“What are you doing here? I’m not sure renting the space gives you permission to be sneaking around the property at all hours either.”
He laughed. “That’s where you’re wrong. Your buddy Karl isn’t about to tell me I can’t be here, not when one phone call from me will have the cops pouring over this place with all the blame landing squarely on his shoulders. But you, I’m going to tell you one last time, you stay the fuck away from that garage. You stay off this property unless you’re working on the house with Karl. You stay out of my business or you’re going to disappear and no one is going to find you. Ever.”
A half dozen smart ass remarks danced through Bryce’s mind, but for once he kept his mouth shut and just nodded.
“Get lost.” He shoved Bryce hard, sending him reeling.
Bryce jogged to the sidewalk and headed up the street without looking back. He got into the car and locked the doors and just sat, staring at the street lights lining the street ahead of him.
Was it shameful to run? To be afraid? Whatever Karl was into was likely dangerous. He trusted Jane, after all she was a werebear and supposedly had amazing senses and if she smelled drugs then there were drugs involved somehow. Drugs and gangs and a man who knew his face and had told him twice to stay away.
Jeff and Jase might be able to shrug and look away but I can’t. Karl’s my cousin. I might not particularly like him most of the time but he’s family, and whatever he’s into I have to find a way to get him out. Someway that doesn’t involve me facing off against the gangs and getting killed.
* * *
Sunday morning, Marnie and Jane were having a lazy breakfast together. People had been in and out since that first big dinner and it was nice to have some time for just the two of them. Etienne was the only one who’d made himself scarce.
“Are you really going home?” Marnie asked.
“Etienne thought I could help but I guess I can’t. There’s nothing for me here, Marnie. My life is waiting for me back in New Orleans. I’ve booked a flight for tomorrow.”
“Yes, I heard you mention something about that to Renee and Ginette last night.”
The phone rang so Marnie wandered into the next room to answer it. When she came back, she looked serious. “You remember you asked about Laurent and The Human Order?”
“Yeah. Etienne was looking for proof but he never found any.”
“That’s because the proof wasn’t online. It’s on paper. And I know where it is. I need to make some phone calls. Looks like we’re having a meeting tonight – before Laurent gets home.”
Jane just nodded.
* * *
It was strange how the same crowd of people could take up the same amount of space and make ten times less noise.
Everyone found a spot around the table. Faces were serious.
“Jane, do you trust your Clan Chief?”
Everyone looked at Ginette. No one had expected her to get things started, and certainly not with such a loaded question.
Jane nodded. “Yes, I trust him.”
“Will he protect you?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know what to do. I knew it had to stop, but I didn’t know what to do. He’s the Chief. I was so scared.”
“What are you talking about, dear?” Marnie said.
“The papers. But I couldn’t go to the police. They can’t protect me.”
“So she gave the papers to me,” Renee explained.
“What papers?” Phil said.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Renee said. “Laurent came by and asked if you knew about them and you were able to tell him the truth. If he suspected you of lying, he’d have used that damn Clan Chief magic on you and we’d all be in trouble.
Etienne put his hand over his mouth and lurched to his feet. “Excuse me,” he mumbled and stumbled towards the bathroom.
“Poor boy,” Luc said but his voice lacked any real compassion.
“Why didn’t you come forward when Laurent left for New Orleans?” Marnie asked.
“We didn’t know who we could trust,” Renee said. She turned her full attention to Jane. “But you haven’t been here for five years. You have no reason to listen to Laurent and a lot of reasons to hate him, even if he did raise you. You were strong enough, and brave enough, to run away. And you don’t have to listen to Laurent.”
“What are you saying?” Jane asked.
“I’m saying that I think we can trust you. Am I right?”
Now everyone was staring at Jane.
“Yes,” Jane said. “You can trust me. My Chief sent me to get proof. He wants to know the truth.”
“Are you still planning on leaving tomorrow?”
“Yes. I thought I’d be going home empty handed though.”
“Not empty handed, no.” Renee pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed them to Jane. “That’s everything we have.”
“I’ll take care of this,” Jane said.
Marnie pushed her chair back and stood. “Jane, I think you should leave. For your own safety and ours. I’ll drive you to the city, to a coffee shop. From there you catch a cab to a hotel so if anyone asks any of us if we know where you or those papers are, we can be honest.”
Jane nodded “I’ll get my bags.”
“You’ll say your goodbyes first,” Luc said, standing to hug her. Others stood too and a bit of the tension lifted from the group.
The crunch of car tires on the gravel driveway was distinct. Everyone froze. A few people started looking around and Jane could tell they were doing a mental head count. Who was here? Who wasn’t? Who could be pulling up unannounced? They all knew who it could be, and who they didn’t want it to be.
The door opened. No knock. No doorbell. Everyone knew, with that click of the door knob turning and the creak of hinges, exactly who was walking in.
