Chapter Four

 

Cade helped Chris pitch hay down from the loft a week later. Christmas had come and gone. Snow a foot and a half thick covered the ground. Old Man Winter had officially moved in.

He’d spent a little longer with Chris and the gang on Christmas Eve morning, then had driven home so Dean could pick up his car. They’d said their goodbyes and he’d left.

Cade hadn’t driven to Cassan, hadn’t been to Gemini’s, and hadn’t made any efforts to call the man.

It was Quade’s week at the clinic, which meant Cade had the overnight short straw anyway. He didn’t have the freedom to drive to Cassan.

At least that was what he told himself. So there hadn’t been any after-hours emergencies fielded by the clinic. Didn’t matter. He had to be there.

“Cade!”

He looked down over the edge, yelling down to his brother. “Yeah?”

“That’s enough. We’re good.”

He spotted the stack against the wall. He’d lost track. “Okay.” Instead of taking the ladder, he jumped, landing in a crouch. “Got it all where you want it?” he asked when he stood.

Chris nodded in answer. “Jamie wanted me to ask if you wanted to come by and watch the ball drop tonight. Quade passed. Maya came down with a flu, so he’s keeping up with her at home.”

“That sucks. She’s okay, though?” He tugged off his gloves, and shoved the pair into a rear pocket.

“Yeah, just miserable.”

That was one good thing to be said about having lupine blood. They never got sick. “Anyone else?”

“Just friends.”

“The usual suspects?” he joked. “Sure. I’m not going out anywhere on call. You don’t get tired of Jamie doing this all the time?”

“What? Making us a family?” Chris jabbed Cade with a sharp elbow. “I love him for it. We need this. All of us. Just because I’m mated doesn’t mean we stop being a family.”

“We do stuff, all three of us.”

“Running once a month doesn’t count. But that’s only us, too.” Chris sat on a bale of hay. “This is something more. It’s something he needs, too. A way to be needed and feel like he belongs. He can’t shift, but he can be with the pack on his terms. This is one of those ways that helps him.”

“Huh.” Cade plopped down on a bale next to him. “I never really thought of it that way.” It did make sense, though.

“He doesn’t talk about his dad much.”

“Can you blame him?” Cade pointed out. “He was a bastard.”

Chris snorted and crossed his arms. “Don’t have to tell me. I think this helps him because of the way his dad treated him. He likes having people here. And so long as they don’t move in, I do too.”

Cade punched Chris’ shoulder affectionately. “Turning into the old married couple already.”

“Shut up.” He was grinning though. “So, put you down for one or two?”

“Just one.”

Chris gave him a confused stare. “Where’s Dean?”

Cade looked away, because something in the far corner was suddenly that interesting. “I’m sure he’s working tonight. New Year’s at the bar.”

“He was a nice guy.”

Cade didn’t reply. He wasn’t going to argue that. It was true.

“Is he single?”

Cade nodded. At least, he guessed Dean was. He hadn’t made any boyfriend noises in the time they’d spent together. Cade knew Dean and Jamie had talked some before they’d left. Maybe Jamie was going to find him a date. He tried to not let the thought… Too late. He absolutely hated it.

He had to quit this. Cade lurched from the hay. “I better go check on things and clean up. What time?”

“Anytime after nine.” Chris walked beside him out of the barn. “We’ll have snacks and stuff.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

He knew Chris was watching him walk away. He felt the weight of his stare the entire way.

It didn’t matter what his brother thought. Dean was a friend. Nothing more. It didn’t matter what his wolf thought, because it was wrong. Dead wrong.

 

* * * *

Dean’s breath rushed in panted bursts, his chest aching. It felt like he’d been hit with a wrecking ball. He couldn’t catch his breath, staring at the aftermath before him. He would have been crying, but he was still too angry. Fury boiled in his veins. The impact of the loss hadn’t hit yet. It would.

Gemini’s was gone.

He’d received a phone call at four thirty-nine, right after he’d gone to bed. The security company had reported a tripped alarm. The police had been notified. As he was getting dressed, he received another call.

“Dean, this is Sheriff Archer.”

