“That’s…amazing.” His hand slid off the steering wheel, and he instinctively reached for her knee. At the last second, he played off the movement by reaching for the AC controls to crank up the air. Luckily, she didn’t notice his almost-mistake.
“You sound surprised,” she said.
“I’ve never seen anybody who couldn’t shift take one on before. You’re tougher than I thought.”
Her posture relaxed, and a smile played on her lips. He’d finally said something right. If only he could keep the conversation going, but it was time to get to work. He pulled his truck to the side of the road and rolled to a stop. “We’ll have to walk from here.”
“How will we know if the spirit is even there?” Alexis asked a few minutes later as they trudged through the brush toward the shack.
“I’ll sense it.” Macey shivered. “I can always tell when it’s around.”
“Here’s the plan,” Luke said. “The guys will take care of the halfling. Alexis, you and I will guard Macey. Make sure nothing happens to her while she’s trapping the demon. Once the demon’s gone and Macey’s safe, then we’ll deal with the human.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Macey said.
“What if it possesses your friend again?” Luke said. “He knocked you out before; he can do it again.”
Macey stopped and balled her hands into fists. She pressed her lips into a hard line and glared at him. “This has got to stop. Why do you treat me like I’m helpless? You want me to be your ‘man on the inside,’ but you don’t want me close to the action. I’m not going to sit at home looking pretty while the boys fight all the bad guys. I’m one of the boys, Luke. I’m better than most of them.”
What could he say? She was right. They were all right. Macey wasn’t Melissa. He was letting his past control his future with the woman he loved. When he didn’t respond, she turned on her heel and marched away. Alexis hurried to catch up to her.
“I had a fiancée once.” He had to force the words over the lump in his throat. “Did you know that?”
Macey stopped and turned around.
“Well, it wasn’t official. I didn’t give her a ring yet, but we’d talked about it.” He stepped toward her and ran a hand through his hair.
Her angry expression softened. “I had no idea.”
He shrugged as a familiar ache formed in his chest. “She got killed because of me. We were supposed to go out to dinner that night, but I was working late on a construction site. Then I had to go to the bar to deal with some pack business. I canceled on her. That was the last time I talked to her.”
“I’m so sorry.” She tentatively stepped toward him. Her hands twitched like she wanted to offer him comfort, but she held it back.
“If I’d have gone home after work. If I’d have been there for her, those damn rogues wouldn’t have kidnapped her.” He dropped his gaze to the ground. “They found her body in an apartment in Shreveport. The rogues were dead too. Police said it looked like a drug deal gone awry, but Melissa wasn’t into drugs.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I could have protected her, but I didn’t. I don’t want to make that mistake again.”
Macey’s body trembled. She crossed and uncrossed her arms and shifted her weight from side to side.
“Please say something, Macey.”
“Wait,” Alexis said. “Melissa who?”
He tore his gaze away from Macey’s shimmering eyes. “Taylor. Melissa Taylor.”
Alexis stiffened. “I knew her.” Her voice was a whisper. She shook her head. “Luke, she wasn’t kidnapped.”
“What are you talking about?”
Alexis took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Melissa went to that apartment on her own that night. She knew those rogues.”
His heart dropped into his stomach. “How do you know that?”
“Because I was supposed to be there too.”
A wave of nausea rolled through him, and he gritted his teeth. “Explain.”
“The rogues were dealers. It’s how a lot of them make a living.” She looked at Macey. “Not me. I never sold drugs, but I was dating one of them. Melissa was with the other one. The police are right. It was a drug deal gone bad.”
He shook his head in disbelief. Melissa wasn’t cheating on him. No way…
“I knew she had another boyfriend in New Orleans,” Alexis continued, “but I didn’t know it was you. She talked about leaving the pack. She liked the freedom of being rogue. I’m sorry, Luke.”
