Lullaby

By Michael S. Booker

Book Five of the Shadow Series

In the Beginning, there was Darkness...

Nathan Grayson, Dominic Blue and Justin Bronson are three men, doing their best, to live under the radar, in a small Bay Area town. On the outside, they appear to be three average twenty-somethings, navigating the common challenges of young adulthood: love, heartbreak and grief. Yet, their lives are anything but common. Each of these men possesses extraordinary psychic skills: the ability to manipulate reality, the ability to travel through space and time, and the ability to change the future. While these skills make Dominic, Justin, and Nathan unique individuals, these supernatural talents have also made them the targets of a secret network of powerful adversaries, who will stop at nothing, to claim all of their powers for their own.

As each of these men repair the severe damage that has recently permeated their lives, they struggle, to distance themselves, from the horrific world of the paranormal and its devastating consequences on their lives...to little success. The nightmarish ghosts of their pasts refuse to stay exorcised. The present brings nothing but uncertainty and fear and all of them can sense an encroaching, never-ending Darkness that will engulf the world. In order to survive the future horror that awaits all of them, Nathan, Dominic and Justin must enhance and master their psychic powers, otherwise they will fall prey to the timeless, omnipotent terror that has haunted them all of their lives and has patiently waited in the wings...as well as the deepest parts of their minds, to eliminate them all.

In the End, there will be Darkness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael S. Booker
• Release date: Jun 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463333860

Michael S. Booker

Fiction writer, photographer, blogger, living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Check out "Shadow", "Not Safe for Work" and "Freshman". Michael S. Booker can be contacted at [e-mail]

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L U L L A B Y

BOOK

5

OF

THE SHADOW SERIES

M I C H A E L

S.

B O O K E R

Copyright © 2017 by Michael S. Booker

1984 Press

Cover Image by Michael S. Booker

E-Book Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, in any form or by any other means, without the written permission of the author.

O T H E R T I T L E S

B Y M I C H A E L S. B O O K E R

The Shadow Series

Shadow

Anomaly

Echo

Whisper

Lullaby

The Eternal Mysteries

The Eternal Circle

To

Bertha Louise Booker

July 12, 1943 – October 2, 2016

1

The Things You Cannot See

You never really know anybody, not really. You only know what people tell you, about who they are…what they choose to show you. And you just hope that what they show you is the truth. And you hope that the truth is worth knowing...even with all the consequences...

Dominic Blue opened his eyes, believing that the Bad Man was standing at the foot of his bed, watching him dream. He considered turning on the lamp next to him, but no amount of light would have helped him feel safe. Just because Dominic could not see the Bad Man, did not mean that the Bad Man could not see him. Dominic lay there, flat on his stomach, one side of his face pressed into his pillow, and he listened carefully to the darkness.

No, he isn’t there, Dominic thought. But he was here. Not too long ago. I can feel it.

Ever since Dominic had moved into Nathan Grayson’s apartment, a few months earlier in October, the occurrence of the Bad Man appearing in his room—sometimes at the foot of his bed, sometimes standing directly next to his bed, had become far too frequent. Nathan had told Dominic that he would ultimately find a way to dispel the Bad Man for good. However, Nathan had his own Shadows, Echoes, and Whispers—whatever strange paranormal category that Nathan used, to describe the eerie and usually downright frightening things that lived in the apartment, with them—to battle.

The Bad Man must have been in Dominic’s room for a long time. Dominic could sense it. It must have watched him sleep for a long time, at least a couple of hours. Dominic could still feel its residual energy. It just reiterated his belief that even when the Bad Man was not there, it was still there…and not just in Dominic’s imagination.

Again, Dominic thought about turning on the light, but decided to remain in the darkness. Light never killed the monsters. It just gave them a shroud for them to hide. Dominic thought of his Grandmother Aileen, how when he was younger, would do her best to console his fears about the Bad Man.

Dominic’s grandmother never dismissed the Bad Man’s existence. In fact, she invigorated his belief in the ghost. She knew the Bad Man was real. Her advice had always been to ignore the Bad Man, instead of allowing it to leech off his fear. Dominic’s grandmother would always reiterate, how the Bad Man could not really hurt him. The ghost could only frighten. It was Grandma Aileen, who came up with the name The Bad Man.

