The Judah Black Novels: Boxed Set of books 1-3

by E. A. Copen

  Sal paused at the refrigerator door and frowned at me. I expected him to say something, but he just stood there, silent, watching me line up cupcakes. Outside, the faint sound of a basketball striking a wooden backboard echoed into the house.

  “He didn’t tell me much of anything either, but he did have a lot to say about you. He’s worried about you and so am I. You’ve got a lot on your plate right now. Both of us do.”

  “You don’t have to be nice, Judah. Just do it.”

  I turned around. Sal looked like he was trying to swallow a mouthful of bees. Eyes wide and turned to the floor, muscles in the neck and shoulders tense. Breathing fast. Fear. I’d never seen him afraid before, not even standing inches from death.

  “Do what?”

  “Call it off. Tell me we’re better off as friends, maybe neighbors. It’s you, not me. Whichever one you were planning on. Just say it.”

  Something inside me broke seeing him like that. I’d come in there resolved to spend the whole evening working toward letting him down gently, to tell him we both needed time and space to get our heads on straight. But standing there with him like that... All I could think of was that if I left him now, he’d be facing whatever came all alone. Chanter’s death. Zoe. Leading the pack. A daughter.

  What kind of woman does that to a man she cares about?

  Even if he was doing something illegal, it was all for a good reason. Rejecting him wouldn’t change that. All it would do was make things worse.

  “Now you listen to me,” I said, gesturing with a vanilla cupcake in hand. “You don’t get out of this that easy. You don’t get to just walk into my life and walk back out because shit got real. And you don’t get to be all angsty and stoic and go lone wolf on me either. We’re going to figure out a way to make it work, even if that means I’ve got to sit on you to keep you from going anywhere. I’m sorry. You’re stuck with me.”

  His face changed and his lips widened into the more familiar sly grin. “Well, anytime you feel like sitting on me...”

  My face flushed red, and I turned back around to finish angrily lining up the cupcakes.

  “He likes you, you know,” Sal said. I watched him from the corner of my eye, loading up a pastry bag with white icing from a tub.

  “Who?”

  He handed me the bag of icing. “The wolf. He’s just not sure what to do with you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Why all these cupcakes, Sal?” I asked as I dropped a big, messy glop of icing onto the cupcake and frowned. Sal’s looked a lot better than mine, good enough to sit in a cake shop window.

  “The club’s doing a bake sale and car wash tomorrow. Charity thing to raise money for the local food bank. With Thanksgiving coming up, they could use the help.”

  Thanksgiving. I’d almost completely forgotten about the holidays.

  “The Kings do charity drives?”

  He shrugged. “I guess even outlaws have a heart.”

  I picked up my ugly cupcake and leaned my back against the counter, musing at how sad it was that the biker alpha werewolf could bake and ice cupcakes, while I could barely put together a box meal without burning the house down. “Where’d you learn how to do this? I think maybe I could use some pointers. No one’s going to want to buy a cupcake that looks like this.”

  “It’s not that hard.” He took the cupcake out of my hand, placed it on the counter, and then scraped off what I’d done with a finger that he popped into his mouth. Then he piped his on perfect like it was nothing before showing it off smugly. “There, see? Now you try.”

  I could have grabbed a new cupcake and tried, but to tell the truth, I wasn’t all that interested in icing the cupcakes Sal made. I was tired of the questions and being unsure. If we were going to do this relationship thing, I needed to tell him I wasn’t mad anymore. Somehow convey a definite interest in a strong enough way as to appeal to the other half of him without coming off as a challenger.

  So instead of just grabbing another cupcake, I lifted the one he’d just finished and licked the icing off. Sal watched with interest and then shook his head, smirking. “If you’re going to do that, you could at least get it all.”

  Stupid werewolf. He knew I couldn’t resist taking up a challenge, especially when he phrased it that way. “These are big cupcakes,” I protested and scooped the last of the icing off with my finger.

