by K. C. Blake
Jack wondered if Jersey sometimes had Blanca pretend to be him so they could discuss literature. It was sort of sick.
“For me?” She squealed, returning to her natural form. Dishwater blond hair bounced on her skinny shoulders as she jumped up and down.
“You deserve it,” Jersey said.
She ripped the paper and opened the box. A frown marred her pretty features. She tilted the box in Jersey’s direction as if he didn’t know what was inside. Continuing to frown, she asked, “What is it?”
Jersey took the box from her. His fingers dipped inside, and he pulled the contents out. Placing it in her hand, he said, “It’s for luck.”
“It looks like an old coin.” She sneered at the gift, free hand on her hip. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
Jersey lifted an eyebrow. “I thought we could drill a hole in it. Then we can attach it to a collar for you.” She hissed at him. Undaunted, he went on with, “If you are unhappy here, feel free to return to your origins. I will buy you the collar as a going away present.”
Blanca’s chest heaved with every distorted breath. She was visibly shaken by the threat. The second she was no longer in his employ she would return to cat form for the rest of her life, and they both knew it. Being around werewolves energized her power and made morphing possible. If Jack was her, he would just find another werewolf to hang with, but Jersey had extra power. An ordinary werewolf could help her morph for a moment. Being with Jersey gave her the ability to hold the different shapes even when she wasn’t in his presence.
Jersey had her cornered.
Jack almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
She faked a smile. “Don’t be silly, darling. I wouldn’t dream of leaving you.” Her fingers closed around the coin. “Thank you for the gift. I’ll treasure it always.”
Jersey stood. He circled the desk, hands in the pockets of his black trousers. “That coin was in my pocket when my life was changed forever. It was in my pocket the day I killed my best friend.”
“You called it lucky.”
“Oh it is. Very lucky. I could have been killed instead. I took a life instead of losing my own. Lucky indeed.”
Blanca rolled her eyes. “Why give it to me? Jack and his little werewolf hunter are gunning for you. Don’t you need good luck right now?”
Jersey continued to pace in front of her, barely glancing in her direction. He chuckled. “I do not need a lucky coin to win the war. Jack will fall again, just as he did when he was Tobias and James and Patrick before that. No matter what the name, he’s still the same loser. When this ends, sadly, I will stand over his lifeless body once again.”
The first couple of times Jack visited the past, he had been afraid to move around. Somehow he’d secretly believed he might mess up the natural balance of things, perhaps rip a hole in the universe by not standing perfectly still. Now he moved about freely. He walked around Jersey, studying the man’s facial expressions and his body language.
Perhaps he would learn something useful, something that would help him destroy Jersey Clifford.
“What’s our next move?” Blanca asked. Jersey whispered in her ear, and Jack didn’t hear a thing. Blanca laughed and nodded. “Sounds simply delicious. What exactly do you want me to do?”
Jack inched closer so he would be able to hear this time, but he was yanked from the scene before Jersey parted his lips. It was like falling through a tunnel at the speed of light. It was over in seconds.
Jack bolted upright in bed, and his heart tripled in tempo when he realized he wasn’t alone.
Billy stood over him, weapon in hand.
Bam!
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*****
Chapter Nine:
BLANCA’S SECRET
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He raised an arm to keep the bat from striking him in the head.
It hit his arm instead.
Jack rolled off the mattress in an effort to evade the swinging bat a second time, but it clipped his arm hard an inch above the elbow. Pain radiated from one end of his arm to the other. The bat hit him again before he could even think about moving. Billy seemed faster than usual. Jack was still half-asleep and not thinking clearly. Otherwise, he would have used his vampire-speed to avoid the attack.
He hit the floor hard. Another burst of pain shot through his arm. He bit down on his lower lip to keep from crying out. Holding his arm tight to his side, he quickly got to his feet, putting distance between himself and his attacker. The bone was broken in at least two places. He needed time to heal, but first he had to deal with his psychotic brother.
