Once Broken (Dove Creek Chronicles) (13 page)

After that little speech, I felt foolish for ever having doubted him in the first place. “I’ve never done this before. Whatever
this
is. I just thought—”

Casey stopped me with his hands on my shoulders. “It’s okay, darlin’.” He grinned his impossibly beautiful grin. “Now that that’s settled.”

Reaching around me, he turned off the stove and moved the skillet away from the heat. Powerful arms gathered me up and I squealed with both surprise and delight. I wasn’t used to being manhandled so effortlessly and to such thrilling ends. He carried me away, back to the bedroom. The curtains were still drawn against the blazing sun outside, so the room was dim and cool.

He tossed me easily onto the bed and pounced. We
laughed together and teased as we scattered wet kisses across hot skin. I undid the loop that held my robe fastened and slipped it off my shoulders to give him more of me to see, touch, and ignite. He hummed appreciatively and nipped at my bare shoulder as his hands moved to caress my breasts.

I buried my face in his hair and breathed him in. My fingertips skimmed up his taut back before landing in the tousled locks and giving a gentle tug. He answered by engulfing my nipple with his mouth, and I tugged a little harder. I bucked my hips, but he used his hands to pin me to the mattress as his lips and tongue laid a trail down to my navel. My arms flew above my head, and my hands grabbed hold of the sheet as the heady sensation overpowered me. I squeezed my eyes shut as his hands released my hips to slide downward and ease my thighs
further apart. His lips stopped just above my crevice and there was a moment of exquisite torment when I held my breath in anticipation.

Looking down, I was treated to the sight of Casey’s hazel eyes gazing back at me before his mouth dipped lower. I made a wild sound and arched my back as his tongue slid over me. He took his time, just as he had said that he wanted to before. Throbbing heat pooled in my lower belly and built until it overwhelmed me. I paid no heed to the possibility of anyone else hearing me as I cried out again and again.

Casey pulled back, standing only long enough to shuck his jeans and take the necessary precautions before his weight came back to cover me. I was still trembling with the aftershocks of my release and gasped when he filled me completely. He worked himself slowly in and out, a tantalizing rhythm that allowed me to recover but kept me teetering dangerously close to the edge. My fingernails dug into the smooth skin over his shoulder blades as I gripped him and pulled him closer, encouraging.

His pace quickened, causing us both to shake with the splendid friction. This time, there was no easing into the pleasure. It exploded inside me and I bit Casey’s shoulder as he rammed into me, raked my fingernails down his back as wantonness took over. He grunted and then groaned, and I could feel him spasm inside me. It left us both breathless.

The crisp cotton sheets were in a wrinkled tangle around us as we lay in bed, recovering our breath and our wits. Casey’s fingers skimmed across my arm in a languid, rhythmic motion as I rested my head against his shoulder. The day was growing later, too quickly, and I was loath to leave the bed to get ready for the night.

Casey must’ve sensed my need to be prodded to leave his arms, because it was he who moved first.

“Let’s get a shower,” he said as he stirred next to me. “C’mon. I’ll wash your back.”

His smile beckoned me as he left my bed to go into the bathroom. I heard the water running before my feet hit the floor, and I tarried only long enough to gather a pair of towels from the linen closet.

Steam was beginning to curl its way out of the shower as I pulled back the curtain to join Casey. We took the time to enjoy each other, though we kept our shower tame. We both had jobs to do that night and neither of us would let our tryst get in the way of that.

I had the benefit of being in my own home, so Casey excused himself to go ahead to headquarters for fresh clothes as I got ready. Once I was alone, I began to think about what had ignited between Casey and me. Something inside me felt different, lighter somehow. I had thought I would feel guilty about being with a man who wasn’t my husband, but the cloud of remorse didn’t settle in as expected. In fact, I felt as though another part of me was letting Dominic go. It frightened me, yet alleviated a source of grief at the same time.

There was no doubt that I cared for Casey, but there was not yet room enough in my heart to love again. And it was as he said: No strings attached. I doubted he was thinking about our dalliance so seriously.

I clad myself in my usual jeans, along with a fitted white t-shirt and tall black boots. My hair was still a little damp and wavy as I pulled it up into a ponytail to keep it out of my face. Make-up was an afterthought, and I used just enough to feel presentable.

