by Jill Cooper
Jessica couldn’t remember the last time she stepped inside something so nice. Something she could call home for even just a night or two.
“I can get a fire going if you’re cold.”
“Just show us to our room. We’re beat,” Jessica said. It was the longest of days, longest of weekends. A time Jessica would just like to forget.
Duncan’s face didn’t reveal what he was feeling. He just pointed upstairs, but the skin around his eyes crinkled in a way that was just about perfect. “To the right is a room with a king bed. You should both be comfortable there. I’ll secure the place; get the generator going.”
Jessica nodded and led Amanda by the hand up the first few steps. “There’s a suitcase in the car. Has a change of clothes. Our things.”
“I’ll grab it. No peeking,” Duncan’s voice had a playful quality to it and Jessica thought it might be his way of smoothing things out with her. She wasn’t sure she was willing to forget just yet, but after a good night’s sleep…
Maybe.
Up the stairs, they found several rooms, but only one had a king sized bed. It was covered in a blue, regal looking comforter. The wood floors were shinny and large stained glass windows stretched up to the ceiling, letting moonlight in. It hit the windows just right, casting a pattern of blue, gold and pink onto the floor, like a kaleidoscope.
This place was special all right. Jessica couldn’t guess who built it, but everything about it was designed to ward off evil. Demons. She breathed a sigh of relief as Amanda hurried into the room.
“Oh wow!” Amanda repeated, throwing herself down on the bed. Despite herself, she giggled, stretching out her arms. Her cheeks were shiny, like a little girl’s, as she glanced around, biting her lip.
“Like Christmas.” Jessica tossed off her boots and sat on the edge of the bed. “You feel anything?”
Amanda’s eyes closed as she took a deep breath, her chest rising. “Safe and content. It smells like cinnamon and maple here, Jess!”
How had Duncan come to have this place? And then find them, when they needed a sanctuary like this the most? It didn’t sit well with Jessica, not at all.
Amanda draped her arms around her sister and rested her cheek on Jessica’s shoulder. “Maybe it’s okay to let him help us. Maybe it’s okay to be happy for a little while.”
“With Duncan Jasper?” Jessica snorted and rolled her eyes.
“Maybe.” Amanda’s smile was playful. “What do you have to lose?”
“Other than everything?” Jessica’s heart felt the weight of her words. It was as if she was being crushed between two rocks. No matter what she did…
“I can take care of myself.” Amanda lifted her head and her face lit up with indignation. Jessica nearly laughed at her because it wasn’t true, but she put on a good act. “When do you get to put yourself first?”
Never was a good answer, but it wasn’t as though Jessica minded. She hated demons, the blood, and death, but she’d never hold it against her sister. Amanda was special to more than just demons. “One day I might get that picket fence, but maybe I don’t want it. Maybe I’m happy just living on the road with you.”
Amanda’s lips curled up slightly as she lay on the pillow. The moon cast a blue glow on her face. “You’re a liar, Jessica Blood and a pretty good one at that.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Jessica muttered.
“Most people wouldn’t see what I see. Your crushed spirit. The fatigue you wear, not just in your eyes, but in your soul.” Amanda tapped her finger on Jessica’s leg. “But I don’t want you to go. I’m glad you’re always with me.”
That would never change. Despite everything they had been through in the last forty-eight hours, Jessica’s heart was glad. She stood up, freeing the blanket enough to cover Amanda up and tucked her in around the edges.
“Get some sleep and you’ll feel recharged in the morning,” Jessica whispered with a kiss.
Amanda’s eyes were already closed and Jessica stroked back the delicate tendrils of her hair, it was just like their Mom’s. She watched her sister until sleep was ready to claim her too. Then she crawled into bed beside her sister, and rested her weary head on her sister’s chest.
The calming rhythm of Amanda’s heartbeat lulled Jessica quickly to sleep, just as it did when they were kids, before everything changed.
Before the blood.