Billy wielded the bat like a sword. Swinging it over his head, he took a few steps in Jack’s direction. “What’s wrong?”
“Not a thing.” Jack struggled to keep his voice calm even though he was shaking. He breathed through his nose, grinding his teeth before adding, “I’m doing great. What about you?”
“I’m fan-tastic.” Billy punctuated the statement by smashing the bat against Jack’s desk. The bat splintered but didn’t break. “If I could just get you to hold still for a second, I would be even better.”
“Are you working for Jersey now?”
Billy shook his head. “You’re not even close. Guess again. ”
He kept advancing, and Jack retreated until his back hit the closet door. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The only thing he could think to do was throw Billy off the scent by shocking him with new information. Jack blurted out the first thing to pop into his head. Although he couldn’t yell for Ian to help him because the man would kill his brother, he could throw his name into the mix.
“Ian Carver is our uncle. Dad had a brother and never told us about him. Did you know we had an uncle? Cause it was news to me.”
Billy froze. It was working. A temporary light entered his eyes as he reconnected with his old self. For the moment he was Billy Creed again. His eyes narrowed, and he made a comical face. “That’s… what? Dad had… a brother? Are you sure the old man isn’t yanking your chain?”
“Yes.” Jack eased away from the closet door. He walked slowly, not wanting to startle his brother with sudden movement. He went to the open window. If nothing else, he could jump out and run for his life. “Dad lied to us for years. He didn’t want us to know about Ian. I’m not completely sure why.”
“That… doesn’t make sense.”
“Things rarely do these days.” Jack decided to risk sending Billy over the edge by asking a question. He had to know the truth. “Why are you acting all homicidal? Why are you trying to kill me? I know you’re a werewolf now, but there isn’t even a full moon tonight.”
Billy shook his head. “I’m not sure why I want to kill you when the moon isn’t full. It’s just a bad feeling in my gut. I tried to tell you at your graduation. There’s something about looking at your face that pisses me off.”
Jack leaped out of the way just in time. The bat swung over his head. It created a disturbing breeze that ruffled Jack’s hair. He landed on the floor to the left of the window. Another burst of pain nearly made him cry out. He bit his lower lip to keep the sound inside. A claustrophobic darkness closed in on him, threatening to take him down with it. If he allowed himself to lose consciousness, he’d wake up dead.
Billy rested the bat against his shoulder and laughed. “This is more fun than I ever dreamed. No wonder Jersey Clifford loves to mess with you. You’re like an exceptionally smart mouse.”
“Have you talked to Jersey lately?”
“Even if I had, why would I tell you?”
Jack wanted to stand, but he was afraid even the slightest movement on his part would set Billy off again. Maybe he could humor his brother, get him talking about something of interest to him.
Billy took on the familiar batter stance, knees bent, bat ready to swing and nail a homerun. Jack’s uninjured arm automatically went up to ward off the attack. He shouted, “Mary came to the house to see you!”
Th
e loud announcement had the desired effect. Billy lowered the bat. Scowling, he asked, “What did she want?”
“What do you think she wanted?” Jack lowered his arm and leaned back against the wall, desperately needing a moment to rest. “She’s upset and confused and worried. She thinks something horrible has happened to you. And she’s right. Something terrible has happened to you. The worst thing imaginable.”
“Really? Worst thing? So says the former vampire. I suppose you wouldn’t have a problem with me turning into a bloodsucker. What is it with your kind? Why do you look down on werewolves when they are so much cooler than vamps?”
That was it! Mystery solved. Jack couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen the truth before. There was a good reason for the way Billy freaked every time they made contact. One of them was a werewolf, and the other had been a vampire until recently. Jack had been told (on more than one occasion) that the stench of vampire still clung to him like a second skin.
What could be done about it?
