Flanked Page 7

  Devin glanced behind them. Flix and Peter had their bite-swollen faces together, talking in low voices. With their dark hair covering their eyes, they looked almost as much like twins as Flix and Marcus. Devin thumped Marcus’s shoulder. “What’s up with them?”

  “Flix says Petey needs to suck it up and walk faster. Thinks, I don’t know, we’re gonna get hauled back to Austin. He’s scaring the kid.”

  The rumble of Devin’s stomach checked his urge to laugh. “You know how old Peter is?”

  Another shrug. “Fifteen?”

  “Sounds about right. Aren’t you fifteen, too?”

  “Almost sixteen.” Too much pride laced Marcus’s words. “Our birthday is the same as President Winter’s.”

  No clue who that was. “Your mom must’ve been happy.”

  Marcus shuffled and looked back at Flix. “Don’t know. She left us with our abuela. Our grandma.”

  “Your mom never came back?”

  A one-armed shrug. A flick of the eyes. “Dropped off a couple more kids. Boy and a girl. Keena and Paz. When she brought Paz, she told us she’d stay. I was four, maybe five. I don’t remember her. She stayed for a week. Left without saying goodbye. Flix says he woke up that last night, caught her stealing Abuela Carmen’s food. She smacked him across the face and split.” Marcus lifted his chin and met Devin’s eyes. “So anyway, Carmen raised us.”

  Devin grunted. He’d sort of expected he and Joe had the most horrible stories, wore the most scars. “My parents died when I was five.”

  Marcus nodded. “How’d you make it?”

  This time, Devin was the one to look back at Flix. “I had a good brother.”

  The battered wood door opened, and Joe poked his head out. “It’s empty. Come on.”

  Inside, the front room was overwhelmed by a huge blue sofa. It sat on a gleaming wood floor and curved to take up two walls. Devin lunged for it, wanted to rest and maybe sleep off the headache, but Joe caught his hand and jerked him upright. “The kids can sleep here.” He nodded to Flix. “Cabinets and closets are empty. The doors have deadbolts and the windows lock and are shatter-proof, so we won’t even have to keep guard.”

  “I want to sleep on the couch.” Devin didn’t care if he was being whiny. His ass was tired.

  Joe kept a hold on Devin’s hand and led him across the space and into the kitchen. He turned a dial, and water flowed from the tap. “Marcus, get the jugs. Everyone drink up, then we’ll refill. If we’re lucky, we can refill again when we wake up and even take a shower. It’ll be cold, but clean’s clean.”

  A shower sounded glorious. They’d washed up in well water a couple days ago, but that was mainly wetting their hands and rubbing their armpits, dicks, and ass cracks. With freezing water. Even though the water here would be cold, too, they’d be inside. And they could have some privacy.

  “Come on,” Joe said, tugging on Devin’s hand. “I’ll show you.” He led the way down a short hall and stopped at a door on the right. Through the doorway was an empty room. “Bedroom.”

  Marcus and Peter crowded in. They’d taken off their shoes, and they slid in their socks along the slick, wood-like floor, Peter wincing with every step. The blisters and fire ants had knocked the shit out of him. Good that he was doing something fun. He’d started crying in his sleep a few nights ago. They all pretended like it didn’t happen.

  From the bedroom, Joe showed them the bathroom, a bright, pink-tiled monstrosity with a tiny shower stall, a sink and toilet, and on a shelf — maybe God really did exist — anti-bacrobe foam wipes. Flix took one peek and shoved Joe and Devin out of the way, then slammed the door in Joe’s face.

  Joe pounded on the door.

  “Go away!” Flix yelled.

  Marcus and Peter emerged from the bedroom and stared open-mouthed.

  “I’m the leader!” Joe yelled back. He jiggled the handle, but the door was locked. He’d backed up a step and hurtled forward before Devin grabbed the back of his shirt. It ripped at the seams and rode up, but kept Joe from hitting the door. He kicked it instead. “Let me in.”

  Either bravely or stupidly, Flix opened the door. He took a slow, suggestive inventory of Joe’s body. “We can share.”

  Devin jerked Joe back hard enough that he hit the opposite wall. “Fuck off, Junior.”

  Flix tilted his head and winked. “Have it your way.” The door closed.

