Once again, Branson’s life had been flipped upside down in only a few hours, all because of a secret family he’d never known about. And that was okay. His life was better knowing that secret, and richer for having Jeuel and Trei in it. He hated knowing how much Jeuel’s heart was about to break, but this moment had been inevitable from the moment Alder/Uty was shot in his home by underworld business rivals.
Branson was grateful, now and always, that those bullets had spared the two young men who’d come to him for safety,protection, and a chance to start over. Jeuel had been silently suffering these last few weeks, unable to share his feelings with Branson, and he hoped that this journey to the southwest was a turning point for Jeuel.
He hoped Jeuel finally allowed himself to accept and to grieve, and to take the first, difficult steps toward healing.
Branson had only taken one other train ride, almost four years ago, when a group of their family and friends planned a trip to Buckman Province to visit the territory zoo. They’d left early in the morning and returned late that night, and Branson had loved the experience. Not only seeing such a huge variety of animals, reptiles and fish in one place, but also spending all that time with his brothers, cousins, and best friends.
That trip had lasted less than twenty-four-hours. This trip was going to last a minimum of four days, and that was just travel time on an express train straight to Sonora and then back. Tarius had booked a private car for their quartet, which had seats, bunked beds, and a television with access to the train’s viewing system. The limited entertainment, along with their own assorted books, was better than nothing. The room had a private bathroom with the smallest efficiency shower Branson had ever seen. They also had access to the dining car and prepared meals, which were passable as necessary fuel. Even the coffee seemed stale.
Thank goddess, Dad had packed them a cooler with several days’ worth of snacks, drinks, and other treats.
While there was no internet access on the train, Tarius still brought along his work laptop, so he and Branson could take turns working during the trip. Branson had used up all his PTOthis past month, but he didn’t care. He could lose a few days of pay to make sure Jeuel got the closure he needed.
And maybe get himself a little bit of closure, as well, on a topic he’d been completely unaware of two months ago. But he couldn’t spend too much trip time obsessing over the fact that he was going to see his biological sire for the first and last time, or he’d go crazy. It was too big of a mind fuck to dwell on.
Thankfully, Constable Javier Corinth proved to be a garrulous and entertaining guy when he was in a relaxed environment. He’d gotten a copy of the passenger list several hours before departure and had vetted everyone before boarding. So, instead of being the attentive, on-duty officer Branson remembered, Corinth was talkative and inquisitive.
And a great distraction, regaling all three of them (but particularly Jeuel) with stories from his two decades-plus as a member of the constabulary. He’d been part of so many big events and investigations of Branson’s lifetime, from Dad’s trial to liberating the fight ring, to the Dent hostage crisis involving Demir, Layne and Linus. Jeuel was absolutely mesmerized and even seemed a tiny bit in love with the much-older beta man, by the time the announcer said they’d be entering Sonora provincial limits within thirty minutes.
Jeuel’s whole body jolted, and he nearly fell out of his seat. Branson sat beside him and clasped Jeuel’s wrist. “It’s okay.”
“Sorry I’m a basket case. I just…knew I might come back for this, but nothing prepares you, you know?”
“I know.” He didn’t, not really, but Jeuel needed sympathy, not complete understanding of his feelings. “Youaresafe, Jeuel. You can feel any way you want to feel about this.”
Branson was thankful to finally breath fresh, non-recycled air for the first time in two days, and to get out of the restrictive train cars. Express trains were built for speed and efficiency of travel, not leisure or comfort. And while Jeuel had warned him,nothing properly prepared Branson for the climate difference when he stepped off the train and onto the exterior platform.
Blazing sun glared down from an almost cloudless sky. Sansbury’s winter chill had been replaced by dry heat that felt like an open oven door against his face and forearms. Their winter coats were, thankfully, stowed in their luggage. Corinth was dressed down in slacks and a polo, instead of his typical wool uniform, but he still wore a light jacket to hide his service pistol.
Owen Paxton stood in the shade of a central awning that covered rows of benches for waiting and departing guests. Another man stood beside him, who Branson quickly clocked as beta. Both men wore smart suits, despite the heat. Tarius led the way toward them, and Branson was glad to get out of the blazing sunshine, despite having been inside for ages.
“Mr. Cross, Mr. Higgs,” Paxton said, a slight question in his voice as he shook their hands.
“Nice to see you again,” Tarius said. “And yes, we’re keeping our surnames for now.”
“Of course. Jeuel?”
“Hello,” Jeuel replied blandly.
“This is Senior Constable Michel Quillen. He’s your constable liaison during your stay.”
Corinth introduced himself to Quillen. “We don’t anticipate any problems while you’re here,” Quillen said, “but better safe than sorry.”
“Understood,” Tarius said. “We feel the same way, but this isn’t a sight-seeing trip. I doubt we’ll be anywhere other than the hospital and our hotel.”
“Speaking of which, we’ve booked you a pair of adjoining rooms at the Western Blue Inn. Interior room doors, no restaurant, so minimal foot traffic off the street. Security is good,but we already have two patrolmen checked in across the hall from you. We’ll rotate them out as necessary.”
Branson released a low whistle, impressed by the pre-planning. Jeuel wasn’t even a witness anymore, and they were still protecting him. “Thank you.”
“Yes, that’s much appreciated,” Corinth added. “I look forward to working with your department. I’ve never had the chance to speak with a constable from another province when it wasn’t directly tied to an active investigation.”
“We’ll certainly have time to chat,” Quillen replied. “But judging by your red faces, we should probably take you to your air-conditioned hotel. You can relax before you head to the hospital.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Branson said. They needed to establish a home base of sorts, even though they’d likely spend most of their time at the hospital. Branson didn’t know how long the process would take, and Jeuel would eventually need a private place to fall apart.
After securing a rental car, Tarius followed Paxton across a wide swath of desert, interspersed with squat, wide homes with red roofs. Eventually, the residential areas melted into business districts, and then more tourist-focused blocks of hotels and restaurants advertising unique, local flavors. As curious as Branson was about those flavors, they weren’t here to explore.
They were here to say goodbye.
