by Amber Lynn
“Fine. If I don’t see you before I leave, stay out of trouble until I can get back,” I tell him before giving him my customary goodnight kiss.
Oddly enough, on the way back to my room, Alex is quiet. An even odder fact is that he doesn’t say a word as I undress and crawl into bed. Oh well, his loss. I need some shuteye.
Chapter 7
Nobody better lay a hand on my bacon
In the morning, really late afternoon since I fell asleep around 6 AM, I wake up feeling a furnace snuggled in behind me. How cute, we’re spooning, and evidently, someone is happy to see me. Talk about morning wood.
“It’s in its natural state when you are in the room,” Alex says from behind me. “Morning, noon, and night. Makes it a little difficult to get any sleep.”
“I can imagine. You mind if I get up to take care of my own morning business?”
“Be my guest. It sounds like the guys have our breakfast ready, so I will meet you in the living area.” He gives me a quick kiss on the top of my head and is off.
Boy, am I glad I insisted on having some partitions put in to make somewhat of a room for myself in an otherwise very open apartment. We started with some curtains, but it evolved into making me a bedroom suite. Just knowing that there are always others within about twenty feet of me is creepy enough. If they were actually able to stare at me the whole time, I would go nuts. Well, at least nuttier than I already am.
I quickly take care of aforementioned morning business and make my way to the kitchen. The smell of searing meat makes my tummy grumble. Being part vampire means I probably don’t have to eat solid food anymore to survive, but old habits die hard and you won’t find me saying no to a nice juicy steak.
“So, you guys all packed?” I ask sweeping in to make my grand entrance.
“Clothes thrown into duffle bag. Check.” Jake says handing me a plate piled high with bacon.
It is one of the only meats I eat actually cooked to a crisp. Crunchy, salty goodness. Ignoring the rest of the room for a moment, I dig in. Five seconds and a licked clean plate later, I look up to see three sets of eyes stuck on the plate.
“Puh-lease. What are you guys looking at? You eat the same exact way.”
“Maybe, but you usually don’t,” Jonas insists. If they believe that, they haven’t been watching very closely.
“I was hungry and craving bacon, so sue me. I can eat however I want.” I stomp off to put my plate in the sink.
“Of course you can, sweetheart. It was just a little surprising,” Alex says. Under his breath, I hear him tell Jake, “You are lucky to still have all your fingers. We should probably insist on her getting her own plates from now on.”
“I heard that.”
“You were meant to. I am going to head to my place so I can get ready to go to the office. I want updates at least twice a day while you are gone, no slipping your bodyguards, and no getting yourself killed. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Daddy. If I am a really good girl, will you buy me a pony when I come home? Please, oh please, I really want one.” I roll my eyes and head towards my closet.
“No ponies, but I promise a spanking if you are bad or find yourself injured in any way,” he says. I can tell from his tone he is really hoping he can punish me.
I don’t expect anything to happen, but it is a bit rare these days for me to go out of the house and not find myself in some sort of altercation. Practically any injury that takes place will heal within a few hours, so I am not worried about him finding out.
“Ah, but these days healing wounds are harder to hide, aren’t they baby.”
“Shut up and go take care of your own business,” I shout from the closet. He has already left the apartment and is on his floor. I will have to figure out the range on his mind reading. There has to be a limit, right?
“We taking the car or jet?” Jonas asks as I am pulling on some stretchy combat pants. They would be black, like the rest of the clothing that will be joining them on my body. It happens to be my favorite color, if you haven’t heard.
“It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump away. How about I fly and you guys drive?” I ask knowing what kind of response will be coming.
“So, car it is,” Jonas replies and I can sense the smirk in his voice.
“You are going to have to get over it one of these days, big guy.”
“Or I will have to just clip the wings, girlie girl. I have never lost a charge before. That kind of thing doesn’t just disappear from my mind.”
“I doubt any of your charges were able to kick your ass, well maybe Alex, but the rest of them were pansies to begin with, so they had to put up with you.” Matching top joins pants and many knives join top to finish my ensemble.
I grab a bag and throw a couple outfits, including some of my disguises and some of my heavy lifting weapons in. I am insisting on taking my Suburban, but even armed to the teeth, I can never have enough artillery.
I pack my gun holster and my back knife. I have learned road trips longer than down the street become painful with them in place. The knife sheaths I am currently wearing come with a no chafing guarantee and I like to test it out every chance I get.
Thinking I am ready, I pause and look in the mirror to find birds must have nested overnight. “Eek!” I can see how watching the Bride of Frankenstein scarf down bacon may have frightened the fellers.
I imagine, it was the combination of the two and not just my speed eating that caused the shocked expressions on their faces.
A quick brush through my hair and a ponytail later, I am officially ready.
“Let’s blow this banana shop and see how many humans we can freak out.”
“Aye, aye Captain,” Jake replies joining me at the elevator.
“Oh, did you sharpen your little girlie fangs?” Jonas asks winking. “You know showing them off is the only way you will get a rise out of the norms.”