When I arrived at headquarters, I found Casey there along with Jocelyn and Gabriel. Joss and Casey would be there for the night as backup for Gabe and me. The four of us gathered in the armory to gear up. We were quieter than usual, a sense of urgency crackling among us.

It was Gabe who first broke the silence. “Remi, you wanna stay close to the lake tonight? I’ll take town.”

“Fine with me.” I wanted to go check out the area around Benny Jenkins’ house anyway.

Casey finished filling a flask with holy water, then handed it to me. He followed Gabe and me to the front door of the barn as we were getting ready to leave.

“Joss and I will be here, so y’all don’t hesitate to call,” he said.

“Thanks,” Gabriel answered with gruff simplicity.

I gave Casey a small, grateful smile and turned to go, but he caught me by the hand. He kissed me good-bye, a welcome surprise.

“Stay safe out there, darlin’,” he murmured in my ear.

“No promises.” I looked up at him and winked.

I walked out and climbed into the driver’s seat, looking over at Gabe who was already in his car. The look he gave me was odd, though he gave me a nod and a wave as his hot rod’s engine revved to life. He disappeared into the dusk and town limits of Dove Creek, and I watched him go for a moment before I backed my jeep out of the driveway and pointed it toward the water.

I cruised into the neighborhood near the lake where I had been the night before. The first stars were twinkling and a fat moon was hanging low in the eastern sky. It would be full the next night.

A park stood empty at the end of the narrow road, situated on a small finger of Whitewing Lake. I parked in the lot designated for visitors. There were a few picnic tables under a pavilion and a place to fish. A good view of the main part of the lake gave the park its charm. The breeze coming off the water kept the air cool and there wasn’t a cloud in
the sky. The night was perfect.

I found it odd that there was not one soul in sight.

Getting out of my jeep, I grabbed my bow and set off on foot. With no one around, I wasn’t concerned about being seen.

A walking path led the way to the dam and I took it. The area was in our regular patrol route, but I had never had any reason to get up close and personal.

I was looking for anything out of the ordinary, anything that might give any indication as to why the Triple Six had chosen this neighborhood to strike. Benny Jenkins may have been a target of convenience, but how had they found him?

Pausing halfway across the dam, I stopped and listened. I heard the water draining below me, a weak trickle over the spillway. I looked around, saw an occasional pair of headlights and a few porch lights from my vantage point. For the most part, all was still.
Too still
.

Word travels like a bad case of the chicken pox in a small community like this. I reckoned folks had already learned about the two dead men, one of whom was found in their own quiet corner of the world.

On one hand, I was grateful for the lack of distractions and pairs of eyes that might spot me snooping around. But on the other, I didn’t like to see people fear for their lives and disappear behind locked doors.

Once across the dam, I saw that the path wound around not far from Benny Jenkins’ house. Closer to the lake, the houses were a little older, a little more worn. On the Dove Creek side, they were more fishing cabin than swanky residence like on the Westview side.

I walked over and took a closer look at the Jenkins house. I wondered what the man had been doing, living here all alone. It looked as though he led a simple existence – eat, sleep, fish, watch a little TV – though I wouldn’t call it poor. The lawnmower left in the front yard was shiny green and a good brand, the fishing tackle and poles were top of the line – money spent on the things that counted for him.

I pondered what might have distracted him as he had finished mowing his lawn. Benny Jenkins didn’t seem like the kind of man who would leave his mower anywhere but the tool shed. Had one of the Triple Six tricked him? They could have pretended to be lost or broken down. Door-to-door salesmen were common enough that no one would think anything of opening their door to one. But did the
how
even matter? I wasn’t sure.

The fishing dock out back reached out a little way into the lake. The moon was riding higher in the sky, reflected in the black surface of the water all around me. Little ripples pushed by the wind lapped softly against the aged wooden pilings, quieter than the running water at the dam. I imagined Benny Jenkins sitting there with a rod and reel in his hand, soaking up the tranquility. The thought made me feel heavy, frustrated. I was used to bloodshed and lives in danger, but the threats were always more direct and obvious. See a vampire, kill it. That was my job. But now the target was blurred and the stakes were even higher.

Light, careful footsteps vibrated behind me on the dock. I turned and leveled my bow with an arrow at the ready.

Alex, with hands in a defensive position but an
unperturbed expression, looked back at me.

I exhaled heavily and lowered my weapon.

“I could’ve shot you,” I said.

“I’m already dead.”

