Page 33 of Connected
“What’s that? More monsters to fight?”
“Just an inner demon or two.”
CHAPTER 15
Owen sat in the passenger seat of Keaton’s pickup and tried not to be a chickenshit.
“You’re more scared of this than you were of Miller.” Keaton’s hand was on Owen’s knee, warm and comforting.
“I’m used to dealing with things that want me dead. But this….” His throat was thick, and he was glad he’d eaten a light breakfast.
“You’re strong. You can handle this. Do you want me with you? Or I can make myself scarce.”
Owen definitely didn’t want Keaton to leave him. “You don’t mind being dragged in?”
“It’s good for me to remember that I’m not the only one with dysfunctional family dynamics. Hey, maybe someday you’ll get to meet dear old Dad. That should be fun.”
Actually, Owen would welcome that. He’d be happy give the bastard an earful over what he and his ex-wife had done to their kid. It might be fun to terrorize him. Just a little bit.
But right now Owen needed to get his ass out of the damn truck.
Standing on the grass, he gazed at the house: a newer ranch-style build in a subdivision at the edge of town. The frontlawn was lush and carefully trimmed, a Fourth of July–themed wreath hung on the front door, and a basketball hoop was mounted over the garage. All very pleasant and ordinary. And terrifying.
He was still staring when the front door opened and his father stepped out. No, not his father, of course. The old man was dead. It took another beat before Owen’s brain kicked in and he understood that this was his brother Andy—hair gone mostly gray, a paunch, and glasses perched on his nose. He wore tennis shoes, khaki shorts, and a fadedStar WarsT-shirt.
Andy spoke first. “Owen? You look good.”
That was a gross exaggeration, given the state of Owen’s face, but he nodded stiffly. “This is Keaton Gale.”
Nobody shook hands, and they certainly didn’t embrace, but there might have been a slight thaw.
“Nice to meet you,” Andy said, then squinted. “Haven’t I seen you around town, Mr. Gale?”
“Keaton, and yes. I live here.”
That seemed to crank Andy’s curiosity up a notch or two. “Are you two old friends?”
Owen and Keaton both laughed, and then Owen sobered and firmed his chin. “Keaton’s my….” Shit. He wasn’t sure what word to use.Partnerwas ambiguous,boyfriendmade it sound like they were kids,loverfelt salacious. He took Keaton’s hand in his.
“I’m Owen’s person,” Keaton interjected.
Surprisingly, Andy didn’t recoil. In fact, he simply nodded. “My wife’s name is Lisa. She’s out of town on a college tour with our younger son.”
It was awkward standing here, but Owen couldn’t think of what to say. He couldn’t get a handle on his emotions, which were swirling around as if caught in yesterday’s storm. Just when he was ready to turn around and get back in the truck, Keaton squeezed his hand and whispered, “You can do this.”
That gave Owen enough confidence to find his voice. “I hear you were looking for me.”
“I had to hire a private investigator. I understand that you work for a federal law enforcement agency?”
Owen shrugged. “Something like that.”
“I bet you’re good at it. Is that how you got, um….” Andy gestured at his own face. then colored as he realized that mentioning the wounds might be a faux pas.
Owen simply nodded.
Everyone was silent, but before it got too painful, Andy spoke again. “It’s a nice afternoon. Want to come out back for a beer?”
Some alcohol would go down well right now, but then Owen remembered Keaton’s history. “We don’t drink.” Then because he’d gotten this far, he relented a bit. “But we can come with you.”
