Long Way Home by Carolyn Gray (7 page)

said something.”

Lee tensed. “No. Maybe you mentioned me to one of your friends.”

“Hell no. They know nothing about me. And definitely not about you.” He gestured at

Nick and Mutt. “You told
them
.”

“Not until I got your note.”

Nick stepped forward. “We’ve known five minutes, tops.”

Gev took another swig of wine as Lee bit back his growing anger. “Well, I sure as hell

didn’t tell anyone.” Gev leaned toward Lee, his eyes hard. Angry. “I never wanted to see you

again.” He turned away.

Lee clenched his hands into fists, but words failed him.
Why not
? he wanted to demand,

but hadn’t he been the same? “Then we’re done here.”

Gev waved his hand at Lee, dismissing him, and reached for a towel sitting on the table.

“That’s right.”

Lee realized Gev was shaking. That stopped the retort he’d been about to hurl at Gev.

“Okay, guys,
enough
,” Nick said, spreading his hands, his expression hard as he pushed

between them in the tiny room. Lee stepped back, feeling like an idiot. “Calm down, okay? This

is puzzling as hell, but why are you so angry at each other?”

28

Carolyn Gray

Lee pressed his palms to his eyes. Hell. He dropped his hands, sighed. “Sorry. You’re

right. This is”—he gestured toward Gev—“difficult. I haven’t talked about Stefan to anyone. In

years. I don’t understand why this has happened now. All right?”

The fire in Gev’s eyes calmed. “You’re right, of course.” He rubbed the towel over his

face, the back of his neck, then balled it up and threw it into a basket full of towels.

Nick said, “That’s better. You guys were kids when you saw each other last, right?” Lee

nodded. “Well, then, you should be happy to see each other. I mean, it’s kinda awesome, right?”

He looked from Lee to Gev, back to Lee. Lee knew he was right.

But it was Gev who spoke first. “It’s a surprise to see you. A shock, really. You’re looking

good, at least.” He smiled briefly. “Figures you’d come out so well. My brother always thought

you were amazing.”

That skirted an edge that made Lee uncomfortable. “We were good friends.”

Gev’s eyes fixed on his. “I know. I know you were. You were always nice to the bratty

little brother too.” He cocked his head. “I haven’t changed much, I’m afraid.”

Lee wouldn’t argue with that. He found himself smiling. Maybe it would be all right. Not

such a disaster, seeing Gev again this one time.

Nick rubbed his hands together. “Okay, that’s better. See? Not so hard to be civil.”

“Nick,” Lee warned.

“Sorry, sorry. What do you ballet types usually do after a performance, Gev? You don’t

mind if I call you Gev? You can call me Nick.”

“The ones that don’t have anywhere to be, they go out and get drunk if there isn’t a

performance the next day. I don’t.”

“Don’t drink?” Nick indicated the wine bottle, one eyebrow raised. Gev turned it around—

sparkling cider. “Well, how about you join us tonight? We’re tired, so don’t plan to be out late.

We have a plane to catch in the morning.”

Gev slipped off his sweats. The move was so fast, Lee couldn’t stop himself from looking.

Gev had only the barest of briefs on. Lee turned away quickly—to see Nick frowning at him. Lee

stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Gev was oblivious. Lee figured the dancers were well used to changing in front of each

other. Not that he himself was modest, but… Gev’s resemblance to his brother, faint as it was,

was something he would have to figure out how to deal with, and soon, if they were going to

spend some time together. He was glad his plane left in the morning. One evening would be all

he could take.

“Sure, if y’all don’t mind. I’ve nothing to do tomorrow except visit my sister.”

“Nina?” Lee asked.

Gev broke out into a genuine smile, finally truly reminding Lee of the boy he had known.

“Oh yeah, Nina’s married, has three whiny brats who are the most awesome kids in the world.

They’re almost ten now. Triplets.”

“Ouch,” Nick said. “Wait. Ten?”

“Stepmom. Her husband’s first wife left him when they were two weeks old, hasn’t been

seen since. The kids are great, and I am required to spoil them. I don’t mind. Nina feeds me

Long Way Home

29

enough food in one visit to last a week, though she doesn’t realize that’s practically all I eat.