“A fact you seem to be reminding me of a lot lately,” I returned testily. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“I was told that crossroads activity is fluctuating. Higher than usual and getting worse,” he said.

“You were told by who?”

“By whom,” Alex corrected.

I rolled my eyes and placed my free hand on my hip. “So now you’re the grammar police?” I huffed. “Out with it. What’s going on?”

“Who told me is inconsequential. I trust her implicitly.” He hesitated, then continued. “Remi, there are more demons than ever trying to enter the Mortal Plane. Soon, there will be more vampires walking the earth than all like us can kill.”

I took a moment to digest what this information could mean, besides the obvious. The first question that came to mind was
why
?

“Why is this happening?” I voiced my query.

“We do not yet know. Circumstances being what they are, these recent killings may be only the tip of the spear.”

“Well, if this is only a spear prick, I’d hate to see the thrust,” I said. “Have you talked to Hugo?”

He shook his head. “No. He needs his rest, and there is nothing he can do about it tonight.”

“Fair
enough.” I looked back toward Benny Jenkins’ house, unable to regret not going in again. “I’m not seeing anything helpful here, so I’m gonna get back out on my route. Gabe will be expecting to hear from me soon.”

I stepped past Alex and strode back down the dock. Before I reached the gravelly bank, the werewolf was in front of me.

“Remi, about the other night—”

I held up a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I understand and it’s forgotten.”

I didn’t understand and I hadn’t forgotten, but I had my pride and it was still smarting from the blow he had dealt it whether or not Casey was going a long way toward soothing it. I didn’t wait around to find out if he had anything else to say. He could have stopped me with very little effort as I sidestepped him and went on my way.

That he didn’t told me everything I needed to know. Or so I thought.

When I glanced back, his silhouette was still painted against the moonlight reflected on the water. I couldn’t see his dark eyes, but I knew.

He was watching me.

chapter nine

A few days later, Hugo and Meredith turned us loose. They took that night’s watch with Garrett’s help and insisted that we all have a night on the town.

We all argued, of course. Take a night off for the sake of it? Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t have thought twice.
But Hugo told us to blow off some steam since we had been under so much pressure. With things escalating, it didn’t look like that pressure would let up any time soon.

When Casey arrived to pick me up promptly at seven, I was dressed but still barefooted. I counted it a victory that I was even that far along. Without a clue what to wear, I had stared into my closet for a ridiculous amount of time. I wasn’t used to worrying about clothes and I wasn’t about to admit defeat and have Jocelyn choose my outfit.

Settling on my regular stand-by jeans, I jazzed them up by putting on a pair that was a little more snug than usual with a few artfully placed holes. I topped them with a summery white top with thin straps. My hair was down and I added big gold earrings and some bracelets. I was satisfied with my appearance, though I no longer had the time to worry about it.

I padded to the door to let Casey in and my jaw nearly hit the floor when I opened it.

He was cleaner than I was used to seeing him, not one speck of dust anywhere head to toe. I picked up on the scent of freshly showered man with a hint of good cologne, and I took a long breath in to savor it. He wore dark jeans and a gray-blue button down shirt that clung to his brawny frame. I looked him over in all his towering glory and gave a low, appreciative whistle.

“You, sir, must be trying to get me into a catfight tonight,” I said.

“Not lookin’ half bad yourself, darlin’,” he said as he walked through the door.

“Make yourself comfortable. I’m just gonna grab my shoes.”

My gold strappy heels were right where they were supposed to be in the closet, so I didn’t leave Casey waiting for long. I perched next to where he had sat down on the sofa so that I could put on my shoes.

I was in a hurry since I was the one running late, so I wound up struggling with the buckles. Casey must h
ave seen my frustration; his big hands reached down and stilled mine. He knelt in front of me and fastened first one shoe then the other with a few deft flicks of his fingers.

The sensation of his warm hands against my nearly bare feet drew a sigh from my lips. He looked up at me with a quiet smile. His hands lingered on me and moved up my legs slowly, like a tantalizing suggestion.

“Careful, Cowboy. We won’t make it out tonight,” I warned.

“Is that a problem?” He asked provocatively.

I giggled. “I’d say no, but I’m hungry.”

Casey made a show of acting disgruntled, heaving a long-suffering sigh. After a moment, he grinned and offered me his hand.

“You’re the boss,” he conceded. “But we’re continuing
that
later.”

“Don’t hafta tell me twice,” I said with a sly smile.

