by Tl Reeve
Haley sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What the hell was that?”
If we weren’t in the situation we were in, I might have laughed, instead, I gave out terse orders. “Open the window and get the hell out of here. Now. Don’t look back.”
For once, Haley didn’t argue. She jumped out of bed, while I used my body to cover her. The other would be kidnapper hurried down the hall towards Haley’s room. He stood over his fallen companion, giving Haley enough time to open the window and get out.
Without an ounce of hesitation, he leveled his gun on me and shot. The bullet whizzed by my head. I crouched down. I eased my way over to the window when he fired again. It slammed into the wall behind me near the window. I had to be careful. In such close quarters, Haley could be hit, and I couldn’t risk that.
“Let me help!” Haley pleaded.
I debated it for about a millisecond before yelling, “Do it!”
A wave of heat rushed past me, singeing the hair on my arms as it filled the room. A stream of fire rolled and looped it way towards the other bastard with a gun. The flames fascinated me. Never once, did it touch a wall or the floor. For as out of control as Haley had been in the video placed on the internet, she was fully in command at the moment.
If Kalkin learned I allowed the sixteen-year-old to use her powers to help them, he’d most likely neuter me. Slowly and painfully. Nonetheless, I didn’t really give a shit. My job was to keep Haley safe, and I’d do anything and everything to make sure that happened. Even allowing her to use her powers.
A glint of metal caught my attention, and I fired off several shots before diving through the window. Searing pain tore through my arm, but I ignored it. I couldn’t assess my injuries until we were on the road and safe.
Haley stood in the backyard staring at the house. When I opened fire, she lost control. The house went up in flames. I yelled her name to get her attention. Her terror-filled grey eyes locked with mine, and I knew she was going into shock.
“Move, Haley.” I pushed her out through the fence towards the vehicle while hitting the key fob to unlock it.
She was more sluggish than I needed her to be at the moment. I didn’t know for certain what clicked for her, but she got her shit in gear and hurried to the passenger side of the car. She slipped, falling on the gravel as she reached for the car door. She cried out in pain, and the scent of her blood filled the night air. I opened her door for her, and it was then, I noticed she didn’t have her bag or her shoes. Son of a bitch.
I couldn’t worry about it now. Later, when we were safe, I’d get her taken care of. In no time, I had the car in reverse, and we were tearing down the street and out of the subdivision. “Haley, kiddo, are you hurt?”
Haley croaked out, “No.”
A quick glance at Haley told me what I needed to know. Her face was pale and harsh shudders tore through her. She was in shock and pretty much useless to me at this moment. I had to try, though.
“You sure?” I asked.
“Yes.” She wouldn’t look at me.
“Listen, I’m gonna need your help here. Can you pull yourself together?” Her head bobbed up and down, a whimper escaping her pale lips. “I’m fine.”
“Plug the following address in the GPS,” I said.
Her hands trembled as she entered the address I gave her. It took several tries for her to get it in correctly, but when she did, the GPS started spouting off distance and where to turn. I flipped on the heater in the seat to warm her up, and hopefully, knock her out of her shocked stupor.
When she finally spoke, her voice wobbled with fear. “You’re hurt.”
I snorted. “Not the first time, kid. Once we get to our destination, I’ll shift and be as right as rain.” I glanced at the GPS. “We’ve got about a forty-five-minute drive. Close your eyes and try to rest.”
Bright-red blood continued to trickle down my arm. The bullet had gone right through, but it still hurt like a bitch. My gaze flickered to the rear-view mirror every other minute as I drove, making sure no one followed us.
So far, so good.
Chapter Five
My arm hurt like a son of a bitch. The area of burned flesh still ached like the flame remained stationary against my skin. Didn’t help every time I moved it, the gunshot wound opened. Blood continued to trickle from the area, not as bad as when I’d first been shot, but enough if I didn’t get to our destination, I might have to pull off the road and shift—not something I wanted to do without someone watching my back.
