Flanked Page 15

  The days and nights at Navarro and Liliana’s had passed pleasantly. Time had mostly healed Devin’s aches and pains. They all enjoyed dinners with real food and entertaining conversation. During the day, Devin helped Liliana by organizing the contents of the community shed — a sturdy concrete block building in the back yard that stored all the crap the residents had dragged here from their former lives. Peter stayed underfoot in the kitchen with Sadie, Flix took care of Marcus, and Joe and Navarro had sewn themselves together at the hip. At night, Devin and Joe collapsed into bed and fell asleep almost instantly. They woke in the gray dawn and had slow, drowsy sex before Navarro barged in like clockwork every morning and dragged Joe away. Some nights, Devin counted himself lucky that the twins and Peter slept on the couches, otherwise Joe and Navarro would probably stay up talking until dawn.

  Marcus’s arm and leg seemed fine, but he could barely walk. They’d have to wait longer for his heel to repair itself, and Navarro had told them Marcus would need extra rest to recover from the trauma, so Devin understood that they weren’t yet able to leave. But he wanted Joe to want to leave.

  He wanted to leave. As much as he enjoyed eyeing up Navarro and sleeping in a bed every night, the north called to him. These past few days, hearing people come by asking for Dr. Suarez, it had dawned on Devin that he didn’t even know his own last name. One more thing he’d lost when his parents had died.

  Liliana nudged him with her hip. “Why so glum, Dev?”

  Devin summoned a smile. “Tired, I think. My boss works me too hard, and my partner can’t shut his brain off at night.”

  “That boss of yours sounds like a bitch. You should tell her to back off.” Liliana hopped up to sit on the counter and covered Devin’s hand with her own. “I’ve appreciated your help out in the shed, but if you need less work, I’m happy to let you off the hook.”

  “God, no. Messing around in there’s the best part of the day. Spares me from having to listen to those two whisper right in front of me.”

  Joe and Navarro didn’t even glance up from their glaring contest. They were always pleasant enough when the kids were nearby, but alone, they argued a lot. Devin didn’t understand it. As much as they fought, he’d expect them to spend as little time together as possible, but that’s not what they did. They sought each other out. Navarro cajoled. Joe snipped. But they also sneaked peeks at each other and smiled.

  “Don’t mind them,” Liliana said. “They were like this before.”

  “How did you keep from killing them?”

  Liliana laughed, big and loud enough to startle Joe and Navarro. “I made friends with strong people who could restrain me.”

  Navarro rose and kissed Liliana’s cheek. “Telling whoppers?”

  “It’s all true.” Liliana threaded her arms around Navarro’s neck and pulled him close. “Bedtime, darling. Leave late nights for the young.”

  Navarro twined his finger with a lock of Liliana’s hair and winked at Devin. “Lili has always been much smarter than me. Night, Muscles.”

  Holding hands, Liliana and Navarro headed toward their room, and Devin was hit with a flash of envy. It must be nice to be so settled, so sure of who you were and where you were meant to be. He couldn’t help thinking that the north held that sort of satisfaction for him.

  Joe rose from the table. Purple bruises from lack of sleep lined his lower eyelids and made his eyes bigger, sadder. “Need any help finishing up?”

  Devin shook his head. He took Joe’s hand and tugged him toward the living room. He wasn’t sure what his plan was, but he needed to get Joe out of the house. “Let’s check on the boys and go for a walk.”

  At the living room, Joe dropped next to Marcus’s hip on the couch and ran down the Navarro-prescribed checklist of Marcus’s symptoms, the same as he did every night. Devin hovered over the back of the other sofa and watched Flix use a silver marker to draw designs over the tops of Peter’s feet.

  “I can’t believe he lets you do that.”

  Flix glanced toward Peter’s closed eyes. “’Cause he’s asleep. But he always sticks his feet in my lap, at least, when he’s not acting like I have the plague. Drives me crazy. This makes it not so irritating. Thanks again for the marker.”

  “No problem.”

