Answering the Call

by Ali Vali

  “Tell me why you did it.” When he opened his mouth, she put her hand up. “And don’t give me that crap about seeing your family again. That might’ve come later when you stole the books and understood what you were doing, but that wasn’t the case in the beginning. Isn’t that true?”

  “That’s all I wanted. I needed my family back, but that big bitch stopped me before I could finish.” The tone he started with was low, but when he mentioned Sept his anger seemed to reignite.

  “You can’t lie to me.” She leaned closer and stuck her finger into his face. “You know who sent me, and if you don’t tell the truth, I won’t tell you what you most want to hear.”

  “You don’t know what I want, and you sure as fuck can’t give it to me.” His confidence was growing, and his whole demeanor as a hardened killer was emerging from hibernation.

  “This is what I know about you, Alex,” she said, trying to keep her outer façade neutral. “You’re going to rot in here. Sept Savoie is going to convince them to put a needle in your arm and kill you. The last thought that will cross your pathetically feeble mind will be that she won. You’ll be dumped in a hole, forgotten by everyone.” She tapped her nails on the table and smiled. “The same will not be true of Sept Savoie.”

  The way Alex stared at her made her think that if he could get away with it, he’d kill her right then without regret. But when she didn’t lower her eyes, his bravado seemed to falter. “That first guy was standing outside bitching about something, and I scared him when I entered that yard out back.”

  “Why were you there?” she asked, clicking on her recorder.

  “I didn’t want to be home after Sonya left, and I started walking where I could find people. The knife that belonged to my father just seemed like something to carry with me. I was all alone then, and I needed it.” He recounted the story mechanically, and then something must’ve occurred to him when he balled his fists. “Does that bitch have it? I want my knife to go to my son.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” she said, playing along with his crazy. “Finish.”

  “The guy was scared at first, but I was wearing a police shirt, and it dropped his guard. We talked for a little while, and he told me what he did.” The laugh he let out transformed his face, and she smiled, hoping he’d share the joke. “I could tell he was checking me out—he was that kind.”

  Good God, there were still Neanderthals in the world, but she didn’t expect less from this guy. “You made a pass at him?”

  “Better. I told him to close his eyes and I’d give him something he’d love.” The way Alex was rubbing his thighs made her think he was reliving his kill, and it excited him. He then mimicked the motion as if he had a knife in his hand. “That guy died with this shocked look on his face, and he fell slowly. First to his knees, and then I pushed him to his back.”

  “You stayed, though. Why?” Above all else she wanted him to think she already knew all the answers.

  “I thought someone would come kill me, but I couldn’t walk away when I pulled my knife free and the blood came out like someone was squeezing it out of him. My pants were soaked with the shit, but I didn’t care. I’d finally done it, and I proved all those fuckers who thought I was a loser wrong.”

  “Good, Novice,” she said softly, and he stared at her as if he’d heard incorrectly. “Tell me about the second one. The one that brought me to you.”

  “Teacher?” He raised his hand and reached across to her. Their contact was brief, but he appeared happier when she touched his fingers. “It’s really you.”

  “Tell me.”

  “The bitch in the park was to prove to you and to myself that I could do it. Once she was dead I was ready for you. I drew that stuff on her chest to call you.”

  “You did well, but another has started from where you failed.”

  “What do you mean?” His eyes were filled with tears that appeared to be about to spill but hadn’t.

  “My altars have come back, and the warrior is chasing a new novice. This time, though, they won’t be caught.” She turned the recorder off for this exchange, but it didn’t matter. She’d remember the conversation verbatim.

  “I did everything you asked,” he said, and his tears finally started to fall. “You can’t leave me.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” She took his hand and smiled. “I still need you. I want to hear the rest of your story, and I’ll tell you about the battles to come.”

  She stood and knocked on the door for the deputy. All she needed now was to fill in the blanks, and she could get the rest of what she was missing. “Remember to keep your mouth shut until I get back to you. Don’t disobey me, or you’ll pay.”

