by Boone Brux
Table of Contents
Reapercussions
Boone Brux
About This Book
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.
This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Robyn Peterman. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Magic and Mayhem remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Robyn Peterman, or their affiliates or licensors.
For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds
Reapercussions
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The Poppy Carlyle Chronicles
Boone Brux
About This Book
Reapercussions is a Kindle World offering featuring Poppy Carlyle.
Having grown up in Assjacket, WV hasn’t been easy, especially when everybody, but Poppy, was a Shifter. Even coming from a Shifter family hadn’t made her any more popular. If anything, it had made her more of an outcast.
Finding her own place in the community had come in the form of a job offer. Now the regional grim reaper, she helps the souls of paranormal beings who have died crossover. Sure, her life might be a tad boring and she can’t tell anybody about being a reaper, but having a purpose and being gainfully employed makes up for that.
But boredom takes a hike when Jax Jackson, Poppy’s high school crush, arrives back in town. He’s taken a law enforcement position for the area, which could mean trouble for Poppy. Breaking the law to get her reap is common practice for her and when her latest job lands her on his family land, it’s going to take more than sweet talk to prove she’s not guilty.
Her mission: reap three honey badger poltergeists and win the man of her dreams, all without getting killed. Easy.
Chapter One
The shotgun exploded less than three yards from me, rattling my brain and nearly bursting my eardrums. “For the love of God, Zeek, stop shooting at the river!” I stomped toward my cousin. “Nobody is over there.”
“I saw something move on the bank, Poppy.” He lifted the gun and peered through the scope. His mouth sagged open as he scanned the far bank. Zeek wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, and it was a miracle that he hadn’t hurt himself yet. “Probably one of them damn mountain lion Shifters,” he grumbled.
“If they are—” I grabbed the stock of the gun, yanked it from his hands, and held it above my head. “—they have every right to be there.”
“Cut it out.” He jumped and swung for the weapon, but missed. I’m several inches taller and have a good twenty pounds on him. Not to mention, I took immense pleasure in emasculating him every chance I got. “Give it back.” He swiped at the gun again and when he missed, he spun toward the house. “Daddy, tell her to give me my gun back.”
Not opening his eyes or stopping his rocking, my uncle Zeddicus called, “Poppy, give the boy his shotgun.” The evening sun glinted off his egg-shaped head each time he rocked forward. Most of the men in my family were bald. Probably because of the armadillo Shifter blood running through their veins. “A Shifter needs to defend his land,” he continued. “That’s something you wouldn’t understand.”
“I don’t have to be a Shifter to understand defending your land, but there’s nobody over there.” Even after the numerous times I’d been regaled with my mom’s gruesome twenty-three-hour labor and delivery story, I still wasn’t convinced she hadn’t adopted me. In no way did I resemble the rest of the family with my curly reddish-brown hair, green eyes, and dizzying five-foot-nine height. Plus, I wasn’t a Shifter. I didn’t fit in—never had. “He’s wasting shotgun shells.”
“You gotta honor the feud, Poppy,” Zeek snapped, making another grab for the gun. “It’s a matter of honor.”
“There’s nothing honorable about shooting at somebody else’s property.”
For decades, my family had been feuding with the Jacksons, a mountain lion clan. Both territories bordered the Snake River, and both families vehemently believed they owned that river. During the disagreement, neither had given an inch on the matter, even after Mac, the king of all Shifters, had ruled that the river fell into neutral territory. Personally, I didn’t understand what all the fuss over the twelve-mile stretch of muddy water was all about.
When Zeek lunged at me again, I palmed his chest and shoved. A girly squeak yipped from him as he stumbled backward, his arms flailing in an effort not to fall.
“Sweet Lord,” I muttered, scowling at him. If that boy didn’t man up he’d never find a woman. Then again, maybe it was better if he didn’t procreate. I turned to my uncle. “Giving Zeek a gun is dangerous, Zeddicus. If he injures, or worse, kills somebody, Martin Jackson will bring down a wrath of hurt on you.”
My uncle stopped rocking and leveled a stare at me. “Poppy.”
His voice sent a chill up my spine. I’d gone too far. Spoken the unspeakable name of his archenemy. He might have been a small man, but when my uncle used that tone, even I wasn’t stupid enough to cross him. Mom had taught me to respect my elders—and cover my own ass. I pushed the gun at Zeek. “Idiot.”
“Hag.” He jerked the weapon from my grasp and chambered another round. Lifting the gun to his cheek, he scoped the far bank again. “Here kitty, kitty.”
“Nobody is—” The gun exploded again, cutting off my objection. I slapped my hands over my ears, which did nothing to stop the ringing. “The next time you do that I’m going to punch you in the throat!”
The popping of tires rolling down my uncle’s gravel driveway drew our attention. A blue light flashed from the dash of a black SUV, drawing Uncle Zeddicus to his feet. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his camouflage cargo pants and stepped to the railing of the porch. Whenever he stood, he meant business. An uninvited stranger on his land was definitely a stand-worthy event.
“Who’s that?” Zeek asked, squinting at the car.