13: Duncan Jasper
The generator kicked on and purred like a kitten. Duncan, with a lopsided grin, twirled a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. The place was like a well-oiled machine and the fully stocked pantry would keep them happy for a while. At least until everything settled, and they figured out a plan.
As if Jessica would even give him a say. That girl could make him run hot with anger at times, but at others…
Duncan did his due diligence and made sure the place was secure. Wards were still in place, the etchings on the stained glass windows were intact, that should be enough to keep them hidden from the demons’ inner sight. Everything else was locked down tight.
The armory was still fully stocked, so no one broke in while Duncan was away. Truth was, he didn’t come here much. Hell, he’d hoped to never need this place, but kept it for insurance. It was always a good idea to have a backup plan, in case the rest of his hare-brained schemes didn’t pan out.
Duncan had his share, but always managed to come out alive.
Never thought he’d need it to help the Bloods out. The idea that he’d see them again, sure, Duncan had toyed with the notion. Might have even imagined what it’d be like, but this wasn’t his idea of a sexual fantasy. On the run, seeing the two sisters exhausted and barely holding it together, was not his idea of a great reunion.
Although, Jessica was a hot piece of ass just the same. It was hard not to admire a woman who fought so hard and long for what she loved.
She’d never give up, Duncan knew that. One day it was going to kill her.
That saddened him more than he could ever say. There were no words for that sort of thing. And Amanda? Duncan wouldn’t see harm come to her either. Sweet and kind, she wasn’t the type of person who deserved demon trouble.
He headed towards the kitchen, in search of a drink. The moonlight glinted off the stainless steel fridge onto the counter and the demon ward symbol reminded him of Jessica’s lower back. The same symbol he had inked on her. It was customary for demon hunters like them, to add a new tattoo or new detail after a big battle.
A big victory.
When she asked him to be the one to do it, well, Duncan jumped at the chance. They had been playing that coy will-they-or-won’t-they game for a while, and it would be his first chance to run his bare fingers along her satin skin. It’d been a long time coming, and not a day had gone by since that he didn’t remember how she felt under his hands.
How many years ago had it been? Three? Maybe even four.
Jessica stood, the chair straddled between her legs and Duncan took in the sight of her perfect perky ass in the black leather pants she always wore. In her hand, an amber beer bottle glistened with condensation. Leaning her head back to take a long draught, her red curls spiraled down her back like an ocean wave.
Beautiful. Duncan just wanted to touch it. Pull it. Bury his face in it and smell her sweet scent of lavender up close. It was probably the only thing about her that was sweet, or so he thought at the time.
Jessica placed the beer bottle down on the nearby table. She gripped the bottom of her tank top and pulled it over her head. Dressed only in her black lace bra, Duncan’s heart pattered to see the curve of her lower back. Throwing her top into the corner she sat down on the chair and leaned over the top, hugging it close to her chest.
“Well, I don’t have all day, Jasper.” Jessica gripped her hair and pulled it over one shoulder.
Duncan’s hands were sweating badly, so he wiped them on his jeans before he grabbed his needles and ink, dragging them closer to her. He held his breath as he sat behin
d her on the bench, close enough to see every pore of her skin, to watch the muscles in her upper back and arms flex as she tossed her head to the side to look at him.
“You’re sure this is what you want?” Duncan asked.
Jessica’s voice was sultry laughter. “It’s just an ink. Tonight’s win was sweet and you should be the one who does it.”
Duncan ran his fingers down her back even though he had no reason to. He listened to Jessica suck in her breath and saw those goose bumps rise up on her flesh. For a brief moment, he even caught a brief smile on the corner of her mouth before she turned her face away.
“Gold and red?”
“Those are my colors. It’s Blood tradition.” She coiled her torso over the chair as Duncan’s pencil touched her skin and he sketched out what he was going to do. She took a deep breath as his fingertips traced her lower back.
Soft. Silky and smooth except for the goose bumps under his fingertips. Like a Braille map, Duncan traced them down to the waistband of her tight pants. Slightly, she shivered under his touch.
