Chapter Nine – Jack
Chapter Nine
Jack
I checked my phone in Vermillion’s parking lot. Three missed calls from Paco, no texts, no voicemail messages—shit.
“Hey,” I said, calling him immediately back. “You all right?”
“Yeah. I just kind of wanted to tell you this in person.”
I sagged with relief. “What?”
“I’m ninety-five percent sure my current boss is banging your boss, at this very moment.”
I leaned on the door of my vintage black Lincoln Continental. “Remind me again who that is?”
“Mark Carrera. Big guy. Lawyer?”
“Ah.” I got inside my car and turned the engine on. “They’ve been dating for a few months, Paco—this isn’t exactly new news.” I knew if I were dating Angela, I’d be taking her body out for a test drive three times a night.
“No, but the fact that I’m supposed to be watching her overnight afterwards is. I’m not his driver tonight, Jack—I’m muscle.”
I turned the engine off so I could hear him better. “Why? What’s he expecting to go down?”
“Don’t know. His driver will be back for him, but I’m supposed to sit out here all night, waiting.”
“Armed?”
“Of course.”
“I’m on my way over,” I said, and hung up before he could tell me otherwise.
I knew where Angela lived, and once I got there it wasn’t hard to find Paco’s dark car. I parked three rows away, heard his doors unlock as I walked over, and sidled into the passenger seat after giving the lot a look-around.
One of Paco’s guns was in his lap, and another one was holstered at his side. “You weren’t kidding,” I said.
“Nope.” Paco looked at me, expression serious. “Does this have anything to do with the information you requested from me?”
“About the Pack? Why would it?”
“Because my mission tonight is to keep her safe from Pack members. Bikers, gangsters, and guys—or girls—who look like they used to be in prison.”
“Christ.” I sank into the seat. Was it coincidence? Or did Angela and Bella have something in common? I turned toward him. “If you see a Pack member, you have to stay away from him, Paco.”
Paco gave me a look. “I can handle a leather suited alcoholic.”
“Not one who changes into a wolf on a full moon night,” I said, my voice grave.
His eyes narrowed. “You’re kidding me,” he said, but I knew he’d believe.
“I wish I were. I underestimated one recently—I don’t think he could’ve killed me, but he could’ve killed you, twice.”
Paco grimaced, then shrugged. “I’ve got silver shot back home.” My eyes widened as he went on. “What? I know you have enemies, Jack. I want to help you fight them. You can’t blame me for being prepared.”
I clapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t tell me anything else.
Anything you tell me, she can make me tell her.
” It was clear over the course of our relationship I’d already told him far too much.
He nodded slowly and I took back my hand.
“You can’t interrupt my job tonight, Jack. I have a professional rep to uphold.”
“I won’t,” I lied, prepared to sit here and protect him and Angela until dawn. Then another car swooped in.
“Driver,” Paco said. “Get down.”
I ducked low so that Mark’s other employee wouldn’t see me and I pulled out my phone. If Mark was on his way out…I stayed low until I heard a car door swing open and then shut. I started texting Angela right afterwards: Don’t suppose you’re still up?
By the time I was straight in the seat again I had my reply.
Yeah. You?
Always. Can we talk? In person? I’m close.
A longer pause.
Sure. Don’t ring—just text once you’re outside.
“That is such a bad idea, Jack,” Paco said, reading over my shoulder.
“You’re just jealous,” I said, leaning over to kiss him before getting out of the car.
I waited a likely amount of time before taking the cement stairs up two at a time and standing outside her door.
Here, I texted.
The door slowly opened and Angela stepped outside, closing it softly behind her.
She was barefoot and wearing a loosely cinched white robe, her hair tousled in thick waves.
There was something wild and beautiful about her, and even though she stank of another man, I wanted her.
At seeing me in person, she looked a little panicked.
“I was driving nearby,” I explained, trying to allay her fears. “And I was wondering—"
“When you could go back to work,” she finished for me, and frowned. “Sorry, I’ve just been so busy with personal things.”
“Like what?” I asked, imploring her to tell me with my eyes. As if she sensed that, she sank back.
“It’s just been weird—and busy.”
“Did you figure out who broke the window?”
“No, not yet.”
She was lying, I knew it. I wished I could tell her that, somehow make her give the truth to me.
My truth was I didn’t want to go back to work until things were solved, the twin mysteries of her and Bella’s problems with the pack.
But if I didn’t pretend to want to work, I had no excuse to be here.
“How much longer do you think things’ll be? ”
“Another day or two.”
“What’s going to change by then?” The look on her face said she couldn’t tell me. “Angela, what the hell’s going on?” I asked, stepping forward.
Her back pressed against the door behind her, as her hand found the knob. “I can’t tell you, so don’t ask. I just don’t want anyone to be in danger,” she said, then quickly followed it up with, “I mean working at night there—there’s a reason I don’t give Charla the night shifts and—"
Which was bullshit, meant to cover things up. I was so tempted to whammy her, but her next question distracted me. “What’re you doing tomorrow night?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I answered quickly, hoping she wanted me to do something with her.
“Can you do me a big favor then? I need someone to watch Rabbit for me—my mom’s going out.”
“Yeah,” I said, reflexively. Anything to get in her good graces. I chuckled. “And you think I’m not in danger with him? You’ve obviously never tried to play video games with him before.”
She put a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh and gave me a complicated look. “Just give me a little longer Jack. Don’t give up on me, okay?”
“I won’t,” I said—and meant it. Then the moment between us stretched a little too long.
“So, I,” she said, her hand twisting her door knob and ducking her head down.
“Yeah.” I flipped out my phone and checked the time of tomorrow’s sunset minus a shower. “I can’t be here until six-forty-five.”
“Seven’s fine.”
“Okay. Seven it is.”
“Thanks Jack.” She opened up the door behind her and stepped halfway inside.
“You’re welcome,” I whispered, and waited until she was safe inside and I heard her lock the door.
I stopped by Paco’s car on my way to my own—he rolled down the passenger window and let me lean in. “Well?” he asked.
“I’m watching Rabbit—her kid—tomorrow night.”
Paco was aghast. “You are a dumb motherfucker.”
“Not with her yet.”
He rolled his eyes. “What does a vampire know about babysitting a child? Stick your head in here farther so I can roll the window up and decapitate you.”
“I’ve hung out with him before at the shop. It’ll be easy, and then I can be there, just in case.”
“When’s the last time you fed?”
I knew he wasn’t offering. “I can manage for a night.” He stared me down. “It’ll be fine,” I protested.
“Well if it’s not, you’ve got my number. Call me.”
“I wasn’t aware that babysitting was in your repertoire.” I cocked an eyebrow.
He made a face. “At least I have base mammalian instincts.”
I pulled back, wounded. “That’s low.”
“It was,” he apologized, after a deep inhale. “I’m sorry.”
I didn’t think it was just the shock of my actions making him snappish—I think while I’d been talking to Angela, Paco’d been thinking about being out here without silver shot. “I’ll call you and let you know how things go.”
“Good.”
I rocked back and tapped the side of his car like a highway patrolman. “I think we’re done here. Get back to work.”
He flashed me a dark look and then pressed the button to roll the window up.