  “God, my brother’s gross.” Marcus shook his head, and he and Peter made their way back to the living room.

  “I wanted to scour myself.” Now Joe sounded whiny. He never acted childish. Never.

  Devin chuckled. “You’re plenty clean.” He dipped his head and sniffed the back of Joe’s neck. “Smells good.”

  “It wasn’t my neck I was thinking about, papi.”

  Anti-bacrobe wipes were great for cleaning everywhere, but mainly they were used for... “Jesus, Joe, no one cares how clean your ass is.”

  “I care.”

  “You vain son of a bitch.” Devin laughed and couldn’t remember the last time he’d done it. “I can’t believe I never realized what a princess you are.”

  Joe crossed his arms over his chest. A vein throbbed in his temple. “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay then. You sleep on the couch with the kids tonight.”

  Devin crossed his arms over his chest, too. He may be biased, but the results were way more intimidating when he did it. He flexed his muscles. “Sounds fine to me. I’m sick of sleeping on the floor.”

  “Oh, I won’t be sleeping on the floor.”

  Joe threw Devin a contemptuous glance and stalked through the only door they’d yet to go through. Devin followed, mainly to keep up the teasing. He made it two feet inside the door when his eyes and brain caught up to his big mouth. A bed. Oh, God. A real bed. Mattress. Frame. Sheets the same hideous pink as the bathroom. Joe sprawled out on top, his arms and legs thrown wide. His feet bounced, his eyes were closed, and at his waist, tight coils of muscle and pale skin lay exposed.

  “Still want to sleep on the couch with the boys?” Joe asked.

  Every hint of both silliness and discomfort evaporated. Devin tried to swallow and found he couldn’t. He closed the door and crawled up the bed, between Joe’s legs. He didn’t stop until he’d covered Joe’s body and they touched from nose to thigh. His abdomen protested the jut of Joe’s hipbones, but Devin couldn’t make himself ease off. He kissed Joe, softly at first, chapped lips brushing and catching, then harder, until he was gasping for breath and his fingers had tangled in Joe’s hair. He opened his eyes and found Joe watching him.

  They weren’t supposed to be doing this anymore. Devin had even been the one to put it on pause. “I’m sorry.” He climbed off Joe and sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Don’t apologize.” Joe rolled onto his side and rubbed Devin’s back. “You surprised me. I thought you were still mad at me.”

  “I am.” Was he? Joe had kept secrets, lies of omission, but he’d done it to try to protect Devin. He hadn’t been trying to hurt anyone. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m not.” Had it only been a few days ago — a week? — that they’d found the baby, watched Victor die? Devin sought the V gouged at Joe’s elbow. It had healed to a pink scar.

  “I violated your trust.” Joe’s steady gaze caught and held. His eyes were so beautiful, big and brown and honest.

  Devin pinched the V, hated it and understood it. He needed to let it go, what had happened that last night in Austin. “You kept me safe. I would do anything to keep you safe, too. Blaming you makes me a hypocrite or something.”

  Joe sat up and plastered himself to Devin’s back. His bent knees gripped Devin’s hips. “I meant what I said about never keeping things from you again.” He wrapped his arms around Devin’s waist and squeezed. “That day Flix and I went to the hospital?”

  Dread curdled the paltry contents of Devin’s stomach. “Yeah?”

  “We ran into some people. They were friendly.�
� Joe snorted. “Thought I was taking advantage of Flix.”

  Devin huffed. “He’s probably in the bathroom right now whacking his weed, wishing you’d take advantage of him.”

  Joe chuckled, and his chest rumbled against Devin’s back. “Anyway, these people had a photo of you. The paper it was printed on said that anyone who found you could cash you in for three weeks of food and water.”

  Already? Godfuckingdammit. Devin let his head fall back on Joe’s shoulder. “Boggs?”

  “Of course. The people said a drone dropped the flyer a day or two earlier. Thank God you didn’t go with me that day.”

  “Do you think there are more flyers?”

  “For you? Yes. For Peter, definitely. I don’t know about me and the twins.”

  Seemed likely. The twins were young; they had several remaining years of appeal as prostitutes. Joe, though, he mattered to Boggs on another whole, sick level. Boggs might track Joe to the ends of the earth. “Is he going to chase us all the way to Minneapolis?”