He suspected Jessica wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Now he could practically taste her lips in his mouth. Saliva collected against his teeth and Duncan swallowed it away.
“And Amanda won’t get ink? Why not? She earned it too. What she did for those people, it was…a miracle, I guess. If you believe in those things.”
“She can’t. Messes with her abilities. I don’t know if it’s the needles or the changes to her skin, but the first time we tried,” Jessica shook her head. “Well, let’s just say she just can’t.”
“I can live with that.”
“Besides,” Jessica tossed her head. There was a glint in her eye that hadn’t been there before as she bit her lip. Sinfully delicious, Duncan burned just a bit hotter for her. “I don’t think I want you touching her like you’re touching me.”
Duncan paused and raised his eyebrow. “And how am I touching you?” He ran his open palms up her back and over her bare shoulders. Muscular, they felt strong beneath his calloused skin.
“You’re bad at subtle.” Jessica leaned back, her shoulders pressing against his chest.
“It’s never been my forte.” Duncan ran his hand up her neck and over her jaw line. The way she looked at him with hungry desire, made him burn hot. His lips came for hers quickly and Jessica was more than receptive. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, her arms reaching back to grip his hair. Duncan traced the curve in her waist, resting his hands on her hips.
The action was hot, but this? A dead scorcher. To touch her felt surreal.
She spun around on the bench and placed her hands behind his neck. “If we do this, there’s one thing you have to know. We take care of her. Amanda. Above all else.”
Duncan nodded. “Amanda’s the mission. I know what’s important to you.”
“Good.” Jessica’s nose rubbed against his, her forehead pressed against his. “If you betray her or break her heart, I break you. If you’re good with that…” She gripped his inner thighs, squeezing them as she lifted herself up higher to come down on him, kissing.
It was all good with him then. The idea to leave her, cross Jessica Blood? Had never been a thought in his mind. To be with her, to fight by her side against the evil that plagued the world, that’s all Duncan wanted for a long time.
Until the road called. Until things came up that the Blood sisters didn’t need to know about. They had their own battles and didn’t need his troubles on top of their own. Maybe it was wrong. Walking away hadn’t been easy, but it had been his choice.
The memory faded like a candle wick slowly being snuffed out. His mind darkened and his heart grew cool. Duncan was so lost in memory, he never poured that drink.
He walked down the hall. When an unexpected draft blew in, he turned the opposite way and was surprised to see Jessica, leaned up against the wall, a phone to her ear.
“Aunt Gwen, you were supposed to meet us days ago. Do you have any idea… Fine. Fine. You better have a good explanation when you get here, that’s all I have to say to you right now.” Jessica took a deep breath, her eyes blinked and Duncan got the impression she was struggling to remain in control. “So don’t second guess who I keep company with when you’re the one who screwed us.”
Jessica slammed her finger onto the phone as hard as one could before pocketing it. Kicking back her heel as if she wanted to punch her hand through the wall. She startled as Duncan strolled into view. “Guess that’s good news,” Duncan said as he leaned against the wall beside her and shoved his hands in his pockets.
The corners of her mouth twitched, but she didn’t look up at him. “As good as it gets when you’re a Blood. Though I guess things weren’t always this bad, right? Parents met and got married. Things don’t always have to be this way.”
Duncan shook his head. “Nope. We’ll figure something out, and things will go back to normal, or at least as normal as they get.”
“Things haven’t been normal. Maybe ever.” Jessica slid her hands into her pockets. “I’m not much for this pity party thing we’ve got going on.”
He grinned at her. “You’re the one who hung the streamers, sweetheart. I’m just here for the punch.”
Jessica finally glanced up at him, her green eyes dull with annoyance. Her eyebrows arched in amusement, though she’d never admit it. “Your sense of humor still needs work.”
“So does your disposition.” Duncan took a breath and was able to smell her clean sweat through a hint of lavender. Some things were still the same and it sent a shiver right through him. “I thought you were asleep upstairs, what happened?”
