Sanctuary, page 18
Deborah’s brows lifted in surprise. “You two are that serious already? Even after…you know, everything that happened to her?”
“As soon as she’s ready, she will have my last name.”
“Huh,” she muttered. “Well, congratulations. Your mom always did want a daughter.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Chance’s footsteps were soundless, but I didn’t need to hear them to know he was close. I dropped back a step, and Deborah was too confident to question it. Reaching behind me, I waited for the gun to touch my hand. Wrapping my fingers around the cool metal, I flipped the safety and pressed it to the back of the woman’s head.
“J-Jack?” she stuttered.
“Don’t fucking move.” Ripping the bag off her shoulder, I shoved it against Chance’s chest without looking at him and reached inside to pull out Amy’s phone. “Want to tell me what you’re doing with a cell that doesn’t belong to you?”
“A-Amy forgot it,” she rushed to answer. “I-I’ve been meaning t-to return it to her. But she hasn’t been home, and I d-didn’t want to j-j-just leave it in her mailbox.”
Pocketing the phone, I stepped closer to the nurse, dropping the gun to the small of her back. “Let’s take it to her together. Now.”
“B-but I-I h-have patients.”
“Not today.” Grabbing her wrist with my free hand, I guided her around the main house and into the garage, Chance right behind me with his backup piece in hand.
“Do I need to call Unc?” He finally spoke when we were inside the garage. “Or Aunt Raven?”
“Call my dad,” I gritted out, trying to keep the monster in check until I could get Deborah somewhere no one would hear her screams. “Tell him to get his ass over here. After I take care of this, I have somewhere else I need to go. He needs to be with Mom and Nishia.”
I opened the trunk of the car, and Deborah lifted her scared eyes to me. Bending my knees, I smiled at her. “Why are you so afraid, Deborah?”
“Y-you’re acting crazy, Jack. What happened to you?”
I let her see the madness that glowed from my eyes. Realization dawned on her face, and she gulped. Her fear spiked higher, and it only made my smile grow into a grin. “Did you think you could hurt what is mine, and I’d just let you walk away? Ah, Deborah, I thought you were smarter than this.”
“J-Jack—”
Before she could stumble over another word, I hit her with the butt of the gun. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she went limp. She started to fall, and I pushed her backward, not giving a shit when the back of her head hit the side of the trunk. Lifting her legs, I tossed her bottom half inside and slammed it closed.
It was so dark inside my head. The monster was taking over, and for once, it didn’t bother me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
raven
A scream echoed off the trees and had me reaching for my gun as soon as I opened my car door. Flipping the safety, I lifted it with both hands and glanced around, not even knowing what to expect. The woods around the old, dilapidated cabin were motionless. Not even the sound of wildlife could be heard as the sun began to set.
Gracie had called me around noon when she couldn’t find Jack. I could tell from the way her voice trembled that she was upset, and my sister-in-law was hard to fucking upset. Unlike Kelli, who had a temper that was easy to set off, or Quinn, who was rarely put in a position to be even remotely upset—because Raider was smart and made sure she never had a reason—Gracie had learned to deal with the evil in the world and had built up an armor against it. Hearing her voice quaver had let loose something inside me reserved only for my sisters by marriage.
After a quick recap of her morning, she’d burst out that she couldn’t find Jack. And with Nishia still upset, she didn’t understand where he had gone. She didn’t want to tell Hawk or even Bash, but she had a bad feeling.
As another terror-filled scream rent the air, I knew she’d been right to worry.
Still holding my gun at the ready, I opened the door to the cabin and walked in. “Jack?” I called out to alert him that I was there.
“In here.” His voice was like gravel, and I walked through the living room into the kitchen. The place was small, cramped, with just a stove, fridge, and an old metal table that belonged in another era.
Gun lifted to eye level with both hands, I cautiously entered and found my nephew covered in blood. A woman was strapped to the table, blood dripping from every corner, like a leaky faucet. Jack stood at her feet, his breathing even, his eyes hypervigilant on the woman before him. Her blood was splattered over his shirt and arms; it was in his hair and across his face.
