Sweet Destiny (The Jessica Sweet Trilogy Book 3) Page 9

  She looked at him through narrowed eyes and said, “I could eat.”

  Without another word, he drove to the nearest fast food drive-thru and ordered a ten-piece nugget meal with fries. After a brief look at her and her circus tent get up, he added a leaded pop, full of sugar and caffeine. She wanted to argue, to say something snarky about him not bothering to ask what she wanted. But then she would have to admit that he’d gotten the order perfect, so instead she kept her mouth shut.

  He didn’t order anything for himself, but she remembered the Perky’s Pizza guy had delivered a couple of pies while she waited in the cold.

  The Vampire drove up to the window and exchanged cash for the bag and cup. He passed both to her without looking, then continued on to a deserted area of the parking lot. He threw the Hummer into park, adjusted the temperature on her side of the vehicle, and turned in his seat to watch her.

  Kythryn had her hand in the bag, fingers wrapped around a surprisingly warm nugget of mystery meat when she felt his eyes on her. She frowned, dropping the nugget and folding the bag up to keep the heat in. As he watched her, she wiped her greasy fingers on the loaner sweats.

  “Don’t let me stop you,” he said, motioning toward the sack.

  “You never told me your name.”

  “If I tell you, will you eat?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Harrier,” he said and pointed at the bag.

  Well, she was hungry. She’d been hiding out in that barn for the better part of the evening, and the cat crunch that woman put out for the strays was just nasty. The golden globs of goodness cooling in that bag were definitely calling to her.

  She reached her hand in and pulled out two nuggets, cramming one in her mouth whole. The look on his face, eyes as big as saucers, nearly had her spitting it out again. After swallowing, she took the second nugget and slowly, deliberately laid it on her tongue. Her eyes remained glued to him as she let the nugget rest there for a few seconds before drawing the entire thing into her mouth and chewing it with gusto.

  His eye roll was priceless. There was something endearing about this big ass monster, but she’d be damned if she let him know that. She fished in the bag for a fistful of fries and enjoyed his look of horror as she shoved them in her mouth, as unladylike as she could manage.

  “That’s…just…disgusting,” he said, that little accent of his making it even more hysterical.

  “So, what was it you wanted to know?” Kythryn asked, spraying partially masticated fries with each word.

  His face got more twisty and he pointed a finger at her. “You’re doing that on purpose.”

  It was real hard to swallow and laugh at the same time, but she mostly managed it.

  “You’ll find I’m not so easily dissuaded,” Harrier said, and suddenly the atmosphere in the vehicle went from light and fun to something more serious. “I’ve tried to be nice to you, to make you feel at ease, because I’m told that people respond to nice better. But you need to believe me when I say it’s not my strong suit. I’m much more comfortable with playing it hard.”

  Kythryn swallowed again, this time having nothing to do with her little display of defiance. Her mouth had gone dry, but she was afraid to reach for her pop, afraid to move. Harrier’s eyes had gone from that strange yellow to a bright glowing gold. In the light they provided, she could clearly see the fangs he had not been sporting a few minutes ago.

  So, he wasn’t joking when he said he wasn’t the friendly type. Looked like play time was over.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  R aven didn’t know how long he’d continued shouting into his cell phone before he realized she’d hung up on him. Christ, she’d called him.

  Frustrated, he flung the iPhone at his front door and it exploded into a million pieces.

  Seconds later, Nox entered the suite, took in Raven’s sparking eyes, the bits of plastic and metal at his feet and said, “Do we need to go back to the Club?”

  “Fuck off, Nox, I’m not in the mood.”

  “I can see that,” Nox said, picking his way through the jagged land mines. “May I ask what has you vexed, or would that make matters worse?”

  Raven sent him a flash of fang, but Nox merely shook his head and tsked at him—the son of a bitch actually tsked! Raven showed his appreciation for that bit of rudeness by throwing an end table at his brother.