Jack didn’t get the chance to clue Billy in on why he was adamant about killing his own brother. Ian burst into the room, shotgun in hand. He aimed it at Billy’s chest. His finger pulled the trigger without hesitation. Using vampire-speed, Jack launched himself like a rocket. He flew across the room and knocked the shotgun’s barrel up. Both men lost their balance. Jack landed next to Ian on the floor.
Glass shattered. When Jack looked up, he saw a gaping hole in his bedroom window. Broken for the second time in a month. At least this time Jack hadn’t been the one to fall out of it.
“What the bloody hell is your problem!” Ian shouted. He shoved Jack aside so he could climb to his feet. The shotgun dangled at his side. He went to the window and looked out. “Great. He’s gone. Next time he comes around you had better stay out of the way or I will blow your stupid head off instead of his.”
Warning received and processed. Because they were related Jack didn’t want to harm his uncle, but he wasn’t going to stand by and let the bloodthirsty hunter murder his brother. Billy was only a werewolf on a temporary basis. Somehow Jack was going to save his brother.
“How did Billy get inside the house?” Jack asked. “I thought you put a bunch of anti-werewolf spells on the doors and windows.”
Ian stared at him, faint glimmer in his eye, and the truth hit Jack like a speeding semi-truck. The spells weren’t in place anymore. Ian had erased them. He had been hoping Billy would break in so he could kill the unsuspecting werewolf. Fuming in silence, Jack wanted to physically lash out at his uncle. He kept himself in check with a great deal of difficulty. For once he was going to take his father’s advice and not poke the bear.
“I know you think Billy has gone dark side, but this isn’t his fault. He didn’t ask to become a werewolf. Once I kill Jersey, Billy will be human again.”
“Everything is bloody simple to you, isn’t it? Life is not a fairy tale, you stupid git. I think it’s high time for you to grow up and see the world for what it is. Your brother is too dangerous for us to play games with, and from what I’ve seen you have as much chance of killing Jersey Clifford as I have of winning the Pulitzer.”
“Bite me.”
Ian’s eyebrow rose. “Isn’t that your niche?”
Jack spread his legs, hands on hips. He stared his uncle down. “You will not attempt to kill my brother again. Bottom line? If you do, I will just have to show you how much of a dark soul I still am.”
A slow smile stretched Ian’s mouth and triumph touched his eyes. He’d obviously been waiting a long time for this moment. “Well, well, well. Our little vampire is showing his fangs at last. I knew it was only a matter of time before you dropped the act. Are you done with your threats now, or would you like to add something before I go downstairs?”
“I’m done.”
“Glad to hear it. I have steaks on the grill if you want to join me for dinner.”
Jack blinked a few times, confused. He kept his mouth shut. His uncle passed by and walked out the door without another word. Jack wondered why his uncle was cooking for him again. The man hadn’t had a single thing to say to him, beyond angry warnings for so long he’d lost count of the days. What had changed?
Was he going to poison Jack?
Perhaps Ian was setting a trap. It was possible he wanted Jack to let his guard down. That wasn’t going to happen. Not in a million years. He didn’t trust his uncle any more than he trusted Jersey Clifford. They were both dangerous.
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*****
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It didn’t take long for Jack to realize why Ian had invited him to dinner. Vanessa and Silver joined them. The four of them sat around the circular kitchen table. At first the conversation was light. They talked about the humid weather, gossiped about hunters in the area, and discussed other miscellaneous topics.
Knife in one hand and fork in the other, Jack cut off a bite-sized piece of steak. He placed it in his mouth and chewed until his jaw hurt. The meat was a bit tough. It didn’t have any more flavor than sawdust. Good thing Ian was a hunter. He’d never make it as a chef.
Eyes on his plate, Jack focused on the meal. He didn’t want to look across the table at Ian. The tension was a suffocating blanket over his face. He could barely breathe.
Vanessa said, “I haven’t been able to sleep knowing Jersey Clifford found a way around the anti-werewolf spells. We aren’t safe in that house.”
