Vengeance Borne (5 page)

Jacquelyn was lucky she had a year-round job. Most people needed caffeine like they needed air. Hence the existence of several coffee shops in a town too small for even a Target. The most coveted jobs around were not only year-round gigs, but the ones that offered health insurance benefits like working at the grocery stores or for the U.S. Forest Service. Jacquelyn didn’t get those sorts of perks serving coffee, but it was a steady paycheck and for that, she was grateful.

Bree gave her a dirty look as she slid in through the back door of Grind. The coffee shop buzzed with activity and the day manager looked like her head was about to explode. Paper cups sat lined up on the back counter and the steamer hissed as it heated and foamed the milk inside the metal pitcher, unattended.

“I’m not late,” Jacquelyn said defensively in response to Bree’s stern look.

“You’re not fucking early either,” she grumbled as she pumped caramel sauce into the bottom of one of the cups.

For some reason, Bree confused working at a coffee shop with working on the docks. Her longshoreman vocabulary wasn’t exactly suited for their clientele. Thank God she didn’t work at the elementary school. Jacquelyn could only imagine those little first graders’ wide eyes as Bree dropped f-bombs left and right. “I know it’s a lot to ask for you to actually
work
at your job, but can you start some more espresso for me? And heat up a scone, too.”

Jacquelyn flashed the kind of smile that said,
Would you like an ass kicking with that scone?
Besides having a raging crush on Finn that had always pitted them against one another, Bree was just bent out of shape because work had a tendency to cut into time she could spend gossiping. If you wanted to know anything about anyone in this town, Bree could tell you. Not everything she said would be true, mind you, but Bree couldn’t be bothered with trivial things like fact-checking. Jacquelyn put Bree’s waspish comments to the back of her mind and played the good employee, stuffing her annoyance to the soles of her feet. She couldn’t blame Bree for her cranky mood, even if Bree blamed Jacquelyn for hers.

As she tamped the ground espresso into the brew basket and fastened it to the machine, Jacquelyn thought briefly of her encounter with the Changeling the night before. It creeped her out to no end to see a simply human form, knowing it was the vessel for so much evil. They’d been lucky to put it down. It would have only been a matter of time before the creature used up the body it inhabited and went out looking for a new host. And next time, its prey might have been younger.

“Fucking balls, Jax, is that espresso done
yet
?” Bree called over her shoulder. “Or did you have to run to Brazil and harvest the beans yourself?”

“Keep your thong on, Bree,” she murmured. “It’s just coffee.”

With a precision stemming from years of training that had nothing to do with caffeinated beverages, Jacquelyn managed to catch Bree’s orders up and restore harmony to the morning. Making a Mexican mocha was nothing compared to killing a demon or beheading the undead.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you look bored,” Wes Maxwell remarked, approaching the counter. One of Grind’s many regulars, he never missed a day without an iced soy macchiato. Nature-boy to a tee, and her ex’s best friend, he stopped by even on the days he wasn’t on shift at the fire station.

“Never a boring moment in the glamorous world of caffeine,” Jacquelyn replied, already pouring the soy milk and caramel syrup into his cup.

“Haven’t seen you around much,” Wes pointed out as he slid a five dollar bill across the counter. “Hiding out? Or hiding from someone?”

“Oh, you know, just livin’ the dream.” She topped his drink off with a shot of espresso and popped the lid on the cup, jamming a straw down the center. The last thing she wanted to talk about was her break-up with Finn.

Wes smiled and took the cup from her, swirling the contents while she counted out his change. “We’re planning a hiking trip later this month. Gonna climb to the top of the cornice where there’s a sweet cliff to rappel from. Won’t be the same without you kicking our asses up the mountain. You should think about going.”

With Finn? No way. “For some reason, Wes, that sounds less than appealing. But thanks for the offer.”

“Ah, gotcha,” Wes said conspiratorially as he leaned in toward the counter. “From the looks of your face, you’re pretty busy. Need any help?”