  “Yes, Teacher.”

  “You’re not alone anymore.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Sept sat outside sipping the coffee she’d made, content to watch Mike run around the yard sniffing things and marking his territory like it was his mission in life. She’d slept for a solid four hours and woke up so completely that she knew she couldn’t sleep any longer unless someone anesthetized her. She had too much on her mind.

  “I hate waking up alone when you’re in the house,” she heard Keegan say from the door. The sun was just coming up and the morning was cool, so she put her arms around Keegan when she sat on her lap.

  “I was trying to be considerate and let you sleep.” She kissed Keegan and handed over her mug. Keegan had changed plenty about her when it came to what she ate and drank, but she’d started small with her coffee. It was snobby, but now it was hard to take any cup that didn’t come out of a Blanchard kitchen. “Did I wake you?”

  “I think I sensed you were gone, and I had to come find you. What are you doing out here? Is the dog more alluring than me?”

  “No one is more alluring than you. It’s just that I haven’t been back at work that long, and this woman has buried me in crap. It’s overkill, but I think she’s trying to fill my head with so much minutia I’ll lose the big picture.” She sighed but smiled when Keegan bit her earlobe. “I’m drowning and I’m worried. I need to see that big picture since it’s where all the little stuff comes together.”

  “What are you worried about besides that?” Keegan asked, sounding so compassionate she wanted to carry her back inside.

  “You,” she said, closing her eyes because that’s what had really woken her up. She could try to ignore that fear, but that’s what it came down to. “I’m going to do what I can to try to help Nathan through this pain, but last night scared the hell out of me.”

  “What can I do to make you feel better?” Keegan didn’t hesitate to offer to change her routine to take the pressure off her.

  “You shouldn’t have to change anything because of my job, sweetheart, and I’m not going to ask you to.” She couldn’t leave her such an open target either, and thinking about her getting hurt or worse made her tense.

  “Honey, look at me.” Keegan placed her hands on her cheeks. “If I can do anything to make you stop worrying so much, I’m willing to do it. I know how you tick, so I know that stopping altogether isn’t in you. But something has to help you function better at work. The way I see it, if you’re not obsessed about my safety you can concentrate on what will keep you in one piece.”

  “I’ll think of something, but until then, you’ll have to be happy with me watching over you.”

  “Don’t try to fool me. You’ve already thought of something, but that last statement is just an excuse to look at my ass all day.” Keegan pinched her cheeks. “Come on. You can chop stuff for me since we’ve got guests to feed.”

  They cooked together, and Joel joined them an hour later as Keegan placed a tray of biscuits in the oven. Sept’s last single brother had spent plenty of time with them as he and Jacqueline flirted, but they hadn’t moved much beyond that point.

  “Thanks for staying last night,” she told him as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

  “I didn’t mind, and it made me feel better to be
here. Nathan was in bad shape.”

  “You can’t blame him for that,” she said as she started on the pile of fruit Keegan had put in front of her. “That scene was rough.”

  “Yeah, it was, and I had no idea he and Judy were dating. She was really sweet.”

  “You knew her?” Keegan asked.

  “Not well, but we’d talked a few times when we crossed paths.” Joel sat at the counter and smiled. “Who knew you’d become so domesticated, sis?”

  “It’s the private cooking lessons,” Keegan said and winked. “They’ve warped my baby’s mind.”

  “Does Jacqueline give those?” He winked back.

  “If she does, bring some antacids with you,” Sept said, jumping when Jacqueline pinched her hard on the ass. She’d come in from the front undetected and covered in sweat. “Did you go out alone?”

  “Yes, and I go to the bathroom alone too.” Jacqueline pinched her again, getting her to side-shuffle. “I’m all grown up.”

  “You are, but if you go running alone again or pinch my ass one more time, I’m going to put you over my knee,” she said seriously. “You’re either going to have to invest in a nice treadmill or come wake me up, and I’ll go with you.”