To a certain degree and for a certain number of years, Grandma Aileen’s advice appeared to work. The Bad Man had never hurt Dominic physically. However, being around Nathan was teaching that being harmed physically was the least of his concerns. Once one of these malignant entities took root in a psychic and spiritual level…that was when and where the real damage occurred.

Dominic lay in his bed, in high-vigilant mode, trying to sense anything else that might have been in his bedroom. He did not sense anything. However, he was smart enough to know that just because he did not sense anything, it did not mean he was safe.

I need to piss, Dominic thought to himself.

The bathroom was a bit further down the hallway, towards Nathan’s bedroom…or rather Nathan and his boyfriend, Russell Moore’s bedroom. Getting up to urinate meant that Dominic would have to get out of bed. It was reaching the middle of December, and the weather had grown very cold. The temperature in the apartment and in Dominic’s bedroom felt like it was reaching sub-zero temperatures. He wished he had a bottle or bucket next to his bed, so he could just piss and (attempt to) go back to sleep.

Like that would happen now, anyway, Dominic lamented.

Dominic checked his cellphone, located on the little nightstand next to his bed. It was a quarter after eight in the evening. Because it was December, night had settled in very early, probably shortly after five o’clock.

Damn, really? Dominic thought.

He had not remembered falling asleep and he did not know how long he had slept. From the thick darkness, shrouding his bedroom, he could have sworn that it was well past midnight. It would be nearly impossible for him to get back to sleep now, so he figured he might as well get up, pee, and watch television downstairs.

Once the pressure to use the bathroom became too much to bear, Dominic eventually dragged himself out of bed. Since he typically slept in his underwear briefs, Dominic quickly put on the same pair of jeans he wore earlier and a random T-shirt that he had left on the carpet. He took a few steps toward his bedroom door and stopped, waiting for anything that might signal an unknown presence in the hallway.

Briefly, Dominic was reminded of the movie, The Sixth Sense, when Haley Joel Osment’s character had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and had a scary encounter with an angry ghost. The scene in the film had always petrified Dominic, but now, since Dominic knew that several of the elements that the film touched upon were real, he was even more terrified.

Blake’s awake, Dominic thought.

It was strange, how Dominic was starting to know these things. He always considered himself a person who trusted his instincts. During his tumultuous upbringing, he always believed that his instincts had kept him out of major trouble. He had not known, growing up, that it was more than just instincts.

Dominic’s psychic abilities were becoming stronger and more apparent. Dominic thought it had something to do with this apartment. Both Nathan and Blake were powerful psychics, and the place itself seemed to have distinctive psychic energy of its own. Being around this energy appeared to strengthen Dominic’s extrasensory skills. He still did not know if that was a good thing or not.

The hallway was dark and quiet. To one end of the hallway, Dominic knew that Nathan was asleep in his room, with his boyfriend, Russell. At the opposite end of the hallway was the bedroom where Blake usually slept…except Blake was not in the bedroom.

He’s downstairs, watching TV, Dominic thought.

That time, Dominic did not need to be psychic to know that. He could see the light, emanating from the television, downstairs, in the living room. The sound on the television was not muted, but Blake had obviously set the volume low, as to not disturb the rest of his sleeping roommates.

Of all the people in the apartment, Blake was the guy that Dominic felt closest and most comfortable around. In a lot of ways, his cool-charm and laid-back demeanor reminded Dominic of his former roommate…and former best friend, Trent Darrow.

Don’t think about Trent, Dominic thought.

Thinking about Trent frightened Dominic. The last time they had been together in person, Trent had attempted to kill Dominic with a knife, on a subway train. If it had not been for Dominic using his psychic abilities to thwart Trent’s attack, Dominic would be dead.

Presently, Trent was fifteen miles away from Dominic, mentally rotting in San Francisco County Jail, awaiting his trial, for attempted murder, and for assault with a deadly weapon, for two other passengers, on the BART train that night, nearly six months prior.

In the couple of months, since Dominic had moved in with Nathan, he had been contacted by the police a few times. They had asked him to come into the station to give them a testimony as to what happened the night of the attack, and what exactly had happened the night of the attack. He had gone to the San Francisco Police Department, and had given a statement, as to what he recalled that night. Of course, Dominic had to omit any details pertaining to psychic or supernatural events, which left sizable holes, in the credibility of his story.

