Lunar Bound, page 14
part #4 of Sky Brooks World: Ethan Series
My eyes narrowed at my brother. “I trust you.”
“That’s a first. You’ve always felt the need to check my work. Why don’t you do it now?” He nodded toward the living room, winking at me in an exaggerated fashion. When I ignored him, he nudged me with a gentle magical force.
Still, I held my ground.
His eyebrows rose in warning.
I half smiled at him. Try me.
The magical force that struck my chest was stronger than I’d anticipated. I stumbled back a step before I planted my back heel against the floor, but he’d gotten me out of the doorway. With an impish grin more haughty than playful, Josh casually flicked his fingers at me. The door slammed shut. The lock clicked. Furious, I was about to break the door handle and barge in when I realized there was silence on the other side of the door. They expected me to barge in. They were waiting for the show. Unable to do anything else, I stood there, fuming.
After a short silence, I heard what sounded like a wet kiss, followed by Josh’s voice.
“So, you’ve been upgraded to gold card membership, I hear. You know each time someone tries to arrange a hit on you, there’s a little bump in your pack cred. My brother’s at triple platinum status, I think.”
Sky blurted, “Steven’s moving out.”
Josh gasped. “What?” I heard the creak of mattress springs bearing sudden weight, followed by, “Why?”
That’s what they’re going to talk about? I scowled. I’d just bared my soul to Sky, and she wanted to discuss Steven’s departure? Appalled, I listened to the two of them chatter away about nonsense. After a few minutes, I gave up. I was about to walk away when I heard Josh compliment her.
“You’re so sexy,” he declared in a playful voice, “I don’t know if I can keep my hands off you.”
My fingernails dug into my palms as I clenched both fists. Glowering at the door handle, I imagined snapping it off, throwing the door open. I’d drag Josh out by his hair if necessary, but he’d fight me. I’d tell him to stop acting like an inappropriate asshole. He’d say something nasty, then the fight would start. Fights between Josh and me ended up involving a great deal of property damage. Sebastian had given me carte blanche to make changes that improved the penthouse’s security. I doubted he meant for us to create Josh-and-Ethan-sized holes in his walls.
When the urge to break in anyway proved too much, I scoffed and walked away.
After putting away Josh’s groceries, I paced the living room, glancing periodically between the clock on the wall and the closed, locked bedroom door. Sooner or later, their conversation would end. Sky would get tired. Josh would emerge and I’d give him an earful. An hour later, he’d yet to emerge. I pulled one of the couches into the hallway to give me an unobstructed view of Sky’s door, then sat down.
Digging my phone from my pocket, I called Dr. Baker for an update on Marko.
Winter answered, a smoldering anger in her voice. “He didn’t make it.”
My heart stopped. I remained still, waiting.
She continued. “That bullet was special. For starters, it was silver. It also exploded into bits. Some of them made it into his heart. His body tried to heal, but Dr. Baker couldn’t get all the silver out in time.”
The loss crept over me, weighing me down until I’d slumped over, my head in my free hand. Ours was a dangerous existence. I lived with the constant reminder that death was always close, waiting to take me or mine, but I never got used to the loss. The pain never got easier. In the ensuing silence, the mundane sounds of Sebastian’s penthouse gnawed at me—the hum of the fridge, the ticking of a clock on the wall, my brother’s snoring from the master bedroom. Every annoying sound was a reminder that I was still alive, that I had a duty to those who weren’t—revenge.
She said softly, “I’ll make the necessary calls.”
In order to hide Marko’s death from the world, his body would be cremated and the ashes spread onto the retreat grounds. There would be no ceremony, no memorial. Were-animals died violent deaths. In order to avoid the outside world’s scrutiny, our lives once lost were quietly, efficiently scrubbed from existence. Our contacts in the banking industry would close Marko’s accounts. His address would be changed to somewhere far away. His belongings would be removed by what appeared to be professional movers and dumped or donated in neighboring towns. Any neighbors or human friends that got curious about Marko’s sudden departure would find some reassurance, carefully planted. Their minds and their mouths would be put at ease. A few days from now, they’d shrug their shoulders and move on with their lives. A month from now, the questions would cease.
