Game of Revenge

Chapter 5

Tray

Shit has officially hit the fan, and I don’t know what to do. Brian wasn’t just my friend, I loved him. We weren’t as close as Mike and I or Kiernan and I, but I still loved him. He was the one I’d go to when I was upset.

Always there with a funny joke or story to cheer me up when my days were overwhelming. And now the silence is louder than normal and tainted with grief.

Walking to the closet, I grab our suits and lay them out on the bed. Hard to believe we just wore them for the reunion.

Mike needed new pants, so I went shopping yesterday. I felt like everyone was staring at me.

I don't like this town. I want to leave as soon as we can.

I can hear Kiernan crying, and Mike comforting him through the closed bathroom door.

They need each other right now, so I leave them alone for the moment. Quietly, I exit the room and walk along the halls filled with Brian’s smile.

Brianna, Brian's mom, has such lovely photos all over the place, but they are hard to look at.

My hands shake as I reach the kitchen. Brianna sits at the table in the dark, staring out at the rising sun.

She has a cup of coffee in front of her, but it’s untouched. Her hair is a tangled gray mess, and she’s still in her robe.

Padding softly onto the tile, I clear my throat gently to let her know that I’m here. Looking over her shoulder at me, I wave toward the switch on the wall, and she nods. Turning the light on, I instantly know that she didn’t sleep last night.

Her blue eyes, a mirror image to Brian’s, are deep red with dark circles underneath. I move closer to her as she begins to shake.

A wailing sound escapes her lips as she breaks again.

“My baby. My baby boy,” she cries as I pull her from the chair and into my arms. I hold her, fighting back my own pain.

I need to be strong for the people I love, even though I wish someone would comfort me.

“Shh, I’m here,” I coo, and gently sway us side to side as her heart bleeds out onto my sleeves.

“He’s gone, Tray. My sweet boy.”

I nod because I can’t talk right now. It’s hard being the strong one sometimes.

“How could this have happened?” she wails and strong arms wrap me into a hard chest. I sigh, leaning back into Kiernan.

Looking over my shoulder, I can see Mike standing in the doorway, staring at us.

His dark eyes are glazed with unshed tears. Brianna glances up, seeing him and pulls away from me, rushing to him.

He holds her, talking softly, trying to reassure her that everything is going to be okay, but that’s just a lie.

Nothing will ever be okay again. I know shit was strained, and we were possibly on the verge of ending our polyamorous relationship, but I never wanted that to happen.

I just wished the twins would stop fighting. That's all. I never wanted something like this to happen.

The doorbell rings, and Kiernan pulls away, placing a kiss onto the back of my head before he goes. He’s dressed in the suit I chose for him, and I curse my dick for even twitching at this moment.

I know if Brian was haunting us he would understand. Kiernan is a gorgeous man.

Shaking my head, I grab the cold cup of coffee and bring it to the sink. I need to keep moving because the moment my feet stop, I know I’m going to shatter.

Kier gets the door, and I know who’s here before even seeing them.

Carrie is livid and making her thoughts known as she enters the house, placing her daughter on the floor.

Dressed to the nines, she’s a vision of malice in black. “I am going to castrate them all. I am going to chop off their dicks and string them up on the flagpole in town.”

My eyes widen at that thought, and I grip my cock, wincing. I give it a pat and sigh. Carrie scares me sometimes, but she has the biggest heart and will go into the depths of hell for Kiernan, just like I would.

“Now baby, there are little ears present,” Bates grumbles, carrying in some duffle bags. Meyers follows him with even more things, and I have to shake my head.

Freddie’s playing on his Nintendo Switch, and Margo is looking around the living room.

“As if that’s the worst thing the kids have heard slip out of my lips,” she scoffs. Chuck laughs, entering the house with Francis and Tiffany following.

The empty house is now filled with people that love us, and I am on the verge of losing it.

Mike and his mom join us, and it’s awkward. We all stand silent, waiting for someone to say something. I never thought it would be a three-year-old saying “Shit.”

Pulling up to the cemetery, I give Mike’s hand a squeeze. He’s been quiet the whole drive. I can’t imagine the thoughts running through his head right now. A few days ago he was a twin and now he’s not.

He’s the last Banks male. It’s a crazy thought. I have a horde of siblings, but Brianna and Michael are all alone now.

Brian’s dad passed away when they were little, leaving Brianna a widow and on her own to raise four-year-old twins.

She never remarried.

Can't blame her. True love is hard to find and when you do, you hold on with everything you have.

Never know when it can be ripped away.

Bates parks their car next to me, and Kiernan climbs out of the backseat. Ms. Kay arrived shortly after Carrie, and she decided to stay back at the house to watch the kids.

Tiffany argued about coming today and won. She reminds me of a miniature Carrie, in her black dress and booties. Her dads better watch out.

The parking lot to the church is full, and some people walk over to us looking like it's a normal day of prayer.

Wearing their Sunday best, instead of black.

I really hope today goes fast and soon we can go back to demolishing walls and ripping up checkered flooring.

I don't want to be here anymore.

