“Yes, Ma’am,” Leticia said. “There’s only ever been one Triad Group in North America and that was back in the early days of the colonies. Apparently the higher-ups didn’t want anyone knowing about things until they saw fit to tell us.”

  “Wow,” Alex said. “That’s something.”

  “To answer your question, Officer Hanson,” Leticia said. “General Keene had dreams which often told him about things happening in the spiritual or supernatural realm. He saw Layton in a dream years ago, and wrote everything down. Records show that General Keene dreamt of the Triad Group. Lucy was in the dream shining a light on three people—three men. One was Layton, the other was you Officer Hanson, and the third was a beautiful blond male matching Alex’s description. The General knew Layton and you by the time he’d had the second dream, but he’d never met Alex. His records mention Officer Hanson and Layton by name, but Alex only by description.”

  “Is it possible for me to get a copy of his records?” Forrest said.

  “Yes, actually,” Leticia said. “Now that the three of you have been informed of things, all information concerning Triad Groups will be made readily available to you.”

  “Could all this Triad Group stuff explain the attraction we felt toward Forrest?” Alex said. “I mean beyond the usual stuff and the Diony influence.”

  “Yes,” Leticia said. “Something would’ve drawn the three of you together. And, believe it or not, there have been a few Triad Groups whose members were in romantic same sex threesomes. They and their various members tended to ban together to form unofficial troops, clans, or families of some sort.”

  “Fascinating,” I said.

  “A lot of times, members were related,” Miss Lucy said. “It’s not uncommon for the warrior Knight and the warrior priest to be siblings—male or female.”

  “Is this all a bit too much for you, Officer Hanson?” Leticia said.

  “I’ve seen a lot lately, and what you all said has the ring of truth about it, but—why is Miss Lucy upset about being a part of the group?” Forrest said.

  “I’ll let her answer that, since I’m not sure myself,” Leticia said.

  “A lot is expected of Triad Groups, and I’m not sure I’m up to the task,” Miss Lucy said.

  Her comment shocked me, and the others seemed to have the same reaction.

  “There’s a mystique that builds around the Triad Groups,” Leticia said. “Really they do the same job Lucy and Layton are doing now, only in more of a group scenario.”

  “There ya go,” I said. “Miss Lucy likes doing her own thing.”

  “Shut your mouth,” Miss Lucy said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m perfectly capable of being a team player… when I wanna be,” She whispered the next part. “And when I’m in charge.”

  “The truth comes out,” I said, and laughed. Then I looked at Forrest and noticed he still had a serious look on his face. He was about to say something, but stopped and stood.

  “I’m not sure what to say to all of this,” Forrest said.

  “There’s a lot to think about,” Leticia said. “Of course I’m prepared to offer you a job with the organization.”

  “We’re freelance,” Alex said. “You can always do that, I’m guessing.”

  “You and Layton have more freedom than I do, Alex,” Forrest said, then looked me in the eye. “I’ve got a five-year-old son to think about. One who needs to be picked up from his grandmother’s house in two hours.”

  The wind had just been knocked out of me because of Forrest’s surprise comment and I didn’t know what to say.

  “Forrest, we didn’t know you were a dad,” Alex said.

  Forrest put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I know you didn’t and that’s OK. Just give me a minute to myself.” He picked up the blue cure from the table and walked away toward the dock.

  “Shit,” I said. “How the hell were we to know?”

  “You’re the leader, boy, do something,” Miss Lucy said.

  Yeah, I’m the leader, but what the hell do I do now? I thought.

  Chapter 21

  All for One

  I NUDGED ALEX, and the two of us headed toward Forrest.

  “What do we say to him?” Alex said.

  “Just what comes naturally.”

  “Maybe you should talk to him alone, Layton.”

  “If we’re going to share our lives with Forrest and his son as a family, then we need to deal with things together or it won’t work. Besides, he melts around you—or didn’t you realize that?”

  “I didn’t,” Alex said. “How do you know?”