The reflecting sun made it impossible to see into the windshield, but the flashing light undeniably said law enforcement. Besides Mac, the Shifter king, we didn’t have a formal police department around here. There wouldn’t have been any point. No way would any Shifter worth his weight abide by human laws. Armadillo Shifters weren’t the meanest group around, but they were Shifters none the less. If push came to shove, most of the clans would rally together against any outside influence.
When the engine shut off and the driver’s door opened, it took all of two seconds for me to recognize the trespasser. Jax Jackson. Yes, his mama and daddy actually named him that. He’d been my forbidden high-school infatuation. Since he hailed from the rival mountain lion family, I’d always felt it was a little Romeo and Julietteish—without the suicide part—and the part where he was in love with me. Sadly, he hadn’t known I existed.
When I was a sophomore, he’d crushed my delicate teenage heart. Honey, one of my numerous, and incredibly ditzy cousins, leaked to Jax that I planned on asking him to the Sadie Hawkins dance. She never could keep her pie-hole shut. First, he acted as if he didn’t know who I was. Seriously? There were only one-hundred-and-four kids in the entire school. Then he said he wasn’t going. Ouch.
For the rest of the school year, I avoided him. Thankfully, he graduated and solved the dilemma of se
eing him every day. It took a while to get over Jax, but I had. Now, here he was again, looking as hot as ever. So not fair.
He slammed the car door and sauntered toward the house. His movements were graceful, like a cat, and my eyes zeroed in on his muscular chest. He’d filled out—a lot. The teenage boy who had kept me awake at night, pining, had morphed into a man who no doubt could do the same. His golden hair hit him at chin-level with that messy-on-purpose look. I swear he had a kagillion different shades of brown and gold threading through those locks. A lot of mountain lion Shifters shared that trait, but none looked as good as Jax Jackson.
My gaze cut to my cousin Amy. She’d lived through my Jax infatuation. Had heard every tale, dried a lot of my tears, and had vowed to knife him if he ever showed his face in town again—like any good girlfriend would. Her gaze cut from Jax to me. From the way her eyebrows lifted I knew she was asking if she should sharpen her knife. I loved that girl.
Smiling, I shook my head. I was fine. So what if he looked amazing? Big deal. I wasn’t a lovesick teenager anymore. I was perfectly fine being near him.
“Afternoon, Zeddicus.” Jax’s deep voice poured over me, churning up urges my teenage self could have never imagined. I swore I could smell his cologne from where I stood. Like the icy winds that blow across the mountain tops, mixed with rain from the deepest part of the Amazonian jungle. Natural and wild. I gave myself a mental shake. Snap out of it, Poppy.
“Jax.” My uncle tipped his head but continued to glower at him. “Something I can help you with?”
“Yes, sir.” He shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, his biceps flexing against the tight sleeves of his untucked button-down, and turned toward Zeek. His gray-green gaze ghosted across me as if I wasn’t there. Seemed some things hadn’t changed. “I got a call about gunshots.”
“So?” Zeek snapped. “It’s my constitutional right to shoot this whenever I want.” He waved the gun at Jax. “Nothing you can do about it either. You ain’t even supposed to be on our land.”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. How was I related to these people? That question plagued me like a cheap thong.
“Boy’s got a point,” my uncle said. “This is our land. We ain’t hurtin’ nobody.”
“I’m here to make sure the situation doesn’t escalate.” Though he addressed Zeddicus, he kept his eyes trained on Zeek. “Thought I should also let you know I’ve been hired to keep the peace around here.” Then he did look at my uncle. “In an official capacity.”
“By whose authority?” my uncle said.
“Washington. Seems those who know about Shifters felt we needed the presence of the law to keep issues contained and deal with our own.”
“And you’re saying that’s you?” Zeddicus asked.
A white smile that made my knees buckle stretched his mouth. “It is.”
“We got Mac.” Zeek took a threatening step forward. “We don’t need no mountain lion giving us orders.” To drive his point home, he hocked a loogie and spat. Unfortunately, he missed the ground and hit his boot. “Oh man,” he whined, dragging his foot against the gravel.
At the sound of my sigh, Jax’s eyes cut to me. His upper lip curled in a smirk before his gaze moved back to Zeek. Not sure if his smirk was amusement or disgust, I mirrored his expression, so he didn’t think I cared what he thought about me.
“So, let me get this straight.” My cousin Amy sashayed down the front steps. Her real name was Amaryllis Jean, but only the truly brave and stupid called her that. “You’re the new law around here?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He watched her approach, the smirk stuck in place.
His eyes wandered over her, and a spark of jealousy roared to life inside me. Where the heck had that come from? I shifted my weight to my other foot, bit the inside of my cheek, and reminded myself I didn’t care about Jax anymore. My life was complete without a man. I gave a mental nod to myself and ignored the voice in my head shouting, “Liar!”
“And if we get out of line,” Amy continued. “You going to arrest us?”
“I have the authority, but I hope it never comes to that.”
She stopped a foot from him, slipped her hands into the back pockets of her cutoffs, and cocked her head. “You got a gun?”
“Yep, but I doubt I’ll need it.” We all knew he meant because he was a mountain lion Shifter. Not many Shifters around here would be able to take him down. Maybe the wolves and bears, but it would be an equal fight. “I also carry a tranquilizer gun and animal tranq darts.”
