by I. T. Lucas
“He didn’t hate you. He hated everything and everyone. Don’t ask me why. There was no reason. You said he came from a normal middle-class family, right?”
“He did. I don’t think Shawn was ever abused. On the contrary. He told me he used to be a bully who terrorized others just because he could. But he wasn’t stupid. He’d kept up his charming façade until after the wedding. Before that, I only had a gut feeling that something about him wasn’t right. I should’ve trusted it instead of brushing it off. But I was young and pregnant, and I thought I was doing the right thing.”
It felt cathartic to let it all spill out, to admit the guilt and self-loathing she’d carried with her for so long.
“You can put all of that behind you. I’m not telling you to forget it, that’s never going to happen, but you can enjoy your freedom and safety without feeling guilty about it.”
Freedom.
No more hiding. No more staying away from the people she loved. Callie could have her identity back. “I don’t even need the fake name anymore. Do you think your hacker can change the name back in the university records so I can go as Calypso and not as Heather?”
“I’m sure he can.”
Wow, she could have her life back. She could call her father and Dawn. Even go visit them. Having the freedom to just be herself and enjoy her family and friends was intoxicating. Heck, she could even go back to working at Aussie.
Except, too much had changed.
She could have her life back, but she wasn’t the same woman she was a month ago. Her priorities had shifted, with the man leaning over her being number one. She owed him and his brother her life.
For some reason, the realization calmed her racing mind as if the cogs had finally realigned to work in perfect harmony. The problem was that once her mind had quieted, she started paying attention to her body’s aches and pains.
“I think I’m going to take one of those pills Bridget gave me. How about you? Do you need yours?”
Brundar grimaced. “I do. But first I need to take care of another pressing need.”
It took her a split second to realize what was bothering him. The poor guy needed to use the bathroom. “I’ll get Anandur.”
He looked so miserable. “Thank you.”
Callie padded down the corridor to the other bedroom and knocked on the door.
A moment later the door flew open with Anandur in all his naked glory staring down at her. “Brundar okay?”
She averted her gaze. “He needs to use the facilities.” As did Anandur, judging by the involuntary glimpse she’d gotten.
“I’ll be right there.” He closed the door in her face.
Apparently, the joker slept in the nude and was grumpy in the morning.
She rushed back to Brundar’s bedroom, ducking straight into the bathroom to empty her bladder before Anandur got there. She’d even managed to brush her teeth before hearing Brundar’s groan of pain from the bedroom.
Quickly, she opened the door, holding it for Anandur who was carrying his brother in his arms, thankfully, wearing jeans but no shirt.
He must’ve worked out a lot. Callie felt horrible for noticing. The guy was her boyfriend’s brother, and she liked him, but she wasn’t attracted to him. Still, a woman had to be either blind or dead not to notice all those muscles.
“I’ll wait outside.” She closed the door behind her and went into the living room to search for the pills.
They were on the kitchen counter where she’d left them last night. Callie filled up a cup with tap water and took two.
While waiting for the guys to be done, she decided to start the coffeemaker and make breakfast. Those two needed a lot of food to maintain their bodies. She knew Brundar’s appetite was healthy and was willing to bet that Anandur’s was even healthier. He was a big guy.
The problem was, they had nothing to make breakfast from. The fridge was stuffed with beer bottles, but food-wise she found only a half-eaten pack of sliced bread and two jars of peanut butter, one of them empty.
It seemed the brothers either ate out or dined with their boss, enjoying his butler’s vegan cooking. Or not. What was more likely, they didn’t care what was served as long as someone else cooked it.
Brundar liked steaks, not veggies.
The coffeemaker was spewing the last of the brew when the brothers emerged, Anandur carrying Brundar and depositing him in the same armchair he’d sat in last night. It was touching to see how careful the big guy was with his younger brother. Anandur’s heart was as big as his body.
She poured the coffee into three mugs, fixed hers with sugar and cream, and Anandur’s with one cube of sugar like she’d seen him do last night, then brought them out to the living room. “I made breakfast if you can call peanut butter sandwiches that. You guys have nothing in the fridge aside from beer.”
Anandur took his mug. “That’s the important stuff. We stock up on Snake’s Venom because it’s not available in just any store. Food you can get anywhere.”
Callie handed Brundar his coffee. “Then you won’t mind doing a little shopping so I can make you guys a decent lunch?” She walked back to the kitchen to get the sandwiches and handed them out. “This is a travesty of a breakfast.”
Anandur bit into his sandwich, taking half of it into his mouth and chewing with gusto. Apparently, he didn’t share Brundar’s refined table manners.
“I need to get Brundar a wheelchair from Bridget. If she doesn’t have one, I need to find a place that sells them. But I can get more stuff from the café downstairs.”
Callie shook her head. “No more sandwiches. To heal, Brundar needs proper food in his body. Wouldn’t you prefer to eat Chicken Piccata with a side of spaghetti and a lettuce salad, to yet another sandwich?”
Anandur salivated.
“Calypso is an amazing cook,” Brundar said.
