Blood Lust (The Blood Sisters Book 1)

by Jill Cooper

  “You all right?”

  Amanda shook her head, her eyes gazing down. “There’s so many. Why are there so many? They’ve never come after us this hard before. Not even when I was—”

  Jessica heard a noise. A trash barrel being knocked over clattered like the echo of a cymbal. She gasped and held up her hand to quiet her sister. “Run. We need to run.”

  Amanda shook her head and took a labored breath. “I don’t think I can.” Her face was drawn, her eyes soft.

  There was no time to fall unconscious, so Jessica lightly swatted her cheeks. “You don’t have a choice.” Jessica kept Amanda’s hand tight in hers and she took off, her legs pumping; Amanda doing everything she could to keep up with her, but still she trailed behind at an arm’s distance. Jessica’s legs burned hot from dragging her sister, but she didn’t give up. She couldn’t stop.

  The towing place was in sight. It consisted of a small building with a lot, guarded by a chain link fence. Inside were rows of cars, mostly older models, that’d give them cover until they reached their car. With any luck, her shotgun would still be inside.

  Crossing the street, Amanda tripped and Jessica couldn’t take it anymore. Her temper raged as she put an arm around her sister’s waist dragging her along. “We’re almost there. Don’t give up on me, “she demanded.

  Amanda grunted with exhaustion as they jumped onto the curb. Jessica rattled the gate, looking for a way inside. Locked tight, they needed to scale the fence, but Amanda was breathing hard and her face was pasty. She clung to the fence with pinched fingers; Jessica didn’t think she could make it.

  Jessica didn’t know how far she could carry her. If only Aunt Gwen had come. If only they hadn’t been left alone…

  “Jessica!”

  She whipped her head around at the sound of panic in Amanda’s voice and saw a bright shining light. It was the only thing she could see. Hope tanked at the realization it was a motorcycle’s headlight. “Run!” Jessica pushed her sister out of the way, jumping into bushes for cover, as the motorcycle collided with the fence.

  The sisters rolled to the pavement and Amanda crawled away. She didn’t have the strength to go much further. Jessica trundled onto her side and saw the demon coming, but she was out of ammo, didn’t even have the gun anymore. So what was she going to do? Take it with her bare hands?

  The demon was upon her, Jessica raised her hand defensively as someone stepped between her and the demon with a wide stance. A leather jacket covered his broad shoulders and something about the way he carried himself was familiar. The blast of a shotgun boomed into the night. Like fireworks, it would bring every demon to their location.

  But right now, the demon that mattered the most fell dead. Jessica breathed a deep breath as her savior turned. Even in the dark, Jessica could make out the hair that fell over his right brow and the toothpick twirling in his mouth. And damn, that ass, that tight little ass in blue jeans that could make any woman lose her mind.

  Jessica’s brow furrowed and her mouth scowled.

  Duncan Jasper. She swore the day would never come when she’d take help from that asshole again, but here he was, staring at her, then offering her a hand up.

  “No thank you.” Jessica struggled to her feet and went over to Amanda. She’d ignore his eyes and the patter of her heart. There was no way she’d take help from him.

  Amanda lay on the pavement, chest heaving with exhaustion. Jessica helped her sister up and wrapped an arm around her waist. Amanda rested her head on Jessica’s shoulder, her breath shallow.

  “You won’t get far with her like that,” Duncan said. “They’re coming. A lot of them, more than this.”

  His eyes had the sweet intensity they’d always had. A little bit spitfire and a whole lot of compassion. For a brief moment, Jessica lost herself and almost to him. “We’ll be fine. We’ve always managed. I just need to—” Jessica walked forward with her sister, but Amanda held an outstretched hand to Duncan.

  What? She actually wanted to go with him? No, absolutely not. Jessica fumed with rage and swatted Amanda’s hand.

  Duncan took Amanda’s hand like the scoundrel he was, and squeezed her fingers. Jessica thought to saw off his own, but his next words stopped her dead in her tracks. “I have your car.”

  Jessica’s skin tingled, as if he’d whispered sweet nothings in her ear, and maybe he had. “Excuse me? My car?”

