"Would you like to meet my brother?" Lola put down her phone, which had just buzzed with a message. "Or is that way too soon?" A blush crept into her cheeks. "I'd understand, really."

It had been five weeks since they'd started "dating." Not that it had been anything too serious. Mostly, they just hung out, watched the occasional movie, or went for motorcycle rides. To Phantom, it felt like a regular—but very welcome—friendship with a bit of kissing thrown in. It didn't go much further than that. Occasionally, Lola would slide her hands under his shirt when they were in bed. He let her.

Sometimes, he pretended they were someone else's hands.

Ezra's.

Much rougher, but he'd gotten pretty good at lying to himself. By now, he'd crafted vivid fantasies of seeing Ezra again—somewhere far away from his brothers. Pressing the man up against a wall. Kissing him until his lips were sore. The friction of denim driving him crazy, the tight anticipation as Ezra undid his jeans, took him in his hand and—

"Phantom?"

He snapped out of it. Shit—was he really daydreaming about Ezra during a lunch date? Lately, he genuinely tried not to let those thoughts creep in—not around Lola. Only when he was alone, and really needed a release, would truly welcomed them.

"Sorry," he muttered, apologizing both for the thoughts and for having barely listened. "What did you say?"

"If you'd like to meet my brother. He asked if we would like to visit him this weekend. But I totally understand if that's too soon."

Oh, right—her brother. Phantom flashed a quick smile. "No, that's fine."

He didn't know if it was too soon. Or if it was even fair. But saying no might hurt her, and he didn't really have a good reason not to go. Lola, like him, didn't talk much about her family. Truthfully, he was curious to meet her brother.

"Great! I'll let him know." 

It tugged at something in his chest. Despite the limited intimacy between them, he really did seem to make her happy. And she... she kind of made him happy, too. He felt better than he had in a long time, and he knew the same went for her.

She and Diana had gone to see a priest. After a long conversation—and no negative reaction to the crucifix or holy water—the priest had declared she wasn't possessed, so there was no need for an exorcism. Still, since the tarot reading had opened her to demonic influence, he'd performed a cleansing with prayers and holy water.

She'd seemed calmer since. Said the nightmares had eased up, though she'd still woken up screaming twice. Phantom had gently suggested she talk to a therapist—if only to deal with her friend's death—and while she'd agreed it was a good idea, she still hadn't made an appointment.

He tried not to push. Pressuring her felt hypocritical, anyway. Despite all the shit he'd been through, and everything it had left him with, he'd never seen a therapist either. Not that he thought it was a bad idea. But for now, Lola's company was enough.

And maybe—just maybe—he'd manage to let go of the things haunting his own nightmares. The memories stirred up by seeing his brother's killer... or the neglected kid in that bastard cop's basement.

Things he stubbornly kept to himself, because fuck—he couldn't predict what would happen if he let those demons close enough to speak of them.

Maybe he'd snap. Lose it, like he had in that house. When he'd emptied half a magazine into that cop.

No, he encouraged Lola to heal, but he kept his own darkness locked away.

She was afraid of something that was chasing her.

He was afraid of what might escape from inside himself.

—

Lola's brother lived in a nice neighborhood, in a town that barely deserved the title. It felt more like an oversized village, with one main road lined with shops and a few scattered housing blocks. No skyscrapers, no traffic jams—but also no open fields or farms.

If Phantom had to live here, he'd feel constantly watched. He preferred the anonymity of a crowd. This seemed like the kind of place where people peeked through their curtains and tracked your every move.

The front lawns on the street where he parked his bike were all neatly kept, and the houses big enough for families with a couple of kids. A playground and scattered toys in the yards confirmed that most of them were.

"Does your brother live alone?" he asked Lola, taking her helmet.

She nodded. "He's a lawyer. Way too busy for a relationship."

A lawyer. Phantom tried not to be judgmental, but it might explain why she and her brother weren't that close. She didn't exactly seem like the bookish type.

Lola smoothed her blouse again for what must have been the tenth time. She was clearly nervous. Phantom doubted she was proudly introducing her boyfriend—he figured he was mostly there for moral support. She hadn't said much before they left. All he knew was that her brother's name was Nathan, and he was two years older than her.

