Winter's Scars: The Forsaken (Winter's Saga 5) (30 page)

Awkwardly, they finished pulling apart and with darting eyes
, exchanged sheepish half-smiles.

“They’re back,” Cole said, just to say something.

“Maze probably needs to be walked.” Sloan had to yell over his urgent barks.

“I’ll get his leash,” Cole stood abruptly, relieved to break the awkwardness with something physical to do.  Just as he was crouching to latch the heavy-duty leash to Maze’s leather collar, the back door opened.

“Hey guys,” Cole stood, and gently tugged the leash thinking he’d have to encourage the recovering coydog from his crate.  Maze sprang from his crate, skidded out on the tile flooring, caught his footing and leaped directly into Creed’s arms.

“Holy crap, Maze!” Creed coughed through his surprise.  Maze squirmed happily in his strong arms, licking his face and neck as though the guy had been painted with bacon grease.

“I heard you went for a run yesterday and got hurt.”  He talked directly to the coydog as though the canine completely understood every word.  “Been running since you were, what a few days old?  How could you possibly mess up something you’ve been doing for so long, you rascally mutt?” Creed chuckled.  “Meg would tan your hide if she…”

Creed stopped in mid-sentence.  He gently set Maze back on the ground and reached his hand out to Cole to take the leash from him.  “I’ll take him outside, Cole.  It’s good to see you, man.”

Cole handed over the leash with a nod.  “Good to have you guys home.” He offered a tight lipped, but sincere smile and looked over at Alik and Farrow.

“I’m glad to see all of you,” Cole smiled widely
while reaching out to give Farrow a hug, then grabbing Alik’s hand and shoulder bumping him. 

“Thanks for holding down the fort, Cole.” Alik nodded to Sloan, “You too, Sloan.”

“It’s good to see you’re well,” she said though her eyes lingered at the dark under-eye circles and gaunt look of Creed.

“I’ll be right back,” Creed said
, nodding toward Maze’s I-gotta-go prance even as he tried to lean adoringly against the soldier’s side.  “Come on, boy,” he said in a gruff, affectionate voice.  “We’ll go see if there are any rodents for you to sniff out.”

Theo was helping Margo into the house just as Creed was walking out with Maze.  “Be right back, sir.” He mumbled, eyes already scanning the shadows in the yard and beyond.

“Okay, son,” Theo nodded toward the tall threshold he was trying to get Margo’s chair to pass over.  With one hand still holding Maze’s leash, Creed reached out and completely lifted Margo’s chair over the problem, and set her down carefully just inside the kitchen.

“Thank you, Creed,” Margo beamed at his courtesy. 

“No worries, Dr. Winter.” His eyes darted away from her admiration and he hurried out the door.

Maze didn’t even bother sniffing to find the perfect spot.  The
poor boy just relieved himself at the first blade of grass he could find.  Creed had to smile at the look of pure happiness when Maze pranced regally around the yard, stopping to sniff interesting smells every so often.  When Maze started tugging on the leash, Creed knew he would have to have a heart to heart with the canine.

“C’mon big guy. Sit and talk with me for a minute.”

Creed folded his massive frame and sat on the edge of the sidewalk.  Maze clamored into his strong lap as if he was a puppy.

“No more running off,” Creed looked directly into
the coydog’s intelligent yellow eyes.  Maze held perfectly still, except for his eyes that he lowered submissively before looking back up at Creed and licking his face.   “You have to be here when I bring Meg home.” The coydog stopped at the sound of Meg’s name and seemed to sink heavily in Creed’s arms.  “She would kill me if something happened to you.”   Creed stroked the animal’s fur gruffly, rubbing his ears the way he knew Meg used to.  The two brokenhearted souls sat together like that long enough for the soldier to lose track of time.

Finally, Farrow came outside looking for them.  “I made up a bed for you,” she started, moving to sit on the ground beside him and
reaching to pet the coydog dozing in his lap.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

“I also made you a sandwich.  You need to eat something before you get some much needed sleep.”

