Curse Breaker

by Karina Espinosa

  “Funny,” I deadpanned.

  He arched a brow. “But true, is it not?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “Believe what you want.”

  He quickly lifted his hands up defensively. “I’m not judging, Ms. Grey. I admire you, truth be told. You’ve overcome so much in the short amount of time you’ve been a wolf. Not many could have done what you have.”

  I twisted my mouth to the side. He sounded more like a fan than my lawyer. “Look, I like my ego stroked just as much as the next girl, but why are you here?”

  “Fair enough.” He nodded, all businesslike. “I’m here to set you free.” Mason shuffled his papers and folders and put them back inside a briefcase that he placed on the floor by his feet.

  “Say what?” I didn’t think I heard that right.

  “You heard me correctly, Ms. Grey.” He smiled charmingly. “I got a judge to sign off on your release. You’re free to go.”

  I didn’t know how to feel about that. Elated, overjoyed, but also nervous. I was safe at the SIU. If I left the confines of the station, I would more than likely fall into the hands of the vampires. But wasn’t that what I wanted? Ugh, this was just too complicated.

  I waited in the room for my lawyer to process my paperwork and get me out of there. I didn’t know if it was daytime or nighttime, but either way, I’d make a run for the Bronx, back to the safety of Bobby Wu’s house. I hoped everyone was still there and Bobby hadn’t kicked them out.

  Before I had a second to react, the door burst open and an even angrier Cas barged in, scaring the living shit out of me.

  “Fuck, Cas!” I yelped and jumped out of my seat.

  “What is this bullshit, Grey?!” he yelled, holding up a legal document. “It says we used excessive force on you and because of that, your arrest isn’t valid!”

  My eyes widened, and I snatched the paper from him. I scanned it quickly and sure enough, it detailed my arrest and the force used to detain me. While the methods were unorthodox, we were supernaturals, for God’s sake. That meant we had to think outside the box.

  “I didn’t know, Cas, I swear!” I couldn’t believe that damn lawyer. He got me out, alright. Using underhanded tricks and throwing my team under the bus.

  “If you leave, Mackenzie, we can’t protect you. The vampires will come for you in force, and we won’t be able to stop them.” I heard the concern in his voice.

  “Just do what you can on your end, and I’ll worry about my hide.” I smirked, but he didn’t find me funny. “I’ll be okay, Cas. I have help.”

  His face turned grave. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone to Bobby Wu.”

  “Then I won’t tell you.”

  “Mackenzie, he’s bad news, I’m serious. I’ve told you this plenty of times. Stay away from him,” he growled.

  I ignored him and reached for the pen in his shirt pocket. “Here is my temporary number.” I scrawled it on the back of the court document. “Keep me updated, and I’ll do the same.” I handed him the paper and pen and he reluctantly took it.

  “You ready, Ms. Grey?” Mason popped his head in and called for me. I nodded, but before leaving, I hugged Cas. It was one sided since he was still pissed, but I needed the human contact. Then I left.

  It was early evening when we left the precinct, just a few hours before dusk. I had no ID, no phone, and no money. It would definitely be interesting getting back to the Bronx from the city.

  “Need a ride?” Mason offered as we walked out of the SIU together.

  I furrowed my brows in contemplation. I was still pissed at what he did to my team and because of it, I didn’t trust the guy. But right now, unless I wanted to walk, I needed that ride.

  “Sure.” I followed him to a restored Mustang in excellent condition. It was cherry red and stood out like a beacon in the sea of inconspicuous cars around it. “This is your car?” My jaw dropped.

  “Yeah, she was my dad’s. We worked on her when I was younger and when he passed, he gave her to me,” he said as he slid into the driver’s seat.

  “Sweet ride,” I remarked, dipping my head in appreciation as I climbed inside. I didn’t know squat about cars, but she sure was pretty. He revved her up and when it was clear, he jetted off into traffic.

  Mason didn’t say much at first, and the quiet between us made the tension in the car a little awkward. So, I set him straight on a few things.

