Authors: Erica O'Rourke
Bound (29 page)
I thought Luc would take offense, but his eyes were solemn. “Magic has limits, just like anything else. But I could help. The parts that are banged up ... I can heal them. Won’t fix the damage to her soul, but it’s a start.”
“Why?” He looked at me for an instant, then back at Tess.
“Because I can,” Luc said.
“You want leverage with Mo. You want to use my sister to prove you’re a good guy.”
“Never said I was a good guy.” I watched Luc tamp down on the anger that was smoldering beneath the surface. “This has nothing to do with Mouse. Not for me, anyway. I understand you’ve got reservations about me, on account of how you two shook out, but let’s be real clear: I didn’t steal your girl. She doesn’t belong to anyone but herself.”
Colin stared at him, eyes nearly black with emotion.
Luc shrugged and met his gaze. “Only thing that matters right now is that I can help your sister. You want to hold a grudge, fine. But I don’t think you hate me enough to make her suffer for it.”
A muscle in Colin’s jaw jumped, and his fingers flexed slightly, like he was about to reach out and throttle Luc. Quickly, I stepped between them.
“You know he won’t hurt her.” I laid my palm against his jaw, the stubble rasping against my skin. “Please, Colin. Let him try.”
His eyes met mine. “I never thought I owned you. Did I make you think that?”
“Never. Not once.”
“Good,” he said, and his voice shook a little.
“We’re running out of time,” I said. “Let him help Tess.”
He turned to Luc. “Yeah. Of course. Anything you can do.”
Luc blew out a breath. “Let’s get started, then.”
Colin nodded in understanding. Luc sat opposite Tess, their knees nearly touching, and placed his hands gently over her head. She started at his touch. “Won’t hurt a bit,” he murmured.
Colin’s muscles were clenched, and I reached for his hand, squeezed as hard as I could. After a moment, he squeezed back.
Luc began to speak, and the casting appeared to twine around Tess’s head like plumes of smoke. The magic responded cautiously at first, growing brighter and more confident as Luc worked. Luc’s gaze went inward as the spell shimmered around them, and Tess’s eyes drifted shut. Her lips moved as if she were echoing Luc’s words, individual strands of hair lifting like she was charged with static electricity. She swayed backward, and Colin started to move in, but I tugged him back.
Luc worked for a long time. Longer than he ever had with me, even during my worst injuries. Sweat beaded at his hairline, trickled down his face. The skin was drawn tightly over his face, the veins in his temple standing out. I fought the urge to go to him.
The physical damage he healed would be converted to a magical hurt, and Luc would take it on himself. Since he and Tess weren’t bound, much of the energy would be lost in the transfer between them, and Luc would recover quickly. I’d always liked knowing exactly how things worked, but now as I watched him take that pain into himself, I reconsidered. My free hand gripped the bed rail, trying to steady myself against the fear.
And then it was done. He dropped his hands and slumped back in the chair, exhaling heavily. Tess swayed for a moment more and fell still, hands in her lap, then turned shining eyes toward us.
“Tess? Are you ...” Colin crossed the room, took her hands in his. “How do you feel?”
She blinked at him, pale eyes watchful under sandy lashes.
“It’s me, honey.”
“Colin.” She lifted one hand and touched his face. “You’re here.”
He ducked his head, wrapped his arms around her. “Yeah,” he said, voice rasping. “I’m here. Missed you, baby girl.”
“You told me to hang on.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but we were all spellbound.
“And you did.” He stood, took her hands again. “Can you stand up? We’re going on a trip.”
Her body went rigid. “I don’t want to go home.”
“We’re never going back there. I promise.” He turned to Luc, still sitting in the chair. “I can’t—”
Luc waved a hand. “Glad to help. She’s a special girl, your sister. You take care of her.”
“I will.”
Tess stood and walked to Luc, visibly concentrating on each step. “You’re Luc.”
He nodded, watching her warily.
“I felt you in here,” she said, a hand drifting over her brow. “Colin said to hang on, and I did. You came to get me.”
“Somethin’ like that,” he mumbled. She bent and pressed her lips to his cheek, the soft, heavy kiss of a child, and retreated to the protective circle of Colin’s arm.