“I’m on my way, Kelly. Have to find my shoe.” He dug a sneaker out from under the bed where he’d kicked it, keeping the phone pinned between his ear and shoulder. He hopped around, one thought on his mind. To get to the bar and clear the alarm.

“You need to sit down.”

Something in Kelly’s voice registered, and it knifed him with a dread coldness. “What?”

“It was more than the alarm.”

“Kelly,” he growled, short on temper.

“The fire department is trying to save it.”

“Fuck!” He disconnected the call and rushed to find suitable clothing to be outside, then snatched his jacket off the wall as he flew out the front door.

Now he stood with his jacket hanging open, his sneakers untied, and his jaw pinched so tight, his teeth ached.

The fire crew was wrapping up hose. They’d done what they could, but the age of the building had been a factor, all wood, from floor to ceiling. And all the liquor. It was like setting fire to kerosene stored in a box of kindling.

“The alarm company said something tripped the perimeter alarm and then set off the sprinkler system. There was a fifteen minute interval after the perimeter alarm tripped to first responder contact.” He flipped a little spiral notepad. “Their report is the sprinkler system kicked in before responder contact.”

Dean hadn’t been able to look away from the smoldering mess. “What does that mean?”

“It means someone went inside and intentionally started it.”

Dean blinked, tiredness and cold playing against him, making him groggy and any thinking difficult. “Run that by me again.”

“It’s my opinion someone torched it.”

“Wait. Why did it take fifteen minutes for someone to alert you guys about the alarm?” He was sure it took several minutes for either the Sheriff or the fire department to reach Gemini’s after those phone calls.

“I don’t know. You need to take that up with the alarm company. I’m only giving you the timetable they gave me.”

“So what you’re saying is the alarm company let whoever broke in have fifteen minutes to do whatever, and then you guys were called.” And by then, the place could have been in full blaze. By the sight before him, he didn’t doubt it had been.

“You’ll want to confirm that report for insurance.” He tapped the notebook. “I’ll keep this handy in case you need a second statement for evidence.”

“You do that.” Dean was going to hang someone’s ass out to dry over this. “When can the investigator look?”

“I really doubt it’ll be today, if he’s even in the area.”

Dean pushed a flat palm down his face, hard. “Can it be secured so no one tries to mess with anything?”

“Not today. I’ll put tape around it, but that’s all I can do for now. I have three on-duty officers for the next twenty-four hours. If people knew how slim we really are, there’d be hell to pay.”

“Because of the holiday.”

“Because of the holiday,” Kelly agreed. “It’s not like you’re surrounded by businesses that are going to stir curiosity to check it out.”

Dean looked in either direction. They were a half mile from the next intersection and about two miles out of Cassan itself. It wasn’t heavily populated, a few wide lot subdivisions, mostly grounded trailers with the random site-built home. An unused lot was behind him, also a storage yard for one of the electrical contract companies, and the empty business offices, closed for the holiday. That was it in just about every direction. The closest gas station was a mile away.

Whoever had done this had no problem getting to the rear where the delivery door was and getting in unseen, doing their worst, then sneaking away before anyone showed. Hell, thanks to his so-called security company, the prick had plenty of time.

Dean scrubbed his face again.

“I need the investigator to contact me as soon as he’s available. I’ll be on the phone with the alarm company management as soon as I find whose ass I need to chew out.” He’d get the printed time reports first, then rip someone a new asshole. Fifteen fucking minutes! He wanted to scream. Fifteen minutes from break-in to emergency contact. His stomach rolled like he was going to be sick. He swallowed several times, holding it all back. Everything he had in the world — gone.

Kelly wrote up the damage and call reports, giving Dean a copy. He folded them and shoved the pages into a coat pocket. He’d need those for the insurance. He ground his teeth the entire time.

When Kelly turned off his strobe lights, Dean knew he was heading out. Dean leaned against the fender of his car, staring at the trails of smoke that seeped from the wood. Steam hovered like a fog in the cold over the wood now that temperatures were infiltrating. It would ice over in a few hours if the temps held. Snow stood on either side of the building, marked, gutted, and slashed with soot from the fire. The parking lot had been scraped by the local road plow. Nothing had been left pristine after the fire and the vehicles had done their damage. The building hadn’t collapsed. The frame had held up well, but he didn’t have to see the inside to know it was officially destroyed. Thousands of dollars in liquor, gone.

