Page 90 of Bad Moon Rising
“I’m not going tonight.”
“Like hell you’re not. You can take a knockout pill or drink yourself into oblivion at Mom’s place because you have to survive full moon night alone. I’m not leaving you here to find some new level of insanity. Last time you got desperate, you turned yourself green.”
“I thought we weren’t going to speak about that ever again.”
Flynn barked out a laugh that degenerated into a deep belly guffaw. Roman’s lips twitched upward.
Flynn wiped at his eyes. “You totally went Wicked Witch of the West green. I’m never letting you forget. I got pictures that I can’t wait to show Ky.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“I just wish I’d succeeded in getting you to sing ‘Defying Gravity.’” Flynn doubled over laughing.
Roman glared. “I don’t do musicals.”
Flynn’s humor dissolved.
Roman sighed and slumped against the side of the church. “I don’t want to do this anymore, Flynn. I’m tired of killing things like that ghost because someone else says I have to.”
“Not arguing against the fact we’re due for a solid vacation. But, do you believe that ghost in there should’ve been left to live and torture more people?”
He dropped his chin and shook his head.
“There is no one else to get this done. I need your head in the game. At least until we don’t have to answer to His Royal Assness. Are you paying attention to me?” Flynn slammed his fist against the wall outside the cathedral’s side door. “This is Shane’s job to do the pep talks and get us back on the ethical straight and narrow. But he’s not here. He’s probably gone for real and that vampire’s playing us. There’s only the two of us right now. Ky is counting on us to figure out where he is. If you continue this self-destructive path, then I’m as good as dead. And so is Ky. You get that don’t you?” He scrubbed his face. “I don’t know half the stuff you do when it comes to actually practicing magic. The spells just come to you. You often know what to do like it’s some sort of superpower.”
True. Often the solution to deal with a tricky fiend flitted into his brain, which was freaky, even though he constantly studied authentic spell books and books about ancient creatures. That didn’t mean his brothers were helpless, though. “You never wanted to learn. All you need to know is in books. Why do you think I read all the time? For fun?” He released a sarcastic laugh. “I’ve got ten spell books on the plane. They’re a bit advanced, but you could start there.”
“I can’t memorize stupid rhymes and shit. I’m good at tech and keeping us invisible. I’m good at logistics and can break into almost anywhere. But the real stuff…the stuff needed to stay alive and face off these things, isn’t my strength. I tried it. Remember? Twenty years ago?”
“You’re going to have to learn. I’ll teach you.” For a moment, he was tempted to trashcan dive for the rest of the Smirnoff. “The alcohol will be worn off by the time we get to the plane. I’ll be good to fly.”
He passed out for the entire ride to the private airport, waking as they pulled near the plane. Roman leveraged himself up the narrow stairs to the plane, glad to find his buzz gone. Flynn already had his laptop open and was in a video call with Gerard for the required check-in post mission completion.
Roman slumped into the seat next to Flynn.
“You look terrible,” Gerard said. “Were you drinking again?”
Roman shrugged. “Got the job done. Why should you care how I do it?”
Gerard’s brow wrinkled, and he pinched the skin at his throat. “I’ve known you a long time, Roman. This isn’t you. You’re the one who keeps it together when hell and damnation rains down. What’s going on?”
Flynn compressed his lips.
Gerard sighed. “You’ve been spiraling since you finished the lycan mission. What is it about her that got to you?”
Flynn leaned in front of the screen. “You’re seriously asking? You required Roman to execute one of our kind who we weren’t convinced was guilty. She wasn’t dangerous to humans. Sure, she was wily and able to dodge us a while, but doing all that—killing someone likely innocent—fractured his soul. You don’t come back from that kind of shit.”
How he loved his little brother.
“Stop sending us on these stupid jobs,” Roman said. “We need some time to go find Ky. He’s never gone longer than two days without making contact. It’s been almost five weeks. I need to know if he might be…” Roman threw his head back against the headrest and smacked it twice against the leather.
In a tone gentler than his normal one, Gerard said, “I wish I could let you go find him. But there’s more to be done. It’s like someone found the doorway to hell and slammed it wide open. But maybe you two should take a break for a few days. Recharge. Go get laid or something to burn off steam.”
He glared at the screen, nausea rolling his stomach at the thought of touching anyone other than Nova.
He was so getting drunk at the other end of this plane ride.
“There’s this report of a demon in Brussels,” Gerard said. “Actually, it’s where you guys were the other day.”
