Project Alaric: Book One ✔️

Chapter Two

Alaric Benson

"No."

I rolled my eyes as Axton tried to throw a level three temper tantrum. "Ace..."

Axton glared at me as he crossed his arms. "No, Alaric. You don't even know him that well. I don't know him at all, and quite frankly, I don't want to know him. Ghost tours? How childi..."

I had my hand twisted in the fabric of his shirt, yanking him close to my face. "Childish? Do you want to talk about being childish, brother?" My eyes seared into his widened blue ones. I was pissed now. "I don't think you want to go there with me."

He tried to get free, but I only tightened my grasp. "Fucking Christ, Alaric! If I don't want to do something, I don't have to!"

I shook him slightly, feeling my insides grow with more rage. "You're right! You don't! But here's the thing, brother. We have to cater to you! Every single day, we make sure you are comfortable. We make sure everything is how you want it. I am asking you to go with me and be open. I never ask for anything."

Apollo stepped between us, shoving Axton and me away from each other. "Okay, enough with the dramatics." He looked at Axton as I curled my left hand into a fist. "Axton, Alaric is right, he doesn't ask for anything. Hell, maybe we could benefit from this little...excursion. No one said you have to befriend the guy but be a respectable human being for the duration. We all know you can do it, so why can't you do this one thing?" He shifted his attention to me. "And there are better ways to get through to him rather than threatening to put him in the ground."

I scoffed. "I never said such a thing."

"Not said it, no. Your actions spoke for you." He sighed roughly, scrubbing his forehead. "I'll go, I suppose. But I have to know why this is so important to you."

Why? I didn't have an exact answer to that other than..."The guy moves back and is stuck to the girl who won't look away from her boyfriend for longer than five seconds. Listen, I'm happy for Declan. I really am. I'm happy for both of them, and new relationships have a lasting honeymoon stage. But the look he had when his trip was canceled–Listen, I know he likes ghosts, and he should have this experience."

Apollo arched a brow–an all-knowing grin trying its best to appear. What? "You know what? I'm double in now." He glanced at Ace. "You're in, too. We're going ghost hunting, bitches. Pack your shit."

Axton huffed. "I can't believe I'm going ghost hunting. You do realize ghosts don't exist, right? They are tourist traps."

I shrugged. "Then you have no reason to decline. I'm going to find Emery." I started for the door and then stopped before turning around to face my friends. "Can one of you possibly figure out how I can get in touch with him?"

Apollo rolled his eyes and pulled his phone out of his pocket. I stood there while he typed things into his phone before he flipped it around. "Emery Gray, which I assume you knew. He just checked in at Four Corners three minutes ago. If you need his address, I can get it, but I think it's best if you run into him in public."

I blew a kiss at my best friend. "I love you, sweetheart."

He waved off my affection. "You better hope he listened to you and didn't cancel the trip."

He was right, and I took off jogging to the Jeep. Axton could kill me later, but I was far too lazy to move his car to get mine out. I already snagged his keys on my way, so when I ripped out of the driveway, I was already getting a call from the brother I shouldn't be pushing to his limits. I only wanted something to do, and the guy looked lonely as hell.