Page 6 of Shredded Soul

“You’d be safe with me.”

Paine wasn’t as sure. His mind played tricks sometimes.

Charon’s eyes looked sad. That hurt Paine’s chest. “If you want me to leave and never look back, that’s what I’ll do, but it’s not what I want. It’s not what we promised each other.”

They had vowed to stay together until they died together. Paine had spent years following Charon and tormenting anyone who got too close to him. Maybe he shouldn’t have done that. It was possible he should have let Charon go.

“You’ve spent the last decade trying to leave me behind.” Even Paine heard the hurt in his whispered words.

Charon didn’t back down. “Snow told me you were dead. From the minute I knew that wasn’t true, I haven’t stopped trying to get back to you.”

Their feet brushed beneath the covers. They scooted closer to each other. Charon was so big and warm. He smelled good. Paine sniffed, hunting for more of his scent.

Charon pressed his lips to Paine’s ear. “Why are you pretending to be a cat?” He said the words so quietly, no one could possibly overhear. It took Paine back to the nights when all their conversations were held just like this.

Paine licked his chin.

Charon released a tired-sounding sigh.

Paine hid a smile as he snuggled closer. Being the craziest person in the room was the upper hand. Nothing trumped insanity.

Chapter Five

A delicious smell wafted over Charon, pulling him from sleep. The bed still rocked, but he was alone. Charon peered over the edge of the suspended mattress. Several platters of food covered the dining room table. Before Charon completely shook away sleep, something banged against the wooden underside of the bed.

“Time to get up, Sleeping Beauty. Dinner is ready. All the family eats together on Thanksgiving.”

Charon blinked several times. He hadn’t realized it was Thanksgiving. Charon never thought about holidays. Thanksgiving wasn’t a holiday in Greece. Not to mention, he had gotten no type of celebration as a child. That continued into adulthood. It all seemed very pointless when someone had no one.

It surprised Charon when Snow passed from beneath the bed, revealing himself as the person who demanded his presence. Charon easily jumped from the bed and landed lightly on his toes. Paine had been chosen by the academy because of his amazing parkour abilities. He could quickly and silently move easily between any vertical surfaces. It was a skill he had taught to Charon on the sly.

Uncomfortable and unsure of what to do, Charon took a seat at the table. Before he could scoot closer, Paine crawled into his lap and sat. Charon hid a smile as he kissed Paine’s shoulder. Each time Paine let him closer, Charon felt hope grow another inch.

The surrounding chairs slowly filled until the enormous table had no space left. Charon hadn’t realized how many people lived here. At the head of the table, Quentin sat with Snow next to him in a chair squeezed in beside him. They made Charon curious. He didn’t know if they were a couple or if Snow was Quentin’s personal caretaker. For whatever reason, he wanted to know. Everything about them seemed odd. Quentin had dark hair, graying at the edges and showing his nearly forty years. Snow was likely anywhere from twenty-nine to thirty-five, but—despite his solid white hair—he was definitely younger than Quentin. There was something about their posture, though. They sat leaned each other’s way. If nothing else, they were friends and trusted each other. This entire household was odd as fuck to him. Charon wanted to believe these people could be trusted. He just wasn’t so sure that was true.

Quentin waited until everyone had a glass of wine in front of them before he raised his glass. “To another year of thankfulness. This found family is the best thing to ever happen to me. May we all have another year together.”

A round of hear, hear rang out around the table. Everyone took a drink and then started filling their plates. Thankfully, Paine put food on both their plates, since Charon felt out of place. He had always been a chameleon, fitting in to every situation with ease, but he didn’t know how to fake being a family. Charon had never had one of those. His shoulders eased the longer he stayed. Paine’s obvious comfort helped. He kept feeding Charon until Charon finally willingly joined in. Everything was delicious. He had never had a Thanksgiving dinner. Each food complemented each other. In no time, he was ready to burst at the seams. Paine pushed his plate away and snuggled deeper into Charon’s hold. A warmth started in his chest and spread. He didn’t deserve the affection Paine showed him. Charon knew it could end any moment. Oddly, Charon didn’t want anything about the night to end. He hadn’t known family felt like this.

Finally, Snow stood and backed Quentin away from the table. “You know what time it is,” he said, heading for the front sitting room. Charon didn’t know what time it was, but when Paine slipped from his lap, he followed. Plastic storage totes sat piled around the room. The front door opened, and two men brought a tree inside. As they stood the tree beside the fireplace, Charon realized it was a Christmas tree. People began opening totes and pulling out decorations. Paine looked his way. His eyes were alight with mischief. Charon had to know.

He leaned in close. “What is that devious look about?”

Paine touched his lips to Charon’s ear. “When everyone goes to bed, I’ll bat off all the bottom half of the tree’s ornaments.”

A smile exploded across Charon’s lips. He saw the appeal in the life Paine had chosen. He could create innocent carnage with no repercussions. Each time he wasn’t punished, trust built. Paine likely needed all of that he could get.

Charon wished he felt the same. His gaze slid Snow’s way. He found the guy watching them. His gaze slid between Paine and Charon, as if they were a puzzle he tried to solve. Charon decided to let it go. Paine seemed to be having a lucid moment. He didn’t want to miss a second with him.

Halfway through decorating the tree, Paine’s social battery died. Without explanations, he bounced from wall to wall, scaling his way into the privacy of the rafters. He looked back in time to see the disappointment on Charon’s face. Paine settled down and watched him from above. Charon looked awkward once he was alone with the rest of the household. Paine rubbed his chest. He didn’t know how to feel.

After the botched attempt to kidnap him, the rest of the day with Charon had felt so normal. He had felt like himself for a little while. Then the large number of people had closed in on him until he couldn’t breathe. Even with Charon protecting his back, Paine had needed to quickly part the situation before he lashed out and ruined the night.

At dinner, Charon seemed sad. Paine understood. Nights like tonight were a stark reminder of everything they had never had before Quentin. When Paine had first arrived, he had thought he knew exactly why Quentin did these things. It was a way to manipulate them to stay. But it hadn’t taken Paine much silent observation to realize they were all Quentin had. No family came to sit with him. His illness kept him trapped without help. He was a force of nature, but his body kept him still. Paine understood that feeling. He had spent years in a cage. That was why nights like tonight drained him so much. The claustrophobia was too much.

Charon visibly hung back from the crowd and made his escape the first chance he got. People noticed, but everyone here understood. Every single one of them had experienced the same firsts. It was nearly impossible for people such as them to trust this much kindness. But Paine had been here for more years than he spent in hell, and he honestly didn’t think anyone could fake it for this long. For reasons all his own, Quentin loved them.

Paine quietly stalked Charon. Inside his room, Charon slowly stripped. He dropped a knife he kept hidden on the nightstand before circling the bed and peeling off his shirt. Once nude, he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at nothing. Paine wondered if he too tried recharging his battery.

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