We have a small reception here after. I guess this church was where Brian’s grandfather preached for forty years.

He has since passed on, but the new preacher welcomed Mike and Brianna to have the community room.

Their house is too small to host.

Perfect for just the three of them… Well I guess it’s the two of them now.

Opening his door, Mike stumbles out of the car. He laughs, shaking his dark hair.

Meyers is watching him and scowls.

“Are you high? Today of all days?”

Mike waves his hand in the air and blinks his eyes a few times.

“It's cool. Everything's good,” he says with a grin. Kier joins us and grabs his arm.

“How could you do this to your brother?” Mike's eyes widen, and he looks scared at his words.

“Wha… what do you mean?” he asks, shaking his head, trying to focus.

Kiernan frowns. “Brian deserves respect. Especially from his flesh and blood. Sober up or don't bother coming inside.”

Stepping away from Mike, I take Kier's hand. He's shaking and trying to hold on. I'm not doing much better though.

We manage to get to the casket, though our legs are trembling. My eyes are blurred, and they sting so bad.

But I can't break down yet. I need to stay strong. I'll take a few minutes later to grieve.

The casket is closed due to the extensive beating Brian took, and finding him like that in the backlot, with Mike wailing on top of him, praying to God will always haunt me.

My last memory of him will overshadow all the good times we had. The way his blue eyes would light up when he nailed a recipe, or the way he would smile when holding one of Carrie's children.

He always wanted to be a dad… and now…

Fuck. I don't think I can do this. Kiernan squeezes my hand, and I place my head on his shoulder as I silently cry.

Releasing my hand, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in closer.

Someone scoffs in the pews and mumbles a few derogatory things, but I don't fucking care.

They can kiss my tanned ass. I am saying goodbye to a man that will always hold a place in my heart, and I'm hardly holding it together.

If I want my boyfriend to wrap me in his arms to comfort me then they can get the fuck over it, or leave.

Mike stands beside me, but he doesn't touch me. He's becoming distant.

Brianna walks up behind us. She shuffles closer before collapsing onto the polished wood and wailing.

Everyone around us gives her a moment to break, offering glances full of pity. Mike reaches for her and pulls her into his arms.

“It's okay, Mom. I'm still here. You have me,” he keeps mumbling, and I know it's supposed to be a sweet gesture, but all I can think of is he's almost gloating.

I know he and Brian were at each other's throats lately and fought about every tiny little thing, but he can't actually be happy his twin is gone right?

I'm watching Mike drink himself into a stupor. The funeral was a disaster. Some guys from the football team came and made derogatory slurs.

Carrie almost whipped out a blade and stabbed them all, but Meyers and Bates got them to leave.

I hate wishing we could get out of this town tonight. Brian is buried here. But I don't like how small minded this town is.

They need a lesson about this current century, and that love is fucking love.

Chuck grabs us some more beers, and we sip them while Francis and Carrie joke about killing again.

Kier is laughing along with them and even though I know he’s wasted, I smile.

I didn't think I'd hear him laugh again for a long time.

Mike sits in the corner, watching us, but not talking.

He’s been really weird today. While his mom was doing the procession line and thanking people for coming, he was joking around and laughing.

As if he didn’t just lose his brother. Everyone grieves in their own way, but I don’t know… I am getting a weird vibe from him.

Could it just be the drugs? Is this going to turn into a problem or will he stop when we get back home?

Fuck. Home. We are going to have to pack up Brian's room. How did everything become so twisted and complicated?

I wish we could go back to four days ago.

Kiernan

“I mean we totally could,” Carrie whispers, then laughs. I am drunk and because she’s preggers she’s sipping sparkling cider. “We could just take them into the woods and hunt them. Make a game out of it! Oh, Kier, it would be so much fun.”

I nod along listening to her crazy rants, but honestly my mind is a million miles away.

Sitting here in Brian’s family home, with all of his pictures covering the walls, is making me want to take a leap off a building.

Chuck scoffs at something Carrie said and it pulls me back into the conversation.

“Baby, you should put your masks away and focus on our kids,” he grunts, then howls as Francis slams a plastic fork into his thigh.

“I know you didn't just say something sexist to our girl,” she hisses, and he shakes his head, removing the plastic prongs that snapped off from the force she used.

“No, but I'm not going to let my pregnant wife traipse through the woods playing Jason Vorhees.”

“They disrespected Brian at his funeral, Chuck! The things they were saying. You should have let me stab them. At least let me make them bleed a little.”

Bates laughs and moves over to Carrie. Lifting her, he places her on his lap and presses a kiss onto her shoulder.

“I love when you get all bloodthirsty, babe, but I have to agree with Chuck. Those guys were assholes, but we don't know that they were the ones to kill Brian. We need proof, honey.”

Groaning, Carrie mumbles under her breath, but I didn't catch it.

“Fine, but can I at least fantasize for a little while. Kier and I haven't plotted a murder spree in ages.” She turns to look at him with a pout and he nods, then kisses her lips.

She spins back to face Francis and I with a twinkle in her eyes. If I wasn't so drunk, I might have noticed that Carrie wasn't the one plotting to kill off the football team.