It was a night Dominic certainly did not want to relive. Nobody knew, except for Nathan, what transpired earlier that night, before the train ordeal. Trent had trapped Dominic in his own bedroom and nearly raped him that night.

‘Nearly’ isn’t the right word, though, he mused.

Dominic hated to believe that Trent was capable of rape and murder. Nobody knew Trent like Dominic. Trent was not a bad man. If it had not been for Andrew Dominguez, the guy that Trent had briefly dated, none of the succeeding terrible events would have occurred. Dominic could not imagine testifying against his friend. Dominic could not and did not want to think about the horrors Trent must have been facing in jail. Dominic did not want to be the reason Trent remained in prison for a great number or years or worse…facing the death penalty.

No, don’t even think about that shit, Dominic thought. That’s not going to happen.

Somehow, Dominic truly believed that his friend would eventually be exonerated of his legal charges and released from jail. Trent would not rot in in a metal cage forever. He would not die incarcerated. However, undoubtedly, Trent would be a changed man, forever.

Would it be possible for Trent to get better? Dominic hoped so, but there was a freezing sense of doubt at Dominic’s core, reminding him over and over that Trent would only get worse and never better.

Sporadically, Dominic thought about taking a BART train or asking Blake to drive him to the City, where Trent was currently located; but Dominic always reneged at the last moment. He could not really fathom the idea of facing Trent, face-to-face. Even with a layer of glass and handcuffs and prison guards restraining Trent, Dominic did not know if he would be safe, seeing his former friend. Besides, Dominic was not close enough to Blake, emotionally, to ask him to do such a favor—taking him to go visit a prison pal. He was certainly amicable with Blake, although Dominic’s friendship with Blake was nowhere as close and profound, as Blake’s connection to Nathan.

Well, they were close, Dominic thought. I don’t know if they’re still close, anymore…

Honestly, Dominic only knew bits and pieces, regarding Blake and Nathan’s previous romantic relationship. Blake and Nathan were originally very close friends, Dominic knew. Nathan used to date Russell Moore, but Russell dumped Nathan for some other guy. Afterwards, somehow Nathan and Russell reconnected and during this time Blake and Nathan started to wonder if they could be more than just friends. Obviously, the answer to that question was no. Otherwise, why would Russell be in Nathan’s bedroom, instead of Blake?

Clearly, there was more behind-the-scenes drama occurring between Blake, Nathan, and Russell. Dominic had enough drama in his own life, to get wrapped up in a love triangle that had nothing to do with him. Still, if Nathan did not want to be in a relationship with Blake, that was certainly an advantage to Dominic. Not only was Blake one of the coolest guys that Dominic had met in a while, but he was also easily one of the sexiest guys that Dominic had encountered, particularly since moving to the small, boring town of Alameda.

Strangely, Blake seemed to only have eyes for Nathan. Blake did not have to articulate it with words. Once of the best things about Blake, in Dominic’s opinion, was that he did not talk too much. Yet, everything about his actions, little and big, indicated that Nathan had Blake’s mind and heart.

Still up? Dominic asked, as he slinked down the staircase.

Blake craned his neck to see Dominic walk down the long staircase. Still up? What do you mean? It’s still early. I don’t even think it’s eight o’ clock, yet.

Dominic had forgotten the time. Oh, yeah, keep forgetting that. I fuckin’ hate winter, man…gets dark so early. It just makes me wanna stay in bed all day.

I know what you mean, Blake said.

Do you know if we’re ever putting up a tree? Dominic questioned. Christmas is in like, two weeks, right?

Blake sighed. Honestly, I don’t know. Christmas really isn’t my thing. I don’t decorate. I don’t buy presents and I fuckin’ hate holiday songs. You’ll have to ask Nate and his dude about that one. But just to let you know, Nate’s not one for family holidays, so I wouldn’t hope for a White Christmas, if I were you.

‘His dude’, Dominic thought. Blake had never faked his dislike towards Russell. The more Dominic thought about it, he could not recall any time, when Blake referred to Russell, by his name. It was rare that Blake, Nathan, and Russell were home at the same time, anyhow…or at least awake at the same time.

Yeah, well, I’m not really fond of holidays either, so it’s not really a big deal to me, Dominic stated. What are you watching?

I don’t know. It’s some stupid reality show called Naked and Afraid," Blake answered.