“What about a taser?”
“Got one of those, too.”
A coy grin pulled at Amy’s lips. “Handcuffs?”
His smirk stretched to a smile. “Most definitely.”
“You think you might have to frisk a girl if she gets out of line?”
“Amaryllis Jean,” my uncle growled.
“I’m just curious, Daddy.” Instead of looking at my uncle, she pivoted and stared at me. “I think we need to know what we’re dealing with. Don’t you, Poppy?”
My eyes narrowed on her. At that moment I wished I had a round of elephant tranquilizers.
Jax’s gaze scooted from Amy to me and held. His pupils dilated, and his eyes narrowed. Something a little hot and feral passed between us. For the first time, I felt like he actually saw me. I resisted the urge to fan myself.
“Anyway…” He turned and addressed Zeek.” I need you to stop shooting across the river. Despite the conflict between the Dolbinrods and the Jacksons, the fact is that anything beyond the waterline is private property.” He glanced at my uncle. “You can’t argue that point, Zeddicus.”
At first, my uncle didn’t reply, just squinted at him. I held my breath. Nothing good would come from stirring up trouble with the mountain lions. I’d been telling my family that for months, but my argument had fallen on deaf ears. Hopefully, hearing it from Jax would help logic sink in.
After a few tense seconds, he gave a single nod. “You have my word. No more shooting across the way.” When Zeek’s whining protest split the air, my uncle cut him off. “Shut up, boy.”
My cousin’s lips compressed, but lucky for him he didn’t argue. His glare made it clear he wasn’t happy with Jax or his daddy’s decision.
“Thanks for your cooperation. Zeddicus. I appreciate it.” Looking at my Aunt Charlotte, he gave a half bow. “Ma’am.”
A girlish giggle tinkled from her, and I had to bite my bottom lip to repress a smile. It was no secret that Aunt Char appreciated a nice-looking man—maybe a tad too much at times. She brandished the title of county flirt with relish. I asked my uncle once if it bothered him. He said, “Your aunt is a wonderful woman, Poppy, but it’s no secret she hit every branch of the ugly tree as she fell to earth. If flirting gives her a measure of joy, then I’m glad for it.”
I thought his answer had been brutally honest and thoughtful at the same time. But, I couldn’t argue with him. My Aunt Charlotte got double helpings of kindness and generosity, but the woman was the living embodiment of an armadillo. Long round nose, beady dark eyes, and ears that stuck out and up. Thank God for the bonding of mates.
“You all have a nice evening,” Jax said. Again, his eyes darted to me, held a snip longer than was natural, before he turned and walked to his car.
And what a walk it was. My gaze drifted across his broad back and down to his tight tush. Lord have mercy, the sight of his backside made my mouth go dry, and my body heat up. He slid into the car. After he closed the door, the engine revved to life, and he slowly backed up and turned. I watched him until he disappeared into the woods.
“Well, well, well,” Amy said, sauntering toward me. “Look who’s back in town.”
I didn’t reply, but did cock an eyebrow at her, daring her to say anything else.
“He can’t do that, can he?” Zeek asked. “I mean, we don’t need no police around here.”
“We don’t need any police,” I corrected.
“See.”
He pointed at me. “Even Poppy agrees with me.”
I truly suspected if breathing weren’t a reflex, he would have suffocated long ago.
“You’ll do as your told.” My uncle returned to his chair and began rocking. “We don’t need to beg trouble where it’s not needed.”
With a sulking harrumph, Zeek stomped past me and disappeared around the back of the house.
At least my uncle had some common sense. I headed for my car. “Gotta get home. I’ll come by later this week.”
My aunt and uncle gave me a single wave, but my cousin wasn’t finished with me yet. “So?” Amy asked, falling into step next to me. “What about Jax?”
“What about him?” I didn’t slow, having hit my stupid conversation quota for the day.
“Don’t act like you don’t still have a crush on him.”
“That was eight years ago.” I pulled open my car door. “I’ve been over him a long time.”
“Really?” She crossed her arms over her chest and sticking out her hip.
“Yes.” I dropped onto the hot driver’s seat, and immediately lifted my butt. I grabbed the beach towel and shoved it underneath me. “Really.”
“So, you don’t want to know if he has a girlfriend?” She gripped the door frame, preventing me from slamming the door on her smug face. “Not even a little?”
“Not even a little.” I glanced at her hand and lifted my brows. “You mind?”
“No.” She released the car and stepped back. “I don’t mind, but I think you do.”
“Seriously, Amy, I’m over him.”
I slammed the door on her disbelieving snort and blew her a kiss, letting her know I appreciated her concern. Out of everybody in our family, she was the only normal one. Well, normal as is relative concerning a clan of armadillo Shifters. My extended family definitely had a few screws loose.
As I pulled down the gravel drive, my mind drifted to Jax. Of course, I’d lied about wanting to know if he had a girlfriend. Seeing him again dredged up a ton of old feelings I’d foolishly thought I’d exorcised. I hadn’t. Plus, now I had a libido to go with those feelings.
