Boxed Set: The Ink Series Volume 1-4

by Holly Hood

  Version 2012.04.22

  Son of a bitch

  The glass banging against the counter made me angry. I lifted it from the bar and debated smashing it over Kenny’s head.

  Slade squeezed my hand. He didn’t say anything. He probably didn’t know what to say. What did you say when a dead body sat outside while you sat in a dirty bar?

  That son of a bitch.

  “Why are we here?” I raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to find your ex so she could bring my dad back to life?”

  The barmaid stopped pouring the drink and looked at me but it didn’t matter. I wished she would call the police. I wanted to see Kenny talk his way out of it.

  Kenny gritted his teeth and took another swig of whatever was in his glass. “She’s fucking crazy. Don’t listen to a word that comes out of her mouth.”

  The nuts spilled on the counter when she slid them toward me. She shrugged, showing how little she cared.

  “The only one who is crazy is you.” I sighed, I wished I knew how to shoot daggers into his skull and leave him crying on the floor like a big baby.

  Slade’s beautiful face came in between Kenny and I and chased the thought away.

  “Now is not the time. If we’re here it’s for a good reason.” He ran a hand down the back of his neck.

  Kenny rested his glass on the table. “Listen to your boyfriend before you piss me off.”

  I opened my mouth to say more but stopped.

  “You think I give a shit about the bartender hearing you talk about the dead body in my trunk?” He cocked his head sideways, several heads turned.

  “She’s done.” Slade touched my arm. “She won’t say another god damn thing.”

  I shut my mouth, when his hand slammed down on the table, the hand that killed my dad.

  Kenny put an arm around me and pointed across the room. “See the blonde?”

  I searched the crowd of drunks and found a skinny blonde wiping a table.

  “She’s the girl who can bring your daddy back to life. Unless of course you’ve changed your mind and want us to dump him on the side of the road somewhere.”

  I pulled away from his fingers toying with my hair. “I haven’t changed my mind.”

  “Alright, work your magic.”

  I waited for Slade to stand.

  “Why can’t you go ask her?” I looked at Kenny. He made everything so complicated.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t think about that.” He nodded at the bartender and took his glass. “Oh that’s right. She hates me.”

  I sighed. “Doesn’t everyone?”

  Slade interrupted us. “What’s the issue?”

  “I sort of beat the shit out of her husband and threatened to make the rest of her life miserable.” He shrugged.

  “And you think we can convince her to help?” I rolled my eyes. “By the way is there anyone that can stand you or do you like it that way?”

  Slade shook his head.

  Kenny raised an eyebrow. “I love how even though you know I hold your dad’s life in my hands you’re willing to talk shit to me. It’s kind of a turn on.”

  I swallowed.

  Slade sat his beer on the table. “I said we would help. I didn’t say I’d let you sexually harass my girl.”

  “You call it sexual harassment. I call it foreplay.”

  I grabbed my drink the sweat soaking my fingers. “What are we supposed to say to her?”

  “Say whatever you need to, do whatever you need to. Just get her to agree to a meeting.” Kenny downed his. “And do it fast she’s off soon.”

  I looked at Slade. “Maybe you should try without me.”

  “Whys that?”

  I wasn’t sure why, but I hoped any girl willing to marry Kenny could be crazy enough to let Slade hit on her. “Maybe you can use your charm.”

  Slade rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t have charm, I’m a fucking asshole. I’m still trying to figure out how I kept you around.”

  I smirked, the first time since Kenny killed my dad. “You are more charming than you will ever know.”

  Kenny’s balled up napkin bounced off my forehead. “Enough with the romance, nobody cares about your undying love in this bar.”

  I hoped we could convince her or it didn’t look good for my dad.

  BLOODY MARY AND BITTERNESS

  She was pretty.

  A little too pretty to get involved with such a d-bag like Kenny.

  She wasn’t even paying attention to us. I worried we came all the way for a rejection from the scorned lover of Kenny Carlo.

  I didn’t know what to say.

  “Excuse me.” I cleared my throat. “Could you tell me where the bathroom is?”

  She looked up and wiped her forehead with her forearm. Soft curls framed her face and light eyes looked me over.

  “The big sign that says restrooms.” She pointed over her shoulder.

  I spun around and gave Slade a silent plea for help.

  He stepped up. “How often does this place hire bands?”

  She stopped wiping the table. “The pay is horrible and as you can see the stage can hardly hold more than two people.”

  “A gigs a gig,” Slade said.

  She put her hands on her hips. “Tell Kenny to go fuck himself.”

  She rounded the table and walked away from us.

  I touched Slade’s arm. “I’m going to the bathroom. Come up with another plan while I’m gone.” I kissed him and hurried through the crowd.

  I needed a moment to collect myself. I refused to let Kenny see me cry.

  I shoved the stall shut and burst into tears glad nobody else could hear how pathetic I sounded.

  What good was magic if I couldn’t use it?

  I didn’t know how Elliot and Easton would handle the loss of both their parents if we couldn’t bring my dad back.

