by Aliya DalRae
“Peregrine,” the Soldier answered.
“Perry, it’s Raven. Where are you?”
“I’m at the Compound. What’s up?”
“Can you go back into town for me? I need you to check on something.” Raven’s thoughts were in overdrive. If there was a body to be found, he needed someone on his side to find it. Right now, those individuals were few and far between.
“Sure. I just left the manor and was heading back to the barracks, but sure. Tell me what you need.”
Raven explained the situation and Perry promised to report as soon as he could. Raven could hear the eagerness in the young Soldier’s voice, and his tension eased a bit at knowing he had someone out there working with him, rather than against.
When he reached Mason’s office, Raven was surprised to find Harrier there ahead of him, sprawled in a chair in front of Mason’s desk. He had forgotten that Perry and Harrier had been patrolling together tonight. If Perry was back early, something must have gone down.
“Raven,” Mason spoke in his usual calm tenor from his den behind the desk. “We were just talking about you.” Harrier sneered at Raven, but schooled his expression when Mason looked his way.
“I’m not surprised,” Raven said, ignoring the other male. “It seems I’ve been compromised again.”
“You know?” Harrier asked, sitting up straight.
“Some,” Raven said.
“What do you know?” Mason asked, still seated, still composed.
“I know I’ve lost time again.” Raven paced as he listed the details. “I know my head’s about to explode, and I know I was seen at Good Times, and have no memory of going there.”
“You’re sure you weren’t there?” Mason asked, tapping his finger on the chair arm.
“I’m sure I don’t remember it.”
“And he would definitely have remembered that,” Harrier muttered, sprawling back in the chair again as he watched Raven wear a path in Mason’s carpet.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Raven asked as Mason warned, “Harrier…”
“Nothing,” Mason directed at Raven. “It’s come to our attention that you were indeed inside the bar in Fallen Cross, and your behavior was less than—usual.”
Raven fell into a seat next to Harrier’s, kicking the male’s feet out of his way. Harrier snickered and rearranged himself in his chair.
“By the way, Mason, I called Perry and asked him to go back to town. Look around and make sure I didn’t…that nothing else happened we need to be aware of.”
“Are you concerned that it might have?” Raven glanced at Harrier, not wanting to say any more with him in the room.
“Harrier, I think we’re done here,” Mason said.
“Damn. It was just getting good,” the Warrior snarled, but he stood to leave nevertheless. “Before I go, though, you should know your girl’s doing just fine without you. In fact, I think she’s moving up in the world.”
Raven’s hands were around the larger male’s throat in an instant, the desire to strangle the bastard irrepressible. Mason had them separated just as quickly, but the gleam in Harrier’s eyes sent Raven to the edge.
“Stay away from Jessica,” he warned Harrier. “She doesn’t need your kind of interference.” Raven’s hands shook, and the irritation he’d felt since returning to himself was near taking over.
“Mine’s not the interference you need to be worrying about.” Harrier sneered as he made his exit, leaving Raven with a sinking feeling in his gut.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“W hat did he mean, Mason?”
“Never mind him. You know how he enjoys toying with you. He’s just being…Harrier.”
“Is Jessica really okay?”
“She’s fine. I understand she’ll be suffering her own headache tomorrow, but otherwise she is unharmed.” Raven refused to ask how Mason knew all this, deciding he would rather not know. “In fact,” the Warlord continued, “I’ve arranged for her to speak with one of our psychics. Perhaps they can comb through that vision she had for any clues as to whether or not you were the one responsible for the human girl’s death.”
“Do you think they can help?” Raven was afraid to hope.
“Can’t hurt,” Mason lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “But back to my question. You sent Perry back to town. Do you think you may have done something?”
“I think I don’t know what I may have done,” Raven replied. “And I think you know more than you’re telling me.”
“As I said before, you were seen inside the bar tonight, leering at women. When Jessica confronted you, you barely recognized her, or anyone else in the bar you would have otherwise acknowledged. You weren’t yourself.”
“So you think whatever is happening to me…Mason, do you think the beast, the part of me I’ve been suppressing all these centuries, could be resurfacing? Taking over? Gods, it sounds preposterous, but the way you are describing it? That’s how I was before, how I…shopped.” He was pacing again but couldn’t calm himself. The idea that there was a part of him he could no longer control presented a level of terror he’d never experienced.
Raven’s cell phone rang, and he rushed to answer it. “Talk to me.”
“Raven, it’s Perry.”
“Perry, Mason’s here. I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Hey Mason,” Perry said after Raven opened the line. “I wanted to let you all know, I’ve looked around the bar, and in the streets and alleys nearby, but haven’t found anything out of sorts.”
Raven’s broad shoulders sagged as some of the tension he’d been holding there fell away.
“I’m going to extend the search some, but if you had picked up someone from the bar, I doubt you’d have taken her far. I’ll let you know if anything turns up, but I don’t think it will. Traffic has thinned considerably, the bar is closing up, and I didn’t see anyone looking like they’d lost someone. I’ll keep you posted, though.”
“Good job, Perry,” Mason said, and Raven disconnected.