He blinked, his throat thickening as his mind scrambled to comprehend. Melissa hadn’t been kidnapped. She’d been cheating on him. He swallowed, and the sensation of hot coal burned down his esophagus, settling in his stomach like a boulder. The woman he’d once thought he’d spend forever with had betrayed him…but he couldn’t be angry with her. She’d paid the ultimate price for her infidelity, and he wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone.
Macey ran to him, finally offering the comfort she’d been holding back. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her head against his chest. He held her, letting her warmth loosen the knots in his core.
Though his mind didn’t want to accept the betrayal, in his heart he knew it was true. The signs were there, if he were honest with himself. The new wardrobe, excessive trips to the salon, how careful she was to never leave her phone lying where he would see it. In the back of his mind, he’d suspected it. But her death had washed away his doubt, leaving a thick layer of guilt in its place.
Though he’d cared for Melissa deeply, he’d used his anger at himself to cope with her death, feeling the sadness, but never truly dealing with it. Now, he expected the emotion to slam into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. Instead, he let out his breath slowly as a hundred-pound weight lifted off his shoulders. The guilt he’d carried for three years floated away, and he hugged Macey tighter.
“Looks like we’ve both been letting our pasts mess with our lives,” she said.
He looked at Alexis. “Yeah, I guess we have.”
Alexis raised her hands. “Hey, I’ll take responsibility for Macey’s issues, but I had nothing to do with Melissa’s choices. You can’t blame me for that.”
Luke laughed. Guilt was a useless emotion that did nothing but weigh him down and hold him back. Now he was free. Free to mourn Melissa’s death properly and free to finally move on. “I don’t. I’m glad to know the truth. Now let’s go kick some demon ass.”
Macey pulled away and gazed up at him, a timid smile curving her pink lips. What he would have given to know what thoughts tumbled through her mind at that moment. But it wasn’t the time for talk. They’d already wasted too much with his confession and Alexis’s revelation. He laced his fingers through hers and led them to the shack.
“It’s there, through the trees,” he said. Dirty white paint peeled from the rotted wood structure, and a lopsided porch crumbled in front of the house. A screen door hung loose, unable to latch closed because the house sank at an odd angle.
Macey gasped. “That’s where Jimmy lives? No wonder he’s starving. They don’t even have electricity.”
“Yes, they do.” Luke pointed to a red engine near the back door. “There’s a generator there. And there’s a solar panel on the roof. Somebody was smart enough to set that up.”
“Well, it wasn’t Jimmy.” Defensiveness sharpened Macey’s voice. How could she be so fond of the man who’d attacked her? “And he’s not here anyway. Neither of them are.”
“Took you long enough.” Chase and the other men approached from the left. He looked at Luke’s hand, holding Macey’s, and grinned. “Looks like nobody’s home.”
“We can wait,” Luke said.
Macey shook her head. “It’s Monday.”
“So?”
“Jimmy goes to the Quarter on Mondays. He’ll be in Jackson Square.”
Stephen stepped forward. “How do you know so much about the rapist? Seems suspicious to me.” He looked at the other men. “How do we know
this isn’t a trap? She could be working with the fiends. Setting us up.”
Luke opened his mouth to defend Macey, but she didn’t need his help.
“He’s not the rapist,” she said. “If you’d take a minute to look through all that testosterone swirling behind your eyes, you’d see the facts. The spirit is the one we’re after. I met Jimmy. He’s as helpless as a child.” She was feisty. And so goddamn sexy.
Stephen looked at Luke like he expected him to step in, but Luke just grinned. His woman could take care of herself. He accepted that now. The only thing left to do was make her his again.
“What’s the plan then?” he said to Macey. “Do we wait it out? When will he be back?”
“I think I should go to Jackson Square and talk to him. He’ll listen to me. Maybe he can help.”
“All right. Chase, James, Stephen, stay here. Stake the place out and call me if you see any action. Alexis and I will go with Macey back to the Quarter.”
Stephen puffed out his chest. “You’re seriously taking orders from that woman?”
Macey put her hands on her hips. “I think he gave the order. I merely made a suggestion.”