We stopped for a quick bite at the Kajun Kitchen before meeting Jocelyn, Gabriel, and Aric at Rack ‘Em Jack’s. The pool hall was cool as we came in out of the heat. Smoke clung to the air and the jukebox blared an overplayed rock song from the ‘80s, but the beer was cold and the pool was cheap. Even on a week night, a crowd was beginning to gather.

Casey and Gabriel went to stake out a couple of pool tables while Aric went to collect cues and balls. Joss and I made our way to the bar to order pitchers of beer. As soon as we were away from the men, she turned on me.

“So, you and Casey, huh?”

I shrugged one shoulder, staying casual. “Yeah, guess so.”

“You guess so? You’d better start talking,” she ordered.

The look in her eye was ruthless, as though she wouldn’t let it go until she got juicy details and plenty of them.

I paused long enough to ask the bartender for our beers of choice, then turned back to Joss. “We’re . . . Keeping it casual,” I told her, raising my voice above the music.

“Is there any other way with Casey?” She asked and I guessed from her tone that she wasn’t looking for confirmation.

“Not that I know of, which is just fine with me,” I said.

“Good. At least you’re having a little fun.” She paused and looked up at me from under her black mascara-coated lashes. “You guys
are
having fun, right?”

I laughed as the stout bartender placed two pitchers of foam-topped beer and a few frosty mugs in front of us.

“We are,” I said, laughing. “And lots of it.”

Waving away Jocelyn’s attempt to pay, I handed cash to the bartender and told him to keep the change. Joss insisted on buying the next round, so we agreed that we would all take turns.

“Where’s Dylan? He’s off work tonight, right?” I asked as we turned to make our way to the tables.

Casey and Gabe had taken up a place in the back corner, lit only by a few neon signs
on the walls and lights directly over the pool tables. Jocelyn and I had to wind our way back to them, around all the other tables in our path.

“His band is practicing tonight,” she said. “He’s gonna join us in a while.”

As far as Dylan knew, we all were friends because of working at the pawn shops, and we knew Gabriel because he did some consultation work for Hugo. I’d had to convince him awhile back that Gabe was okay, considering our family’s rocky past with the Wyatt siblings.

My brother didn’t know about me and Casey yet because I hadn’t had the opportunity to mention it. Besides, how was I supposed to explain the arrangement? Casey wasn’t my boyfriend and I didn’t want to have to spell that out.

We got back to the guys and soon cold mugs were being topped off with frothy lager. Casey wanted to test his skills against mine, and Joss and Aric took the other table. Gabe said he would face off against the first winner, so we got started.

Casey made the mistake of “letting” me break, and I punished him for it. When three solids dropped into pockets, his confident expression vanished.

“Where’d you learn how to do that, darlin’?”

I grinned at him. “Self-taught. It’s how I got spending money in college.”

I took my time lining up a shot to put the six ball in the side pocket and he didn’t look as surprised when the cue ball kissed it perfectly.

Attempting a complicated bank shot, I hissed as the ten bounced off the plastic edge of the corner cup. I was disappointed that I hadn’t put together a longer run.

Casey held his own and made three nifty shots himself. I stepped over to our pub tables in the interim and took a swig of my beer. Joss and Aric were still early in their game and best I could tell, Aric was ahead by one.

“Looks like I’ll get to
take you on,” Gabe predicted as we stood to the side.

“Yeah, unless Case can get his mojo
going,” I said, teasing as Casey got close so that he could line up a shot.

“I heard that, sassy lady,” he said over his shoulder.

It just so happened that he missed and it was my turn again. As we traded places, Casey slipped an arm around my waist and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t go too hard on me, darlin’.”

I smirked and raised an eyebrow at him as if to say,
we’ll see.

I slipped two more into pockets before missing on my third try. Casey sank only one during his next turn, so I ended up with a comfortable lead. Just as I knocked the eight ball into the right corner pocket closest to me, I heard Dylan’s voice.

He greeted Jocelyn first before turning to me. I didn’t blame him. If I were a guy, I’d go straight after the buxom blonde, too.

“Heya, Rem
,” he said. He stopped and gave me a one-armed hug. “Helluva game, looks like.”

Casey had the good grace to look sheepish. “Does
that skill run in the family?”

“I wish I could say it does, but I suck at pool,” Dylan laughed.