“Whatever happened, it doesn’t look like a repeat of the other night,” the Warlord said to Raven. “However, from now on, I want someone with you whenever you leave the Compound. Take Perry. And let me know if this happens again.”
“Thank you,” Raven said.
“Raven?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t have to tell you the consequences if someone else dies, right?”
“No.” His response was a whisper. “If anyone else is hurt, I’ll not be able to forgive myself.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
I woke up the next morning with the hangover from hell. No surprise there. I rolled over to check the clock, and saw it was after ten. Ever since I put up the hundred percent sun proof drapes in the bedroom for Raven, it’s been difficult for me to differentiate between night and day.
And a hell of a host I was. Piper was downstairs fending for herself while I lay up here lazing the day away. I bolted upright, and regretted it at once. Pretty white lights exploded behind my eyes and the entire room played like a carousel, spinning round and round. I fell back onto the mattress and dreamed of the days when I had been able to reach the floor with one foot to stop the spinning. I knew this high bed was a bad idea.
After several minutes the carousel slowed down and I gave the rise and shine a more gradual attempt. When I managed to plant both feet on the floor, I discovered I was still wearing my clothes from the night before. Perfect. One less thing.
Somehow, I found my way downstairs and was relieved to see Piper still conked out on the sofa. She had kicked the afghan off at some point in the night, and the waste basket beside her was blessedly empty. I smiled at my friend and went to take care of the next important piece of business. Coffee.
Once I had the breakfast blend percolating, I headed to the bathroom to at least brush my hair and teeth. My stomach was still queasy, and I knew that my second favorite hangover remedy was in order.
Without further
ado, I returned to the kitchen and found the sour cream and French onion soup mix, combined them in a small ceramic bowl and grabbed the pretzels. When Piper stumbled into the kitchen I was on my second cup of coffee and making a serious dent in the dip. When she saw me, her eyes lit up.
“Mmmm…breakfast of champions,” she said, practically drooling as she pulled out the chair next to me and reached for the pretzels. I scooched the bowl toward her and got up to get her some coffee, light and sweet. She sighed after the first sip, and scraped a pretzel through the dip, rolling her eyes back in her head when the savory treat touched her tongue.
“I don’t know where you came up with this, but it works like a charm,” she said after scarfing several more pretzels, rubbing her tummy and giving me that “never again” look.
I smiled. “I think it was my dad’s cure. It’s forever evoking memories of New Year’s Day.”
We sat in silence a while, both of us sipping our coffee and chewing our pretzels, thinking our own thoughts. When Piper’s eyes widened, I had a feeling I knew what depot her train of thought had pulled into.
“Did…umm…was there a guy here last night?” she asked, and I couldn’t stop the grin as I nodded. Piper groaned.
“Oh, no. Tell me I didn’t really throw myself at him—literally.” The horror on her face intensified when I nodded again. “Oh, Jessica, how could you let me do that?” she moaned, banging her head on the table again and again. “It’s no wonder I can’t get a date. Who would want to go out with a ditzy redhead who wraps herself around their leg like a lovelorn Chihuahua?”
“Harry was impressed,” I said to try and ease her humiliation.
She ceased her head banging only to lay her cheek on the cool table top and stare at me through narrowed eyes. “You lie.”
“I know,” I said, “but when I showed him the near empty tequila bottle, he totally understood.”
“I can never show my face in public again.”
“It didn’t happen in public,” I pointed out. “He’s not your type anyway. The other one, however…the one you tried to kiss?” I didn’t think her face could get any redder, but it did.
“Oh, Jessica, tell me you’re lying, even if you’re not.” I shook my head and she whimpered some more, but suddenly stopped. I could practically see her gears turning. “You say he was more my type?”
“It was Perry, you moron, and he’s taken,” I said, throwing a dishtowel at her, and we laughed together until she looked at what I’d thrown.
“Did one of us have an accident?” she asked, eyeing the blood a moment before checking her fingers.
“No. Sorry.” I grabbed the towel from her and threw it in the trash. “Malcolm took offense to something Harry said, and I guess you could say Malcolm won.”
“Really?” Piper sat up. I had her attention now. “I swear that cat knows more than a cat should, Jessica. It’s just plain creepy.”
“Give it up, Piper. I’m not getting rid of him.”
It was an old argument, and in response Piper popped another pretzel into her mouth.
“So what are we going to do today?” she asked, changing the subject.
Recalling Harrier’s reason for stopping by, I got up to check my phone. As promised, the Legion’s psychic hot line number was waiting for me with a P.S. from Harrier to, “keep that thing away from him.” I assumed he meant Piper, although Malcolm was also a strong contender.
“I have to make an appointment to talk to someone about my vision.”
“Why can’t you talk to me and Alex?” she asked, frowning.
“Because it has to do with Raven’s job, and his boss is the one sending me for evaluation. Ever since I met Raven I’ve been having these stupid ‘top secret’ visions that I have to have cleared by his superiors before I’m allowed to even think about them myself. Makes me wish I’d never…”
“Oh, Jessica, please don’t say that. Raven’s job may be problematic as far as your visions go, but you know we understand.” Meaning her and Alex. “I do miss the old days, though, when you shared all your visions with us. We’d spend the next night eating popcorn and trying to figure out what it all meant.
