16
The first thingChase noticed when he walked inside Trevor’s house was the pungent scent of cigarettes, vomit, and alcohol. He stepped over a couple empty cans of beer and made his way out to the back, where he could see wafts of smoke curling into the air. Chase glimpsed the kitchen table on his way out. Thankfully there was no sign of meth since it seemed Trevor was determined to spend his last days, weeks, months, whatever amount of time he had left in a haze of self-indulgence.
Chase wished he could spend more time doing as he pleased because all he wanted was to be with his girl right now instead ofhere. Sure he’d seen Larke regularly since coming back from Lake Walnut two weeks ago, but damn, even regularly wasn’t enough. Because that meant sometimes he’d go a day or two between seeing her.
He pushed the sliding doors apart and was soon outside, standing next to Trevor. His stepfather’s face was thinner than the last time Chase had seen him, which was three days ago. The skin appeared to droop over whatever flesh was left underneath.
Trevor took a draft of the cigarette and turned to him, a grin on his now ugly face. “Ain’t nothing like going out doing what a man loves best, huh?”
Chase forced a chuckle. “No females?” Sadly there were some in Antebellum Resistance who would still fuck Trevor, even in this condition.
“Like-minded, ain’t we son?” He threw the cigarette butt on the ground, beside an already growing pile. “You’ll soon learn that as capitán here, there’s always an unlimited supply of bitches willing to––”
Chase cut him off. “There’s only one female I got my eyes on,” he muttered, speaking the truth out of annoyance. “You got any news from the doctors how things are going?” he asked, changing the topic.
Trevor snorted. “Nope. Just waiting around to meet my Maker. And ready to hear you say you can handle the job hundred percent. Got the feeling you’re iffy about it all. Maybe I’m wrong. Hope I’m wrong,” he added with emphasis. “I’d sure hate to go through them pearly gates o’ Saint Peter’s and have to explain to Joe why his beloved grandson is too pussy to take over the greatest movement this side of the Mississippi.”
Chase stared at Trevor. The truth was, some days he wasn’t sure he believed in Heaven despite religion having been crammed down his throat as a boy. Instead of learning math and science he’d been learning how God created different races for a reason and that intermixing them was direct opposition and slap in the face of God’s will.
But the innocent reporter his grandfather killed... That had to be the most blatant disregard for God’s will. He knew the Ten Commandments. Knew right from wrong. What was legal from illegal. Why had they chosen to obsess about race of all things? Why would murder be acceptable but treating other races with respect, not?
Chase couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Don’t you ever wonder if you, me, any of us, really, would actually get past those gates on the other side. I mean, we’re not complete saints, right?” His own silence about a horrible crime surely meant he was going to hell. Where his grandfather was and more than likely where Trevor was headed...if such a place existed.
Trevor let out a harsh laugh. “Since when you become a goddamn preacher?” He laughed again. “Fuck no, I ain’t never wondered no bullshit like that. Heaven was created for us, Chase. God knows we’re suffering some kinda hell down here and ZOG is the devil, tormenting white people. That’s why…”
Chase wasn’t sure when it happened but at some point, all the slurs, talks of a Zionist occupied government became like white noise. His mind was blocking it all out. Trevor’s voice remained in the background, like the low hum of a machine running. Chase was so tired of hearing the conspiracy theories and arguments about why non-whites were useless and a danger to society. Whether there was truth to any of it, somehow no longer seemed important or valid enough to center his entire life around.
When Trevor’s mouth finally stopped moving, he thought about reminding the man that at the end of the day, it was his own bad habits that led to his downfall––upcoming death. He, Trevor and no one else. But because of who he was, how he was raised, Chase kept quiet. No amount of talking would lure Trevor from his ‘truths’.
Also, like it or not. Chase knew he had a role to fulfill. One that had been chosen for him and no amount of pretending would change it.
The blood of his ancestors ran deep inside of him. He was a born and bred racist, an animal with a legacy to carry on. It wasn’t a matter of saying “Fuck it, I’m out” and walking away. Too many eyes were on him, expectations, hope, and goddamn trust that he would lead them. They were all waiting on him to stand between them and the threats from the Jewish controlled government and all the brown people who were beneath them.
It hurt even thinking that. Larke was so far from being beneath him. If anything, she wasabovehim. He knew it and was positive she did too. She was his better half. Plain and simple. An asshole like Trevor would never understand that because he wouldn’t want to.
“If the doorbell rings, it’ll probable be one of them females you mentioned, coming over.”
Chase blinked, drawing himself out of his thoughts. He realized what Trevor was saying. “Serious?”
Trevor grinned. His yellowed teeth gleamed. “Not for me. Wish I could. Mind’s willing but the body just ain’t having it. It’s for you. Bet you thought I was joking when I said you needed a proper woman.”
“Who is she?”
“Haley. Heard she has a thing for you. She’s cute enough. Has some Italian blood in her but that ain’t an issue. I talked with her the other day. She wants you real bad, man.” He flicked a hand in the air. “ Go get that ass.”
Torn between disgust and amusement, Chase heard the doorbell ring exactly as Trevor had predicted.
Snorting, he looked behind at Trevor who had his eyes closed and another cigarette between his lips. Chase strode through the house to the front door. He opened it and sure enough, Haley was standing there. His gaze dropped from her face to her body. She was dressed nicely, wearing a red midriff that allowed him a view of her flat stomach and tiny waist along with white shorts, stopping just below her ass. If she’d dressed to entice him it wasn’t working. His dick was dead when it came to any female apart from his girl. Knew who it belonged to.
Haley’s red lips spread into a smile. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going. Same as always.”
She nodded slowly, her gaze coursing over him. “Can I come in? Trevor invited me over. He said maybe you and I should get to talking. He thinks we might have…things in common.”
“Trevor’s mistaken.”
She frowned. “Why do you say that? I don’t think I’ve made it a secret that I’m interested in you. I even saw that you called me back last month. I tried calling you a couple of times again, but I guess you were busy and we never found the right time.”
