Guardian's Joy #3

by Jacqueline Rhoades

  “The point is, just because they say it, doesn’t mean you have to obey.” Grace gathered up the dishes and started loading the dishwasher.

  “What you need to remember is that they love you and worry about you and they have a need to protect you from harm,” Manon added.

  Grace looked up and smiled. “Speaking of the adorable pussycats, here comes the big boy now.”

  Canaan moved around the granite island as Grace moved to meet him. They shared an affectionate squeeze and a friendly kiss.

  There wasn’t anything overtly sexual about it, but Grace’s welcoming smile and Canaan’s returning wink were like a shared secret between them. For a moment, JJ’s heart winced with a pinch of jealousy, something she’d never felt with any of the cop couples she knew. Just for that moment, she wondered what it would be like to share a secret connection with someone who loved her.

  Canaan looked around the table at each of the women. “Looks like a serious pow-wow.” He gave JJ a nod and turned back to Grace. “You want me to call for take-out?”

  “No.” Grace tried to pout, but the corners of her mouth twitched. “I want you to go kick the shit out of Nardo for being a chauvinist ass.”

  Canaan’s scowl made JJ think he might just do it.

  “No! Wait a minute!” She was on her feet, hands in the air as if she could hold this Goliath back. “I can handle this myself. He didn’t do anything wrong. It was my fault as much as his.”

  “Glad to hear it, because I’m not getting in the middle of it unless…” He shook a stern finger at JJ. “…it interferes with business.”

  Grace punched his arm and he suddenly grinned like a schoolboy. JJ was stunned at how quickly his face changed from scary to handsome. Canaan was a giant of a man. Wide shouldered and broad chested, he towered over Grace. His body screamed strength and power, two attributes JJ normally found attractive, yet she felt nothing but curiosity for the man who was Liege Lord of this House.

  “This is Canaan, by the way.” Grace squeezed the arm she’d punched with about the same effect. “He’s mine,” she said emphasizing the word, “Aren’t you, Big Boy.”

  “I thought you weren’t going to call me that in front of guests.” He frowned and his eyes flicked to JJ.

  JJ didn’t hear the reply or their laughter. There was that word again. Mine. Did it really mean love? She gave herself a mental shake. So what? She’d heard similar words before and they didn’t mean a thing.

  Every one of the men her mother brought home said it too. Love you, honey, sweetheart, darling, sugar. It was always followed by those affectionate little nicknames lovers used. Her mother and her lovers used the words the same way they said hello or good-bye. They were just words and words meant nothing. Words left her cold.

  John never used those words with her nor she with him. It wasn’t that kind of relationship, but it was one that suited them both. John cared for her as a good friend and a partner and she appreciated that he didn’t pretend otherwise. She would have known.

  Her thoughts stopped short at that. Did Nardo lie? She should have known, but she didn’t. She’d assumed so. Now she wasn’t sure. Lies sent a slimy feeling down her spine. Small lies, white lies, were easy to ignore. More serious lies increased the feeling according to their significance and, yes, according to her need to find the truth. Maybe…

  JJ blinked back to attention with Hope’s soft whisper in her ear. “Nico’s coming,” she said and tapped her temple with her finger. “He always says hello when he’s in range.”

  In addition to seeing the questions in other’s minds, Hope could ‘talk’, mind to mind, with people she was close to. According to her, it was more a combination of pictures and feelings than real words. Whatever Nico was sending her was a great deal more than a simple hello if her blush was any indication.

  Broadbent came in through the pantry door followed by a man who would look at home on a magazine cover; obviously Nico as Hope’s blush deepened further at his arrival. He was gorgeous, but JJ felt no I-wonder-what about him which was strange. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t wonder? She didn’t know she was smiling until Dov walked in and wiped it away.

  “I thought you’d be gone.”

  “Dov!” Six voices spoke as one.

  “What? She’s the one that said she was leaving. She was calling a cab.”

  Six pairs of eyes turned to her and she thought her face must now match Hope’s.

