sprawled at his feet.
The dog raised its head and looked in their direction before settling back down to nap.
“Come on.” Sam grabbed the keys from the ignition and hopped out.
It was strange to see his brother in jeans and boots rather than a custom suit and Italian leather shoes.
He also favored luxury sedans or sports cars, not trucks that looked as though they’d rolled off the lot decades ago.
They were tangible signs of the huge change in his life.
Kieran followed him to a secluded picnic table on the far end. Rather than sit, his brother began to pace.
“How long have you been here?”
“I dropped in this morning.”
That got him a snort and a grin. “I bet you did.”
“You too?”
“The landing’s a bitch.” Sam’s smile faded. “I take it you got a lecture and an assignment from Dad.”
Kieran sat and motioned his brother to the table, waiting until he joined him. “I’ve got an assignment, but from what I can gather, mine isn’t quite the same as yours.”
A muscle in Sam’s jaw clenched, and his shoulders stiffened. Black eyes hardened. “What exactly did he send you to do?”
“I’ve got to reap a soul of his choosing.
” He noticed Sam relax slightly. “That’s only half of it.
What happened, Sam? You and Alex lost your immortality?
What the hell, brother?” Realizing his voice had risen and he was breathing heavily, Kieran forced himself to relax.
It was a challenge. All he wanted to do was dive across the table and beat his brother senseless while demanding an explanation.
It seemed he was a tad more upset about the situation then he’d thought.
“Has the old man locked down your senses?”
“Yes, and I can’t say I like it.” It was as though a huge piece of him was missing. Abilities he’d had his entire life and relied on were gone as though they’d never existed.