  “Look, Mason.” He was no longer Mr. Kincade. “I appreciate you getting me out of lock-up, but if you pull an underhanded stunt like that again, I’ll fire you. Since you’ve done research on me, you know I’m SIU, and that’s my team back there that you threw under the bus. I don’t appreciate that. Cross me again, and you deal with me.”

  A hush fell in the car and I thought maybe I’d gone too far. But even if I did, it meant he wasn’t tough enough to handle my case.

  Then he said, “Fair enough. I apologize. I only wanted to get you out as soon as possible.”

  That gave me pause. Why would he go to such extremes to get me out? There was something not right with this lawyer. He was too good looking to be real, his hands were rough like he worked in construction instead of behind a desk, and his interest in me was just shy of abnormal.

  I turned to look at him. “You’re not a lawyer, are you?” I surmised, watching his expression warily.

  For a minute, Mason continued to casually drive as if I hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary, until a grin spread across his face. “What gave me away?”

  “Let’s just say some things didn’t add up.” I scanned the car. My stomach tightened as I started to worry about where he was taking me. I hadn’t given him any directions, and we weren’t going toward my apartment.

  “Easy, wolf,” he chuckled. “I’m a friend.” He raised a hand in defense as I growled.

  “Who are you?”

  He pulled into a dead-end road and turned the car off. “I wasn’t lying when I said my name is Mason Kincade. We probably have an hour before they realize that release form is a fake and come looking for you again, so I’ll make this quick. I’m a vampire hunter.”

  I faced Mason and stared at him for at least two minutes straight before bursting into a fit of laughter. And I mean uncontrollable, loud cackles. The most unladylike I’ve ever been. I think I even snorted a couple of times.

  I finally wiped away the tears that leaked from the corners of my eyes and controlled myself. “Did you just say, ‘vampire hunter’?”

  His nostrils flared in aggravation. “Yes,” he gritted.

  “What are you?” I continued to chuckle, unable to stop myself.

  “What do you mean?” He arched a brow.

  “I mean like, what’s your brand of freaky? Your species.”

  “Ah!” The lightbulb flickered on. “I’m human.” He said it with such pride. He puffed out his chest and lifted his chin.

  I shook my head. “Hold the fuckin’ press. You mean to tell me you’re a human vampire hunter, who managed to get into the SIU undetected? Hell, a human who even knew about the SIU, and managed to fool everyone there as an undercover lawyer?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Mason said, and once again, those green eyes were all business.

  I fell back in my seat and let out a breath. “I swear I can’t make this stuff up.”

  “Why is it so absurd to you that there are vampire hunters in your midst?”

  I scoffed, “Because I don’t understand how you’re okay talking to a werewolf, but not with a vamp. Also, how come we don’t get hunters? That’s some B.S. discrimination, right there.”

  Mason straightened. “Oh, trust me, wolves have hunters, too. But your kind is tracked more in rural areas. Not so much in the city. And I don’t have any qualms with shifters. You stay to your kind and don’t mess with the humans. But the vampires, on the other hand, don’t know how to stay away from humans. Someone needs to keep my kind safe.”

  “And that someone is you?”

  “There are mo
re like me,” he informed me, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “But for now, I’m all you got. What you did to Ephraim hit the grapevine, and now everyone is out for blood. But most are too afraid to confront the Elders.”

  This all sounded like a bunch of nonsense to me, like Buffy two-point-o was out for a vendetta. The reality of the situation was that I was just trying to stay alive.

  “I can’t give you what you want, Mason,” I replied, getting straight to the point. “I’m not in the business of killing vampires.”

  “They’re an abomination.” His angelic face grimaced. “They feed on the innocent, sometimes to the point of death. They must be stopped.”

  He must not have done enough research on me if he didn’t know my best friend was a vampire. If he had, there was no way he would try to recruit me to his cause. Not when Amy’s life—even Lucian’s—was on the line.

  “I’m not a hunter. It just so happened that one of them ticked me off and I was having a bad day.” I shrugged. “I don’t make a habit out of it. But you got the wrong chick.”

