No Mercy (Cambions 2.5)

by Dermott, Shannon

  “What the hell, Flynn?” Luke asked, coming over to me.

  Brody was out cold splayed out on the front driveway only three feet from where I’d stepped out of the car. “You need to heal him and he wasn’t going to let you near him.”

  Luke’s expression was priceless. It almost made me laugh. I was sure he hadn’t expected me to say that. I thought about Shelli and I’d hurt her enough. I wasn’t going to be the one to destroy the family’s hopes and Brody’s chance to leave this town. “You know he’s got that scholarship and almost lost it when he was hurt this season. Shit, I had to throw an interception just to get put back on the bench so Coach would play him again in time for the recruiters.”

  Nodding, Luke bent down and laid his hands on the guy’s leg. I stepped back to let my friend do his thing and rubbed at my jaw again. Damn that guy could hit. While working my jaw back and forth, Luke finished and stood. “I fixed his leg although I left enough so he would ache for a day or so with no lasting damage,” Luke said.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, good,” I said because Brody would remember the fight.

  Luke frowned, “You better go in so the guy can save face and leave peacefully.”

  Nodding, I headed for my front door.

  Chapter Two -Flynn

  I heard the truck drive off just seconds before Luke walked into the door.

  “Did you have to kick the guy?” Luke asked incredulously.

  It hadn’t been my plan, none of it was. Maybe it was a bit harsh, but I really didn’t want to look the guy in the eye and see the truth in how he felt for his sister. Man, I was so glad I didn’t have a sister. I was sure that if I did, I would have to knock heads daily because she would have been a succubus, a female version of my incubus. Although technically, a cambion since she would be half human like me. I shuttered at the thought. “It worked right?” I asked making it less a question and more of a statement.

  Luke shook his head. “I took care of any concussion you may have given him,” he said. “He was a bit confused, which is good. But he realizes that he got his ass handed to him.” It came in handy Luke being there because I didn’t know what I would have done otherwise.

  Nodding, I wasn’t really happy about deflating Brody’s confidence. Especially knowing I deserved everything the guy did and more for what I allowed to happen in the relationship with his sister. Hell, I tried to do right by her by making her my girlfriend de jour after that night. I knew I could never be what she wanted, but that was the best I had to offer.

  “You wouldn’t believe after all that, he invited us to the senior party at his house tonight,” Luke said, walking to the kitchen.

  My eyes brightened. There were a lot of rumors about what went on at those. Despite my better judgment, I kind of wanted to go.

  “I know what you’re thinking and we are not going,” Luke said when he turned around to look at me.

  I’d been to lots of parties but not the senior exclusive ones for the elite crowd. “Fine, I have a better idea,” I said. Really, I already had plans. I just hadn’t told the guy yet. He wasn’t going to like it.

  With Luke’s eyes closing slightly, I knew my friend and figured the compromise wasn’t going to be better than going to the party at least not for him. With one word, I thought I might get Luke to change his mind about the party. “Adriana,” I said with finality.

  Adriana was a girl I’d met last summer while staying at Luke’s house in the Hamptons. Brent had a family get together and invited us over since they were in town too. She’d been there and one thing led to another. But Adriana wasn’t the problem.

  The door to the refrigerator was open. Luke eyed me from around the handle when I’d spoken. Now my friend’s position changed and I knew that Luke’s hand went from grabbing a Coke to getting a beer. I only sighed. Feeling the frown that was growing on my face I said, “You know my dad is going to see that missing.”

  Luke laughed. “Is this your idea of an intervention? Because you know your dad knows we drink.”

  “No, he knows you drink,” I said trying to make it a point that that the guy drank far more than I did.

  “Don’t get all self righteous on me now. You drink. Anyway, it’s my choice,” he muttered.

  I anticipated that Luke wouldn’t be happy at the prospect of spending time with Adriana’s sister, Adelina despite her beauty. I just hadn’t expected to drive him to drink. No, something else was going on. Luke had been waiting for me when I came home. He must not have gone home after school. “Is your Dad at your house?” I asked.

  Luke had the top off and downed half the bottle before he replied. “Yeah, the bastard is there. And my mom is like waiting on the guy hand and foot. He’s got another wife, yet she still treats him like god’s gift to mankind.”

  “He kind of is, isn’t he?” I asked thinking about the facts. The churning in Luke’s eyes said I should have kept that comment to myself. Hell, the guy’s dad was an angel, an Arch Angel.

  Luke finished the beer and slammed it down on the counter. I was surprised that the bottle hadn’t shattered by the force of it. “I don’t need this shit from you,” Luke said spinning on his heels headed for the door.

  “Hey man, you know I didn’t mean it,” I said, following after him trying to think of something to fix this. The guy had just saved my ass and here I went giving him shit about a sore subject. “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me after school.” I hoped the statement would work and spark the guy’s curiosity so he wouldn’t leave. Later, much later, I would coax out whatever was bothering my best friend.

  Friendship or curiosity made Luke stop his forward progress and have him turn back to me. I gestured for the guy to follow me back in the kitchen and grabbed a beer for myself. Not really in the mood for it, I nursed the drink with barely a sip. I thought having it might negate the damage I’d done with my earlier words. Getting to the point, I told him the story of my encounter with Amanda.

