by Jill Cooper
Frustrated, Jessica threw the sponge down in the sink, sending soap bubbles up to greet her. “You just forget all about Duncan Jasper. Forget.” Jessica snarled at her reflection in the stainless steel sink. “You can do it, c’mon, Jess.”
It was hard not to be distracted by the sound coming from the living room. Did It sound like laughter and music? Jessica fumed a bit more. Good ol’ Duncan just couldn’t listen to a word she said, could he?
Stay away from her sister, that was what Jessica said. She did an about face into the living room. The music was louder and Duncan was dancing with Amanda—actual dancing.
But it wasn’t the soft or sexual dancing that he’d do with Jessica. They had moved the coffee table to make room for a good old-fashioned hoedown.
Jessica’s eyebrow rose as she watched them dosey doe, link arms, and travel in a circle. All the while Amanda was laughing in fits, turning her cheeks a shining red. God, it was good to see her happy. Great to see her smile like that. Jessica loved her, protected her, but showed her fun?
Never. Jessica was sad about that.
Of all people to give that to her? Duncan?
Jessica wasn’t sure if that made her love him—or hate him.
Duncan was smiling ear to ear when he dipped Amanda so low he nearly dropped her. Head tilted back, Amanda grinned at Jessica. “Hi,” she said breathlessly. “Duncan was just…”
“I know what he was doing.” Jessica held her smile back to just a dull smirk and crossed her arms. “But you better hurry off to bed. Aunt Gwen will be here in the morning, and we might be off early. Need you to be on your game, all right?”
Amanda nodded as Duncan helped her back to her feet. “Thanks for the dance. See you in the morning.” She hurried up the steps like she was embarrassed, but she didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about. Jessica figured that was all on her.
Duncan stared at her and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sending little sister off to bed so early? That’s a little dangerous, isn’t it?”
God, he was walking towards her. If he got much closer, Jessica was going to be able to smell his aftershave again. How it was spicy with a hint of pine.
“Dangerous?” She headed back to the sink and picked up the sponge. What was left to clean? Jessica didn’t know, but she better find something soon or things were going to go from bad to worse.
“You might be forced to actually talk to me. Drop the pretense and say something honest for a change.” He was right there when Jessica turned around, drippy sponge in hand. She thought of squeezing it over his head, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. All she did was stare up at him.
“Me? Honest? Whoever heard of such a crazy idea?”
“I’m a free thinking radical.” Duncan’s hand stroked her hair back, away from her face. “I’m pretty sure we both know you enjoyed dinner.”
“It was edible,” Jessica said with a slight tremor in her voice. “So you can make gravy. That makes you as good as every grandma we’ve ever met.”
Duncan laughed and waggled his finger at her. “You enjoyed the company too.”
Jessica raised her eyebrows even as her heart pounded. “Of course, I did. I love my sister. We share DNA. It’s a thing.”
Duncan shook his head. “And you hate what I do to you, don’t you?” He pushed himself up against her and Jessica had no choice but to back up against the counter.
“That you come? That you leave without warning in the middle of the night? Yes.” Jessica’s lip quivered. “God yes, I hate that.”
His eyes burned with her words. Jessica didn’t know if he felt hurt or betrayed. She hoped he felt both.
“You hate what I make you feel. Not in control. Not able to steady your emotions. Not able to focus,” Duncan said.
Jessica turned her head, hot, angry tears glistening in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was for Duncan to see. But he touched her face with his warm, calloused fingers and brought her face back to his. His eyes raced with desire, but was that enough? Together they were steamy. At times they could barely keep their hands off each other, but if he could just leave…
Then to hell with him.
“Did you think about us while you were gone? Did it hurt to pull yourself away?”
Duncan closed his eyes and his finger traced her jaw. “Jessica—”
“I need a straight answer, Duncan.” Tears filled Jessica’s eyes. Tears she loathed, but were there anyway. “Because if the answer is yes, it hurt, yes, you thought of us, then I don’t know how you left. I don’t know why you thought we weren’t worth the fight.”