I choked on the words as I said out loud, “The pack remembers.”
Winter answered softly, “The pack remembers,” and then ended the call.
My phone slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the floor. I considered waking Sky and Josh to share the news. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. She’d never been close to Marko, but she’d take his loss hard just the same. The pack was family. I couldn’t do that to her, not now. Frowning, I resolved to keep the news from Sky until the current crisis was over. There was no way to tell Josh without alerting her, so I sat alone with my grief.
Numb, I wandered into the guest bedroom and climbed into bed. I didn’t remember taking off my clothes until I felt fine Egyptian cotton sheets against my bare skin. The comfort gnawed at me. Marko was dead because I hadn’t taken McClintock seriously. In a just world, the bullet would’ve struck me. The world was not just. It was cold and cruel and random.
At some point, I fell into an agitated slumber. When I woke, the sun was shining through the windows, blinding me. I closed the blinds, cursing under my breath. I checked the other room expecting to find Josh sleeping there. The bed remained untouched. His scent still lingered behind Sky’s door, which remained locked. When the time was right, we were going to have a very long, possibly violent conversation about propriety regarding his relationship with Sky.
Exhausted, I banged on the door until I heard his sleepy voice answer.
“What?”
“Get up,” I growled, then tried the door knob again. “Unlock the door.”
“What time is it?”
I snapped, “Eight thirty.”
There’s work to do. By lunch I wanted a second ward on the penthouse. By dinner, I’d have another layer of security added to the elevator and Sebastian’s private entrance. No one would get to Sky.
“Are you kidding me?” he howled. “Go away and come back in four hours.”
“Get your ass up. Now.”
“No. I’m tired.”
I heard shifting on the mattress. Imagining the two of them on the bed together sent a new rush of anger through my body.
“Josh! I’m not playing with you, get up!”
I pounded continuously on the door. The hinges groaned, threatened to break. When I heard the lock click, I stopped. Finally! I took a step back, waited until the door finally creaked open just enough to reveal a skeptical green eye.
Sky said, “We’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Peering through the crack, I saw my brother glaring at me from the bed, shirtless. His bare feet poked out from beneath the blanket. Before I could react, Sky shut the door and locked it. She whispered something to him, eliciting a laugh. My fists clenched as I glared at the door, waiting for them. Not wrapping my hands around my brother’s neck when he emerged was going to be a problem. While I struggled for control, there was movement on the other side of the door. While I prepared myself for them to emerge, I heard the steady cascade of a shower, followed by Josh’s slow rumbling snore.
My jaw dropped at his audacity. I’d reached a boiling point and didn’t like my options. All I could do was barge in and give my brother the beatdown he deserved, or walk away. Hard as it was to take that first step, I turned and went into the kitchen. Busying myself in the kitchen was my only safe release. At first I banged every pot and pan I touched. Once breakfast started to come together, I was able to focus on preparing a meal for Sky. A forced calm followed.
I’d overreacted, and not just because of Marko. I’d let Josh push my buttons. He was angry at me for keeping him in the dark about the dark elf magic, but he was always looking for ways to piss me off. It was a game for him, but there was also jealousy. Did she realize his attraction for her?
I glanced down at egg yolk running between the cracks of my clenched fist, opened it to let the crushed shell fall into the sink. Washing the yolk under running water, I reminded myself, Sky can see whoever she wants. We didn’t have a committed relationship. I’d just made that pretty clear to her. Still, I knew she wouldn’t pursue Josh. Their relationship—in her eyes, at least—was probably something closer to her relationship with Steven, functional, supportive. Still, annoying. Bacon sizzled in hot grease as I turned the pieces over. I didn’t understand either relationship, probably never would. I didn’t understand how men and women became like girlfriends without sex becoming an issue between them.