He placed a hand on her lower back, hoping it would help ground her. She took a deep breath and forced a smile as their eyes met.

"This is so ridiculous, right? I feel like I'm about to walk into some fucking gala in overalls."

"Is he that into appearances?"

A dry, bitter laugh slipped from her lips. "My father is. Our whole family's like one big ancient painting everyone's afraid to breathe too close to. And unlike me, my brother fits perfectly into the frame." She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Ugh, this is not the mindset I need. Nathan's really not the worst. But it still feels like Dad is in there somewhere, just waiting for me to walk in, and I can already see his disapproval through the fucking walls."

Maybe he should've asked more about her family earlier. A few steps from her brother's front yard didn't seem like the ideal moment. "Do you think your dad will be there?"

"I hope to God not," she growled, a surprising edge to her voice. "If he is, I'm never coming back."

"Does he know that?" Phantom asked, carefully.

She looked away. "I don't know."

He had kind of expected that. Whatever had happened in that family, it ran deep—and clearly, it wasn't easy for her to talk about. Not to him. Probably not to her brother, either.

Phantom figured the best thing to do was just walk in and see what was waiting for them. He gave her a gentle squeeze at her waist, then stepped forward.

Nathan's front yard was immaculate. A small patch of artificial grass, and six identical planters spaced out with probably ruler-precision. They passed them, and Lola rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened.

A man in his early thirties appeared—neatly styled brown hair, trendy glasses, and a toothpaste-commercial smile. He didn't look like some slick lawyer type. More like someone who did TV ads. His outfit was casual enough that Phantom, in his faded jeans and simple shirt, didn't feel nearly as out of place as he'd feared. In fact, Nathan had the same warm aura as his sister.

She seemed to melt. She darted forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I can't believe it's been six months," she whispered. She bit her lip and drew in a sharp breath. Then she let go, turned to Phantom and took his hand. "This is Phantom. My boyfriend."

"Phan-tom?" Nathan echoed. "That's... quite the name."

"He's quite the guy," Lola shot back with a grin. 

Phantom reached out a hand for Nathan to shake. "Phantom, yep. My very mysterious real name is strictly reserved for the inner circle."

An inner circle that currently had zero members. Not even Lola knew his real name. He hadn't used it since the day he left his hometown behind.

"Oh?" Lola turned toward him with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Trust me, Phantom's better." He gave her a wink. It wasn't that he hated his name—it was just safer not to use it. You never knew.

Nathan smoothed his hands down the front of his dark jeans, not as subtly as he probably thought. Was it the whole Warrior thing making him tense? Phantom wouldn't be surprised. He could imagine most brothers wouldn't be thrilled to learn their little sister was dating a biker—or in his eyes, possibly even a gang member.

The man turned around and let them further into the house. The living room was just like the front yard: sleek and tidy. Aside from a well-stocked bookcase, there weren't many personal items. Financially, at least, he was clearly doing much better than his little sister.

Lola sank onto the couch while her brother headed into the kitchen to make coffee. Phantom sat down beside her and gave her a probing look. "Well, your dad's not here, at least," he whispered.

She chuckled a little, embarrassed. "You never know. He could've hidden behind the curtain."

Phantom raised one corner of his mouth. "Let's leave him there, then."

Still laughing, she leaned her upper arm against his. She intertwined their fingers and watched her brother come back in with a tray from the kitchen.

"Want anything in it?"

Phantom shook his head. "Black's fine."

Nathan set a mug down in front of him, then one for Lola. After that, he took a seat in a wide leather armchair, the leather creaking as he settled in.

An awkward silence fell, one Nathan finally broke with a deeply uncomfortable look, as if he had no idea what to do with the situation. "So... how are you?"

Lola shrugged. She tightened her grip on Phantom's hand and looked up at him. "Can't complain."

Phantom felt his stomach twist. And I'm not even in love with you. Something he luckily had never claimed to be, but it didn't make it much better. His gaze darted to Nathan. It felt like the guy could see right into his head and uncover the truth.

Rip it out.

Lay it bare in front of Lola.

So her heart would break, convinced the past few weeks had all been a lie.

They hadn't—right?

His heart lurched when Nathan looked him straight in the eye. Sweat broke out across his skin.

There's no way he could know. This was all in his head.