“But you love Raven, and even though you guys are having problems now, at some point it’s going to work itself out. When it does, you’re going to want to take back any bad thoughts you’re having right now.”
In spite of everything that happened last night, I knew she was right. At least I hoped she was right. But I still couldn’t figure out how to reconcile the fact that the man I loved might actually be an honest to goodness, real live, right this minute, psycho killer.
Chapter Thirty-Six
M alcolm heard voices in the kitchen and decided to see what the girls were talking about. He truly hoped he, or Mac rather, would come up in conversation, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. He jumped up in Piper’s lap, and put his front paws on the table to see what was in the bowl. Ack! French Onion dip. The girls really had been hammered last night. Jessica only broke that crap out in extreme circumstances.
Settling back in Piper’s lap, he curled himself up small and pretended to sleep while the girl absently scratched under his chin.
“So, what are you going to do about Mac?” Piper asked, reaching for another pretzel. Malcolm’s ears pricked up.
“What can I do? I ran after Raven so fast I was surprised the guy stuck around as long as he did. He took off without even asking for my number, but I was a blubbering mess, so running probably seemed like the best option.”
Malcolm sat up and looked at Jessica. How could he have forgotten?
“Well, there’s always the internet,” Piper said with a grin, and Malcolm relaxed, settling back on Piper’s lap. He didn’t even try to contain the purr that rumbled through him.
“I’m sort of hoping I scared him off,” Jessica sighed, and the purring stopped. “I mean, I don’t really know what’s going on with Raven yet, and until I do, I would be foolish to start something with someone else, even if it was strictly casual. Not fair to anyone,” she added, pointing a pretzel at Piper.
Malcolm couldn’t stop himself from leaping onto Jessica’s lap and standing up to rub his whiskers against her cheek. He didn’t want fair—he wanted her.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Piper said, pointing an accusing finger at Malcolm. “Creepy.”
Jessica rubbed his head before picking him up and placing him unceremoniously on the floor. That was the other thing that sucked about being a “pet.” Instant dismissal.
“What are you going to do if he does call?” Piper got back on topic.
“I’ll probably tell him I’m in a bad place, and I’m sorry for leading him on, that sort of thing. But let’s face it. Bar pickups never call, especially if they go home empty handed.”
Jessica was right. He’d gone about this all wrong. He needed to arrange another “accidental” meeting, and soon, before the fool girl opened her heart up to that Vampire again.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
M alcolm, who was making a complete nuisance of himself, ran out the cat flap when I threatened to have him neutered. I don’t know why I hadn’t taken care of that before. I was a firm believer in having your pets spayed or neutered, so I made a mental note to call the vet next week to see about getting an appointment.
After his abrupt departure, I made a quick call to arrange my own appointment later in the day to meet with the Legion’s psychic.
Piper and I lazed around the house for a while before we decided to clean ourselves up and go into town for some real food. Okay, we were going to the Polar King, but I was craving a chili dog. It had to have at least a little more nutritional value than my hangover remedy. Besides, I needed to pick up my car from outside of Good Times before going to see the psychic.
As we pulled into the parking lot of the ice cream shop, I had to take several deep breaths before exiting the car and walking through the double glass doors. The lobby was cool and bright, and unti
l you looked behind the counter, everything was as it should be. However, instead of Mandy Jenkins manning the till, her brother Mickey was there instead.
Mickey was small and blond, just like his sister, but where her ditziness was cute and endearing, he was god awful slow. When we did reach the head of the line, Mickey struggled with our order, the cash register seeming to get the better of him.
“Where’s Mandy today?” Piper asked, and I cringed inside. At least I hoped it was inside.
“Not a clue,” Mickey said, scanning the touch pad for the onion rings button. “She took off last Friday, and no one’s seen her since.”
“Took off?” Piper loved gossip. “Where? With who?”
“Don’t know. Abby and Megan said she left Good Times with them right before closing, but they haven’t talked to her either.”
“I wonder why she would do that?” Piper looked at me, and I gave her my best how-would-I-know shrug.
“Ask me, she was fed up with this place,” Mickey said. “Dad told her she was doing good to survive here, but I think she hated it. Can’t imagine why,” he added, scratching his head underneath a paper ice cream hat. That onion ring button was elusive.
“Has anyone reported her missing?” I asked, trying not to look guilty.
“Yeah. Dad talked to the sheriff, but with her being over eighteen, they had to wait forty-eight hours before they could file a missing persons report. I still say she ran away, but Dad doesn’t think so.”
Mandy and Mickey’s mother had passed away when they were young, leaving their father to raise them on his own. I always thought he had done a pretty good job. It wasn’t his fault his kids weren’t rocket scientists. Of course, Mandy would never be anything, and I had to turn away when I felt tears prickling my eyes.
“Well, hopefully she’ll turn up soon,” Piper said, patting Mickey’s hand when he, at last, got our order in. If it was right, it would be a miracle, but we both knew we’d eat whatever we got. Piper excused herself to go to the ladies room, while I waited for our food.