  Before I could put it in my mouth, Sal grabbed my hand. We locked eyes. Tiny flakes of gold danced in his honey-brown irises. “How long do you think the kid will be entertained outside?” he asked.

  I grinned. “Why?”

  “Because the wolf might not know what to do with you, but I’m starting to get a few ideas.”

  A buzzing sound broke the silence. It took me a lot longer than normal to realize it was my phone in my pocket. I shoved the naked cupcake at Sal, fished out the phone, and fumbled to answer it. “Black.”

  “Eight p.m. in front of the police station. Your ride will be a black Escalade. The Master says don’t keep him waiting.” They hung up without waiting for an answer. I didn’t recognize the voice but I knew, whoever they were, they were working for Marcus. He was the only one I’d ever heard people around Concho County call The Master. I wondered if he’d found out I’d been asking around. Maybe he just wanted a general update.

  “You need to be somewhere?” Sal said.

  The clock on the stove flashed six. “Not yet.”

  “Good.” He stared down at the cupcake he’d crushed in his hand. “Ah, shit.”

  “The house isn’t going to be livable for another few days according to Daphne,” I told him. “So, if you don’t mind us crashing here a few more days...”

  Sal walked over to the trash can and swept the crushed cupcake into it. “I’m fine with giving you run of the place. I’ll behave better than last night, too. Unless you’d rather I didn’t?”

  I smiled and shook my head. “What I want right now is a shower and something besides cupcake icing to eat. I need to go meet someone at the station at eight, too. Think you can handle a boys’ night in with Hunter?”

  “You sure you don’t need me to wash your back?”

  “I got it, Sal.”

  His eyes followed me all the way down the hall. I couldn’t help but smile, even though I’d failed on my mission to not let him down. Maybe he was right and he’d pull himself together. As long as nobody got hurt.

  Chapter Sixteen

  One shower later, I went down the hall to the room Sal had made up for me and found a freshly washed and folded t-shirt and jeans on the bed. Both were still warm. I smiled to myself and dressed.

  When I came out, all the cupcakes had been iced and placed on some fancy serving plates, covered with a plastic lid. Sal was outside with Hunter working on his free throw. I decided to leave them to it rather than interrupt and left without saying goodbye. After all, I’d have all day tomorrow, since the school was closed for teacher in-service.

  A black Escalade pulled up right at eight in front of the station. I got out of my car, locked it, and approached the Escalade. The front passenger door opened and Marcus’ secretary got out to open the rear door for me. I paused. I’d had plenty of men open doors for me, but it felt weird to have her do it. She gave me an impatient glare. I got in.

  I’d been in a lot of SUVs over the years. None of them could hold a candle to the backseat of Marcus’ Cadillac Escalade. I didn’t catch the edition on the back, but one glance inside told me it was a special luxury edition. Instead of facing forward, the back seats faced each other. The interior wasn’t just all leather with wood paneling. It was white leather, soft and supple like baby skin. A screen saver bearing the Fitz Pharmaceuticals logo bounced back and forth on a touch screen computer inlaid in the car’s wall.

  How many cars does this guy own? Maybe this is a company car.

  Marcus leaned forward in his seat and extended a hand as if to help me up. I ignored it and climbed in just fine on my own to sit across from him. His person
al assistant shut the door, climbed back in, and the car moved off. At least, I think it moved. It was so quiet inside that I could hear myself breathing.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to come,” I said. “I thought it would be the goon that called me earlier.”

  Marcus folded his hands in his lap. “I would have called you personally but I wasn’t well.”

  “You have a cold or something?”

  He frowned. “I feel I should apologize for leaving suddenly last night, especially since it’s somewhat related.”

  I think he expected me to forgive him. Poor guy. I almost felt sorry for him.

  When I didn’t respond, he continued with a longer explanation. “I suffer from an ongoing medical condition, Judah. If I go for long periods with minimal feeding, over-indulge in alcohol, or go too long without a proper rest, as I have been, there are symptoms. The condition lends itself to making me irritable and... hungry.”

  I lifted one eyebrow. “So, like vampire diabetes?”