His green eyes looked wild, feral, as he twirled the knife around his fingers while the pale woman on the table watched with pain and horror on her face. If I didn’t already know she was Deborah, I wouldn’t have been able to guess her identity.
“Jack, you should have called me if you had a situation,” I gently scolded.
“I had to make sure the one who hurt Nishia was taken care of. She still denies it was her.”
Guilt swam in my gut. I’d taken care of Amy, even though my instinct was that she’d been innocent. If Deborah hadn’t broken after the obvious torture she’d been put through, then perhaps she was innocent too.
“Jack, maybe you got it wrong.”
“No,” he denied, shaking his head, causing a little hair to come loose from the bun he typically kept it in. “It was her.”
“But maybe it wasn’t,” I soothed, taking a step closer to the table. “Let me help you. I’ll talk to her. Clear this all up, yeah?”
“No.” His breathing increased, his chest almost heaving. “No, it was her.”
Slowly, I lowered my gun and then tucked into the back of my jeans. He wasn’t a danger to anyone but Deborah. For now. As if I was approaching a rabid animal, I crossed to the side of the table. It was stupid to move toward anything that had rabies, but he was my flesh and blood. Even if he was caught up in his own twisted head, I wasn’t going to abandon him.
Putting my hands on the table, I leaned over the nurse. “Hello, Deborah,” I greeted in a low voice, smiling down at her as if we’d just bumped into each other at Aggie’s. “How have you been?”
“H-he’s insane!” she cried. “He… He…”
“Oh, don’t worry about him,” I laughed. “He’s just got a little too much Hannigan blood in his veins. Too much like his father.” I considered it for a moment. My heart hurt as I thought about Uncle Jack. Fuck, I still missed that old man so damn much. I barely remembered my dad, but Uncle Jack had always been around. Loving and protecting me like his own. “And his great-grandfather. Those two combinations are apparently lethal.”
Her eyes darkened. “He’s nothing like Hawk,” she spat.
My grin only grew. “Oh. Okay, then. I guess I should have had my eyes open sooner, huh?” Taking a step back, I grabbed a knife out of the butcher block that already had several missing. Leaning down again, I caressed the tip over her nose teasingly. “Someone has a crush,” I singsonged playfully.
Her eyes began to glitter with a madness not unlike what was in Jack’s eyes. Only hers weren’t nearly as wild. I let the blade slide over her cheek. “Aww, that’s so cute, Deborah. When did you fall for my brother?”
“He loved me too!” she seethed, growing bold even though her blood was still audibly dripping on the floor. “If that bitch hadn’t pretended to be a damsel in distress, we would have been together.”
I cocked my head at Jack. “She’s really mouthy all of a sudden, huh?”
He nodded, but his wild eyes were on me now instead of his prey. I winked and turned back to poor little Deborah. “Gracie stole Hawk away from you, didn’t she?”
“Fucking cunt played the part of sweet little innocent too well. She tricked him, made him feel sorry for her. When all along, she was just playing him so she could worm her way into her grandfather’s life.” She huffed. “Next thing you know, she was knocked up with that bastard, and Hawk had to marry her to keep Trigger from killing him.”
My amusement at her delusion bubbled up, and I laughed in her face. “You’ve been playing the long game, always in the background, panting for Hawk to notice you and leave his wife?”
“Yes,” she hissed.
“How did you connect with Clint Morgan?”
She grimaced. “I met him at Pepper’s.”
“The bar near the mall?”
“I stopped for a drink, and he was there.”
That told me he’d been watching who came and went from the shelter. He knew who she was before he approached her. “Why did the guys who dumped Nishia think you were Amy?”
She gave me a grin that chilled me more than the crazy I’d seen in my nephew’s eyes. “Because I knew someone would question them, and I didn’t want them to give my name before they were gutted like fish.”
“Smart,” I praised, and her eyes glowed brighter. “What does Morgan want?”
