Unleashed (Unmemorable Series Book 2)

by A. P. Jensen

  “I’m going to tell you only once. I trust Cain. As hard as it is for you to see what a gem I am,” she gave him a brilliant smile, “he loves me. So, how about we stop the pissing contest? I have some questions about the curse.”

  “What makes you think I’ll tell you anything?”

  She sighed long and hard. “I went to see Cain’s great-grandma since she’s the one that started this rumor about the prophecy. I went there to get off the hook. Instead, she thinks I am the one who can break the curse. I don’t know if I can and I haven’t made promises to anyone, but I have to try.”

  Gerald crossed his arms and didn’t speak.

  “What have you got to lose?” she asked.

  “Everything. I don’t want them to think there’s a way out of this.”

  “Like the way you thought having kids with all these women would create a savior for all of you?”

  Gerald didn’t move, but she felt his temper spark in the air around him.

  “The sooner you give me the information I need, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair.”

  He glared at her and she sighed.

  “You think the prophecy is bogus and you think I’m trying to steal your boys and take them on a wild ride. Fine. Completely wrong, but they believe in me and they have dreams. So do I. I need to try for all of us. What you and I believe doesn’t matter. Do you see?”

  They sat in silence for a long minute and she quickly grew impatient.

  “So far Harvard’s given me a cleansing bath, sprinkled me with sweat from a scarlet woman and bought me a black cat that should absorb evil. He’s moving onto sacrifices, so I came to you.”

  Gerald relaxed the tiniest bit, sat back in his chair and rested one foot over his knee. “Harvard thinks he can reverse the curse by sprinkling you with sweat from a scarlet woman?”

  “Apparently.”

  Gerald snorted. “I bet he recruited Bam Bam for that.”

  Her lips wanted to curve, but she made a conscious effort to keep them straight.

  “Where’s Harvard getting these crackpot spells?”

  “Google.”

  Gerald scoffed and she saw a minute quirk of his lips before he scowled. “And what do you want from me?”

  She didn’t show her relief. “I want to know why we’re cursed.”

  He stared at her for a long moment and tapped his fingers on the desk. “We’re descended from a man named Francis Thayer. He was a rakehell and the youngest of five sons. He was the Queen’s assassin and it’s rumored that he became intimately involved with the Queen and most of the women in court.”

  “Queen?” she choked.

  “We’re French.”

  “Say what?”

  “Francis’s wife was a woman of power and wouldn’t tolerate his cheating. When his wife caught him, she cursed Francis so all the women he seduced wouldn’t remember him.”

  “That’s not the story I was expecting,” Raven said thoughtfully.

  Gerald shrugged. “That’s what I was told.”

  She pursed her lips. Now that she knew the story behind the curse, she was at a loss as to what to do next. “How am I supposed to reverse the curse? How can I undo what Francis did?”

  “You’re setting yourself up for a big fall.”

  She gave him a bland smile. “Won’t be my first time. Do you know Francis’s wife’s name?”

  “I think her name was Olivie Belrose.”

  “Olivie Belrose,” Raven said thoughtfully and got to her feet. “Thanks, Pop.”

  She wondered if she imagined the sound of his teeth grinding as she walked to the door. He called out and she turned back as he got to his feet.

  “If you’re playing us false, you’re going to regret it,” he promised.

  She blew him a kiss and slammed the door behind her.

  Chapter Ten

  The hallway was filled with the sound of growly men voices and rap music. The sound of her heels preceded her and men filtered out of the gym and game room. She didn’t see anyone she recognized and wished she had a weapon right now. She tried to walk past the gym, but a man stepped in her path. He had one small eye that was a closed slit and tattoos all over his arms. When she tried to go around him, he blocked her way. She tilted her head up and stared into his one good eye.

  “Get out of my way, Popeye, before I make you,” she said.

  The men behind him choked as they overheard the insult. Popeye’s hands clenched into fists and his face turned purple. She waited for him to say something, but he just stared at her as if he couldn’t believe that she wasn’t afraid of him. Maybe he was too stupid to talk.