  “I know why you’re hesitant.” He faced me. “You’re worried about your friend. The red head.”

  I didn’t let the shock show on my face. I schooled my expression and kept cool under his gaze. “What about her?” I asked nonchalantly.

  “If you help me, I won’t hurt her. She’ll be off-limits,” he bargained.

  Frustration consumed me and I rolled my eyes, throwing my hands in the air. “I’m not some assassin for hire!” I shouted. “Thanks for the assist at the SIU, but I’m no vampire hunter.”

  Mason shook his head as if I hadn’t been listening to a word he’d been saying. “I don’t want you to be a vampire hunter. I just want to hunt four specific vampires—the Elders. Think about it: with them out of the way, you’ll be safe, and so will your friend. You’ll be free of their tyranny.”

  My eyes widened. Holy shit balls. This kid didn’t want to go on a killing spree; he wanted to take out the head of the snake. That’s ballsy.

  “You don’t have to answer right away.” I had to admit, I was left speechless. “Here’s my card.” Mason reached into his suit jacket and produced a business card. “Call me when you’ve made a decision.”

  I took the small piece of cardstock paper and looked at it. It consisted of his name, phone number, and email.

  “I’m not making any promises.” I twisted my mouth to the side and he nodded.

  “Here’s some cash.” He handed me a couple of bills. “I’m sure you can find your own way from here.”

  And with that, I got out of his car and he sped away.

  6

  I made it back to the Bronx in record time, right before darkness blanketed the city, and banged on the red door to Bobby’s safe house. I really hoped they were there or else I was screwed, because now it was nightfall and the vampires would be out in full force. I rapped my knuckles on the door again, and after a minute that felt like an eternity, it finally swung open. Jackson stood there, his eyes wide as he took me in.

  “How?” was all he said.

  “Long story,” I muttered as he pulled me into the house. He gave me a one-arm hug and walked me through the living room and to the kitchen.

  “Amy is still asleep. She should be getting up soon, though,” he said, then he pointed to the coffee maker, asking if I wanted a cup.

  “Please,” I all but begged. “Where’s Bobby?”

  Jackson snorted. “Oh, you mean the little traitor warlock who bailed at the scene of the accident and showed up at the house like nothing happened? Yeah, he’s in Chinatown running his business. I’m supposed to call him with any updates.”

  I wasn’t surprised or upset. Mainly because I was exhausted, but also because I knew Bobby Wu, and that behavior was par for the course. I knew who I was dealing with from the very beginning, and this was what I signed up for. I had to be prepared to get left up shit creek when the tough got going.

  “Don’t worry about it, Jack.” I waved it off. I could tell by the shocked expression on his face that he was going to worry. A lot. Because we—more like I—had made a deal with the devil.

  “I don’t trust that little worm—”

  “Mackenzie?” Amy’s soft voice floated from behind me and I spun around to see her standing at the threshold of the kitchen. She had a serious case of bed hair, and she rubbed her still-sleepy eyes as if she wasn’t sure what she was seeing was real.

  “It’s me, Aims.” I went to her and she pulled me into one of her tight bear hugs. Except now with her added vampire strength, they were a little painful.

  “You’re squeezing too tight,” I choked, and she loosened a little.

  “How did you get out?” she shrieked. “I’m so sorry, Kenz! I swear I wish you hadn’t come for me. This is all my fault, I—”

  “Amy, stop.” I covered her mouth with my hand. “I’ll always come for you. Always.”

  Tears slipped from her emerald eyes and she pulled me into a softer hug. This time, it was because she needed it.

  Once the hug fest was over, we settled at the counter with some much-needed coffee and I told them everything that happened since my arrest. From Alexander and Ranulf’s bright idea—I say that with much sarcasm—to my fake lawyer turned vampire hunter. It was quite a tale, and after re-telling it, I had to chuckle to myself at the absurdity of it all.

  “I can’t believe Alexander wanted to strip you of your U.S. citizenship,” Amy mused as she sipped on her coffee. “It’s so extreme.”