  “I couldn’t call. I couldn’t tell them where to pick me up and I’d look pretty stupid looking for a bus stop in bare feet. But Dov’s right. I do need to go home.”

  “Why?” Grace started pulling pots from beneath the counter. “You said there was no one there to miss you.”

  Dov started to speak, but Col’s punch to his arm stopped him.

  “My cat,” JJ said quickly, glad of the excuse.

  “Not there,” said Col. He ran his hand over his hair and looked a little embarrassed. “We left some food out for it, but it hasn’t been touched. We’ll keep looking.”

  “You went to my house?”

  “Well yeah.” The way Dov said it sounded a lot like “Well, duh” and then he spread his hands and shrugged. “We had to break a window in your back door the night we brought you home, so we went back to fix it. We couldn’t leave it like that. Some stranger could walk right in.”

  JJ sucked in her cheeks. “You don’t see the irony of that statement, do you?”

  He shrugged. “I might, if I knew what it was.” He threw up his hands when the others laughed. “Are you guys going to let me finish?” He frowned and the laughter was stifled. “Okay then. Just so you know, we got a dead bolt for that door because that skeleton key just don’t cut it and you, lady cop, ought to know that.”

  “I should have taken care of that,” she said solemnly. “You’re right, Dov.” These twins really were sweet.

  “Damn right. Anyway, we went back again to clean up the mess you made and then tonight, when we went back to look for the cat, Gracie said we should bring back some clothes, but only the stuff that was in your laundry basket. She wouldn’t let us go through your drawers or anything. She got really pissed when we emptied hers.” He said it as if he didn’t understand why.

  “I was going to ask if you felt up to getting a few more things tomorrow,” Grace added as she dumped a huge bowl of meatballs into an even larger pot of sauce. “Damn,” she muttered when it splashed onto her shirt. Canaan used his finger to scoop a drip from her breast and brought it to his mouth, rolling his eyes. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Big Boy,” Grace laughed.

  The thought of wearing her own clothes made it easier to think about staying and heaven help her, she wanted to stay. She, who’d always cherished her solitude, wanted to stay with this chaotic bunch who said what they thought and apparently had very few secrets. Besides, Faith needed her and that was something she missed. John had needed her, too.

  “Hope, you and Nico are on salad detail. Boys, set the table and go find Nardo.” Grace turned to JJ. “So it only makes sense to stay through New Year’s, right?”

  “I suppose I could.” It would only be for a few weeks and then she could go back to the life she had planned. She could handle Nardo for a couple of weeks.

  Chapter 16

  “She’s mine. I know it. I can feel it in my gut. And when I kissed her, she felt it in hers, too.” Nardo pulled the watch cap down over his ears. It was so damn cold. At least the snow had stopped. The padded army jacket helped, but not much. His feet were freezing in spite of the heavy boots and extra socks.

  Broadbent walked beside him as if he hadn’t a care in the world. A white wooly scarf was tucked neatly into the vee made by the shearling lapels of his heavy wool pea coat. Sturdy hunting boots were laced up over his calves and his head was covered in a plaid wool hunting cap, ear flaps down. Nardo wondered again why he’d asked the professor for advice. He shook his head at the folly of it. Well, it was too late now.

 
; “What am I supposed to do? What am I doing wrong?”

  The professor sighed. “You can begin by avoiding the word gut. It sounds distasteful. Next, instead of declaring ‘You’re mine’ and expecting her to jump into your arms in gratitude, you might try wooing her.”

  “Wooing? I think that’s something that went out with top hats and tails.” He might as well stick with Broadbent’s earlier suggestion of reading poetry outside her door or Dov’s helpful hint; get her drunk.

  “Wooing, courting, call it what you will. Women like romance. ‘Hey baby, want to get laid?’ may work for Dov and Col, but you’re talking about the woman of your heart. You have to show her that she’s more than a bedmate.”

