Duality: Vol 2, Euphoria (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) (7 page)

“Better than being the friggin’ darth vader of awful,” snickered Kootch.

I turned around to scowl at him for being so thoughtless and caught Malcolm’s stricken expression in the doorway, right before he spun around and fled up the stairs without a word.

Chapter Eight: Malcolm

I HEARD MURMURING IN THE other room and crying too.  Knowing I’d caused all of it made me sick and angry at myself.  I knew better.  I
knew
better!  I should have told Mr. Butts to get bent and left this whole place without a backward glance.  It was stupid to think I could fit in with whatever was going on here.

I crept over to the armory room and tried to hear what they were saying, hoping like hell Rae could erase the damage I’d caused.  I got there in time to see her with her hands on Mr. Butts’ knees.  She was saying something to him, and he was smiling.  He looked a lot better than he had the last time I’d seen him; at least now he wasn’t acting like he was being attacked by the grim reaper or something.

Rae stood and backed away.

Kootch spoke up, grinning hugely. “Nicely done, Rainbow maker.”

I cringed, knowing how Rae would hate that nickname.

“Don’t call me that,” she said, sounding depressed.

“Better than being the friggin’ darth vader of awful.” Kootch crossed his arms over his chest and turned around.  When he saw me standing there his jaw dropped open.

My heart stopped beating for a few seconds, and my face flamed red with shame.  He was completely right.  And then Rae turned around and stared at me.  I couldn’t take the anger I saw on her face.  I ran.

I pounded up the steps, taking two at a time, pushing through the partially open door at the top.  Falling out of the closet, I stumbled through the computer room and down the hallway, vaulting over the couch on my way to the front door.  I flew like the hounds of hell were at my heels.  My past was catching up to me and there was nothing more I wanted to do than outrun it for once.

The deadbolt on the front door moved easily, but as soon as I cracked the door open, the beeping started. 
Fucking alarm! 
I ignored it, running out the door and down the front steps.  Maybe getting the cops here was for the best.

I stopped at the bottom, looking left and right as I oriented myself.  There was no one outside, but I assumed the cop cars had to be close.  I had to get back to my place and get my few meager possessions before I headed out of town.

“Stop!” yelled someone from inside. 
Kootch.  Asshole.
  He’d only spoken the truth before, but that didn’t mean it felt good hearing it.

I took off across the grass.  The beeping of the alarm stopped.

Kootch’s voice came from the front of the house loud and clear.  “Stop, dickcheese!  Stop or I’ll take you out!”

“Go to hell!” I yelled, not looking back.

I made it almost to the sidewalk when a weight that felt like a frigging truck hit me from behind.

“Oooph!” The air flew out of my lungs and didn’t come back for a full five seconds.  I laid on the ground under a hundred and seventy pounds of muscle and stink, gasping for my next breath.

“You aren’t running away, dude,” grunted Kootch.  “I’m not letting you do that.”

“Oh my
God
, Kootch!  What are you doing?!” yelled Jasmine, running in our direction.  The pounding of her feet reverberated through the manicured lawn.

“He was trying to get away!  I had to stop him.”  Kootch rolled off me, making sure to pound me in the shoulder once before completely letting me free.

“Fucker,” I said, my face still partially in the grass.  It smelled musty, like snail shit or something.

“I’m not the fucker, you’re the fucker.”  He scowled at me.

I rolled over and sat up, nursing my bruised shoulder as I glared at him.  “Why’d you punch me, dick?”

“Because, you made me do all this bullshit exercise and you also got my pancakes all mushy.  I’m takin’ yours.”  He stood up slowly, limping a little until he got his footing back.  He walked all the way across the grass and into the house without looking at me or Jasmine.

“I’m not going to breakfast,” I said, standing up.

Jasmine came over and stood right in front of me.  Even though she’d just seen me send her dad into the darkest place on Earth, she didn’t seem to care.

“Listen up, ball sack, because I’m only going to say this once.  That shit?  Is not your fault.  It’s not your problem that my dad tried to commit suicide by superpower, okay?  He’s the dumbass, not you.”

“You’re dad’s not a dumbass.”

