Grimm: A Novel In The Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Series (The Temple Chronicles Book 3) (30 page)

“Turner. Listen. Shut this
down
. Now. It’s what you are paid to do. I’m telling you right now, Ashley and I had
nothing
to do with this. Now, I’ve got bigger issues to deal with at the moment. Don’t let me down.”

“But-” I hung up the phone as Ashley came sprinting into the kitchen, Gunnar loping along behind her.

“What’s wrong, Nate? I was getting ready to make a call when I-”

“You and I have been framed. You are apparently overseas after having sold your entire portfolio at full price, right before the crash. As did I, allegedly. No one can reach either of us by phone. They have footage of each of us doing things we never actually did. I have now
officially
been fired, having sold all my shares. I have no voice with the company anymore. This was prepared months ago, and enacted yesterday before closing bell. My broker is a witness.”

She sat down. “
What
?” Her face was confused. “I’ve sent at
least
a dozen emails, and not one person has answered a call or text.” She shouted.

An icy chill trickled down my neck. Our phones had been hacked. It was the only logical explanation.

We had been hacked by the Brothers Grimm, which was impossible. They couldn’t have had the sophistication to… “They outsourced it. It’s the only logical explanation. They must have a crew of hackers working on this. Setting up the dominos for yesterday. Then they flicked it while we were fighting in the streets. Which explains why Jacob was absent. He was flicking the domino.” I growled.

Gunnar snarled.

Alucard hissed.

And the
women
. Well, let me just say that one should never hear the sounds that ripped out of their throats. It hit me like a primal chorus of mama bears roaring.

The women were pissed. And no one messed with angry women. It was almost enough to give me a smile. Instead, I motioned everyone closer. “Alright. Our timetable has accelerated. We act
now
.”

I idly realized that my engagement plans might have to be delayed. Which would mean I was going to lose my deposit. Maybe I could squeeze in a dinner at home instead. I realized now more than ever that I needed to ask this woman to marry me.

Before it was too late.

The doorbell rang and we all looked at each other thoughtfully before racing towards the entrance. Dean stood before the door, scowling through the wood. “I’m not letting them in.” He stated flatly. Then he turned on a heel and walked away.

My breathing slowed. The Grimms couldn’t be here already.

I slowly leaned closer to the door and peered through. Three shady characters stood under the
Porte Cochère
, out of the sunlight, and I was suddenly shoved out of the way as Alucard let out a piercing hiss through his fangs. He flung open the door and his fingers abruptly elongated to lethal claws.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded of the people outside.

The closest figure leaned away from the door, almost looking as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Then I realized how easy of a target I had made myself by peering through the keyhole. This son of a bitch had been ready to kill me through the wood. He smiled knowingly at me and then shrugged as if to say,
it’s what I do
.

One of the others spoke. “We should ask the same of you…
Master
.” They wore long coats with hoods pulled up around their faces.

“It is not your place to question
me
.” Alucard warned.

The figures nodded as one, but the first figure continued. “The St. Louis Coven was murdered by this wizard,” he pointed a claw at me, “and we hear you were to avenge them. Then we find you here. With him.” His eyes flashed red. “So why is he breathing?”

The other two murmured their agreement.

Alucard swallowed as if eating something particularly vile before speaking. As he spoke, I understood why. He was being forced to comply with my demands from the
Dueling Grounds
, and to likely lose the support of his people. “I challenged Master Temple to a duel. I won. I killed him.” One of the figures began to growl in protest, not pleased at the apparent mockery. Alucard held up his claw. “I swear it on my power. As does he.” He pointed at me.

“Um. Yeah. What he said.”

They stared at me.

Alucard turned a pained expression on me. “Perhaps you could elaborate that a bit. Prove your word.” He offered, voice tight with frustration and embarrassment at my weak assistance.

“I swear it on my power that Alucard killed me.” A slightly foreign – yet familiar – weight settled on my shoulders as I bound my new power to my words. I knew the vampires could feel it. “I used powers at my control to come back from the dead. I did this in order to prove to Alucard that we face a common enemy.” They stared in disbelief. “And also because I preferred not to die.” I added drily. “Alucard avenged his people, as per your code, and now here we are.”

The first vampire took a threatening step closer but Alucard was suddenly there.

“You expect me to believe this nonsense,
Master
?”

Alucard shook his head. “You felt his oath. I have nothing further to add. Other than to say that killing Master Temple, and seeing him come back from the grave altered my… perspective on the Grimm’s contract.”

The vampires turned to each other, staring at each other without speaking. Then I realized that they were likely conversing
mentally
. Creepy. The first figure broke away to address Alucard. “One does not break a contract with the Grimms lightly.” He stated in warning. “You know the consequences of such an act.”

Alucard nodded. “Not if we can beat them.” He studied each face. “And after killing Nate here, only to see him come back, I have a good feeling about our chances.”

The vampire stared at Alucard. “
Our
…” he repeated in disbelief. “Already you speak as his ally.”

Alucard shrugged, and finally nodded.

“We cannot abide by this. I don’t truly understand what happened here, but you can count on us holding our contract with the Grimms. The world must see that the vampires are no easy meat, and that attacks on them are met with extreme prejudice.” Alucard’s shoulders sagged ever so slightly. “Some would say that you are under his thrall.”

“One does not enthrall a master vampire. A master vampire enthralls
others
.”

The vampire merely shrugged. “We shall discuss this further. On the battlefield.”

I cleared my throat. “By any chance, did you three trash my car last night?”

