So Far Gone in You(Primal Heat 2)(42)

Syn gave her a quick kiss on her withered cheek and patted her bone-thin shoulder before he took the basket and set it on the table. “I’ll let him know you asked.”

Her gazed dipped below the table. Olin patted his right hand on the floor and then pinched his fingers together. “Found my contact!”

He didn’t wear contacts.

A bright smile blossomed on the elderly woman’s face before she turned toward the door. “Luther will be up soon. Do you need your backyard mowed?”

Olin frowned as he crawled from under the table and took a seat in his chair, grabbing one of the muffins. It was warm and smelled so dang good that his stomach concurred with a loud growl.

“Maybe some other time,” Syn said.

The backyard was all concrete. What was this Luther person going to mow, the weeds coming up out of the cracks? There was a large tree in the back, but the concrete circled around the base. Olin didn’t even try to understand why someone would do that to a backyard.

“Okay, you let me know, and I’ll send Luther over.” She patted Syn’s hand. “And put that gun away. You could hurt someone with it. Does your Daddy know you have it?”

Olin snickered.

Syn blushed. “I’m twenty-six, Mrs. Coldfish. My father lives in Florida.”

“He’ll take you to the shed if he finds you with it,” she said as she wiggled a finger at him.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll put it away.” Syn led her to the door and watched as she walked out before he closed and locked it.

Olin burst out laughing. “I really like her. Who’s Luther?”

“Her dead husband,” Syn said before he took a seat at the table, set the gun aside, and snatched a blueberry muffin from the basket.

“You better put that gun away before your daddy spanks you,” Olin said with a soft chuckle.

“Smartass,” Syn said as he devoured the muffin in one bite.

Olin remembered Ollie and grabbed the phone off the table and called. His brother picked up on the second ring.

“How are things going?”

“Aunt Mya was taken to the hospital,” Ollie sounded worn down. “They found Uncle Fester.”

Olin’s gaze shot to Syn as he set his muffin aside and wrapped his free arm around his waist. He tried to brace himself, but how do you prepare yourself for the news that a person you loved dearly was dead? You couldn’t.

“He was in his bedroom, trapped under his bed.” Ollie sniffed as if he’d been crying, and Olin’s heart wrenched from his chest at the sound. He hated when Ollie cried. “He’s alive, but badly burned. Aunt Mya lost it, and they gave her a sedative. They said they’ll keep her overnight for observation.”

“I’m coming there.”

“No,” Ollie said. “Coop is going to need you when they find him. You stay at Talyn’s. There isn’t much you can do here anyway.”

“I can be there for you,” Olin said in an almost whisper. “I don’t want you to go this alone.” He glanced at Syn, who was watching him. He touched his temple with his index finger and then pressed the tip against the back of the phone. “I’m there with you, Ollie.”

“I know,” Ollie whispered. “Whose phone number is this?”

“Syn’s. Call it anytime to give me updates.”

Syn nodded.

“And you call me as soon as you hear anything about Coop and…Karidon.” He said Karidon’s name in reverence. Olin had thought his twin liked the guy, but now he knew just how much.

“I promise. I’ll have Karidon call you.”

“No,” Ollie said bullet-fast. “That’s okay. Just let me know he’s all right.”

Olin smiled. His twin had always been shy when it came to men. “I’ll do that.”

He held the phone close to his ear long after Ollie had hung up. Olin tried his best to hold it together. The past ten hours had taken its toll. He’d opened himself up to Coop about his parents and bonded with the guy, only to turn around and have his house set on fire as Coop and Karidon were kidnapped. And now Uncle Fester.

He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. Olin felt as if a fault line had opened up inside of him, sucking him in slowly.

Syn moved from his chair and squatted next to Olin. “Tell me what’s going on, hon.”

Olin conveyed to Syn what his twin had told him. Syn reached up and squeezed Olin’s shoulder. “Everything will work out.”

The only thing Olin could do was nod. He clung to Syn’s optimism that things would be okay. He jerked slightly when Syn’s phone rang, and his heart once again leapt into his throat when he saw that it was Talyn calling.