Seeing a video of her abilities, and witnessing them first hand... She had raw talent. I had told her to let it rip. She did, too. Damn, sitting there now, even though my arm hurt like a mother fucker, I was proud of her. She hadn’t hesitated. Nothing about her ability had been honed. Had it been, she wouldn’t have burned down the house. But, without her helping me, I don’t think I would have gotten out as unscathed as I had. Sure as shit; I wouldn’t have the kid with me. PBH would have gotten her, and then we would have had a bigger mess on our hands.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t muster the fucks to give to admonish her for it. I called 9-1-1 when I put enough distance between us and the house. I didn’t stay on the line to give any personal information, just enough to get the fire department out there before the neighboring houses caught fire as well. The GPS dinged, indicating the road I needed was coming up. I glanced over at the kid and frowned. She’d already seen more than a kid of her age needed to.
Been forced to perform like a circus animal instead of a shifter. Having her save my ass left a bad taste in my mouth. Later, I would apologize. As proud as I was, I couldn’t expect her to use her ability on command. We pulled up to the house moments later. Relief and trepidation warred within me. The place didn’t evoke any kind of warm feelings of security. It looked abandoned. The yard hadn’t been cut in weeks, maybe months. Shutters hung from the windows. One had a board over it. Where the fuck am I?
I hit the high beams for a second, then turned off the car. I glanced over at Haley again to check on her. She still was blissfully unaware we’d made it, and I was grateful. She needed time to decompress from what’d happened to us. She also needed to deal with the idea of being responsible for someone’s death. For being responsible for destroying a house, even though it meant saving our lives.
The front door opened, and a curvy figure filled the frame. The woman had a shot gun hitched against her hip. Fuck, that’s hot. She wore a knife strapped around her thigh, the hilt indicating she meant business. After flicking off the interior light, I opened the door and got out. The surroundings might suck, but staring at this woman, made it a whole hell of a lot more bearable.
I lifted my hand in greeting and took a step toward her. She didn’t move. I took a second to appreciate her. She had short sable hair, large amber eyes, and full lips I wouldn’t mind having wrapped around my dick sometime. I realized how chauvinistic that sounded. I could have kicked my own ass for sounding so crass. Still, it didn’t stop the wayward thoughts. To ease my conscience, I blamed the fact that I almost died tonight and the agony ripping through my shoulder. Nothing more. Nothing less. Tomorrow, I’d get up, forget about her and move on with the kid.
She stepped outside, joining me. “Midnight?”
“Morning Star?”
She nodded. “Leora.” She held out her hand. “Let’s get you inside, so I can debrief you.”
“Midnight,” I grunted. “Don’t you find it a little strange?”
“What?” Leora followed me to the car.
“The fact my name is Midnight. Our code word is Allen, the kid is Nevermore, and you’re Leora?”
She snorted. “Didn’t think about it.”
Her scent cut through the smell of burned flesh and wood. Lavender with the hint of sugar, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it made my cock throb and my nuts ache. I glanced down at her. Fuck, she was beautiful. Not my type by a long shot, still she grabbed me by the gut. I’d never experienced anything like this
before.
It was distracting.
Yet, instead of walking away from her, I stayed as close as I could. “Her name is Haley. She has pyrokinetic abilities. She’s also a raven shifter.” I don’t know why I felt compelled to tell her this. She probably already knew. “We burned down the house.”
Leora cocked a brow. “Really?”
“We got in a pickle. The kid helped me out.” I shrugged. “It’s not like I wanted her to help me, but we were in a fucked situation.”
“It happens,” she answered. “Let’s get her inside, and then you can debrief me.”
I opened the passenger door and woke up Haley. “Hey, kid.” I lifted her into my arms. “You did good back there. We’re safe now.” My emotions were all over the place. All of my protective instincts flared back to life, holding the kid in my arms. “I’m going to get you settled, and if you need anything you call for me.”
Haley opened her grey eyes and blinked at me. “You’re still hurt.”
I was. I’d take care of it, though. “You’re my priority right now.”
