by Trina M. Lee
“Jett—”
She stormed off without letting me finish. The door to her Mustang slammed shut hard enough to echo in the parking lot. Tash and Rubi made haste, each shooting me an apologetic look before climbing into the car. I sighed, watching as the car sped away with a squeal of tires.
Greyson cleared his throat and pulled car keys from a pocket. “I think Sammy and I are gonna take off too. We’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Sam seemed reluctant to leave but made no attempt to stay behind. Worry furrowed his brow as he retreated to Greyson’s SUV. I waved and forced a smile that I didn’t feel, hoping to ease his concern.
As soon as they were gone, Rowen advanced on Arrow and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “What is wrong with you? Do you hate yourself so much that you would do anything to make sure that everyone else hates you just as much?”
Arrow stood stiff, fists clenched at his sides. “I don’t really give a shit what anyone thinks of me. You included. Now let go of me, Rowen.”
“What happened to you last night?” Rowen released him but stood close, ready to shake answers out of him if need be. “Did Dash do this?”
There was a snicker as Arrow ran a hand over his beaten face. “He doesn’t like it when I cozy up with you white lighters. Apparently, he didn’t like that I went to you guys for help that night. Free will doesn’t exist in his world. I’m expected to be loyal to the dark at all times. La de friggin’ da.”
“How bad is it?” The anger faded from Rowen, replaced with concern. His gaze searched Arrow, looking him over for wounds we could not see. “Tell me what happened.”
Arrow stood stiff, unwilling to allow us to see how hurt he was. There was a stubborn set to his jaw as he eyed us each. “What’s to tell? Koda took me to Dash, and I spent the rest of the night getting my ass beat. You’d be surprised how creative demons get with that kind of thing.”
“Just because you came to us when you needed help?” I asked, hoping that Arrow would simmer down now that it was just the three of us.
His hazel eyes rolled upward, and he shook his head. “That’s what Dash wanted. He wanted me to go to Rowen. He just didn’t want that to include you, Spike. I failed. Again. I paid. Again.”
“But that doesn’t make sense.” I murmured this to myself, unable to understand what Dash’s goal was.
“So you did kill her.” Rowen nodded as if his worst fear had been confirmed. He’d held out hope til the last possible second that his brother could be innocent. It was just another reason to admire him. He wanted to see the best in everyone, even those so far removed from good.
“I still don’t really know. Dash won’t say much about it.” Arrow leaned against Rowen’s car, a hand going to his side. He winced and dragged himself onto the hood. “If I did, I don’t remember it. That wasn’t a lie.”
The breeze caught Rowen’s hair, tossing the long front piece of his hawk into his eyes. “I know. I believe you. Cinder thinks Dash is using you as a sleeper agent. He’s controlling you somehow, Arrow. Why would he do that? You’re dark. What’s he got to gain from such a stunt?”
Arrow went silent for a moment. The wind whipped his mess of long black hair about too. He made no move to smooth it down or control it in any way. “You. He wants you, Rowen.”
I caught hold of my ponytail to keep it from slapping me in the face. There was more to these two brothers than I could fathom. I was sure of it. Dash knew though. He knew all about it. His determination and underhanded patience was frightful. An enemy with patience and time had an advantage over one who had little of either. The odds were not in our favor.
“I don’t understand.” Rowen sat on the hood of the car beside Arrow, propping his feet on the bumper. He stared at his running shoes. “This is about our father somehow, isn’t it? Why me? What makes me so fucking special? I can’t be any different than either of you. Can I?”
That was the question I couldn’t answer. Cinder and Dash had both alluded to Rowen being more than he seemed. Choosing the light had seemed like the best choice for Rowen. But was that the entire reason Dash was now tormenting Arrow?
“You’ve got to be. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be getting my ass beat on a regular basis.” Bitter laughter fell from Arrow’s lips, caught by the wind and flung away. “This is all about you, bro. Dash is trying to get to you through me. So you have to stay out of it. Ok? No matter what he does to me.” Arrow lay back on the hood and stretched, stopping short as a cry ripped from him. He clutched his side and sat back up with a groan.
“No.” Rowen braced for his brother’s reaction, ready to stand his ground. His gaze met mine, searching.