They stared at me as if witnessing a particularly slow-witted idiot declaring, “Chocolate ice cream! Trucks! Baseball!” I took their stares as a
no
.

And with a seemingly snide rustle of fabric, the vampires were simply gone.

Alucard turned to me, eyes pained. “Well, that could have gone better.”

I patted him on the back. “You get used to it.”

And I closed the door, mentally moving another chess piece to the Grimms side of the playing board.

Chapter 30

I
angrily shoved the new phone into my coat pocket. No answer. Which wasn’t possible. Othello
always
answered. Thanks to the software we used to communicate – which was un-hackable according to her, and I believed it – she would have received the call and, unless she was dying, would have answered. This was my third phone call to her, which meant that I should have already received a response of some kind. Even a text saying,
on a date now, will call back in a minute
.

We had an agreement. I called. She answered or returned my call immediately.

Period.

But she hadn’t.

Which made me all sorts of nervous. She had notifications set up on me, so anything on the Internet that involved
any
reference to my name would have instantly alerted her. And I would have received a call. Especially after the bombshell airing on the news right now. This had to be all over the Internet. Even with a new phone number, she would have been able to reach me.

But she hadn’t.

As if in response to my thoughts, my phone suddenly vibrated and I jumped to answer, ready to unload in both anger and fear at my old fling, Othello, the internationally known – if only by an alias and an almost unflappable reputation – hacker. I needed her to fix this mess. Find out how it had happened and work with Turner to clear my – and Ashley’s – name.

“Where are you?” A familiar voice spat.

But it wasn’t Othello.

It was
Arrogant Prickface
, Jafar. I almost lost my bananas, succumbing to the full mental breakdown that had been growing in the back of my mind.

I managed to keep my tone dry, barely. “Oh, are you calling to offer your assistance to the situation I told you about? Because I never received the call that you promised.”

“There will be no help.” He snarled in pure rage. “Now,
where are you
?”

“Well, that’s a shame. I’m at home, sipping a hot cocoa. Why?” I had expected this call, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. I had known they wouldn’t help, but I had expected a call telling me so. The car continued to move towards our destination, slush loudly smacking the undercarriage as Jafar replied, and his voice practically dripped with hatred. Gunnar’s head leaned closer to me as he drove.

“Have you been here in the last twenty-four hours?” His voice was actually shaking he was so angry.

I laughed. “
What
? Did I happen to hop on a flight to
Egypt
? Are you kidding me? After you so bravely declined to help me by not calling me back? You guys aren’t exactly on my Christmas card list. You know, for people who supposedly help others, you guys have a pretty strong track record of not showing up when the world is going to hell. Fucking pansies. If you recall, I’m also not one of you any longer, so get to your point.” I didn’t need to feign indignation. I also didn’t have time to waste gabbing.

“I know your schemes, Temple. We refuse to help you out of a personal scuffle you no doubt brought upon yourself, and you retaliate by throwing a tantrum.”

I kept my tone frosty. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you need an alibi, I have a dozen. Things have gotten even
busier
for me since last we spoke.” I paused significantly. “Know anything about that?”

“I already told you,
no
. Don’t change the topic.”

“Yeah, well. Funny thing about lying cowards is that I have trust issues with believing what they say when their lips move.”

He grumbled in warning. “Your time is coming, Temple. I can only hope that I get to witness it.”

“Get in line.”

“Consider this fair warning.” He snarled.

I hung up.

The car coasted to a stop. Gunnar and Indie remained silent. Ashley had decided to physically visit Temple Industries this morning, escorted by a very grim looking Mallory, who had received an earful and more from Gunnar about keeping her safe… or else. I had tried calling her a few times in the last hour but had heard no response, which also got under my skin. Mallory hadn’t answered his phone either. Which made me angrier. I knew they were busy putting out fires, but now wasn’t a good time to be ignoring their phones.

I kicked open the car door and approached the seedy bar, not waiting for my companions. I carefully pocketed the phone and stood in front of the entrance, staring at it angrily, a faint blue mist throbbing over my sight in tune with my heartbeat.

Then I blew the fucking door off its hinges.

I heard Gunnar grunt in surprise, jumping to shield Indie with his body. He hadn’t needed to. I had made sure all the shrapnel went
inside
the building.

I strode into the dim bar to find two men sitting at a wooden table, calm as you please. The wooden door was leaning precariously against the bar, and then it crashed to the floor. The two men paid it no attention, staring at my silhouette in the doorway instead.

Achilles’ skin was a burnished bronze, despite the season. The Greek Hero rippled with muscle, and was hauntingly handsome, golden hair tied back into a man bun, scalp buzzed on the sides. Like one of those Crossfit or UFC people. Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, sat beside him, looking unimpressed. His skin was the exact opposite of Achilles, pale as fresh snow, or a skeleton, and he wore a heavy leather coat that hung to his knees. His gaze drifted to Indie, staring very intently, not speaking.

“Heard from Othello lately?” I asked him, pulling his attention from Indie. He frowned and shook his head, eyes distant at the question. He and Othello had shared a moment a few months back. I wasn’t sure if they were an item or not, but figured it didn’t hurt to ask. And he had been eyeing Indie too intently for my tastes. Jealousy?

Nah…

“Fine.” I growled in frustration. I turned to Achilles. “Time to spill, Myrmidon.” I demanded, pulling up a chair. I held a hand over my shoulder, signaling my friends. “Sit over there.” I pointed at an empty table off to the side. “Rip his throat out if I so much as frown.” I told Gunnar, pointing at the men.