Chapter 31
STILL TUESDAY
IN WHICH JAMISON’S STUPID CURSE DOESN’T WORK
Jamison’s nightmares returned with a vengeance, and he awoke with a hoarse gasp, his body drenched in sweat.
Instinctively he checked his phone to find that it had somehow fallen off the charger.
He must’ve really been thrashing in the night.
Not only that, but apparently it had turned off as well.
Stupid thing. He picked up the phone and reconnected it to find he’d missed a call from Dessa along with a text.
Dessa: Hey, call me, I think I found something.
He punched the call button on his phone, but his stomach sank when it went directly to voicemail. He swung his legs to the floor, waiting for the buzz of his foreboding to warn him Dessa was in danger. But there was nothing.
It should’ve relieved him. After all, even if there was a connection with the abductions and the AzRIO, there was no reason someone would go after Dessa. Unless they knew she figured it out, but the AzRIO team had tightened digital security since the last incident.
Still, he dressed quickly, the insistent, non-magical tug on his gut still bothering him as he jogged down the stairs.
Was it because he hadn’t figured out who’d left Rhett and Brynn out to dry?
Though he didn’t think Richard’s gossip was malicious, perhaps he had inadvertently let something slip that had compromised them.
Dessa was obviously still nervous about sending sensitive information over text, but what did she know that he didn’t?
When he got to the kitchen, his father was already at the table, a fresh-brewed mug of coffee steaming while his fingers clattered over his laptop keys.
Jamison slid into the seat across from him. “Hey, Dad, you know how we have our family…thing?”
His father looked at him over his screen. “Good morning to you too?”
“When do you feel yours?” Jamison asked. “Like in what specific instances have you felt it?”
His father sipped his coffee, expression thoughtful.
“Honestly, I hadn’t experienced it that often before you joined AzRIO, but I definitely sensed it both times you met that murdering Vampire.
” He raised an eyebrow as if this was Jamison’s fault.
“I’ve gotten it when I’m about to make a bad business deal.
Once before a car was about to swerve into mine on the highway.
Once when your grandfather was angry. And…
” His expression sobered, and his voice dropped. “When Brielle died.”
“Huh.” Jamison drummed his fingers on the table. “I didn’t feel anything when Rachel died.”
“That makes sense,” his father said, returning his attention to his screen.
“What, why?” Jamison frowned. “She was my girlfriend.”
His father sat back, his brow furrowed as if he were measuring Jamison. “But you weren’t exclusive.”
Jamison’s frown deepened. “Yes, we were. She even made sure I clarified it. We were dating for a couple months, and she was over here all the time. Though apparently she was cheating, so I guess call it what you want.”
“Do you think she loved you?” his dad asked, a lilt to his voice, like he was leading a scared animal.
“Um, no.” Jamison shifted on the wooden seat. Though it had been almost a year now, he and his dad had never actually addressed this directly. “What are you trying to tell me?”
“Never mind.” His father sipped his coffee again. “It really doesn’t matter.”
Jamison’s brow furrowed. Obviously, the curse expanded their foreboding to encompass the people they loved, which was kind of messed up, since it also seemed to kill people that loved them back.
But assuming he hadn’t loved or been loved by Rachel, and his father was under the impression that they weren’t exclusive, then either she wasn’t killed by the curse at all or…
She was over here all the time.
“Noah?” Jamison asked. His dad’s stare was flat, neither confirming nor denying this guess, while he waited for Jamison to make his own conclusion. It was all the answer Jamison needed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
His father sighed. “I didn’t know until I started trying to understand our situation in the last few weeks.
I found evidence that Rachel had been carrying on with Noah, but I didn’t know enough to determine what the strength of the relationships were between you three.
And I didn’t know what good telling you would do, especially when the hurt is still so raw, and we know that none of us killed them. ”
“Wow.” Maybe Jamison should’ve been furious, but honestly the information was kind of freeing.
He hadn’t been the one responsible, even indirectly, for Rachel’s death after all.
Of course, Noah was a complete and utter dick, but he’d known that for most of his life.
However, this new revelation made his apathy all the more alarming.
“Well, that’s good to know, I guess. I always knew Noah was an asshat weasel, but this is next level.
” It also meant that they knew without a doubt that the curse targeted people that loved them, rather than people they were in a relationship with.
Not that it was something he could say aloud, but he supposed his father had already figured that out.
It also meant that the other woman must’ve loved his grandfather, which honestly was kind of weird to think about.
His father’s face darkened. “I wouldn’t trust Noah. He’s always been jealous of you, and in the last year, he’s become more erratic than usual.”
Jamison snorted, rising to pour himself a cup of coffee. “Why would he be jealous of me?” His phone buzzed, and a text from Arthur appeared on his phone—words that turned his blood to ice.
