Chapter 7
Calla was enjoying herself using the industrial power washer. It was taking the grime off the stone building like it had been a small layer rather than decades of deep dirt. The men who were working on the house had allowed her to play around with it, and she’d not had this much fun in a few weeks. While the house was being washed, the inside of the place was being scrubbed and cleaned.
“Lady Smith?” She looked up at the man who had been in charge of the work in the kitchen. “Hattie asked to have extra outlets put on the walls over the counters. I didn’t think you’d mind that, but she wanted to make sure that you approved of it.”
“Hattie would know more about what is needed in the kitchen than I would.” She did thank the men with the power washer as she made her way into the house by the back door. “Oh my, I know you told me it would look worse before it would look better, but this is terrible.”
“I have to agree with you there. They’ve been moving my pots around, too.” Hattie laughed when she picked up the largest skillet that Calla had ever seen. “I got me this one in the event one of them men working calls me Miss Hattie. It makes me sound like one of those southern girls working in the kitchen. Boy-o, I’m going to enjoy cooking in this here kitchen when it’s done. You think that’ll be soon?”
“I don’t know. It looks like it might take decades to get things back to usable.” Hattie laughed again. “Why are you in such a good mood? I would think that you’d be crawling up the walls right now.”
“This is all going to make it so that I can have them pretty ladies that you’re forever talking about coming into my kitchen and having nice long talks. I’m going to make lemonade and little cakes for them. You’re going to have the centerpiece of the house with this kitchen do-over.” She asked her what else she was planning. “I’m going to have me some chickens too. I already asked your husband, and he said that whatever I wanted to do to make you happy. Them eggs will be so rich that you’ll not believe how good they make a cake taste.”
“I hope you’re right.” She looked around the mess. “There aren’t any walls right now. Not to mention flooring. I thought that we were going to have stone floors in here.”
“They have to even up the floor in here first. Those other people that you had working here have already ruined the floor where the television was. Walking to the fridge to the set has plum worn a rut in the floor.” Hattie had the best laugh. It wasn’t a great laugh, but it was loud and made a person know that she surely thought something was funny. “Once they get that all worked out, you’ll see them putting the floor that we picked out in place. You don’t know how much it means to me to have a say in what goes in this kitchen. It’s going to be the best one in the world.”
Right now, all she could see was electrical wiring, no counters, no fridge nor was there any kind of pantry. It was being put in right now. She hoped there was a reason for the large opening as right now she and Hattie were the only ones that were enjoying the place. The other two men in the household weren’t. She shivered when she thought of all the time and money that was being put into this house at her say-so. Calla wondered if Brew was regretting saying yes that the house needed a major renovation. She only hoped that they’d have money when the house was finished.
The upper levels were being done, too. The whole house was being set to rights. Even the roof was being replaced. Everywhere she looked, there were people pulling out walls or putting them back up. Going outside, she made her way to the little garden that she’d put in a few weeks ago to get away from the noise.
She was sitting in the pretty flower garden, weeding out some of the weeds that had popped up over the last few days, when Brew joined her. There were so many colors in the garden that she was sure that a rainbow had fallen into it and had shared its hues. Glancing at him, she looked back at the garden to finish her task.
“It’s too much.” He sat down on the bench that had been recently put in. “I know that it’s going to look really good, but for now, it’s just too much. If not for this place, I might go insane with all the hammering and noise.”
“I understand more than you can imagine. It’s been so quiet in my mundane life until you came along. I’ve forgotten what a great deal of noise can be like with what you were talking about. I believe that is why I’ve been so happy. The little bit of home sounds got me used to them. Now it’s all noise, and I don’t like it either.” Calla told him about the sounds of the electrical equipment. “I agree. The buzzsaw gets me the most. Like it’s going through my ears. My hearing is much better than most, so I hear it like a blade going through my head. My goodness, it’s terrible.”
“I’m glad I have someplace to go like here. Do you?” He told her about his place in town, which he runs off to when things are really bad. “You work there, I guess. I’ve seen you bringing home files from when you go out.”