“Yes, he is!  I told him what would happen, but did he listen?  No.  Only dumbasses don’t listen to me and have to test my theories out for themselves.”  She grinned.  “But thanks to you, now he believes me, and I’m sure next time I bless him with my brilliance he’ll listen.  You have no idea how hard I have to work to penetrate that thick skull of his sometimes.”  She walked around and put her hand on my back, trying to push me towards the front door.  “Get in the house and eat some of the damn pancakes so I don’t have to hurt you.”

“I appreciate what you’re doing, Jasmine, but no thanks.”  I refused to move forward.

She stood in front of me again, her arms flying up.  “What?  So you’re just going to give up on Rae?  On life?  Is that it?  Walk away crying to yourself about how you can’t live in the real world and can never have any friends or family?”

She made me feel like a stupid crybaby.  “I don’t do that.”

“Yeah, you do.  Boo hoo, I’m darth vader, I make people cry, poor me.”

She was angry, and anger makes people say stupid shit, so I was going to ignore her bullcrap, even though the part about Rae was making me feel a little guilty.  “Whatever.”  I rolled my eyes.

“No, not whatever.  Dude, you’re either something or nothing.  You choose.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”  I looked over my shoulder, wondering how much lead time I’d lost in avoiding the cops.

“Yeah it does.  You’re either somebody who gets involved and stands up for what’s right and protects those who need it, or you’re nobody - some jerk who lets everyone else do the work and then walks away after he’s done taking.  Stop looking like you’re going to run again.  You’re staying with us for just a little while longer, at least until we figure out what the hell is going on.  If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for Rae.”

“You don’t need me!” I yelled, angry at how guilty Jasmine was making me feel.  She’s right.  I am a nobody.  “She’s the one who has people after her.”  The fact that I was leaving when that was the case was pretty shitty.  I knew that.  But I couldn’t help but feel she was better off without me.  I just wished that it didn’t hurt so damn bad to even think it in my head.

“Yeah, that’s the thing, right?  Like, why are they after her and not you?”

I shrugged.  “Why would they be?”

“Duh!  Hello!  McFly!  Are you even in there?  Did your yanging of my dad kill off too many brain cells?  Are you retarded now?”

“Shut up.”  I didn’t know whether to be insulted or to just laugh.  She was totally worked up, spit flying out of her mouth when she talked.

“No, I’m not going to shut up, until you listen to reason.  What she can do, yeah, it’s powerful.  But what you can do?  Fuck
me
.  That shit is nasty.  Do you have any idea what someone could do if they controlled you?”

I looked at her like she was nuts.  “Controlled me?  Don’t be stupid.  That shit only happens in the movies.”

“No, buttfuck, it happens in real life, all the time.  Ask my parents, they’ll tell you.”

I was starting to think I’d landed in a nest of mental conspiracy nuts, just like Kootch had said.  I wondered if either of her parents had been in a looney bin.

“So … why are they after Rae and not you?  That’s the fifty million dollar question.  I want to find the answer, don’t you?”

“No.  I just want to leave and be left alone.”

She forced her arm through mine and clamped my elbow in her arm tight, dragging me towards the house. “Good, then we finally agree.”

I went along, all the while trying to get her to let go of me with some gentle tugs.  I didn’t want to pull her over or hurt her; I just wanted her to leave me alone.  “I’m pretty sure I’m disagreeing, or I meant to.”

“Nope.  You’re agreeing.”  We got to the front steps and she turned to face me, finally letting my arm go.  “The only way you’re going to be able to leave and be left alone is if you know what’s going on.  Running around in the dark only gets you banging into walls.  You need to find out what the hell Holder and Derek were doing coming after Rae and why they weren’t coming after you.  Right?  Tell me I’m wrong. Go ahead and try.”

I knew she’d never let me leave without a fight, or at least until I heard her out.  My stomach chose that moment to let out a huge gurgling growl.

“Good.  Even your stomach agrees.  Come on.”  She walked into the house without looking back, totally confident in her ability to sway me over to her way of thinking.

I stood in the front entrance, half of me wanting to go run down the street and never come back.  The other half smelled bacon and heard laughter coming from inside the house and wanted to be a part of it, if only for a short time.

I sighed heavily, taking a step over the threshold. 
First I’ll have some breakfast, and then I’ll leave.