“You win. It’s good that today is Saturday and I have time. What I’m really glad about, though, is that I don’t need to report to Kian yet, and inform him that both Brundar and I are out of commission. He will go ballistic when he hears that.”
“I’m sure he is going to understand.”
Anandur humphed. “Trust me, he will not. But never mind that. I know how to handle him.” He waved a hand. “Make a list of what you need.”
Callie smiled, the small victory feeling surprisingly good, giving her some sense of control in a situation where she had none. She was trespassing, hiding, and counting the minutes she had with the man she loved until forced to leave.
“I’m going to make you a list of items for meals to last you guys a week. Also, if you don’t mind, could you stop by the club and bring me my purse?”
Crap, a split second later she realized that Anandur wasn’t supposed to know where she worked. “I’ll give you the address and the combination to my locker. I’ll call to let them know you’re coming.”
Anandur rolled his eyes. “Anything else?”
There was, but she shook her head. “That’s all.”
The purse was a must. Callie’s birth control pills were in there, and she didn’t want to miss a day when she’d just started taking them. A change of clothes would’ve been nice, but it wasn’t a necessity. Asking Anandur to pick some stuff from her apartment on top of everything else was too much.
“I’ll get you something to wear from Walmart. Don’t put on your list things they don't carry. I’m not going on a shopping expedition. I’m getting everything on the list from there.”
Stifling a grimace, Callie nodded. “I’ll make sure of it.” She didn’t mind clothing from Walmart, but their fresh produce wasn’t the best.
Chapter 6: Tessa
Saturday mornings at Jackson’s café, or as the sign over the door still proclaimed, Fernando’s Café, were busy. That was why Tessa preferred to come over much later in the day. But she’d slept over at Jackson’s, and he’d insisted she stay for breakfast even though he couldn’t spare a minute to be with her.
Sittin
g at the back and watching the customers was kind of fun but felt awkward. People standing in line and waiting to be seated were giving her the hairy eyeball for taking up an entire booth to herself.
Maybe she could join Vlad in the kitchen.
Tessa pulled out her phone and texted Jackson even though she could see him standing behind the register. If she moved from her booth even for a moment, someone was going to claim it.
Can I sit with Vlad in the kitchen? I’m lonely.
She saw him typing away on his phone. Of course. I’m sorry I can’t be with you.
Tessa grabbed her plate and her cup and headed for the kitchen, stopping by Jackson to give him a quick peck on the cheek. He was hers, and she wanted all those horny customers ogling him to know that.
“Hi, Vlad. I hope you don’t mind some company. I don’t like eating alone, and Jackson is busy.” She sat on the only stool in the kitchen, using a corner of the worktable to put down her plate and cup.
“Saturday is busy all day long. But it’s going to get a little easier in an hour or so.”
Vlad worked like a machine, preparing plate after plate of sandwiches with sides of salads, then handing them over to Gordon who was running around taking orders and making deliveries.
“What happened to the girl that use to work for you guys?”
“She quit.”
“Without notice?”
“Took her paycheck, said thank you it was nice, and walked out. No explanation, nothing.” Vlad shook his head. “Humans.” He blushed and cast her an apologetic glance. “Other than you, Tessa. You’re awesome.”
“Thank you.”
Tessa watched for a few more minutes before deciding to help out. It wasn’t as if she had anything better to do. The only thing on her agenda for today was Karen’s class, which was much later in the day.
Walking up to the row of pegs, she lifted the last apron off and put it on. “What do you need help the most with? Making sandwiches, or delivering them?”
Vlad hesitated for all of thirty seconds. “Delivering. I need to stay here. Customers get weird when they see me out there.”
She frowned. “Assholes, all of them. You’re one of the nicest guys I know.”
He blushed again. “Thank you.”
A moment later he handed her a plate. “Table four. Table one is the one next to the window and table two is the one across from it, and so it goes.”
“Got it.” She headed out with the plate.
Jackson stopped her. “What are you doing?”
“Helping out until it quiets down a bit.”
He looked like he was about to argue, but the smile on Gordon’s face when he saw her wearing the apron must’ve convinced him otherwise.
“It should get better after ten,” he said.
The moment it did, Jackson walked over to her and untied her apron. “Thank you for your help, but now I want you to sit down. I’ll join you for a cup of coffee for me and tea for you.”
“Sounds awesome. I wouldn’t mind a chocolate croissant with my tea.”
Apparently, working on her feet had awakened Tessa’s appetite. After years of sedentary office work, running around with plates and cups had been surprisingly invigorating. Especially since she was in pretty good shape thanks to her intensive Krav Maga training.
All in all, her life was getting good. She had a great guy for a fiancé, new friends, and thanks to Karen she was in great shape. The most significant change, though, was that she wasn’t as anxious as she used to be.
Instead of a constant state of alert, her panic attacks were becoming less and less frequent. Occasionally, something would trigger her fight or flight response, and after that happened her adrenaline level would take forever to return to normal, but it was happening less and less. If she were to give herself a grade, Tessa would say that she was ninety-five percent okay. A vast improvement from the mere thirty she’d estimated not so long ago.