  Marcus offered a strained smile. “More like regular diabetes.”

  “Vampires can get diabetes?”

  “Vampires can have the same defects and diseases as humans as well as many that are specific only to vampires. It’s why we must be so particular about our food sources. It’s why I should not have tried to ensnare you last night.” He sighed and turned to look out the window. “It’s not my custom to feed on the unwilling. Nor do I find it in any way enjoyable. For that, I apologize.”

  If I looked closely, I thought I could see the faint twinge of color in his cheeks as he focused on the landscape passing on the other side of the tinted windows. He’s ashamed, I thought. So it wasn’t intentional after all. It didn’t make me any more comfortable around him, especially now that I knew what he could do.

  “Why are you telling me this?” I asked crossing my arms. “You seem like the type of guy who’s very aware of the shadow he casts. Your image and what people think of you in the media makes you untouchable. And I know you’re a predator. Seems to me it’s not smart for a predator to admit his weakness to potential prey.”

  Marcus turned away from the window, and I dropped my eyes to make sure my gaze didn’t meet his. “Is it a weakness? Could a weak creature do what I’ve done? Build the empire I’ve built?”

  As he spoke, his tone became increasingly agitated. I’d stepped on a nerve. “I didn’t say you were weak,” I pointed out. “Only that you shouldn’t go around telling BSI agents that tampering with your insulin could kill you.”

  “It’s a matter of public record for anyone who chose to look hard enough. Why do you think I’m so invested in medical science? In Mia?”

  “What’s this meeting about, Marcus? You didn’t come all the way out here to pick me up and apologize.”

  “I did not,” he agreed with a bob of his head. His expression muted to something unreadable. “You’ve been asking around about the Kings. I promised to answer your question. However, I know you visited the priest today. Can I assume you two gossiped enough that you already have your answer?”

  I crossed my arms. The move was meant to make me look more threatening, but inside, I was shaking. I didn’t want Reed to get hurt because of anything I said. The two of us might have our differences, but he was still a good man. He didn’t deserve to be eliminated just for disagreeing with Marcus, especially when he and I finally agreed on something.

  “If anything happens to Gideon Reed—”

  “The priest is too valuable an asset to just throw away.” Marcus waved a hand. “And you can tell him to rest easy. If I intended him harm, I would have done it already. I’m not unreasonable. I only wanted to know where things stood.”

  I studied Marcus’ blank face. Sometimes, I wished I was a werewolf, capable of sniffing out lies and half-truths. Because I wasn’t, I had to rely on my instincts, and my instincts told me that Marcus was right. If he wanted Reed dead, he’d be dead already.

  “I know about your little underground railroad project, yes,” I answered after a minute. “And, as long as there are no bodies and no one goes against their will, and nobody causes any more trouble than normal, I’m willing to forget I know.” I leaned forward. “But if bodies start dropping because of what you’re doing, Marcus, I’ll blow everything wide open, so tread carefully.”

  “So long as you agree to do the same,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile. “I’m glad we understand each other yet again. Now, have you made any advancements in your case?”

  I started to tell him everything but paused. He hadn’t been happy about me bringing up Emiko the night before. He’d be even less pleased if I did it again, especially if I didn’t have some sort of plan to fix everything. It would be easier and safer to withhold as much information as possible until I had a better plan.

  “Some,” I said.

  Marcus didn’t miss the pause I took to think. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t stop me.

  “I believe it’s a case of ghost sickness. The apparition responsible attacked me last night in your study.” I glanced over at Cynthia. “I’m surprised she didn’t tell you. She was right there.”

  Cynthia lifted her pointed chin. “I thought it best that you brief him, Agent Black, as I’m not overly familiar with ghosts and the supernatural. That is your area of expertise.”

  Marcus didn’t call her on her cop-out, so I decided I wouldn’t either. Maybe he liked having a dumb secretary. Who was I to judge?

  “Anyway,” I said, turning my attention back to Marcus, “my working theory is that if I can deal with the ghost, I can fix what’s going on with Mia. She should make a full recovery once I figure out what the ghost wants.”

