Don't Kill Dinner (The Rules Trilogy) (9 page)

It took a few weeks before they finally came after me. I knew it was inevitable but I thought they’d let me clean up a bit more before the hunt was really on. I felt Aurel push up against my mind and try to find my location. With my powers stronger than ever I had no problem blocking his probes. I was not ready to be caught yet. My job was not done.

The buzz was going all around town. A real life boondock saint in New Orleans cleaning up what others couldn’t. I was revered in the city. People felt safer. There were monuments left for the Cajun Cleaner. I still don’t know how I managed the name the Cajun Cleaner but it was still a name. The people rooted for me. You could see children on the streets in the lower ninth. The criminals were sc
ared to come out of their holes but I always found them. You couldn’t hide from me.

The more time I spent around the criminals I started to notice their signs. They left a slime in the air. You could feel their hatred and indiscretion coating the air like oil after a spill. It was a disgusting feeling and even the slightest hint and I knew they were there.

Now I had to keep an extra eye out. With sentinels on my tail and a bounty on my head from the remaining baddies, I had to accomplish my work and fast. The good part about this is more evil people died every night, the bad part is I could no longer enjoy tormenting them the way that had tortured their victims. It had to be done though. One way or another everyone would know you don’t mess with Nola.

I came home one night after a hunt and found my home ransacked. The vampires were getting dangerously close to finding me. If I wanted to keep doing good for the city I would have to become mobile. Thankfully I still had my car. I would clean up the streets at night and drive to the swamps during the days to train and rest. No one cared what you did in the swamps, they just let you be which is exactly what I needed.

The cat and mouse game was getting old. I finally decided it was time to show the coven that I was using my power and my fangs for good. There was only one way to get the message to who needed to hear it and that was through the golden boy.

Chapter 1

The stifling summer heat seemed to caress Kate’s skin. The cool night air swirled around her bedroom, pouring through the window and dancing just out of reach. Inwardly, Kate cursed her parents for shutting off the air conditioner and rolled over to cool off the front of her body. She imagined her parents, sleeping in a room cooled by their ceiling fan, resting peacefully in their chilly night air, oblivious to Kate’s misery. She mused at the idea that the heat was somehow bearable. Her mother had said that the night air would cool off Kate’s too warm skin, and that she would be able to fall asleep. She said that Kate wouldn’t feel the heat when she did fall asleep. She had been very wrong.

Kate sighed and rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time, and in a fit of annoyance sat up instead. She would never fall asleep like this. Kate sat there for a moment, her legs hanging over the edge of the bed, and formulated ideas. This was a new place. There wasn’t much to do in the middle of the night. Kate tapped her foot against the metal bed frame, sifting through her options. She decided a minute later, and in one swift motion she pushed herself off the bed, landing lightly on her bare feet. She headed downstairs to the kitchen.

The tile floor was almost cold, and Kate moved across it slowly, enjoying the sensation. The air was cooler down here, where it was open, and Kate stood in front of the open refrigerator; the cold air soothed her burning skin and relaxed her aching muscles. It was nice to lose the feeling of being choked by the heat, and she decided to grab an ice cream before heading outside. With an ice cream sandwich in one hand and a glass of water in the other, she carefully opened the back door.

Kate stepped out onto the cherry deck. She moved quickly across the scratchy wood, finding the stairs easily, and made her way toward the gulf. Out here, the wind rushed past her, instantly cooling her skin. She paused and tilted her head back, lifting her arms up in order to relish the feeling. The sand was smooth and rough, a contradiction that Kate had always liked. She moved closer to the waves, and sat on the harder sand that lay close to the water’s edge. She ate her snack, thinking of everything but the sticky heat that clung to her bedroom.

Kate’s summer was just beginning, and she would be left lounging on the beach every day while her mother researched the ocean and her father won cases. Somehow, Kate could not feel excited about being left alone all summer. Sure, the sun would bronze her skin, leaving her fair skin glowing. Yes, she could read every book that she had ever wanted to read with few interruptions. But what Kate wanted most, even though she would never admit it out loud, was her mother.

Kate’s mother was always busy researching seaweed, manatees, or other sea creatures. She was always searching for a new grant to fund her research, and Kate was proud of her, but sometimes she missed the cliché fights or ridiculous shopping sprees. Kate sighed, in spite of herself, and began drawing patterns in the sand. She found herself in a trance, not knowing what she was drawing, and when she awoke she found that she had sketched what appeared to be waves or flames. They clung to a circle that seemed half consumed by the swirling images. She gaped at it, and then turned to face the ocean again, tears threatening to disarm her. Kate breathed deeply to calm herself down and shook her head to erase all thoughts of her mother’s time consuming career. She would not allow herself to break, not this early in the summer, not her first night here.

Kate sat still and let the crashing of the waves calm the uneasy feeling that had wrapped around her like a blanket. She watched the twinkling of the stars, the slow crawl of the clouds as they raced across the sky. She watched as the dark sky lit with streaks of grey. Kate lay back and watched the heavens change colors, creating new images like a kaleidoscope. She lay there for a while, watching the sun crawl over the horizon, admiring the change from violet to tangerine to canary. 

When the sun had fully risen, Kate rose too. She trudged back up the sandy expanse, not eager to see the day starting. She found her mother in the kitchen, mixing something in a metal bowl, and her father sat at the table with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands, his laptop in front of him. He glanced up at Kate when she walked in and smiled. She offered one in return, although it wasn’t as genuine as his, considering the night she’d had.

“What’s wrong sunshine?” he asked her, closing his laptop, showing Kate that she had his full attention.

Kate’s father was always there. His career was as demanding, if not more at times, than Kate’s mother’s, but he had always managed to be there for Kate. Kate hated to admit it sometimes, because kids weren’t supposed to have favorites, but she loved her father best.

Kate sat down next to Aaron and poured herself a cup of coffee. He raised an eyebrow and watched her take a careful sip of the steaming black liquid, before pushing the sugar and cream toward her. She took it and poured small amounts of each into the coffee until it was a warm caramel color. After taking another, larger sip, she looked up into his eyes. Her father looked older than usual this morning. His usual sparkling gaze looked hollow, his green eyes tired. He must not have slept much either.

Kate took a moment to glance at her mother, Blaire, who was humming while she made pancakes. Blaire had already showered, her chestnut curls drying around her shoulders, frizzing in the humidity of the morning. She was wearing her typical clothing, ripped jeans and a scruffy button up top. Her sneakers were worn but told a tale of adventure and discovery. She hummed as she flipped the pancakes. Kate watched her breathe in the scent of blueberries and syrup, almost like she enjoyed the way they blended together.

“Kate, honey, I asked you what was wrong,” Kate heard her father say, real concern evident in his tone.

“I’m sorry,” Kate said, focusing on her father. “I couldn’t sleep last night so I went out and sat on the beach.” Kate looked at the glossy wood of the table before continuing. The warmth of the ceramic mug suddenly felt too hot in her hands and she let go of it, tracing the floral pattern on the handle instead. “I know you guys think that it’s okay to sleep with the windows open but I don’t think I can do that. I didn’t sleep at all,” she added, hoping that would open up a renegotiation.