“I have some things to tell you about. It’s about the pack.” She asked him if it had anything to do with her uncle. “No, he’s gone. No it’s about the people that are on the land. I don’t know that I’ve had this sort of trouble before. For the last several nights, there have been as many as six people losing their lives on our land. I don’t know what they’re doing, and neither does the pack, but they’re causing trouble with the land that we rent out to the pack as well. Conri told me that they’ve lost two of their men out there roaming around.” She asked if he was upset. “No, he didn’t say he was. Pissed off if I know him well enough. He doesn’t like killing anymore than we do, but they’ve been on his land as well.”
“And you don’t know what they want.” He told her about the letter he’d gotten in the mail the other day. Something about his land being for sale. “Is it? I mean, are you portioning it all off so that you can get more money for the house?”
“No, I could redo every house in the village and still have more than enough for the two of us to live out the rest of our days. I don’t want to sell any of it. It would mean neighbors, and I most assuredly do not want that. I’m sure you don’t either.” She shook her head and looked up at him. “I’m to meet the man in a couple of hours. It’s in town, so I thought you’d enjoy going with me to get out of the house. I know that I do for a little while. Also, I was told that the house could be ready in as little as a week. I thought that would cheer you up.”
“It does.” She stood up and dusted the dirt and weeds off her pants. She’d been told to wear jeans outside in the dirt in case something wanted to bite her. It wouldn’t kill her, but it might itch a little before it healed. “I need to get a few things from the greenhouse as well. My flowers need something in the water to make it so that they last longer. Landon said there used to be flowers in the house all the time before they just stopped doing that as well. I’m going to grow as many as I can. Then there is the greenhouse that we put in as well. We’re still doing that for the house, correct?”
“Yes. I didn’t even miss them until you mentioned it. I loved the scents that it leaves around the house, too.” He held her hand as they walked toward the house. She could hear the sounds of work being done and was now thinking about how much Brew was able to hear. She couldn’t wait for the house to be finished and was glad that they had the money to do the entire house all at once instead of stretching it out over months. It was difficult to believe that it had only been a few months instead of years.
A couple of weeks later, Hattie met them at the back door. “The first delivery came today. I’m so glad that the kitchen is finished.” She asked if it really was finished. “Oh, my yes. I’ve been unpacking things for the counters, too. Landon has hired a few of the pack to come in and break down the boxes as well. They’re just a bunch of teenagers, but they’re doing a good job.” She showed them around the kitchen.
There were things in the place now that she couldn’t wait to use. She only drank water with an occasional glass of wine since meeting Brew, but the hot cocoa machine looked like something she’d use daily. Then there were the things to cook with. Most all of them had been put on the shelves in the pantry to hide them away until needed, and she loved that it opened up the kitchen counters that way as well. The entire back end of the pantry was used for staples such as flour and sugar. The walk-in freezer was going to be handy, too, when they started bringing in the things from the garden. That wouldn’t be until next year when they were able to put a garden in, but she was looking forward to it as well.
“I’ve just heard from Sirous. He’s been able to carve out some time to come and visit us in the next couple of days, and then he must go back. But he said that he’d be here for the party.” She was excited to meet all his friends, Sirous especially. He was the saddest of them all, and she had it in her head that she wanted to save his life. Sirous needed to find his mate, and she was looking for a single woman to come around to meet him.
She knew that wasn’t how it worked but she needed friends like he needed a mate. It was very nice to hang out with Brew and the staff, but she wanted someone to go out to lunch with who could enjoy a meal with her. The staff could, but they wouldn’t. They were more class-divided than she thought that most of the people were at the turn of the century.
Calla loved how they walked wherever they went. Sometimes, even in the rain, having a nice, pretty umbrella like the ones in the crock by the door would be something that she carried, even when the weather was nice. It kept the sun off her now tender skin and made a fashion as well. The little one just for her head and shoulders that had pretty little daisies on it was her favorite. Then there was the one that looked like it had cats all over it that were smiling and made her laugh every time she saw it.
