by Laken Cane
“Did she think you were just going to hand over five thousand dollars for no reason?” Jack frowned. “Did that bald freak threaten you?”
Rune shrugged. “She threatened to spread the word about my father. And that I was a vampire as well.” She laughed, hoping no one noticed the thread of uneasiness in her voice.
Ellis frowned, and Rune looked away, unable to meet his stare.
“I’ll be back,” Raze said.
“Raze, take one of the guys with you. I don’t want you facing that sneaky floater alone. She’s not going to want to come.”
“I don’t—”
“Please. I’d feel better if you did.”
He thought for a second and then motioned to Denim. “Come on, kid.”
Denim looked surprised before climbing to his feet and following Raze out the door.
“While we’re waiting for Sherry,” Rune said, “you guys want to talk about COS, the Dark Others, or the fact that Percell wants to dress us up and trot us out to the public?”
“You know,” Ellis said, nibbling a cracker he’d found in Rune’s woefully bare cupboard, “that idea does not suck.”
They all just looked at him.
“I’m serious,” he went on. “It could be good for Shiv Crew and good for River County. The world needs heroes. It needs superheroes. You guys.” He shrugged. “These days the people seem either ready to fight or to cry. They hide, they’re suspicious and afraid, and there is so much hate…” He trailed off for a second and then picked up the dropped thread of his thought. “We could change everything. We could change how we see the Others and how the Others see us.”
Ellis, the eternal optimist. He would never give up trying.
“If anyone could do that, Ellis, you could,” Rune said.
He leaned toward her and squeezed her hand. “No dearest, no one cares what I have to say. I mean, I know you guys do,” he corrected hastily, before they all jumped on his words, “but the county, Spiritgrove, they wouldn’t care. You guys are bigger than life. They’d want to know you.”
“Ellie—”
“Rune, you all need to give Mitch’s idea a chance. It can’t hurt, but it could certainly help.”
Dammit, Ellie. She never could deny him anything. She sighed, and her men knew what she was going to say before she said it. Maybe Lex was rubbing off on them.
“She’s going to say yes,” Z said, and laughed. “Movie stars!” He bumped his fist against Jack’s.
“Fucking movie stars,” she agreed.
“Raze is not going to be agreeable to this notion,” Jack said, smiling.
“No,” Rune said. “No, he is not.”
She lapsed into thought, dreading Sherry, but looking forward to the light she might shed on the mysterious Preston. She was pretty sure her men would ignore Sherry’s accusations about her being an Other now that she’d diluted the allegation.
But she was uneasy.
Raze and Denim were back in forty-five minutes, an irate and cuffed Sherry between them. Denim’s glare was almost as strong as Raze’s. Rune knew from experience Sherry could make a person crazy.
Raze strong-armed the floater toward the one big armchair. When she struggled to rise he pushed her down and held her there with a hand on her smooth head. “Sit.” He pointed at her with his free hand. “Stay.”
“I’m not a dog, you fucking ogre.” Sherry hadn’t lost her feisty attitude. Nor, apparently, her anger. She spotted Rune and her lip curled in contempt. “Well, hello, Alexander. I see you’ve recovered nicely.”
Shit. Rune hastened to shut her up. “We need to ask you some questions, Sherry.”
“Questions about what? About the fangs you grew when I staked your vampire mother? About who beat the shit out of you? About—”
“About,” Rune interrupted, ignoring the thoughtful looks her men were giving her, “a man named Preston.”
The change in Sherry was immediate and dramatic. She gasped, her mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish. Her face paled, contrasting sharply with the weathered skin of her head.
“That answers our question about whether or not she knows him,” Z said.
Sherry put a hand to her chest. “Shut up.” But her voice had lost its anger and now held only fear.
Yes, Sherry knew.
Getting her to share her information might be a problem, though.
“Sherry.” Rune sat on the edge of the coffee table near the floater and leaned forward. “Why don’t you tell us about the man who is fucking with the Others?”
“Take off the cuffs,” Sherry demanded, but her eyes were resigned.
Rune nodded for Raze to release the floater. “Now talk.”
“You’re all evil,” Sherry said. “But I guess Shiv Crew is the lesser one.” She stared over Rune’s head, refusing to meet her eyes. “The fucking wolves made my sister six years ago. No one knows.” She glared around at each of them. “And no one better find out, or I’m going to come after you fucks.”
“We all have our secrets,” Jack said. “No one here will tell yours.”
She ignored him. “A man known as Preston is taking money from the Others and hurting them if they can’t get the cash to him. Piece of shit.”
“Is it true that Preston is setting up the vampires because Llodra won’t pay him?”
Sherry shrugged. “I’d imagine so. He’s going to make sure the groups understand what’ll happen if they disobey him, but more than that, he’s a man who wants to rid the world of Others.” Finally, she looked at Rune. “I heard something else.”
Rune held her breath, knowing it was going to be something she so didn’t want to hear. “What?”
“I heard he’s using the money to fund the Church of Slayers—to help do such nice things as hire mercenaries to annihilate the Others.” In their shocked silence she continued. “It may not be true. Maybe he just found an easy way to make a ton of cash.”
