Love's Entanglement Read online

  He sighed, pushing his wet hair back off his forehead. “Nope, I’m good. I let my frustration get the better of me and instead of handling it in an adult, respectful manner, I lashed out like a baby and now I’m doing grunt work. I can take it.”

  I blinked at him a moment and nodded. Maybe Matteo’s assessment had been right on about Norris excelling. We all had off days, and if he’d been getting the short end of the stick, I didn’t blame him for getting upset. “Okay then. Glad you recognize that. None of this has been easy on any of us and Matteo is a good instructor, buried with the early transitions. Doesn’t make things any less unfair to you and your training though.”

  Norris’s shoulders relaxed a bit as I reached past him and grabbed my towel and shower caddy. I bit back a grin, the next bomb would be so much fun to drop.

  “Which is why I took over your training for now at least. You’re my protégé since I hear you want to fly anyways.”

  “Really? Yeah?”

  “Don’t get too excited, I’ll work you until you fall asleep standing,” I chuckled, nodding to my room that was far from clean. “You’re adding to my load, I’m gonna make you earn it. And then some.”

  Norris was still smiling though. “Yes, sir. I can handle hard work. I really can. Load it on. Just teach me. I know it’s not Matteo’s fault, but I can’t stand one more day of whiney new transitions bothering him with questions he doesn’t know because they’re so traumatized. I just want to tie them up and smack them until they stop and realize none of it is helping but learning will so we’re even more ready for next time.”

  I nodded as I headed to the door. I wanted to agree with him, but I didn’t think the new post-trans were the only ones that had broken down. We all had and it was because of years and years of never having a moment to breathe with so much of everything changing. It wasn’t healthy and everything needed a little health.

  I thought about that more while I took a nice long, hot shower. I hadn’t been home in forever, and truth be told, I missed it and that was why I was so quick to bring it up to Matteo. I needed a break and some mental health. The attack had freaked me out, along with Gilroy’s abduction. That could have easily been me, just the unmated guy who went out on one of the supply runs.

  The game was changing, and we all needed to take a step back and accept it or we would fail the next time the Zakasacs came a-knocking because they would. The war wasn’t anywhere close to being over because we’d won one battle.

  They’d just come with more next time. That thought made me shiver even as I tried not to think about the cute post-trans cleaning my room. Maybe that hadn’t been such a good idea to get so personal with him either. Basically I was batting zero all in one afternoon.

  3

  Philo was a pig. Like oink, oink lived-in-his-own-filth kind of piggy. I had winced as I walked into his room, but then hidden my full disgust as I took in the splendor of a real warrior’s apartment.

  “Where’s the hazmat team when you need it?” I muttered when he was off to the shower. I glanced around at the weeks of cafeteria take-out containers, dirty laundry, and just over-piling crap that needed to be handled. I pulled out my phone and texted Verge, my only real buddy I had at the camp.

  Got busted for talking smack. Punishment cleaning hell. Can you help me move some furniture so I can clean the carpets? There’s god only knows what on them.

  While I waited for a reply, I went down the hall to the supply closet and started loading up on everything, including taking the huge garbage can out of there that everyone was supposed to empty their crap into. I figured I’d need several of those alone. Just as I was getting back to Philo’s room my phone beeped.

  Yeah, saw you washing Philo’s chopper. Not smart to piss him off.

  I rolled my eyes and filed that under useful info I got after the fact. You haven’t seen his pigsty. I need gloves and to bleach out my nose.

  Lovely, count me in.

  Well at least I had one friend. I stuck my phone in my back pocket and started easy with the garbage after I put on the rubber cleaning gloves. I checked the containers for cafeteria utensils, not surprised when I found a bunch of them.

  Nor the fuzzy or green shit growing on them.

  “Maybe the whole camp has gone cranky because of the science experiments growing in here,” I joked as I set another nasty fork on the tray of dishes and glasses that had to go back to the cafeteria. “Maybe he liberated specimens from Sam’s experiments.”

  “Well you just earned yourself another night of cleaning up my room next week,” Philo drawled from the door. I winced and glanced over my shoulder, taking in his smirk as he dried his hair. “Hey, keep going. I’ve always wanted a slave.”

  I nodded, but kept my mouth shut, trying not to look at his perfect chest and abs or the water running down his muscles. God, that was some lucky water.

  “Oh, now you’re mute? No quips about my laundry? I’m sure they’re in there,” he pushed, completely egging me on.

  “Where’s your detergent?” I asked politely.

  “Yeah, I’m sure that’s all you wanted to say.”

  “Dude, what’s that smell?” Verge groaned from the doorway.

  “You’re cheating if you call in friends,” Philo drawled, trying to shoo Verge away.

  “He called me to help him move the furniture so he could clean your carpets,” Verge defended as he stepped into the room, glancing around. “Wow. How do you live like this? The Dumpsters are nicer.”

  “You want to join your friend?” Philo growled.

  “Hey, I’m a warrior now,” Verge chuckled, giving Philo a huge grin. “You want to challenge me because I called your room nasty and tell people that, you go right ahead, but I stick with the facts.”