There was a lull in play as the men all shook hands and shared the usual niceties. But soon, my brother gravitated toward Joss’ table and paid more attention to her denim miniskirt than the remainder of her match with Aric.

Gabe racked the balls at our table and summoned me to get started.

“Ladies first,” he said. “Though chivalry will probably be the final nail in my coffin,” he added with a wry smile.

“Preachin’ to the choir,” Casey said.

I broke, almost to the same result as before. Aric won against Jocelyn, and he told Casey to play him. I spotted Dylan and Joss over at the jukebox as I moved around the table to make a shot.

It was comfortable being out with my brother and some very good friends, but my mind wouldn’t fully let go of other happenings. I wondered how Hugo and Meredith were doing, if anything was going on, and if they were okay.

I caught myself frowning as I struck the cue ball. My shot missed wide and though I tried to play it off as a simple mistake, Gabe took notice.

“They’ll call if something goes wrong.” He reminded me quietly as he came to my side of the table to take his turn.

Damn him for being able to read me so well.

“We should be there, Gabe. Just in case,” I said.

Gabriel bent to make his shot, an impressive split. He smiled as two stripes disappeared into separate corners.

“Hugo wanted us to have a night off to relax,” he said
, as if that were reason enough to put it out of my mind.

“I know that. I
t’s just that there’s so much to worry about right now.”

“We all have each other,” he reminded me. “We look out for each other and this is Hugo looking out for us. Everyone needs a break. Even you.”

I opened my mouth to answer, but was cut short by Dylan’s return.

“Looks like a pretty serious discussion happening over here,” he observed. He gave Gabriel the kind of look that said he’d do a brother’s duty for his sister if necessary. Since Dylan was a peaceable sort of fellow, it wasn’t a look
he wore often. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, we were just talking about the game. Gabe says it’s all about physics. I think it’s about the feel, instincts,” I said pointedly. “Guess we’ll just hafta see who’s right.”

Gabriel missed his next attempt and I put together a string of four neat shots. All I had left was the eight ball, but I missed as I shot the cue ball down the table.

I was irritated with Gabriel, but kept it to myself. Being crossways with him was old hat, and I refused to let it ruin the night. Instead, I applied my bottled up hostility toward the game and won handily. I hadn’t expected to
beat Gabe with so little effort. The shots he’d made were good – he had skill, but luck hadn’t been on his side.

Or he had let me win.

I didn’t stew on it. Casey poured me a fresh beer, and I took a break from the pool playing so that I could enjoy it.

We all talked and joked and played for awhile, and whatever tension there had been between Gabe and me was forgotten by the end of the night.

I hugged my brother goodnight before he and Joss went off together. That they were together abated some of my worry for him; I knew she’d keep him safe, just as much for her own sake as mine.

I decided that they made a nice pair – patient, easy-going Dylan was good for Joss. She deserved a peaceful relationship.

“She’ll look after him,” Casey said. I hadn’t realized I was watching them. “Don’t worry,” he added with a squeeze of my hand.

He opened the passenger door and held on to my hand as I climbed into his Bronco. The seat put me eye-to-eye with him, so I leaned toward him and gave him a lingering kiss. He tasted of cinnamon chewing gum and still smelled good despite hours inside a smoky pool hall. I slipped my hand around the back of his neck and drew him closer. He chuckled softly against my lips before pulling away.

“Gotta gimme enough time to drive home, or else we won’t make it if you keep that up,” he said, smiling.

I smiled back and shifted in my seat so that I was facing forward. “I’ll behave . . . For now.”

I fastened my seatbelt as Casey walked around to get into the driver’s seat.

“Your place?” He asked as he put the truck in gear.

“Sure,” I agreed. “I feel like swimming.”

SINCE IT WAS THE MIDDLE
of the week, my apartment building was dark and quiet when we returned. The majority of residents would have work or school in a few short hours, so it was a safe bet that they were all in bed. I was far more concerned that we would be heard rather than seen, so I told Casey that we would have to keep it down.

I headed for the gate that led to the pool deck, and I towed Casey by the hand as I went.

“What about suits?” He asked.

“What about them?”

As soon as we were poolside, his mouth was on mine, as warm as the night air around us. I ran my hands up his arms, feeling the taut muscles beneath my fingers. He slipped his hands under the hem of my shirt and skimmed them along my skin as he lifted it up and over my head. We continued our heated kiss after the passing separation and I tilted my head back as Casey placed a hand to cradle it.