  Duncan stepped forward with a nod. “Found it crashed into the Gypsy’s Curse about a day’s drive from here. Has all your things, your weapons, but if you rather leave Daddy Blood’s car in my capable hands, I’m sure he would—”

  Jessica bit her lip and turned her eyes away from him. She’d never let him see how grateful she was. How thankful. Duncan Jasper had one thing coming to him and it wasn’t her gratitude, that was for damn sure. “Where is it?”

  He gestured with his hand and led the way. From the sound of the coming motorcycles, like an orchestra of buzzing lawn mowers, it wasn’t a moment too soon.

  ****

  Duncan peeled away from the curb and the demon motorcycle gang was left in the dust. Jessica let him drive because some things were more important than exacting ownership over your car. More important things like your sister.

  Jessica sat in the back seat, her younger sister curled up against her chest and Jessica stroked her wet hair. Amanda’s jaw was slack, her eyes shut tight as she whimpered in pain, but the further they drove, the better she got. The better they all would be. They just needed some distance from the demons.

  That’s all Amanda needed. It was all she needed too.

  Jessica studied the back of Duncan’s head and thought maybe she should thank him. They’d both be dead if he hadn’t showed up. Why had he showed up? It couldn’t be good. Jessica gazed out the window as the trees raced by. With the window rolled down, they welcomed the air blowing cool against their skin.

  “They put a bounty out on your head. Every demon worth his salt in evil is out looking for you,” Duncan said.

  Jessica’s stomach flipped and Amanda stiffened against her. “Great.” Jessica sneered.

  “They want Amanda. I’m guessing it’s for that gift she has. The one where she heals people.”

  “Curse,” Amanda said quietly and gazed up at Jessica.

  Jessica saw the pain and torture in her sister’s eyes. “Shhh,” Jessica said softly and stroked her cheek.

  “It’s a curse, Jessie.” Amanda whispered and her face crinkling up. She was about to lose it, and if she did, Jessica thought she would too.

  “You save people. It’s a lot better than what I do.”

  Kill demons, break the law. It was a reputation she’d never live down. Jessica’s voice was soft and way too vulnerable for the mixed company in the car.

  “We lost Momma and Papa because of it. You’ve given up your entire life to protect me. You’d be better off if I—”

  Jessica could read Amanda’s next pain filled words would be, and she wouldn’t abide them.

  Wouldn’t even listen to them. Instead she just hugged her sister and held her close. She couldn’t hold her close enough. Jessica rested her chin on Amanda’s hair and felt her sister’s body rock with sobs.

  She listened to her cries and felt tears roll down her arm as they clung to each other. Jessica had no tears. She had grief and she had major regret, but Jessica had no tears to shed. She shed the last a long ago. Now she was only resolute in her desire to protect her sister.

  Kill the enemy.

  No matter how many came, no matter how many tried to crush them, that’s what Jessica was going to do, kill them all.

  12: Jessica

  Parked at a gas station pump, rain drizzled onto the windshield and echoed through the chamber of the car. In the passenger seat Jessica munched on a convenience store hotdog, balancing a soda on her knee. Bun was squishy soft, meat was hot, and the tang of the mustard was perfect.

  She wolfed down her dog and thought about leaving Duncan Jas
per behind, before he even realized what happened.

  Jessica caught sight of Duncan pumping gas and for a split second she wanted to slide behind the wheel and peel out of there. The light snoring in the back seat reminded Jessica what was important; getting out of there.

  Duncan was the one who knew where they were going. Talk of a safe house had her interest piqued and for the night, Jessica was done, exhausted. Dead tired. Ready to quit this cat and mouse game, move on to something new; something she could win.

  Sliding the phone to her ear, Jessica kept an eye on the rearview mirror, the reflection showing Duncan’s thighs in a tight pair of blue jeans. They were worn and ripped in two spots. How good he looked in them, as he casually leaned against her car waiting for the tank to fill, it sent a shiver up her skin.

  Once, they had a good thing. And to see him again…well, memories were a bitch.