  “Damn it, Raven, back your shit down. You’ve got to get a handle on this or you’re going to be stuck with me up your ass for the rest of your life. I can’t keep digging around in there,” he waved a finger around his ear, “without doing permanent damage. You need to snap out of it, or you’ll end up a vegetable, and not even I will be able to help you.”

  Raven tried—he really did try—not to throw the other end table at the smug bastard. But the beast was awake, and Nox was pissing him off, so he let the bitch fly. Nox dodged it, of course, and it splintered against the door, shards of good oak settling on the floor with the remains of its mate. This time, however, Nox didn’t leave it at that. Raven had failed to control the beast and they both knew it. It was his own fault that he ended up with his twin staring him in the eye, his head feeling like Gallagher had taken his Sledge-O-Matic to it.

  “That fucking hurts,” Raven snarled, but Nox didn’t let up. The inevitable calm that enveloped him after having his brain manipulated like this was the tradeoff. However, Nox was right—this was getting old, fast. It wasn’t like getting a shot, where the pain was brief but easily forgotten. This was a headache he’d be feeling for hours, if not days. And Nox was putting some major juice behind this one, evidence of just how tired his brother was of settling his ass down.

  After a few more minutes of the excruciating brain buster, Nox stepped away, stumbling a little as he did. That had never happened before, not that Raven could remember. This was taking a toll on Nox as well, but he knew his brother would never admit it. That male was all about bringing Raven back to some level of control. Saying it was costing him would be admitting that he’d failed. Raven had a feeling this brother of his, whom he knew so little of, was not one to accept defeat easily. In that, they were much alike.

  That was it, then. He was simply going to have to try harder. The beast was difficult, but he’d controlled it before, even without the curse. Surely, he could do it again, if for no other reason than to save his brother from whatever hell Raven was putting them both through.

  “I’m sorry,” Raven said. He was slumped on the floor, his head clutched in his hands.

  “For what, brother?” Nox sounded exhausted. He had found his way to the sofa where he lay sprawled on his back, his arm across his eyes.

  “This is not easy on you. I didn’t realize…”

  “It’s not easy on either of us, but it is necessary. Until you regain some semblance of control, I will continue to bring you down. Just, stop fighting it so hard. It’s bad enough when you accept it. This…this was just brutal.”

  Raven stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned his back against the leather chair. “Maybe I should have let you take my memories,” he said. “One and done, right?”

  “You would think,” Nox replied, “but the way your beast fights, I’m not sure it would have been so easy. Stay the course, brother. We’ll figure it out.”

  For the next ten minutes they lay where they were, neither saying anything, both lost in thoughts and pain.

  “She called me,” Raven said.

  Nox sat up slowly and eyed his brother. “That explains it.” He rearranged himself on the couch with his back in the corner. “What did she want?”

  Raven scrubbed a hand over his face before catching his brother’s eye. “To see if I was okay.”

  “Well,” Nox said, his tone laced with irony, “I think we both know the answer to that one.

  Yeah, Raven thought. They certainly did.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  W atching the girl parade around in that sweatshirt had confused Harrier, tickling at
emotions he’d shut away centuries ago. Watching her eat, however, cleared everything up. He should thank her for that repulsive display. He’d suddenly lost the will to play nice, any curiosity he held for her disappearing in a spray of chewed potatoes. He wasn’t sure where the anger came from, but he knew that she was toying with him, and he didn’t like it. At all.

  The mask of fear she wore was so much easier for him to tolerate. This healthy display of respect went a long way in erasing any misconceptions either of them had held. It was clear now that at least she knew who and what she was dealing with.

  Harrier smiled, flashing a bit of fang. “Tell me, wee Kitty, what were you doing hanging around Jessica Sweet’s barn?”

  The girl regained some of her swagger, despite Harrier’s spark and fang routine. She was still a little fidgety, though, and this suited him just fine.

  “I was watching her, that’s all. There’s no law against it,” she said.