  I grabbed a mess of toilet paper and blew my nose, hoping this nightmare would be over soon.

  I turned on the water and splashed my face, blotting my eyes. The door opened.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here,” she said.

  I spun around and tossed the tear stained paper towel into the trash can.

  “No worries.”

  She didn’t go into the stall.

  “So how do the two of you know Kenny?”

  She was direct yet cautious.

  Like a wounded dog. One wrong move and I could scare her away.

  “He promised to help me out with something.” I looked down at my feet. “And I hope he comes through because if he doesn’t I don’t know what I will do.”

  She laughed. “Good luck with that. Kenny is only out for himself.”

  She bit the rubber band on her wrist and pulled her hair into a bun at the mirror.

  “I take it you think he’s an asshole too?”

  She nodded. “That’s putting it nicely. Kenny Carlo ruined my life more times than I would like to count. He ruins everything, that’s the way he is.”

  “He’s already ruined mine.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Than what the hell are you doing here?”

  I had to tell her. Maybe she would feel an ounce of sympathy for me. “He killed my father.”

  She didn’t act surprised.

  “And he says you know a way to bring him back.”

  All the color in her face drained. She stepped forward and backed me into the wall.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “My name is Hope.” I swallowed. She was a bit scary.

  “Why would that asshole think I would ever help him after what he did to me?”

  I shook my head, she grabbed me by the arm and wrenched it behind my back slamming me against the wall.

  “You tell that sorry piece of shit to stay far away from me and my family. The next time I see him I will kill him.” She headed for the door.

  I was grateful to see Slade when it opened.

  He stepped inside and turned the lock. ”We n
eed your help,” Slade said. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t.”

  She shook her head.

  “We have a dead body out in the parking lot. I am not leaving here until someone brings him back to life.” Slade flexed his jaw, and crossed his arms.

  “Go fuck yourself.” She stared him down daring him to make one move. “If I could bring back the dead do you really think I would be a waitress?”

  Slade shook his head. “Kenny said you could fix this.”

  She rolled her eyes. “He’s full of shit. I haven’t fixed anything in a really long time. It will kill me, and I don’t feel like dying, asshole.”

  I sighed. “I knew this was a waste our time.”

  Slade shoved the trashcan. “Fuck!”

  She scratched her head. “Look, I’m sorry about your father but Kenny knows I can’t do this, why would he even bring you two here?” She looked between the two of us for an answer.

  I bit my lip. I didn’t know if telling her we weren’t normal was a good thing or not.

  This girl hated Kenny Carlo more than me, and he killed my dad.

  Bitch meet Witch

  So let me get this straight,” she said. “You guys think you can help me?”

  Why was it so hard to understand? The girl was capable of incredible things herself. She could bring back the dead.

  “If you can help me, why don’t you bring him back yourself?” She stared at us like it was really that simple. My chest ached, I wished it was easy. I wish we could conjure a spell and bring my dad back to life. But it wasn’t, and I didn’t even know why.

  “You can’t bring a life back without serious consequences.” Slade crossed his arms. “There’s a reaction for every death,” he explained.

  She wiped down a table, and looked up, her jaw clenched. “If there was anyone who could understand that it would be me.”

  From the looks of her she wasn’t all that significant. She was pretty, and a bit defensive. But I didn’t blame her, she had to deal with Kenny that would make anyone that way.

  She looked over her shoulder and back at us.

  “But we can do something to keep you safe so you can help us,” Slade said.

  I held my breath. She slipped a hand in her apron and pulled out a phone. She scrolled through it and shoved it at us. “This is my son. And if anything ever happened to me he would be devastated. So the answer is no.”

  “It’s the same for me. He’s my dad and I have two brothers at home who are still young. They need him.” My heart sank, she sighed and moved on to the next table.

  “I’m not trying to sound like a bitch, but that’s not my problem.” She shrugged and walked away.

  Slade grabbed me before I could take off after her. “Just give her some time to think about it. We know where she works, we can always come back.”

  I stared at my hands. “She’s not going to do it.” She was right, why would she do it? She had nothing to gain and a hell of a lot to lose.

  “Let’s hope Kenny sees it that way,” I said.

  Slum lords and used condoms

  “You’re telling me this psycho has you locked in his apartment like some deranged serial killer?” Karsen sighed.

  I opened the medicine cabinet: sleeping pills, energy pills and some sort of antiseptic cream.

  “Yes. And as far as I know we aren’t going anywhere until we get this girl to agree to help bring my dad back.” I looked in the trash can and almost puked.

  Karsen groaned. “I miss you. California isn’t the same without you.”

  I nudged the trash can away with my shoe and took a seat. Kenny was right outside and I didn’t want to put up with him.

  “Karsen my father is in the trunk of his car. I am not here on vacation.”

  “I know. I just don’t know what to say anymore. Everyone’s asking questions. Kidd is mentally drained from wiping all these people’s memories every day.”

  It could have been worse. Kidd could have been locked in Kenny’s nasty bathroom held prisoner. “Well, tell Kidd I appreciate each and every memory he erases. It means the world.” And I meant it. If it weren’t for Kid, we would have been in even more trouble than we were now.