“He was going to take Gracie out of the equation. His plan was to let Nishia get comfortable and then lure Gracie out. His plan was thrown off when Jack took a shine to her, but it only helped her settle in more. And Gracie is smitten with her potential daughter-in-law. I told Clint to wait a little longer, and then they would probably be wedding dress shopping together.”
“That’s the big plan?” It sounded stupid to me, especially when they’d been so careful to mostly stay off any digital radar. “Take Gracie? That’s all he wants? He put his own flesh and blood through that hell just to take Gracie? He could have done that any time she went to work.”
“He wants all the money back that Gracie stole from him,” Deborah explained. At this point, I doubted there was enough blood in her brain for her to even realize she was giving it all away. “Nishia wanted to be an accountant. Clint thought she would get a job taking care of the shelter’s finances and he could convince her to fix everything and wire him what is left of the funds for Sanctuary.”
I shared another look with Jack, but while we were having a silent conversation, Deborah kept talking.
“He was so sure she would help him. That her family loyalty would be in his favor. Blood is thicker than water. All that money. It was his. Gracie stole it from him, just like she stole Hawk from me.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I snapped, fed up with her now that I had all the information I needed. “Hawk never even looked twice at you. I know for a fact he never touched you. He barely even spoke to you back then, you crazy bitch.”
But she was too gone to hear me.
“He was mine. He loved me. I was going to be his.”
“Okay, Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Keep telling yourself that. Whatever gives you peace when you meet the angel of death.”
Jack’s lips gave a ghost twitch. “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?”
“Lexa and Tavia are always on me for cursing in front of the kids. I’ve been trying to watch my mouth.”
“You surprise me.”
“Nothing about you surprises me.” Sighing, I lifted the knife and sank it into Deborah’s chest. Her heart stopped, and she finally left us in blissful silence. Thank fuck. She was so damned annoying. “I lied earlier. You’re not like your dad that much. You’re too much like me.”
When I looked at him again, a little of the wildness had receded. “Am I?”
“You think I can’t see it, but I’ve always known, Jack.” Leaving the blade where it was, I picked up a rag to wipe the blood off my hands. “Did you think I wasn’t aware of what you did to all those abusive husbands who mysteriously died?”
“No one cared enough about those bastards to consider it,” he said with a shrug.
“I cared. Not about them, but you.” Tossing the old rag on top of Deborah’s lifeless body, I kept my eyes trained on his, seeing his monster glowering back at mine. “I saw your darkness just below the surface. When you were younger, it scared the hell out of you, didn’t it?”
“Sometimes. More often than not, though, I embraced it.”
“Yeah. It’s easy to give in to the taste of blood. Keeping it locked up is too damn exhausting.”
His eyes widened ever so slightly. “You have to fight it too.”
It wasn’t a question, but I still nodded. “Every day. Lexa and Max, and then Tavia, they helped me rein it in. Then came the grandkids. It got a little easier. But when I was younger, it was hard as hell. Especially when Bash was gone.” I picked up a clean rag and handed it to him. “You haven’t had a good enough reason to keep the darkness locked in.”
“Nishia gives me nothing but light. There is no darkness when she’s with me.” He scrubbed the rag over his face. “But Deborah helped Morgan hurt her.”
I nodded in understanding. “She did. But do you think you let the darkness win because, maybe, you hurt her a little too?”
“Yes,” he rasped and swallowed hard. “But I’ll fix it. After I take care of Morgan.”
“You know where he is?”
“Mieke does.”
I grabbed my gun and checked the magazine. With the scent of Deborah’s blood still filling my nose, the monster inside me began to twitch in anticipation. Maybe I needed to release a little more of my own darkness. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
nishia
“Where’s Jack?”
My head was throbbing, my eyes swollen, and my throat felt raw. All from the emotional breakdown I’d had, yet again. Two in less than twelve hours. That had to be a new record for me.