Jacquelyn suppressed a groan and looked around just to make sure no one—especially Bree—was listening.
This
was the last thing she wanted to talk about. As Finn’s best friend since childhood, there wasn’t much about him that Wes didn’t know. And that included Finn’s and Jacquelyn’s job as the territory’s resident evil extractors. It was a huge no-no and a violation of about fifty Sentry rules, but Finn didn’t care. Wes was the only local “in the know” and besides being a certified adrenaline junkie, he considered himself a sidekick of sorts. Not that they’d ever taken him out on any hunts. But Wes was still hopeful, and offered up assistance at every opportunity.

“I would never steal you away from the station, Wes,” Jacquelyn whispered in a scandalized tone. “What if there was a fire and you were busy taking down a ghoul while someone’s house burned to the ground?”

Wes rolled his eyes. “Excuses, excuses. I’ll wear you guys down eventually and you’ll take me along.”

She smiled.
Don’t count on it, buddy
.

“I bet the rush of doing what you do beats the hell out of B.A.S.E. jumping.” He stuffed a dollar and a few coins into the tip jar. “If you change your mind about the hiking trip, just let me know,” he said, giving her a playful wink as he headed for the door. “See ya around.”

“Later.” One of the worst parts of a breakup: the division of everyone’s friends.

After the excitement of the morning rush, the rest of Jacquelyn’s day dragged by on broken legs. Exhausted and fueled by less than a few hours’ sleep, she fought to keep an alert—not to mention pleasant—expression. McCall seemed to be the epicenter of paranormal activity lately, and a good night’s rest just didn’t jive.

“Mild-mannered barista by day…” she murmured as she gathered up a discarded mug and wiped down the table. Problem with having a secret identity—all the secrecy. Though it was a huge violation of protocol, one that would get Finn’s ass in a serious sling, it was sort of nice not having to hide anything from Wes. She’d known him so long, he felt like the brother she’d never had. You know, the one who wants to hang out with you and your girlfriends and then tattles to mom when you don’t let him. Maybe if she’d been able to share her secret life with Libby, Jacquelyn wouldn’t have lost herself so completely to Finn. But growing up as a ward of the Sentry, she’d been taught to share her secrets with no one but her Bearer and the governing authority in her territory. And since Waerds and Bearers were almost always assigned in male/female pairs, they had a tendency to naturally fall into less than professional relationships. The Sentry sort of set them up for relationship failures with their strict rules and regulations. Knowing how the Sentry
loved
their protocols, Jacquelyn didn’t expect anything to change any time soon.

“How can anyone stomach a pumpkin latté?” she asked as she finished up the seasonal-flavor order sheet.

“Don’t know and don’t fucking care,” Bree replied. “We just get paid to make ‘em.”

When the clock finally made it to three, Jacquelyn sighed in relief.

“I’m outta here,” she announced to the room at large. “See ya tomorrow, Bree.”

“Hey!” Jacquelyn stopped and turned to face Bree. “Can you try to wake up on time and come in a little fuckin’ earlier tomorrow?”

How did Bree even still have a job with that filthy mouth? She shrugged, giving a wan smile in response and crept out the back door. With her mountain bike in tow, she crossed the alley and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The epicenter of downtown McCall happened to be nothing more than a single street lined with businesses, but it had a quaint small town charm. Weeping crab apple and birch trees were planted every few feet, jutting up out of holes cut in the concrete. In a week or so, the leaves would start to turn, but for now they remained green and supple. During the winter months, they’d be adorned with twinkling white lights wound all the way down the trunk, transforming downtown into a glistening frost-like wonderland.

She’d been transferred to McCall after a three year stint in Portland, Oregon. Jacquelyn liked the small town charm, the familiar faces, and the quiet pace. It was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the bigger city. But now that she and Finn weren’t exactly working well together, she wondered if the life she’d carved out for herself here would come to an end. The Sentry wasn’t forgiving of hunters who couldn’t effectively do their jobs. The inquiry into Ryan’s death and her subsequent probation had been proof enough of that. They’d transferred her before she even had an opportunity to pack what meager belongings she possessed. Jacquelyn just had to hope that she could pick up the shattered pieces of her love life before anyone got wind of it.

Chapter 5

“JACK-LYN! JACK-LYN!” A voice called out from behind her.