  Joe tugged until Devin fell back on the bed. He straddled Devin’s lap and pinned his hands at his sides. The change in position had Devin’s stomach jumping even as his muscles relaxed. It wasn’t sexual, exactly. The conversation was too heavy for that. But Joe on top of him, commanding and in charge? It settled Devin, soothed him.

  “He won’t,” Joe said. “We’ll be careful, keep traveling at night, even if the weather stays cool and we find enough vision shields for all of us. We’re seven days away from home. We’re getting to the point where even if someone saw us, three weeks of food isn’t worth the trip down to Austin, not unless they were headed that way to begin with.”

  Devin hoped Joe was right. “And we’ve got guns. I don’t like it, but we do.”

  Muffled laughter floated in from the living room, followed by a thumping noise and even louder laughter.

  Joe hung his head. “They’re kids, papi. I’m scared we won’t keep them safe.”

  Time to return the favor. Devin rolled, pinned Joe under him, switched their grips so Joe’s hands were helpless. “I’m scared, too, but we’ll manage. Together.” He shifted so he could hold Joe’s wrists over his head with one hand, and used the other hand to pull down the hem of Joe’s shirt. Carefully, he bit at Joe’s exposed collarbone, the skin tender, the bone hard, tightening his jaw until Joe squirmed.

  “I might have friends in Dallas,” Joe said, his breath coming in short bursts. “They left Flights of Fantasy a few years ago. I think we’re getting close.”

  The toilet flushed.

  Devin licked the spot he’d bit. “Then try to relax. Get cleaned up. I’ll get our Insta-food bar. We can eat in here and go straight to sleep.” Devin rocked his hips to make sure Joe understood sleep was the last thing on his mind. He climbed off, helped Joe to his feet, and slapped his ass. “Go.”

  Joe saluted, made it funny, but he hesitated at the door. “You really forgive me? Not just because you’re horny?”

  “I don’t know if I could ever stay mad at you.”

  ***

  The next day, Joe clutched a scrap of paper and tried to ignore the gnawing emptiness in his stomach. The Dallas skyline stretched out in the hazy distance. He trudged forward and daydreamed about food.

  “Who are we looking for again?” Flix gripped Joe’s shoulder and tried to wedge his way between Joe and Devin, who nudged Flix’s head and boxed him out. Undeterred, Flix slipped to Joe’s other side. He wrapped an arm around Joe’s shoulders and squeezed. “Work people, right?”

  A huge chunk of highway had been unearthed in front of Joe. He climbed over it, hoping to dislodge Flix’s arm, but Flix stayed with him, his expression polite and way too interested. Joe didn’t have much patience, not when he hadn’t eaten since breakfast last night and the sun was about to rise. “Yes. You don’t know them.”

  “But they’ll help us? Help you?”

  “Yes.” Joe hoped. He’d be cashing in a favor three years old. If you could even call it a favor. “Can you just help me look for the address?”

  “Oh.” Flix’s brows drew together, highlighting the dozen or so ant bites that had blistered his face. “I told you where to go.”

  “He’s got too much on his mind, dipshit.” Devin’s hand had been in Joe’s back pocket, but he pulled it out and, from the sound of Flix’s squeal, pinched Flix.

  “He’s not as dumb as you, Devin,” Flix snapped.

  Joe ground his teeth. They’d been traveling together for a week, and Flix and Devin’s bickering, never very appealing even back in Austin, was about to drive Joe crazy. He unhooked himself from their grasp and dragged their hands palm to palm. “I don’t want to intrude on the way you two squabble like a little old married couple. Have at it. But keep an eye out for the street signs.”

  He dropped back and, to give himself a buffer, flung his arms around Marcus and Peter. Devin and Flix stopped in the middle of the road and stared at him.

  “Walk.” It came out as a growl.

  Devin turned around and started forward. When Flix didn’t follow, Devin grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him along. “Give him a break.”

  Smartly, Marcus and Peter kept their mouths shut, and Joe concentrated on the street signs and the big city off in the distance. At one time, Austin had been almost as big as Dallas. The two metropolitan areas spread so wide they almost met. But Dallas, the inner part of the city, dwarfed Austin. Joe had visited once as a kid, when his dad had interviewed for the job that would take him away. They stayed downtown in a glittering high-rise 200 stories tall and four city blocks wide. Joe ran up and down the halls and got lost for over an hour. These days, he wasn’t sure that his father had even noticed he was gone.