The two men exchanged looks. “She still needs help,” Luc said. “Tell Mouse, once you land. I know some people.”
Before I could ask what kind of help he thought Tess might need—and who, exactly, he thought could help her, the phone rang. I checked the number. Lena.
“Hey,” I said, stepping away from the group. “All set?”
“For now. Colin should ditch the truck first,” she said. “It’s pretty distinctive.”
I winced. “Got it. No truck. And you have someone to help with his sister?”
“Yeah. Me,” Lena said, and gave me the address. “See you there.”
She hung up the phone, and I turned to face the rest of the group. “Time to go. But we can’t take the truck.”
Colin straightened. “I’ll know if we’re being followed.”
“Lena says no. What if someone spots it?”
“How the hell are we supposed to get there? How am I supposed to get around the city?”
“The same way I got around before I met you,” I said. “CTA.”
“Tess hasn’t been outside of this place for eleven years. A city bus is not how she should reacclimate.”
“You two,” Luc said, shaking his head. “No creativity at all. What’s your favorite color, Miss Tess?”
“Pink,” she said promptly.
A wicked grin crossed Luc’s face. “Pink it is.”
“Absolutely not,” I said, catching on. “The idea is to be inconspicuous. Black.”
He shook his head glumly. “You never let me have any fun.”
I folded my arms and stared him down.
“Fine. Black. Now, let’s get a move on.”
We trailed out to the parking lot as the sun was setting, and Colin helped Tess into the truck. “It’ll be a squeeze to fit us all in,” he said.
“Better we part ways now,” said Luc. “Succession’s tonight. Plenty to do.”
“What about Billy?” Colin said. “It’s not over, Mo.”
I felt for the thumb drive, still safe in my pocket. “Not yet. But it will be. Luc’s right about the Succession—you two meet up with Lena at the safe house. I’ll check in when we’re done.” I elbowed Luc. “The truck?”
He placed his hand on the hood, muttered a few words, and the paint rippled under his touch, darkening to black. Tess gasped in delight.
The guys shook hands. “Have a good life, Cujo. Don’t anticipate we’ll be crossin’ paths again.”
“I guess not. Thank you,” Colin said, and tilted his head toward me. “Keep her safe. Even if she says she doesn’t need it.”
Luc nodded and strolled over to Tess, giving us some privacy. Colin turned back to me, hooking his thumbs in his pockets. “It’s pointless to argue with you, isn’t it? To tell you not to go down there with him?”
“Pretty much. I’m sorry,” I said softly. “Bringing all of this down on the two of you. Ruining your lives.”
“You gave me back Tess,” he said firmly. “Just make sure you come back, okay? Luc gets a pass, but the rest of them ... they aren’t worth dying for.”
No, but the magic was worth living for. And that’s what I intended to do. “I’ll call you as soon as it’s done,” I said, giving him a hug, relishing the strength of his arms as they locked around me.
“Be careful,” he whispered into my hair. “You come back, and we take down Billy. Got it?”
“Got it,” I said, inhaling the scent of soap and canvas and Colin.
He climbed into the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. I clenched my teeth, trying to keep it together, and watched until the taillights faded away.
“You did good,” Luc said. “Finding them a safe place.”
“So did you.”
He shrugged, as if healing Tess was no big deal. I knew differently. “It’s time to go, Mouse.”
“One last stop,” I said. “I need to swing by a friend’s place.”
C
HAPTER
35
HAPTER
35
J
enny Kowalski lived in Noble Square, on the northwest side of the city. Her street looked similar to mine—a mixture of bungalows and two-flats on narrow lots, half-melted snowmen stubbornly clinging to the front lawns. The biggest difference was the ever-hopeful Cubs flags hanging listlessly in the night breeze—in my neighborhood, an offense punishable by egging. Jenny’s ancient blue Civic was parked on the street. I swallowed painfully at the memory of Kowalski, and hoped like crazy that he knew, somehow, what I was about to do.
enny Kowalski lived in Noble Square, on the northwest side of the city. Her street looked similar to mine—a mixture of bungalows and two-flats on narrow lots, half-melted snowmen stubbornly clinging to the front lawns. The biggest difference was the ever-hopeful Cubs flags hanging listlessly in the night breeze—in my neighborhood, an offense punishable by egging. Jenny’s ancient blue Civic was parked on the street. I swallowed painfully at the memory of Kowalski, and hoped like crazy that he knew, somehow, what I was about to do.