I nodded. We were all in this together.
“Spike, talk some sense into this fool, would you?” Arrow looked to me for back up that I couldn’t give him. “If you like him safe and sane, then stop him from doing anything stupid. I’ll be fine.” What he asked was more than ridiculous, more than foolish. Arrow was asking us to give up on him.
“Sorry, man. We can’t do that. He loves you, and I wasn’t given the Midnight Star so I could abandon a nephilim in need. Like it or not, you need us. So why not try working with us instead of pushing us away?”
Without asking permission, I grabbed the edge of Arrow’s t-shirt and yanked it up to expose his side. He should’ve been wearing a jacket in this weather. His ribs were bruised, blotchy smears of blue and purple. Broken, more than likely. I ran a hand over his side, feeling for anything extremely amiss. He sucked in a breath and swore softly but didn’t fight me off.
“I don’t suppose you’ve developed any new healing abilities.” His tone was hopeful. At my headshake, he nodded. “Figures. So you’re just trying to cop a feel of my hot bod then.”
Ignoring his jibe, I dropped his shirt and stepped back. “You can’t be left alone. Not until we know what’s going on. How often are these black outs happening? What else have you done? We need answers.”
“No, we don’t. You two need to go somewhere safe and screw your brains out like happy little bunnies. I can handle this.” Arrow hopped off the car, clutching the fender and growling as pain racked him. Pushing himself up straighter, he shrugged it off and produced car keys.
Rowen swiped the keys from his hand. “Are you kidding me? You can’t handle this, Arrow. You can barely even stand up. Spike’s right. You can’t be left alone.”
“Aw, come on guys. This is fucked. I’m not a child. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I beg to differ,” Rowen said, wrapping a supportive arm around his brother.
“Beg to differ?” A wry smile lit up Arrow’s face. “Listen to you, sounding all educated and shit. She must be rubbing off on you.”
Ignoring Arrow’s attempt to change the subject, Rowen herded him over to the Charger and tossed me the BMW’s keys. I glanced over at Arrow’s sleek, black car. This was a good idea, wasn’t it? Though I wouldn’t say as much, I was nervous about the possibility of Arrow having one of his black outs with us.
“Don’t touch my stash in the glove box,” Arrow called after me as I headed for his car. “Or the one in the console. Or under the seat. Just don’t touch anything.”
It was after they’d driven away that I said a prayer I wouldn’t get pulled over in Arrow’s drug-filled party on wheels. And another, asking for a way through this.
Dash’s end goal seemed pretty clear to me. If he succeeded in his endeavor, I would lose both brothers. Dash was willing to destroy Arrow in an attempt to drive Rowen to the dark.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jett wouldn’t answer the phone when I called. Her ability to hold a grudge was impressive. It was also tiresome. Suspecting that she might be at the rowdy werewolf bar run by her pack, I took Arrow’s car on a little detour.
The Doghead Bar and Grill was one of those rundown, almost ramshackle places that nobody in their right mind would consider entering. Humans were unwelcome, membership only. I’d only been there once before. It had been… o
dd, to say the least.
Her Mustang was in the parking lot. I gathered myself, hoping she’d let me get a word in while she ranted and raved about Arrow. She surprised me though. When I found her sitting at the bar with a whiskey in hand, she didn’t say a word.
“How long are you going to stare at that whiskey while I wait for you to acknowledge me?” I asked, sliding onto the stool next to her.
The bar was loud, like always. The doors never closed, and the werewolves never went home. Well, some of them didn’t.
Without meeting my gaze, she said, “I knew things would change when you hooked up with Rowen, but I didn’t know how much. It fucking sucks. This is supposed to be our time. Crimson Sin. We have a chance to live our dream, and you’re going to bail because of them.”
“No, I’m not. It’s not like that, Jett. You’re not being fair.” I shook my head when the bartender sidled up, awaiting my order.
A scar slashed across his cheek and through one damaged eye. It was a strange milky blue, eerie in his rugged face. “Look, angel cakes, you know the rules. If you’re staying, you’re drinking. What’ll it be?”