“Since when did you turn into Florence Nightingale?”

“Since I started to see you wither away.  Everyone’s worried about you.
I’m
worried about you.”

“Understood.” He swallowed, eyes still staring off in the dark.

“Understood?  Is that all you have to say?”

“Farrow, did you come out here to pick a fight with me?” His voice was calm and barely above a whisper

“No,” she frowned deeply and began fidgeting with a loose thread at the cuff of her jeans.

They sat quietly for a few moments before Creed broke the silence.  “Do you remember when Meg used her gift on you—took your sadness away?”

Farrow was nodding before she spoke, “Of course. It was probably the single-most selfless gift I’ve ever been given.  I’m a different person because of what she did.  She saved me.”

Creed breathed deeply.  “Me, too.  I miss her so much that I feel as if I can’t take a deep breath.  I can’t keep a thought in my head unless it’s about her and that just makes things worse.”

“You two—you had a unique connection.  I think you were both stronger because of it.  It was like watching two wings beat in the wind, lifting higher and higher as you moved together.”

Creed moved to pinch the bridge of his nose, tears desperately trying to fall, stinging his tired eyes.  “Shit, Farrow.  You’re not helping.”

“I’m sorry,” the former assassin whispered to her friend in the dark.  “I just want you to know what you two had together—it was rare and it was real.  Anyone who saw you together could see that.”

Creed coughed through the tears that slipped back down his throat.   Maze sat up and licked his face before scooting off Creed’s lap to sniff the grass again.

“I’ll finish with Maze,” Farrow offered, reaching for the handle of the leash.  “You head inside and eat that sandwich before Alik gets to it.”

Only able to nod his appreciation, Creed stood and dusted off his backside as he walked stiffly back into the house.

Chapter 56  Face-Off

Creed reached for the doorknob when he heard footsteps crunching from down the alleyway. 

“Get inside,” he growled to Farrow.

Farrow frowned looking around for the danger she could see was clearly causing Creed to flip into soldier-mode.

“Go!” he hissed.

Scowling at Creed, she hurried Maze past him and into the house knowing full well she was going to get Alik and Cole out of bed to help. 

The crunching footsteps only Creed could hear stopped right as they were about to round the fence.

“Show your face, coward!” Creed challenged.

The footsteps continued until the figure of a man moved through a shadow and came into the moonlight.

“Welcome back, Creed.”  Evan locked his jaw and kept his hands in his pockets waiting for the anger he knew was coming.

“One question for you, Evan: why?  Why didn’t you warn us sooner that Arkdone’s men were at the motel?”

Just then Alik and Cole burst from the back door, semiautomatics held with safeties off in their huge fists, ready for battle.

“What the hell is going on out here?”  Alik barked as he looked back and forth between Creed and Evan. 

“Hey brother,” Evan nodded to Alik. 

“Evan?  What are you doing out here?” he called
, lowering his weapon and thumbing the safety back on.  Cole followed his lead.

“I was just out for a walk,” Evan shrugged, completely ignoring the daggers Creed was glaring at him, still waiting for a response to his question.

Ignoring the conversation around him, Creed pressed Evan. “Answer me, coward!”

“Creed, man.  Whatever you want to talk about with Evan should wait till morning when everyone has cooler heads.”  Alik reached out and put his hand on Creed’s massive biceps, gently pushing him back toward the house.

“No, this happens now.” Creed stepped forward, narrowing the space between him and Evan.  “You need to hear him say it too, Alik.  She’s your sister.”

“Say what?” Alik looked back at Evan with confusion on his face.

“I asked him why he didn’t warn us sooner that Arkdone’s men were coming back at the motel.  Why did he let her leave and get captured?”

“You’re not mad at me, Creed,” Evan said calmly.  “You’re mad at yourself for not being there to protect her when you think she needed you the most.”

