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Rain Shadow(12)

By:Tess Oliver


“So, you’re going to let her make a decision like that? She doesn’t understand the danger,” I pleaded, but I’d already lost his attention. He was staring at Luke.

“So Josh,” it was the first time he’d called Luke by the fake name, and the tone he used was chilling. “I had a friend of mine do a little sniffing around. He could only find three men by the name of Josh Frankfurt. One is dead. One of them lives in Alaska. One is a dentist in California. Are you a dentist, Josh?” He pulled down his bottom lip. “Cause if you are, I’m having a problem with my front teeth.”

“Don’t need to be a dentist to know you’ve shoved too much coke up your nose,” Luke said.

I always marveled at how cool Luke could stay when being faced down by my intimidating grandfather.

Grandpa laughed and nodded in agreement. “Like that sharp tongue of yours. Like a lot of things about you, Son, but I’m getting sick of being lied to.” Grandpa looked at him expectantly as if he thought Luke would spill his guts right then and there, but Luke didn’t say a word. I was confused and slightly upset that he didn’t just tell him his real name was Luke, but there had to have been a good reason he’d kept it to himself.

A few endless, tense seconds followed but then Grandpa laughed. “I’ll figure it out soon enough. Until then, I guess Angel has a play friend.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Luke placed a discrete hand on mine to quiet me.

“We’re all going to Mickey’s Saloon tonight for some beer and pool.” Grandpa looked at Luke. “Had any experience on a bike?”

“I can ride, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Good.”

“He’s staying here with me,” I said confidently.

“You’re going too.” He turned to leave but then stopped. The almost amiable look from moments before had vanished completely. Lately he didn’t even look like the same man I’d known as a kid. He seemed harder and colder with each passing day, and it terrified me. It was entirely possible that he’d always been just as sick as my mom but had just hidden it better. “And do something with your hair and clothes for a change, Angel. I’m tired of you looking as if you just crawled out of three days at Woodstock. I want you to look your best tonight.”

His words stunned me. I had no response. He’d never criticized my appearance or my clothes. I was slowly losing my grandfather, and he was being replaced by an unpredictable asshole. And now I’d brought Luke into my wholly unstable world. Hell, I hadn’t just brought him into it, I’d made him the center of my grandfather’s attention.

My grandfather walked away, and it seemed both Luke and I released the breaths we’d been holding. I glanced over at Luke. He stared straight ahead, and while there were times when I could read his thoughts, this wasn’t one of them.

“I guess if we’re both going it won’t be too bad,” I said.

He nodded but didn’t seem too convinced. Truthfully, I wasn’t convinced either. My evil grandfather was up to something. Luke knew it too.





Chapter 4

Luke

There was a light knock on my door. I’d managed to doze off for an hour, and any time I could sleep smoothly for longer than fifteen minutes was like gold. I wondered if my sleep pattern would ever be normal again, or if the haunting urge to stay awake so that Dex would survive was so ingrained now, it would never leave.

Angel walked in. Rather than follow her grandfather’s command to look less Woodstock, she’d gone hardcore hippie with a short mod dress, long black boots and a headband to match.

“I fucking love that dress.” I stepped in front of her and ran my fingers up her bare thigh and beneath the hem of the dress to her panties. “Now take it off.”

She laughed. “I would but the king awaits with his line of noisy chariots.” She handed me a blue bandana. “You’ll need this. It’s a slow, torturous and very dusty ride to the main road.”

“Damn, I thought you were going to ask me to tie you up with it.”

Her eyes sparkled at that suggestion. “I like the way you think, Reno. Maybe later.” She sighed and her mouth turned down. “Are you dreading this as much as I am?”

“More so.” It was obvious Dreygon was up to something, and I had the shitty feeling that he’d asked Angel to pretty up because her intended would be at this, no doubt, sleazy saloon. I’d come dangerously close to telling her about his creepy arranged marriage plans but then had decided against it. It would only upset her, and since there was no way it was going to happen, I couldn’t find a reason to tell her.