Chapter 28
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
Ghost
Turned out I tore a couple stitches carrying Pip around.
Worth it.
Once I was re-stabbed, re-stitched, and bandaged, Doc took his leave, and I found Kieran in the kitchen cleaning.
“I booked you a cleaning service. They’ll be here first thing in the morning.”
He turned from the sink. He was wearing yellow rubber gloves. Ridiculous.
“Big Bird wore it better,” I told him.
“You really booked a cleaning service?”
“The least I could do.”
“Thank you.”
I nearly fell over. “Did you just thank me?”
“It’s like you want the cleaners to throw out a carpet with your chopped-up body rolled inside,” he quipped.
“You’d never be that messy.”
The rubber gloves made an ear-splitting sound when he pulled them off and tossed them in the sink. “I appreciate you being there for Haz the other day.”
“And for you too?” I needled.
He gave me a look.
I grinned.
“Yes,” he said quickly. “Me too. I didn’t mean for you to end up in the middle of a shootout.”
“It’s what we do,” I replied simply.
“So you took him to your place?”
“Actually, I took him to his and then went back.”
Kieran raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen condemned buildings that are nicer than that shithole.”
“That’s a fact.” I concurred. “But that isn’t why he ended up at my place.” I cleared my throat. “Our place now.”
“You moved him in?”
“Yep,” I said, popping that P.
“Maxfield,” he said as though he were some announcer on the nightly news covering a tragedy.
“You know, for a hitman who just moved in his own cup of soft serve, you sure are judgy.”
“Do you even hear the words that come out of your mouth?” Kieran wondered.
“Obviously. I think about them first and everything.”
“Listen. I don’t think it’s a good idea—”
I cut him off with a level, cool tone. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
His eyes flickered.
“He’s mine. One of us now. And that’s not going to change.”
After a short, tense silence, I said, “You don’t know him as well as you think.”
“But you do?” He challenged.
“I know everything I need to know,” I replied.
“Maxfield, that’s just—”
I cut him off again. “He’s not an addict. He’s sick.”
Surprise filled Kieran’s face. It was a sight I wasn’t often treated to. I enjoyed it. Not much disrupted that RBF. Well, besides Haz.
“What?”
I went to his fridge to help myself to a beer.
“Aren’t you on meds?” he barked.
“What are you, my mom?”
He grabbed the longneck out of my hand before I could open it. “I’m your brother. Now explain.”
Oooo-weee. “I’m sorry, did you just admit we’re friends?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Mr. I-ain’t-got-no-friends,” I mocked in a rumbly voice.
His response was sharp. “I don’t.”
Kinda hurt my feelings to be honest.
I reached for the confiscated beer.
He jerked it back. “You aren’t my friend. You’re my family, and I’ll be damned if I stand here and watch you mix booze with pills while you got a bullet wound in your shoulder.”
“You do care.” I meant to say it all sarcastic-like, but it came out a little too real.
He made a rude sound. “Of course I fucking do.”
“I can see the marshmallow spine you speak of.”
“Fuck off.”
I chuckled, then sobered up because I wasn’t about to waste this moment. Probably wouldn’t happen for another decade. “You know I care too, right?”
“You made it clear when you shackled yourself in this life with me.”
Kieran hadn’t been too happy about that, but I didn’t give him a choice. Life only made sense if we were watching each other’s backs.
“My guy,” I said, spreading my arms wide.
“No. Stay away from me.”
I yanked him in, closing my arms around him to beat on his back. He stayed stiff and didn’t return the hug, but he didn’t pull away either.
“I love you too,” I whispered and then laughed at the choked sound he made.
“Uhhh, am I interrupting something?” Haz asked.
Kieran jerked back like he’d been electrocuted, and I cackled. “Just a little brotherly bonding.”
Kieran opened the beer he wouldn’t let me have and took a long pull.
“That’s mine,” I complained.
He reached into the fridge, pulled out a water, and tossed it at me.
I took a sip and then pulled some snacks out of my jeans. This time it was walnuts.
“I’m waiting for an explanation,” Kieran announced as I chewed.
“An explanation about what?” Haz wanted to know.
I gazed at Kieran, silently asking if this was a conversation he wanted to have in private.
Kieran gestured for me to go ahead.
“Rett has an autoimmune disorder. It’s called rheumatoid arthritis.
I haven’t had much time to research it, but it’s not something that can be cured.
” Truth is it bothered me that I didn’t know much about it.
It bothered me even more that he’d been walking around half his life without being treated.
If I had stayed two years ago, I could have gotten him to a doctor then.
Haz made a sound. “I knew something was wrong.”
“What?” we both asked. But I asked first.
I had dibs on everything to do with Pip.
“He limps a lot. Mostly when he thinks people aren’t looking. And he’s kinda pale. He doesn’t go out much either. He always said everything was fine when I asked, but I should have pushed.”