  The marker had been one of Devin’s finds out in the shed. He hadn’t known what it was, so brought it into the house to ask. Flix filled him in. Devin had never learned to write, so the marker was useless to him and, most likely, just about everyone in the town. Flix treated it like it was made of gold, though. Devin had been happy to hand it over.

  He doubted Peter would be so happy tomorrow morning when he woke up with his feet covered with shimmery hearts and stars. Devin tapped Flix’s shoulder. “Joe and I are going for a walk. Are you going to be up for a while?”

  Flix turned around. The shiner Joe had given him had mostly faded to a yellowish green. With his index finger, Devin traced Flix’s eyebrow. Flix’s eyes closed, exposing the delicate purple veins underneath the lids. God, they had to protect these boys.

  When Devin moved his hand away, Flix opened his eyes and said, “Want me to lock up behind you and let you in?”

  “Thanks, Junior.”

  “Be safe.” Flix shot him a lopsided smile and went back to his artwork.

  Devin cupped the back of Joe’s neck to get him moving, and they stepped outside. The lock clicked behind them.

  If they took the long way around town, few people would see them. The citizens seemed to be getting more comfortable with his existence, but he didn’t want to push it. Besides, from what Navarro and Joe said, folks here weren’t exactly accepting of two guys being more than friends. Running into a jackass gay-hater wasn’t high on Devin’s to-do list. He set off to the north, using the hundreds of stars in the clear night sky to light his way.

  They didn’t talk, and that was okay. For the moment, Devin was content to enjoy the cool breeze on his face and the freedom of being truly alone with Joe, away from the thin walls of the house and the prying ears of the kids. Occasionally, Joe’s shoulder bumped Devin’s arm, and that was nice, too.

  Bugs chirped. In the distance, a dog howled. Devin preferred being with people, but the sounds of the wild, noises that, growing up, had carried inside through the windows of his big, lonely house, draped like a cozy blanket over his shoulders. He double-checked to make sure they were alone and slipped his palm into Joe’s hand.

  As they exited the town and neared the wall, which seemed deserted tonight, Joe’s hand gripped tighter. Devin caught the way Joe’s body tensed and straightened.

  Devin cast about for something to say that wasn’t what’s wrong with you? “It’s a big fucking wall.”

  “Come on, papi. Let’s play this straight.”

  Devin sighed. At least he’d get answers. “Why won’t you cross?” He stepped through the gateway into New America, then turned around and watched Joe examine the entrance before sitting with his back against it.

  “I want to.” Joe patted the road next to him.

  Devin sat and picked up Joe’s hand. He needed the connection. “What’s stopping you? Your dad?”

  “I don’t think so, though I suppose that could be part of it. I have so many questions. What if Navarro’s right and there’s nothing up there for me? For the twins?”

  “What would Navarro know? He said himself he’s barely been past here.”

  “I thought we’d get answers once we arrived.”

  Devin poked at Joe’s knuckles one at a time. “Looks like we’re gonna have to take it on faith a little longer.”

  “It’s weird, right?” Joe gestured all around. “They should guard their border. If they cared enough to build this enormous wall, why would they leave an undefended hole?”

  “I don’t know. But we can’t stop now.”

  “Why not?”

  Joe’s big eyes reflected the moonlight, and he was all Devin could see. All he wanted. Almost. “I’m so in love with
you. We didn’t come all this way to get scared and give up.”

  Joe pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He’d gotten a bath the day before, and his glossy black curls popped in the starlight. “I’m not scared, and I’m not giving up. I’m reassessing.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Joe glared over his shoulder. “Think what you want. We’ve been gone three weeks. So far, nothing has happened the way I thought it would. I thought when we got here” — he patted the wall — “we’d be on firmer footing. We’d get answers. But instead, there’s nothing. No New American presence, no better civilization, no indication that traveling north inside New America will be any easier than traveling in Texas Territory was.”

  “So we made it this far, what’s —”

  “The difference is that the twins and I aren’t welcome beyond this wall.”

  Devin grunted. Big fucking deal. “And I’m not welcome on this side of the wall.” He tugged the hood of the sweatshirt he’d borrowed from Navarro, the one he wore to hide his hair. “What do you think I’ve been doing since the day we met? Blending in? What a joke.”