He was too close. Even a whispered plan would be overheard. There was nowhere they could hide Jane before he crossed the small house and entered the kitchen. Marnie folded the printed emails and handed them to Jane. There was only one hiding place available to her. She slid them under the back elastic of her bra and adjusted her shirt.
“I’m glad to see you all together,” Laurent said as he came in. “Now I don’t have to call for you.”
“You’re back from New Orleans then,” Marnie said. “And Etienne is back. So I guess it all worked out in the end.”
Ginette eased her way around the table, headed for her husband.
“Yes. It all worked out exactly as planned.” He raised his arm and let Ginette slip into her usual place at his side.
Jane frowned.
“What’s wrong, Jane? Can’t figure out why I might need you here?” His smile was smug again. “When the evidence went missing from my house, I knew it could only be one of a few people who had taken it, but who had they hidden it with? I could have strong-armed the answer but that would run the risk of a rebellion. I knew the only person the clan would trust as not being my spy would be you, Jane. I knew whoever had taken it would turn it over to you. And they have.”
“I don’t have anything,” Jane said.
“Don’t lie to me.” Any power he might have been able to throw into the command slid harmlessly off of her.
“I’m not a member of your clan, Laurent. I can tell you the sky is purple and that fish fly and that your hair is full of cockroaches and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
“I will deal with you in a moment. Right now I have to deal with a thief.”
Before anyone could react, he had a hand on the back of Ginette’s neck and had her on her knees. There was a loud protest but no one moved.
“My own wife. I didn’t think the betrayal would come from so close to home.”
“That’s not the only betrayal,” Jane said.
His eyes flicked up at her, then his attention returned to his wife. “Are you putting the pieces together, Jane?”
“Fuck you. This is Marnie’s house. I am n
ot a part of your clan. You cannot keep me here. I’m going home.”
“You have something of mine. I’ll take it now.”
“Go to hell.” She turned, ready to walk out the sliding door and onto the deck so she didn’t have to walk past Laurent.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Laurent said. He didn’t appear to move but Ginette started to sob. “I can kill her, right now. A little tighter, a little twist, and it’s goodbye Ginette. You wouldn’t do that to her would you? Not after the risk she took getting you that evidence.”
Jane hesitated.
“I thought not. Grab her.” The last two words tasted of power.
Jane felt the magic slide off of her but she knew it would affect every member of his clan. To resist a direct command was painful for more dominant bears and impossible for less dominant ones. His blackmail controlled harassment had targeted the most dominant bears in the clan so he could send them away, far away. Jane wasn’t sure anyone here could resist.
Except that no one moved.
“I said, grab her,” Laurent said again. Again no one moved. “Fine. Etienne, if you would be so kind?”
He’d looked every inch the poor, food-poisoned, traveler a few minutes ago when he’d disappeared in the direction of the bathroom. There didn’t appear to be anything wrong with him now. He slipped his phone in his pocket and approached Jane with a smile.
“I don’t have it,” Jane said again.
“You were too busy looking at the windows and looking at each other. You weren’t looking at me. But I was looking at you, Jane.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Why not? Laurent’s little game has put me in a very good position in this clan.” He backed Jane up against the counter and reached around behind her. His hand slid up under the back of Jane’s shirt and he pulled the papers free. And while he was that close, he leaned in and kissed her.
She leaned back but couldn’t get far enough away to break the kiss. When he was done, she slapped him.
He slapped her back. “Bitch.”
She didn’t bother replying.
Etienne turned to walk back to Laurent but Jean stuck out a foot and tripped him. He hit the floor with a solid thump.
“Luc, the pantry,” Marnie said.
Laurent bellowed, “Stop!” so loudly and with so much power it staggered nearly everyone in the room. Even Jane felt it and she had been free of his influence for years. Everyone else in the room had only been free of it a few days. The only people who seemed not to be effected were Marnie and Luc. The pantry door flew open, Luc’s actions hidden behind it, at least hidden from Laurent.
The shotgun was tossed across the room to Marnie who pumped it once and pointed it at Laurent.
“Jean, grab the papers,” Marnie ordered.
“What is this?” Laurent screamed. In his grasp Ginette whimpered again. She was shaking.
“It’s a revolt,” Marnie said. “Everyone here was more than willing to leave your clan. There’s a moot scheduled for tonight to select a new Clan Chief for this territory.”
“Until a new Clan Chief is chosen, until someone new takes over the bonds, the oaths of loyalty, you are all mine. Etienne, I command you to shift.”
“No. We will never be yours again. We will not allow any more of our daughters to be wed against their will. We will not allow our friends to be driven off by your paranoia and greed.”
A pained grunt cut her off. Etienne hit the floor on his knees. Shifting in clothes was always more painful, and shifting on someone else’s command could be difficult. Luc grabbed a vase off the shelf and hit Etienne on the back of the head, just behind his ear. He went down like a sack of potatoes.
Marnie hadn’t taken her eyes off Laurent. “Let Ginette go.”
