Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

DASH

Valeand I headed to Lavender Lounge to meet Paxton De Vil. I hoped to hell I could offer my limited skills as a couple’s counselor—which I’d picked up from the man I loved.

“Talk to me, Valentino. Why are you so pissed at Jonas? The guy might be an idiot, but he’s not a cheater.”

It was mostly speculation on my part because I had no idea whether the angel would or wouldn’t cheat, but until he gave any signs he was leaning in that direction, Jonas deserved the benefit of the doubt. He shouldn’t have to pay for the sins of Vale’s past heartbreaks.

“He had the audacity to ogle a server, and then, he said the guy had a cute ass. My ass is the only ass he should be ogling.” Vale crossed his legs and arms, completely closing himself off. Keir would try to reason with him. I wasn’t Keir.

“Do you honestly expect Jonas will never glance at another guy as long as you’re seeing each other? That’s completely unrealistic, Vale. People stare at attractive people. It’s human nature. If he’d have grabbed the kid’s ass, you’d have a complaint, but aren’t you glad he said the kid’s ass was attractive instead of saying it to the kid behind your back?”

Vale turned in the seat and placed his hands on his right knee. “Do you say things like that to Keir?”

I chuckled. “I look, and I’m sure Keir does, too, but I’m not dumb enough to say that shit out loud. Besides, I’d never, ever step out on Keir. I wanna marry him and have a family with him someday, in addition to the family we’ve found among our friends. He’s my future and my forever.” At least I hoped he was. I just had to find him.

“Where are we going, by the way?” Vale uncrossed his legs, attempting to change the subject. I wasn’t ready for that yet.

“How far have you and Jonas taken things? Are you dating? Hanging out? Just friends? Has the L word dropped yet?”

I saw Vale do a double-take from the corner of my eye. I kept the smirk to myself.

“Look who’s becoming a Meddling Marion. I expect this kind of inquisition from Keir but not you. To answer, Jonas and I are currently nothing. If I’m with a guy, I expect all his attention, case closed.” Vale gave a confident nod and checked his perfectly manicured fingernails. The pink polish was a nice touch.

“Do you give him all of yours in return?”

Seemed like a fair question. I’m fucking awful at this sort of crap.

Vale turned to look out the window without answering, so I let it go as I took the exit leading to Midtown. Maybe that was something he needed to ponder?

A few minutes later, I turned into the parking lot for Lavender Lounge. “You comin’ in?” I hopped out and stood in the parking lot, glancing around before I reached into the pocket of my leather jacket for my sunglasses.

My friends had all grown accustomed to my eyes being two different colors since the accident, and many of them knew I’d been given the gift of seeing auras, good and bad. I could also see the spirits Keir dealt with and protected when they were in his care. They were used to me.

Paxton De Vil, however, was a stranger. I wouldn’t give away my secrets so quickly, and definitely not before I knew what he wanted from me.

The door on the passenger side slammed, and Vale stomped around the vehicle to where I was standing. “You could have opened my door.” The pout was kinda cute.

“Why? I’m not trying to get into your pants.” The stunned look on Vale’s face was priceless.

We entered Lavender Lounge and went straight into the bar area where Paxton sat alone at a high-top table. I walked over with Vale next to me. “Paxton De Vil, this is my friend, Valentino Rankin. Vale, Pax.”

Paxton hurried from his seat and pulled the barstool out next to him for Vale. “Enchanté.”

Vale took a seat and giggled. “Pleasure’s all mine.”

He then turned to me and winked. Setting him up on a date wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but maybe he and Jonas were just friends. Vale’s love life was really the last thing on my mind.

“So, did you find out anything for me?”

Pax looked at me like I’d sprouted a second head, so I pointed to the folder in front of him. “This. Did you find Naomi Green or her daughter?”

He motioned for a server and then turned back to me. “I found out a lot of interestin’ things, Dash.” He then turned to Vale. “So, how do you know him?” He tilted his head toward me as though I wasn’t there, which I didn’t appreciate.

“Oh, I work at his fiancé’s funeral home as a hospitality director.”

Interesting. Vale had a title now?

“Well, now, that sounds like quite a lot of work.” I could see Paxton De Vil had one thing on his mind, and until I got him off Vale’s scent, I wouldn’t find out what I wanted to know.

While the two stared dreamily into each other’s eyes and talked about absolutely nothing of interest, I snapped a pic and sent it to Jonas with a text.

