Page 14 of From the Shadows
Diego let Jeremy go, then put a hand on his lower back and guided him toward the door. He didn’t—couldn’t—return the sentiment. He hadn’t loved anyone but his parents in the last three hundred years, and that was before—no, he wasn’t going to think about that now.
“Diego, no. Don’t do this.”
He gently pushed Jerm out in the hall, then closed the door behind him with a soft, yet deafening, click of finality. He turned away from the sound of Jeremy beating his hand against the door and the plaintive begging. Eventually he’d understand, and then he’d give up and go to Shay, who’d probably make him some fucking cookies and sit at the counter with him while Jerm drank a big glass of ice cold milk and cried about what a dick Diego was, only to turn and throw himself into Shay’s arms and receive the comfort.
That was okay. At least he’d understand that Diego never loved him. Wasn’t capable of loving him. He went to the bedroom and grabbed his duffel bag. He’d only take a few things. It wasn’t as though a vampire needed a lot of stuff, right? He didn’t need the pictures that Jerm drew and Diego had used to decorate his room. He didn’t need the clay sculpture that sat on the mantel of the fireplace. What the hell had Jeremy said it was? Oh, a cow. With four different lengths of legs, a head that had to be glued on because it was too big and too cumbersome, and eyes that Jeremy had made of some rock chips he’d found at the lake and fell in love with because of their shine.
Nope, all Diego was going to need were the clothes he stuffed into the bag, his personal cell phone, and…. He peered up at the mantel once more. There was a picture there that Diego had taken. One of his team and Jerm standing and laughing as they made bunny ears over each other’s heads. He remembered that day. How Jerm had squawked when he found out he had six pairs of rabbit ears.
He wasn’t going to need any of these things, but…. He slid the picture into his bag. Better to take it with him than to have them break it when they threw the rest of his stuff out, right? He cocked his head, straining to hear any sound. Nothing. Jeremy was no longer at his door. That would make getting out easier. He’d head for the garage and take his personal vehicle, a beat-to-shit 1999 Toyota Camry that Sparks had initially refused to have in his space.
Then Diego’d head out into a city he’d never given more than a glance at as they drove to the airport for a mission. He’d be able to lose himself in the throng of people, if it wasn’t for the fact that it was probably all humans.
Fucking humans. Everything they touched turned to trash.
But… that wasn’t totally fair. It wasn’t a human who’d made Diego into… this, but it had been human foibles. His own. He pushed the thoughts out of his head. He’d spent hundreds of years regretting that night, and to think about it now would be his undoing. He needed to get out while he could.
He needed to protect them all, especially Jeremy. That’s all there was to it. He glanced around his place one more time, remembering the day he’d been asked to become one of the team. How he’d thought maybe he’d finally found a place someone like him belonged. How he’d dared get his hopes up.
Only to have them dashed once more.
He pulled open his door, and there stood a tiny chicken of a man, his birdlike chest puffed out in a failed display of arrogance and domination.
“What the fuck did you do to Jeremy?” Shay demanded.
Shay knewJeremy shouldn’t have confronted Diego. He was only seven, and it wasn’t fair he was caught between Shay and Diego, but he’d been the one to make that choice, even after Shay had told him not to.
“But he should like you. We all do!”
“And I appreciate that, but not everyone is going to want to be friends with everyone else. We’re adults, and we’ll handle our situation that way.”
Only, it hadn’t worked out like that. Every time Shay wanted to talk to Diego, the bastard disappeared or wouldn’t answer his door. No matter how hot he was, no man was worth chasing. Shay’d gotten to the point where he told himself it no longer mattered if Diego liked him or not. He had a job to do, and he had Jeremy to look after. And the kid was the most important thing.
Then when he showed up at Shay’s door, those deep chocolate brown eyes swimming in tears, an insane anger swept through Shay. He listened as Jeremy told the story, which came in fits and bursts. How he’d asked Diego why he didn’t like Shay, and how Diego had pushed him out the door and then locked it! He never locked his door or ignored Jeremy. Then he admitted he wanted to shapeshift and slip under the door, but he was too upset to focus and kept messing up.
For several long minutes, he sobbed into Shay’s shoulder, whimpering about how he couldn’t lose Diego, and he was afraid Diego was going to leave and he’d never see him again. Finally, Jeremy cried himself out and fell asleep on Shay’s sofa. A bitter anger swept through Shay as he stared down at Jeremy. He went to the closet and pulled out a nice, fluffy red blanket he used to cover Jeremy, then ruffled his hair gently, before he stormed out of his place and headed for the person who started the whole mess.
When Diego answered the door, Shay hesitated. He looked like crap. His eyes were bloodshot, his hand shook, and he stooped when he walked, unlike the other times Shay had seen him and his cocky swagger. It didn’t matter how bad Shay felt, though. He had a burning question that needed to be answered.
“What the fuck did you do to Jeremy?”
Diego drew in a breath, and Shay braced himself for the man’s venom. Instead, he seemed to get even smaller.
“Go home, Shay. I’ll be out of your hair soon, and you can go ahead and have my family.”
The words were almost whispered, so unlike anything Shay had heard from Diego to this point. “Wait. What? I don’t want your?—”
“You’ve already got Jeremy all messed up.”
“Me?” Shay snorted. “I wasn’t the one he was crying over a few minutes ago, dude. You can’t lay this at my feet.”
“No, you’re right. Let him blame me. It’s better for everyone if he forgets me.”
This wasn’t Diego. At least not the one who’d once helped slay a literal dragon.
“What are you doing? Where are you going?”
“Leaving. This place isn’t for me anymore.” He shook his head. “No, it was never for me. I shouldn’t have played at being normal.”