She spotted Leora and frowned. “A woman?”
Leora smiled. “I’m PRAs ‘safe house,’ coordinator.”
“Cool.” Haley yawned. “Fix him. Okay?”
“I will.” Leora escorted us into the house. The inside, unlike the outside, was warm and inviting.
I expected peeled paint and broken windows. It was nothing of the sort. The walls were freshly painted. Where there should have been windows, it was sheet rocked over—one less place for someone to enter. The kitchen across from where we stood was illuminated by track lighting. All of the appliances were brand new, along with the furniture. Though the decorations were sparse, it would keep us safe for the night. Long enough to make a new plan.
I followed Leora down the hall to the first bedroom. She opened the door to a small bedroom. Again, nothing overtly ornate, just a bed, dresser, and a television. I figured no one stuck around very long to enjoy the space. Once I laid Haley in bed, I backtracked out, closing the door behind me and almost bumped into the PRA agent.
“Your arm is fucked,” Leora said. “Go fly. Do what you need. I’ll watch over Haley.”
I cocked my head. “You sure?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re no good to me or PRA if you’re bleeding all over the fucking place.”
Sass. She had spunk. I liked it. My dick was happy, too. “Fine. A short flight. I won’t go far.”
“Take your time.”
The crazy part about all of this? Even though I had to go, I didn’t want to. I yearned to be by this woman—my sweet Leora—and get to know her. I’d never felt like this about a woman. I didn’t want to call myself a player or a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of guy, but I didn’t settle. I enjoyed playing the field. It made my life simple. Easy. I didn’t have to worry about someone at home. I didn’t have to worry about my job getting complicated or worse, infringing on my life. With her, though? This tough-ass bitch, who could lay waste to any man who dared to cross her... I could dig it.
I strode to the back door then carefully undressed. Lifting my arm had been bad enough, pulling my shirt off after the blood dried, hurt like a son of a bitch. I grit my teeth as it felt like a pound of flesh came off with the material. I was almost afraid if I looked at it, I’d have a hole in my arm where muscle used to be. I glanced out over the backyard, nothing for miles. A perfect spot to get lost for a while. Save it for another day. I opened the back door and allowed my winged brethren to take over.
The first sensation to settle had been the burning in my shoulder. Warmth filled my body as my arms contorted becoming wings, and my body shrank. Ravens unlike crows are larger, about the size of a pigmy falcon. We weigh up to five pounds, and we’re able to adapt to any situation. It’s why we’re dubbed scavengers and pranksters. We can speak, but it’s mostly mimicking. Our memories are proficient, and we do hold grudges. It’s a horrible quality, but what can you do?
I flapped my wings and took off. The night air ruffled my feathers, as I glided through the dark, starry sky. I needed this. Around me, the sights and sounds of nocturnal creatures surrounded me. Here in the sky, I flourished in my natural form. I wished Haley had been with me. I wanted her to experience this. To escape the human reality and enter her feathered realm.
Another time. When we’re safe. After circling the property a few more times, I landed outside the back door, and shifted. I checked out my shoulder before entering the house. Even though I hadn’t been out for long, the burns and gunshot wound had healed. I entered the house and came face to face with Leora. She held out my pants to me.
“Thanks.” I slipped them on.
“Feel better?” She didn’t bat an eye at my nakedness. As a matter of fact, she stared openly, eating up every inch of me. My dick twitched at her appraisal.
“Much.” I puffed my chest out, taking my time to grab my shirt, so she could look a little longer.
“Good. Now you can tell me what the fuck happened out there.” Her heated stare went cold. “How the fuck were you followed and didn’t know it?”
I had no answer for her. “I stayed on the route Kalkin gave me. I used my parents’ home as our first stop. It was close to where we left from, and in the morning, we moved out. I stuck to no cameras. No public places except for a truck stop in West Virginia. We had to eat. Plus” —I gave her a droll stare— “I don’t think pissing in a bottle would be acceptable to do in front of a kid, especially an impressionable sixteen-year-old girl.”