You might wanna come get your boy before this southern gentleman sweeps him off his feet. Lesson: quit talking about other guy’s asses.

Jonas responded right away.

I’ll find you. Thx.

I had no doubt he would.

“…but I wasn’t happy modeling. I was promised the moon and got the shaft.”

I glanced up from my phone to see Vale was getting damn cozy with Paxton De Vil, and even though it wasn’t really my business, I was the one who’d brought him along.

“It’s nice watching you two get acquainted, but⁠—”

A server approached the table with a bottle of wine and two glasses. The woman looked at me and smiled. “What can I get you?”

“I’m driving. I’ll have a ginger ale, thank you.”

I then turned to Pax. “You think we could get on with our business? Is there a problem with telling me what you found?”

“I beg your pardon, Mr. Clegg. It seems I’m neglectin’ my business responsibilities. Your dead soldier had a restrainin’ order against him. It was sworn out by a woman named Naomi Green in Topeka, Kansas. Here’s a copy.”

Pax opened the folder and pulled out some documents, shoving them over to me. The server brought my drink and a basket of popcorn.

I looked over the documents to see it was a temporary restraining order against Sergeant Horace Green, dated September 2004. It was signed by a judge in Shawnee County, Kansas.

I read through the document and discovered that Mrs. Green asserted that Sergeant Green was stalking her, and she was afraid for her safety and that of her daughter. He was stationed at Fort Riley at the time.

“Did she follow up and renew it after six months?” Nowhere in the paperwork were there additional references that the woman had renewed the restraining order.

“No. She falls off the face of the earth after that. She’d been receiving support, but when she moved, she didn’t change her address, so the Army stopped sending the checks.”

Pax pointed to all the right spots in the document to confirm the information. It was a fucking mystery. I hated mysteries.

“Hell. That’s not much help. We’re trying to find the daughter because Sergeant Green had some personal effects that belong to her. Nothing on Rachel Green?”

Pax shook his head as his eyes settled on something behind me. The frown had me turning my head to see my smiling friend, the guardian angel.

“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late. Babe, how are you?”

Vale’s gasp was loud enough that people turned around to stare at us. Jonas sure as fuck knew how to make an entrance, especially when he put two helmets on the table next to us before he pulled a chair over and physically moved Pax so he could sit next to Vale.

“Wh— Why are you— How’d you—” Vale was a sputtering mess, which was exactly what I was hoping would happen.

Jonas grinned. “You’re the most gorgeous man in this place. I’m sorry I was a stupid fool the other night. Say you forgive me, and promise you’ll only be mine.”

Vale’s eyes glazed over for an instant before he threw his arms around Jonas’s neck. “I promise. Can we leave?”

The two of them turned to me, and I nodded. My work with them was done. The rest of their story was out of my hands.

I turned to Paxton, seeing a smirk. “Nicely played, Key. Shall we get down to business?”

Ah. That was interesting. “Yep.”

If I thoughtI was frustrated when I left our apartment for my meeting with Paxton De Vil, I had no idea how upset I’d be when I got home.

Doppelgänger was still there, locked in the bedroom I’d happily shared with Keir. He wouldn’t answer when I knocked, the bastard, and I refused to bust down the door.

It turned out that aside from being Dean Lester’s assistant, Paxton liked to investigate paranormal events. He knew Keir was the Gatekeeper and I was the Key, and he knew Keir was missing. The man claimed he could find my Keir if the guy at my place was indeed a fake. He also wanted a lot of cash to do it, which I wasn’t willing to give.

If I couldn’t find my guy through the vast array of resources at my disposal, then what the fuck was I doing wrong?

I went into the spare room of the apartment and flopped on the bed, fully clothed. When I got him back, I planned to convince Keir to go on vacation after Lucy and Lenny’s Christmas wedding. I had to feel him in my arms as soon as possible because he was my world.

“Dash?”

I’d dozed off when I heard a soft knock on the door. The voice outside wasn’t the one I longed to hear, though it was close.

I climbed out of bed and opened the door to find Doppelgänger standing there, his hair pointing in every direction. He looked like my Keir, but I could see the subtle differences.

“Oh, uh, Keir? What’s wrong?”

“I have a terrible headache. Do you have anything I can take?”

