Page 28 of Jacinth

“I can. That’s what makes me wonder.”

When he didn’t continue the line of thought, I shrugged it off.

“Dog is just hanging around until I can find his owner.”

“You’re calling him ‘Dog’? Of course you are.”

I refused to give the animal a name. You name things you plan to keep, and I was not keeping the great big bundle of fur. Besides, with the resolution I felt after having had a discussion with Niko, I was confident I could sort out the Jacinth situation too.

Maybe I was meant to have a mate.

I could admit that the longer I spent thinking about the matter, the more attractive the idea became. Sharing her with my brothers made sense—it had always been the three of us. Now that we were sorting out our differences, we could become a cohesive unit.

Okay, so she was dead, but I could work something out, surely.

I just had to get her to stop hating me.

CHAPTER 21

Niko

I felt lighterafter my talk with Orion. Who knew the bastard was capable of actually listening to anyone? I had purged the secrets that had been rotting in my soul the last couple of decades, and while I knew he worried about how I would feel after dragging it all up, the answer was that it was a relief.

With this newfound freedom, I decided we should do a cookout in the cemetery. I would invite Birdie too. Give all of us a chance to get to know each other and maybe throw Orion a bone on the Jacinth front.

Liberating the keys to Orion’s baby was the work of a moment. My brother was in a heavy brood where I had left him in the kitchen.

I took the long way into town, heading north first and cruising past a shop that appeared to have dildos flying around the window displays. The sign read ‘The Magical Rooster’, and I tucked it away as a place that might be fun to take Jacinth one day. I didn’t know if we could bring her back to life, but worst case, I wasn’t beyond pitching a tent and camping out in the cemetery for the foreseeable future.

The wind in my face lifted my mood even further. No wonder Orion loved this thing. It was a lot like I imagined flying would be. I was careful, though; damaging it would be a death sentence.

I pulled the car over outside the grocery store and bought everything we could need. On my way back, I dropped in at Cosmic Gems and one more quick pit stop before heading home.

“Move your sulky ass, I need your help,” I called as I kicked the front door open.

Orion jumped, and it was obvious from the stiff way he moved that he had been in that position since I left. His focus was slow to return. To get things moving, I threw his keys loudly on the counter before him.

“Wait... did you take my baby out? Did you hurt her? Seriously, what did you do, Niko?”

There we go. And he was back.

“We’re doing a cookout. I need you to hunt Birdie down and invite her, then we’ll head over and set up.”

Orion nodded, then stalled out. “How the hell are we going to find her?”

A call to Jewels Cafe later and Amber agreed to pass my number on.

Birdie agreed readily when she called, and then Orion and I were loading ourselves down with the groceries and a portable barbecue and making our way into the cemetery.

Wandering between the gravestones, it took a while to realize that the land felt different today.

“It’s too quiet around here.”

Orion sent me a quizzical glance.

“It’s too quiet. Usually, the second I walk in here, there are people trying to touch me, get my attention. There’s no one.”

“No groupies for you, huh?” Orion’s attempt at levity fell flat as there continued to be a whole lot of no one around. Harley appeared up ahead, perched on an angel statue.

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