  He stood and paced. Joe was the toughest person Devin knew. He’d be able to handle whatever the north threw at him. And Devin would protect Marcus and Flix. Hell, the north would probably be better if for no other reason than Peter might quit whining so fucking much. Devin reached the far end of the wall’s opening, touched it, wheeled on his heel, and ran into Joe.

  Joe grabbed hold and stopped Devin from tripping. His fingers felt like steel.

  Devin clutched Joe’s upper arms a little rougher than he normally would. “I would keep you safe. I would do for you what you’ve always done for me. Why would you even —”

  “I don’t doubt you.” Joe shifted so close that he was almost whispering in Devin’s ear. “I don’t doubt you. I don’t doubt myself. And that’s all I’m sure of.”

  Devin opened his mouth to tell Joe that was all they really needed when a loud yell echoed through the night.

  Devin and Joe broke apart, then froze, listening.

  A second cry sounded.

  Definitely coming from the New America side of the wall. Devin and Joe scrambled around to the Oklahoma Territory side and peeked around the wall’s edge.

  A band of fifteen or twenty people in a loose formation ran toward them. The group’s rifles weren’t aimed, and as they got closer, loud laughter and song carried on the air.

  Sons. That explained why they weren’t guarding the wall like usual. Devin recognized Sanders by his long hair. He ran in the middle of the group next to a tall woman and the lady Devin had seen at the greenhouse the few times he’d ventured over there with Liliana. Cadia, he thought her name was. She hadn’t liked him much.

  Back in Austin, Joe had taught Devin how to stand to look intimidating. His size was an advantage, Joe had told him, use it. Devin squared his shoulders and widened his stance and wished he’d brought his rifle.

  Beside him, Joe sucked in a breath. “Aria,” he whispered. “That’s her next to Sanders.”

  “Liliana’s sister? The one who hurt Navarro?” Devin had told Joe everything Sadie had said the other day in his bedroom. He squinted and tried to bring the woman into sharper focus.

  She wore vision shields, and her hair was either pulled back or cut short. Unlike the others, she carried her rifle at the ready and wasn’t playing around. She removed her vision shields and focused on a spot near Devin. A frown marred her lips.

  “José and the white man,” Sanders said. He reached out a hand to Joe, then let it drop when Joe didn’t reciprocate.

  “My name isn’t José.” Joe’s clipped voice sounded loud in the quiet that had descended after he’d refused Sanders’s handshake. He jerked his thumb toward Devin. “He’s Devin.”

  Sanders smiled and nodded. “Aria, you know these boys?”

  Aria’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes flitted to Devin before returning to Joe. “I’ve seen them. Worked with my sister.”

  Someone wolf-whistled. Laughter broke out again and grew in intensity.

  Sanders stepped closer and smirked. “My, my, why doesn’t that surprise me, José?” He gestured to Joe’s face and hair. “You’re so...plastic.”

  “Fuck off,” Devin snapped. He’d been in Purcell long enough to know what plastic meant.

  “You’re a surprise, though, white man. I bet plenty of bastards got a kick out of bringing a big man like you to your knees. Did they make you beg for it? Gag for it?”

  Devin opened and closed his mouth. He tried never to think about the things he’d done, the things he’d been forced to do, but now they rose to his consciousness, suffocating him just like they had when he’d lived them. He swallowed hard and forced air into his lungs. He couldn’t give this prick the satisfaction.

  “Leave him alone.” Joe stepped between Devin and Sanders.

  Every rifle trained to his movement.

  Sanders laughed, but a nervous edge had crept in. “What’re you gonna do, plastic boy? I ain’t afraid of you.”

  “Are you a good man, Sanders? You take care of the town, right?”

  Sanders grinned, slick lips over those ratty teeth. “We’re doing God’s work, taking care of our people, fighting the good fight.”

  “Amen, brother,” someone shouted from the back of the pack. Other Sons nodded and grunted their agreement. Whatever bullshit line Sanders fed them about what they did, they clearly believed it.