Every muscle in Creed’s back tensed as though he’d just been struck by a cattle prod.

“I’m right,” he paused before continuing, “and you know it.  You’re mad at yourself for letting her slip between your fingers.  Your hurt ego stopped you from following her that night and you still have nightmares where she’s just out of your reach.  However strong or straight laced you are, you couldn’t make the new Meg love you.  So don’t take your shit out on me, Creed Young.”

Farrow had to stifle a gasp at the last remark.  She’d never seen Evan say or do anything that wasn’t generous and kindhearted.  Now all she saw was a shell of the guy he used to be.  And this Evan’s words were just cruel.

Creed was shaking he was so angry, but he forced himself to swallow the words Evan threw at him, knowing in his heart they were true.  He did blame himself for not being there to protect her.  His ego and his heart had been crushed by her indifference. 

“I failed her because of my ignorance, and I am still trying to atone for that sin.  But you,” Creed was slowly walking to close the distance between them.  Cole and Alik were walking at his shoulders, ready to pull him back if he moved to beat the crap out of Evan, which is exactly what it looked as if he was about to do.  “
You
are her brother and you
knew
she was in danger, but you did
nothing
to protect her.  And since she’s been gone, you’ve done
nothing
to make amends for your choice.  How could you abandon her?”

Creed’s question hung as a black cloud, poisoned and thick with sulfur.

“I had no choice,” Evan took his hands out of his pockets and ran his fingers through his freshly cropped hair.  He still had no sense of touch on three of his fingers and most of his palm, the scarring was so severe.  All he felt was pressure. 

“That’s not good enough!”
Creed roared.

The commotion outside had attracted everyone from inside the house, except Danny who was snuggling with Maze in his race car bed—both breathing deeply, dreaming peacefully.  Even some nosy neighbors had come to their yards pretending to need to hang the wash at three in the morning.

“What do you want me to say, Creed?  What?  What do you need to hear so you let her go?  Do you need to hear me say she did this to herself? 
She’s the damned empath, Creed, not me! 
She knew they were coming for her!  Do you need me to say it?  She knew she didn’t belong with us anymore—she didn’t
want
to stay with us!  She couldn’t make herself feel anything but obligation for us, so she made her choice.  She went for that run that night and made me swear not to say anything until it was too late!  And why did she bother to involve me?  Think about it, you thick-skulled idiot!  She cared enough to make sure we got away!”

“You sick son of a bitch!” Creed moved to attack, but Alik and Cole were ready for him.  It took both of them, but they held him back. 

“Evan, shut up!  None of that’s true, damn it!” Alik spat at his brother, just as appalled that he would say those words as he was to imagine they might be true.

“None of it, Al?  Think—you’re the smart one, piece it together.  Meg was acting weird after that first night in the hospital waiting room when she ‘read’ all our emotions.  She didn’t remember us—and trying to replace her lost memories with ours probably just made her feel even more
of a shell.  Then there was the whole battle in Flagstaff when she was trying to defend us—people she kept trying to tell herself that she belonged to—and she does it, too.  But now, there’s a problem.  It’s us.  She feels us afraid of her shocking powers.  Can you imagine what a purely emotional-minded person like Meg
felt
when she sensed
fear
from the people she just
risked everything
to save?”

From behind the boys there was a stifled sob.  Margo was hanging on every word her son spoke to Creed, but the explosion his words created may as well have been aimed directly at Margo’s heart.

“I miss her too, damn it!” Evan waved his scarred hand angrily at the night.  “But that wasn’t our Meg who walked out on us that night.  What Arkdone did to her?  That night in the asylum?  Our sister
died
that night!”

“Nooo!”
Alik let go of Creed and turned to attack Evan himself. 

A bright flash of light burst as Evan seemed to grab the moonlight and aimed it right at Alik.  Though not strong enough to make him burst into flames, the
moonbeam he did refract with his scarred hand knocked Alik to the ground, his shirt singed and smoking.