  Someone wrapped on the door. I covered the phone before I lashed out. “Can’t a girl have a few minutes alone?”

  “You’ve had your minutes. Now get the fuck out here,” Kenny said.

  I rolled my eyes and unlocked the door. “I have to go. The psycho has summoned me.”

  Karsen sighed. “Tell him Cherry still hates him and if he does anything to my friend I will be sure my boyfriend guts him.”

  Kenny rolled his eyes. “Tell blondie she wishes her boyfriend had the balls to even consider it.”

  I didn’t humor him; instead I hit end on my phone and plopped down on his sleazy leather sectional next to Slade.

  “This place is disgusting,” I pointed out. I looked around at all the take out boxes and empty beer cans. He sure lived the bachelor lifestyle.

  “That’s one of the perks of living alone,” he said. “I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

  I crossed my arms. “Judging by your wastebasket filled with used condoms you aren’t alone much.” It disgusted me.

  Slade leaned back on the sofa. “I didn’t expect anything less out of him. The part that shocks me, the last time I saw him he was rolling in dough. What happened?”

  I looked Kenny over. He didn’t look rich. It was hard to believe. The designer jeans and nice watch offered a hint of that lifestyle. But the apartment did nothing to prove it.

  “A lot of gambling and a lot of drinking,” he said. “It makes you go broke fast.”

  “I don’t mean to change the subject but what’s in this for you?” I raised an eyebrow. “What could her bringing my dad back have to do with you?”

  He was on his feet before I could say anymore. He rifled through some mail and tossed over some papers. Slade looked them over, and I read over his shoulder.

  “He was part of a billion dollar company,” Slade said. “And that girl was his partner.”

  “What kind of company?” I asked.

  “We were in the business of bringing back the dead. And if you can’t figure it out it was really lucrative.” Kenny takes a seat across from us. “Once Eve found out she couldn’t raise the dead anymore she quit and shit went south quick. I left Jersey, blew through my half and came back let’s just say bitter.”

  I looked at Slade. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You expect us to believe you were able to spend billions of dollars?”

  Kenny shrugs. “Believe whatever you want. You think I would live here if I had the money to live somewhere else?”

  I stood up. “Even if we can help she hates you. She’s never going to work with you again.”

  “I guess you better get really creative, because if I’m not rolling in dough pretty soon you’re going to be worrying about more than your dad’s body in my trunk.”

  Fear the Reaper

  As soon as the door shut Slade filled me in. I couldn’t believe he left us alone. Not that taking off was even an option with my dad in his trunk.

  “This isn’t good,” Slade said. “What they did is not good.”

  I carved a hand through my hair. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve told you about spells. And death, you can’t bring back the dead over and over again without consequences.”

  I crossed my arms. “Like what kind of consequences?” I was willing to deal with them because I refused to allow my dad to stay dead.

  “Ghost for one.” Slade sighed. “Remember Ezra, well how would you like a bunch of her running around?”

  It didn’t matter as long as I had my dad back. “I don’t care. What else?”

  Slade raises an eyebrow. “That’s not enough? What about nightmares and hallucinations? Or losing a part of yourself you might never get back?”

  “Fine by me. I’m not the one doing it.” Eve was, and by the time dad came back to
life we would be on our way back to California.

  “I’m talking about your dad,” Slade says. “And we are a part of this. We are the ones breaking the veil. It can affect us too.”

  I sighed. “Do you want me to say forget it? That my dad isn’t worth it?”

  Slade touched my face. “No. I’m saying what if we bring him back and he is in worse shape than before this happened?”

  I frowned.

  “What if in a couple weeks you’re wishing the only problem he has is drinking?”

  Memories of all the spells I studied swirl around in my conscious. I didn’t know how but one came to the forefront. “But if you give a life in place of the one you bring back it’s like it never happened.”

  Slade perked up. “That’s not true. You just slow the inevitable from happening. Eventually it all comes apart, trust me.”

  I sat back down. “Well, I want my dad back. We have to do something.”

  Slade raised my chin, his fingers in my hair. “I would never say no to you.”

  His kiss excited me, even in Kenny’s nasty apartment. I grabbed the back of his head and explored his mouth. “Then let’s figure out a way because I need my dad.”

  Slade nodded, and we fell back against the couch. He ran a hand under my shirt. “Whatever you want.”

  I pulled him by the hair back to my mouth. We shared another slow kiss that set my insides on fire. Having sex with Slade in Kenny’s apartment wasn’t the worst thing that I could do.

  But before we could, the door opened.

  “Don’t look so happy to see me.” Kenny tossed down his keys ending any chance of romance.

  Brother lover

  I had begun to hate the bar.

  But as I watched the pretty blonde go about her business cleaning and serving customers I remembered why we were there.

  Slade’s finger circled the mouth of his beer as he studied her. “What do you think it takes to have the ability to bring back the dead?” he asked. “Do you think she’s a witch?”