I jabbed at the doorbell and waited for a response, glancing over my shoulder to where Luc waited on the sidewalk. I’d insisted on coming alone. I didn’t want to spook Jenny, but the shock on her face turned to alarm the instant she recognized me.
“Can I come in?” I didn’t wait for an answer, just barreled right inside and waved to Jenny’s mom and sister, sitting at the kitchen table. On one wall was a family portrait, four daughters clustered around their parents, Kowalski in the center with his arm looped around the waist of his wife. He looked resigned, in a good-natured way, completely unaware how little time he had left.
“I know,” she said, following my gaze. “So awkward.”
“It’s perfect,” I said.
She shrugged, clearly unwilling to reminisce with me. “You look like shit. And you didn’t call. How did you even know where I lived?”
“I didn’t want anyone to know I was coming.”
“Paranoid much?”
“After the day I’ve had? Survival instinct.”
She started to roll her eyes at me, and I held out the flash drive. “Give this to Nick and his people. And do it fast. Tonight would be good.”
She examined it. “I’m going to assume this isn’t your Lit homework. Nick said we were off the investigation, remember?”
“After this, I will be. You can’t contact me again,” I said. “Don’t come by school, or my house—anywhere. It’s not safe.”
The expression on her face made it obvious she wasn’t concerned with safety. I knew too well how grief could push aside what had once seemed important. How it could make you reckless and selfish for the noblest of reasons. I ached for Jenny, because she wouldn’t stop grieving until she had answers. Ones I could never give her.
I looked again at the family portrait. “Your dad loved you so much. More than he hated Billy.”
“The job was his life,” she said, chin wobbling the slightest bit.
“No. This was his job.” I gestured to the drive clutched in her hand. “
You
were his life. He’d be proud of you for finishing his work. But he wouldn’t want you to keep doing it, Jenny. He would want your life to be about something more than revenge and hatred. It’s a lousy way to live.”
You
were his life. He’d be proud of you for finishing his work. But he wouldn’t want you to keep doing it, Jenny. He would want your life to be about something more than revenge and hatred. It’s a lousy way to live.”
“That’s a little rich, coming from you. Aren’t you doing this for Verity?”
Once, yes. But it had become more. “Do you remember what I told you the first day you came into The Slice?”
“You said your uncle didn’t kill my dad.”
“It’s true. The files on that drive are enough to put Billy away for the rest of his life. Marco Forelli, too. But there’s nothing on there to tie either of them to Verity or your dad.”
“You erased them. You’re still protecting him.” But an uncertain note had entered her voice.
“Believe me, Billy is the last person in the world I would protect. Second-to-last,” I amended, thinking of Anton. “The files aren’t there because they don’t exist. He wasn’t involved.”
Luc whistled, as if he was hailing a cab. Time to go. “Don’t come around me again, Jenny. I am pretty damn close to radioactive right now.”
“You can’t stop me,” she said.
“No. But I can’t help you, either. Give the drive to Nick, and let it go.”
I turned to leave, and she said, “Mo—”
I paused.
“My dad ... he liked you. He thought you were a good kid, and you got caught up in stuff you couldn’t handle. He said you had a lot more in you than your uncle realized.”
I looked at the picture of Kowalski on the wall. “He was right.”
I headed outside, back to Luc. We started walking, moving out of Jenny’s sight before we went Between.
“What did you give her?” he asked.
“Insurance. If I don’t come back, they’ll still be able to dismantle Billy’s operation. Put him in jail.”
“It’ll send your daddy back to Terre Haute.”
The moon was so full and bright overhead, the bare trees cast shadows like vines at our feet. “I can’t save everyone. You told me that.”
“So I did,” he mused. “But the only person you need to save tonight is yourself, okay? Anyone else is gravy. We all clear?”
“Crystal.”
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