  “Dude, don’t help me. He can take it out on me,” I hissed, holding up my gloved hands.

  Verge winced and nodded. “Yeah, okay. I don’t know what you did to deserve this, but seriously, don’t do it again, man. There’s shit in this room that might eat a little guy like you.”

  “Sorry, not all of us shot up to six-eight after our transitions, dick,” I muttered as I pulled off the gloves. “I can move the bed around to vacuum and clean, but can you help me with the dresser and desk? Those will be too hard to clean the carpet while in here.”

  “I didn’t say you had to clean the carpet,” Philo growled.

  “No, but if you tell Norris to clean something and do it right, he’ll clean the carpet and wash the walls,” Verge chuckled, grabbing the edge of the desk, turning up his nose. “Let’s hurry. I’m going to need a shower after this.”

  “Shut it,” I hissed, wondering what else I was going to get slapped with because of his big mouth. He kept chuckling as we carried it out into the hall.

  “I’ll help him with the dresser when he’s ready. You can go, big mouth,” Philo informed us as he pulled shorts on under his towel. I got a glimpse of his muscular, sleek thigh that just about melted me. Wow, I was sooo easy.

  “Fine by me. I’ll listen for your PASS alarm, buddy. It’s been nice knowing you.” Verge threw back his head and left, laughing his ass off.

  “That’s firemen, you jackass!” I called after him.

  “What’s he talking about?” Philo asked me with a frown.

  “Will you penalize me for his sarcasm?” I hedged, waiting until he shook his head. I sighed and moved to quickly pull off his bedding so I was preoccupied as I explained. “Those piercing alarms that go off when a fireman doesn’t move for so long like you see on TV and in the movies? They’re called PASS, Personal Alert Safety System.”

  “Gotcha, like the room ate you and that might be the only thing to save you,” Philo muttered. I shrugged and rolled the sheets into a ball. “Yeah, okay, I’m a slob, whatever. I don’t really pay attention. Normally I beat someone at poker and they’d rather handle this than lose their money, or yeah, I torture one of the post-trans to take care of the laundry after I clean up the containers.”
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  “I’m just blessed to get the whole deal?” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

  “You did mouth off to me.”

  “It’s a gift.” He showed me where the detergent was and I hurried down the hall to start the load of his sheets. Then I brought back the carpet cleaner with the attachments and asked him to help me move the mattress out in the hall.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Cleaning the mattress,” I answered as the machine warmed up. He stared at me as if I’d lost it. Part of me wanted to ask why he’d helped me move the damn thing if he didn’t get where this was going. He watched me for a while, wrinkling his nose when he saw how nasty the used water was turning. “I’d guess you don’t always put sheets right back on the bed. The oils set into the material.”

  “I do shower, sometimes twice a day,” he quibbled, crossing his arms over his chest and basically pouting. “Just because I forget to do laundry and throw out my containers doesn’t mean I don’t have good hygiene. I brush my teeth and floss like I’m supposed to.”

  I had to bite back a chuckle. He was actually adorable when he pouted, not just sexy. “I’m sure you do, but we all have skin oils. Plus, I’m sure you’ve had this mattress for a long time. Probably more than the ten to twelve years they recommend keeping one. Unless it’s still comfortable then the support is probably fine.”

  He watched me a bit longer and then cleared his throat. “Okay, well, I’ll take this all back to the cafeteria and get us some grub. How many tacos do you eat?”

  I glanced into his room and at all the work I had to do. “I’m going to need fuel. A dozen? Do you mind getting me sour cream and guac on the side? I like to dip mine in them.”

  “Yeah, sure, that actually sounds good. Might try it. Drink?”

  “Sure, whatever.” I shrugged, wondering what he’d bring me back if I left it open like that. I always found it really interesting to see what people did with the freedom of something like a drink.

  Silly? Yeah, but it told me a lot about a person or my relationship with them even. Verge always knew what to get me. Others just got me what they were having which was totally acceptable. I remember once a “friend” in my birth coven always brought me water and gave me a look as if hinting I was fat.

  I hadn’t been. I’d actually been underweight, but it showed he really wasn’t my friend and was probably jealous that I was going to grow up and be a warrior. All because I let him decide what drink to bring me. A lot could be learned from a small gesture.

  I was done with the mattress by the time Philo came back, tray overloaded with fresh tacos. He sat down with them as I hurried to the closet and found a spare fan. Then I plugged it into the wall and pointed it at the mattress.

  “Will that be dry for me to sleep on tonight?” he asked before biting into a taco.

  “Oh, umm, maybe? It should be,” I worried, glancing at the mattress.

  “If it’s not, I’m sleeping in your bed,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Your execution is lacking sometimes. We’re going to have to work on that.”

  “Like with the power washer and remembering I was still using it when you startled me,” I agreed, bobbing my head. Philo opened a beer and handed it to me. “Thanks.”

  He brought us a six-pack of beer. Interesting.

  “You are a jumpy little one. What are you hiding that you’re so jumpy?” he murmured as he studied me closely. I shrugged and hurried to dunk my taco. “Yeah, your tests say you’re not stupid, Norris.”