  Taking a deep breath, Jessica closed her eyes as her aunt’s number rang and rang. When the voicemail answered, she didn’t have the strength to leave another message. She was pretty sure there was no way she could keep the seething anger out of her voice.

  She slid her phone closed and tossed it into the backseat, catching sight of a sleeping Amanda, curled up against the window.

  Jessica couldn’t help a smile, but it faded when the driver’s side door was pulled open and Duncan slid in. She ignored his spicy aftershave. The car started and he flicked the headlights on.

  Signaling right, Duncan pulled onto the open road and it was only then that Jessica took a breath, running her tongue along her teeth. His strong jaw was clenched as he drove, his eyes alert. His cheekbones were high, covered in alight stubble, just begging to be kissed. Jessica could almost feel that bristle against her tender lips.

  “You shouldn’t go leaning on other people’s cars,” Jessica said, doing her best to ignore all the racing feelings in her chest.

  “Huh?” Duncan’s eyes flashed to her for only a second.

  “You put your dirty jean ass all over my car. Without asking permission. I don’t think you should do that.”

  For a brief moment his hands splayed on her steering wheel. “Well, sorry to upset the emotional misses, but—”

  Emotional? Misses? Jessica’s eyes widened that he would even have the gall to say that.

  “—don’t I get any brownie points for saving you?”

  “No,” Jessica answered sharply. “But for saving Amanda? Yes. Yes, you do.” She let her voice drift. Her emotions were drowned out by the sound of rain hitting the road and the tires splashing through puddles on the road. It settled her; rain had a way of doing that. “Care to tell me where we’re going?”

  “Somewhere safe,” Duncan said.

  “Don’t you trust me? You can tell me?”

  He shook his head with a laugh. “Darling, I’m pretty sure if I told you, you’d leave me stranded on the side of the road somewhere. Maybe even in a ditch.”

  Jessica smirked. “Not without food and water at least; I can be charitable.” After his light laughter faded, Jessica asked a serious question. One she had wanted to ask hours ago but didn’t dare while Amanda was awake. Her sister was more tortured than was usual lately and Jessica wouldn’t add fuel to the fire.

  “Want to tell me more about this bounty we have on our heads?”

  Duncan shrugged after he threw her a quick glance. “I was in St Louis, working a case. Demons were everywhere. Their base of operations had a parchment decree, with a wax seal straight from Lourdes herself. The underworld is emptying and they’re running straight for you.” He raised his eyebrows. “They want Amanda and want her badly. You, well, you’re just in the way.”

  As usual, Jessica huffed a deep exhale from her nose. “And you what? Left them to find us?”

  “Not before I was captured by a demon gang.” Duncan took a deep breath and Jessica wondered what they’d done to him. From the crinkles creases around his eyes, it must’ve been bad. “Guess our history precedes us.” His caustic grin was lopsided and charming.

  Jessica could only hide her amusement by tossing her head to the side with an exaggerated eye roll. “So you’re in danger too, because you know us. Great. And sorry.” She mumbled, apologizing wasn’t one of her strengths.

  “I caught wind of the trouble that was following you and—”

  “You ran straight toward the fire?” Jessica shook her head. “What are you really after? The bounty for yourself?”

  Duncan threw her a deep scowl, his hands gripping the wheel in a way that said she offended him with her question. Well good, it was designed to throw him off balance. Jessica needed to know what his game was before Amanda woke.

  “You think I came to save you—”

  “So you could collect the money yourself? Maybe. It’s not like I’ve seen you in a year.”

  Duncan jerked the car over to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. Jessica wasn’t prepared, the seatbelt tightening around her waist and her body lurching toward the dashboard.

  Her head whipped forward and back like she was a rag doll. Eyes wide, Jessica grabbed the lap belt she wore as it constricted around her abdomen. “What the—”

  He turned in his seat and waved his finger at her, his jaw tense, blue eyes seething with anger. After all this time, it was still hard to see anger in Duncan’s eyes directed at her.

  For a brief moment, Jessica looked down, she couldn’t stand to be in the pathway of that rage.