Ballet doesn’t pay much.”

“Our treat,” Nick said. “If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind.” Gev grabbed his jacket, then paused. “My car’s here, though. Bring me

back later?”

Mutt said, “No problem.”

“Thanks. So, Lee, do you think we were pulled together for a reason?”

Lee relaxed a little again. It didn’t feel as dire as it had earlier, now they’d actually started

talking. “I don’t know, honestly. Mutt thinks there’s a possibility we’re being manipulated.”

“But why?” Nick asked. “The… Your brother disappeared years ago.”

“Because the bastard who took him and killed him is still out there,” Gev said, yanking

open the door.

Lee stopped him. “They found him?”

Gev paused. “Found—” His eyes widened. “No, no, that’s not what I meant.” Lee let his

breath out in a whoosh. “Far as I know, the case is still open.” Gev adjusted his jacket. “Mom

still thinks he’s alive, though she doesn’t say so.”

Lee asked the next question before he realized what he was going to say. And immediately

regretted it. “How is she?”

Gev looked at him, his eyes clear and hard. “Same as always. Let’s get out of here. Got a

lot of catching up to do with Lee.”

Nick’s eyebrows rose. “Oh. Do you want us not to go, Lee? We can catch something

somewhere el—”

“I don’t mind,” Gev said quickly.

Lee felt a little disappointed, which also made him a little confused, as the last thing he

wanted to do was be alone with Gev and talk about the past. “Fine with me. Where should we

go?”

“IHOP? I’m starving for some pancakes.”

Nick threw his hands up in the air. “Pancakes! A man after my own heart. Been craving

ordinary drenched-in-syrup pancakes for ages.” He made a face. “Greg always insists on putting

in wheat germ or protein powder or whatever supposedly makes them good for you. Completely

ruins them.”

“Such a travesty,” Mutt said.

“Exactly.” Nick bolted out of the room.

“Is he always like this?”

Mutt grinned, placing a hand on Gev’s shoulder. “Wait until those carbs hit.”

* * * *

they always sat, but with Gev joining them, it was a little awkward for Lee to be next to him.

Fortunately, Gev was directing Mutt where to drive. “Up that way and skip the next street

because it’s a one-way, but the next one will take you onto I-35 East.”

“That’s north, though,” Mutt said.

30

Carolyn Gray

“Yeah,” Gev said. “It’s a bit whacked, but there’s I-35 West and I-35 East—one is through

Fort Worth, the other through Dallas. But they go north and south.”

“Drunken road planners?” Nick asked.

“Possibly. Anyway, get on the highway, and I’ll tell you when to get off. We’re getting on

the toll road, so your rental car company will get the bill in a couple of weeks.”

“And then happily pass it on to us,” Nick commented.

“To Marisa,” Mutt said.

“Go through and get off and go back through again. It’ll drive her nuts.”

Gev settled back in his seat. “Still the quiet one, I see,” he said to Lee.

“He’s impossible to get to talk sometimes,” Nick said, turning around and draping himself

over the back of the seat. “The silent, brooding type. Drives girls nuts. You should see him when

they start chasing him. Man, can he run.”

Gev chuckled. Lee pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nick—”

“You’d think he was scared of women or something.”

Lee dropped his head back, stared at the rental’s ceiling. “Why me? Why?”

“Just saying, buddy!”

Lee was glad Gev seemed amused, at least. He shifted uncomfortably, wishing Nick

weren’t always so persistent. They needed another line of discussion.

“How long have you two known each other?” Nick added.

“All my life,” Gev said. “Until Stef disappeared, and Lee—”

Lee reached out a hand to stop Gev. He didn’t want to talk about this. Not now, not here,

not ever.

Nick, oblivious, turned around in his seat. “And Lee what?”

Gev hesitated, but Lee answered. “I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s all right.”

But Nick was never easily deterred. “What happened to you, Lee?”