Arthur: Dessa’s not here.
Jamison stopped breathing. She could just be out getting coffee or breakfast or going for a run.
Arthur: Also the bell is clanging with the faintest breeze, and I can’t get the bird off my desk. He keeps trying to bite me.
Dessa couldn’t be in trouble though. Could she? If she was in trouble, why wasn’t his foreboding warning him?
Oblivious to Jamison’s panic, his father continued talking.
“Your grandfather has old-fashioned notions of inheritance and since my brother never married, Noah’s illegitimacy always bothered him.
Not to mention my brother has always been the angry-at-the-world, loose-cannon type.
” His lips tightened. “Your mother and I have tried to protect you from that power struggle, but you’d do better to stay as far away from both as possible.
I have a feeling whatever happened between Noah and Rachel was started to hurt you.
I imagine that’s why he follows you around so much. ”
Jamison’s jaw dropped as it all clicked into place.
Noah would’ve known all the people that had come in and out of AzRIO.
Would’ve known the state of the investigation and probably heard the rest of the PC community gossip from Richard.
If what his father was saying was true, Noah could’ve done something to Dessa just to get to him.
What if—
He stopped, nausea swelling through his core.
What if she was already dead, and that was why he hadn’t felt it?
“Jay, are you all right?” his father asked.
Sweat prickled Jamison’s forehead, and he braced himself on the table.
No. He couldn’t think like that. If she was in danger, he would’ve felt it.
He sucked in deep breaths, his father’s voice just a drone in his ringing ears.
Maybe Noah knew that if he didn’t plan to hurt Dessa, it wouldn’t flag their curse, and Jamison would be none the wiser.
And was it possible he was trying to make deals with the Hexxers to prove to their grandfather that he could be the heir to the family business?
Each new thought was a punch to the gut.
“Talk to me, Jay. What’s wrong?” His father rose, worry scrawled across his face. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
Jamison’s gaze landed on his father. His father, who thought he should stay away from Dessa. Distrust wound through him. Was it possible his father had known about this and approved it? Was this another family-business thing everyone was in on except him?
“I—I’m fine.” Jamison staggered away and grabbed his keys.
Where was Noah? He racked his brain, trying to think.
Dessa was in danger because of him. Just…
not in the way they thought she’d be. If Noah had hurt her, Jamison was going to murder him.
The thought sent a wave of foreboding tingling along his skin. “I have to go.”
“Wait, Jay, just hold on.” His dad rose and disappeared before returning a moment later with a black revolver in his hand. “Take this with you.”
Jamison blinked and accepted the weapon. “Um, why?”
His father swallowed hard. “You asked me when I feel it? Well, I’m feeling it now.”
Even with anxiety unspooling through him, Jamison couldn’t ignore the irony of the moment. “You’ve been trying to keep me locked in the house for months, and now you’re trusting me with a gun?”
His father smoothed his white sweater. “I still think I was doing the right thing, but I can’t deny that you’ve been acting differently since you’ve taken this job.
You’ve worked hard, and your friends obviously trust you.
I know you’re an adult now, but it’s hard not to want to protect your son.
” He cleared his throat. “Just be careful, Jay.”
The unfamiliar warmth of his dad’s words rushed through Jamison. “I will.” Not giving his dad a second to change his mind, Jamison ran out the door, with the not-at-all reassuring weight of the gun in his hand.
He wanted to kill Noah, but if he kept thinking like that, Noah’s foreboding would warn him.
The same thing would happen if he called the authorities.
Noah would have time to move, or worse, kill Dessa.
Swallowing, Jamison let himself into the car, and knocked his forehead against the steering wheel.
He was not cut out for this—Dessa was supposed to be the smart one, not him.
He was just the class clown. But as he thought the words, the echo of Dessa’s rattled through his mind.
You’re a lot smarter than anyone gives you credit for, you know, you just have to believe it.
He took a deep breath. He could figure this out. He just needed to think. Obviously, he didn’t know his cousin well enough to know where he went, and he didn’t have time to do a full background search like Dessa had done on Jean Marc. But if Jamison planned on provoking Noah instead of hurting him…
His foreboding began to buzz again, and Jamison almost cried with relief. He peeled out of the driveway, focusing on that feeling. Focusing on the choices he would make; how he could taunt Noah into an attack, and he followed the forewarning like a beacon.
As he chased the sinking feeling in his gut, he tried to push away the possibility that Dessa was already dead.
Or of what he would do if that was the case.
Instead, he gripped the steering wheel until he thought it would crack, whispering to himself over and over, “She’s alive, she’s alive, she’s alive.
” He took another turn, following the growing sting of the magic, and for once…
He was glad he was cursed.