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

tried, he couldn’t charm their location out of the battleaxe filling in for Doreen.

“That woman’s just harsh,” Brendon muttered as the loaded back into the truck. “I bet she makes babies cry and kicks every puppy and kitten she sees.”

Despite the gloom permeating Sev’s mood, he chuckled. “I don’t know about that. Laine said Rich bet him five bucks he’d have Loretta eating out of the palm of his hand by the time Laine went and got coffee. Laine was grumbling about his wallet being five bucks lighter.”

Brendon snorted as he glared at the building. “Yeah, but that’s Rich. He could charm a habit off a nun.”

“The hell would he want to do that for?” Zeke asked, but the upward curl of his lips made it clear he was joking. “Wish I had a bit of his charm. I just don’t have the patience for people like that. Spent too many years keeping to myself, I guess.”

“Yeah, it was ingrained by the time I met you,” Brendon said, “but I think that’s part of your charm.”

Sev had seen that sappy, lovey-dovey look on Zeke’s face before, but it always made him grin. Zeke reminded him of Laine a lot—both men liked to growl but inside they were just giant, mushy teddy bears.

Zeke cleared his throat and went back to looking serious. “Do you want to try Darren and Lee?”

“Sure, but let me call them first.” Sev called and arranged to meet Darren and Lee at their home, which was also the Hawkins’ Senior and Youth Center. Darren had started out as a waiter at Virginia’s Café. Virginia, his boss, and Mrs. Hawkins’ nephew, Carlin, had decided to invest in the place and turn the deceased widow’s home into something the community could benefit from. They’d encouraged Darren to take some classes so he could work in the center.

Darren’s partner, Lee, worked there as well as head of maintenance. It was Stefan, the spirit of Lee’s younger brother, who Sev wanted to ask about. Sev had a really bad feeling he knew the answer already. Darren had sounded nervous at first then eager to talk to him.

Sev texted Laine on the drive to the Hawkins’ place. As succinctly as possible, he told him what he’d discovered and where he was going as well as why. Laine hadn’t replied by the time they arrived to talk to Darren and Lee, so Sev tucked his phone in his shirt pocket once he got out of the truck. He called out a greeting to Darren and Lee.

Both men were sitting on the porch swing, each with their arms slung over the back of it. They made a striking couple, Darren with his lithe, youthful beauty and Lee, brawny and masculine despite the long blond hair flowing over his shoulders.

Zeke and Brendon trailed behind Sev. Sev avoided the ramp and took the steps instead. Darren and Lee stood and walked over as Sev stepped onto the porch.

“Severo, Zeke, Brendon.” Lee shook each of their hands. “Would y’all like to come inside for some tea or coffee?”

The weather had turned warm, or at least warmer than that frigid spell they’d had a few days ago. “Tea would be awesome,” Sev said as he shook Darren’s hand.

They went inside after Darren finished greeting Zeke and Brendon. Sev was stunned by the transformation to Mrs. Hawkins’ house. It didn’t look like a home anymore, at least not inside. The wooden floors gleamed, the warm honey color lighting up the room. What used to be a living room was now some sort of lobby, Sev guessed, with a dozen or so plush looking chairs covered in a striped pattern.

The walls were a soothing cream color. Vibrant prints framed in aged wood adorned the walls. Two bookshelves were tastefully stocked with a mixture of books, pamphlets and knick-knacks. A large desk sat close to the back wall, the top immaculate except for the computer monitor and keyboard on the gleaming surface.

“Y’all have done an amazing job,” Sev said as he took in the room. “This looks professional but not stuffy, you know?”

“Lee did the carpentry. Virginia let me decorate.”

The pride in Darren’s voice was impossible to miss. So was the tender look Lee gave his lover. Darren blushed, and Sev was surprised, pleasantly so, that the shy younger man was crawling a little further out of his shell.

“Anything?”

Sev bit back a surprised yelp upon hearing Zeke’s deep voice so close to his ear. He hadn’t even known the man was that close. Now he no longer needed a cane, Zeke moved quietly—too quietly, Sev decided, casting his friend a baleful look. He shook his head then faced forward again as he followed Darren and Lee into a hallway. Like the front room, this one was tastefully decorated as well.

“We figured we’d give y’all a quick tour,” Lee said when they stopped in front of a door. “This is the rec room.” Lee crossed his arms and looked at Sev. “Actually, that’s not the entire story. We were kind of hoping maybe you could find Stefan and Mrs. Hawkins. They’ve been gone for—”

“Four days,” Zeke muttered before Sev could. “Same with Mama and Conner, according to Sev. Where the fuck did they go?”

Lee blanched and reached for Darren, as if needing support—or comfort. Probably both. Lee tucked Darren’s head against his shoulder as both of them looked at Sev with fearful expressions. “Is… You don’t know where they are? If they’re okay or if they p-passed on?”

Sev hadn’t ever heard that nervous stutter from Lee before. It just didn’t seem right, didn’t fit with the image of the big tough former Army Ranger. He wished he could say something to make it all better, but lying would only make everything worse.

“No. I haven’t felt a single presence for several days.”

* * * *

After one more stop—one Sev had dreaded so much he almost didn’t ask Zeke to take him there—Sev’s hopes were all but demolished. Any hospital was hell