Fishing for the reports, making sure he had them, he bumped his cell phone with his fingers. He forgot to check it before bed last night. Not that he expected anyone — Cade? — to call, but he still looked.

The message icon stuck out.

Wishful thinking was dashed when he realized it wasn’t Cade.

Hope you had a good NYE. Were doing bfast if UR up for it. J.

He huffed. Up was a matter of definition.

As for his New Year’s? It hadn’t been all that bad. Until this. He messaged back. I’m up early. Call me in the AM for time.

Hell, it wasn’t like he had anything else to do. Now. Or anytime in the near future.

He was in the bathroom shaving when the cell phone tones went off. Grabbing a towel to wipe his face, he loped into the living room where his coat was and sought his phone in his pocket.

“Hey, Jamie.”

“Morning. What time did you get my message?”

“After six this morning, I guess.”

“Did you party all night?” he teased.

Dean groaned, padding to the bedroom to finish getting properly dressed. “No, haven’t been to sleep yet.”

“Why not?” He heard clinks and dings in the background. Jamie was already in the kitchen.

“The bar burned down this morning.”

Clank!

“Fuck!”

“Jamie?” Chris’ voice echoed through the phone.

“I’m fine. Dropped the bowl,” he called out. “Son of a bitch. What happened?”

“Sheriff Archer thinks arson, and I agree.” Too many things left hanging in the wind, as far as he was concerned. “I’m waiting for the arson investigator, who probably won’t be around until tomorrow.”

“If it’s the guy who helped Chris at the vet clinic, he’s good. He won’t skimp on the detail.”

“What happened out there?”

“Come to breakfast and we’ll tell you all about it.”

“Sneaky.”

“Yep.”

Dean grinned in spite of his morning. “Coffee?”

“I’ll make it strong if you haven’t slept.”

“Thanks.” He stretched a stiff back. Tension wasn’t his friend today. “Okay, yeah. What time?”

“Now. It’ll be close when you get here.”

“Are you that bossy with Chris?”

“Worse,” he replied with a chuckle.

“Poor man. Okay. I’m on the road in ten.”

“Sounds good.”

Dean disconnected.

It didn’t hit him until he was nearly done dressing. Jamie hadn’t once mentioned Cade. Maybe Jamie and Chris could be friends regardless of what Cade did, or how he thought.

It wasn’t like Dean could control who he was attracted to, like he could help the appreciation of another man’s looks, or body, or hair, or eyes, or… He groaned, reprimanding himself soundly. The man had made no bones about it. Cade was straight.

Except right now Dean could really use a few friends. Once the exhaustion kicked in, he was going to be a wreck. Anger simmered, but it was one of those lying in wait angers. One he couldn’t stop or feed until some kind of steps had been taken.

That involved raking the alarm company management over coals. He paid good money for that service, and they’d utterly failed at their one job. Protecting his livelihood.

For now, that anger was keeping him going. He’d crash hard soon, but right now, he was clinging onto his anger. It was really the only thing holding him up and keeping him on his feet. There was dealing with the alarm company, then insurance, then rebuilding. He was floating in a mental limbo, that frame of mind where he knew what had to be done, knew the next step, but because of the holiday, nearly everything was shut down, running with a skeleton crew if they were running at all.

He was about ten minutes from Chris and Jamie’s when his cell went off.

He didn’t look at the screen, guessing it would be Jamie again. He could’ve been knocked out by a feather when it wasn’t.

“Hey, Jamie just told us. Man, I am sorry. Was anyone hurt?”

Getting over the surprise of hearing from Cade directly, he replied, “No. It started a little after four this morning. I have the deposit, small mercies, but we locked up about three forty-five, I guess. The place was a wreck after the celebrations.” He read road signs as they flew past. “I’m at my turn. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

He ended the conversation with Cade, stunned that he’d not only called, but that he’d heard actual concern in his voice.

The only vehicle he saw strolling from his car was Cade’s when he arrived. Packed snow crunched under his feet. He stomped them on a step then reached for the door to knock.