  “That’s good. Good to hear.” Joe cocked his head and huffed out a heavy breath. “When we traveled from Texas, we came across a man and woman in a house. They’d been killed. Looked like it’d been a surprise attack. Bastards who did it weren’t even starving; the dead people had a whole garden and all the vegetables had been left to rot. Makes a man wonder who would do something like that. Not a person like you, obviously.”

  Cadia stepped forward. “And just what sort of man are you, Mr. Fancy?”

  In another situation, with no guns trained on him, Devin would have snorted. Navarro had told them all about Cadia’s weird fixation on Joe’s appearance, how she’d seemed appalled and fascinated at the same time by his existence.

  “I’m just a guy trying to survive to the next day, take care of my family.” Joe jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward Devin. “Him, too. Whoring out your body might be degrading, but there are worse things a man can do.”

  Sanders’s eyes never strayed from Joe, and his lip curled in a sneer. The people behind him, though, they weren’t looking at anyone. They shuffled on their feet. Only a few rifles, including Cadia’s and Aria’s, stayed fixed on Joe.

  Aria yawned.

  Sanders threw his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “You tired, baby?”

  Aria whispered in Sanders’s ear as her hand trailed from his chest to his waist. Sanders kissed her temple.

  “We’ll be seeing you around, boys.” Sanders circled his finger in the air, and the rest of the Sons followed him toward town.

  The Sons stayed quiet; whatever had made them laugh and shout before had died on the night air. A few looked back, steps slow, shoulders hunched, until they were too far away for Devin to tell what they were doing, and then the darkness swallowed them up.

  Devin tugged Joe back against his chest and held him. The comforting nighttime sounds had faded away, too, and all Devin was left with was the sound of his own ragged breathing banging his chest against Joe’s back. That could have been so bad. So much for staying out of the Sons’ way. Joe shouldn’t have done that, challenged some asshole being an asshole. Devin’s breath rattled, and his hands shook on Joe’s waist.

  “I don’t know if Victor was brave or stupid, what he did for me,” Joe whispered, his voice rough, “and I don’t ever want to be in a position like that again, but if I were in his shoes and it was you in mine...”

  Joe turned, and tears shone in his eyes.

  Devin kissed Joe’s cheek and
thought about Victor. Victor’s smug-ass smirk. His blood on the floor. The way Joe was alive and Victor wasn’t. Devin traced the V on Joe’s elbow. The scar was already fading to white. It hadn’t taken long at all.

  Joe laid his forehead on Devin’s chest. He breathed deep and slow, and Devin didn’t know what to say. He’d loved Tanner and had to watch him die. Nothing in his life had hurt worse. Joe had hated Victor. But Victor had sacrificed everything for Joe, in the end. Devin couldn’t fathom the ways that had to mess with Joe’s head.

  Joe pulled away. Took a step. Another. Walked across the border of New America.

  With his back to Devin, he said, “Let Marcus heal. Then” — he turned and caught Devin’s eye — “I’ll get us to Minneapolis. I won’t let you down.”

  From the bottom of his soul, Devin believed him.

  ELEVEN

  A few days later, Joe listened as swelling violin music carried on the night air and drifted through the open windows of Lil and Navarro’s house. He curved his fingers around Marcus’s side and helped Flix lift his brother off the couch. As Marcus straightened, he inhaled sharply and his face pinched.

  “Are you sure about this?” Joe asked. “We’d stay here with you, and —”

  “I want to move around. Navi said it would be good for me.” Marcus patted Joe’s shoulder. “Besides, I want to see the town. And I love parties.”

  Whoever was playing the violin finished the song with a flourish, and loud clapping followed. It sounded like the whole town had gathered outside. They were celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Reformation Day, something Joe found ironic since the Reformation had taken away almost all the rights of everyone in the town.

  Sadie and Peter, both carrying bowls of black beans, pushed past on their way to the front door. When they opened it, one of the chickens wandered in, and Sadie gently nudged it back outside before she and Peter followed it out.

  Joe shook his head.

  Marcus laughed, and the sound, healthy and strong, was better than the violin music. “Don’t like the chickens?”

  “I’d like them on my dinner plate.”