  “I know because you have the same effect on me,” I said, then nudged his shoulder with mine and smiled.

  Forrest was walking by the water with his head held down when we caught up to him. Alex put his hand around Forrest’s arm to stop him, then spoke in a sad, sincere voice.

  “We’re so sorry, we didn’t know about you having a son, Forrest. Here we’ve been saying we love you and we don’t know much about you really.”

  “We know enough,” I said. “And of course, Forrest deliberately didn’t tell us about his son until today.”

  “True enough,” Forrest said, then stood tall and took his sunglasses off.

  I looked at him and almost swooned. Dear God, I hoped that was the Diony effect.

  “Are you OK, Layton,” Alex said, you were swaying a bit there.”

  I was swooning, damn it!” I said. “Look at the guy, looking hot as hell and whipping off those sunglasses like that.” I wiped my forehead.

  “Layton, you’d better take the blue cure as soon as possible,” Forrest said, then smiled. “I’m sorry about not mentioning my son Chip to you before now. It’s not that I didn’t trust both of you.”

  We all started walking again.

  “You’re a dad, your son is your number one priority,” I said. “You’d already had two men in your life who didn’t work out, so why rush into something with two men.”

  “Yeah, that’s it in a nutshell,” Forrest said. “That and I didn’t want my son in what might’ve been a dangerous situation. I asked the others at Carson Court not to mention Chip until I do.”

  “He’s your son, it’s not anybody else’s business to mention him,” I said.

  “I knew you’d understand, Layton,” Forrest said, then patted my back.

  “How did you end up with a son?” Alex said. “That didn’t come out really well, but you get what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I get it,” Forrest said then put one arm around Alex’s shoulder and the other arm around my shoulder. “I’ve missed you guys, more than I can say. But, supposedly that’s due to the Diony thing. My ex’s sister carried Chip for my ex and me. I’m talking about the ex before I met the Diony. Sex didn’t factor into things with Chip’s mother and me.”

  “You and your ex must’ve been close if you had wanted to start a family together,” Alex said.

  “I was more interested in starting a family than he was,” Forrest said. “He left me for a younger guy that he could go out partying with.”

  “The dumb ass,” I said, then felt Forrest squeeze my shoulder in response.

  As we walked onto the pier he lowered his arms from our shoulders.

  “Sorry if I was being nosy,” Alex said.

  “You say ‘sorry’ too much,” Forrest said, then he looked around. When he saw we were alone he kissed Alex on the lips, then leaned back and kissed me.

  He tasted good, so I grabbed him and kissed him again using plenty of tongue. Alex joined in until Forrest pushed us all apart.

  “This is something I wouldn’t normally do,” Forrest said. “I’d never make out with two guys in public, especially while in uniform.”

  “And I’ve never visibly swooned for anyone before,” I said. “But you did look hot when you took off those sunglasses, Forrest.” I smiled and Forrest gave me a quick kiss.

  “How do the Diony thing and the blue cure fit in with what Mrs. Carter told us about being a Triad Group?” Forrest said. “On the one hand we need to take a cure not to be crazy for one another and on the other hand they tell us we’re meant to be together—the three of us.”

  “We are meant to be,” I said. “My gut and my heart tell me that. The Diony effect just heightens the lustful aspects of what we feel. I can’t be getting hard and swooning every time I see you, Forrest.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Forrest said, then smiled. “To change the subject—your Jack Baker fancies himself a real badass. He and his boys have been on the police radar for a while now. The police here thought they had one of his boys when the thug gave a Mt. Ore woman a bad beating, but the woman recanted her story.”

  “Does Jack Baker have any connections I need to be worried about?” I said.

  “He’s too much of a loose cannon for the mob to take him seriously,” Forrest said, then he sat down and hung his feet over the edge of the dock. Alex and I sat on either side of him. “As much as I hate to say this, he’s got some of the cops here on his payroll. But they care more about his money than him.”

  “Why are so many people here scared of Jack Baker and his goon squad if there are only three of them?” Alex said. “Could he have more people working for him that we don’t know about?”