  “Actually, it’s called trespassing, and I believe there is most definitely a law. But that’s a human law, and I’m not much interested in what the humans have to say about the matter. What you were doing was spying, and I want to know why. Is the Clowder still watching the girl, even after the Wolves called them off?”

  “No, we just…”

  “Should I call your Overlord? Find out what he has to say about you stalking the human who was involved with your murdered kinsman?”

  “I wasn’t stalking her, I just…”

  “Just what, Kitty. Answer me, and I won’t choke you with the rest of those French fries.”

  The girl’s hands were trembling, and she was bouncing her knees like mad.

  Harrier leaned toward her, his eyes pulsing, and flashed his fangs again for emphasis. “Kitty?”

  “He was my brother-in-law, alright?” She threw the bag of food at him and lunged for the door, but Harrier was faster. He had her wrist in his hand before she could grab the handle, and with a yank, he pulled her to him. Her face was mere inches from his, and while his breathing was slow and even, she was panting with fear and…something else.

  “Malcolm was married to your sister? He was cheating on her?” Harrier masked his surprise with another surge of golden spark.

  “Yes. No. She died two years ago, in childbirth. They were soul mates, Anna and Malcolm, so I didn’t understand why he would sacrifice himself for this human. I thought if I watched her like he had maybe I would understand.”

  Though she was still breathing hard, Kythryn’s eyes remained fused with his, daring him to challenge her explanation.

  “You loved him.” Saying the words triggered an inexplicable flare of light in Harrier’s eyes.

  “He was married to my sister.”

  “You loved him, nevertheless.”

  Kythryn struggled in his grasp, but Harrier held on, tightening his grip as she fought him. Her fear was real, though he wasn’t sure if she was afraid of him, or of the truth he had guessed.

  “Let me go,” she snarled, but the more she struggled, the less inclined Harrier was to relent.

  “You want to know why he loved Jessica, turned to her and not you.”

  “Fuck you,” she spat.

  “There now, wee Kitty, don’t think that hasn’t crossed my mind. But I’m thinking I’d rather continue with our conversation if you don’t mind.”

  “And if I do?”

  “Then we’ll continue it against your will but continue it we shall.”

  Her struggling ceased then, and she fell into him, her tiny frame pressed against his body in a way that made him burn. He recoiled as if the fire were real and pushed her to the other side of the vehicle.

  “Did you learn what you needed to know?” he asked. He needed to tone down the rage building inside him, at least long enough to ensure that she wouldn’t be spying on his niece any longer.

  “No,” she said flatly, pulling at her too-large clothing, and trying to compose herself. “You kidnapped me before I had the chance to talk to her.”

  “I did not kidnap you. I simply apprehended a trespasser and removed her from the premises. And I gave you clothes so your ass wouldn’t freeze off and bought you gods damned nuggets that you ate like a filthy animal!”

  “You’re an ass.”

  “And you’re a bitch, or whatever the feline equivalent is.” This was getting nowhere, fast. He was a gods damned Vampire, a Warrior no less, and he was in a name-calling pissing match with a fucking cat Shifter. Time to end this. Now.

  “This is how it’s going to be. You will stay away from Jessica Sweet. Do you understand?”

  Kitty remained silent, a petulant pout on those too-full lips.

  “Kitty.”

  “Stop calling me Kitty!” she yelled and turned away, but not before Harrier caught the gleam of tears in her eyes.

  “Leave her alone, Kythryn. I don’t want to threaten you, because for me there is no such thing. If I find you lurking around her house again, I won’t likely be so kind as I’ve been tonight. I don’t want to hurt you, but to protect her I would wring your scrawny neck. Now get out.”

  “But…”

  “You got there on your own, you’ll get home on your own as well.”

  Kythryn glared at him a moment longer, then opened the door and twisted in the seat to jump out of the too-tall vehicle.

  “And Kitty?”

  She turned a stony glare on him.

