by Pamela Labud
He dropped his gaze. “Yeah, that really stinks.”
Matty felt the ache of her loss immediately. If you served in the armed forces, your spouse only had but a few years to wait but Immortality being what it was—they were done. Plain and simple.
Chapter Fifteen
“Of all the irresponsible, empty headed…” Fiona yelled, but words completely left her. She was standing in the center of Max’s study and she really wanted to go full wolf on someone, but the civilized woman in her wouldn’t let her.
“I’m so sorry,” Matty said. His head was down, and shoulders hunched forward. “I don’t know what to say.”
She shook her head, tears burning hot in her eyes. “I don’t know, either, Matty. It’s over. We’re really over.”
Holly stepped up to comfort her, the Reaper probably being the only one in the room with magic strong enough to deflect Fiona’s anger.
“This is a setback,” she began, “it’s not the end of the world. We will find a way to fix this.”
Fiona sniffled. “Right. Because people are breaking contracts with the Druids all the time.”
Max rubbed his chin, looking at his brother with an expression of mixed emotions. Anger, sadness, and confusion. “I can’t believe this.”
Matty looked up. “Me, either.”
Fiona crossed her arms. “It’s partly my fault. We’d had a terrible row.”
“No,” Matty shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself for this. Tis my own screw-up and no one else’s. I’ve put you through too much. I’m not going to let you take on more pain.”
For the first time since they’d arrived, Hawke spoke up. “So. That’s it. You’re just going to give in?”
Everyone turned to him.
Matty blurted out. “What choice do I have? They’re Druids, man.”
“I know. They’re not any tougher than any other magics around, right?”
Holly tipped her head sideways. “Well, typically not. I mean, magically they aren’t the most powerful. As far as I know, they’re equal to Vamps, Were-creatures, Witches and Warlocks.”
“No,” Max said, “But they have a very strict code of honor. There’s a reason their motto is ‘Honor is Life, Life is Honor.’ They don’t let stuff go.”
“We’re going to have to convince them,” Holly said.
The room went quiet again, but it was Hawke that spoke next. “Coffee.”
“What?” Matty asked.
“We need some heavy caffeine to figure this out. I’ll do a coffee run. Once we get some high test on board, we’ll be able to think of something.”
With that, Hawke turned and left.
“That is one strange guy,” Matty said as the door closed behind him. “I’m not saying I’m in love with him, but it looks like he’s changed sides.”
“I think so, too.” Max said. “He’s in a bad spot, you know. Forced to do things he hates in order to protect someone he cares for.”
“It’s a tough position, that’s for sure. Hopefully, one good thing will come out of this. He can get his sister away from Remmington’s gang and to safety.” Matty said.
“Only if she wants to go,” Holly said. “Hawke said she started out dating one of their team.”
“That’s going to be tough,” Matty said. He sent a glance to Fiona. “You sometimes make really bad decisions when you’re in love.”
Fiona shook her head. “Don’t you dare do that.”
He smiled at her, but instead of speaking he held out his hand for hers. “We’ll figure this out.”
“Right,” Max said, clearing his throat. “Well, we have the next forty hours to do it. So, why don’t you two head back to your hotel and get some rest. It’s been a rough couple of days and you’re not going to be helpful if you’re exhausted.”
“Come on, love. We need a little ‘us’ time.”
Fiona nodded, but it was clear that they had some stuff to work out. She followed him out to the car and they barely spoke all the way back to the Inn. Once they pulled into the drive, Fiona rubbed her eyes.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Fiona began. “Whether or not you want to agree with me, part of this is my fault.”
“No, baby…” Matty started.
She held up her hand. “I know you have issues. I’ve known it from the beginning. You are who you are. I had no right to bottle you up and try to make you something you’re not.”
“You were right toss me out. Every time.”
She shook her head. “You might think so on the surface, but I have a huge problem with wanting to be in control. I wanted us to be a perfect couple, have a perfect relationship, and force you into it, whether you wanted it or not.”
Matty took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Every time, I did so many stupid things. I mean, I wouldn’t have put up with that crap.”
“Maybe not, but if you wanted this, I understand. You were just trying to get away from me and I deserve that.”
“No, no, no,” he said. “It’s nothing like that. The problem was mine. Every time we got close to working things out, I don’t know. I panicked. I sabotaged us from the beginning. And the worst part is, I don’t even know why.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Fiona said again. “I know I’ve pushed you, too many times.”
Matty looked down at his hands. “I know that’s how you see it. For what it’s worth, before you start blaming yourself, you did what you did for the right reasons. You fought with me and for me, Fiona. Nobody in my life has ever done that.”
She sniffed and wiped at her tears. “Aren’t we a pair?
Matty let out a breath. “That we are.”
“So, I think I should tell you why I am the way I am,” she said at last. “My family wasn’t the greatest. My dad came in and out of my mother’s life like there was a revolving door on it. He didn’t care enough to hang around and even when he was there, he always had an agenda. He needed stuff from my mom, whether it was money, or some deal he wanted her to get in on.”