Had Ian erased the spells at Vanessa’s home, too?
“Move in with us,” Ian offered. “I’m sure Jack won’t mind the company.”
Jack raised his eyes and stopped chewing for a second. He nodded at Vanessa to let her know he liked the idea. It would be great to have someone else around to keep Ian from going homicidal on him. Not to mention two people who would be on his side when it came to keeping Billy alive.
“We can’t hide out here forever,” Vanessa said. “Besides, this place isn’t Jersey-proof either.”
“Very true.” Ian nodded his dark head as he lifted a glass of white wine to his lips. Before he drank from it, he added, “But there is safety in numbers. Agreed?”
“Sure. If Jersey Clifford shows up again, four would be better than one. Still, I hate to leave my home for any great length of time. Andrew was against running away from our problems.”
“Andrew was an intelligent man. He would want his family to be safe until the problem is taken care of. If you recall, he allowed you to stay here after your house burned to the ground.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled with tears and her face crumpled. Covering her mouth with a hand, she jumped up from the chair. “Give me a second, please.”
She darted away from the table and stood next to the breakfast bar. Her slender shoulders shook with silent sobs. With a grimace Ian tossed his napkin and rose from his chair. He went to her and put his arms around her for a moment. Jack and Silver exchanged concerned glances. Vanessa recovered quickly. The two adults returned to the table together.
Ian pulled her chair out. She sat down, flashing him a quick smile of gratitude. Turning to her daughter, she said, “Where were we?”
“We were talking about moving in with Jack and Ian.”
“I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea, honey. I’ll think about it.”
Jack and Silver exchanged another quick glance. They were both okay with the idea of sleeping under the same roof again. He knew from things Silver said in the past she felt safer with him down the hall—or better yet, in the same bed. He could tell she wanted to urge her mother to give into Ian’s invitation. But Jack worried Vanessa might go the other way if she felt she was being pushed.
Jack interrupted Silver as she opened her mouth, before she got a single syllable out.
“We should put our heads together and figure out how Jersey is getting inside, don’t you think? I’d sure like to know how he keeps disappearing.”
“Me too,” Silver said. “Werewolves can’t just vanish into thin air. How is he doing it?”
/> “Maybe your friend Lovely equipped him with more powers than she wrote about in her diary.”
“Lovely didn’t give him powers, period. She cursed him. Any powers he has were a negative side-effect and not part of the original plan.”
“When he comes into my dreams, he has the power to disappear. Maybe he’s found a way to take it to the next level and do it while awake.”
Ian broke into their conversation with, “Even if that were true, it doesn’t explain how he got past the spells.”
“Maybe he popped in,” Jack suggested. “Disappearing might work both ways. If he can vanish into thin air, then he can appear out of nothing. What’s so hard to believe? We saw it with our own eyes. Twice. He has a new power. Deal with it.”
“There is no such power.” Ian’s dark eyes narrowed on Jack’s face.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because if there was such a power, my father would have been the first to discover it. You should thank your lucky stars that he cannot simply appear anywhere he wants.”
Vanessa frowned. “I’ve never heard you mention your father before.”
Ian got up from the table and walked away without another word. Vanessa, mouth open, turned to look at Jack. He returned her gaze with a blank stare. If she was waiting for him to explain Ian’s abrupt departure or tell her about Ian’s notorious father, she was going to be disappointed.
Silver shot him a quick, reassuring look before speaking to her mom. “Can we please move in here for a while? I feel safe when I’m here. Don’t you?”
Vanessa sighed. Her head slowly moved up and down in a reluctant nod. “I do. Of course I do.” She patted Silver’s hand where it rested on the table near her plate. “We’ll stay for a while if that’s what you want.”
“It is.” Silver shared a huge smile with both her mom and Jack. It was the first time he’d seen that particular smile since her father died. She wiped her mouth on a napkin and said, “Do you mind if Jack drives me home now so I can pack?”