  “I don’t think she’s going to fall for a dozen roses and a box of candy. She doesn’t strike me as the type. I watched her toss Dov on his ass in the gym the other day.” Nardo snorted remembering the look on Dov’s face. “He said he was going easy on her, but I don’t think so. That girl has some moves.” He spoke with pride.

  Broadbent stopped and turned with his finger raised. “You can admire her physical prowess. It’s a part of who she is, but not all she is. You mustn’t treat her like a comrade in arms. Make her see that she is the woman you cherish above all others; a creature of beauty and delight. When she’s finally in your arms, she needs to know that she is someone precious, someone you’re willing to love and care for forever. And you’re wrong about the roses and candy. It’s not very original, but women seem to like it.” His collar shrugged up around his cheeks. “Although there’s always the chance she’ll throw them out.”

  “She probably will. She barely looks at me.”

  “Find something that will make her smile.”

  “Thanks for nothing. I haven’t seen her smile since I kissed her.”

  Broadbent’s look was speculative. “Perhaps that’s because you haven’t kissed her again.”

  Another cold stream of air gusted down the wind tunnel known as Main Street. Nardo stamped his feet and hugged his arms around his chest. His breath formed a cloud around his head.

  “We’re not going to see any action tonight,” he grumbled. “Fucking demons are smarter than we are. They’re all home where it’s only mildly chilly and damp. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it to patrol from December through February. Too damn cold.”

  There was always an increase in demon activity in the spring when the weather began to warm. The incursions reached their peak in July and August and waned with the rains and cooler weather of the fall. The twins believed that the otherworld, where demons lived and spawned, was cold and dark and damp; opposite from the Hell described by the religious. Dov and Col thought the demons sought the dry heat of summer because it was a luxury their home world couldn’t offer. It was as good a theory as any, although Nardo wondered if the heat had more to do with opening the gates or portals through which the demons passed rather than the monster’s preferences for balmy weather.

  “If we catch one of the bastards, it’s worth it.” Broadbent rubbed his gloved hands together. “Canaan wants us out until the bars close. No reason we can’t stop in one of them for a quick warm up before they close. Then we’ll wander around until the streets are empty. Shouldn’t take long on a night like tonight.”

  They’d taken no more than a half dozen steps in the direction of the nearest tavern when Broadbent swore softly and reached into the inside pocket of his coat. His phone was vibrating angrily as he pulled it out. He was lead tonight and any messages from Canaan or the House would come through him.

  Nardo knew it wasn’t good by the way Broadbent’s jaw tightened as he fought for control of his Rage. Of them all, Broadbent was the most even tempered, so seeing the tips of his fangs emerge was a sure sign of serious trouble.

  “There’s been another attack. Over on Kramer.” He started off without looking to see if the younger Guardian followed.

  As for Nardo, he didn’t waste time with questions. The professor would give him the details once they were in the car and on their way.

  *****

  JJ Stared at the map and colored pins. There was something there that she should see; something she almost saw the first time she looked at it, before Nardo kissed her.

  Nardo kissed her. Damn him! She’d managed to avoid him for the past few days. Like a cartoon spy, she tiptoed past the door to the War Room when he was working at his station and inevitably, as soon as she thought she was clear, he’d call out a greeting and laugh. It made her furious with him and with herself. She was acting like a twelve year old and to make matters worse, the more she avoided him, the more she thought about him.

  On the nights he was assigned to patrol, she hit the gym where an hour’s worth of yoga felt good to her body but brought no peace to her soul. Her concentration was constantly disrupted by the sound of his voice, the sight of his body, the feel of his hands and the taste of his lips. All in her head.

  “Dammit girl, get your head back in the game.” JJ shook her arms at her sides and rolled her head on her shoulders like a boxer getting ready for a bout. She stared at the map on the War Room wall.

  Two blue pins, three red pins. According to Otto, they weren’t sure the blue pins fit the profile. Those deaths occurred months ago. The only thing that connected them with the current killings was Nardo’s discovery that much of the information about them, witness and autopsy reports, had been deleted from the files which meant someone else was dicking round with the department computers and erasing what they didn’t want found or someone in the police department thought they might be connected to the case and didn’t want them leaked to the press.