Today, she was carrying the little one that had frogs on it. She was picking the newer ones up when she saw them in the stores around town. She swore that they were buying them just so she’d come by and purchase them. Not carrying what they did, she had a nice array of them to choose from when she wanted one to carry around.
“Do you remember me telling you about the money that we have in the local bank?” She said that so her uncle couldn’t get to it. “That’s right. The banker wants to know if you’d like to combine the two accounts that we have so that it is all in one space. It’s entirely up to you, but I told him that I’d ask you what you wanted to do.”
“I never thought about it, to be honest.” He said that he didn’t think that she had. “I guess it would be all right. However, I need to have something that I can spend my own money on in case I want to purchase something for you without you knowing. Something that I might love to get you.” Brew told her that they’d leave them separate then. It would be nice to have a surprise once in a while for him as well. “Good. I love to save money up, but I have to tell you, it’s nice to be able to indulge once in a while for myself, too. I was just thinking about the umbrellas that I’ve been getting. I think the stores are finding them for me to buy.”
“They are. One of the shop owners told me it was fun to see which one you’d pick for the day. It makes them feel like they’re making you happy. I know that it does me to see you twirling one of them around while you seem to be obvious to the rest of the world but for your umbrella.” She laughed with him. “I especially like the one that you have that has the flowers all around it and the bright sunshine on the top of the crown. But this one today has gotten you the most attention.”
They met at the diner, and she ordered her usual. She didn’t really come in here a lot, but they did know Brew, and that was why they remembered that she loved their veggie plate and hummus with cottage cheese and crackers. With a tall glass of water, of course. She was just finishing up the celery when two men and a woman joined them at their table. Calla hoped that Brew knew them because she had no idea who they were.
“Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith. How are you?” Brew asked them who they were and told them they weren’t invited to their lunch. “I talked to you earlier today. I told you that I wanted to meet you about the land that you have for sale.”
“I don’t have any land for sale.” The man laughed, but it was forced. “For that matter, I believe you’ve been on my land of late as well. You’re not welcome, and that could cause you some trouble by trespassing where you’re not welcome.”
“You have a great deal of land that you rent out to farmers about. I’m going to take the burden off your hands by buying all that land and making it so that I’m the one renting to them. What do you say, do we have a deal?” Brew told him no, just simply no, and told them to go away. When the woman reached for her plate, Calla reacted before thinking about how she shouldn’t have. But the woman hadn’t been invited to share and stabbed her through the middle of her hand to stop her. When she screamed, Calla pushed her hand away from her platter so that she’d not get blood on it. “What the hell is wrong with you? She was just enjoying the platter for the table.”
“This is my lunch, not the platter for the table. A table I’d like to point out that you were not invited to. My husband said that we didn’t have any land for sale, and that should be the end of it. I’m not in the mood to make small talk, so take your friends and get out of here.” She moved her food to sit in front of her, and the woman used the cloth napkins around the table to staunch the bleeding of her hand. “Oh, do grow up. It’s only a little blood. Go to the doctor or something. Just leave is all we care about.”
“I’ve had surveying around the land. What am I supposed to do now that it’s cost me all this money?” Brew only leaned back in his chair and sipped his wine. “Not to mention the six men that are still missing and haven’t checked in as yet.”
“They’re dead.” She picked up a clean fork and ate some of her cottage cheese. “Also, you might want to know that they’ve killed a couple of friends of ours and deserved just what they got.” Calla looked at the man who was doing all the talking. “You should get the hell out of town while you still can. I have your sent now, and I’m not above hunting you down to kill you as well.”
“Did you just threaten me? What the hell have I done to make you say such a thing to me?” She told them what Brew had said. They were trespassing. “That’s no reason to threaten anyone. Just tell me to move on.”
“I have. Several times, as a matter of fact. You have dead men on your payroll, also you have a lot of equipment that has been destroyed on my land as well. What gave you the right to—will you please take her to the hospital so that she can shut up? I don’t care what you tell them. Just get her out of here before I have to stab her mouth closed. Why she insisted to come along is none of my concern.” The other man helped her out of the chair and took her out of the building. No more screaming was wonderful. “As I was asking, what gave you the right to come onto my land and think that just because you surveyed it, that I would just sell it is beyond me.”