  “You have ten seconds to get out of my way,” she said pleasantly. “Ten, nine, five, one.”

  She stomped her heel onto the toe of Popeye’s sneaker. Blood spurted from his shoe and he let out an ear-piercing shriek. Popeye swung and she ducked under his arm and made a run for it. He leapt after her and caught the back of her leather jacket. She slipped her arms out of it and whirled to deliver a high kick that caught him on the ear. Popeye crashed into the wall and men swarmed toward her. She would’ve been alarmed if she hadn’t anticipated that this might happen.

  Someone grabbed the back of her neck. She swung her fist and caught him on the nose. He howled and tightened his hold. She stomped his foot, too, and got thrown to the ground. Her hands stung as they broke her fall. She closed her eyes as the men circled her and shouted like they were at the Super Bowl. Jesus, why were they so loud? She could feel their excitement and knew this wasn’t a test. This was the real deal.

  She did the Clarity thing and it was easier to pinpoint them with her eyes closed than use her vision and get distracted by all the hand-waving and hopping men. She braced her weight on her hands and kicked back like a horse when someone tried to jump her from behind. She jumped to her feet and crouched as three men attacked at once. She kicked one in the balls, broke another’s collarbone and turned as the last man pulled out a blade. She broke his wrist and snatched the knife before it clattered to the floor. She ducked her head and waited for the next fool to move. The floor was a bit slippery beneath her heels, but the stiletto boots were such good weapons that she didn’t try to take them off.

  Five men let out heart-stopping yells like Indians. Raven’s knife sliced through the air. She used the blade with such skill that most of the men didn’t know they were hurt until they slipped in their own blood. Like the other guys, these Unmemorables underestimated her. She had a grand time gliding through their ranks and leaving a trail of stinging cuts that would hurt like a bitch later on. She took several hits, but nothing too serious.

  When she opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Gerald and he didn’t look happy. Behind Gerald stood Jackie, Big Daddy, Sunshine and Luester. Sunshine was drawing madly and Batman wove between his legs.

  “When the fuck were you going to tell me she has Clarity?” Gerald growled at his son.

  Jackie shrugged. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

  “Where’d you learn to fight like that, girl?” Big Daddy asked.

  “The ghetto,” she said and wiped the blade on an unconscious guy’s clothes.

  “Hot damn, maybe we should send the boys to the ghetto instead of the gym. They look like fucking pansies. Raven, after you break the curse, you have another job—training these bastards.”

  Raven smiled and adjusted her top to make sure she wasn’t flashing anyone and set the knife beside the man she’d taken it from.

  “This is my son, Sunshine,” Big Daddy said and clapped him proudly on the back. “He’s taken a liking to you. He thinks you’re a super hero.” He jabbed his finger at Luester who looked just as disapproving as Gerald. “And you already know Luester who I should have named Lucifer, but it’s too late now.”

  Raven giggled and Gerald let out a disgusted hiss. He stalked back to his office, and when he shut the door, the sound echoed down the hallway. She snatched her leather jacket from Popeye and pl
aced her heel over his splayed hand. He stopped breathing and looked up at her with his one good eye.

  “Don’t get in my way again,” she said and waited for his nod before she went over to Sunshine. “Can I see your drawing?”

  Sunshine ignored her, so she peeked around him and grinned. In the sketch Sunshine accentuated her breasts, made her waist a little smaller and dressed her in a corset top with leather pants and knee high boots. Honestly, it was wicked hot.

  “Do I get a cape?” she asked.

  Sunshine nodded vigorously, and with just a few strokes, gave her a dashing cape. She gave into her impulse and hugged him around the waist. Despite being in his mid-twenties there was a boyish quality to Sunshine that reminded her of Maggie. There was a calm about him that made her want to be close to him and she didn’t fight it. She felt the same instant connection with Sunshine that she had with Jackie.

  “You said you weren’t going to fight,” Luester reminded her.

  “What was I supposed to do? They attacked me!”

