“I didn’t believe either, till I started getting sick. You see, he told me I wrecked his home, so I’d never have one. Said I couldn’t stay in one place longer ’n a month. Guess how long passed before I got sick?”
Chuck held up a finger, chewed a few more times, and swallowed. “A month?”
“A month and three days. He said if I tried to stay in one place, I’d die.” Slade stared out the window at passing cars to avoid whatever expression Chuck currently wore.
Again, Chuck paused long enough to make Slade squirm. “You honestly believe this guy put some kind of curse on you?”
“I don’t know. I tried looking for him, even went back to the bar where I’d first seen the kid.” Now to ramp the weird factor to ten. “No one admitted knowing either of them. Get this: everyone I asked said I left alone that night.”
“You’re not—”
Slade glared. Would people ever let him forget the fuckup he’d once made of his life? “I haven’t had anything since Grandma and Great-Aunt Judith nearly tough-loved me to death. Why the hell does everyone have to blame drugs whenever I don’t do exactly like I’m supposed to?” He ran his hand through his shaggy hair, fingers catching on snarls. His appearance no longer mattered, so he’d not cut his hair for God knew how long. Shaved either.
Chuck lifted his hands. “Whoa! Whoa! Easy there. I didn’t mean anything, I swear. Do you hear yourself, though? This whole thing sounds pretty fucking crazy.”
“Itispretty fucking crazy. Which is why I need your help. Don’t tell the family anything. I’ve always talked about seeing the country. Tell ’em I’ve gone to find myself or some shit.” Slade ran his hands over his face. Tired. So tired. He’d not gotten a decent night’s sleep since the bullshit began.
With some asshole coming to his house.
No,a little voice whispered into this mind.It started with you being an asshole.
“You can call us. Keep in touch.”
“Right now, I wouldn’t know what to say.” In the past, Slade brought a whole lot of bad to the family doorstep. He didn’t dare bring any more.
Chuck sobered. Good, dependable brother. “Okay. If you’re gonna do this, what do you need from me?”
Finally! “I texted a list.”
Chuck pulled out his phone, read the text, and let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot of stuff. How are you going to haul everything around?”
“I bought a trailer for my Harley.” Cost more than Slade cared to part with, but he’d considered buying one for years. Now the want had become a need. He‘d make enough off the sale of his tattoo shop to live a few years.
“If you’re going to be traveling, why not take your Durango?”
Once more, Slade glared daggers. Hell, he’d leave today empty-handed if possible. Everything he owned reminded him of what he’d lost.
“Oh. Right. Seeing the country. What do you want me to do with it?”
“Take it to Dad. He uses it more than me anyway. Is Dalton’s oldest daughter and her kids still living with him, or did she go back to the wife-beating asshole?” Dalton, the brother currently serving time.
If Slade found and murdered Rich Guy, what were the chances of the two Slater boys sharing a cell?
“She’s still there. Filed for divorce.”
Slade offered to kick her husband’s ass, except she’d begged him not to. “Good. She can stay at my place if she takes care of the house for me.” He’d worked damned hard for his nothing-special house in a less-than-desirable neighborhood. If he left the house unattended, the place might be picked clean by the time he returned.
If he ever returned. His niece made the better option for all concerned.
“When will you be back?” Chuck quietly murmured.
Good question. “I honestly don’t know. Good thing I make a lot of my living on my laptop. I can work from anywhere.” No need to burden Chuck further than necessary.
Chuck fixed his blue-gray gaze on Slade’s. “You’re going to do this? I can’t talk you into staying and figuring out another way?”
“Yep, I’m going. Hopefully, I can find someone to break this curse or whatever. I’ll start with Great-Aunt Judith. She still lives in the North Carolina mountains, right?” Great-Aunt Judith, who’d taken Slade in when rehab failed. She and Grandma had gotten him back on his feet.
Not an experience he’d like to repeat.