What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

perfectly, right up to Conner grabbing Loretta’s ass. He shut that image down before it could fully form. “I wonder where he goes when he isn’t around?”

“Wish I knew.” Sev sighed and burrowed closer to Laine. “Maybe he spends time with other spirits. For all we know, he has a boyfriend or something.”

The idea made Laine’s stomach flutter and his chest ache. He hadn’t considered that particular possibility. He wasn’t sure he cared to. Stupid, he knew, considering how much he loved Sev. It was just his own ego acting up. Well, he’d stuff it back down to where it belonged. If Conner could find someone in the spirit world, why shouldn’t he? Laine couldn’t imagine being alone for eternity—the three-plus years after Conner’s death up until Sev had come into Laine’s life had been pure hell.

“Maybe,” he allowed, surprised to find himself hoping Conner wasn’t always alone. He was also a little relieved that he wasn’t such a selfish asshole. Some of the tension from the sudden startling wakening drained from him and he nuzzled Sev’s hair, drawing in the spicy scent of the man. “I kept feeling a little…I don’t know, off maybe, too. All those little hairs on the back of my neck were having a field day, vibrating off and on. Couldn’t find a reason for it at first, then I blamed the coffee.”

Sev snorted and nipped at his pec. “Well, if too much coffee is what made you fuck my brains out twice in one night, I will personally see to it you have a few pots of the stuff every damn day.”

Laine laughed as he slid down and rolled Sev under him. “That was all you,” he informed his lover, feeling himself pulled into the welling need in Sev’s eyes. “I can prove it, even. No coffee in hours, and”—he thrust his hard cock against Sev’s warm thigh—“I’m thinking we can make it at least three times in less than six hours.”

Chapter Three

With his sister arriving tomorrow, Sev was already thrumming with nerves. The anxious call from Zeke Matthers asking him to come out to Zeke and Brendan’s place didn’t help any. Sev hadn’t felt quite normal since a few days ago—the day Alma had called. While he could attribute part of his unease to that, the majority of it was related to something else entirely.

Three days, and no Conner. Four, actually, counting the day Alma called. Laine hadn’t caught so much as a hint of the spirit, either, and between the two of them, they were more than a little worried. Conner had never disappeared like this. And maybe Sev should have wished Conner on to the great beyond, whatever the fuck that was, but the truth was, he couldn’t. He missed the damned spirit too much.

As he waited for Zeke and Brendon to arrive—maybe one day he’d get his license—Sev paced the length of the living room and back, turning the puzzle of Conner’s disappearance over and over in his mind. It dawned on him that he hadn’t had any contact with spirits, not for days now. That wasn’t unusual, depending on where he was and who was dead—with the exception of Conner, of course. But there were a few spirits here in McKinton he was used to, and he hadn’t heard from or felt any of them.

Not Stefan, the sweet, innocent spirit of Darren Brown’s brother. Not Mrs. Hawkins, who in life had got her kicks out of greeting unsuspecting deputies in sheer lingerie. Even Zeke’s momma, who sometimes popped in and offered comfort when Sev was upset…

“Ugh!” Sev rubbed his forehead. If he kept frowning like this he’d either end up with an ugly wrinkle there or his head would shoot off his shoulders since frowning for very long tended to give him a headache. His mind veered right back to the fact he hadn’t detected any otherwordly presence in days and the sound of Zeke’s worried voice as he’d asked if Sev had a few minutes to spare.

He considered calling Carlin or asking Laine to talk to Matt, Carlin’s partner, and see if they’d had any contact with Mrs. Hawkins’ spirit. Or he could go to the diner, see if Darren was working…

Or, he could start by seeing what Zeke wanted since the rumble of a diesel engine outside meant the man was here. That’d probably be the smart thing to do.

Sev grabbed the house keys off the stand in the hallway and darted out of the door. He made sure he locked every lock, not wanting to catch a lecture about it if Laine got home before him, then Sev turned and bounded down the steps, waving at Zeke and Brendon.

Brendon opened the passenger side door and scooted over to the middle. Sev greeted both men, noting the tight lines of strain around Zeke’s mouth. Brendon didn’t look much better, but at least he managed to smile at Sev once he’d climbed in the truck.

“What’s wrong?” Sev asked even as he reached for his seatbelt. “You two look worried. Eva didn’t get out of prison, did she?”

Zeke shook his head and Brendon cursed. “No, that bitch is going to be there a long time after what she did to Zeke.”

Sev flicked a glance at Zeke to see if he was going to get pissed over Brendon calling Zeke’s sister a bitch, but he didn’t even flinch. Good. Maybe he’s got over feeling guilty about her being locked up for trying to kill him. Twice. One thing Sev could say about his own sisters, at least none of them had tried to do him in.

Eva had run Zeke over on Main Street in downtown McKinton in front of at least a dozen witnesses. Then the psycho had been astounded when she’d actually been arrested and tried for attempted murder. She and her husband had both been tried actually, and found guilty.

It didn’t seem wise to comment on the whole matter, though, so Sev merely nodded and snapped on