Admittedly, I was old fashioned that way.
I wasn’t used to being jealous. I was used to being on the other side of out. Now I understood how jealousy could make people crazy. For a moment, I considered apologizing.
Forget it, I growled.
While the bacon sizzled, I turned to the pancakes. I’d too many things on my mind, too many problems to solve. Sky’s safety was the priority. After that, I needed to find McClintock and rescue Artemis. Then I’d take my revenge on Sean, Marcia, and anyone else involved in the attack on Sky. By the time I was done with them, the entire supernatural community would know the consequences of touching Sky.
Setting the last of the pancakes aside, I realized I’d emptied Sebastian’s fridge and cupboard. In front of me was a full-spread breakfast for six. Steak, eggs, French toast, pancakes, fresh fruit.
Sky appeared in the kitchen doorway, dressed and smelling of strawberry shampoo. I met her gaze with an unhealthy sense of dread, but tried to seem normal. Pretending I hadn’t just made a complete ass of myself. A half smile cracked her lips as she took in the enormity of her breakfast.
Trying to sound nonchalant, I snapped, “Did you sleep well last night?”
She ignored the harshness of my tone. “As good as could be expected.” She filled a plate, picked a yogurt from the fridge, then sat at the table. “And you?”
In a blink I was at her side, about to apologize. Her calm demeanor stopped me. Despite my behavior, she wasn’t angry. She seemed…entertained. Apologizing would only make me more the fool, though I still wanted to. I wanted to explain about Marko and McClintock and everything I’d been through in the last couple of days, but I couldn’t.
She stared at me, expecting something.
Unable to lie, I turned and walked out of the room.
She called after me, “Nothing is going on between me and Josh.”
I stopped in my tracks, felt the tension in my shoulders ease.
She walked in front of me to meet my gaze with a fiery look. “I’m not a teenager.”
My frustrations came boiling to the surface. Scowling down at her, I met fire with fire. “Since you’re not one, shouldn’t you stop acting like one?”
Before she could answer, Josh walked into the room, still wearing just his pair of boxers and a smattering of chest hair, probably to irritate me.
Sky held my gaze for a moment as she walked around me. After helping herself to more fruit, she returned to her seat. She gave Josh’s half-dressed state an amused smile, then made a point to notice my own boxers and I assumed my own lack of a shirt. “I didn’t know breakfast was so formal.”
I needed to get out of here, before I did or said something else stupid. “I’m going to see to improving the security here.” I glared daggers at Josh. “You’ll stick around to watch over her?”
Sky complained, “I swear I just reminded you that I’m not a teenager.”
Josh opened his mouth to say something irritating. Finally measuring my anger, he stopped short. He gave me a puzzled look, and I knew what he was asking. I shook my head once, just enough for him to notice. Regret and grief washed over him, which he quickly brushed aside for Sky’s sake.
On his way to the breakfast table, he said, “I’ll get that second ward up.”
“Good.”
I dressed and got the hell out of there.
On my way out to my car, I heard the building door click open behind me. Josh caught up at a jog, stopped in front of me.
“Hey,” he said, holding up a hand. “Hold up.”
I gave him an annoyed look, but waited.
“We should talk about this jealousy thing.”
If he wanted to confess, he could pick a better time. I was at the peak of my frustration with him. “Later, Josh.”
I started around him until he sidled into my way. “It’s always later. It’s always about what you want, when you want it. You’ve got a real problem with jealousy. Are you going to simmer in that, or can we clear the air now and get past it?”
“I’m jealous?” I gaped at him. “Of you and Sky?”
“I don’t know if it’s going to turn into something or not,” he claimed. “It would be a lot easier to find out if you stopped acting like a twelve-year-old.”