“Sounds bad.”
“It was. I just wanted my life to be better. I wanted my own love who would stay with me, no matter what.”
“Boy, did you make a bad choice,” Matty chuckled, but there was no humor in his voice. “I grew up in the shadow of the great Max. He was such a straight arrow. Always doing what was right. Always fighting on the side of good. Everybody loved him. So did I. The problem was, I couldn’t be him. In the beginning, I screwed up just to spite him. Then, later. I dunno. It just became easier.”
Fiona squeezed his hand this time. “Oh, boyo. We just deserve each other.”
“Too true.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and gently kissed it.
“I love you, Matty,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness.
He let out a breath. “I love you, too, Fiona.”
They sat for a moment before Matty spoke up again. “Do you want to know what I don’t understand?”
“What?”
“It’s not like me to not handle the drink, you know. I never get so smashed that I forget things and do stupid. Perhaps the combination of the two. But as far as chemicals go, I’ve never had an issue with any recreational pharmaceuticals. They have no effect on me at all. So, I don’t waste my time. Sure, I get a little buzzed from the booze, but never so much as to sign my life away.”
Fiona rubbed her eyes. “To be honest, I’ve never seen you that bad. Still, there were a lot of times we were apart…”
“Right.”
“Why don’t we go in and just hang out together,” Fiona said at last. “I don’t want to do anything crazy, but if we can just hold each other…”
“Fiona my love, that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”
He leaned over and kissed her, and she reveled in his touch. In spite of the closeness they now shared, she felt the shadow of their inevitable separation hang heavy over them.
There was not
a thing she could do about it, and that was the worst pain of all.
Just then, the phone rang and Matty answered it. “Yeah? Right.”
He hung up and tossed the phone onto the car’s center console.
“Who was that?”
Matty shook his head. “The last guy I wanted to hear from in the middle of our tender moment.”
“Hawke? What does he want?”
Matty marveled at the snarky tone in her voice.
“He said he’s got some information for us and wants us to meet him.”
“Where?”
“In Underworld City, believe it or not.” He sighed. “Well, let him simmer in his own sauce.”
“You don’t want to go?”
“Do you?”
Fiona thought for a moment. They needed some time to rest. To sleep, to heal. “What if he’s onto something? We can’t risk it, Matty.”
“From now on, whatever my lady wants. We’re on the bus, my love and you are driving it.” He winked, a hint of that old, mischievous Matty that she’d fallen in love with.
“Thank you.”
#
Hawke paced back and forth across the tavern’s uneven floor. “I want to know what happened.”
“You need to watch yourself,” Remmington said. “You’re risking a lot coming here like this.”
“Am I?” He stepped up to the pool table and put his hands on the rim. “Or, am I finally opening my eyes to just how low you’ll go to get paid.”
“Eyes open or shut, it doesn’t matter to me. You’ve got a job to do and you do it. Everything else that goes on around you is above your pay grade. Now, get out of here and do something to get my bounty.”
That was it. He was dismissed.
“I don’t know what I expected coming here. You hold my sister as ransom. You don’t care who you hurt as long as your syndicate keeps rolling.”
Remmington put his cigar in the ashtray. “One more time. Get out.”
Hawke stormed out and made his way to his bike. There was no way he was going to get the truth.
“So?”
Hawke turned to see Matty striding up behind him. “You want to tell me why you called me in the middle of the night to drive two hours to get here?”
Crossing his arms, Hawke considered what he wanted to say next. He had to choose his words carefully because he didn’t want to give the Immortal false hope.
“I think the Reaper was right. There was more in your glass than whiskey,” he said at last. “Unfortunately, I can’t prove it.”
“Right.” The other man let out a breath. “Well, thanks for that. Good night.”
Hawke stepped forward and grabbed his arm. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“Wait, you brought your girlfriend?”
“I did. She has as much right to be here as I do. This is her life that’s being torn apart, too.”
Hawke glanced back at the car again. “I guess you’re right.”
“So, what gives?”
Waiting a moment before he started talking, he wanted to make sure that he convinced the Immortal what was going on, without making himself look like a fool.
“I’m telling you that Remmington has some sort of scam going. My thought his, that he’s been doing this awhile, just not with the regular population.”
“Really? What makes you think that?”
“Grogan?”
“Everybody’s favorite oil slick guy?”
“Yes. Look, Remmington’s crew has been getting smaller and smaller. You know, lots of young ones wanting to climb to the top of the ladder and taking out their subordinates in order to do so. Remmy is running scared, though you wouldn’t know it to look at him.”
“So, he does what, drugs innocent victims and signs them up with the Druid Foreign Legion? That’s crazy. They’d eat him for lunch.”
“That’s what I thought. Except, maybe, it wasn’t good, honest people he was selling out. Maybe he was drawing from the bottom of the barrel. You know, the ‘undesirables.’”
“So, you think someone got really ticked off and decided to start hitting his gang.”
“Makes sense. Of course, they know better than to take the fight to Nocturne Falls, but here, every day’s like Christmas for bad guys.”