  “You started it,” Luester said darkly.

  She held up a finger. “No, Popeye wouldn’t get out of my way. He started it.”

  “You were itching for a fight.”

  Raven shrugged. “So were they. Where’s the boys?”

  Luester bared his teeth. “We’re not boys. I’m older than you.”

  “Good for you.”

  “That was awesome,” Jackie broke in and put his arm around her shoulders. “You got Pop’s attention. The rest of the guys are in the kitchen.”

  “Did Gerald tell you anything?” Luester demanded.

  She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “What do you think?”

  They walked into a huge kitchen large enough to accommodate every Unmemorable in the mansion. Ace, Harvard, Bam Bam and Happy sat at one of three long tables and ate turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and ham. She grabbed a plate and piled it high while Luester filled the others in on the scuffle.

  “How the hell did you start a fight with Max?” Happy asked.

  “She fucking called him Popeye,” Luester said.

  There was a stark silence and then they all burst into laughter.

  “Holy shit, I never thought of that one before. Its perfect!” Bam Bam said.

  Sunshine sat beside her, but he didn’t touch the food. He drew with a desperate air as if his life depended on getting all the details right. She let him be and ate since she’d worked up an appetite. Batman jumped onto the bench and rubbed his head against Sunshine, purring. Sunshine stopped to pet Batman before he continued.

  “So, what did Gerald say?” Jackie asked.

  She explained the story about Francis Thayer and Olivie Belrose. The guys looked as dumbfounded as she’d been with she first heard the story.

  “We’re from France? Where the fuck is my hot accent?” Bam Bam demanded.

  “We know why we’re cursed. So what?” Luester asked in a surly tone.

  Raven mulled this over. “Maybe a descendant of Olivie Belrose can reverse it. The one that put the curse on us is usually the only one who can take it away, right?”

  Harvard stroked an invisible beard. “You know what? That makes sense.”

  Raven toasted him with the cold beer Happy set in front of her. “Thank you.”

  “Done!” Sunshine burst out.

  Raven jumped. Sunshine turned the sketch toward them and she thought she looked damn good. Bam Bam’s low whistle confirmed it.

  “Its great,” she said to Sunshine who nodded and got started on another sketch.

  “Why didn’t I think of asking a descendant to reverse it?” Harvard asked himself.

  “Why the hell would a Belrose descendant help us? If they’re good with curses, they could make it worse for us,” Luester said.

  “It’s worth a try,” Jackie said.

  “I’ll start researching,” Harvard said and got up from the table.

  “Maybe we can go to France and I can pick up an accent!” Bam Bam said. “Francis screwed a queen? Damn, we come from good stock.”

  Raven shot him a disgusted look. “You do realize he’s the reason you’re like this?”

  Bam Bam apparently didn’t blame Francis for his philandering ways. Bam Bam pulled out his phone and looked up French models he could “visit” if they made a trip to Europe.

  Officially stuffed, she carried empty plates to the sink. When she tried to help Happy wash the dishes, he ordered her out of his kitchen. She sat on the counter near a wood block of knives as several wounded men limped in and gave her murderous looks. She grabbed a knife and the men ducked. She twirled it idly through her fingers and swung her feet.

  “Are you the only one who cooks?” she asked Happy.

  He grunted.

  “How old is your daughter?”

  He dropped the plate he was washing and mumbled, “Thirty-six. She’s a single mother.”

  Raven cocked her head to the side. “Do you help her out?”

  Happy shot her an irritated glance and didn’t speak for several minutes. She checked her phone and messaged Cain, reassuring him that all was well. The asshole Unmemorables she brawled with in the foyer were shockingly caring and gentle toward Sunshine. She was sure some of that was due to the fact that Big Daddy could break anyone in half. Sunshine sat in the middle of the cussing, arguing, silverware-throwing crowd and sketched as if he were in the most tranquil place in the world. She saw several of the Unmemorables try to feed him, but Sunshine shook his head and continued to draw.