Stephen narrowed his eyes in an icy glare, but he didn’t say anything else. James bit his lip, and Chase rubbed his face, both trying to hide their smiles. Hopefully this was the extent of the “friendly fire” his sister warned him about. A sinking feeling in his gut told him there’d be more.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The August sun hung high in the sky, roasting Jackson Square. Sweat stung Macey’s eyes, and she wiped it away as she scanned the crowd for Jimmy. She checked the candy store first, but the owner hadn’t seen him. Just her luck, he’d learned his lesson and wouldn’t go there again. Hopefully she’d find him somewhere in the Square.
Luke and Alexis sat on a bench under a tree in the park. His gaze followed her as she walked around the perimeter. Protecting her from a distance.
At least he was giving her room to breathe now. Showing some trust in her abilities. Possessiveness gripped at her heart to think he had been engaged before. That he had loved another woman. She shook her head. He’d had a life before her; she’d have been a fool to think he hadn’t. Still, a ball of jealousy knotted in her stomach every time she pictured him in another woman’s arms. What did that say about her?
Did she want him back? Of course she did. Every fiber of her being ached to be in his arms. But if she needed him that badly, could her heart survive losing him? She’d given herself to him so easily before, and fallen apart so desperately when she’d thought he was using her. She couldn’t take that chance again.
Focus, Mace. Find Jimmy. She’d have time to think about her relationship with Luke when this was over. She meandered through the crowd, searching the faces until her gaze landed upon Jimmy’s innocent, brown eyes. He sat on a bench, facing the St. Louis Cathedral, and beamed a smile at the juggler tossing flaming batons into the air.
She approached him cautiously, assuming a cheerful posture and smiling to disarm his fears. His eyes widened when he noticed her, his gaze darting about like he might be watched. Seemingly satisfied with his observation, he waved and trotted toward her.
“Hi, Miss Macey!” He stopped, and his face fell as his gaze locked on her gun. He placed his hand on his shoulder and winced.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Jimmy. Is your brother around?” She didn’t sense the demon, but maybe Jimmy knew where it was.
“Oh, no. He’s not here.” When he pulled his hand away from his shoulder, his shirt stuck to the wound.
“How’s your shoulder?”
His bottom lip trembled. “It hurts.”
“I’m sorry I shot you. I was scared.”
He nodded, fat tears pooling in his eyes. “It’s okay, Miss Macey. Ross made me do mean things to you.”
“Ross? Is that your brother’s name?”
His eyes widened, and tears dripped onto his cheeks. He nodded.
“Did you go to the doctor to fix your shoulder?”
“Oh, no ma’am. I’m not allowed to see a doctor. The boy cat-rized it for me.”
“Cat-rized?”
“He burned it. To make it stop bleeding. It hurts really bad, but it doesn’t bleed anymore. Just some green stuff comes out.”
Macey cringed. “You mean cauterized?”
“That’s what I said.”
“What boy?”
“Ross made him. He’s special like my brother. Half demon.” His face pinched. “He lives with us now. He sleeps on my futon. I have to sleep on the floor because I’m not special.”
“I think you’re special.” Her heart ached for the poor man, but she tried to keep her expression cheerful.
His eyes brightened. “You do?”
“You’re very special, Jimmy, and I’d like to help you. Would you like to get away from your brother? To have a real bed to sleep in and food every day?”
“Oh, I would like that very much. But he won’t let me leave. He said if I ever tried to go away, he’d eat me like he ate Momma.”
“You mean when he was born?” Visions of the first victim’s mangled torso made her stomach turn. Had Jimmy watched his brother claw his way out of his mother’s womb? No wonder his brain didn’t work quite right.
“Yes, ma’am. And I don’t want to get eaten.”
“I won’t let him eat you. I promise I can keep you safe. Will you let me help you, Jimmy?” She placed a gentle hand on his good shoulder.
He looked at her hand, and confusion clouded his eyes. Had he ever been touched in a loving way? Probably not since his brother was born. “Okay, Miss Macey. You’re a real nice lady.”
