Must be nice. Benny missed his parents, even to this day. Although he had the Seven as family, as well as several nephews who drove him crazy once in a while. “Okay. Spill it.” He leaned over and refilled Garrett’s glass.
“It’s so stupid,” Garrett muttered, becoming a hulking form in the deck chair as a cloud shrouded the moon for a moment.
“Most things that really bug us are dumb,” Benny agreed. “Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. You know what does?”
Garrett stared into the distance. “Sharing the problem?”
“Shit, no. Scotch and beating the crap out of somebody else.” Benny kicked his legs out and crossed his ankles, relaxing into a philosophical mood. “You have Scotch, and you and Quade had a good fight, so if you’re not better, you need to talk. That rarely helps, but what the hell. What is going on with you?”
Garrett tipped back his head.
“If you’re going to drink my good stuff, you’d better start talking,” Benny warned. Otherwise, they’d try the beating part again.
“I know. I’m having dreams, and they’re driving me shitballs,” Garrett growled. “I’ve thought about asking my sister about them since she’s all about dream worlds, but then she’ll worry and bug me about it constantly. Don’t get me wrong. I love Janie, but she can be a little over-the-top sometimes. Plus, she’s mated to the king of the demon nation, and I don’t need Zane up my ass about this.”
Benny nodded. “You know, all of that makes sense. So tell me about the dreams. I won’t worry or bug you, and the last place I’d ever want to be is up your ass.”
Garrett coughed, laughed, and spit out Scotch. Then he laughed some more. “Okay.” Chuckling, he sipped again and settled back into the seat. “In this dream, I’m on a motorcycle, there’s a female holding on behind me, and we’re on a ride with a bunch of other bikers. She smells like melted sugar and honey, and I can’t see her. I can feel her, and I can sense the danger coming for her, but I can’t turn.”
Benny watched the moon beat the cloud and shine down again. “What happens then?”
“That’s mostly it. Over and over and fucking over,” Garrett said. “I feel like there’s a clock over my head counting down, faster than normal time, and I can’t get to her. Then, at the last second, she’s gone, and I’m cold. I failed.”
Benny winced. “That sucks. You think Fate is giving you a heads-up?”
“I don’t know. Fate doesn’t usually talk to me, and I’m not psychic in any way, at least I never have been. I can’t let go of it. Every night I have the same dream, and every morning, I feel her being taken away. Sometimes I’m furious with her for not fighting harder, and I’m always angry with myself for losing her. It’s killing me.” Garrett finished his second glass.
Benny thought through the problem. “What’s your plan?”
Garrett growled. “What do you mean?”
Benny rolled his eyes. “Come on. I know you. You always have a plan. What is it?”
Garrett wiped sweat off his brow. “I’ve been researching motorcycle clubs to join—after we get Sam safely home.”
“That’s dumb. If you’re going to join a club, it should be an immortal one. Didn’t you and Logan go undercover as prospects with Bear and his Grizzlies a while back?”
“Yep,” Garrett said.
“There you go, then.” If Garrett was with Bear, the head of the Grizzly Nation, then at least he’d have backup.
Garrett reached for the bottle. “You seemed to have forgotten that the shifter nation hates the Seven to the point that it withdrew from the Realm just because the Realm wouldn’t denounce us. The Seven screwed with the laws of physics when we created the prison world to hold Ulric, and we did it again when we fused our torsos. Shifters believe in the supremacy of natural law and won’t forgive us.”
Benny shrugged. “Bear isn’t like most shifters. He’s a rebel, and he’s a friend of yours. Either he’ll take you in, or he’ll rip off your head.”
“Your point?” Garrett asked dryly.
“Either way, you won’t have to worry about the dream any longer.” Benny clapped his hands on his firm belly. Yeah, he was good at this friendship stuff. “Problem solved.”
* * * *
Sometimes it was difficult to determine whether Benjamin was joking or serious. Karma eavesdropped on the conversation for a little while, wondering why Garrett would want to join a shifter motorcycle club. Weren’t shifters just like animals? Her feet got chilly on the cold floor by the screen door, but curiosity kept her still.
Finally, Garrett clapped Benjamin on the shoulder and ran down by the river again. The smell of Scotch trailed in his wake.
Benny watched him go. “Are you going to come out or stay over there by the cold doorway?”
She jumped. Part of her wanted to flee back to the bedroom; the other part wanted to be brave and modern. “I’m coming out,” she said softly.
“Grab a blanket off the sofa first,” he said.
She turned and fetched a soft faux-fur blanket and then padded outside on her bare feet to claim Garrett’s vacated seat. She’d already donned a cardigan over her borrowed pajamas, and once she’d settled the blanket around her legs, she felt comfortable and safe. Then Benjamin handed her his glass of Scotch. “Thank you,” she said primly. They had kissed, so sharing his glass was probably not a big deal.
“You’re welcome.” He snagged Garrett’s glass off the deck, wiped the rim, and poured a generous shot. “Have you had Glenfiddich before?”
“No.” She took a sip, and the spicy liquid exploded on her tongue and down her throat to warm her stomach. She coughed. “I like it?”
He chuckled. “I can get you something else if you prefer.”
The warmth spread throughout her limbs. “No, thank you. I am enjoying this.” She took another tentative sip. “It’s warming on a cool night.”
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asked, sounding thoughtful as he stared at the darkened river.
She drank more. “I was talking with Linda, the female who gave birth to my girls. I asked her to see if she could either find them or Sam Kyllwood.”
Benjamin stiffened and turned her way. “I forgot you can talk to ghosts. Is there a chance she can help?”
Karma’s shoulders relaxed on their own. “Yes. Linda doesn’t know where the girls are, but she found Terre, Dayne, and Jaydon. She’s working on finding their location. All she could tell me tonight was that they were near a lake and it’s dark there. It has to be somewhat close for her to have been able to find them. My guess is within an hour or two, based on the time it took her to find them and get back to me.”