Jake finds the comment funny and adds, “I can see it now, ‘Oh help me Mommy, the scary vampire that is shorter than me is going to bite me’.”
“Obviously, size isn’t everything, jackass. If it was, your past lady friends probably asked for a refund.”
“Hey, don’t be dissing Hank. The only place he can be associated with the word small is in the antonym part of the definition.”
“I am going to pretend you didn’t just tell me your penis is named Hank.” Wanting to get away from this turn in the conversation, I skip ahead to the Suburban and stow my gear.
“It’s a great name,” he claims joining me and situating himself in the backseat.
“Whatever.” I jump in the driver’s seat and wait for Jonas to take his place next to me before I start the SUV and pull out.
Not long ago, I would say you were crazy if you told me I would prefer sitting next to Jonas over Jake. When we first met, Jonas hated me with a passion. I could do no right in his eyes. Push a guy out of the way of an incoming bullet and the hate just disappears. Not that I recommend trying that, but it worked well for me.
Even being bosom buddies, Jonas still operates with a filter when it comes to talking to me, which is something Jake evidently lost. The boy can be so childish it is getting beyond annoying. One of these days, Alex is going to walk in to find his little pet bodyguard duct taped to a chair with at least ten layers wrapped around his mouth.
“You are getting tense,” Jonas whispers. “Ignore him. If you react, it only encourages him.”
“Sage advice. Sadly, the roll of my metal gray, sticky best friend is in the back of the truck. Do you think I can convince him to climb back there and apply a piece himself?” I glance into the rearview and see that Jake has put in his earbuds so maybe the trip won't be that bad.
“Probably not. It doesn’t involve food or his johnson, meaning he most likely won’t go for it,” he says with a shrug. “Changing the subject, have you heard anything more from your dad?”
Aaron Gentry, my father and, if werewolves believed in royalty, the true kin
g of our race, is in deep hiding from the Collective after I was sent to assassinate him. Before the assassination attempt, any of the components that led to my genetic makeup were a mystery to me. I still know nothing about how I came to be in this world, but I figure eventually I will get him in a room and have it out with him.
“Nope. Still have only the one email communiqué. Must not get reliable Internet connection from under his rock.”
“I know we didn't start out that well, but I want you to know that it is an honor to serve as your guard, Princess.” He has reiterated the statement many times, since the whole saving his life thing.
I remember a time when he didn’t believe my lineage and having to pretty much moon him to prove the fact. No one believes you are really born of the Gentry line unless they see the mark we all have on our thigh. I still ask, anytime I can find someone to listen to me, why it couldn’t have been located in a more convenient location. So far, there haven’t been any good answers.
“The monarchy was put to an end a long time ago, and to most werewolves the last known individual from that line is dead, so a princess I be not.”
“What do you expect to happen once we defeat the Collective? We are planning to reinstate the true leader of our race.”
“Is he aware of this?”
“It's his revolt, even if Alex is leading it on our side. I imagine he has a pretty good idea where it is heading.”
“You think the wolves will like going back to the days of old?”
“Once they are debrainwashed, maybe they will remember how things used to be. The newer generations won't remember, but they will learn quickly.”
“And what of the other species that the Collective 'governs'? You think they will be okay with going back to separate factions?”
“No offense, but that is a pretty moronic question. You think the other races like being ruled by werewolves? The Collective lets a token number of fang heads in, but the werewolves are making all the decisions. All the wrong decisions, if you ask me.”
Out of all the people I have met in the resistance, not that I have met many, Jonas has lost the most. The Collective killed his brother for no reason other than standing against them. I cannot imagine what that lost meant to him. Until recently, I have only been close to my pseudo brother, Ryan, in the familial sense and I am pretty sure that relationship wasn't what I thought it was at all.
“No, they don't make very good decisions for us as a whole,” I reply quietly to his last thought.
The mood has grown somber and I, being the uncheeriest person in the world, have no clue how to turn it around. Thankfully, we only have two more exits to go before the turn off to Felicity Willard's apartment. Research shows she has a roommate and I am hoping they are the B.F.F. variety of girls.
You know, the kind that tells each other everything, so when I show up she can just tell me the happy couple is hiding out across town in the Motel 6. This is my life we are talking about, though, so the chances of that happening are about zero, but I can always hope.
Chapter 8
The joys of a pregnant woman
The apartment complex I pull into looks pretty high-end. Of course, after meeting Mr. and Mrs. Willard, I only expect the best for their little girl. I pull around to building four and find a nice place close to the entrance. The change in speed from highway to city awoke Lemonhead in the back seat, but thankfully, he hasn't opened his mouth, yet.
“So, we all going in or what?” he finally asks.
“Can't you guys just let me go check it out by myself? I don't feel any paranorms in the area and I think I can handle questioning one human.”
“You know the rules,” Jonas says as a reprimand. “I will go with. Jake can stand guard down here and make sure no undesirables get in behind us.”
