Curse Breaker

by Karina Espinosa

  “Hungry?” Bobby offered, and I nodded eagerly.

  “Coffee, please.” As he started a pot, I dug for details. “So, how long have you lived here?”

  As he moved around the kitchen he answered, “I don’t. I only come here when there’s an emergency.”

  “Well, thanks, because I’m in a serious bind.” I sighed and sat on a stool at the kitchen counter.

  “Are you going to tell me about it, or am I just going to keep making breakfast in my pajamas?” He turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow.

  I shook my head ruefully and proceeded to tell him everything that happened, except for the part about where I hid the cure. I hadn’t even told Jackson. That was one secret I planned to keep to myself. I didn’t trust anyone, especially not Bobby Wu.

  When I finished, Bobby stared at me and silently slid me a mug of steaming coffee, his mouth hanging open. If he stayed like that much longer, I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw drool drip down his chin.

  I waved a hand in front of his dumbfounded face. “Hello? Earth to Bobby.”

  “What the hell, Princess?” he breathed. “You killed Ephraim.”

  I sighed. “That’s what I said.”

  “And what do you expect me to do? Because you know I don’t get involved in wars. I did once for you, but never again.” He wagged a finger at me.

  “For now, I just need a place to lay low,” I answered grimly, taking a sip of my coffee. “I’m sure Lucian has already contacted the SIU. I broke the law.”

  Bobby chuckled. “Well, I’ll be damned. The almighty Mackenzie Grey is now a criminal?”

  “This isn’t funny.”

  “I find it thrilling.” He bit into his toast. “All the flack you’ve given me over the years, and now you need me for my criminal connections? Oh, how the tables have turned.”

  I looked away, my face heating up with shame. “What do you want, Bobby? A favor? Money? You got it.”

  He scoffed, “After this, Princess, I own you.” The sight of his wicked grin made my stomach drop.

  This would be the end of me.

  3

  As nightfall approached, I was still anxiously awaiting Jackson’s arrival. My nerves were shot, because now that it was dark outside, I really couldn’t leave this house. It was vampire hour, and I was number one on their hit list. They would be out in full force right about now, looking for me.

  I heard heavy footfalls on the stairs and I looked up from the sofa to see Bobby coming down from the second floor. He’d showered and changed and looked like he was about to leave.

  “Where are you going?” I scrambled from the couch and followed him to the foyer of the house, where he grabbed a set of keys.

  “Did you think I was going to babysit you all day?” He rolled his eyes. “Think again, Princess. I have work to do.”

  I grabbed his arm and stopped him. “You promised to help me, Bobby.”

  His eyes darted to my hand and up my face. “And this is me keeping that promise. If I just disappear, they’ll suspect something. We need to find out what’s going on with the vampires. I’m meeting with one of my vamp friends to get the scoop. Now, will you let go of me?”

  I released him quickly and sagged in on myself. “Can you find out what they’ve done with Amy and if she’s okay?”

  He nodded. “I’ll bring you some clothes tomorrow morning. Pick a room upstairs to sleep in. Each bathroom has a personal hygiene kit for you to shower and freshen up.”

  “Thank you,” I said, and then watched anxiously as he left.

  The house was eerily quiet once he was gone. I knew I was safe inside, but the thought of being alone made me a bit claustrophobic. I shook my morbid thoughts away and headed upstairs to check out the rooms.

  There were four bedrooms. The master was already taken by Bobby, but the other three were equally as big and beautiful. I chose the one situated toward the back of the house because it had a balcony facing the garden. It had an en suite bathroom, and just like Bobby said, it contained everything I needed to shower and brush my teeth. I didn’t delay. I took a shower, washing the day’s grimy filth away. It felt like the longest day of my life.

  I didn’t want to put on the same clothes I’d worn all day, but luckily there was a robe behind the door. I slipped inside the furry robe and tightened it around my waist. Wrapping a towel around my wet hair like a turban to keep from dripping on the floor, I used the provided toiletry kit to brush my teeth. My skin felt clean, even though my hands still felt dirty.