  “It would have gotten you out of prison, but it wouldn’t have saved you from the vampires,” Jackson said. “They don’t care about that political crap.”

  “I think Alexander was planning to whisk me away to Scotland and keep me there, safe in Sheunta Village.”

  “You’d have to stay there forever,” Amy said. “The vampires would never stop hunting you.”

  “There’s no way that’s happening,” I scoffed. “Remind me to call Alexander so he doesn’t execute that idiotic plan.”

  “What about the hunter?” Jackson inquired. “I’ve heard of many things, but that was definitely a first.”

  “What about him?” I raised a brow. “He’s a total whack job. I don’t do crazy.”

  I might have been exaggerating in the crazy department, but I didn’t want them interested in that guy more than they already appeared to be. It seemed dangerous and a total risk. Besides, the man was human. What could he really do against a vampire? He would be nothing but a liability.

  “Let me see his business card.” Jackson reached out his hand. Hesitantly, I pulled it out of my back pocket and gave it to him. “I say we look him up. Run a background check.”

  “The guy wants to kill me,” Amy deadpanned. “I’m definitely not on his Christmas list.”

  “He did say he’d stay away from you,” I added. “As a sign of good faith and all.”

  “Damn.” Amy leaned back. “He must want you bad if he’s going against his religion.”

  Amy had a point. He sounded like a hardcore vamp hater, but was willing to let one slide just for me. There must be a catch in there somewhere. He relented too easily, and if I’d learned anything in the few hours I spent in his company, it was that he liked to play tricks.

  “Fine.” I nodded to Jackson. “Run a background on him.”

  It’s better to know thy enemy.

  I left the others in the kitchen while I went upstairs to shower and clean up. I’d spent almost two days at the station and I felt beyond gross. Once I was freshened up, I picked up my burner phone and called Alexander. He needed to know I was free, and I needed to stop him before he did anything rash.

  He answered on the second ring.

  “Mackenzie?” he answered, hopeful.

  “Yeah, it’s me,” I said. I hadn’t given him my new number, but I supposed he was answering all unknown calls from America in hopes it was me.

  “How are ye, darling?” he asked, his voice bre
aking on the last word. I hated how much stress I was putting him through. I guess I was making up for the rebellious teenage years he missed out on.

  “I’m free, so there’s no need to worry about getting me diplomatic immunity. It would have been pointless, anyway. We’d still have the vampires to deal with.”

  “They cannae touch ye in Scotland,” he answered defiantly, and I smiled. It was exactly what I thought he’d do. Sequester me in Sheunta Village to keep me safe. But I couldn’t hide for the rest of my life. Especially if I were to take the throne. What kind of message would I be sending to the Lycan? It would be a sign of weakness, and I would be challenged at every opportunity just to keep the crown.

  “Running away is not always the answer, Alexander.”

  “Then let me come to ye. I have the jet fueled and ready to go.”

  I shook my head as if he could see me. “Don’t start a war on my behalf. You have enough on your plate. I shouldn’t have called.”

  “Yes, ye should have,” he huffed. “I want ye to always call on me when yer in trouble. I have to do something, Mackenzie. I cannae just sit around and wait.”

  I didn’t know what he could do. I called Alexander because I was only thinking of saving my own ass, and I didn’t care if he started a damn war between the Lycan and the vampires. But now that I’ve had time to think it over, the desperation has slinked away. I couldn’t be that selfish. Not with him, and not with the future of the Lycan. I’ve always fought my own battles, obnoxiously so, but this one had me stumped—vexed, if you will. Maybe it was because I killed someone for selfish reasons. Or because this cure was tied to Jonah, whom I couldn’t seem to let go. Or maybe it was my obsession with fixing Amy. Honestly, it could be many things, but all I knew at this point was that I needed to get myself out of this mess fast.

  An idea popped into my head. “Maybe there is something you can do for me. Can you contact Lucian? Talk to him, get as much information as you can out of him. He might talk to you.”