"Naked and Afraid? Sounds like the story of my life, Dominic joked. What’s it about?"

Blake smiled. I’m not really payin’ attention to it. I just have a lot on my mind. I needed a distraction.

I feel you. Well, since it’s so early, I was thinking about getting a drink or two, at Unlucky 13, Dominic said. You wanna come with?

For a couple of seconds, Blake seemed to contemplate it. Dominic was sure that Blake would say ‘no’, as he typically did, every time Dominic offered to socialize with him. Initially, Dominic used to take minor offense, to Blake’s consistent declining of his social offers, but he realized that it was just part of Blake’s subdued personality. It had nothing to do with Dominic, personally. Blake was a stud, but he was also a quiet introvert.

I bet if Nate asked him to go out for a drink, he’d say yes, Dominic thought. He suddenly regretted the thought, fearing that Blake would overhear his thoughts. It was an eerie phenomenon, living with a group of men, who could read each other’s thoughts, but who also kept all their thoughts to themselves.

I’m just going to chill here for a bit, Blake replied. I’ll probably end up going to bed soon. I haven’t been sleeping well, lately.

Me either, Dominic responded.

You’ve been through a lot, Dom, Blake said. And this place isn’t the most, uh, ‘welcoming’ place. I’m sure it’s been a bit rough, gettin’ used to being here.

Blake’s analysis was spot-on, but Dominic shrugged it off, doing his best to diminish the weight of Blake’s words.

Yeah, you know, it’s rough, Dominic agreed. But I’m dealing with it. I mean, it’s safer than where I was.

Maybe we’ll do something this weekend, Blake said. I mean if you’re down…the movies or eat somewhere or something. You know I work in a bar, so I try to stay away from bars, as much as I can. I try to avoid drunk people if I’m not being paid to be around them. But if you need to just sit and talk, I’m always down to listen.

The thing about living with two other psychics…something Dominic never thought he would have to deal with, ever in his life…was that Blake and Nathan always knew how he felt about everything. His emotions could never be secretive.

Yeah, sounds good to me, Dominic said. Just let me know.

Dominic kept a pair of sneakers by the front door. He thought about getting another pair from his bedroom, but that would involve having to go back upstairs and he felt an escalating fear that the Bad Man may have returned, waiting for him in his bedroom. Dominic hated being restricted, by his fear of what may or may not have been lurking upstairs, but he did not feel it was necessary to put himself under mental duress for no important reason.

I’ll probably be out, for a couple of hours, Dominic told Blake, as he slipped into his shoes. He grabbed his leather jacket from the coat closet, near the front door.

Alright, Blake said. I’m sure I’ll be in bed by the time you get back. Blake spoke, as if he expected Dominic to get home, much later than he announced. But give me a call or text me if you meet someone and wanna bring them back here. We don’t wanna wake up Nate and his dude.

"I doubt I’ll be gone for too long. You do know that I’m going to Unlucky 13, right? Dominic asked with a laugh. It’s that straight, dive bar around the corner from here. Gay guys don’t go there…at least not any hot ones, anyway."

Surprisingly, that got a chuckle out of Blake. You might not spend the whole time there, Blake responded. "Nowadays, you never know who’s gonna jump in and out of your life, all of a sudden. And you never know, you might meet someone you like. Just be careful. Everybody’s not always who they’re claiming to be."

Not too sure about that, Blake. Alameda’s got too many squares and middle-aged daddies…and not the hot kind of daddies, either.

I know you’re used to Frisco, Blake said, where there’s a lot of people for you to pick from…but every once in a while, you meet some interesting people here.

’Interesting’ is the right word, Dominic stated. He threw on his jacket and zipped it up. Later, dude.

Later.

Before leaving, Dominic patted his pockets, making sure he had his keys, cell phone, and wallet (not that there was a whole lot in his wallet). Back when he was living in San Francisco with Trent, he would forget those things all the time. Dominic would always rely on Trent to help him remember things he forgot. Now, he had to do it all by himself.

As soon as Dominic stepped out of the front door and locked it behind him, he wished he had brought a heavier jacket. There was not a cloud in the sky, and it had not rained in over a week, but the night air felt like the inside of a freezer. He thought about going back inside and getting a bigger coat but thought against it. The bar was only about five blocks away, anyhow. Besides, if Dominic went back inside, he would probably not want to go back out again. He might just settle for mixing a homemade cocktail of vodka and 7-Up—a cheap concoction that would make his slim wallet very happy. However, he did not want to stay home.