“Was, for a while.” Jessica rubbed her neck. “Wanted to call my aunt while Amanda is asleep. Just in case I couldn’t connect with her again.”
So, worried about Amanda, as usual. What other option did she have? “I’m glad you’ve got her on her way. Anyone we can get to join this fight—listen, my gang isn’t far from here. If we tell them what you and Amanda are running from…”
Jessica shook her head and pacing to the other side of the hallway. “No. I don’t trust them, Duncan. I never have.”
“Like you don’t trust me?” Duncan’s cheeks reddened and he said the words as an accusation. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
.
Her eyes were wider than normal. She didn’t answer the question. She never bloody answered the question, and it made Duncan want to put his fist through a wall. He settled for a shake of his head.
Jessica crossed her arms. “If you don’t like it, you’re free to leave.” Boom, just like that her walls went up. The old joke went, what does Jessica Blood hate more than demons? Vulnerability.
“This is my place.” Duncan waved his finger.
She snorted and laughed. “I’ll lock up before we go. You’ll never know the Blood sisters were here.”
That wasn’t what Duncan wanted. Couldn’t Jessica feel that? Or was she testing him again? “Why do these demons want you so bad? The queen doesn’t go all out like this for just anyone.”
“Well I’ve pissed them off enough over the years.” Jessica bit her fingernail, but wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Yeah, but you’re the only one they want dead. Amanda’s the one who can heal and exorcise them. So why not kill her?” Duncan felt anger rising in his chest, but he didn’t understand why he was so angry. Was he still protective of Amanda, or was he upset that Jessica wouldn’t level with him?
All that time, all that trust. It was destroyed by him, Duncan knew that. He hated that the distrust between them might as well have been the breadth of an ocean.
With a rapid blink of her eyes Jessica flustered. “I don’t actually know what they want because I never stopped to ask. I kill them and move on to the next one.” Jessica said it with zeal, but her eyes were drawn, her expression grim. She was tired, but she’d never admit she needed help.
“Look,” Duncan stepped up close to her so she couldn’t edge her way out. When sh
e peered up at him, Duncan’s heart skipped, “my gang is twenty-five strong. Twenty-five extra arms to help you fight those S.O.B’s, until we can figure a way to stop them from coming.”
“Or twenty-five extra arms to turn us in for the bounty. Or maybe they’ll just keep Amanda for themselves. No thanks, I’ll take my chances with my aunt. With you, if you stay.”
Jessica said it as a dare and didn’t turn her face from his. Duncan stared down at her and he too refused to glance away. The longer he stared into her green eyes, the stronger was the pull to kiss her. He didn’t. Wouldn’t.
Jessica would only slap him, or worse, put him right through a window. Rekindling a love affair with her? Duncan didn’t even know if that’s what he wanted but being with her was exhilarating. Her spirit set him on fire. They jived together like a musical rhythm. All of which was a moot point if they couldn’t keep Amanda safe.
“You can’t keep running forever, Jess,” his voice was soft as he caressed her shoulders.
“Like you did, you mean? How you ran straight away from us? Never looked back?”
Duncan closed his eyes to avoid the pain etched on her face and the reminder on his heart. “It wasn’t like that…”
“I’m a cold bitch, I know that. But Amanda…” Jessica’s eyes narrowed with the conviction of a hundred arrows. “Amanda depended on you and you just left. Never bothered to look us up?”
“Who said I never looked you up?” Duncan whispered.
Jessica sneered. “Pathetic answer. You broke her heart when you left and I’ll never forgive you for that. No matter what even if she’s already forgiven you. I won’t.” Jessica’s voice cracked as she said it.
Her pain was evident. Duncan was sorry for that, but no apology would work. Did she even believe in second chances anymore? Once maybe, but she seemed a lot harder than when they parted. Calloused and rough, that’s who she needed to be to survive. Duncan couldn’t blame her.
Jessica walked away from the stairs. With the night’s confrontation over, a wave of cold washed over Duncan. He stood in the shadows, basking in the essence she left behind.