“I was getting the paperwork out of the way. Christ man, how much land do you own?” Officer Peter Lanne sat down beside them with a thick file. It hadn’t ever occurred to her that he wasn’t human until just that moment. Letting a little of his wolf go, he handed the man a sheet of paper. “What’s this?”
“It’s a bill for clean up of your men when they were trespassing. The attorney was supposed to be here to take care of this but he thought it would have more meaning if I were to do it. So you owe Mr. Smith here seven grand for the cleanup. Then there is the equipment that had to be taken to the dump when your men left it behind. Of course, I know what you’re thinking. They wouldn’t have left it behind had they not been killed, but you were on land that didn’t belong to you and never would. So here is also a bill for the work that the pack had to do to get rid of the things that were left behind, such as clothing. We wolves don’t care to tear up garments, but there you have it. It was a mess to be taken care of.”
“I’m not paying this.” All Peter did was lean sideways, pull out his gun, and lay it on the table. “What are you going to do, shoot me? For having work done on the land that I plan to own? That’s not the way things work for me.”
If she’d not been looking right at Brew, she might have missed his changing from man to monster in seconds. He didn’t move from his chair, but he did grow his hands and nails out. While it was deadly looking, it cared the man with them—they never got his name—enough to scare the piss out of it. It was a scent that made her think of nastiness rather than anything else that she’d been around. He laid his hand on the other man’s shoulder.
“You don’t want to fuck with me and mine, Mr. Coulter. That is your name, isn’t it? I have told you several times that I don’t want to sell my land, nor am I going to. If you’re smart, which I don’t really believe that you are, you’ll leave it alone and go on with your life. However, as I said, you’re not very intelligent, and you’ll keep pushing me until I have to drain you until you’re nothing more than a shell of the man that you are now.” Using his considerably long nail, he flicked it across the man’s cheek and took the blood flowing to his mouth. “I have your scent now, and I’ll have no trouble finding you no matter where you are. Underground, in the air, or just hiding in that house of yours that you think no one knows about. I will find you.”
“You’re not human.” He pointed out that no one in this room was human, not even his lovely wife. “No one told me that when I was asking around town about the land.”
“And why would they? They know who takes care of them and why. It’s because they keep their mouths shut when it’s necessary, and this was, believe it or not, necessary. You’ll gather your men and women up and leave town before I have to do it for you. And trust me when I say that my way will end all your lives. Your getting out on your own will make sure that you get out with at least some of your life left. It might not be a good life, but it will be all that I leave for you.” Calla ate the last of her carrots and cottage cheese and asked for more water when the waiter came to leave them the bill. “Now, here is going to be what will happen. You get out now, and I’ll reconsider what I want to do to you right now. You’ll first, of course, pay the bill that I’ve had written up for you and then be on your way. If I get even a small inclining of you bothering anyone else, I will end your very short life. Even if it’s just a thought that you might want to do something untoward, someone, I’ll kill you. Or, better yet, allow my wife to do so. She’s young and inexperienced, but it might be fun for her to learn being a killer with you.”
“You’re insane.” He said that he wasn’t, actually. It was quite brilliant. “You can’t just talk about killing me like it would be nothing at all. I’m a human being and I’m not a monster like you are.”
“You see, that’s where you’re wrong. It wouldn’t be for me. Anything at all, I mean. I don’t care what happens to you. You’ve come onto my land, did things that caused my wife and me trouble, and then thought that I should bend to your wants when I have no intentions to. You’ll either die by our hand, or you’ll do as you’re told and get out of town while you still can. And by that, I mean, I. Will. Kill. You.”