  “No,” Forrest said. “Money talks so he gets some people to do his bidding that way. His two boys are basically rednecks with guns and that scares people. One day they’re gonna kill someone if they’re not stopped. Layton, Alex is spending too much time around you—he’s beginning to sound like a detective.”

  “I’m a bad influence,” I said. “Why are you worried your kid could be in danger around us, Forrest?”

  “I heard about you fighting the zombies and before that the members of some crazy cult. What good parent wants his kid around those sort of things?”

  “That sounds reasonable,” Alex said.

  “That’s bullshit,” I said, calmly, then turned to face Forrest. “Listen to me. You can’t kid yourself and think your boy is safer because you’re shielding him from things we’re involved in—it doesn’t work that way. If it did, then you wouldn’t have been picked up by a Diony and Alex and I wouldn’t have fought zombies.” I placed my hand on his chest, then kissed him quickly on the lips. You know that if anyone wanted to hurt Chip, they’d have to go through Alex and me.”

  “And Rory, Mrs. Carson, and Miss Maribelle—probably Charity and Linus too,” Forrest said, then kissed me. “I know what you want from me, Layton.”

  “If you do then say it out loud,” I said.

  “I’m not the coward you think I am,” Forrest said. “You want me to move into Carson Court with you and Alex. To be specific you both want me in your bed permanently.”

  “I don’t think you’re a coward,” I said. “But you’re right about the rest of what you said.”

  “Is there anything wrong with wanting you with us all the time?” Alex said, then gently touched Forrest’s cheek.

  Forrest took Alex’s hand, softly kissed it, then spoke. “I’m not ashamed or afraid to say I think my love for the two of you is real. In my gut I even believe all the Triad stuff Mrs. Carter said… but it’s not just me I have to worry about. I need to make sure there’s a place for my son in your world.”

  “Of course there would be,” Alex said. “Layton and I are expecting a child too and we need to make sure he’s safe. And I know we—the three of us have enough love for two small children.”

  “I’m older than both of you,” Forrest said. “And no matter what I believe, I need to be more cautious. Don’t you two realize that something inside of us is pushing for this to happen—for us to move in together. It’s too fast.”

  He was right, as much as I hated to admit it. I looked over at Alex and the sad look on his face told me he realized Forrest was right too. Forrest lay back then pulled us down toward him. We laughed.

  “Don’t be all sad,” Forrest said. “Just because I’m not moving in right away doesn’t mean we can’t see each other—the three of us.”

  “You said not ‘moving in right away’,” Alex said. “Which means….”

  “Shhh,” I said.

  WHEN WE WERE walking back toward Leticia and Miss Lucy I thought of something I wanted to ask Forrest.

  “What do you know about the treasure at Shiloh Key, Forrest?” I said.

  “There are a whole lot of people going to try and find it in a few days’ time,” Forrest said. “Why do you ask?”

  “A friend has hired us to help her locate it,” Alex said.

  “Chip and I are camping out at Shiloh Key just as onlookers,” Forrest said. “Some of his classmates and their parents are going too.”

  “Are you crazy taking our boy to that town?” I said in an angrier voice than I’d intended.

  “We’re just observing, Mommy, don’t get your panties in a wad,” Forrest said. Alex laughed, but Forrest stopped in his tracks and faced me. “Hang on a second, did you say you were going to be actively involved in looking for that treasure? Do you have any idea what kind of craziness is going to be happening there?”

  “Hell and yeah,” I said. “I’m not an idiot. Helping this friend out is something I have to do. Forrest, that’s no place for a kid.”

  “Chip’s classmates are going there just to watch the proceedings,” Forrest said. “It’s a historic event. It was going to be a nice leisurely thing—now I’m going to be worried about you two.”

  “And we’re going to be worried about you and Chip,” I said. “Shit.” Nobody was going to win this argument, so I figured a change of subject was in order. “So, you said Chip was with his grandma. Where are his mother and uncle—your ex not Rory? Are they in the picture at all?”

