Chapter 6

Derek didn't have a car, nor did he want to waste the funds renting one. So he did what he always did when he wanted to visit his grandparents.

Called.

"What do you fucking want?" barked his grams.

"Hey, you old bat, you still kicking?" he asked. He sat in a coffee shop a few blocks from his place with a disguised Athena sitting across from him, putting back eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast like she'd not just devoured a full meal just over an hour ago. A duffel bag at his feet held his personal effects. AKA his Xbox and anything with his name on it plus the few items Athena had picked up.

"You ain't inheriting yet, you mooching bastard," Grams' retort.

"Inherit what? Your ugly-ass couch and granny panties?"

"You wish. I'm leaving you the dust bunnies under my bed, you ungrateful turd."

Derek laughed, even as he saw a listening Athena frowning at him over a forkful of eggs. "Love you too, Grams."

"Why you calling so early? You finally break a few laws and need us to bail you out of the clink?"

"Alas, I'm still a good boy. However, I do need a place to crash for a few."

"You in trouble?" Grandma asked.

"Not exactly, but the friend I'm helping is. She'll be with me."

A pause. "I don't like strangers."

"Are you sure you won't make an exception for my girlfriend?" he stated, despite it not being exactly true. He could have told Grams the truth—hey, I met this chick who's really hot and has some bad shits after her. Grandma would have welcomed Athena with open arms, as she loved drama even as she claimed she didn't.

But saying the G word? That would really put his grams in a tizzy.

"Who the fuck is dumb enough to date you?"

He grinned. "Guess you'll soon find out."

"I take it you're calling for a ride?"

"Yeah."

Rather than go on a rant about how he should own a car, she muttered, "Meet Gramps at the usual place in forty-five minutes."

"Thanks."

"Whatever." Her way of saying I love you.

He hung up, and Athena eyed him over her glass of orange juice. "You weren't kidding about your grandma."

"You heard?"

"Kind of hard not to. What was it like growing up being called a bastard?"

"No worse than the kid being called champ or pumpkin. I always knew she loved me, and words are just that. It's the intent that counts."

"Sticks and stones," she murmured in reply.

"Exactly, so keep that in mind when she decides on your nickname."

Her brow arched. "You mean I'll get one of my own?"

"Oh, hell yeah."

"What did she call your last girlfriend?"

"Nothing since she never met her. The last one I brought around was like five years ago. Cindy Brown. Grandma took one look at her and called her the harpy on account Cindy had a thing for telling me, and others, what to do."

"I'm surprised you'd date someone like that since you seem to have a mind of your own."

"In my defense, she had a great rack."

She blinked.

He coughed. "Yours is better."

"Have you ever been serious with someone?"

"Yeah. My last girlfriend, who kept finding excuses to not meet my grandma. Should have been my first warning. When I suggested we move in together because she kept bitching she never saw me, she went a little psycho and accused me of stifling her."

"I hate it when people play dumb games like that."

"Me too," he retorted. "Like, why is it so hard to be honest and real?"

"You're an interesting man," she lightly stated.

"Says the queen of mystery. Come on, we've got a bit of a walk to meet Gramps."

"Why doesn't he grab you at your place?" she asked as he dropped cash on the table and they left the diner, the duffel bag slung on his back.

"Because I'm technically not supposed to be living there. I'm subletting from a guy who's out of the country but not via legal channels. He needs an address to make it seem like he's there but didn't want to leave the place vacant. So I rent it for cheap and have all my mail sent to my grandparents' place."

"That doesn't explain why you get picked up away from your building."

"Because Grandma is convinced the feds are watching them and doesn't want to lead them to my apartment."

"And why are the feds watching her?"

"Because of the pot and shrooms she grows."

"Pot is legal now."

"Now, yes, but it didn't used to be, and old habits die hard." He glanced at her, and to his surprise, she didn't laugh or act shocked. Most women took issue with the family business. A business he wasn't involved in, but still, folks heard the words "marijuana crop" and got weird.

"I'm assuming, with the pot and fed thing, your grandma's got security at her place?"

"Yup. Cameras, dogs, traps?—"

"Traps?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend wandering through the woods alone. I know what to watch for, but it can be dangerous for the unknowing. Pits, snares, trip lines, just to name a few. If someone did manage to follow, they'll be in for a surprise."

"Seems unlikely since you're not legally registered to that apartment. Means even if dumb and dumber talk, they won't be able to trace you."

"Unless they break in and go through my stuff and find something I forgot."

Her lips pursed. "Hopefully that doesn't happen."

"Even if they do figure out we went to the farm, they'll have a hard time because Grams don't like strangers."

"Maybe I shouldn't go. I wouldn't want to bring trouble to them."

He snorted. "Don't say that to Grams. She'd be insulted."

"We should warn her, though."

"I was planning to. She's always looking for a reason to buy more guns."

She blinked. "How many does she own?"

"Let's just say she could outfit a militia."

Athena shook her head. "I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone."

"I promise she and Gramps are good people despite some of their beliefs."

"Oh, I believe you. My family is different than most as well. We just don't collect weapons or set booby traps." Her lips twitched. "Although I'll bet Ares would be interested."

"Older or younger brother?" he asked.

"Middle child. Selene is the baby."

"Must have been cool having siblings growing up."

"Sometimes. Other times we were screaming and yelling and fighting. Dad used to let us go at it, but Mom had this thing about us talking it out, hugging, and apologizing."

"Which was better?" he asked.

"Honestly, when Ares tore the head off my favorite Barbie, I took great pleasure in hiding his video games and making him beg for their return."

"I sometimes wished I had siblings growing up, but when Mom left, Dad wasn't interested in dating. Still isn't. My mother broke him."

"And my mom never recovered from my father dying." She paused before adding, "I think the hardest part was his death was preventable. He was shot while hiking in the forest."

"Jeezus, that's fucking shit," he exclaimed. "Sorry, I mean that sucks."

"Yeah, it does. For a while, she wouldn't let us leave the yard she was so terrified we'd be taken from her too."

He spotted the gas station up ahead. "Almost there. Gramps should be along any minute."

Athena cocked her head as if listening, and yet once more he heard nothing. "What is it?"

"Sounds like someone lost their muffler."

Her hearing must be good. "That's Gramps. He drives an old Ford and does most of the repairs himself. He's patched the exhaust system I don't know how many times, but he won't replace the baffles. Says a truck should growl."

"I'm surprised the cops haven't given him a ticket."

"They have, but he's got a friend who's good at making them go away."

"Useful."

He pointed. "There he is."

The forest-green truck, with a white stripe down each side, rumbled into view. Gramps pulled up alongside them, and Derek opened the passenger door.

"Hey, Gramps. Thanks for the ride. Sorry for the early wakeup call."

The old man, fit for his age, if thick, grunted. "I was already up. I was about to hit the blind when you called."

Derek glanced at Athena. "Hunting blind. Deer season just opened."

"Your grandma has said I better snag at least three since the price of beef went up again. Let's go. I should still have time to hike it before dawn."

While Derek stood, ready to boost Athena into the truck, she required no aid, swinging herself into the cab and scooching over the bench seat that spanned the front. Derek clambered in and no sooner shut the door than Gramps was speeding away but not before saying, "Don't know what you're thinking bringing this sweet thing to see your grams. She's gonna eat her alive."

To which Athena replied, "I can't wait."

Neither could Derek, because he might have finally met the one woman who could hold her own with his family.