  Not that the press needed facts. They’d already dubbed him the Vampire Killer and speculation was running rampant. If word of tonight’s victim got out, there wouldn’t be a piece of garlic left in town. Crosses would become the fashion and there would be fist fights over who drained the last of the holy water. Reason would not prevail and why should it? This vampire was real.

  Tonight’s victim was another young Paenitentia woman whose body was found by her brother and several friends. They’d kept their wits about them long enough to call an uncle of one of the young men, a member of the private police force that patrolled Moonlight Sanctuary. The officer called Canaan.

  She picked out another red pushpin from the cracked mug that held them and stuck it into the address Canaan had written as he took the call. 26061 Kramer. She stood back and looked at the pins again. Nothing. Finally she fished through the mug until she found two yellow pins, found the red pin representing the female Paenitentia she’d discovered and replaced it with the yellow. She then replaced the pin at 26061 Kramer.

  Two female humans, two female Paenitentia, two unknowns. It didn’t help. Except the nagging at the back of her head grew stronger. She needed more information about vampires. Who better to ask than a primary source?

  Once she was sure Faith’s daily treatments had healed her wrist, she brought the news to Hope. It was a sign of Faith’s returning strength and a worry lifted from Hope’s shoulders. The other women claimed that a Daughter who couldn’t control her gifts, whether through weakness or because she was untrained, would eventually go insane or die. To Hope’s knowledge, Faith didn’t know about her lineage or her gifts before she was rescued and she was fast approaching that crucial age. Somehow, she had discovered her gift and was open to its use.

  When told of the cure, Grace suggested seeking Otto out to remove the cast. Now, JJ considered it an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

  Uncle Otto slowly cut a vee shaped wedge from the length of the cast with a razor sharp blade attached to a high speed drill. He grinned when JJ tensed.

  “Don’t trust me, do you?” he chuckled. “What if he cuts the skin? Will the fresh blood set him off?” He started another cut, this time along the center of the vee. “You wouldn’t be the first to wonder it. I worried over it, too. It was hard at first. If Manon or Grace got a simple cut or if one of
the boys got clawed, I’d have to leave the room. I’m fine now. So,” he smiled and started another cut on the underside of her arm, “If I slip and slit your wrist, you’ll bleed to death, but it won’t be by fang.” He used a pair of surgical scissors to finish the job.

  “Thanks,” JJ grinned and flexed her fingers, then rotated her wrist. There was no weakness, no pain, not even the stiffness that comes from keeping a joint immobile for any extended length of time. “Just so we’re clear, I tensed because you were zipping pretty fast with that blade, not because I was afraid of you. I got the scoop on you at the dinner party they gave upstairs the first night I was awake. Then I saw the big bastard and I figured he’d rip your heart out the minute you stepped out of line.”

  “Canaan is our Liege Lord. Be careful how you speak.” Otto’s grin took the sting out of the rebuke. “And it was his job to take my heart when I first turned. He couldn’t do it. He loved me.”

  JJ had the good grace to look contrite. “Shame on me for judging a book by its cover.” She looked around the kitchen. “Do I smell coffee?”

  “Sure do. Let me get you a cup. Not as good as Grace’s, though it’s a helluva lot better than Manon’s.” He pulled two mugs from the cupboard. “How do you take it?”

  “Any way it comes. Black is fine, thanks.” She waited until she had the mug in her hands before she spoke again. “I have questions, Uncle Otto, and I don’t want to cause trouble, but I think you’re the one that’ll have the best answers.”

  Otto nodded. “Whatever I can do to help.”

  “Why isn’t anyone worried about the two Paenitentia women who were killed turning vampire?”

  “There’s never been a female vampire. Only men turn and it most likely has to do with the original curse. You know about that, right?”

  “Yeah. The Daughters couldn’t wait to tell me about it. Is there a way other than violent death that you can be turned?”