Yeah, and that worked so effing well in the past.

"Fine," I seethed. Then I pointed a finger at her and she backed away a step and I let my hand drop. God, what was wrong with her? I wasn't some chick beater. Then I thought of what could happen to Jade with that stupid Howie up her ass. "But if something happens to Jade on your watch, it's on you."

"I think I can handle one AP teenager, Mr. Hart." Yeah, she was all big-time Null in her skirt and shit. But Howie wasn't a Good Guy. A Fair Player. He was plenty fine at taking.

I only had one option. And it sucked like hell, but it was my last resort.

I walked out of the principal's office, the day about done. I'd wait outside for the one person that cared about Jade's welfare as much as me.

Brett.

*

His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed to their standard wariness when he saw me standing by his car.

"Hart," he said in a cautious voice, a red gash on his chin from Howie's shot.

"Mason," I responded identically.

Carson and Diego came up, the three of them with similar expressions, arms folded across their chests and I was struck by how much they looked like men.

We weren't young anymore, but we weren't old. Instead, adulthood waited with open jaws, nipping at our soft underbellies with a progression that couldn't be halted, even if we'd hoped for it.

Longed for it.

I felt rather than saw Jade move behind me. I didn't even turn around. "Jade, get in my car."

"Caleb..."

I turned and gripping her with my hands, so large now on her shoulders. I said in the most earnest voice I'd ever used, "Please baby, get in there and lock the doors."

Her eyes searched mine, standing water swimming in them. "Don't fight them, Caleb... please," she swiped at a tear. I shook my head. "Nah, we're just gonna talk, k?"

She nodded, looking like she didn't believe me but went off in the direction of my car.

My attention swiveled back to the three that stood in front of me.

So clearly my enemies.

Except one. I didn't know what Brett was anymore. But he wasn't quite fittin' in that neat little category anymore. Placement unknown.

But he was still hanging with the ass clowns. Mixed loyalties at best.

I sighed. "Yeah, I gotta talk to you." I looked at Diego and Carson, Brody sidling up behind them.

"Alone," my eyes flicked to the others.

"Did ya get a vacation, Hart?" Carson asked with a laugh.

I didn't even try to be coy, I was tired. "Yeah."

"No shit, nice!" Diego said. "How long?"

Brett glared at him, "Hey listen, go jack off somewhere for a sec, Hart's got somethin' on his mind, huh?"

Diego scowled. "Fine, butt-hump him for all I care. He's a dick hole, you know that."

"Just go," Brett said and Carson looked at him. "Don't get your loyalties screwed, Mason. Remember who calls the shots."

Brett and Carson stared at each other for a swollen moment then Carson jerked his chin to a spot not far off, a strangled grouping of trees outcropping from an island of cement. The shade cast reaching fingers as they walked underneath its broken canopy of light.

Brett waited until they were out of ear shot.

Now that it was time to ask I felt like an idiot. I forged ahead.

For Jade.

"Listen, that goddamned tool..."

"Frazier," Brett clipped out.

I nodded. "I got a vacation, maybe a week, I'm guessing." My eyes met his and he nodded like, go on. "Anyways, she only has about three weeks until she's done there, and he's gunning for her..." I ran a frustrated hand through my hair, wanting to tear it out.

Brett was quiet. Hell, he was going to make me spell it out. I was betting on some level, he was enjoying the hell out it all.

Our gazes locked. "I think he's gonna try for Jade. I need you to... watch over her."

He folded his muscular arms over his chest, the ghost of a smile taking up residence on his face. "You want me to protect Jade while you're not in school? Is that it, Hart?"

I nodded miserably.

He cocked his head to the side. "Why me?"

"You know why, Mason," I said, pissed.

"Cause I've got a piece of her and she's got one of me?" He spread his hands out.

I hated this. "Yeah," I ground out.

"Happy to," he said and grinned.

"I mean it. It's not an effing joke. Don't let your stupid friends jack her around."

Brett strode to me, meeting me where I stood, our chests so close we could have kissed. He was a couple of inches shorter but built to last, I could tell he lifted, he had that look to him.

I bet his dear old pop wasn't beating up on him anymore. He'd find out first hand when his prodigy wiped the floor with his face.

"Let me handle them. I know what to do."

We took the measure of each other.

He was the one that would feel when Jade was in danger, scared or... whatever. It was the best choice and the worst.

"Ya know I'd never let anyone hurt Jade, right? You gotta know that." he said, desperate for me to know he would protect her. He'd be my watchdog on a chain barking at all comers.

I looked at him, my heartbeat pulsing thick and steady at my temple.

"That's not what I'm worried about."

I swung around on my heel and walked away.

I didn't look back.

CHAPTER 6

Jade gave me luminous green eyes when I slid behind the wheel of the Camaro.

Frightened.

I'd have given anything in that moment to reassure her, to stop what our lives always seem to come back to: violence and protection.

An endless cycle. Her dad was gone but here was someone ready to stand in line, take his place. The biggest question was: why was I always getting nailed for defense when the offensive team didn't get called on the play?

That's what I wanted to know. Didn't seem fair.

I sighed, running a hand through hair that was already sticking in all kinds of directions. I pounded my hand on the steering wheel and stared at the rubber cover that snaked around the column of it, protecting the wheel itself. I stared at the little black holes that made up the vinyl material, stewing over the pot of bullshit that was cooking right now.