This is not really my home anyhow, Dominic thought.

Dominic had been living with Blake, Nathan, and Russell, in the spacious, three-bedroom apartment (it still amazed him that such a thing existed in the heart of the Bay Area) for about two months. While the three of them had done well at trying to make Dominic feel comfortable, Dominic still felt like an unwelcome visitor in their home. A lot of this had to do with the sexual tension between Blake, Nathan, and Russell. Dominic often felt like a fly on the wall, quietly observing their romantic issues. Secondly, the ever-present paranormal energy in the apartment made it extremely difficult for any of them to be at peace.

There would be times, two days here, three days there, where the apartment would ‘rest’, from its poltergeist attacks…and the ‘quiet’, would be suddenly violated, as windows shut and opened, on their own accord, repeatedly: electrical appliances turned on and off by automatically. Many times, Dominic could have sworn that he had seen the figures of strange men, standing in the hallway…sometimes right near the staircase and sometimes right at the end of the hall, near Nathan’s bedroom. These figures were not The Bad Man that Dominic had known throughout his life. This psychic energy was different and significantly more malevolent.

As Dominic trudged down the quiet, seemingly empty street, with his muscular arms folded over his chest, protecting himself from the bitter, cold air, he could not help wishing he had somewhere…livelier to live. Of course, Dominic knew that he should have been grateful. With Trent in jail, and not having a job that would allow him to pay rent all on his own, Dominic knew that without Nathan’s help, he would have ended up couch-surfing, for many weeks and eventually living on the streets, after the frightening ordeal with Trent. Dominic had already been homeless, once, six years ago, at the age of eighteen. It was Trent, who gave him a chance and let Dominic stay, nearly-rent-free, at his apartment, until he had gotten his life on a better track.

For once, Dominic wished he could be truly independent, and not have to rely on anyone for shelter—particularly when the shelter was not the safest place. He hated being at the mercy of any stranger’s benevolence.

While Dominic genuinely appreciated Trent and Nathan’s help—and even before that—his Grandmother Aileen’s allowing him to live with her, after his father had committed suicide and his mother was killed, when Dominic was eight years old, Dominic always wanted a home of his own, a sanctuary, where he did not have to answer to anyone, and where he did not have to feel like an unwanted guest in his own home. He wanted a place that was not haunted with the ghosts of his tragic past.

But how the hell can I do that, with no money?

Dominic would have been the first to admit that he had not been the most pro-active, when it came to job-searching. He had placed a few applications around town, here and there…mostly menial jobs that required menial effort. Dominic had not heard back from any of them, to his relief. The fact that Nathan was not pressuring him to pay rent was both a blessing and a curse: at least Dominic did not have to worry about life, on a financial level…at least not yet. However, at the same time, it made Dominic wonder, what Nathan’s true intentions were. In Dominic’s life experience, strangers rarely gave him anything for free, without wanting something in return. Plus, Dominic knew that Nathan was a highly skilled psychic—with special abilities that Dominic could not even begin to understand.

Perhaps Nathan had the power to subdue Dominic in ways that Dominic could not and would never be able to conceptualize. Maybe Nathan’s initial goodwill was just a preparation, for something more insidious, in the future.

Regardless, Dominic knew that he had to keep his guard up, twenty-four-seven, as he gained a better understanding of Nathan Grayson, as well his dangerous, terror-inducing, new life.

2

The Stranger

Given that it was an early Tuesday evening, Unlucky 13 was not as packed as Dominic thought it would have been. He thought he would have caught the just off work/happy hour crowd, but maybe the time change was keeping all the regular drinkers at home. It was a bit before nine in the evening. Yet, from the look of the night sky, it could have easily passed for midnight.

Dominic had hoped that his new bartender friend, Amir, would have been working, although unfortunately, he was nowhere in sight. There were only maybe five or six patrons in the bar. Dominic sat at the stool closest to the door, which probably was not the smartest idea, given the occasional draft that swept through the open doors. He got up from the stool and moved a couple of stools down, toward the center of the bar. As he sat, Dominic immediately noticed the gaze of a man, looking in his direction. The lighting in the bar was dark, just as Dominic usually liked it. Yet, Dominic did not need ample light to know that the man staring at him was sexy as hell. Dominic could not tell for sure, but he sensed that maybe the man felt the same. Perhaps it was the straightforward, I don’t give a damn about anything attitude in the man’s eyes that gave Dominic that impression.