  I killed in cold blood.

  I leaned forward on the bathroom sink and squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t think like that. Not now. I had to stay focused. There was too much at stake, including my life, and I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

  At that moment, the doorbell rang and I snapped out of the funk I was in. With a hand holding the towel above my head, I ran downstairs and through the hallway foyer, stopping in front of the door. Taking time to control my breathing, I quietly looked through the peep hole, making sure it wasn’t a troupe of girl scouts (or worse), and confirmed it was Jackson standing outside. I unlocked the multiple locks on the door and flung it open, allowing him inside the warded door.

  “You’re finally here!” I cried and grabbed his arm, hauling him inside. I slammed the door and pulled Jack into a hug.

  “I got you, Kenz. It’s okay,” he whispered as he dropped his bag and embraced me.

  We held each other for some time until I was finally able to relax just a smidge. Don’t get it twisted – there was nothing romantic between me and Jackson. Hell, there was a time when he hated my guts, but we’d gotten close as the years passed, and after Jonah, his twin brother, died, we became inseparable. I trusted Jackson with my life, if that wasn’t clear by now. If I hadn’t needed Bobby Wu’s protection, Jack would have been the first person I called.

  When we finally pulled away from each other, I wiped the few stray tears that managed to escape and cleared my throat. “Bobby just left to meet with a vamp friend tonight. He said he’ll find out about Amy and see if she’s okay.”

  His shoulders relaxed. He and Amy had been in an on-again, off-again relationship for a few years now, but they were currently on. I was pretty sure it was permanent now. If anything happened to her, Jackson would lose it.

  “Tell me again exactly what happened,” he demanded as he grabbed his bag from the foyer and we moved deeper into the house to settle in the living room.

  After we sat down, I told him in excruciating detail about everything that happened from the time we left my apartment, up until the point I burst through the church window. I skipped the part about the bus station, fast-forwarding to the point when I contacted Bobby and ended up here.

  “And where’s the cure?” he asked shrewdly, catching onto the one detail I tried to hide.

  I bit my lip and looked down at my sweaty hands. “I can’t tell you.”

  Silence reigned in the house as he let that statement sink in. “I thought you said you took it from Ephraim?”

  I nodded. “The first thing I did when I escaped was hide it.”

  “Then why can’t you tell me where it is?”

  I looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Because I can’t tell anyone. No matter what, it must remain safe.”

  He scoffed, “You think I’d tell someone?” Jackson jumped up from the couch, throwing his hands in the air, obviously exasperated.

  I shook my head. “I think we’re all capable of revealing secrets if properly motivated,” I replied. If any of us got captured by the vampires, they would do anything to get their hands on the cure. Including torturing and threatening the ones we love. I didn’t want to put anyone in that position. It was my burden to carry.

  Jackson swallowed, and those familiar chocolate eyes stared at me intently. “Is it safe?”

  “Extremely. No one will find it.”

  “Good,” he sighed, and I relaxed with the knowledge he wouldn’t push me any further. It w
as why I knew I could trust Jackson, because I knew he trusted me. And that’s what I needed, someone who didn’t doubt me. “Now – what the hell are we going to do, because I know we’re not staying locked up in this house.”

  I laughed. “No, we’re definitely not.”

  Left without much of a choice, I shrugged into my dirty jeans and looked through Bobby’s clothes for a clean shirt. Once I was dressed, I met Jackson downstairs. The smart thing to do was stay in the house under the cloaking spell Bobby enacted, which would keep me hidden, and wait for his return in the morning. But I was antsy and I needed to get some answers of my own.

  “Uh, Kenz?” Jackson said as he looked down at his cell phone.

  “What’s up?” I answered as I tucked the front of my shirt into my jeans.