  “You think I’d do that to you? To her? For cash? There’s always more cash, Jessica Blood. Ways to get it that don’t make us what they are. Monsters.”

  The anger was so deep in his eyes; Jessica thought he might throw her right out of the car. Duncan wasn’t the type to get violent with a woman, but his hands were shaking as he attempted to control his anger. He should’ve lashed out at her. Maybe Jessica even deserved it.

  “Okay,” Jessica’s voice shuddered and shook in ways it hadn’t in a long time. She was stripped of all pretenses, as his eyes bored right into her soul. In the backseat, Amanda stirred; Jessica didn’t want either of them to see how vulnerable she felt right now. “All right.”

  She shouldn’t have pushed it. Shouldn’t have said it, but Jessica had to know. Were they on the same side? Did he still feel what still burned inside her?

  But Duncan wasn’t done with the subject yet. “If you think that little of me, I’ll get out right here and walk. Find my bike and get the hell out of your way. Do what you want, if that’s how you really feel.”

  The moments ticked by and all Jessica could hear was Amanda shifting on the leather bench seat behind them. Jessica swallowed hard, the sound deafening. What she had to say was one of the hardest things she had done in a long time. “I’d like you to…just keep driving.”

  I want you to stay. That’s what Jessica meant to say, but she couldn’t eke out the words.

  Would Duncan be satisfied? Jessica couldn’t rip her eyes off of him even as he turned forward and slammed his hand on the wheel so hard, it made her jump right out of her skin.

  “Then why ask in the first place, huh? Why?”

  The hurt in his words was almost too much.

  Her mouth opened to speak, to tell him she needed to know who he was loyal to. Why he came back for her, when she hadn’t seen him in over a year, but Jessica just shut her mouth and gazed out her window. She fought back a fresh sting of tears, she didn’t want to face why she was so upset.

  Put up the wall. Don’t let him back in.

  Jessica crossed her arms and her eyes fell on Amanda’s reflection in the windshield. Amanda was staring back at her, a perplexed look on her face. The worst part was the anxiety in her eyes. Sighing, Jessica looked away, she was sorry Amanda had to witness that, feel all that intense, negative emotion.

  “Two,” Duncan said suddenly, with a quiet rumble of anger.

  “Huh?” Jessica said, without looking over at him.

  “It hasn’t been one year since we’ve seen
each other. It’s been two.”

  Jessica didn’t know why he felt the need to clarify that. She knew the exact moment he left, walked out on her and Amanda like they meant nothing to him. Turned his back and just never came back. Jessica knew she was trouble, of the worst kind, but he’d said he loved her. She never thought he’d leave and that was her problem.

  Jessica never thought they’d leave and they always did. Foster parents, family, boyfriends.

  But the demons never left, did they? They were always right there, sniffing at their tails.

  Duncan didn’t speak for the remainder of the journey and neither did Jessica. Every unasked question hanging between them; it made the silence just that much harder to bear.

  ****

  It turned out that the safe house was a rundown old barn, long ago converted into a family homestead. Long abandoned, it was given to Duncan in a trade. He explained it as he fished the key out of his pocket. “Won it at a high stakes poker match. Well, when I say won…”

  “You cheated,” Jessica said plainly, her voice free of judgment. She wasn’t ready for another fight after what happened in the car.

  Duncan grimaced. “That couldn’t be proven. Mostly I wanted it because it’s warded from demon vision. They can’t see this place. To them, it’s simply not here and as long as everything inside is in order, we should be safe and sound.”

  Sounded good to Jessica. Her arm her sister, they both stood on the old rickety porch as Duncan slid the key into the door knob. With a twist, the door swung open and a gust of dusty air rushed out to greet them. Amanda gasped and Jessica watched for a sign that something was wrong. Amanda’s eyes widened but she didn’t say anything as she took a ginger step forward to stand just inside the entryway. “Oh wow,” she said in a hushed voice.

  Her acceptance of the place was good enough for Jessica. She stepped inside and gazed around. It was dark, but the walls were pine and the open concept space had high vaulted ceilings, with thick old beams holding the place up. The furniture was rustic, but classy and far back along the wall was an old brick fireplace.