No easy way out.

A small hand rested on my forearm and I swung my gaze to meet Jade's.

Tears were falling down her face. She knew what I felt, couldn't hide it.

"You can't be this responsible for me, Caleb!" she cried. "It's not normal, you know that."

I gripped the steering wheel harder, the creaking of it telling me it was stressed, not caring.

I turned to Jade and pulled her across the seat until she was a few inches away from my body, cradling her head in my hands, I leaned down and kissed her tear-stained face, rubbing my nose along the smoothly fragrant skin that lay underneath. I pressed my forehead against hers. "I am and ya know it."

"It's not like we're married or something, Caleb," she whispered, her forehead still pressed to mine.

I leaned back and opened my eyes, staring into hers. Taking one of her small hands in mine, I laid it over my heart, the warmth of it radiating the space that it occupied. "Do you feel me?"

She stared back, nodding slightly.

"Say it, Jade. I need to hear it."

She swallowed.

"I can't lie to ya... how do I feel about you Jade? It's not just responsibility."

My eyes searched hers and I repeated the question.

"Like we're already married," she said in a small surprised voice.

I nodded.

"I'm not seventeen, we don't have a pulse matrimonial saying we are... hell, we haven't even had sex yet!" I said winking to soften the words and she blushed, remembering what we had done. Sex was a technicality at this point. "But that doesn't mean I'm not committed to you."

Fresh tears fell. "I know. But it's a lot, Caleb."

Jade had never had real love. Love without linked violence, love without conditions.

Just love.

Now that she had it, it scared her.

And I wasn't a half way kind of guy.

I was All. The. Way.

And I wasn't without violence. In fact, and Jade realized it, I had my own brand.

Maybe it was scarier than most.

*

The Parental Unit shipped my ass to Gramps. Kinda felt like they thought he'd straighten my shit out.

Think again.

Mom should have known how much Gramps and I were alike. The only down side was I was far away from Kent.

Relatively far.

My range of sensing the dead had grown. I figured I could have dead to Jade in five minutes flat.

But we all know what would happen if they came. The long arm of the law would be doing the anal probe before you could say cadaver-manipulation.

I was looking up at the guts of the undercarriage of my car and heard Gramps say something, I rolled out on the creeper, my legs scooting along the cement until daylight splashed into my face.

"What?" I asked, squinting while my hand shaded my eyes.

"What size socket do ya need?" Gramps asked, smoke twirling up like devil's horns on either side of his face.

"Oh... yeah, half inch."

"Ya on the drain plug?"

I nodded as he slapped it into my palm. I got busy as he crouched down beside the flank of the Camaro.

I was in the middle of draining the pan when he spoke again.

"So... Caleb..." Gramps began.

I stopped twirling the wrench, the sound of his voice caused my gut to clench. I rolled out again and sat up.

Jeffrey Parker stood in the driveway.

Gramps and I walked around to the front of the car.

I held the wrench loosely in my hand.

For now.

What in the blue hell was this?

And off in the distance, I felt the death jerk in response to my stress, my anxiety waking them from their slumber like an alarm clock.

They were ready.

So was I.

*

"Well this is like goddamned Welcome Home Day!" Gramps said loudly.

Parker actually smiled, his eyes finding mine and I knew he felt the dead so close to us. They were practically underfoot. Hardy har-har.

I looked at his assembled group and saw that Logan Tracker was amongst the guys.

Not a suit in sight.

Plenty of zombies though.

Including the one that was mine, the warrior from two years ago. His dead stare tracked me like a lost lover. Even for me it was kinda creepy.

I stepped forward and Gramps put a hand on my shoulder. I turned and looked at him.

"Careful, son, this fella's a live wire."

Live wire. Right.

My eyes turned to Parker, his were a true hazel green. With all that black he was wearing they stood out like dull marbles in his alert face.

"What do you want, Parker?" His eyes went to the wrench, then back to my face.

"I need your help."

"Oh that's rich!" Gramps said slapping his polyester-clad knee.

Parker frowned, giving Gramps a look.

"Listen, we're all just a little skeptical of your motivations, you being all tight with the Graysheets," I said with the logic of the last two years backing me up.

He sighed. "You're right. But ask yourself this... did I ever really hurt you?"

My mind tumbled over the memories of the cemetery, shuffling them like a deck of cards. Sophie almost getting taken, the mess with Smith, then, finally... the judo instructor turned raping and murdering maniac. But not by Parker's order. Even by my tally he'd been interfering, but not attacking. Lately.

"Not really, I guess."

Gramps looked at me like I'd gone crazy in seconds and I held up my palm.

"But," I looked at his face, "you've interfered in everything I've ever done..."

"I protected you." Parker looked at me steadily.

I scoffed, giving a snort. "From what, yourself?"

Logan answered for him. "He only worked with the backing of the... Graysheets for the initial acquisition. When he found out everything that was going on, what their real motivation was..." he spread his hands out, his dark coloring emphasized with the all-black ensemble.

These guys were so matchy.

"We're all just a big experiment for them. To further their goal."

"Which is?" Gramps asked, the zombies with Parker swinging their gaze to his. Gramps didn't even twitch.

Tough-as-nails.

"Control," Parker said.

I shrugged, that was obvious and it didn't really clear things up.

Parker stepped forward and Gramps said, "Whoa pony, hold your horses, I liked ya right where you were."