  “I have a feeling that Amanda isn’t going to let me fool around. Something tells me she has my number,” I said, finishing my tale.

  There was delight in Luke’s eyes, mischief maybe. “Amanda is quite skilled,” he said, knowingly. With a sigh, I closed my eyes because the guy didn’t have to say more. Those two had to have been more than friendly at some point. Certainly this was never anything a guy wants to hear about a girl he was dating.

  Cursing under my breath, I was still sure Luke had heard. The guy chuckled and I knew he was enjoying this. “Spill,” I said, pissed. He was my best friend. Our respective conquests had been shared between us. Why was I only now hearing about this?

  You could hear the hum of the refrigerator while I waited for the guy to tell me a story that may make me regret this new partnership with Amanda. “Are you going to tell me or what?” I asked, out of frustration.

  Luke made a move to the refrigerator again undoubtedly to get another beer. We locked eyes and I hoped I conveyed my contempt for my friend at the moment. The guy only laughed again before finally speaking. “This has to be a first for you and me,” he began. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a girl first that you’ve ended up with.”

  Stewing in my seat a bit longer, I said nothing. “Look,” Luke said, being all serious now. “I think you’d gone to Vegas with your dad when you came into your- you know – incubus thing,” he said gesturing with his hands. “You were still in junior high and this party kind of happened at my house.”

  Remembering, I nodded hoping to coax Luke to finish the story quickly.

  “I guess I didn’t think of it because I was so wasted that day. Amanda came over to me with a dare,” Luke said. “Who was I to stop her? She didn’t even mention it at school the next time I saw her. I guess I forgot because when you came home you had so much to tell.” My would be friend shrugged and I felt a little better about it. It wasn’t like I was second to Luke. I wasn’t sure why that would bother me, but the thought that maybe she wanted him and couldn’t have him on
ly to settle for me later would grate my nerves. And that would have ended things for us as a couple before it got started. “It was nothing,” he added after a long pause. “I don’t really think she liked me all that much.”

  It almost sounded like Amanda was a stone cold bitch who did things for a calculated reason. And she was exactly what I needed, an emotionless relationship. One I didn’t have to worry about falling for the girl or her for me. This was going to be perfect. Plus things happened between them was over a year ago. “Fine, Adriana was planning to come here tomorrow. But I think I’ll tell her to meet us at the lake house,” I said trying to sound like it didn’t bother me in the least.

  “It’s not a big deal,” Luke pleaded with me about the Amanda thing reading me like a book.

  “Whatever,” I said now taking more than a mouthful of beer. “Just be nice to Adelina,” I added for a little payback. That’d taken some of the laughter from the guy’s face. Luke had never really told me the full story about what happened between him and the other twin, but it had to be something really shit kicking for the guy to dislike her so much.

  Luke just conceded and nodded. “When are we leaving?” Then again, whatever it was between the two couldn’t have been so awful because he still put up with seeing her from time to time.

  As far as leaving, now would have been a good time, but we were drinking. That’s why I said the only thing I could, “Tomorrow.”

  Chapter Three - Luke

  Because I didn’t care, I let Flynn manage the radio including the volume on the drive up. The band, Lamb of God, was playing in the background while I pondered the symbolism in that. Not even a bit hung over, we were headed to Flynn’s dad’s lake house.

  Not in the mood to talk anyway, I blocked out all the noise and concentrated on the road. After making alternative arrangements for my so called job, we were on our way. It was good we were leaving town. I wouldn’t have to worry about running into my father for one of his little heart to hearts. Bonus, I wouldn’t have to see my mother make a fool of herself.

  Why she let my father get away with things the way he did, annoyed me to no end. She shouldn’t still love the bastard. The way he’d broken her heart a few years ago then immediately marrying that brainless woman who didn’t look much older than me should have been her clue. Yet, I’d been the one left in the house to listen to her cry. I was the one that had to hold her while she tried to pick up the pieces of her life. It should have been the job of the guy who wrecked her life. God, I needed a drink or something to dull my senses. It didn’t matter that drinking wasn’t the answer. The knowing didn’t take the need away.

  Suddenly, Flynn turned down the music. Eying the guy curiously, I know he thought I was on some sort of self destructive path. “I was thinking about asking her out,” I said before he spoke, surprising us both. I hadn’t meant to bring her up. And there was no reason to say her name. She’d been a topic of conversation between us for a while now. “I know you saw her first, but you haven’t made a move.” It wasn’t necessarily a hard fast rule for me, but I know Flynn lived by it.

  Flynn’s hand moved to the radio and turned the volume down even more. I suspected that he may like her more than he’d admitted and maybe now he’d fess up. “Aren’t there rules about that?” Flynn asked appreciatively, with raised eyebrows. He wasn’t talking about the dibs rule either. I knew my friend better than most and saw the quick murderous glance he gave me before his features smoothed out. Touchy when it came to her.

  “Rules are made to be broken,” I said, still focusing on the road. The broken yellow line that constantly drifted ahead of me was a beacon for the hell that would be this weekend. “Just say the word and I’ll back down.”

