"Fuck." I dragged on my cigarette only to find I had finished that one too. "How long were you there for?"
"Seven years." His voice was heavy with sadness. "We lost Carter after five. His leg got infected and he just kept getting worse. Your mom tried to sneak over to see him whenever she could, but he put a stop to that. He didn't want to risk her getting caught and punished. Last time I saw him, he was feverish, weak. Leg smelled like death." Dad sighed. "He was just gone the next morning. Bed stripped clean."
"You never saw his body?"
"They had a mass grave out in the desert for those that passed. Most likely they dumped him out there, but we'd be shot on sight if we tried to go find him."
"Fuck," I groaned, the desire to smoke completely gone. My stomach turned with nausea instead. "Guess I'm pouring my first whiskey out for Carter tonight."
None of my fathers had been weak men. Finn, my bio-dad, served twenty-two years in the Air Force and retired as a Major. Nolan, Daren's dad, had worked in farming his whole life and was built like a brick house. Cancer had taken him too young, withering him away to nothing within a year when Daren was twelve and I was fourteen. But it was Carter, Noelle's father, who stood like a mountain even when the other two had met their limit.
Never in my life had I heard Carter moan about being in pain. My dads were all roughly the same age, and I remembered Nolan and Finn bitching about aching joints and sore backs when I was a preteen. Carter would just snort and tell them to stop being pussies. They always ran in the early mornings and worked out together, with Carter always pushing himself the hardest.
I looked to Hades, sitting regally on the lawn next to us with his paws stretched out in front of him. His ear flicked in my direction, head tilting to acknowledge the question in my mind.
Carter Daley is at rest, the omniscient voice echoed through me. A brief summation, but one that comforted the agitated churning in my stomach.
"I always thought he'd last the longest, of all of us." Dad nodded, echoing my thoughts while giving no indication that he heard the voice.
"How'd you and Mom make it to Four Corners then?" I asked
"The bunker hideout got attacked by another militia," he laughed drily. "These fucking Patriots thought the Collapse was God calling them to take over, but oh no. It never occurred to them there'd be bigger fish out there. So they were getting their asses handed to them and demanded all hands on deck. Guess they wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. So I grabbed a rifle and made it look like I was headed to the front lines. Instead, I grabbed your mom, stole a motorbike, and floored it in the opposite direction."
"You on a motorbike?" I laughed. "Shit, Dad. Want a cut and a patch? You've earned it."
"Hell nah. I ride like a grandpa now that I'm not running for my life."
"So then what happened?" I asked. "You just headed east 'til you ran out of gas?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Ran out of gas maybe fifteen miles or so outside of the border. We kept walking until we saw armed guards and almost ended up running the other direction. But our feet were bleeding, we were starving, dehydrated. Figured we'd either get shot or die out in the desert anyway, so we decided to take our chances."
"And how'd you end up as a general?"
"Well, after a few weeks of recuperating in the hospital, Vance came to see us. Four Corners was a lot smaller then, so the governor liked to personally meet all the refugees. We told him our stories and it turned out he was an Airman too, back in the day. Didn't stay in as long as me, but he knew where I was coming from. Said he needed a leader for his army. Not to fight and conquer like everyone else, but to keep people safe. I told him I was done fighting other people's wars, but I could whip some brats into shape. Five years later, and here we are."
"How do you feel about a war that's likely to still come?" I asked. "Especially with the territory being so prosperous, and now with taking Vance's daughter back from Blakeworth. Tash and that bastard up north have to have eyes on us."
"Oh, we're ready for it, " Dad said with a soft growl. "We're not looking for war, but those seven years opened my eyes, son. People with just an ounce of power are doing terrible things out there, and the less fortunate are suffering for it. We were damn lucky to make it to Four Corners, but not everyone is. How many people do you think collapsed out there in the desert, running from the exact same thing we were?"
"Hundreds," I mused. "Maybe even thousands."
"Exactly. So yeah, I'll take up arms for those who couldn’t. And everyone else is just trying to live free in a safe place for their families." His face softened, lips pulling into a smile. "So you're trying to make me a grandpa, huh?"
"Afterward," I said. "When we win, and I can sleep at night without all this shit running through my head."
"I hear you, son." He clapped me on the shoulder, looking out over the lake, which was starting to sparkle from the sun peeking out from the clouds. "We'll get there. Maybe not in my lifetime, but hopefully in yours."
"Better be in yours," I huffed. "Who am I gonna pass my spawn off to when I want to fuck my old lady into next week?"
"Then you have to be ready, Rory," Dad said softly. "Ready to fight like you never have before."
Six
MARIPOSA
"Do you mind dropping me off at the bar up the street? The one that’s been renting out rooms on the top floor?" I leaned back against Shadow, tilting my face up to look at him. "I haven't seen Tessa in a few days and I'd like to visit."
"Sure." He kept his eyes on the road, but released one of the handlebars to caress my back as he gently accelerated forward.
Every touch from him turned me to jelly. It was more than just chemistry and the newness of being together. Everything felt more meaningful, knowing how averse to touch he had been when we first met. He placed those fingers along my spine or threaded through my hand because he wanted that contact, not because it was expected of him. Knowing it was all intentional and thought out by him made me soak up every piece and hold on to every sensation.
When he pulled up to the bar, I never wanted the warmth of his chest to leave my back, nor his arms to come away from being extended on either side of me.
"Huh, looks like the Sons are here," Shadow noted, nodding at the bikes parked out front. “That’s Grudge’s ride. Pretty sure the other two are T-Bone and Dyno’s.”
"Oh, you should stay too then." I stretched up and long behind me to wrap my hands around the back of his neck. "Hang out with the guys while I visit Tess. We can go back home together, if you're up for it."
I expected him to refuse, knowing he had his limits when it came to social interaction. Eating lunch in a restaurant and window-shopping for a half-hour on a busy street would have been enough for one day, I figured.
Shadow stroked my sides, planting a kiss on me with a soft hum as I stared at him upside down. "Maybe I'll stay for a drink or two," he mused.
"You will?" I squeaked.