“I have some friends with me. Do you want to meet them?”
He grinned like a child. “Friends? I don’t have any friends.”
“I’m your friend. Do you want to meet some more?”
“Yes, please!”
She led Jimmy through the park gates and introduced him to Luke and Alexis. He smiled timidly at her sister and waved, but when his eyes met Luke’s, he cowered. He shuffled backward, tensing like he was about to bolt.
“What’s wrong?” Macey asked.
“He…he’s a werewolf. Werewolves are bad.”
“No, Jimmy.” She put her hand on his elbow. That bewildered expression crossed his face, but he relaxed under her touch. “Luke is my friend. Werewolves are good. He’s going to help you too.”
“But Ross says werewolves are bad. They keep killing his demons.”
Luke grumbled under his breath, but he didn’t say anything out loud. He was letting Macey take the lead. Trusting her. He pressed his lips into a tight smile.
“Do you think what your brother is doing is good?” Macey asked.
Jimmy hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “No, ma’am.”
“We’re going to stop him and find you a place to stay. Would you like that?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How many halflings are there?” Luke asked. “We need to know what we’re up against.”
Jimmy’s gaze darted about the square like he wasn’t sure if he should answer. Finally, his frightened eyes locked with Macey’s.
“It’s okay. You can answer him.”
“Well, there’s one. Maybe two.”
“Maybe?” Luke stood. The calmness in his voice sounded forced. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.
Jimmy stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest in an X—a defensive posture. “He’s mad at me.” He angled his body sideways, as if bracing for a blow.
“No one’s mad at you, Jimmy.” Macey mouthed the words sit down to Luke. He grunted, but he did what she asked. Alexis sank onto the bench next to him.
“What do you mean maybe two?” Macey said.
Jimmy relaxed his posture and scratched his ear. “Oh. He said he had to go see about a birth today. Last time he said that, he brought the boy home. I don’t want another boy in our house. I want my futo
n back.”
“I’m going to get you a real bed.”
His face lit with a smile. “Then I won’t go back. I don’t want to raise any more demons. It makes me feel sick, but Ross said we have to raise a whole mess of them tonight. But if I stay with you, Miss Macey, you’ll keep me safe, right? You won’t let Ross eat me. You promised.”
Luke ran his hand over his face. He was obviously losing patience with Jimmy, but Macey almost had all the information she needed.
“I will help you,” she said. “But first I need you to go back, okay? And pretend like you never talked to me.”
Jimmy knit his brow. “Why?”
“It’s the only way to stop your brother from hurting more people.”
His gaze fell to the ground as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want to hurt more people.”
“Will you help me then?” She reached for his injured hand and turned it palm up to see the scar. “Help me help you?”
He nodded.
“Good. Here’s what I need you to do.”
Luke crouched in the leaves behind a bush, eyeing the dilapidated shack. It had taken every ounce of self-control he could muster to stop himself from beating the crap out of that guy for what he did to Macey. Once he met him, though, he understood. There was no way Jimmy had done all this on his own.
He watched the man pacing back and forth across the window, muttering to himself incessantly, wringing his hands like his nerves were tearing him apart. “How do you know he’s not going to spill the whole plan to his brother as soon as he sees him?”
“I don’t,” Macey said. “But he trusts me. And if we move in fast enough, he won’t have a chance to tell him anything.”
He peered into the trees behind the shack. His team had already shifted, preparing to take on the two halflings at his command. Alexis was somewhere nearby. She’d be watching Jimmy. Macey didn’t want to hurt the guy, but he trusted Alexis to do what needed to be done if Macey’s life was in danger.
Luke grudgingly remained in human form. If it were up to him, he’d shift like the others and tear into that cabin like a storm, but Macey wouldn’t let him near Jimmy unless he stayed human. He sure as hell wasn’t letting her go in alone.
Werewolves Only: Crescent City Wolf Pack Book One Page 23