“You do notice all the fancy cars parked around us. I am pretty sure we are the only undesirables that have ever visited this place.” There might be a crazy uncle somewhere out there that stopped by, but I highly doubt it.
“You know you aren't getting around this, so don't try. We will go up and I promise to stay in the background. Two sets of eyes are better than one, even if the main set of eyes is yours, Princess.”
“Fine. Let's get this over with,” I say hopping out of the car.
As we walk in the front door, which I have to say I am surprised there isn't a level of security there, I start picking up faint traces of something that smells like strawberries. We climb the stairs to the third level and the closer we come to our destination the stronger the smell gets.
“I have a feeling your case is about to get exponentially more complicated,” Jonas tells me as we stop in front of the door that says 324.
“Why would you say that?” I ask raising my hand to knock. All I pick up is the dang strawberries and I doubt there is a giant strawberry army behind the door.
After I tap twice, I turn to him. “Because there has been a demon spending an awful lot of time behind that door, if the stench is any indication.”
“All I smell is strawberries. What do you smell?”
“Sulfur. It's clinging to the air pretty good. For as strong as it is, I would say within the last month a demon has been in residence here.”
Hmm. Interesting. Something to put away for later. I go to knock on the door again, but it swings open to reveal a very pregnant woman. At least I hope she is pregnant because while her belly is huge, the rest of her looks frail and petite.
“I didn't order anything,” she says glaring between me and Jonas. Oh joy, a pregnant chick with attitude.
“Would you happen to be Jillian Murphy?” I ask.
“Who wants to know?” Maybe I shouldn't have shown up in my combat gear. I did leave most of the artillery in the car, so she should be thankful. Now that I think about it, my weapons are all hidden, so I don’t know what her problem is.
“I am Nyx Slaughter and this is my associate Jonas. I have been hired to look into the disappearance of Felicity Willard. This is her apartment, correct?”
After giving us both another once over, she steps back and opens the door. “You might as well come in. It wouldn't be prudent to have this conversation in the hallway.”
I imagine in a place like this, being seen with the likes of me and Jonas wouldn’t put anybody on the tenant of the month ballot.
We walk in and she leads us towards a sofa. The apartment has a wide open feel similar to mine, but I can see a couple doors that probably have the bedrooms behind them. The furniture and décor is straight from the 70s. There are bean bag chairs, shag carpet and lava lamps. Not at all what I expected and the smell of strawberries is overwhelming. I can just imagine how Jonas must be enjoying it.
“You have a very nice home here, Ms. Murphy,” I say working on my politeness.
“Yeah, well, Fliss did the decorating. She was in a hippie phase and wanted to do something that would appall her mom at the same time.”
“After meeting Mrs. Willard, I imagine the decorating had its desired effect.”
“Her parents came over once and have never been back, so I suppose you are right.”
“Jillian, I hope you don't mind if I call you that, I want to find Felicity as soon as possible so I don't have to deal with her parents again. Can you help with that?”
“Straight and to the point. I think I like that. Would you like any refreshments? I have to ask, my mother would be appalled if I didn't and right now I kind of need her to be behind me,” she says while looking down at the giant pumpkin that has become her stomach.
Having no tact, I say, “Is the father not in the picture?”
That induces a cynical laugh. “Now there is a great story. Would you believe I am only three months pregnant?”
I glance down at her stomach again. I don't know much about babies, but I do know they don't become all that noticeable until the fourth or fifth month, even with how small she is to begin with. At her current size, something is wrong.
“You
having quads or something?”
“Nope. The doctors can only find one of them in the ultrasounds. They have no logical explanation for the reason that my fetus is already developed to the size of an eight-month-old fetus.”
I know that other species have shorter gestation periods, but no shifter would knowingly impregnate a human and Jillian is all human.
I still have to ask, “The father is human, right?”
“I would call him the lowest scum on the planet, but genetically, yes, he is human and so is the baby.”
Being sidetracked from my mission isn't usual, but this is kind of a bombshell she has thrown at me.
“And you aren't confused about the date of conception?”
“Nope. I have been regular all my life and had been on the Pill until just recently. The dad, Pete, works with me and I have secretly had a huge crush on him. One day he asked me for lunch and I couldn't believe it. I mean, I know I am not a dog or anything, but Pete is gorgeous. We started dating and about a week later, he asked me to go on a trip with him. It was to Barbados, how could I say no?” she asks pausing apparently expecting a reply.
“Barbados, hot guy, you're right. No one could say no to that.”
“Exactly. Anyway, we get down there and almost immediately, we head to the bedroom and don't come out for the whole week. Greatest sex of my life. Totally ended up missing taking my contraception the full week. When we finally come up for air, he says he forgot about an appointment and had to get back, but I should enjoy the last couple of days myself. By the time I left the island, my clothes already weren't fitting quite right.”
“He doesn't happen to have any witchy friends does he? Maybe he had a spell that accelerated development.”
“That's the great part in all of this, tests have proven the baby is most definitely his, but he claims he has never met me. Not only that, he wouldn't have sex with me if I was the last person on earth.”