Duncan sighed and turned away his head. “Not everything is so black and white.”
“For me, it is,” Jessica said even though every part of her body craved him like the addiction he was. Always had been.
“I’m here now,” Duncan whispered. “I’m back and want to protect you and Amanda. Can’t that be enough?”
Jessica shook her head and despite how badly her body wanted him again, she squeezed past him. “It can’t be enough. I won’t be that girl. I won’t set myself up just to be knocked down again, you get me?”
His eyes flashed with pain. “Jess—”
“Don’t Jess me. We’ve been through some bad times. You knew what we went through. And you just left.” Jessica took a deep breath. “I took up the mantle and soldiered on, but if you really—you just left and didn’t care.”
“Of course I cared.” Duncan’s eyes narrowed and he took a step back. “That’s why when I heard about the bounty—”
“Then you should have come back sooner, but you didn’t. You let us what, hang in the wind?” Jessica shook her head, a disgusting taste in her mouth. “There’s a reason you’re back now. You won’t tell me so it must be bad, and if it’s bad, I want no part in it. Get me?”
Duncan’s eyes softened, but he didn’t say anything. He gazed down at the floor.
Jessica squeezed her eyes shut and refused to address what he said. “Do you get me, Duncan?”
There was a long pause and Jessica thought he might not answer. Half way in the living room, Duncan grabbed Jessica’s arm as he caught up with her. “Then I’ll tell you.”
She stared into his trusting eyes and her insides quivered to see him look at her like that. Jessica didn’t have the strength to pull away from him. She didn’t want to; she was right where she wanted to be, damn all her reasons why she shouldn’t straight to hell.
“I’m in real trouble,” Duncan admitted and took both of her hands in his.
Jessica felt the warmth of his skin passing into her. Her fingers gripped his and he returned the favor. It set her heart asunder to feel his flesh pressed into hers, but mostly it was his eyes that broke her.
The sadness, the vulnerability, the fear. All of those things weren’t Duncan trademarks. Jessica found herself nodding and even though it went against everything she had said that night and the night that came before. “Then we’ll help you.”
A small smile graced his lips. “Just like that? After all your posturing and threatening, you’d help me just like that?”
“We help people in trouble. That’s the mission.” Jessica drew her lips together. “Maybe sometimes I forget. Sometimes I have to make sacrifices, but I help my friends.”
Duncan’s eyes crinkled. “And I’m a friend?” His finger traced the scar that ran down her face. She tingled under his embrace. Most stared at it like it was ugly, made her unsightly, but not Duncan.
He acted like he loved it. Like it was just part of her beauty, if she had such a thing.
“I don’t know,” Jessica admitted simply with a shrug. “Why don’t you tell me what we are?”
“Maybe I’ll just show you.” Duncan stepped up like he might kiss her again. It was wrong to wish for it, but Jessica did. There was a lot to talk about, but maybe for tonight—maybe for once she could forget about it all, for just one night. She leaned her head back as he brushed her hair back, off of her shoulder
s.
His eyes flickered back and forth between each of her eyes. There was a purity in his gaze that stilled her manic heartbeat. “Beautiful,” he whispered, but Jessica didn’t feel it. Didn’t know in her soul it was truth, but she believed he did.
Just as Duncan leaned forward, her heart pounding in her chest, the living room windows filled up with bright lights.
Headlights.
The sound of engines was getting closer, buzzing like bees tattling on their location. Louder, faster.
Her heart skipped a beat as she realized somehow they had been found. “Jessica!” Duncan screamed and pushed her to the ground. His own body crashed beside her behind the sofa. Jessica rolled onto her knees, the lights so bright she couldn’t see what was right in front of her.
“We need to get to my sister.” Jessica rolled over to scurry away, but Duncan rested a hand on her lower back to steady her. His flesh against her flesh and Jessica paused to look at him.
“They can’t see the house. It’s warded. They might just go away.”