  “My daughter won’t accept the money I send her. She doesn’t know who it’s from so she donates it,” Happy said abruptly.

  “She’s independent,” Raven said with approval.

  “She’s proud,” Happy snapped, “and stubborn.”

  “Sounds like you.” She hopped off the counter and pat Happy on the shoulder before she strolled to the table. “Can someone take me home?”

  Jackie got to his feet and she paused with her eyes on Batman. The cat was curled up against Sunshine, sleeping. Every once in a while, Sunshine’s hand drifted to the cat.

  “I think Batman will be fine here,” Jackie said.

  “I think so,” she agreed.

  They walked out of the kitchen to a lot of grumbling and expletives. They were nearly out the door when she heard the squeak of sneakers. Raven turned as Sunshine barreled forward and enveloped her in a tight hug. He swung her from side to side as if she were his favorite teddy bear and then set her down and walked away without a word. She stared after him and Jackie put his arm around her.

  “He likes you,” Jackie said and led her out to the garage.

  He started up the SUV and they rode in silence for several minutes. She checked herself out in the mirror to make sure she didn’t have any cuts that would freak Cain out. The Unmemorables played rough and that was expected. They hadn’t had a woman around for centuries. That was fine. She wasn’t a fainting damsel and didn’t mind kicking their ass.

  “Okay?” Jackie asked.

  “Yeah, most of the bruises are gone.”

  “You sure got Pop’s attention.”

  “And that’s a good thing?”

  Jackie grinned. “Yup. He won’t admit it, but he must be a little proud that you’re his.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if you were someone else’s daughter who barged in and started kicking ass? At least you’re his, know what I mean?”

  “He doesn’t want me near any of you. He treats you guys like kids rather than grown men.”

  “Pop’s protective of all of us. He’d die for anyone in the clan. Leaders in the past were reckless and let the Unmemorables raise hell. We lost a lot of men that way. We’re all that’s left. Pop was the first to bring us together and hone our talents.”

  “He said you all have duties,” she said.

  Jackie shrugged. “We do surveillance on the Council and Battalion. It’s a way to pass the time and keep an eye on what they’re doing.
We know all their dirty secrets. Some of the Unmemorables help the cops.”

  She frowned. “Cops?”

  Jackie shot her an unreadable glance. “We take out the bad guys that they can’t. Drug lords, serial killers, child molesters.”

  “So you guys aren’t on any side, but monitor everyone.”

  Jackie tapped his hands on the steering wheel as he wove his way in and out of traffic. “It evens the odds.”

  “Hmm.”

  He patted her thigh and there was nothing but easy affection in his touch. “You’re changing things.”

  “How?”

  “The guys at the house don’t know how to deal with a woman. You don’t act like the easy chicks we usually go for. Having a woman that’s like us is weird. Although only a couple of us came after you in California, you’re all we talk about. Now that they know you have Clarity, it’s making their minds tick. That’s a good thing. Its better for them to be focused on you and a future than fucking around.”

  There was a hard edge in Jackie’s voice. He was a far cry from the guy that skydived off the Eiffel Tower with her. “You’ve changed, too.”

  “I have a mission that’s worth risking everything I’ve got. Before, I didn’t care what happened. Seemed to me we were risking our lives for others and stuck in limbo. I hated it. When I realized you remembered me, I loved you on sight. You’re the first woman to see me for who I am. Finding out you were my sister was icing on the cake. I believe in you. You know that, right?”

  She stared straight ahead. “I do, but I don’t know if I believe in myself.”

  He squeezed her hand as they pulled up to Cain’s house. “All you need is one person to believe in you. Whatever you need, I’ll give it.”

  She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him. “I’ll do everything I can.”

  “I know you will. I’ll see you soon.”

  She hopped out of the SUV and waved before she knocked on the front door. Cain opened it and looked her over.

  “Hurt?” he asked.

  “No.”

  She stepped in, and apparently he didn’t take her word for it, because he stripped off her jacket. He ran his hands over her skin and she suppressed a shiver.