  “Leave the sweat pants, and the socks, too. You won’t be needing them when you shift.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I woke up shivering, the lights from the Christmas tree painting strange patterns all around me. It took my sleepy brain a moment to figure out what I was doing down here on the floor, but then it all came flooding back.

  Raven.

  Had I really called him? How many kinds of stupid was I? It was obvious he wanted nothing more to do with me, and Harrier or no Harrier, I was never going to put myself in that position again. It was bad enough I beat myself up on a daily basis, blaming myself for the world I was bringing this child into. A world where her father was killed by the man I loved, a Vampire who had professed to love me as well. That was a butt-ton of baggage to pile on a kid who wasn’t even born yet.

  I stretched a little, then rose to put myself to bed. I glanced out the window and could have sworn I saw that large grey tabby prowling the perimeter of my property, much as Malcolm used to do. The shivers that slid down my spine this time were from something other than the cold.

  I wondered where Shifters went when they died. Did they go to Heaven, if they believed in such a place? Or maybe they were reborn into the body of the animal they shifted into, and they spent their next life living as their animal spirit. It was a nice thought, but I doubted its validity.

  I clicked off the Christmas tree lights, submerging the room into darkness, except for the soft glow shining through the window from the sodium lamp on the barn. I glanced outside again, hoping to see that cat, but something else caught my eye.

  There was a Legion Hummer in my driveway. I ran to the kitchen to get a better look, and sure enough, Harrier’s Hummer was parked in the shadows near the brooder house. I pulled out my phone, ignoring the last entry on my “recent calls” list, and dialed.

  “Hey,” he said, not at all apologetic.

  “Harrier, what are you doing?” When he didn’t answer right away I said, “Well you might as well do it inside where it’s warm. I’m up now anyway.”

  “Right,” he said and hung up.

  I opened the door for him and he stomped the snow from his boots before coming in. I really needed to do something about that sidewalk. Maybe tomorrow I’d try to shovel it if I wasn’t throwing up or anything.

  I took his coat and hung it on a hook. “Do I even want to know why you’re lurking around the barnyard?”

  “If I don’t tell you, will you get pissy with me?”

  “Really?”

  “Sorry,” he said. “It’s been a weird night.”


  “Tell me about it.” I motioned him toward the living room and we both sat on the sofa in front of the cooling fireplace.

  “What’s happened?”

  “You,” I said. Guess I did sound a little pissy. “Now, I’m sorry,” I added. “You got me all worried about Raven, so I called him.”

  “And?”

  “And, about what you’d think. He was still yelling at me when I hung up. I don’t think I’m the solution to his problems, Harrier. I just make everything worse.”

  “Well, something’s gotta give with him, or he’s going to completely self-destruct.”

  “Why do you care, all of a sudden?”

  “Because you care, little one.”

  “Oh.”

  We were quiet for a while, then I asked, “Do you want anything to drink? Coffee? Scotch?”

  Harrier smiled but shook his head. “Nah, I’ll just sit with you for a while if you don’t mind.”

  I didn’t, of course. There was comfort in having him here, knowing that he would stand between me and anything or anyone who tried to do me harm. I curled up in the corner of the couch, and as my uncle watched over me, I fell into a deep, easy sleep.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “S on of a bitch!” Kythryn stood in the dark parking lot, once again wearing nothing but Malcolm’s sweatshirt, only now she was miles away from her car, and her cell phone for that matter. That comment to the big, stupid Vampire earlier had been a total bluff.

  It was after midnight and the place was deserted, except for a couple of pimply-faced kids working the drive-thru. Dressed as she was, Kythryn had no doubt she could talk one of the boys into giving her a ride. She would probably have to wait until their shift ended, though, and put up with their ogling, which would just piss her off more.

  She could ask to borrow a cell phone, but then who would she call? Anyone from the Clowder, and she would have to explain how she’d gotten into this mess. Since she had been expressly forbidden from pursuing her curiosity of Jessica Sweet, that was not an option.