“Okay. I’ll give you that. You may be on to something, but again, how do we prove it? Do you think the Druids are part of it? Because, that would be totally against everything we know about them.”
“And isn’t that a terrifying thought?”
Both of them, fell quiet.
“It’s not the Druids,” they turned to see Fiona getting out of the car. She stretched like a wolf getting ready to sprint across an open plain at midnight.
“What makes you say that?”
She shrugged. “One of my uncles joined up with them a few years back. He came by to visit once and they completely changed him. He said they consider themselves the guardians of their realm.”
“Wow. That’s pretty egomaniacal of them,” Matty said. “No wonder people steer clear of them.”
“Yes.” She turned to Hawke. “Your theory is out there but it does makes sense. It’s a pretty good gig that Remmy has. He drugs them, they sign on the dotted line, he picks up a nice fee. Then when they wake up, not realizing they need to report for duty, and bam, he collects a finder’s fee when he hauls them in.”
“My dear,” Matty said, “you are brilliant.”
“Not really. If I was, I could figure a way to get the proof and then convince the Druids to let you out of their contract.”
Hawke watched as Matty pulled her into his arms. “I have faith in you, Fiona. You and I together are invincible.”
To say that Hawke was uncomfortable, standing there like a third wheel, while they made kissy-kissy was an understatement.
“Well, now that I’ve opened this can of worms, let’s head back. I don’t know about you two, but I need about twenty-five hours of sleep, but I doubt I’ll be able to get three.”
“Right.” Matty turned to head back to the car, pulling Fiona beside him as he went. Then, he stopped and turned back, wearing a thoughtful expression.
“What?” Hawke asked, holding out his hands.
“Just wanted to say that you’re a pretty decent guy. You didn’t have to go in there and face that beast on my behalf. After all, all you had to do is turn me in at the end of the week and collect your bounty.”
“Yeah. Don’t remind me, or I’ll change my mind. Get out of here. Put that poor woman to bed.”
He watched as they got into the car, pulled out of the parking lot and sped away.
Yes. He was a fool. And, it was going to cost him—big time. He didn’t care. He’d had enough of dealing with these jerks. Now he just had to figure out how to get himself and baby sister out of it, alive.
Chapter Sixteen
After the long drive back from Underworld City, Fiona and Matty barely had time to get back to the Branson House before his phone lit up. Max had summoned them back to his study. He and Holly had been making inquiries and had wanted to go over the information with them.
Matty rubbed his eyes as they entered Max’s library. He had to stay focused, and sleep was not on the agenda.
“Hey, both of you. Make yourself comfortable. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Fiona took a deep breath and inhaled the strong aroma of coffee and hazelnut. “Oh, this is to die for,” she said as she sipped the hot, sweet brew. “I might live, after all.”
Holly grinned, pushing the plate of fresh baked double chocolate chip muffins at her. “Then these will give you something to live for.”
After filling up on coffee and muffins, they settled down. Fiona asked, “So, what’s the word?”
Holly and Max exchanged glances and Fiona had a sinking feeling that the news they’d had wasn’t good. After all, she and Matty had been through, it was beginnin
g to look as if they weren’t meant to be, after all.
“So, what did you find out?” Matty asked, his eyes downcast into his half empty mug of coffee. “Not good news, I take it.”
Max coughed. “Not at all, brother. Druids are very serious about vow taking, and you’re set to give yourself up tomorrow evening. Once you’re committed, you’re committed.”
“Come on,” Fiona said, “there has to be a loophole somewhere.” She looked at Holly, “tell me there’s a loophole…”
Holly set her cup on the table and reached across to take Fiona’s hands. Her small, petite fingers wrapped around Fi’s long, thin ones.
“I wish I could, my sister. There has never been a successful prosecution, either in criminal court or civil, against a Druid. They are razor sharp when it comes to legalities.”
“This isn’t right. Matty was drugged, or something.”
Matty looked up at her. “I have no proof of that.”
“Right,” Max said. “I don’t want to give up on you, but perhaps you can negotiate with them. Is there anything that you can offer up?”
Matty crossed his arms. “You mean being a snitch for them? I’ve seen those guys in Underworld City, they don’t live very long.”
Fiona turned to Matty and continued. “Don’t forget, they also have a ‘friends and family’ plan. It’s not advisable in any culture, let alone that one.”
Matty sat back. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t have grease on anybody, anyway. It’s long been my practice to keep my nose out of other people business.”
Max shook his head. “The one time you show some restraint.”
“Yeah, well, whatever the outcome, at least my problems are my own and I won’t be putting anyone else in harm’s way.”
“So,” Fiona asked, panic stirring in her gut, “Is that it? Do we just sit back and give up?”
“I know it seems like that’s what we’re doing, Fi,” Holly said, “but that’s not the case. “We’ve just hit a wall.”
Max huffed. “A pretty big, unbreakable wall, don’t you think?”
“Max,” Holly began. “We’ve been in an impossible situation before. We’ll figure this out.”