Drinking and driving a BMW filled with drugs, hmm, not the police record of my dreams. I ordered a light beer, intending to nurse it for as long as possible.
“I’m not being fair?” Jett scoffed, taking a sip of her whiskey on the rocks. “We’ve busted our asses for almost five years for this break, and you’re going to blow it because of two idiots who just happen to be like you. So what? Look at how many assholes are like me.” She waved a hand wildly to indicate the many wolves around us. “Think I’d ever let one of them destroy my dreams? Not a chance in hell.”
Jett’s heart and soul had been all about the band, the music, for as long as I’d known her. I understood why she felt threatened. Communication wasn’t her greatest skill either, seeing as she was dominated by either reckless joy or fierce aggression.
Ignoring the idiot remark, I paid for my beer and searched for the right words. “Jett, when I signed on for this journey with you, I said I was in it for the long haul, and I am. That hasn’t changed. Shit happens, but that doesn’t change my commitment to you and the girls.”
A long moment stretched between us with her staring straight ahead at a silent TV above the bar. It was tuned to a sports channel, but nobody was watching it.
“I don’t even care about the song,” she finally said. “I mean, I do, but that’s not what this is about. It was just the thing that set me off. It’s because I can see you slipping away from us. Those fucktards need you. I know that. I see it. It just fucking sucks because I need you too.”
I hid a smile behind my beer bottle. Jett wasn’t known for her candid sharing of feelings. I grabbed her hand, holding tight when she resisted. “Aww, I love you too, Jett.”
“Fuck off.” She laughed, softening the harsh command.
“The truth is,” I continued. “I need you too. I need the band. You guys are my therapy. Things make more sense when I’m playing, and music wouldn’t be the same without you. But there’s some weird shit going on, Jett, and I feel like I’m supposed to fix it, and I don’t know how.” I paused, conflicted. “Arrow’s doing things he can’t remember. He killed Vicky, and I’m afraid it won’t end there. If I can’t help him, Jett, I could lose them both.”
I sucked in a few deep breaths, feeling lightheaded as my fears left my mouth. The shouts of a pool game getting out of hand and the crash of a beer bottle on the floor were all such normal sounds. Yet there was nothing normal about this place or the people in it. None of us were entirely human. It seemed that what made us human lessened as each day passed. What a fucked up world.
“When you say, lose them both, you mean…?” With a brow raised, Jett gave me a pointed look.
“Oh, whoa, no way.” I sputtered a sip of beer all over the bar in front of me. Reaching for some napkins to wipe it up, I gave my head a vigorous shake. “Whatever you’re getting at, just no. Don’t go there. It’s not like that.”
That doubting eyebrow remained raised, and she pursed her lips in silent judgment. “Then what’s it like?”
“Dash is tormenting Arrow. He’s controlling him, hurting him, and he’s doing it all to get to Rowen. He hasn’t given up even after Rowen picked the light. They need me, Jett. I just wish I could figure out what I’m supposed to do.” With an exasperated sigh, I propped a hand up beneath my head and watched two werewolves at a nearby table arm-wrestle. “I’m scared. If Rowen loses Arrow, I lose Rowen.”
Jett mulled this over as she drank her whiskey. “Don’t get me wrong. Rowen’s a good guy, and you need a good guy. But I don’t feel bad for Arrow. I can’t. He’s an asshole. If anything happens to you because of him, that demon will be the least of his problems.”
“Jett,” I warned. Her loyalty was appreciated, but the girl didn’t make idle threats. She would follow through.
“No, Spike. Don’t defend him.”
“I’m not.” I held up both hands. “This isn’t about him. Jett, please, I need your support as my best friend. There’s nobody else I can talk to about this. I need you.”
She slammed back the rest of the whiskey and slid the glass down to the bartender. “Dammit, Spike. I was enjoying some good, quality fuming. You damn angel types sure know how to ruin the mood.” A smile curved her dark-red lips.
With the crack in her hard exterior, I released some of the tension I’d been holding in the pit of my stomach. “Don’t make me tell Cinder you shit all over his dream team,” I said with a laugh and a well-placed elbow between Jett’s ribs. “He’ll be crushed.”