What can I get for you? the bartender asked.

Dominic had visited Unlucky 13 about five or six times. This would have made the seventh time and he had never seen this bartender. She was about five-foot seven, with long blond hair that she had casually tied into a ponytail. She wore a tight-fitted white shirt and tight-fitted blue jeans that would have easily given Dominic a rise in his jeans, if he were a straight man.

Adios Motherfucker, Dominic said.

The bartender laughed. That’s a brave drink for a Tuesday night. Are you sure you can handle that?

If I’m here, I’m here to drink, Dominic replied with a smile.

Just to let you know, she said, I make those strong.

Dominic reached into his pocket to grab his wallet. Then we’ll get along fine. I like it strong.

Ms. Laura, the hot guy at the opposite end of the bar called. Dominic immediately noticed the smoky, Southern twang to the sexy man’s attractive voice. He clearly was not from Alameda…or California…or the entire West Coast, for that matter. That alone was enough to pique Dominic’s interest.

Whatever he’s gettin’, it’s on me, the stranger said.

Laura glanced at the man and then back at Dominic. Sound good to you? she asked.

You won’t ever see me turn down a free drink, Dominic said.

Vince, you want one, too? Laura asked. I’ll let you get one, on the house, since you’ve been so sweet.

The sexy stranger named Vince, got up from his stool and moved a few down stools down, until he was sitting right next to Dominic. Like my new friend over here just said, ‘you won’t ever see me turn down a free drink’.

My new friend…Dominic thought. I like the sound of that…

Despite the chilly weather and the cool breezes that drifted inside the bar, Dominic felt warm tingles zip upward from his toes to his lips. He could not remember the last time that he had this type of immediate and organic reaction from a man. For once, Dominic’s attraction was not just physical. It went beyond just sexual desire. This man had a sexy aura about him. He was irresistible.

Vince was easily one of the most physically attractive men that Dominic had seen in real life: Vince’s neck-length, raven-colored hair almost brushed his wide, broad shoulders; his skin was a flawless, butterscotch-brown…although it was difficult to distinguish the true color of his skin because of the tint of the red, overhead bar lights, which cast everything and everyone with a harsh, crimson hue.

Vince’s thick, muscular arms were laced with black, intricately designed tattoos. In the dim light, Dominic could not make out the designs, but they looked elaborate and…sinister. There was one tattoo located on the deltoid of Vince’s right arm, which caught Dominic’s focus: it was separate from the rest of Vince’s arm tattoos. It displayed a long-stemmed black rose, growing out of a human skull, adorned with a crown. The tattoo was beautifully designed and inked, but there was something distinctly disturbing about it as well.

Dominic immediately assumed that Vince belonged to some sort of biker or street gang. That should have diminished Vince’s appeal, but instead, that potential of danger intensified Dominic’s attraction toward him. Maybe it was the ink, maybe it was the sharply defined, huge muscles, but also, maybe it was those hauntingly seductive, Tanqueray-green-bottle-colored-eyes, that kept Dominic so hypnotized. He felt like he could not look away from Vince…but there was really no reason to look away from Vince.

How’s your night goin’? Vince asked.

Just hearing Vince’s deep, twangy voice made Dominic’s balls tingle. He had to force himself to remain cool, something he never had such difficulty doing before, when it came to men.

Pretty good...how about your night?

Vince shrugged his massive shoulders. His majestic eyes never left Dominic’s. It’s been okay. Looks like it’s about to get a lot better, now.

Dominic thought about the conversation that he had with Blake, earlier: Nowadays, you never know who’s gonna jump in and out of your life, all of a sudden. And you never know, you might meet someone you like. Just be careful. Everybody’s not always who they’re claiming to be.

Oh, really? Dominic said, trying to maintain his cool. How so?

Laura came back, with two tall, electric-blue-colored libations. Vince reached into the back pocket of his very tight, blue jeans and pulled out a twenty-dollar-bill.

Keep the change, sweetheart, he said. Either Vince was a baller, or he wanted Dominic and Laura to think that he was. If so, it was working. To Dominic, he