Picking up her fresh water, she sipped it much like Brew did his wine. The man was shaking now, his hand no longer steady like it had been before Brew told him that he was going to kill him. Standing up when Brew did, she watched the man cower in the chair he was in. like he was thinking that he was going to die right now. Instead of acknowledging him, the two of them, Brew and herself, left after paying, leaving a hefty tip after leaving the mess of the blood like she had.
She would admit to only him that she was afraid of the man. Stupid people did stupid things, and she wasn’t sure just how stupid the man was. He could be smart, but she doubted that. As she was leaving the place, opening up her froggy umbrella as it had just started to sprinkle, she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be the last time they heard from the man. Nor would he live all that much longer if he had it in his head that he was above the law and being killed. Peter met them outside.
“He’s going to continue. Mayhap not with the land, but I don’t think he’s going to give up too soon, do you?” Both she and Brew shook their heads. “I’ll keep an eye on him if you want but I have a feeling that you have a better handle on him than I can. Just let me know if I have anything to clean up. I think the pack seemed to enjoy having to help you guys out. It was, I know, for Master Conri to help you.”
“Your pack leader is a good man, and he will come out ahead soon. I have a few businesses thinking of coming into town to open up some plants. One of them is a large greenhouse establishment that will make it so there are about fifty jobs to be had.” He said that would be great. “If you’ll tell Conri for me, that would be great. I have a meeting with the company in a few weeks. We’ll know then how many actual jobs it’ll be.”
When Peter left them, he told them that the bill would be paid soon from the other man, and they walked home. All that they’d come into town for had been taken care of, so they’d not have to worry too much more about that. What they did worry about was the man coming in to cause them trouble, and she worried he’d tell people that he was a vampire.
“I would say that they all know. I mean, they might not know for sure, but they also know that I’m very wealthy and will stop helping them if they try to run me out of town. I’m betting if not now, then soon they’ll be having a meeting about that man and making sure that he’s out of town before they say a word to Mr. Coulter about what we are. And I don’t know if you realize this or not, but you’re about as much vampire as I am. The next time we make love, I want to see if you can bite me, too.”
“Really?” she felt her pussy gush with need, her body tremble with the excitement. When he inhaled deeply, she looked at his eyes and could see that they turned as well. “I can see your monster. I don’t think of him as that, but he is one, isn’t he?”
“Only to other people. Never you.” He pulled her closer to him and kissed her. She loved this man more than she ever thought possible. When he unlocked the front door, she knew that they were going to go upstairs and make love, but the house was still in disrepair. Christ, she’d be glad when they were gone. All she wanted was some peace and quiet as well as a few minutes alone to think, too.
Brew went to his office, the only room besides the kitchen that was finished, and she went to the living room to find that it was nearly finished as well. The hardwood floors were being installed, and the man doing it told her that it would be done by tomorrow afternoon, as soon as the floor had a few hours to settle. She danced around the hallway, feeling good for the first time in a little while.
Finding herself in the kitchen again, she was glad to see that almost all of the appliances were put away or on the counter. Having herself a cup of hot cocoa to try the machine out, she was sitting at the table when Peter joined her again. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Whatever was going on, she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be bad but a good thing for a change.
“Mr. Coulter paid his bill. He said that he wasn’t going to be coming back here and made it sound like a threat. I don’t know, but I think that he was threatened a few times by the locals for spreading the news that you and Brew were vampires. I don’t think anyone in town cares so long as they get no trouble from you. And after all this time, I’m assuming that there will be no trouble from either of you.” She said so long as they could all live in peace, then they’d get along fine. “Good, that’s what I heard too. Also, you should know that the banker in town, I don’t know why he told me to tell you, is going to be retiring soon. He thinks that Brew, at the very least, would have a better person in mind than he would to replace him. I told him that I’d tell you guys.”
Hattie offered them both cookies that she was just finishing up baking. They were her favorite, white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. There were also snickerdoodles, too, that Peter seemed to enjoy. She ate hers with her cocoa, and he had a nice cup of tea with Hattie and Landon. It was an enjoyable afternoon, and she was glad for the company. Even though they’d not go into town and have lunch with her, this was as close as she was going to get what she wanted, she thought.