Jack slapped his leg. “We have to find this motherfucker.”
Rune nodded, slowly. “He’s making the Others pay for their own future executions.”
Denim walked into the kitchen, and she let him go. She could understand his need to be alone to gather himself.
Z wasn’t convinced. “Why would he spend all that money to get rid of Others in the county? More will come.” He looked at Rune. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Why did COS and Karin Love attempt the very same thing?” Rune shrugged, glad Denim had walked away. “They want a world without Others.”
Fucking COS. Fucking Karin Love.
“I personally know of two people who send Karin Love fan mail,” Sherry said. “A lot of people are into that whole human-supremacy thing. Not that I give a fuck. There’s only one Other I care about.”
She looked at her crew. “We have to find and stop Preston.”
“And we have to stop the purges. The vampires are innocent,” Z said.
“Innocent,” Sherry said, snorting. “That’s almost funny.”
Z stood, glancing at an old Darth Vader clock on the bookshelf. “You’re going to have to go to Mitch, Rune. And Cross.”
“He’ll just order me to stay the hell out of it and to go on killing vampires. He won’t believe me without names, and—”
Sherry tensed immediately. “You swore not to give my sister or me up.”
“Calm down. I’m not giving him any names.”
“Talk to the wolves’ alpha,” Sherry said. “Just don’t tell him you spoke to me. I don’t want that scary fuck on my sister’s ass.”
Rune nodded. “I’ll talk to him. If he’ll trust us, we can end this. Get all the Others to stand together—”
“Ha.” Sherry ran a hand over her bare scalp. “That’ll never happen.”
“Something has to happen.” Rune sighed, then stood and stretched out her back. “I just realized that my feelings toward the Others are not as black-and-white as I’d imagined.”
Ellis grinned. “We always reali
zed it.”
She gave him a mock glare. “Sherry, you could pass the word to your sister that you overheard us talking about visiting her alpha. Beldane needs to know we’re coming. I don’t want to freak him out when we show up at his door.”
Sherry looked surprised that Rune might care about freaking out the pack leader. “Yeah. I’ll pass it along. But Marc isn’t going to freak. More likely he’ll try to take your head off. Go in prepared for some attitude. And take backup.”
“I always do. But if he’s so bad, why don’t you get your sister away from him?”
Sherry clenched her fists. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I have problems you can’t imagine, so don’t judge me, bitch.”
In spite of herself, Rune was just a little ashamed. “Raze, take her home. Thanks for your help,” she added to Sherry.
Sherry studied Rune for a long moment. “You know, Alexander, I’ve seen you like this before, all nice and shit. But in a few weeks you’ll be back to your rude, world-hating self. What gets into you?”
Rune refused to meet Ellis’s stare. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jack shrugged. “She’s not wrong.”
Rune put her hands on her hips and stared them down. “All of you go home. Get some rest. Bad things are coming whether I’m nice or not, and we need to be ready.”
What a fucking mess.
Chapter Sixteen
When she finally managed to fall asleep, her dreams were full of mistreated Others, her parents, and a faceless man known only as Preston.
Her first text of the day was from Jeremy. Come to my office. We need to talk.
She tried to deep breathe the knots of anxiety out of her stomach. It didn’t work. Fucking bastard.
Might as well get it over with. She couldn’t avoid him forever.
Breakfast was two cups of coffee and a dozen saltines she covered with grape jelly and ate over the kitchen sink.
She arrived at RISC and strode toward Jeremy’s office, determined to tell him it was over between them. “Fuck off, Jeremy,” she muttered. “Just fuck off.”
She’d said it before. She just had to stick with it. She didn’t have much faith in her ability to do so.
She had her hand raised to knock when his heated voice came through the door, making her hesitate. She couldn’t hear his words, but she knew well his anger.
Furious at herself for the fear that shot through her, she frowned and fondled her gun—something she always did when nervous. It wasn’t about her, though, that anger. He had company.
She’d just raised her hand again when the door was yanked open, and she came face to face with an Other.
She wasn’t sure how she knew he was an Other, but she knew. Her monster knew. Funny, when short weeks ago she wouldn’t have been aware that Lex was an Other without the silver binding her. Her monster was trying to take over, the bastard, and trying hard.
The Other was a slim, dark man with a faded crescent-shaped scar dissecting his top lip. He stared at her for a brief moment before murmuring an apology and slipping by her.
It was all she could do not to sniff at the air like a fucking wolf.
“Look at you,” Jeremy said, when she walked into his office. “I missed those beautiful blue eyes.”
“Who was that?”
He pushed his chair back and walked to the doorway, peering out it quickly before pulling it shut. “He’s no one.” He turned to look at her, smiling. “Come here, baby.”
Like nothing had ever happened. She narrowed her eyes at him, disgusted with herself because this same scene had played out so many times before. “I have to get to work. What do you want?”
He pulled her into his arms, holding her and rocking gently for a second. “I’m sorry, Rune. I didn’t mean to go that far.”
He tightened his embrace when she instinctively tried to pull away. His arms were hard bands around her, his chest solid against her cheek. He didn’t relax his grip but tightened it further when she struggled.