I’d rarely been the “woe is me” girl, yet since my unexpected arrival at Sanctuary, that was all I seemed to be. My emotions were all over the place, and I hated it. I had no control over anything, especially my feelings for Jack. Growing up, I might not have been in control of major aspects of my life, but I’d found it in others. Studying. Working. Getting into a good college that would also provide me scholarships. I’d made the best of what I could in order to have a better future.
But that seemed all for nothing now.
My mom was dead, I no longer had my scholarships, and the one person I’d come to fully rely on had let me down.
Jack was supposed to be my safe place. He had made me trust him.
Love him.
All while keeping something important from me.
The betrayal hurt more than any I’d had to face from either of my parents.
Yet I couldn’t help missing him.
He’d been gone all day. Gracie stayed with me, tried to soothe me, but no matter what she said, I couldn’t allow myself to believe. My heart hurt too damn much. Now it was dark outside and Jack still hadn’t returned, even though it was Sunday and Hannigans’ wasn’t open.
I felt cold and alone, my heart still hurting so badly that I felt physically sick. Why hadn’t he come back?
And where the hell had he gone anyway?
When Gracie had finally coaxed me out of the bathroom that morning, I’d expected him to be in the bedroom or the sitting area. Instead, he’d been gone. And that had hurt. It was a slap in the face, telling me yet again to wake up. I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself.
I’d learned that lesson already, damn it. I should know better.
And still, I couldn’t help asking where he was. I needed to know he was okay, that he was safe.
“I honestly have no idea,” his mom said as she took a sip of the tea she’d made us both. “I called Raven and asked her to find him.”
I glanced out the kitchen window to find Hawk standing on the back patio talking to Chance. They stood close, their heads together, voices low. The tension in both men told me they weren’t happy about something.
“Why Raven and not his dad?”
Gracie sighed, pulling my gaze back to her. “Let’s just say, there are times I think his aunt understands him better than his father and I ever could. Don’t worry, sweetheart. She won’t let anything happen to him.”
I licked my bottom lip and grimaced at how dry it felt. In the few short days I’d been able to open my mouth fully, I’d made up for all the times I’d had the urge to lick my lips. I’d done it so much that now my lips were sore.
“Will he be back tonight?”
Placing her mug on the counter, she took my hand. “I don’t know.”
“Oh.” Dropping my gaze to my own mug, I tried to swallow the new lump in my throat. “Okay.”
Her fingers squeezed mine in an attempt to be reassuring. “Whatever he’s doing, it’s only to ensure your safety, Nishia.”
My smile felt too tight, and I took a sip of my tea so I didn’t have to keep it in place. “It’s getting late. I think I’m going to head to bed.”
“If you need anything, Hawk and I will both be here all night.” She released my hand to gently tuck a few strands of my hair behind my ear. The action was so maternal, it caused yet another lump to clog my throat. “You’re very precious to us, sweetheart. We won’t let anything harm you ever again.” Her blue eyes searched mine for a moment, and it only caused my chin to tremble. “I promise.”
Putting my mug on the counter, I hugged her tight before forcing myself to step back. “You’re very precious to me too,” I whispered before stepping back and forcing myself to walk away.
Gracie Hannigan was just as dangerous to my heart as her son was.
Once I was alone in my apartment, I did something I hadn’t done since I’d come to live at Sanctuary—locked the door. It was close to midnight, and it was apparent Jack wasn’t coming home. But if he did, I wanted him to know I didn’t want him sharing my bed again.
It was a lie, but one I had to keep telling myself for my own sanity.
Not bothering to change into pajamas, I kicked off my jeans and climbed under the covers in just my baggy T-shirt and panties. My legs rubbed against each other, and I closed my eyes, appreciating the lack of a cast—or hair. After the removal of my cast, I’d been in serious need of a razor and some intense moisturizer.
I was supposed to start physical therapy, but Elias had offered me a job. Whether it was out of pity or not, I needed the money, so I’d show up and do whatever he needed me to do. If I was going to be any use to him, I needed to get some sleep. But as midnight passed, and one and then two a.m., I found myself just staring at the ceiling.