Jackson sauntered over with two cups and a plate, moving in that sensual and yet all male way of his.
Sigh.
She was one lucky girl.
“Hi, beautiful.” He leaned to kiss her cheek the same way she’d done to him before, and only then put the cups and plate down. “I’m sorry I couldn’t sit with you this morning. And for making you work for free.”
“I’ll collect my dues later.” She winked.
Jackson lifted his coffee cup and leaned against the booth’s upholstered back. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’ll think of something. But whatever it is, I can’t say it here.”
His eyes started glowing, betraying his excitement. “Whisper it. I’ll hear.”
That’s right. She kept forgetting her guy wasn’t an ordinary human. Tessa leaned forward, making sure no one could read her lips other than Jackson. “I’m ready.”
Jackson’s expression turned serious. “I don’t know about that.”
“I am. This time I’m sure. I have never felt so good about myself as I do now. Not even before, you know.” She didn’t want to spoil the moment by bringing up the nasty part.
“You’re right. This is not the time or place to talk about it.”
“Then when?”
“Later. After closing.”
“Here?”
He shook his head. “I’ll think of somewhere with a better atmosphere.”
“We need privacy. How about my place?”
He lifted a brow. “Your place and privacy is an oxymoron. Unless Eva and Bhathian are out.”
“Right. What about your place?”
“The guys are not going out tonight.”
Tessa slumped. “I wish we had our own place already.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Chapter 7: Jackson
“I feel like a teenager in one of those coming of age movies.” Tessa chuckled. “Sneaking stolen moments in a car because we have no place of our own.”
“I am a teenager, but I don’t feel like one.” Jackson was uneasy about Tessa’s idea to stop at the deserted parking lot of the park. During the day it was okay, he’d even taken Nathalie’s father on walks there, but at night the place turned into a different kind of playground. All sorts of dirty deeds were done in parks after dark. Gang meet-ups, hookers, drug dealers.
His eyes were busy scanning the area instead of focusing on the beautiful girl sitting next to him. Tessa had brought him here to talk him into having sex with her, and he still wasn't sure it was the right time to take the final step, cross the barrier, to boldly go where Jackson had never gone before with Tessa.
He had to admit that her confidence level was at a record high, as evidenced by her choice of location for their talk. The old Tessa would’ve been hyperventilating from a panic attack if he’d brought her to a dark, deserted place like this. The new Tessa seemed perfectly comfortable parking in the darkest spot of the small parking lot, while he was nervous as fuck. Maybe because it was up to him to defend her in case any one of those denizens of the night decided to bother them.
“What are you looking at?” Tessa followed his eyes as he snapped his head in the direction of a shadow darting behind the recreation building.
“I don’t like it here. All kinds of shady characters come here at night. It’s not safe.”
She leaned her head against his bicep. “But you’re Jackson—an immortal with superpowers—they need to fear you, not the other way around.”
“I’m not afraid. I’m uneasy. You’re still mortal, Tessa, and I’m just one guy.”
Reaching out a hand, she caressed his cheek. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. We can go somewhere else to talk.”
Hallelujah. “We can park across the street from the café and still have privacy. Gordon and Vlad’s hearing is good, but not that good.”
“Okay.”
As Jackson let out a relieved breath and put the car in reverse, executing a K-turn, the shadow from before darted from behind the building, running toward the playgrou
nd and then hiding behind the slide.
When he left the parking lot and turned into the street, Jackson took one last glance in his rearview mirror. The shadow hadn’t moved.
Tessa turned to look back. “Did you see someone?”
“Yeah. Someone was definitely there, skulking, darting from one shadowy spot to another. I could tell he was up to no good.” To put it mildly. It was all over the news that there was a serial killer on the loose. The rumor spreading throughout the keep was that he might be an immortal.
Tessa glanced at the new weird-looking ring she’d gotten from Karen and fisted her hand, so the ring’s triangular tip pointed out. “This can double as a weapon.” She jabbed the air in front of her, then relaxed her fist and flexed her fingers.
“I bet it can. But it wouldn’t do you much good against a guy with a gun or a knife, or against two guys coming at you at once.”
Her heartbeat speeding up, Tessa sucked in a breath, then another.
Fuck, he shouldn’t have said anything. Way to undermine her newfound confidence. “But what are the chances of that, right?” Jackson forced a smile.
“No, you’re right. Bhathian told me that there is a serial killer on the loose and to be careful.”
Damn. He’d thought Tessa didn’t know.
Normally, Tessa avoided reading or watching the news because anything and everything triggered her anxiety, but she was getting stronger by the day, and he wouldn’t be doing her any favors by shielding her from everything that might upset her.
“Did he tell you they think it’s an immortal male?”
Tessa frowned. “Are you sure? He didn’t mention it. I would think that as a Guardian he would know.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. The police are not releasing details, but apparently, the victims bleed to death from twin punctures to their necks.”
Her hand going for her throat, Tessa smoothed it over his latest bite. “I thought a male couldn’t harm a female that way. I never bleed after you bite me.”