  Risking a glance, I saw Flynn’s jaw clench. I was so certain my friend would finally admit his crush on the girl we’d both watched from afar. Our friend Paul had been an obstacle for a short time, but the guy claimed they were nothing but friends.

  No admission from Flynn. What I got, I hadn’t expected at all. He turned his whole body in the seat to face me. “This self-destructive shit you're doing has got to stop. You must have a death wish if you think dating her is a good idea.” He was right about part of it. Neither the council nor my father would take me being with her lightly. My kind wasn’t allowed to date a charge, conflict of interest and all.

  Releasing the pressure on the gas, the car began to slow down. There wasn’t any traffic on this stretch of road that led to the private community on the lake. It was too far off the beaten path. Turning, I faced Flynn with my hands tight on the wheel. “This has nothing to do with all the crap in my life. I like her.”

  “The two of you together is like oil and water. You don’t mix,” Flynn said flatly, trying to be the voice of reason and using a different tactic.

  “Like you would be the better choice for her,” I shot back, defensively.

  Flynn laughed harshly. “Look, I don’t think either us would be good for her. Human girls should only be used for fun, not long term. And she’s not that kind of girl. You should hook up with Nina. She’s got it bad for you… at least that is what I hear.”

  Nina had been giving me long looks, the kind that made her intentions clear. She’s was definitely cute, but besides the obvious, she really wasn’t what I wanted. “And what you need is a sure thing, like Adelina,” he added.

  “Are you saying that like I’m hard up or something? Just because the girls see you as the second coming doesn’t mean I can’t get one if I wanted one,” I said. “Example. Do you really think that if you weren’t dating her sister, Adelina would choose you over me?”

  In my peripheral, I caught Flynn rolling his eyes. He couldn’t dispute that no matter how much I wished that statement weren’t true. Stepping on the gas, I shocked Flynn into turning back in his seat. “Dude,” he cursed.

  I laughed. “Adelina and you are too close alike in ways. She wants me because I’m the heaven next to her evil. She seeks salvation in me,” I said jokingly trying to smooth out the guy’s ruffles.

  Flynn finally laughed. “Do you ever get tired of it? People always confessing their sins to you not knowing why they feel compelled to talk.”

  Now it was my turn to roll my eyes because yes, it got old. “You wouldn’t believe what Brody said once he came to,” I began.

  “This I want to hear,” Flynn said turning his attention back to me. But I heard the truth in my best friend’s voice. The guy still felt bad about hurting Brody and more so Shelli, his sister.

  “No really, you don’t want to hear,” I said remember how Brody was nearly in tears talking about how his family was counting on him, and about how he couldn’t afford to lose his scholarship. Flynn would just feel worse so I hoped the guy wouldn’t press me for more details.

  It was always hard when the big guys fell apart. That’s one of the great things about my friendship with Flynn. My uncontrollable influence didn’t affect my best friend. He’d never felt compelled to share his deepest “feelings” to me.

  Flynn shook his head before running his palm over that spiked up Mohawk he wore. It was a new style for him and the girl’s were eating it up. I was always amazed at how much they talked about his hair. Boldly, they would ask to run their fingers through it and remark how it always fell back into place. My own hair was a curling mess I hardly bothered with. So the hair thing was just bizarre to me. Usually, I let my own air dry the same way it was when got out the shower.

  “No, I guess you’re right. I really don’t want to know,” Flynn replied.

  It wasn’t long after that I pulled the car into the gravel drive at the majestic house. From here you could see the lake with the sun reflecting off the surface.

  If the girls weren’t coming, this may have been what I needed. Instead I popped the trunk to grab the liquor we’d brought along in case the house wasn’t stocked. Flynn had given me knowing looks about my need to bring so much alcohol. But he wasn’t the one that was going to be stuck w
ith the hell spawn who wanted nothing more than to crush my balls with her bare hands. I got goose bumps at the thought. If Flynn wasn’t like a brother to me, I wouldn’t be here. I would have gone and hung out over Brent’s house instead.

  After unpacking the car, I stepped back outside and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, my other vice. With practiced movements, I had the thing lit and in my mouth in a flash. The first inhale sent that nicotine coursing through my blood stream. Too bad the angel gene would kill off the effects faster than I could smoke them. I needed to calm my nerves. With the other hand, I held a brand new bottle of Grey Goose. If I drank it quickly enough, I might just get a buzz. I hoped to be numb before the girls showed up.

  Certainly drinking wouldn’t solve any of my problems, including the weight of the world on my shoulders. The weight of my father’s world and all the fallen was more like it. The council and my father alike wanted me to be so perfect. I wasn’t. I couldn’t show them by shirking my duties. It wouldn’t be fair to put someone else’s life at risk to prove I was still in control of my own destiny. Even my friends thought I was a goody goody at times. And Flynn too, although I guess he thought now I’d lost my way. But in actuality, I’d found it. I found a way to be in charge of my own life. It wasn’t the best method, but it was all I had or so it seemed. Thus drinking and even smoking had become my quiet rebellion, a way to thumb my nose at authority without hurting anyone else.