Page 34 of Switch
Oh.Well.
“Hey.You okay?You seem stressed for a guy who nutted so hard he couldn’t stand up straight.”
“Yeah.Fine.Long day.”Should I tell him about the card?It’s the reason I sent him that text, but now that he’s here, the threat feels vague.Silly.
“By the way, you know there’s a huge pile of garden shit in your driveway?”
Dammit.Remembering the delivery makes the already-tense muscles in my neck and shoulders bunch up.“I know.It’s uh… Marina used to order mulch and whatnot to replenish the garden beds every summer.I keep forgetting to cancel.”
My attention strays to the living room, to the picture Marina painted of herself standing like a vengeful vampire queen over the body of a subject who’d betrayed her.Would she be angry if I canceled the delivery?Would she care?Does it matter?
“I noticed that painting last time I was here.”PJ comes up behind me.He wraps his arms around me, and I don’t try to stop him when a voice in my head tells me I should.His presence at my back calms and reassures me.“I’m no design expert, but I thought it was awfully goth looking for a room with a tropical beach theme.”
I manage a slight smile, looking around as if seeing the room for the first time.The teal sofa is patterned with palm fronds, while the wicker chair and coffee table appear to have come from a vacation rental.On the table there’s a heavy glass bowl she bought on a research trip in Murano, when she was in a glass-blowing phase.The sign that says BEACH LIFE in neon letters is next to the bookcase holding all the novels I’ve written.
“Marina was an artist.She had an eclectic sense of style.”
Which is about all I can say.I agree that the painting doesn’t match the room.For Marina, that was the entire point.The incongruity with the rest of the room makes the painting stand out.Nobody knows this work was Marina’s victory lap.A sneaky sort of trophy after her brother’s death.
After she killed him.
“Oh, shit,” PJ murmurs.“That’s cool.I noticed one of the rooms upstairs has an electronic lock on the door, so I assumed one of you was a hit man or a professional thief.”
A surprising laugh huffs out of me.“No, that’s just Marina’s studio.She didn’t like people peeking at her work before it was finished.”
I’d planned to get to work on cleaning that room out this week.Once again, the guilt pokes at me.I don’t want to erase her, but I’m feeling like it might be time.
PJ slides next to me.Leaving one arm around my waist, he looks at Marina’s painting again with an appreciative eye.“She painted that?”
“Yeah, she?—”
“Yoohoo, little brother.I know you’re awake since I saw the light—oh.There you are.”
Oh God, no.I spin to face the front door, hating that PJ’s hand leaves my waist.“What the hell are you doing here?”
My brother freezes, one hand still on the open door.He glances back and forth between PJ and me, looking confused.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Well, given that I’m still in my underwear and PJ’s here, I can see how he would think so.While I’m usually happy to see my brother, this isn’t the time.
“I invited PJ over.Again, what are you doing here?”
I’m asleep.Please, let me be asleep, and this is all a nightmare.When I wake up, I need to remember to get Wes to return the spare key.
“You sent me a text, remember?Came to make sure everything was okay.”His gaze keeps straying to PJ.
Who unfreezes and holds his hand out to my brother.“Hi.PJ.Nice to meet you.”
“Uh…” Wes stares at PJ’s hand.
Which has my cum on it.PJ must notice because he immediately puts it behind his back.
This is definitely a nightmare.
Wait a minute.“Don’t you two know each other?Wes, you set us up.”
“Right.”PJ bobs his head.“Like I told you, it was more like a friend-of-a-friend thing.”