  “His mother was murdered by her louse of a boyfriend four years ago, and his uncle, my ex, is living in Ireland with his new partner. The grandmother is a wonderful woman who doesn’t deserve the two lousy kids she was burdened with in life. She’s always been good to me.”

  “That’s nice,” Alex said. “You know that Chip is always welcome at the court, don’t you?”

  “Thank you for saying that,” Forrest said. “Chip’s been visiting there since he was a baby. The general even changed Chip’s diaper once. However, there is one thing you both might find strange.”

  Chapter 22

  Relax

  “DO WE NEED TO brace ourselves for this newest revelation?” I said.

  Forrest smiled, shook his head, then spoke. “No, it’s just something a little strange, not earth-shattering. Chip, or Chipper like I sometimes call him because he’s so happy, likes to call both Mrs. Carson and Miss Maribelle ‘Grandma’. He also calls Elise ‘Sissy’, as in sister.”

  “That hardly qualifies as strange in our world,” I said.

  “It’s kind of sweet that Chip has formed his own family around him,” Alex said. “And I’m sure Mrs. Carson and Miss Maribelle don’t mind one bit being called Grandma by him.”

  “They do seem to like it,” Forrest said. “They’re good to my boy—real good. And he’s a sweet kid too, you’ll have to meet him soon.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” I said. “Alex said something that has me thinking.”

  “Uh-oh, the man’s thinking,” Forrest said and smiled.

  “I’m being serious,” I said. “Eventually when we’re all living at the court, and I’m including Linus and Charity when I say ‘all’, how are we going to refer to each other—I mean what will the kids call us? Won’t it be confusing for them if some of us are daddies and some of us are uncles etcetera, etcetera.”

  “You do have a point there,” Alex said.

  “Ah, I wouldn’t worry about it right now,” Forrest said. “You two don’t know Linus. The guy has a mind for stuff like that—he likes figuring things out. Hell, he’s probably got everything all settled in regard to what you and Alex are worrying about. It wouldn’t surprise me. Anyway, Layton, I think you have other things to think about right now.”

  I stopped where I was for a minute, so I could take a long look at Forrest’s ass packed tightly into his pants. “I do have better things to think about… and look at,” I said.

  “SHEE-IT!” MISS LUCY said when we walked up to the table again. “What took you fools so long?”

  “I didn’t know we were on a schedule,” I said.

  “We’re not,” Miss Lucy said. “but didn’t you and Alex hear your man say he has to pick up his son? Where’s your consideration?”

  “Sorry, Forrest,” I said.

  “No problem,” Forrest said. “I was keeping an eye on the time.”

  “Well, whatever,” Miss Lucy said. “I hope you three already said your good-byes cause me and the handsome officer need to get moving.”

  “We?” Forrest said, then gave Miss Lucy a hard stare.

  “Don’t be putting the evil eye on me, man,” Miss Lucy said. “Don’t you want to hear more details about what’s going on in this new world you’ve just entered?”

  “That does sound good,” Forrest said. “Where are you headed? Where can I drop you off?”

  “In your neck of the woods,” Miss Lucy said. “I left my car parked in your driveway and Brother Thomas Vargas gave me a lift to this place. Now, let’s roll, man.”

  “I just have one question for you, Miss Lucy,” I said. Miss Lucy and the others turned my way and I continued, “How come you call him ‘man’ and me ‘boy’?”

  Miss Lucy let out a hearty laugh, then walked off with Forrest, without ever answering my question. Alex and I could still hear her laughing when we sat down on the bench again. Miss Lucy had packed up her cards and the colorful scarf that had once covered the table and the table was now bare.

  “It’s good to hear her laugh,” Leticia said.

  “Did she mess up that badly retraining Buck and the others?” I said.

  “Training people isn’t really her thing,” Leticia said. “She jokes around a lot, and likes to become the characters she plays, but down deep she’s military through and through. That means she doesn’t suffer fools gladly.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27