Page 26 of Stalked By Shadows
“Yeah, there’s that too.”
“Are you okay with that? Him and Brad?”
Micah shrugged. “We didn’t fit anymore. It wasn’t personal. Tim is very reliable and nice. I trust him with the shop and he takes good care of Brad. Brad is a good kid, nice to everyone, sweet even while being a bit of a sex addict.”
“You didn’t fit anymore because of your disappearance?”
He was silent for a minute and I worried he’d get mad, but he nodded. “Yeah, maybe? I think it was more about what happened to him when I was missing than how I might have changed. The police, the media, even my family treated him like he was a killer. They were all certain he’d murdered me and hid my body somewhere.” Micah let out a long sigh. “When he showed up at the police station in Reno… he was quiet, shut off emotionally, and bitter.”
“Bitter that people treated him like crap while everyone thought you were dead?” It made sense, even if it sounded horrible. I couldn’t imagine being treated the same way, accused of hurting someone important to me, only to have that person show up unharmed and prove them all wrong. “None of that was your fault.”
“It doesn’t matter. Pain comes in many forms and often makes a lasting impression.”
“Do you remember anything about the time you went missing?”
Micah glanced my way, his eyes narrowed like he was hiding something, but I’d had a lot of time in the Middle East to learn body language and facial expressions. Searching for suicide bombers had made me wary of everyone. “Not really.”
“The book said you were gone a couple months. Vanished from Chicot Park here and wound up in Reno?”
He nodded.
“I’m sure you’ve been questioned a million times about it. How about you share what you want to, and I don’t ask?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it at all. It feels like another lifetime ago. Everything. From before, to the day I simply showed up in Reno. I’d rather be who I am now.”
Okay. That was something I understood. “If you need to talk, I’m willing to listen. No judgment. Been through my own shit, but I’m not going to push.”
Micah gave me the ghost of a smile. “Thanks.”
“I need to join your Facebook page, look at some of these ghost pictures people have taken to get ready for your tour tonight. Do you normally see stuff on the tours? Am I going to freak out?”
“I never see anything. Instead I point people toward areas that are known hotspots.”
“None of the pictures are ever yours?”
“I’m too busy telling everyone stories to be taking pictures.”
I took another big sip of the coffee and suddenly remembered the middle of the night noises. “It’s bright out,” I said.
“It is,” he agreed.
“Captain Obvious, right? Can we talk about those noises?”
He looked at me, gaze searching my face for something. “Maybe it was a dream.”
“I only dream of my time serving.” I set the cup down on the counter. “Please don’t tell me it’s all in my head. I’m really tired of hearing that.”
Micah sighed. “Lukas wouldn’t want me putting stuff in your head.”
“He’s my brother, not my keeper.” Except he sort of was. I sighed. “Can’t you be straight with me?”
He gave me a wicked grin, the sort of thing I recalled from a handful of his videos, then stepped into my personal space and cupped my face with his hands. “Straight?” He inquired and kissed me lightly on the lips. “Is that what you really want from me?”
And of course, my dick was like oh hell no, it had a list of what it wanted from him, the fucking traitor. “You know I’m attracted to you, so that’s not fair. I’m wondering if this is one more thing that makes me nuts.” I pulled away from him.
“If I heard the same things would that make me crazy? Or simply validate that you’re not crazy, but that there is something neither of us can explain that makes scary noises in the middle of the night? Is there really a right answer to this?”
I stared at him, thinking through all the scenarios. He was right, of course. Either we were both nuts, or something had been making noises in the dark. And wasn’t that equally as terrifying, maybe even more so than actually being crazy?