The rhythmic way he pronounced her name was like a drum beat tapping against her skull. Jacquelyn couldn’t help the groan that made its way up her throat. She was tired, beat up, and ready for a nap. After eight hours of forced conversation and pleasant customer service smiles, all she wanted was to zone out and be anti-social. She stopped and waited for him to catch up. If she didn’t, he’d chase her all the way down the street and she didn’t feel like making a scene.

“Hey Pete,” she said in greeting. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” he said through panting breaths. “I tried to catch you at work, but you’d already left.”

“Oh,” she remarked, not sure what else to say. Overeager had nothing on Pete Koskella. Possessing all the intensity of a teenage boy, you’d never guess he was well into his late-twenties. But he was sweet, harmless really. And since Jacquelyn was one of only a few people in town who treated the awkward loner with kindness, he’d sort of appointed himself as her honorary helpful hand. He was always offering her a ride home, help with getting firewood, he’d even brought a Christmas tree to her house one year when she’d mentioned she wasn’t going to get one. She felt bad for him, really. Pete got teased a lot. People could be such assholes.

Jacquelyn tried not to seem overly observant as he chatted her up about nothing in particular. As always, his clothes were a little on the worn and dirty side. Just like him. Not filthy or anything, but maybe like he’d missed a couple of showers. His dull gray eyes did little for his equally dull brown hair and sallow skin. And though he wasn’t soft, his body lacked the filled-out appearance of men his age. The only thing that stood out about him was a smile just a notch below game-show-host flashy.

“I noticed you didn’t have your car again and I wanted to know if I could give you a ride home?” His tone mirrored the expectant expression on his face.

Seriously, as often as he offered to give her a ride, Pete might as well start his own taxi service. Was she that pathetic, though? Riding her bike or walking to work every day. People all over the world did the same thing, what made Jacquelyn’s green commute so unfathomable? To be honest, though, September was getting colder by the day and she wasn’t looking forward to pedaling to work once winter hit. Riding her bike on a frosty morning was one thing, trudging through two feet of snow was another. Maybe this was the motivation she needed to finally buckle and get her car fixed. “Thanks, Pete.” She hoped she sounded appreciative and not embarrassed. “But I’m just headed over to the Gas ‘n Go. I appreciate the offer, though.”

Pete’s gaze dropped and Jacquelyn looked around, uncomfortable with his sudden broodiness and desperate for an excuse to run. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she didn’t want to give him any mixed signals, either. She had a feeling that if she gave Pete an inch, it would feel like twenty miles. Being hit by a bus would be a nice alternative to standing on the sidewalk right about now and Jacquelyn wondered idly when one might pass by.

Pete looked up, and his lips thinned as his gaze settled on her face as if seeing it for the first time. His hands balled up into fists at his side. “What happened to your face?”

Jacquelyn couldn’t help but cringe. God, she
knew
she looked like shit. It spoke volumes about Bree’s utter disinterest that she hadn’t noticed it. If she had, everyone in town would be spreading wild stories by now. Would it have killed her to put on a little make-up this morning? “It’s nothing,” Jacquelyn said, her voice sounding heavier than she intended. “I tripped on a stump last night and fell. It looks a lot worse than it actually is.” She managed a smile for him.

Pete relaxed. “I’d really like to give you a ride,” he said, almost too low to hear.

Jacquelyn tried to quell the sudden burst of adrenaline seeping into her bloodstream. She was tougher than Pete was crazy or dangerous. He just didn’t have much experience with women. But his attention made her uncomfortable and the slight shiver that raced up her spine lingered at the top of her head. Must have been a little left over creepiness from the encounter with the Changeling last night.

“Some other time, maybe,” she answered in apology. “Like I said, I’m just headed down the street. I’ve got some errands to run, and I’m meeting Libby and Evan for dinner later. But thanks anyway. I’ll see you around.” Without giving him a chance to rebut, Jacquelyn took off down the sidewalk, fighting the urge to look back. Turning around wouldn’t confirm anything she didn’t already know. He was staring at her.

Rushing down the sidewalk as quickly as she could with her bike in tow, Jacquelyn walked for a good thirty yards and took a left. Dashed past a car pulling out from the pump, parked her bike, and ducked into the Lakeside Gas ‘n Go, leaning against the counter. After a moment of composure, she turned to face Libby.