  This neighborhood seemed more like some of the Austin suburbs. Big houses covered tiny lots. Nothing brick. Nothing permanent. Few windows. Solar panels, mostly broken. Cloudy pink and green exteriors. Monstrous garages meant to hold several vehicles, the kind that ran on gasoline and wrecked the climate. Even the SDVs and Green-elecs that Joe remembered from his early childhood had caused problems. These garages had probably fit seven or eight of the “better” vehicles at a time. Making cleaner products hadn’t meant much when the world kept using more and more.

  He couldn’t imagine Lil, her dancing eyes and loud, genuine laugh, making a home in a place like this. If she had, he’d find out soon.

  “You said Wheatland, right?” Flix called back. He pointed at a weathered sign.

  Despite his hunger and his irritation, Joe sped up enough to clasp Devin’s hand and drag him off the highway. So close to their destination, the path Flix had mapped out for him filled his head. He broke into a jog, ignoring the squelch of the blisters on his feet. One turn and another, a sharp right around a dry pond bed. There. But not.

  Joe stared at the numbers on the houses to either side. 19055. 19059. Damn it. In between sat the burned-out shell, charred and broken, that had held his hope.

  “Joe, I don’t think you should...”

  Devin’s words didn’t matter. Joe was already on the move. He reached the melted door and shouldered it open. He had to check. The upper floor had burned away, leaving the lower level unprotected from the elements. Joe kicked and shifted the debris. No bones. Thank God. He dropped to his knees next to the skeleton of the stairs and prayed. A hand brushed his hair, and he didn’t need to look up to know it was Devin.

  Joe appreciated the touch, but he didn’t acknowledge it. He made the sign of the cross, then kept his head down and scanned the floor. A few scraps of wood that might have been furniture jutted from the mess. On top of the remnants of the fire, shards of glass littered the floor. The fire had spared the kitchen, where Marcus and Peter moved, checking the cabinets.

  “Flix?” Peter’s call was so quiet, barely loud enough to be heard.

  Feet shuffled behind Joe, then the hand left his hair. He glanced up to see Devin and Flix whispering to each other. Devin nodded at something and plucked a sheet of pa
per from Flix’s hand. He squatted next to Joe and handed him the paper.

  “Peter found this.”

  A note was handwritten over a faded, tattered page from Aguirre’s Shock Constant. Joe had loved the book. So had Lil, when he’d read it to her.

  J,

  Safe. Find us in Purcell, Oklahoma.

  Te amo,

  L

  Joe’s eyes flooded. Thank God they were safe.

  “Is this meant for you?” Devin’s eyes were so blue, like lightning around the edges, and they shone with concern. Joe loved him so much.

  He leaned forward and kissed Devin, dug his knees into the blackened mess below him and cupped the back of Devin’s head so he could push hard. He let go and wiped his eyes. “They’re alive and so are we. God, Devin, I swear I’ll always keep you safe.”

  Devin chuckled and nodded. “I don’t know what brought that on, but okay, as long as it goes both ways.” He motioned toward the paper. “This L, he’s not some old boyfriend I need to worry about, is he?”

  “She. And no. She’s a friend.” Joe stood and brushed the soot from his knees. “And she’s expecting me. Flix, how far away is Purcell, Oklahoma?”

  FIVE

  Dallas sucked.

  That was an objective fact, not Devin’s opinion. No one would like the place. First of all, the highway system twisted and turned and wrapped around itself so much that even Flix couldn’t keep it straight. Second, half the highways they could figure out had fallen in at overpasses. Third, the place was enormous, with bigger buildings than Devin had ever imagined, skyscrapers so tall they obscured the moon and stars. Last and worst, more people than Devin had ever seen crawled out of every crevice and dark alley.

  Devin threw out a hand and caught Marcus by the chest. “This one’s fallen in, too.” Five feet in front of them in the dark, the highway fell away, and a drop twice as tall as a man loomed. “Jesus. What’d they build these roads out of?”

  “It’s not what they were built out of,” Joe said. “It’s how long ago and how much they’ve had to endure.” He stood to Devin’s right and flicked on a small light as he and Flix examined the map. He pointed at the paper. “What if we tried this way?”