Chapter Nine: Rae

I SAT DOWN AT THE table in one of the side seats facing the kitchen.  Mr. and Mrs. Butts sat on the ends and Kootch sat across from me.  The other two seats were empty until first Jasmine came in and then Malcolm.

My heart soared when he came around the corner and took the seat next to me.  I wanted to touch his hand or hug him, tell him everything was going to be okay.  But he looked so upset, I didn’t.  And I couldn’t blame him.  What Kootch had said was so wrong.  I would be madder at him for saying it if he wasn’t looking so guilty over it right now.  He was staring at his pancakes, poking them with a fork, mangling them in the middle but not eating them.

“Thank you for coming back, Malcolm,” said Mr. Butts, most of the evidence of his earlier breakdown gone.  All that remained were bloodshot eyes.  “I know it was difficult for you to see me like that, so I appreciate you coming back to hear us out.  And I owe you an apology.  I’m sorry I pushed you to do that.”

Malcolm nodded, saying nothing.  He had to feel horrible, and I knew him well enough by now to know that he was blaming himself for everything.  It was totally unfair.  Mr. Butts had asked for it, according to Jasmine.  At least he was apologizing now.

“Thanks to all of you for coming here and staying,” said Mrs. Butts, holding up a plate filled with bacon.  “Please help yourselves to what’s here.  There’s more in the kitchen for those of you with a big appetite.”  She looked pointedly at Kootch, but he still wasn’t engaging with anyone.

“My dad makes the best bacon in the world.  Try it, you’ll see.”  Jasmine was all smiles.

I wished I could smile back at her and pretend like we were BFFs, but that wasn’t going to happen.  The sting of her earlier threats still hadn’t totally worn off.

Malcolm handed me the plate after taking a piece of bacon.  Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed like he purposely avoided touching me during the transfer.  I tried not to be hurt by it, but it was impossible.  I wondered if he would ever check our secret email account in the future.  I shoved a bite of bacon in my mouth to keep myself from crying.

“Let’s go ahead and get down to business,” said Mr. Butts.  “I know you two are anxious to figure out what you’re going to do, and we’re anxious to help you do it, whatever it turns out to be.  Let’s all be clear about that, okay?  You decide.  We’re just here to facilitate.”

Malcolm and I nodded.

“Let’s give them a primer about us, first,” said Mr. Butts, looking at his wife.

“Good idea,” she said.  “I’ll start, and Joe, you can fill in the blanks.”

He nodded, putting a large forkful of bacon and pancakes into his mouth.  His jaw muscles pulsed out with every chew.  Kootch finally stopped playing with his food and began eating it.  His mouthful was even bigger than Joe’s.

“We are both veterans, Joe of the Army and me of the Air Force.  We worked in intelligence.  We retired a couple years ago after twenty plus years each, and have been members of a special group of ex-military intelligence providers ever since.  Our mission is to identify possible activities occurring in subversion of the government or our country.  We work closely with the U.S. government and are often paid as private contractors to deal with issues that are not exactly military standard.”

Kootch kept chewing, pointing his thumb at Mrs. Butts.  “Told ya.”

“They’re not conspiracy nuts, jerk.”  Jasmine jabbed Kootch with her elbow, scowling at him.

“Conspiracies?  Yes.  Nuts?  No.”  Joe speared a pile of cut pancakes, hesitating for a moment before putting them in his mouth to speak.  “We’re busy pretty much twenty-four seven trying to keep up with all the shenanigans going on, but right now, you’re on our radar.  That’s why we’re here.  Cut our trip to Hong Kong short.”  In the pancakes went.  I looked away, not crazy about seeing him perform the amazing feat of eating eight normal mouthfuls at once.

“Yes, as Joe said, you’re on our radar.  As soon as Jasmine called us and told us what was happening, we took a plane back.”

“What’d she tell you?” asked Malcolm.

I was glad Malcolm asked, because I was curious too; kind of like how I’m curious to know all the whacky things my parents do but then cringe when I actually hear what they are.

“I told them that I thought we had some Influencers at school.  And I was right.”  She smiled, very proud of herself.

“Influencers?”  Malcolm sounded confused.  I was glad not to be the only one.