Page 36 of Cursed: Ride or Die
Slade pulled in a deep breath. Sometimes the crazy got deep. “I think I might have found one.”
“Oh? One? They usually travel in… families.”
“He’s alone.”
Judith clucked her tongue. “Not good. Not good at all. He needs others like him. How do you know?”
“I found a wounded guy while camping. He’d been shot. Later a group of hunters came by, looking for a wolf.”
“Hmmm…” Judith remained quiet for so long Slade took the phone away from his ear to check if the call disconnected. Finally, voice soft, she replied, “Vern would have known what to do.”
Despite his prognosis of months, Vern had lived two years before cancer claimed him.
Another funeral missed because of the damned curse.
Not what Slade needed to hear. Time to ask Judith something she did know. “Let me ask you this. If the guy is what I think he is, and I don’t help him, am I in for a world of pain the next time I see you?”
Her chuckle came over their connection, a familiar, soothing anchor. God, Slade missed her. “Ifanyoneneeded help and you didn’t offer, I’d still box your ears.”
“That’s what I figured.” He easily pictured Aunt Judith sitting on the porch swing, surrounded by cats.
“Let me check with Vern’s folks. See if they know anything. It might take a while, but I’ll call you back.”
“Thanks, Aunt Judith.” Slade disconnected and video called Chuck. Chuck and his wife Lisa welcomed a baby boy into the world a month ago—a boy Uncle Slade dearly wanted to see.
What kind of asshole passed on a chance to see his brand-new nephew?
“Where you at?” Chuck asked.
“Kentucky.” Slade was in Kentucky, right? Sometimes places blurred together.
“Stop by Mammoth Cave if you get a chance. I went there a few years ago. Nice place.”
Small talk. The closest of brothers, now reduced to small talk. Fuck. Slade didn’t help things. “How’s Lisa and Benjie?”
“Doing good. Over at her mother’s right now. Anything going on?”
“Nah, just checking in.” Damn, how Slade’s heart wrenched.
“We’re all good.” Chuck dropped his voice. “I worry about you, brother. Out there all alone.”
Slade started to say, I’m not alone.Nope, better to keep quiet, though he couldn’t bring himself to look at the screen while lying. “I’m okay.”
“If you need anything, you’ll let me know, right?”
“Always.” Never. Chuck didn’t need any more involvement in Slade’s curse.
“Okay. I love you, man. Take care of yourself.”
“You too.” Slade forced a smile. So much he longed to tell Chuck, to share the burden of his life. He ended the call before spilling his guts.
Slade took the burgers back to the motel, slipped inside the room, and placed the food trays on the small, two-seater table.
Noah slept on. Then, his nostrils flared, his sniff loud enough to be heard from across the room. He shot upright. “Food!” Hints of color flooded his cheeks as he glanced from the trays to Noah and back again. “Sorry.”
Slade barely suppressed a laugh. Damn, he needed a laugh right now. “Don’t be. I know you gotta be hungry.”
“I am. Especially after I sh… sleep.”