  “You might want to call Bash.” He turned the screen of his phone toward me. “He’s been trying to get ahold of you, and he’s worried because you’re not answering.”

  I read the text messages Bash sent Jackson.

  Bash: Have you spoken to Mackenzie? I haven’t spoken to her all day.

  Bash: If you see her, tell her to call me!

  Bash: Did you tell her?

  Bash: Jackson!

  Bash: As your Alpha, answer me!

  “Why didn’t you text him back?” I looked at Jackson wide-eyed.

  He shrugged. “My phone was on silent. He’s called like, twenty times.”

  I smacked a hand on my forehead. I’d completely forgotten about calling Bash. Of course, I knew when I did, he’d freak out. We were used to texting each other throughout the day, and I’d been radio silent all day. “I got rid of my phone this morning and got a burner in case the SIU was tracking me.”

  “If you don’t talk to him, Bash will drive to the city to find you, Kenz. If you want to keep him out of it, you have to call.”

  Jackson was right. I couldn’t stay under the radar from everyone; it would be too suspicious. I just hated lying to Bash. Plus, I sucked at it.

  “Fine, give me your phone.” I extended my hand to Jackson for his phone. He placed it in my palm and I pressed Bash’s name to make the call.

  It rang only once before Sebastian’s gruff, demanding voice came through the line. “Well? Did you see her?”

  “I’m fine,” I croaked, and had to clear my throat. “Everything is fine.”

  He exhaled loudly. “What the hell, Mackenzie? You nearly gave me a heart attack. Where have you been?”

  Typically, this would be some serious clingy behavior, but after everything we’d been through, it was PTSD at its finest. If I hadn’t heard from him all day, I’d be worried something happened, too. Since we were in constant danger all the time, it was a given.

  “I lost my phone.” I looked straight at Jackson when I spoke, and he nodded his head for me to continue. “I didn’t think. I’ve just been so busy.”

  The phone line was silent. I worried he didn’t believe me. Hell, I wouldn’t. What kind of bullshit excuse was that?

  “Did you work today?” His voice was clipped, and I knew I was busted. I knew it deep in my gut.

  “Did I work?” I repeated, widening my eyes at Jackson, who shook his head vehemently. “No, no I didn’t.” Sebastian didn’t deserve this. I knew he would find out, and when he did, he would hate me for it.

  “Then what kept you so busy?”

  We were past this, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to revert to old ways to get the spotlight off me. It made me sick to do this, but I would rather have a momentary fight than get him involved in another Mackenzie Grey fiasco.

  I straightened my back and narrowed my eyes as if he were here. “Why do I feel like I’m being interrogated?”

  “You’re not—”

  “You’re asking me questions like you don’t believe me. Are you calling me a liar?”

  “That’s not what—”

  “Then what are you saying, Sebastian Steel?”

  “Will you let me speak, woman?” he growled.

  “I think we’re done talking!” I yelled. I could only imagine the fumes coming out of him.

  He huffed a few times before saying, “You’re right; I think we are. Put Jackson on the phone.”

  I didn’t bother saying goodbye because I knew my voice would crack from the tears threatening to burst. I handed Jack his phone and hurried out of the living room to hide. Once out of the room, I slid down the wall and gasped, trying to hold in my sobs. That wasn’t even one of our worst fights; it was just the ugliness behind it that made me want to break down. The fact that I had to damage my relationship even fractionally hurt. When this all came to light, I knew Bash would eventually forgive me. I just didn’t know if I could forgive myself.

  “Mackenzie?” Jackson called from the living room. I took a few deep breaths and stood up. As I came around the corner, I greeted him with a smile as if everything was okay. I could have eavesdropped on their conversation with my sensitive hearing, but I’d wanted to give them privacy.

  “Yeah, ready?” I answered, acting for all the world as if nothing had happened. Grabbing my things, I started to leave.

  “Kenz,” he repeated, and I stopped. “He’s not mad, just worried. He told me to keep an eye on you.”