Might just go away. Jessica wasn’t about to take a chance like that. Hand on her hip, Jessica searched for her gun. It was nowhere to be found. It was still up in the bedroom she shared with Amanda.
Jessica crawled toward the staircase as the windows around exploded inward from a hail of gunfire. With that one act the wards were broken and the old farmhouse was now vulnerable, just like that. Duncan grabbed her ankle but Jessica yanked away. Her hand found the first step and then she sprang into action.
“Jessica, duck!” Duncan warned, but it was muddled and underwater. She could barely hear.
Duncan might have been screaming for her, but Jessica had only one thought as she catapulted herself up the stairs, barely avoiding gunfire.
Amanda.
The bedroom door was shut.
“Amanda, get down!” Jessica screamed, cupped her mouth and hoped it would amplify the sound. She tore down the hall as fast as she could, the sound of gunfire from downstairs drowned out all else. A new sound emerged, what was that?
Shotgun? Automatic?
God, Jessica hoped it was Duncan doing the shooting. They were in the middle of a conversation that she really wanted to finish.
Jessica tore the door open and slipped inside, slammed it shut and looked around the bedroom. By the window Amanda was hunched over, her skin a pasty white. Her breathing was labored and it lit a fire under Jessica.
“Hang in there. I’m getting you out of here!” Jessica flung the wardrobe open and grabbed her shotgun, stuffing spare shells into her pockets quickly. Almost too quickly, as several rolled along the floor.
There was an army out there. Duncan might already be dead. Jessica had to keep her head straight, but it was swirling out of control.
Amanda moaned and crashed down to her knees. “It’s bad Jess. It’s never been this bad.” Her eyebrows furrowed together and her sweat gleamed in the moonlight. “There’s something with them…something…” Her mouth was open frozen in horror—maybe even pain.
Jessica was besieged with worry. How much more could Amanda take? How much more could either of them endure? But she couldn’t think of that then, all she could think about was getting Amanda out. She strolled across the room in wide steps, but a shadow darkened the window. Jessica wasn’t going to reach her in time.
She was already too late.
That sickening realization rose, vomit in her mouth.
“Stay low!” Jessica screamed as the window shattered. She whipped her head to the side as glass shards flew at them and they were pelted by a violent, cold rain.
Jessica held her ground and took aim at the winged beast fluttering in the night sky. With the rain and wind, there was only an outline of torn black wings. The creature had the face of an old woman, with white eyes. It howled, its long stringy hair flattened with rain. Her long tendril-like claws reached out toward Amanda.
Over Jessica’s dead body was this creature from hell going to get her sister. Jessica aimed, cocked the safety and fired a shotgun burst into the beast.
It tore square through the thing’s shoulder. Blood sprayed out as a blue electrical light shot out from around its frame. It growled, throwing its mouth and white eyes wide open.
“Crawl, Amanda!” Jessica hissed and readied another shot. “Move toward me!”
Amanda panted, moving fast along the hardwood, but the beast had other plans. Its tendril light claws shot out and grabbed Amanda by the waist. Amanda was jostled as if she had been grabbed hold of by a bungee cord, and snapped back into the air.
No. Just no. Amanda, couldn’t be lost. She just couldn’t.
Jessica reached for her sister’s hand and just as their fingers touched, the beast took off. Amanda jerked backward, drawn out of the room by the winged creature, her eyes wide. Jessica connected with them in slow motion. She saw the pain, fear, and despair, as her sister was pulled out the window, like a child yanked to safety.
Amanda was gone. Lost to the enemy.
“No!” Jessica’s scream opened her mouth wide and she lunged forward with pain trapped inside her chest. Angry, hot tears stung her eyes and the pain lodged in her chest, tightened her ribs from the pressure.
Her heart pounded with no rhythm and Jessica’s vision darkened. Her pulse was out of control, as if she might have a heart attack. Jessica’s knees buckled.
She couldn’t…Jessica couldn’t lose Amanda.