Was he that oblivious? I took a calming breath, tried to set my anger aside to let him down easily. “Josh, I don’t think this”—I gestured toward the apartment—“is what you think it is. Sky doesn’t—”
“You just can’t stand it, can you?” He pursed his lips in grim disappointment. “When it comes to girls, you always get what you want. You give them that smoky look, you scowl a lot and treat them like they don’t matter, and they’re yours until you get bored and dump them.”
“You’ve never had a problem getting girls,” I reminded him. He was always hooking up with someone from the club.
He gestured with his arms out, emphasizing what he thought obvious. “That’s because you rarely hang out at the club. Trust me, when you come around, all eyes turn to the Ethan Show. Do me a favor,” he said, backing toward the building, “for once, try to be happy for me instead of getting in my way.”
The next two days were frustrating. Nearly the entire pack was out looking for Marcia and Sean. Tim and the other pack members in the police force committed their entire official patrols to the hunt. On the domestic front, we hired the Worgens to hack Sean’s and Marcia’s emails, phones, credit cards. We got nothing in return. It was as if the two had ceased to exist. With their plot exposed, I was increasingly certain the pair had fled Chicago. We put out the word to other packs in the region, offering a bounty for capturing the two alive. Sooner or later, they were going to poke their heads above ground and get caught. It was only a matter of time.
McClintock proved equally elusive. After reviewing our encounters to date, I was left convinced that there was more to his plan than simply getting me out of Marcia’s way. She was involved. The timing of their efforts was too close to ignore, but he was building toward something. I would hear from him soon, unless Marcia’s failure ruined his plan. Had he intended to build off of Sky’s death, use that to draw me into another trap? Whatever his intention, he was a hired gun. If we caught Marcia, we could cut off his money supply. McClintock would walk away and I’d let him—for now.
That Artemis was still missing told me his plan was still in play. The old man had a code of ethics. He wouldn’t hesitate to do horrible things to her to get what he wanted, but he wouldn’t hurt her without benefit. If his plan was dead, he’d let her go somewhere.
There were too many variables and not enough information to anticipate his next move.
After the first day in the penthouse, Sky grew agitated. For her safety, a pack member was with her at all times and she wasn’t allowed out of the building, not even for a walk. Her cardio was restricted to walking up and down the penthouse hall, wearing out the runner carpet beneath her tennis shoes. I tried to make her time there more comfortable by bringing her an entire red velvet cake from her favorite bakery. By the next morning half the cake was gone and she was back to pacing. By the third day, I thought she was going to start tearing the walls apart.
With no sign of trouble, Sebastian and I agreed it was safe enough for her to return home. The damage from the attack had been repaired. In the process, I’d had metal plating installed in her walls. All of her doors and windows were reinforced. I’d seen to the work personally. With any luck, she’d eventually feel safe there again. That would take time. People spent their lives believing a home was an impregnable sanctuary. In reality, a home was just a box with locks and windows. The most expensive mansions, the most secure estates in the world, were all vulnerable to a determined intruder.
Sky faced that realization now. Driving her to her house, every mile closer increased her anxiety. Her heart raced. I tapped my finger against the steering wheel in time with the rhythm of her racing heart, hoping to draw her attention to her agitation. If she noticed, she chose not to react. Josh rode in the back seat. For once he was quiet, his attention absorbed by something on his phone.
I glanced at Sky’s fists clenching and releasing in her lap. “We can go back to the penthouse.”
Relieved, she nodded once.
I looked for a place to turn around, when an audible shudder from the backseat got my attention. Through the rearview mirror, I saw my brother’s solid black eyes staring blankly ahead. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His expression was taught as he hurriedly whispered a spell. His eyes closed with the effort.
“Josh.”
He swallowed. “Someone’s trying to break the ward at the retreat—”
My phone rang once before I answered it. Sebastian was on the other end, his voice cool as he informed me, “We’re under attack.”
“On our way.”
I turned the Maserati around in an intersection, ignoring the angry blaring of horns that followed. I glanced to make sure Sky’s seatbelt was on. Rapid acceleration pushed us into our seats as I sped toward the retreat.