Laurent’s face twisted into a snarl and before he could say anything, Marnie pulled the trigger. The blast hit him in the chest, enough to knock him away from Ginette and to the floor but not enough to kill him.
Jane leapt forward and grabbed Ginette, pulling her away from Laurent. He pulled himself to his feet and grabbed Jane. She could feel the hot wet blood seeping into the back of her shirt. Desperation leant him and his bear strength she didn’t have, strength she could only get by shifting. They struggled. The second blast was deafening and he let go suddenly. Jane flew from his grasp and hit the counter.
Marnie stood over Laurent. He was on his chest on the floor, hands over his head, gasping for air. The linoleum was a bloody mess. His suit jacket was shredded. A few others had cuts where stray bird shot had caught their arms or faces and not one of them flinched or looked away. Their faces were hard.
She put a foot on his back. He was trying to say something but all that came out was a wet gasping sound. “Asshole,” she said, and then she pulled the trigger.
Chapter 11
The police had been and gone. Jane was never more grateful for the small town mentality than she was now. The bruise on the back of Ginette’s neck helped. So did the black mail evidence.
The Police Chief had looked around the room and said, “I’m going to assume that some of you are werebears and some of you are just family or allies, and I’m not going to ask which is which.” That meant only Marnie, Laurent, Ginette, and Etienne were known to the police.
They’d had to move to Luc’s house since Laurent’s and Marnie’s were taped off by the police. He had a rec room downstairs that was big enough for the clan, though not everyone got a spot on the couches.
“This is not what we planned,” Marnie said. “We had hoped to break his ties while he was gone and have a new Chief before he returned. A new Chief could have challenged him in single combat or forced him to leave the territory without violence.”
“What’s done is done,” said Luc. “And I for one am not all that upset with the results. Laurent was a difficult Clan Chief to live under from day one.”
“We still need a new Chief,” Jean said.
“What about Jane?” someone said. “She cared enough about us even after being gone five years to come back and set us straight.”
“No.”
Everyone looked at Jane.
“I’m going home. I have a clan and I don’t plan on leaving it. I never intended to stay here. And I know I’m not dominant enough to hold the position. Besides, I think you’ve chosen your new Chief already. And by rights it’s hers simply for challenging and beating your last Chief.”
* * *
The police had more questions and had to gather evidence and take more statements. It was late Tuesday morning before the police gave Jane the clearance to leave Quebec. She booked her flight for that evening and packed her bag, tucking the photo albums and other keepsakes among her clothes.
Marnie came in. “There’s a few other things but now that I know where you are, I can mail them to you.”
“Thanks.”
“You could stay, you know.”
“I know. But I’ve made a home and a life for myself. I need to get back to it.”
“Then we should go if we’re going to get you to the airport on time.”
Marnie hugged her at the security gate. “Don’t be such a stranger. You call or email any time.”
“I will. You’ll be sick of me.”
“Never.”
Jane boarded the plane, found her seat, leaned her head against the window, and slept until the plane landed in New Orleans.
Chapter 12
Wednesday morning she called Remy. “I’m back,” she said. “I was in Quebec.”
“I guessed as much. Did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I need to see you. Brock should be there too. This is official business and I’ll be giving my official report.”
“Are you available tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember where my apartment is?”
Most clan meetings were held at the Tandell house or at the warehouse. She hadn’t been to Remy’s in
years. “Yes, I know where it is. When should I be there?”
“Hmm. Is seven going to be too late?”
“No. Seven is fine.”
“Jane, I’m glad you’re back safe.”
“Thank you.”
Carter wasn’t nearly as understanding when she arrived at work. Of course Remy could still choose to take everything badly after he heard what she had to say. Carter was waiting at the front door and marched her straight to his office. She saw Bryce hovering in the staff room door as she passed and gave him a quick smile, one which he didn’t return. She hung her head and followed her boss.
He closed the office door and gestured to the chair. He sat down opposite her and flipped over a folder with her name on it. “Jane Gratton, age twenty-three, been here nearly five years. Hired to assist in the kitchen, moved up to orderly. Vulnerable sector check and first aid up to date. Yearly requirement of professional development hours met. No complaints from staff, minimal complaints from family of residents or residents.”
“That’s right. I didn’t realize it was time for my annual employee review.”
“It’s not. But in light of your disappearance last week …”
“I called in. I didn’t have any warning either. An emergency …”
“Yes, I heard the message you left. You sounded very emotional. This emergency is settled now? There won’t be any need for you to miss work on such short notice again?”
“Unless I catch the flu.”
“Yes, of course. Sick days notwithstanding. Well, you missed four days of work and you were not sick. You’re not getting paid for them and no, I won’t apply your vacation days cover them. You’ve used your vacation days this year.”
“I know that. I’m not asking you cover for me. I fully expected not to be paid for those four days.”
Carter ‘hmphed’. “Then there is the matter of not giving us any warning.”
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