Lee curled his hand into a fist, well aware that Gev saw his tenseness. Gev caught his eye,

then told Nick, “He was hurt pretty badly. Then after he recovered enough, he left.”

Nick looked thoughtfully at Lee. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay. I don’t remember much.” Didn’t want to, either. He looked out the window, his

thoughts taking a hard right, back to the days after he’d gotten out of the hospital. He hadn’t been

able to take it—the looks, the stares, the unspoken accusations. Including from Gev’s parents.

Why had he survived? Why hadn’t he been taken too? As if that would have made the loss of

their son easier to bear.

Why hadn’t he remembered anything that could’ve helped find Stefan? “I transferred to

another school after,” Lee said, half to himself.

But Nick heard him, turned around again. “Probably was hard on you, being the survivor.”

“It was hard on all of us,” Gev said, his voice rough.

Lee looked up sharply. “I’m sorry, Gev.”

“I lost my brother and you too, you know. I was a stupid little kid, but I missed you.”

Lee couldn’t hide his surprise. Really couldn’t. “You missed me? I was only—”

Long Way Home

31

“Hey, you were my brother’s best friend. You guys were nice to me. Not all big brothers

are as nice to the pesky kid brother as Stef was.” He stared down at his hands. “I missed

everything. All of a sudden, being the only boy—something I had dreamed about a time or two,

of course—didn’t appeal anymore. Nina was only a little kid then and no real fun yet. But when

she got older,” he said, looking at Lee now, “I made sure I was good to her, like my brother had

been to me. Like you had.”

“Sorry,” Lee said again, clearing his throat.

Gev didn’t react for a moment, but then a smile crept out. “I gotta admit, I’m sitting here

feeling grateful to whoever set this up, even if it was a total fluke. It’s good to see you again.

And Mutt, next exit’s where we get off. You’ll go right.”

To Lee’s relief, he didn’t have to respond to Gev’s admission. He was glad too, he

realized. They parked and went into the restaurant, where everyone ordered pancakes, which

made Nick happy.

Time flew. The talk steered away from the mystery that plagued them all, though Lee

couldn’t quite shake it all from his mind. As he ate his last pancake, he realized he was

exhausted. Gev must be too, though his animated talk with Nick about boys seemed to belie that

assumption.

Mutt caught his eye. “Still worried?”

“Can’t not be.”

“Want me to do any digging?”

Gev noticed what they were talking about and looked across the table at them. “I can’t stop

thinking about it either. Should we do anything, is the question.”

“Or wait and see if anything else happens?” Nick asked.

Mutt pushed his plate away. “I’m not sure if that’s the best course. I’d like to know what

you can remember, Lee. Who the detective involved was, for instance. At least contact him—”

“Her,” Gev corrected. “Remember her, Lee? Detective Consuela Ramirez. She’s actually

still around. She comes watch me dance now and then with her friends.”

“So it happened around here?” Nick’s surprise wasn’t masked. “Lee, I didn’t know you

ever lived in Texas. I just assumed… I don’t know what I assumed. There’s too much I don’t

know about you.”

“You never asked.”

Nick slumped. “You’re right. Man, I’m such a bastard. Always gotta be about me, you

know.”

Lee shrugged. “Not much to tell. I moved in with my grandmother for a while, then left

after high school. She died soon after that. Drifted around until I met you and Brandon. The rest

you know.” And until now, he’d had no reason to come back here. His mother had drunk herself

to death long ago, and his father… Well, Lee didn’t know where he was—and didn’t care. Nick

pushed back in his seat. “You really are a man of mystery. Was he always like that, Gev?”

Gev thought for a moment. “Afraid so. My brother was the energetic one, the talkative one,

always dragging Lee into doing things. Trouble.” He looked at Lee. “One time too many.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Lee said.

“No, of course not. Crazy people are everywhere.” Nick stood and grabbed the bill. “I’ll

pay this. Be right back.”

32

Carolyn Gray

Lee started to object, but Mutt laid a hand on his arm. “He’s okay here. We were ignored

coming in.”

Gev looked from Lee back to Mutt. “You’re seriously his bodyguard, like, all the time,