Dark Child (Wild Men 5)

“Like you say.”

We’re a tightly knit family. It was always just us three and mom, and it was great, though for most of my childhood I pined for a father figure. I saw other kids with their dads and wished for one of my own. A dad, that is, not a kid.

Though now, seeing Max and playing with him, wouldn’t it be nice…?

Argh, Jesus, where did that come from? I don’t even have a girlfriend, for fuck’s sake, even if a certain girl’s face keeps haunting my thoughts.

“Hey, Merc?”

“Huh?” I blink up at her. “What?”

“Doing okay?”

I rub at my eyes, irritated. “Why the fuck does everybody keep asking me that?”

She lets out a startled laugh. “Oops. Did I touch a nerve?”

“Nah.” I wave a hand. “I’m just tired.”

She doesn’t comment on that as she hoists Max back into her arms. “Have you heard from Ross lately?”

And okay, this sort of came out of the blue. “Why would I hear from Ross, sis? That asshole had better stay out of touch, or I’ll bash his face in like I did years ago.”

She winces. “Just asking. He’s not returning my calls.”

“Then you should take a hint and stop calling.”

Did I tell you that in the end I found out who my dad is? Not only did he turn out to be an asshole I’ve known all my life, but I also have a douchebag of a half-brother from him. His name’s Ross, and he’s a damn bully. Bullied my sisters, too, in fact, encouraged by our prick of a dad. Turned into a criminal when he grew up. Big fucking surprise. He’s been in and out of prison—and Tati, like the golden-hearted person she is, wants to help him.

Even though she was the main target of his bullying over the years.

She pats Max’s back and hums something under her breath. “I was only checking that Ross is still alive,” she mutters.

It sends a chill through me. “Still having bad dreams about him?”

Maybe it’s a family thing. Something genetic. Maybe I should tell her my secret, tell her what I dream of, in case she has an answer.

“Him, and you,” she whispers, and that stops my thoughts in their tracks.

“Me? What about me?”

“Gosh, I thought I’d told you.”

“Tell me what?”

“About my dreams. I see Ross… and then his face turns into yours. Or the other way round. It scares me to death.”

Fuck. I hate dreams. Another thing I didn’t tell you. “Tell me about it. What else do you see?”

A shadow crosses her gaze. “Merc…”

“I wanna know.”

“It’s not always exactly the same,” she whispers. “Look, Merc…” She glances at the door, as if expecting someone to walk in. Matt, I think. Maybe she doesn’t want to worry her

husband over her dreams, though I’m sure he knows all about them. Octavia is the sort of person who loves unconditionally, and she’d never keep secrets from him. I sort of took after her, though I’d never tell her that. “Last night… I dreamed that we were walking around in Destiny, you and me, eating ice cream.”

“Like old times.” I give her a smile. Destiny is the little town where we were born and grew up, before she met Matt and we all moved here, to St. Louis.