  “Another bad night?” Jacqueline asked, as if understanding.

  “Nathan’s girlfriend was murdered,” Keegan said.

  “Man, poor Nathan,” Jacqueline said and turned when she heard him come down.

  “I’ll be okay, I guess, but I don’t know how I’m going to get there,” Nathan said.

  “When I lost my sister and niece, the same thing dominated my thoughts,” she said, and Joel nodded. “The pain is still there, but time starts to dull it, and if you allow yourself the chance, letting someone in helps. Love is the best balm for any wound.”

  “Do I take the chance some other woman will end up in pieces, though?” Nathan asked, and Jacqueline shivered at the description.

  “I know you won’t believe me, but what happened to Judy isn’t your fault. If anything, it’s mine. I should’ve said something, since this perp is like Perlis and makes the game personal.” She smiled when Keegan pressed against one side and Jacqueline against the other. “We all can’t stop living our lives, but maybe we can get some advice from someone with plenty of experience on how to live it surrounded by heavily armed people.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jacqueline asked.

  “Royce or my father won’t spare the manpower to watch over you when I can’t, but I know someone who will. Trust me on this one.”

  “We trust you, Seven, but if this involves me or Jacqueline carrying a gun, forget it,” Keegan said.

  “No guns, but if you love me, you’ll play along.”

  “We do love you, but keep in mind we inherited our revenge gene from Della,” Jacqueline said, pinching her yet again and making her laugh. “Paybacks, stud. They are a bitch.”

  * * *

  Sept sat on the edge of the bed to put her boots on and stopped when Keegan walked out of the bathroom naked. They’d showered together after Joel left with Nathan with a promise to meet her at the precinct. Joel had reluctantly agreed to the favor she’d asked of him when she’d gotten him alone, and part of her hoped she was wrong, especially after Perlis had eroded some of the public’s trust in the police.

  She leaned back slightly when Keegan straddled her legs and kissed her. “You’re a cruel woman,” she said as Keegan bit and tugged on her bottom lip. “Baby, I just got dressed,” she said, but her resolve was weak.

  “Take your pants off,” Keegan said, standing up. “Hurry up, or I’m going to mess them up, and those just came back from the cleaners.”

  “Do fresh biscuits make you horny?” She stood, took her pants off, and handed them to Keegan. It was humorous to watch her fold them neatly over a chair, even though her nipples were hard as hell.

  “You make me horny, and we ran out of hot water,” Keegan said, sitting back down on her lap.

  She spread her legs, which in turn spread Keegan’s, and she could fit her hand between them. “Is this what you want, beautiful?”

  “I want all of you,” Keegan said, her eyes glassy. “Sorry. I think I’m ovulating or something.” The comment stopped Sept’s hand.

  “Is there something you want to tell me?” She wet her fingertips and rubbed them over Keegan’s hard clit. “You can, you know. I’ll give you whatever you want, especially if it’s something we both want.”

  “Even if that something is a baby?” Keegan asked, putting her arms around her neck. “I know it might be too soon, but I’m not getting any younger.”

  “If my answer is yes, can we talk about it later?” The way Keegan was rocking into her made her want to concentrate on the moment. She slid two fingers in and kissed Keegan as her hips pumped faster and harder against her hand. When Keegan stopped and went rigid, she cupped her ass with her other hand and held her. “If you use this method, feel free to ask me anything you want.” Keegan laughed and squeezed her sex around her fingers one last time as she took them out.

  “Actually, I was thinking this method.” Keegan dropped to her knees and put her mouth on her until she dug her toes into the rug and came so hard she felt like she’d pulled a muscle in her butt.

  “How about a cold shower?” she asked as Keegan kissed her sex before coming up to join her. “You can tell me more about our baby.”

  “I want you and me to have a family,” Keegan said, shivering when she got in the shower after her as if to avoid as much of the cold spray as possible. “If you want to wait, I’ll be okay with that but—”

  “My love, I’d love nothing more than to share that with you.” She kissed Keegan and held her before asking something important. “I’ve got one question, though.”