  “I find intelligence doesn’t always translate to understanding social situations,” I tried with another shrug.

  “That sounds like a cop-out but probably explains why you get so jumpy. You’re a dork and not the best with people.”

  “Probably,” I ground out and then bit into my taco much harder than I had meant to, shell flying everywhere.

  Philo’s eyes went wide. “Oh that’s not what you really want to say to me. Come on. Tell me what you want to say.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir. I would never disrespect you.” Then I slapped on my sweetest smile. “If you’re looking to egg someone else into, I don’t know, making you cookies next after they stick their foot in their mouth, try Verge. He makes really good cookies and he’s been helping Manny with desserts.”

  “Fair enough. Fine, free pass. Tell me what you wanted to say,” he offered. I watched him take a chug of his beer before polishing off another taco.

  “Fine. It must take a socially inept dork to spot one of his own because I never see you at the group stuff unless it’s required and, from the stack of take-out containers, apparently you don’t like people any better than your rep of them avoiding you.”

  My fun was short-lived because that last part made his face fall as if I’d kicked him in the nuts. “I didn’t know that was my rep. I’m not sure why that is. I’m always fair with people. I’m here to do a job, not make friends, but I’m never mean to people.”

  He didn’t say anything else so I tried to. “I think people assume you don’t like them and that’s not fair because they haven’t done anything to deserve that if you don’t want to hang with them or aren’t their friend.”

  “I was here long before this place was so friendly and it was better to keep to yourself and make sure things were just work or people would make sure you were chewed up and spit out.”

  “That sucks. That sounds horrible. I would totally have hated being here then,” I blabbered, shocked to hear that. Everyone was pretty tight at the camp. Sure there were cliques of friends, but not in a bad way where others wouldn’t be welcome. I mean, I knew I could sit down at Alexander and Dimitri’s table. They might look at me funny and ask if I was there on a dare or check if everything was okay with me, but they’d never pull shit and send me away like I was a grunt.

  “Whatever, I do like books better than people.” He ate another taco in two bites and nodded. “And my whirlybird. Be grateful I’m even letting you up in the cockpit with me. I swore I wasn’t ever going to put up with anyone besides Tadzio again.”

  “I do appreciate it.” He gave a firm nod and we were quiet while we ate. Then I tried to lighten the mood. “I do. I mean, I’m cleaning the mattress and that was more than you said.”

  “Yeah, it is. I might be sleeping on a wet one tonight, but it was a nice gesture.”

  “My execution is lacking. I hear my new trainer’s gonna help me with that.” I shot him a smile and he winked at me, my stomach fluttering from the simple gesture.

  Once we were done eating, he helped me move his desk, bookcases, and reading chair out into the hall… Then he proceeded to plop down, legs over the arm of his plush chair, and open something he’d been reading. I stared at him from the mess he’d left on the floor from where we’d been eating, already kneeling down to clean that up.

  The only thing worse than this punishment was that he was going to supervise me during it. I shook my head and threw away what was garbage and brought the recyclables over to the closet. Then I thought better of that and dragged that bin over to his room as well. By that time his sheets were done, and I forwarded them to the dryer, sticking his comforter in the oversized washer.

  I wished there was more than one of each on a floor though because the tons of clothes he had to do would take forever. On the bright side, there probably weren’t many sorting piles.

  “I’m going to go get some more beers before the cafeteria closes and maybe a slice of cake. I hear Gilroy and Manny were trying something new. Want something?”

  The secret had come out that Gilroy had been the driving force behind some of the more creative and off-the-wall inventions that were served, and while he turned bright red if anyone brought it up to him, I think it was nice that everyone made a point to thank him or tell him what they liked.

  “Water, just a lot of water,” I admitted, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand as I yanked another full bag out of the can and tied it off. “Can I
ask you to take these bags to the Dumpster since you’re going down anyways?”

  He glanced around and winced. “You pulled all of this out of my room?” I nodded and he cursed under his breath. “Wow, I really need to start paying better attention.”

  “And stop stacking them all on top of the trashcan in the corner as if that handles things,” I grumbled. “A six-foot-tall stack does not make it any better than leaving them all over your bed or desk.”

  “Right, point taken, smart-mouth,” he bitched. I held my hands up in surrender and shut it. So we were back to those rules. Got it.

  He took the four, thirty-gallon bags of garbage and the bin of recyclables to unload. I honestly breathed a little easier once he was gone. It might even have helped me move a little faster because I also put some music on, dragged the dirty laundry out into the hall, made piles, ignoring the fact I was touching his dirty boxer briefs and shorts… No, that wasn’t awkward.

  Then I folded his green sheets, leaving them in the laundry room until I had more cleaned off, and got his whites going once I found some bleach because they were nasty. Next I cleaned off the desk and dresser so the tops of them could be used, thinking one better and opening the drawers to clean them out as well. I almost fell over laughing when three of the five dresser drawers were completely empty.

  Talk about needing to seriously do laundry!

  By the time he came back, all the crap was out of his room and I was on to vacuuming. The warrior rooms weren’t all that big so it didn’t take long. But then I made the mistake of opening his closet and boxes of shit fell on me.