“I don’t give anyone the benefit of the doubt anymore. You taught me that lesson, Wes, when you stepped in and brainwashed Gage. You made that monster.”
“Demetri made that monster,” I counter.
“Maybe genetically, but you pulled him across the finish line. I’ll get to the bottom of this. I’m not letting Coop hide shit from me. We’re all working on the same side. Remember? No secrets.”
I glance back to where Chloe is playing the part of Mother of the Year and scowl.
“Chloe is acting strange. Something is up.”
“Yes, it is.” Logan waves her over, and she’s far too quick to comply. “What do you think?” He nods her way.
Chloe examines me a moment with those dark eyes. “Yeah, go ahead. Gage knows. I don’t see the harm in it.”
My curiosity piques. “What’s going on?”
Logan sighs. “I’m going to tell you something, for your ears only.”
Chloe nods. “I’ll tell Coop and Laken, and Ellis, of course. Oh, and Brody. Yes, God, Brody should know.”
I shake my head at Logan. “Don’t trust her. Whatever it is she’s feeding you, don’t eat another bite. She’ll have you vomiting out your soul, right before she steals it.”
Logan smiles. “You’re sort of on the right track.”
Logan spins a tale that involves my brother, the murder of his ex-wife, and one very unfortunate—or fortunate, depending on how you look at it—possession.
“Crap.” I close my eyes. “No wonder you were acting so strange.” I blow out a breath as I look to Chloe’s frame, ironically housing Skyla’s soul. “You do a lousy impersonation of Chloe, by the way.”
She laughs at the thought. “Chloe says you should go have fun with yourself, but she used a far more colorful F word.”
“Now that sounds like Chloe.” I give a wave as I try to peer inside her eyes as if I could see the wicked witch lurking in there. “Sorry about this, Skyla. My brother is an asshole, as you are well aware. I don’t know what Rory is up to, but the best thing that could happen is that we out her to the Factions. She has power, and right now she’s a dangerous person who must be stopped.”
Chloe—Skyla—and Logan exchange a brief nod.
“We have a plan.” Logan takes a breath.
Skyla nods. “She won’t be around long. Besides, I’ve decided to move into the Landon house so I can keep an extra eye on her. Chloe has taken up residence there before so it won’t be anything too suspicious.”
A dull groan comes from me. “Gage will most likely tell her who you are. Not sure I would have outed myself to him just yet if I were you.” I think on it a moment. “On second thought, it’s genius. We’ll cut him off at the knees every chance we get.”
Skyla steps up, those dark wells that Chloe sees the world through widening as she takes me in. Skyla definitely brings an innocence to Chloe that she would never be capable of on her own.
“It’s nice to have you on our side, Wes.” Even her voice has a softer edge to it. Maybe Chloe can learn a thing or two for having Skyla as a houseguest. A woman doesn’t need to go around hacking off heads just to be strong.
“I’m on Laken’s side.” I give a simple shrug because it happens to be true. “And we will win. I don’t back down and I don’t lose.” I nod to the two of them as I take Kresley and the kids back home.
But as soon as they’re settled, I jump back into my truck. I’ve got a brother to find, a celestial bone to pick. If Flanders won’t tell me what they’re little meet and greet was about, I know Gage will.
I hope.
* * *
The morgue.
That’s where I’ve managed to track my brother down.
The cemetery to be exact.
“Wishing for deader days gone by?” I slap him on the back and startle him as he stares out at the rolling hills full of Paragon’s past residents, resting in peace under the heaving, pregnant sky.
