Death: The Horsemen Series: The Horsemen Series, #1

Prologue

Julie

Holy Christ on a cracker! I groaned aloud. It was good to finally relax for a while. However, the comment earned me a perturbed look from the crotchety bible-holding lady across the train aisle. Yes? I asked. She said nothing, so I went on, Sorry. I winced. But you know I’m not actually cursing. Trust me, I'd know. I teach children. I was merely showing my appreciation for the Lord and his holy image on baked goods. That earned me an annoyed look, her eyes narrowing even more before she turned away to glance out the window. I simply couldn’t please them all. Besides, I was too far beyond exhausted to care. I adjusted myself in my uncomfortable Metrolink seat, ready for the long trip home. It was already dark outside and my bed was calling to me.

Really, I couldn’t call the teens I taught children, because they were nothing more than overgrown, overprivileged little devil spawn, and with superiority complexes to boot. So no one could really blame me for the outburst. Every morning, Monday through Friday, I was up at 4:30 a.m. to make it into the city by 6:00 a.m. That was when I homeschooled two arrogant teens until 2:00 p.m. From there it was off to the library, where I held a couple of two-hour sessions of SAT tutoring with a lovely group of pampered princes and princesses. I knew they’d much rather be out spending Mommy and Daddy’s money than studying with me. They, of course, reminded me of that fact every week. But alas, at least my misery paid well.

I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. The current trend among the filthy rich granola crunchers was to be homeschooled. They preferred the one-on-one teaching and were willing to pay bank for the results worth bragging about. Graduating at twenty-two with a summa cum laude, I’d snagged a lucrative job fresh out of school. With their improved grades and high SAT scores, my students gained several Ivy League scholarships to pick from. I was surprised when the popularity of my teaching skills took off from there. Word of mouth and the kids’ killer results had earned me enough recognition to start landing the big fish. The CEOs, money market managers, and Rockefeller types, who expected their kids to be better than the Joneses’, but in most cases were closer to the Bundys’.

Still, I could see the light because it had paid off my student loans in three years, leaving me the ability to save all except the necessary expenses and put enough away to buy my dream home, an adorable stone cottage with a supercute arched door, a beautiful garden, and evergreen shutters. It was simply something out of the books I’d always loved. Hence, the forty-five-minute train ride every day. But it was worth it. The weekends were mine and very soon, so would be the weekdays. I’d finally squirreled enough away to take my tiny part-time book editing business to full-time. I was overcome with joy at the thought of never having to placate the snot-nosed brats again, or the horny teens, in just two weeks’ time. All by the age of twenty-eight.

However, my joy was short-lived as the train jerked to a screeching stop.

What in the furry Fig Newton is going on up there? I muttered. The other passengers’ frustration grew alongside my own, a mild murmur of complaint starting up. The train had already been twenty minutes late to begin with. It looked like more delays and on a Friday night. The lights flickering above was the only warning before the screams started in the cars ahead of us. Everyone in my carriage was stunned into silence. With my heart in my throat, I fidgeted in my seat in worry.

Facing forward, I jumped as the noise hit a crescendo before fading off, and the door to the car sprang open. Panic itched the back of my neck as in drifted a hooded figure. When it came to a stop, the cowl fell back. Holy Hogwarts! What I was seeing couldn’t be real; it had to be a dream, a very frightful dream. My stomach dropped as I sat stone still and stared at him, mouth gaping wide.

Screams erupted in our carriage, mine joining the chorus. People started to stand, only to sit again in the next second. The compartment once again fell into utter silence. It was in that eerie way you knew something was going to happen, something big, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it. None of us were, but we silently waited, too stunned to do anything.

Seriously, my mother had been right. I did read far too much, and because of it, I had lost my goddamned mind. I’d learned a long time ago there was a time and place for cussing, and finally cracking your nut was one of them. Because I wasn’t sure if I should believe what I saw before me or not. It looked like something that was a cross between Voldemort and a character from The Walking Dead. What was possibly once a beautiful man—if the pieces… or chunks were put back on his face, he could be hot—currently had bits of loose-hanging skin and oozing sores covering him. His skin was also a sickly shade of gray. My stomach churned, threatening to bring up the nice sandwich I had for lunch. I didn’t want to keep looking, but my eyes wouldn’t stray from the horrid sight.

His nose had long ago fallen off, leaving a triangle-like shape with two ragged tear-shaped holes to breathe through. But what had me still transfixed in my seat, maybe like everyone else, was his eye. Eye, not eyes. One, singular. The lovely shade of crazy it emitted led me to believe sudden movement would not be wise. He was a hot mess, pun intended.

He was gory, graphic, gut-retching, and was reaching out with his left skeleton-looking hand. The poor, small Latino man, who had chosen that seat, released a small shriek and attempted to slap his hand away.