“Anyone follow you out of the truck stop?”
No. Unless... “Fuck.”
Leora cocked a brow. “What?”
“When I went to the bathroom, Haley sat down at a booth to grab a bite to eat.”
She sighed.
“Look, it’s not like I can drag her to the bathroom with me.” Why the fuck was I on the defensive?
“Anyone notice her?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “A group of boys.”
Shit. I should have checked her things before we left. She’d eaten up their attention. For a kid like her, it had to be exhilarating. She could be a kid. The boys, in her mind, didn’t know she was different. I, on the other hand, should have realized who they were.
“I see your hamster wheel is spinning.” Leora crossed to the fridge. She bent over giving me a perfect view of her ass, and my libido was back in the game.
Shit. Get your head in the game. “Yeah. When did Paranormal Bounty Hunters take on kids for agents?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Who said they were kids?”
They looked to be about Haley’s age. No more than eighteen. “No way.”
Leora handed me a beer. “Oh yes. There are some who have abilities to mask their true age or change your perception of them. Hence why they looked like kids. It was all a setup for Haley to trust them.”
And the poor kid fell for it hook, line, and sinker. “Shit.”
“I’m thinking they put a tracker on her.”
Yeah. Me too. “Well, if they did, it’s long gone. All of her stuff burned up in the fire.”
She nodded.
“All of her stuff.” I don’t know why I had to emphasize Haley had nothing.
“Good thing I have her file, too. I have clothes, books, and everything she might need in my truck.”
God, I think I love this woman.
Chapter Six
Leora
I puttered around the cabin after making sure the kid was asleep while Midnight took a shower. I’d figured he’d have stayed out longer. His burns coupled with the gunshot had been worse than I’d expected. Due to the burn location, I couldn’t stitch the wound. Without him being able to shift, he would have had to go to the hospital, and PBH would be crawling all over the place. I couldn’t... we couldn’t put the kid in danger.
Like Haley, I grew up in and out of the system, thanks to my birth mother who started using drugs after I was born. I guess I should be grateful she
didn’t get wrapped up in that shit until after I was born. Still, it cut deep knowing meth meant more to her than I did. My sperm donor, aka father, couldn’t be found. According to my mother, he hightailed it the minute the pregnancy stick turned pink.
The first recorded time I went to a foster family, I was a year old. Obviously, my birth mother got me back. The last time, I’d been ten. Dear old mom resorted to selling herself on the street to make money to support her nasty habit. She did a pretty good job of hiding it from Child Protection Services for a while. Until she got busted on a John bust. I was ten years old, watching my mom service some guy. On the next job, the John turned out to be an undercover cop. When he realized she had a kid, Child Services were called, and soon after, my birth mother signed over her parental rights.
I wasn’t in care too terribly long the last time. About six months after my mom dissolved her rights, a family from Washington State adopted me, giving me the love and stability, I’d missed most of my childhood. They also got me therapy. Lots and lots of it once they realized I had seen what my real mom had been doing. Not only did they love me, they protected me, and I considered them my real mother and father.
I lost them, too. Eight short years later, they were involved in a fatal car accident after their weekly date night. I was at Arizona State during my Freshman year of College when I got the call at one o’clock in the morning. Their deaths hit me hard. Once again, I was alone. Going back to Arizona was hard, but I knew my parents wanted me to have an education, and I felt I could honor their only real request of me.
They had a small insurance policy. It helped cover the cost of both funerals. And after I sold the house I’d called home for a short time. I used those funds to pay my remaining years at college. When I graduated, with a degree in Human Services, my first job had been as a Child Advocate with the Tempe Family Courts.
It was there, I had my first run-in with a slimy PBH agent who had petitioned the courts for custodial rights over his thirteen-year-old nephew with amazing powers. Yeah, like everyone else, I had heard fodder about PBH, but I’d never had the pleasure, and I say that with sarcasm, of meeting an agent. To say the agent was a narcissistic douche bag, was an understatement.