And part of her stilled immediately, relaxed in the face of his domination. She was just like fucking Pavlov’s dog.
But she closed her eyes and thought of Ellis, remembered her reflection when he’d told her to look at herself, and she stiffened right back up. He wasn’t expecting her to continue to struggle, and with one good shove, she freed herself from his arms.
It would do no good to tell him she wasn’t going to see him again. He wouldn’t believe her. “You’re a fucked-up asshole, Jeremy. Why did you call me in here?”
“I wanted to see you.” His deep voice rumbled, seductive and enticing, but surprise lingered in his eyes. “I had to see you.”
She forced herself away from the tempting, dark place toward which he urged her. As determined as she was to change, she was still weak and vulnerable when it came to Jeremy and to the relief he gave her.
She swallowed convulsively and backed away from him. “No.”
“Baby—”
“Someone is extorting money from the Others,” she said.
It was gratifying to see his eyes widen. He forgot to try to convince her to make out in his office. He straightened his tie and motioned her to a chair, then went to sit behind his desk. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. I don’t know who he is, only that he’s a powerful man. He set Llodra’s vampires up because they refused to pay him.” She spread her hands. “That’s all I’ve got.”
He just stared at her, his eyes dark. Dark meant he was getting angry, usually. His temper wasn’t his most endearing characteristic. “Where are you getting this idiotic information?”
“Call the vampire purge off until you figure this thing out.”
“No.”
She stood. “Then I’ll go to someone else.”
“Sit down.”
She smiled and knew it would not look pleasant. “No.”
“Rune, please. Sit down. Who…” He hesitated and ran his hand through his dark blond hair. “Tell me everything. Start from the beginning.”
“I can’t give you the names of my sources.”
“Sources?”
“Two of them…so far.”
“If I can’t talk to these people I can’t get anything done.”
She shrugged. “Sorry, but I’m not giving them up. It’s dangerous to them, and I gave my word.”
He waved his hands in the air. “Fine, whatever. Just talk. Tell me everything.”
She told him as much as she could, and by the end of her account he sat quietly, his stare pinning her to her chair. But she had a feeling he wasn’t even seeing her.
“Jeremy?”
He gave his head a little shake and focused on her. “Yes. I’ll see what I can do. It’s probably a good idea to keep this to yourself until I can find out if it’s even true.” Once again he left his chair and came to her, but this time to hurry her out.
She shook his hand from her arm. “I want to be kept updated.”
“Of course.”
“We have to catch this guy. He may be connected with COS. He and they need to be put down.”
“Don’t be naive, Rune,” he said, glancing at the big clock on his wall. “People are entitled to their opinions. Not everyone wants a world full of fucking monsters.”
“The Others would rather not live in a world full of fucking humans, but there’s not a lot either side can do about it. We can’t kill each other.”
“We’ll talk about it later.” He planted a quick kiss on her forehead. “Can I come see you tonight?”
She didn’t waver for a second. “No.”
“I understand. It’s too soon. But you look well.”
She frowned. “Jeremy…”
“Yes?” Hand on her arm again, urging her toward the door.
“You hate the monsters.”
He shifted his eyes away. “I don’t necessarily hate them.”
Her laugh was hard. “Come on. Don’t fucking do that.”
He shrugged, then pulled open the door. “Go away, Rune.”
“I know you’re sadistic, but you take extra pleasure in hurting me because of…” But she couldn’t say it. “Don’t you, Jeremy?”
He shot her a quizzical little half smile. “What is bringing all this on? Go home. Call me when you’re ready for me.”
“You hate me,” she said, disgusted that her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. Of course he fucking hated her. And she let him take all that contempt out on her. To stare at her with it in his eyes as she lay naked beneath him.
She had to get out of there.
She left the room without another word. Shamed and humiliated, she stumbled through the building. If someone had tried to talk to her she wouldn’t have heard the words. Only a loud rush of blood sounded in her ears, along with the uneven, fast tapping of her heartbeat.
Come on. I knew he hated my monster.
Yes. But not that he hated me.
Really?
This time when she ran from RISC, there were no berserkers lurking to trip her up. Might have been better if he had been there. He could have stopped her panicked rush from the building and given her a moment to just breathe.
Jeremy didn’t think of her and her monster as separate. Only she thought that way. Jeremy hated her. He hurt her. She leaned against the brick building biting a fingernail, a habit she’d managed to quit years ago.
It took her ten minutes to get herself under control.
Finally anger took the place of fear and scorn replaced shame. Fuck you, Jeremy. Who was he to shame her? He was the true monster.
Whatever came, she’d deal with it.
She and her fucking monster.
As she climbed in her car Mitch called. “Giving you a heads-up so you can get ready, Rune. In two days we’re scheduled for the River Run Hall meeting. Get something nice to wear.”
“God,” she said, groaning.
He laughed. “You’ll have fun. I promise.”
Yeah.
Like she still believed in promises.
Chapter Seventeen
They met at the office. Rune, the twins, and Lex would ride to River Run Hall together. Jack, Z, and Raze would follow in Raze’s truck.