There was a shout and a crash as the two arm-wrestling werewolves overturned their table. Shouts became snarls and fingertips became claws. That was my cue to leave.
Jett cast a derogatory glance their way, otherwise ignoring them. She managed to look bored, not an easy feat in a place like this. And she thought the nephilim world was nuts?
“Don’t say anything to Cinder. I was pissed off. I shouldn’t have said that.” She pulled me in for a hug, oblivious to the brawl ten feet away. “If you need me, you can count on me. But let the record show that I don’t give a fuck what happens to Arrow.”
It wasn’t quite what I’d hoped to hear, but it was as close as I was going to get. “The record shows absolutely no fucks given. Your contempt for assholes is duly noted.”
“You better take off before these asshats get the Alpha’s attention. I’ll call you later.”
As I squeezed between tables, narrowly avoiding the fight on my way to the door, I felt mildly better. Knowing my best friend had my back brought me renewed confidence. I wasn’t in this alone.
* * * *
Convincing Arrow to stay in for the night was next to impossible. He put up a good fight, arguing until Rowen and I were exhausted. It was Rowen’s vow to flush his stash down the toilet that made him grudgingly relent but not without a few choice curse words directed at each of us.
“Well, if I’m stuck here with you dorks, I want some blow. And a pizza. Spike, order me a pizza.” Arrow flopped on the couch and put his feet on the coffee table while shooting me a shit-eating grin.
“Um, what the fuck did you just say to me?” I picked up the TV remote from the coffee table with the full intent of flinging it at his face. That only served to make his grin wider. Dropping the remote, I turned away in disgust, counting to ten in an attempt to cool my anger.
Rowen plucked a tiny bag of white powder from a jeans pocket and whipped it at Arrow. “I shouldn’t be giving you this at all. That’s all you get so make it last. And don’t talk to Spike like that. She’s not your maid.”
Scrutinizing the tiny bag, Arrow’s lip curled in disappointment. “This will last me an hour, dude. Seriously, though, let’s order a pizza. Maybe I’ll invite Carly over. I could use a blowjob.”
He was trying to piss us off. I knew that. Still, it was working, even more so because I had a show at The Wicked Kiss to get re
ady for. Clenching my teeth to keep from spewing venom in Arrow’s face, I grabbed my laptop from the bedroom and logged on to the local pizza place’s website. The joys of technology. A few clicks and pizza was on its way.
“Got any beer, Spike?” Arrow didn’t look up from the thin white lines he was divvying up with his credit card.
“Oh, I’ll give you a friggin’ beer alright,” I muttered to myself as I retrieved a few cold ones from the fridge. If I didn’t find a way to shrug him off, Arrow was going to drive me crazy. I passed him the beer with a tight smile. He took it without so much as a glance at me. “You’re welcome,” I spat.
“Thanks, doll.” Rolling up a twenty from his wallet, Arrow snorted the first of five lines off the coffee table.
Rowen accepted the beer I handed him with an apologetic grimace. This was going to be a long night. I imagined that keeping a guy like Arrow entertained was going to be no easy feat. If we didn’t keep him busy, he’d try to escape. I shook my head, astonished at the direction my thoughts had gone. We shouldn’t have to trap Arrow in my apartment all night, but it was the best way to keep an eye on him.
“Wanna watch a movie or something?” Rowen sat on the couch with Arrow, receiving an eye roll and head shake in response. “We could jam. Or we could talk about “Love Song For An Angel.” I don’t think it’s a Molly’s Chamber song, Arrow.”
That got Arrow’s attention. His head came up, his coke pile momentarily forgotten. “Don’t fuck with me, man. I know you’re just trying to stir shit up to keep me occupied, so I’m not going to get into this shit with you. Grab a guitar and shut up.”
I definitely couldn’t fault Jett for feeling as she did. Arrow was a difficult person to like. He tested my patience in ways I’d never dreamed possible. It normally took a lot to make me mad enough to feel violent toward someone. With Arrow, it didn’t take more than a look.
Rowen grabbed the acoustic guitar from where it leaned in the corner of the living room. I sat on the armchair adjacent and watched his fingers move over the strings. Though his usual instrument was a bass, watching him handle my guitar with familiarity and ease was a pleasure.