For one second, one heartbeat, we watched. The silence was deafening, or so I thought. That was until the small man let out a primal and horrific howl of agony. He jumped from his seat and into the laps of the woman and child seated across from him. I brought my feet up onto the seat and wrapped my arms around my knees in fright as I looked on, witnessing the devastation progress from there in a wave, coming even closer. The suffering and horror spread from person to person, their skin separating, oozing puss, and melting away. Screams of terror rocked the carriage because there seemed to be no escape. Whatever sifted through the carriage came closer and closer to my area in the back. I observed what I was sure would be my death with paralyzing fear. I couldn’t understand why we didn’t feel the urge to run, to save ourselves from our looming fate.

Anger boiled inside me at how still I sat, allowing the nightmarish things to happen around me, but what could I actually do?

My stomach churned. My heart was already speeding off on a crazy frantic beat. My breathing was erratic, while my chest rose and fell at a fast pace. It was as though my body realized what was going on and it wanted to run, to escape from the situation.

However, I did nothing. My only other thought was… flowers. The dying smelled of flowers.

I snapped to myself a moment too late. A shriek of fright clogged my throat. I tried to back away as the people around me died, but there was nowhere else to go, except farther down in my seat. I felt the brush of the nearest person taking their last breath, passing in a most painful way, and squeezed my eyes shut to await my fate.

Nothing came.

I opened my eyes as the screams faded to see the nightmare floating down the aisle toward me.

Floating.

His freaking feet weren’t even touching the ground! I was incapacitated again, this time with dread. The only thing moving rapidly was my chest as it fought my terrified breath into my lungs. He stopped directly in front of me and reached that same bony, emaciated hand out for me this time. Bone glided down my left cheek.

Again, no pain, but I did scream, and as my vision wavered, two things became clear.

One, it was lilies. The flower smell throughout the carriage was lilies, and it had become stronger as he got closer.

And two was Mr. Hot Mess’s parting words. With a smooth, melodic voice, he sent me off with, Oh, this is going to be glorious fun!

Chapter One

Dean

As I looked out over the waking city from one of the tallest buildings in LA, I wondered, yet again, how many years I’d been around. It was truly too many to count. However, it wasn’t the passing thought of my age or the warm night keeping me awake into the early hours. With the rising sun, there was something else withholding me from my slumber.

A feeling deep in my chest told me something was coming.

What it was, I had no clue. Still, I knew I didn’t want to miss out on it. I somehow sensed a happy outcome could come from it.

I looked at the shadowed ground below, my unique vision affording me the luxury. I could do a lot of things no human could, as could my three brothers.

I leaned further forward over the edge to get a better view of my black Ducati parked on the path below. Seeing no one was around it, I stood back and waited… for what, again, I had no clue. But the anticipation of that something to come was quickly getting on my nerves. It burned low in my stomach, annoying me. I wanted, whatever it was, to happen at that moment. However, wanting and having were two different things.

The air shifted behind me and I closed my eyes. Brother, what are you doing here?

Can’t a worried sibling just be passing by? Connor said with an amused tone. I didn’t need to ask how he’d found me; my brothers and I could sense each other and speak to one another through our mind link.

I thought you’d be too busy escaping yet another strange woman’s house instead of being worried about me. I glanced over my shoulder and grinned, letting him know I was joking.

He chuckled. She passed out, happily exhausted, so it was easy to leave this time. His grin dropped and he sighed. You’ve been a sourpuss for a few days now, Dean. What’s up your ass?

A smile formed on my mouth, a little of the tension easing. I’m not the one who likes things up their ass.

He moved up beside me and shoved my arm. Hey now, I may sleep around—

A lot, I interrupted.

He rolled his dark, almost black eyes at me. A lot, but I’ve never done that. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. To each their own, I say. But at least if I stopped banging women you’d know something was wrong with me. So when the brother in this family who is usually fun and carefree, is suddenly not sleeping and has worry etched into his features, you know something is up. So spill.

You’re right, but fuck if I know what it is. I suppose you could call it a feeling.

Ooooh, are you getting all spiritual on me, brother? Next you’ll be foretelling my fortune. Connor laughed.

It was my turn to shove him. I can already tell you your fortune. I cleared my throat and began, Connor, aka Conquest of the four horsemen, you will contract a sexually transmitted disease and die a slow painful death where your dick will fall off.

He scoffed. Yeah, okay. Like that would happen. He smiled, and then shook his hands out at his sides. All right, let me have a go at this. Dean, aka Death of the four horsemen, you will… I watched him as he thought of something good or just stupid. …ah… you will receive a phone call that will change your world foreverrrrr, he said in a weird-what-was-supposed-to-be-scary voice.

Unlikely, douche. I laughed, just as my mobile in my jeans back pocket rang. We turned to each other, our eyes wide, and then we burst out laughing. You planned that, didn’t you? I asked as I reached in and pulled it free.

Connor sobered and shook his head. Uh, no, dude.