I shook my head. “Don’t think he wanted you to know.”
“But you’re telling us,” Kieran pointed out.
Well, no shit, Sherlock. “Yeah, because you think he’s an addict.”
Haz gasped. “Is that why he was sleeping in the middle of the day?”
I nodded, and Kieran’s brows drew down.
I turned to Haz. “Listen, half-pint, let him tell you when he’s ready, okay?”
“Why doesn’t he want me to know?” Haz asked.
“Probably because no one believed him when he started showing symptoms, and then after a doctor confirmed it, they told him it was his punishment for being gay, and they tried to beat it out of him.”
Haz’s face fell. “Is that why he was homeless?”
“It was safer on the street than at home,” I said, haunted by those words. They would echo inside me forever.
“You get a name?” Kieran asked. I knew that tone. It was his murder tone.
I had a murder tone too. “Oh yeah.”
Kieran nodded. “Good.”
“I should call him,” Haz said.
“You can’t.” I reminded him. “I’m telling you this now because, when I went back to his apartment after I dropped him off—”
“Why’d you go back?” Haz asked. Couldn’t even let me finish my sentence, the freaking gossipmonger.
“What does it matter?” Kieran asked.
“Is it because you missed him?” Haz pressed.
“This is not some sob story on TV,” Kieran growled.
“He’s right.” I agreed, finishing off the walnuts. “This is a sob story based on reality.”
“Would you get on with it?” Kieran erupted.
“Tommy was in his apartment. Threatening him. They spilled out into the hallway with Rett on the floor and Tommy’s fist in the air.”
“Who the hell is Tommy?” Kieran asked.
“He’s the top drug lord in our neighborhood. Most everyone is afraid of him,” Haz supplied.
“Yeah?” I scoffed. “Well, he ran from me like a little bitch.”
“You’re using the fact that Rett was canoodling with a drug lord as your evidence that he isn’t an addict?” Kieran wanted to know.
Smug asshole.
“First of all,” I corrected, “the only canoodling Pip does is with me.”
“What’s canoodling?” Haz wondered.
We ignored him.
“Second of all, would you just listen?” Trying to talk to these two was like asking a blender to lower its voice.
“I’m trying, but talking to you is like trying to herd shopping carts in a tornado!” Kieran blasted.
“He got some pills from Tommy,” I blasted back. “He was in a lot of pain, wanted a break, and got two pills.”
“Two pills?” Kieran was doubtful.
“Yeah. Two.” I challenged, stepping close enough that our toes bumped. “You trust me?” I asked quietly.
“You know I do,” Kieran replied.
“Well, I trust him.”
Kieran searched my unwavering stare for long minutes before relenting. “I had to be sure.”
“I know.” I allowed it.
“Be sure about what?” Haz interjected.
We ignored that too.
“Tommy was waiting inside his apartment when Rett got home. Trashed the place, broke his headphones, and threatened him.”
“About what?” Kieran asked.
“He seems to think that two pills means Rett is on the hook to deal for him now.”
“Rett can’t deal drugs for Tommy,” Haz announced.
“Way to point out the obvious, my guy.” I patted his head.
“He’s not your guy,” Kieran growled.
“Before I could just remove the problem altogether, the little dick jumped out the window and ran off. Probably in my Uber,” I explained.
“So you moved him into your place so Tommy wouldn’t find him when he came looking a second time,” Kieran surmised.
“I moved him into my place because I love him.” I corrected him.
“I knew it!” Haz exclaimed.
Kieran rolled his eyes. “I told you.”
“You also told me not to let it make me blind. Here’s me with my peepers wide open,” I retorted, pulling my eyelids wide.
Kieran turned to Haz. “How big of a problem is Tommy going to be?”
Haz considered it. “The last few months, he’s been getting a little bolder. Rumor has it he’s trying to increase business. He’s definitely not someone who just talks.”
Kieran’s eyes sharpened. “He’s killed people?”
“I can’t prove it.” Haz hedged.
“But you think he’s capable?”
Haz chewed his lower lip.
Kieran grabbed his chin and forced his head up. “You know I won’t let him hurt you, right?”
“I know. I was more worried about you.”
“Me?” He seemed skeptical.
Haz nodded. “Both of you. Word on the street is that he’s working for my uncles.”
“That was something you should have led with, my guy,” I chastised.
“I don’t know a lot about the way the mafia works around here. I mean, I basically just found out I’m part of it,” Haz replied.
“You are not part of the mafia,” Kieran barked.
“Affiliated.” Haz amended. “But if you kill Tommy, won’t that trigger some sort of retaliation from my uncles?”
“Choices will be made,” I deadpanned.
Haz made a sound. “Can’t you at least let me learn more about my dad before you go making us their enemy?”
“Who’s more important here?” I wondered. “A bag of bones already in the ground or Pip who’s walking around with a target on his back?”
I mean, the answer was obvious.