  “Will you do a séance? An exorcism?”

  I shook my head. “I think it’s going to be more complicated than that. The ghost isn’t just attached to the house. It’s attached to Mia, too. And it doesn’t seem too keen on talking to me. I’m going to tap a few resources, shake a few trees, and see what falls out. If all goes well, I should have more answers tomorrow night.”

  Marcus did not look pleased. He frowned and then lowered his head.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m working as fast as I can.”

  “Mia’s condition has worsened,” Marcus said. “She is no longer responding to the medications Doctor Han has been using. Her vitals went into a free fall this afternoon. She crashed and had to be revived. I fear... I fear she’s hanging on only by a thread, Judah. Sheer willpower.”

  I put my head in my hands. Time really was running out. Maybe I didn’t have until tomorrow night. I could always call Chanter back and tell him it was an emergency, but then I didn’t even know if he could help, given his condition.

  “There’s more.”

  “More?” I raised my head. “Tell me it’s good news.”

  Marcus’ sigh told me it wasn’t. “Doctor Han fears Zoe is showing symptoms as well. She had a violent outburst this afternoon shortly after Mia’s crash and attacked someone in her sleep. He says he’s unsure if she’s been eating, and he’s afraid she may revert to a more desperate state.”

  I shuddered at the memory of what Andre LeDuc had become. If Zoe went too far, it would be hard to keep things quiet. She’d start ripping people apart at the hospital. Something like that would make national news.

  “Tell me you’ve got the situation contained.”

  The vampire nodded. “Han has her on sedatives for now, but it’s hard to tell how she’ll react. Judah, this seems to be spreading. How far will it go?”

  “Ghost sickness has supposedly wiped out entire lines of people,” I said with a shrug and then cringed. That meant Sal, Nina, Chanter, and Leo were all at risk, let alone whoever Zoe’s living relatives might be. “Is Mia stable again? How long do I have?”

  “Hard to say how long it will be. Han has her stable for now.”

  The car stopped and Marcus reached over to open the door, revealing that we were back at the station. We’d on
ly taken a short drive around the reservation. I suggest you make the most of your resources, Judah, and that you do it quickly. I want this cleared up by tomorrow night.”

  I nodded. “I’ll do everything I can. You just keep up your end of the deal. Nobody dies.”

  I got out of the car and stood on wobbly legs, watching Marcus’ SUV roll away. Part of me wanted to get in my car and drive straight to the hospital to check on Mia. It was after visiting hours, but I could probably get in to see her with my badge. Even if I drove all the way out there, what could I do for her? I needed to talk to Chanter. Talking to Chanter meant telling him about Mia, about flesh and blood that had been hidden from both he and Sal for over a year. I doubted I could convince Chanter not to tell Sal. This whole thing was going to explode in my face. There had to be a way to head that off. I just didn’t see it yet and this couldn’t wait any longer.

  I drove home chewing on my bottom lip, trying to work out exactly what I would say to Chanter. Maybe if I told him lives were at stake, he’d at least hold off until after Mia was well again. Sal might forgive me if I came to him with a success. Once he found out his little girl was sick, he would lose it. If he knew Marcus had her, he’d tear the hospital apart to get to her.

  Sal’s bike wasn’t the only one in the driveway when I pulled in. There was a Harley there decked out in black and red. The Tomahawk Kings logo was proudly painted on the side. I recognized the bike from the roadhouse, but I didn’t know who it belonged to.

  Lucky for me, it turned out to be Bran. Sal, Hunter, and he sat at the table playing blackjack when I came through the door. The sight of the three of them together made me worried. The last thing I wanted was for Hunter to grow up and join in their little club. I didn’t want the Kings to think I was friendly and approving of everything they did either.

  “Konbanwa, Ms. BSI,” Bran offered and put down his hand. My worry must have been obvious because he then turned to Hunter and said, “Ah, look at the time. We’ve let it get away from us. Aren’t you supposed to be doing your homework or something?”