Page 165 of Malice and Surrender
This didn’t seem like a smart idea.
Being summoned by Kai for anything felt wrong, but it screamed slasher flick when it was almost midnight. My headlights bounced over the rough driveway, the beams shining on the old farmhouse, and I shivered. It was straight out of a horror movie. Amityville or something could totally be made here. What made it fucking creepier was the fact there wasn’t a single light on, and yet when the lights flashed over the large bay window, I could clearly see Kai standing behind the glass, staring at me like a fucking mannequin.
Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, I was tempted to turn the fuck around, but the porch light turned on, and Kai stepped outside.
“Shit, shit, shit.”
A: Hey, I’m having a weird beer with Kai. If I disappear, you’ll know who to look at first.
J: Like he wouldn’t have already been my first choice. Why are you having a beer with him?
A: That is a good fucking question. I’ll keep you posted.
J: Don’t get yourself fucking killed.
A: Thanks, I’ll try not to.
Stuffing the phone in my pocket, I got out, and Kai smirked at me as he leaned against the support beam. Not walking any closer, I leaned against my car and crossed my arms.
“Making sure someone knows where you are?”
“You know what they say. Someone should know where you are at all times.” My eyes darted to the darkness beyond the pathetic glow of the lone light. “Especially when visiting a gang member in the middle of the night.”
“I’m not sure I’m the most dangerous thing out here, but I do like that you’re smart and think ahead. You do that a lot, don’t you, Avro?”
Kai lit up a smoke, the little flame of the lighter glowing brighter than anything else. I didn’t bother to say anything and watched him calmly as I thought about the baseball bat in the back seat and how I left the keys in the ignition for a quick escape. I might love Raine enough to accept this situation, but I was no one’s fool, and trusting Kai blindly was a sure way to get myself killed.
“You not planning to answer?”
“Didn’t know I needed to. You seem to have me figured out,” I said.
Kai snorted, and I couldn’t tell if he was amused or annoyed, but he sat down on the top step of the porch and opened the small cooler waiting for him. It was as if he knew I wouldn’t go inside the house alone and had anticipated that. He pulled out a beer and tossed the can for me to catch. When he said, ‘Have a beer,’ this was not what I had in mind, but it worked. Holding the can away from my body, I opened it and let the fizz bubble out onto the ground before taking a sip.
“Decent. At least you have good taste in more than a particular woman,” I said. It was a brand I’d never seen before.
“It’s from Canada, just had a shipment arrive.”
“Huh.”
“So tell me, Avro, how do you see all this ending?”
“Is this a serious question?”
“Yes.”
I took another sip of the beer as I thought about the question and the best way to answer it. “Well, I see this ending in one of two ways. You and Jace find common ground, or everything explodes, and we all lose Raine.”
Kai took another drag on the cigarette, the light scent of it floating in my direction. He leaned back on the wooden porch reminding me of one of the deadly snakes that liked to lounge in the shade. They were fine as long as you didn’t disturb them, but watch out if you did.
“What if I told you that I thought it would be in your best interest to make sure Jace doesn’t try anything stupid.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What exactly does that mean?”
“Don’t act stupid, Avro. You know as well as I do that Jace would love to persuade the two of you to fly off into the sunset with him. I can picture him convincing Raine that she wants to be his traveling groupie and forget all about me.”
I tilted my head and snorted. “Pot, I’d like you to meet kettle,” I said, holding out my hands. Kai just laughed. “Well, if you think that Jace has that kind of power, then you’re not giving Raine very much credit. Are you that insecure?”
“I love your mind, Avro. This is exactly what I’m talking about. You see all the pieces and how they are moving and what you should say and do next. It took me a bit to figure you out, but it hit me when you showed up at the motel and said exactly what each of us needed, wanted, or expected to hear. Well, that and you’re really good at hiding secrets. Secrets I’m sure you don’t want the world to know.”