  My chest caved in on itself and I couldn’t stop the laugh/cry that escaped me. “That stupid wolf.”

  He chuckled. “He suspects something’s up, but he’s not pushing. I think he’s so flooded with Pack business, he’s willing to let me help you.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  Jackson shook his head. “Just a vibe I got.”

  “Well, let’s hope your vibe is right.”

  After Jackson placed his things in one of the bedrooms and I grabbed one of Bobby’s hoodies, we scampered out of the house and raced to Jackson’s beat-up SUV. There was no way I could wait until morning to leave, and I couldn’t depend on the validity of Bobby’s information. I had my own ways.

  After making our way back into Manhattan, I gave Jack directions to The Third Eye—a supernatural bar that was notorious for lowlifes, and most importantly, vampires. If any gossip was being funneled, it’d be through there. Who better than a bunch of drunks to give you all the details you didn’t know you needed? We just had to be stealthy about it. Wolves weren’t very popular there, unless they were lone wolves passing through.

  When Jackson pulled into the parking lot, I raised the hood of the sweatshirt and covered my face in case I was recognized.

  “Are you sure about this, Kenz?” Jack asked as he put the SUV in park. “I can go in by myself.”

  “I’m not afraid.”

  “I know you’re not, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.” He peeked under my hood.

  Jackson was right. If there were any vampires in there who happened to witness my spectacle in St. Paul’s cathedral last night, I was dead. They wouldn’t let me leave the bar, at least not alive. But it was a risk I had to take.

  “C’mon, let’s just get this over with.” I unlocked my door and got out of the car.

  The Third Eye was by no means little. It was one of the biggest supernatural bars in New York, and at night, it came alive with all sorts of creatures. There’d been many times the SIU had been called to break up fights or do big busts at the bar, but it was never enough to get it shut down. There were rumors that the owner knew someone high up in the chain of command at the SIU and had them in their pocket, which was why they got away with so much, but they were just rumors. Luckily for me, that suspicion would work to my advantage.

  With my head down, we walked inside the bar and the noise grew by ten decibels. The air was pungent with the smell of beer and the lights were dim. I couldn’t see much without looking up, but from what I remembered, the area was scattered with tables and the walls were lined with booths. To my left should be the bar.

  Before we left the house, I’d pinned my hair up beneath the hoodie to secure it to my head. It wasn’t foolproof, but it was an added layer of securit
y in case things got rough. I didn’t want my identity coming to light. This came in handy as we walked through the bar and I was jostled a few times. It was packed tonight.

  Jackson led us to the back corner of the bar and we took a seat on two stools at the end.

  “There’s an emergency exit behind you,” Jackson whispered in my ear. I nodded. “Two beers,” he ordered from the bartender. When the bartender started asking which kind, he and Jackson started a conversation and I tuned them out. Instead, I zeroed in on other conversations around me.

  “That last dead body gave me heart burn. Do you think they were sick?”

  “Maybe they had cancer. It happened to me once.”

  “I wish they would come with a warning next time.”

  I rolled my eyes. Damn Ghouls. I kept scanning the room.

  “I heard the Mermaids are planning to come inland,” someone whispered. “If they do, the Water Nymphs won’t be pleased.”

  “Of course, they won’t. Those Sirens keep expanding their territory. It’s unfair, if you ask me.”

  Not my problem. Finn could handle that territory dispute. The Nymphs loved him. I chuckled to myself.

  Next, “Can I have a B positive?”

  “I’ll have an O neg.”

  “I don’t know how you can drink that O neg crap. It tastes horrible.”

  My hand went to Jackson’s forearm as I listened intently to the two vampires who just put in their drink order. If I was hearing correctly, they were situated at the other end of the bar.

  “I’m listening,” Jackson whispered, and I released him. He slid me a beer and I grabbed it, pretending to take a drink from it. Even though I detested the taste of beer, I had to play the part.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late, guys,” another voice joined them.