Jessica gripped what was left of the window frame and jumped up. Aiming as the creature flew off toward the moon, Jessica didn’t take the shot. What if she missed and hit Amanda by mistake? What if she didn’t miss and her sister plunged to her death?
Think, think. Jessica needed to think. She needed to find another way. There had to be another way…That beast had her sister and needed to be tracked, shot.
Killed.
Behind her the door rattled. Jessica’s heart skipped a beat as she tore her eyes away. If they made it this far, Duncan must have been overrun. Maybe that meant…
She should’ve left well enough alone, avoided him and his advances. Now, her heart and mind were both jumbled, confused.
Jessica bit her lip to keep from crying, splayed her arms and started a slow descent out window, and down the side of the building. Taking it a step at a time, she squatted and slid down to her butt. As the roof angled to a steeple, Jessica turned and grabbed a corner to slow her fall.
She dangled and kicked her legs toward the house to perch. When she stopped swaying like a pendulum, she released herself onto a patch of grass.
From the wisps of the overgrowth, she was hidden and watched as demons paraded out of what was to be their safe house. A master demon was in the pack, with a flowing cape and a skull for a mask. Wasn’t that macabre?
He stood taller than all the others, with broad shoulders and pecs that would’ve made Vin Diesel envious. Behind him, the horde of henchmen demons swarmed, like they couldn’t get enough of him. Jessica had seen enough demons to know a high level individual when she saw one. This one wasn’t from around here, or any Midwestern small town for that matter.
As he strolled around, his posture reckoned to that of a King and the other demons shuddered backward as he passed. If he took Amanda, Jessica had to get closer.
She wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Finally, we have her.” The demons cheered at this news. “But where is the other? Where is Jessica Blood?”
Jessica’s back tingled with the way he said her name. As if they were intimate buddies, like they knew each other. She needed to get out of here and track her sister. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a row of motorcycles parked nearby. She could sprint to them and be on her way before the demons knew what hit them.
Itching to make her move, Jessica crouched, glancing at the bikes. Just when she was about to make a break for it, a demon emerged from the house and threw Duncan onto the ground.
Was he alive? Jessica’s heart sped up so fast, she was
sure that the demons would hear it.
Duncan moaned and rolled onto his back. His hands were raised defensively and she could see that his splayed fingers were missing their fingernails and Jessica’s heart raced. Did they torture him? Had they tortured him for information on her and Amanda?
Jessica swallowed back the regret that just knowing her was enough to get someone hurt, but he seemed okay. He was still kicking despite the gash on his head. Jessica just needed to get to him, save him.
Then they could save her sister. End of story. That’s how it always went, right?
Vaughn kicked Duncan in the stomach with his steel-toe boot. Jessica cringed when Duncan called out in agony. Vaughn bent at the waist and growled. “You were with her. Where’d she go?”
Duncan’s head rolled to the side and he struggled to push himself up. “She left,” Duncan laughed. “She left us here for dead the moment you showed. So if you want her, go and find her.”
Noble. Stupid and noble. It was hard to watch, so hard. Jessica looked away and just wished Duncan would give her up. She couldn’t listen to him suffer.
Vaughn gritted his teeth. “Do you think I’m stupid? She’d never leave her sister behind.”
“When she’s angry, she’d do anything.” Duncan cast a glance away from Vaughn and into the shadows. Jessica thought maybe he knew she was there. Maybe he could feel her just like she could feel him.
Vaughn followed Duncan’s gaze. “She’s close by. Her scent lingers through the ash of this once mighty place.” He snapped his fingers. “Kill him, but do it slowly.”
Duncan struggled as two henchmen grabbed him by the arms. His shirt was torn and another bloody wound showed on his stomach. Oh, Duncan… Jessica gripped her shotgun tighter without meaning to.
Another demon placed a sharp blade against Duncan’s neck and pulled his hair back. Vaughn circled away from the horde of demons to get away from the spray of blood that was sure to follow.
They were really going to kill him right in front of her.