I shook my head, not believing him for a moment. Connor was not only the male slut in our brotherhood, but the resident prankster. I pulled out my phone and saw the caller ID; it was one of our brothers. The oldest in fact, Warren, or War, the first horseman born and out of cthe golden gate.

I answered with, Warren, what bullshit are you going to spew?

Connor coughed and choked, waving his hands wildly as he shook his head. Fuck, of course he would never have involved Warren in his prank. Warren was the broody, angry brother who didn’t know how to take a joke, let alone participate in one. He ran our detective agency where we all worked, which could explain why he was so hostile all the time. We had to deal with a lot of shit each day.

I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, but stop pissing around with Connor and get your ass to Cedar Oaks Township. There was a train accident. All passengers died except one. I’ll be there soon to check the scene with you. Send Connor to the survivor’s house. Falcone will meet him there.

For some reason I didn’t like that. In fact, my heart squeezed in pain at the thought of missing out on seeing the survivor.

I want to deal with the survivor, I stated. Only, I was fucking puzzled as to why.

No, Warren clipped out on a growl. I need you at the site. You’ll be more useful there than anywhere and you know it.

I did. It was my talent. I wasn’t called Death for no reason. I could talk to, see, and feel the dearly departed. But dammit to hell, a need had me wanting to fight my brother’s ruling and go to the house of the survivor.

The thought of Falcone, also known as Famine, our third horseman, at the house sort of calmed me. He was the quiet one, the book nerd who wouldn’t know if a gorgeous woman walked by or not. But for a reason I was yet to have an explanation for, I did not like the fact that Connor was going to the house.

Shit!

Rubbing my hand across my forehead, I fought with my inner self and snapped into the phone, Fine. I’ll see you there. I ended the call, and roughly placed it back in my pocket and turned to Connor. He was smiling, and I felt like punching him for it.

You heard all that?

Yep, he said and laughed. I hope the survivor is a woman.

I didn’t feel myself move. Next, I had my brother pinned by the neck and lifted; his feet swayed in the air. He gripped my hand. What the fuck? he coughed.

Whoever it is, you leave them the fuck alone. Do not touch them, I growled roughly. Do you understand me?

Yeah, all right. Let me the fuck down.

Christ. What in the hell was I doing? I dropped Connor like a ton of bricks. He stumbled back but managed to stay on his feet.

Sorry, I offered.

What was that about, dickhead?

Starting for the side of the roof, I said over my shoulder, I don’t know. I shook my head. I really don’t know what came over me. But I’d known I had to get my message across, even if it was my brother I was warning.

Because I knew I didn’t want anyone touching the survivor.

Maybe it was because the person had just been through an ordeal. I mean, one survivor out of what could be thousands of travelers was a big deal.

I could take a stab at the reason all night, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if any of my answers would be the right one.

My reaction was purely based on primal instinct.

You know where to go? I asked into his mind.

Yeah, wherever I feel Falcone at, he answered back in mine as he studied me. I let him for a second longer before I turned back to the edge of the roof and then jumped from it to the concrete sidewalk, forty stories below.

Still, that didn’t stop me from hearing Connor say, Where has my calm brother gone?

Warren stood out among any crowd. He was the largest out of all of us. Standing at seven feet and built like a fucking tank, anywhere we went, he was the first one people noticed, and knew to leave him alone. Most would take one look at the scowl on his scarred face and know he wasn’t to be messed with. Unless, of course, they were idiots and didn’t heed the warning from the scowl and instead either wanted to get to know him, like some women did, or wanted to prove themselves to others and take him on. Either situation led to failure.

He stood just on the outskirts of… disaster. Police, firemen, and emergency crew filled the area, doing what they had to do. I ignored all of them, my gaze falling upon the train. What shocked the fuck out of me was that the train looked mostly intact, except for three carriages out of twelve. The damaged three were only slightly twisted and bunched up.

How in the hell did this cause a death total of all passengers but one?

A shiver ran over my body.

No!

It couldn’t be.

Where were they all?

I turned and twisted, searching the area around me, and saw nothing.

How was this possible?

Dean? Warren called, concern showing in his voice. Once he was beside me, he asked, What is it?

Nothing… there’s fucking nothing here, Warren. No ghosts, no bound spirits, nothing.

His brows bunched. There should be at least a few. Their deaths were traumatic.

How? I asked.

Out loud, brother, Warren warned. He only liked to use our mind link in desperate situations. He went on, They’re not 100 percent sure, but they suspect a toxin was aboard and leaked throughout the train. Most bodies look decomposed. All have looks of horror upon their faces.

Warren, I ground out his name, but I could see it on his pinched, worried face; he already suspected a certain someone, like I did, but he was still doubtful or hoping it wasn’t him.

He looked at me and saw I’d also caught on to his train of thought. No, it couldn’t be. No. He shook his head, tightly gripping the notepad in his hand.

Look at all the evidence. I pointed out the obvious.

"I may have thought it, but how? He’s been locked up for