When the door opened, Cade stood there. “Hey. Were the roads okay?”

“Yeah, they’re all cleared now.”

“That’s good.”

Inane chatter. Dean refused to let Cade get to him. “Who else is coming?” He stripped off his coat.

“Just us. Maya’s got the flu so Quade is staying home.”

She had Dean’s sympathies. He hated being sick himself. But he didn’t know anyone who liked being sick. The door closed and he realized that meant it was only them.

Well, he was there at Jamie’s request. Not Cade’s. So whatever the man thought, Dean really didn’t care.

“Same place?” He jiggled the jacket in his hand.

“First door.”

Dean nodded. “Morning Jamie.” He paused while passing the kitchen.

“Hi!” Jamie waved with a spatula, pancakes the size of hubcaps on the flattop grill. A large dome covered a plate at his side. It looked like he’d been stacking for a while.

“Where’s Chris?”

“Ran to the clinic to do the AM feedings and walks. He’ll be back any minute.”

Dean nodded, turning to go drop his coat in the spare on the bed. In the kitchen, he made a beeline for the coffee. “So, do you like doing all this cooking stuff?” He sipped, leaning against the counter, wondering where Cade had vanished off to. He pushed the man out of his thoughts. He didn’t matter to why he was there this morning.

“Sort of. I work at the clinic as an animal tech. I don’t think I want to do what the boys do. I’m not keen on bloody body parts, if you know what I mean.” He grimaced.

“Unfortunately.”

“I’ve been enjoying the holidays, because I get to play with ideas and try things, and nothing really beats food to know if you have a winner or not.”

“So what are you thinking?”

Jamie flipped three cakes in a row. “I’m not sure I’m cut out for the higher volume of being a chef, or even a cook.”

“What if you learned for yourself? You can do cooking as a hobby.”

“I’d have to drive to Stiller Springs to attend the community college there.”

Dean sipped at the hot brew in his mug. “So, is that an excuse to not do it, or an obstacle that needs to be considered? Aren’t there instructional classes and videos online, too?”

Jamie huffed and glared over his shoulder. “You sound just like Chris.”

Dean hid his smiles behind his drink. “I have a feeling if it’s something you want to do, even if you only want to know for yourself, personally, then he’d support you. He’d help you find a way to do it.”

“Damn. You nailed him completely.” He stacked the finished cakes on a plate and returned the domed cover, keeping them warm. He poured out a row of three more on the griddle.

“If it’s not something you want to do as a career, then you’d be learning for yourself. There’s no stress in that.”

“I’m not a woman,” he groused.

“And only women know how to cook? I’m sure all those big names on the cooking channels would be surprised to hear that.” He smirked when Jamie glared at him. “If you like it, learn it, enjoy it.” He stared at his coffee. “There will come a time when your chance will be gone, or taken away from you.”

He caught the wave of pain and guilt before it started beating at him. He studied his mug, avoiding Jamie’s questioning glance. He wasn’t ready to answer a ton of questions about this morning. It hurt like hell to see Gemini’s gone, but it hurt deeper, cut in ways that he couldn’t explain, how he’d also lost his last tie to his brother this morning.

The front door opened and Chris sauntered in, taking his coat off. “Mrs. Pierson’s beagle misses you. I swear she cried when she saw me.”

Jamie laughed, his expression lightening. “She’s a good girl.”

“No, she’s a spoiled girl. Must be why you two understand each other.”

Chris jumped out of the way when Jamie swatted at his behind with the flat of the spatula. “Smells great.” He faced Dean and offered a hand. “Sorry about Gemini’s. Was it an accident?”

“No. Someone triggered the alarm and delays from both the alarm company and the Sheriff doomed the building.”

“Damn. I have the arson investigator’s card in a file. Remind me and I’ll grab it before you leave.”

“That’s appreciated.”

The back door opened and thudded quietly shut, Cade appearing right after.

Chris went to put up his coat, Cade doing the same.

Chris set the table as Jamie started pulling pans filled with cooked sausage and scrambled eggs out of the oven. Dean’s mouth watered. And for a few heartbeats, he was utterly envious of Chris.