  “What?” Keegan’s smile was beautiful.

  “Della won’t kill me if I get you pregnant before this big shindig, will she?”

  “I’ll protect you from Della as long as you make the appointment I scheduled in three days.”

  “Get out of here before we catch a cold.”

  They dressed and went down together, where Jacqueline was doing paperwork at the kitchen table. “I want one of those tankless water heaters for my birthday,” Jacqueline said.

  “Okay,” Sept said, lengthening the word. “Is your birthday coming up?”

  “No, but if you keep having sex in the shower, my health is going to suffer,” Jacqueline said, pointing at her. “We’re in the food industry, sexy. We can’t afford to have the sniffles.”

  “I’ll put that on my list.” She kissed Keegan and grabbed her keys. “Be careful today, okay?”

  Keegan and Jacqueline both nodded and walked her to the door. “You take that advice too, okay,” Jacqueline said. “I love you, so don’t mess that up.”

  She hugged Jacqueline and kissed her cheek before hugging Keegan and kissing her on the lips again. “I will, and I’ll call you later. Don’t take candy from strangers.”

  The sisters laughed, and it made her heart hurt to think of something happening to either of them.

  “Can you spare five minutes?” she asked the person on the phone once she was in the car. “Great, where are you?” It was time to do something about keeping her family safe.

  * * *

  “Hey, Sept, you can park inside. The boss said she’d make an exception for you,” the big guy at the gate teased. This was the only spot on the property where you could see the house because of the large brick wall surrounding the place.

  “Thanks.” She drove in, and another guy pointed to the side of the house.

  “If you’re looking for a bribe, I gave at the office,” Derby Cain Casey said as she clipped roses.

  “I’m sure you have,” she said and laughed. Cain was the “alleged” head of a large crime family in New Orleans, but they’d graduated from high school and Tulane together and become good friends. She’d never bend the law for Cain, and Cain would never ask her to, which was why
they were still close. “I did come to ask a favor, though.”

  “Come on.” Cain walked to the back of the house and entered through the kitchen. Sept knew it was to keep her away from the constant surveillance parked right outside. “You want some coffee?” Cain handed the roses to the woman in the kitchen, who left with them.

  “If you’ve watched the news lately, you know I’m working another big case,” she stated, trying to decide how to ask or if this was even a good idea.

  “Sit down, you idiot, and tell me how you’re doing first. It’s not every day I’ve got a cop hero in my kitchen. I’ve stayed away because I didn’t want to complicate things for you.” Cain poured them each some orange juice and sat across from her. “Your mom fed me updates, but it’s good to see you.”

  “Thanks for the bottle of Jameson for my health. It was all worth it to get Keegan in my life.” She smiled when Cain punched her arm. The Casey family members were regulars at Blanchard’s and some of Keegan’s favorite customers, especially Cain’s wife Emma.

  “I heard the big news that you were off the market. You’d better behave, though, or Della Blanchard will mess you up.”

  “I do understand that about her.” She laughed at Cain’s words. Though the FBI didn’t like her, Cain had friends in every corner of the city.

  “Good. Tell me what you need so I can give it to you already,” Cain said, lifting her glass and taking a sip. “Unless you want me to take Della out. Then you’re on your own.”

  She smiled, then told Cain what she could about the night before and the call from Hunter. “That conversation left me cold. I’m so sorry for Judy, but had it been Keegan on that floor I would’ve eaten a bullet. I can’t tell her that, but I’m sure you feel the same way about Emma.”

  “You must love her if you’re talking like that,” Cain said, tapping her fingers unevenly on her glass.

  “I asked her to marry me, and she accepted. The thought of going on without her makes me crazy.”

  “Congratulations, and I’m guessing you need some help keeping your family safe while you chase this butcher,” Cain said, and she nodded.