I walked out of the spare room and through our bedroom to the bathroom vanity, opening the medicine cabinet and retrieving a bottle of pain relievers. I twisted off the cap and held the two pills in my palm before quickly closing my hand around them. “You want these? You gotta talk to me.”

I took them with me down the hallway to the kitchen and went to the cupboard to get him a glass. I filled it with water and set it on the counter. I heard him shuffling behind me, and I had to remind myself he wasn’t my guy.

Doppelgänger sat at the peninsula and glared at me. “Give me the pills. I’m in pain.”

“Who are you, really? I’m not giving you anything until you tell me the truth.”

“I don’t know.” The man’s voice was timid, and his aura was pale gray. He wasn’t the being I wanted to talk to.

“Not you, the man. The demon inside you. Who are you?”

The man’s eyes suddenly flashed black as he stared at me. “Fuck you.”

I chuckled. “You wish. Tell me your name.”

Doppelgänger twisted unnaturally, and a maniacal laugh burst out of him. “You can’t cast me out if you don’t know my name, but then again, you can’t cast me out anyway, can you? That’s your precious Gatekeeper.”

Suddenly, the possessed man hopped off the chair and rushed out the apartment door. I tried to follow, but he was too fast.

I had the sick feeling I would need the Doppelgänger to get my Keir back, but I had no idea how to find him. Keir could rid him of that demon bitch in a heartbeat. Without Keir, I was fucking powerless.

Daythree of Keir being gone found me in a shitty mood as I opened the door to the receiving bay after someone rang the bell unannounced.

Lilith and Quinn were waiting for me with a man I didn’t know. He looked a little glazed over, but since I didn’t know him, that might be his natural expression.

“Who’s this?” I didn’t bother with a hello or a go to hell. I was in no mood.

“Desmond Smythe. He’s a licensed mortician. He was more than happy to embalm your guest after I put out the call for help.”

Lilith appeared pleased with herself, and I knew better than to ask why. The man was clearly not a volunteer, but hopefully, he wouldn’t be needed very long, and then Lilith could release him from her evil clutches and send him on his way.

I glanced at my best friend. “How are you with all of this?”

Quinn shrugged. “How am I supposed to be about it? I love her, and she’s finally agreed to move in. She explained a lot of shit to me, but my mind is still a little blown.”

I got that in spades. “Well then, come inside. I’ve got a runaway demon on my hands right now. We might as well get the embalming done on our guest while you have a mortician on hand.”

I retrieved Mr. Green’s body from the walk-in while Mr. Smythe began adjusting the equipment Keir had laid out a few days earlier but hadn’t had the chance to use. I wheeled the cart over to him, and when he unzipped the bag, I turned to see Quinn’s face go white.

“How about you and I go upstairs and have coffee while this gets done. Lilith, you’ll keep track of Mr. Smythe, right?”

“Of course. I’ll even help him.”

I led Quinn upstairs to the funeral home, and we sat in the hospitality room. Amelie came out of Keir’s office and joined us.

“Any word on Keir yet? Is the funeral for Mr. Green still on Tuesday? Since there’s no family, I’m assuming it won’t be an open casket.”

I stared at the two of them and shook my head. Of course they knew Keir was missing, and he was the one in charge at Dearly & Son, but I wouldn’t do anything my guy wouldn’t approve of if he were here.

“No, we’ll get Lake to come in and see what she can do for him. Keir would want Sergeant Green to look his best, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Amelie offered a sweet smile. “You’re right. What was I thinking? I’ll call her, and then I’ll call about the uniform. I believe it’s being delivered on Monday.” She went back to the office, and Quinn stared at me.

“What?”

Quinn smirked. “You’re seriously going to hold a funeral for a vet who may or may not have anyone in attendance? You’re not a licensed mortician. Can you legally do this?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Probably not but fuck it. Keir would want me to do it. There will be an honor guard, and the VFW guys are good about showing up, so there will be someone here to send Sergeant Green on his way.”

Quinn stood and slapped my shoulder. “Well, let’s get it set up.”

I thought of Keir and his preparations when he had a funeral. I led Quinn toward the chapel to begin putting out chairs and floral arrangements for the service, and we got busy.

I wanted to bring Keir’s vision, as I’d learned from him, forward. When he came home to me, I wanted him to be proud of what I’d done in his absence.

I wasn’t planning to allow it to be too much longer until he was back in my arms. I still had a couple of chits, as Jo called them, that I hadn’t used yet.