Tribulation Road: A Red Hot Treats Story Read online

  They made small talk until more people began to filter in.

  “I need a refill.” The masculine voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He almost ignored him and let his co-worker Becky serve him. But he couldn’t live with the guilt if she never came back. Just play it cool. He grabbed a bottle, walked over, and poured a finger of bourbon.

  “Thanks, Jim,” the suck face said.

  The mockery in his voice set Jaegar on edge. He knows who I am. “No problem,” Jaegar replied. He took a step away.

  “You know. You look familiar,” Suck-face drawled.

  The statement stopped him in his tracks. He turned back, careful not to look the creature in the eyes. “I get that a lot. I have one of those faces,” Jaegar said with a flippant shrug of his shoulders. “I think it comes along with the gig. It’s easier to spill your guts to someone you feel like you know.”

  The vamp laughed. “I wouldn’t have believed if it I didn’t see it myself. The pride and joy has left the fold and turned his back on his birthright. The Noble prince falls.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir,” Jaegar said, curling his hands into fists to keep from responding.

  “Oh, cut the shit, Jaegar. You had me made weeks ago. I thought for sure you’d come after me after I started taking your girls, but you just sat back. It’s a shame, too. You were a formidable opponent, always keeping us on our toes and getting rid of the careless idiots dragging down my race.”

  “I hope you don’t think I’m going to spend my time shooting the breeze with you. I know what you are. You know who I am. Let’s leave it at that and walk away before someone gets hurt.”

  The vamp chuckled. “Oh, I do believe you’d try. But I came here for a reason. I wanted to watch the light go out in your eyes knowing the empire is about to topple and you won’t even be there to attempt to save the Noble princess.” The vamp threw back the bourbon, set the glass down on the counter hard, and tossed a pile of bills down. “Keep the change.”

  Jaegar’s feet stuck to the spot like the floor had become flypaper as the vamp strolled out of the bar whistling a jaunty tune. His mind ran through the scenarios. It could be a trap, a ploy to get him to run so they could ambush him, but the sick satisfaction in the son-of-a-bitch’s eyes told him differently. A sense of urgency filled him. Brigh. She was the obvious link to break. Without new blood in the order, they’d die out. She was the lone female of their generation and it was kind of a big deal.

  The thought of her married and making kids with one of the other Keepers made him sick. From the minute he’d been old enough to like a girl, Brigh had been all he could see. I owe her this. He bowed his head. After two years, he was going to pick his weapons back up and join the battle. It was far longer than anyone thought I’d last. He turned to Becky. “I have a family emergency. I need to leave now and head out of town.”

  “What? It’s the start of your shift and Thursdays are always busy.” Her thin pink lips formed a line and she wrinkled her freckled nose.

  “I know, and I’m sorry, but this is a matter of life or death. Have you ever seen me take off for anything?”

  Becky paused. “No, but I didn’t know you had a family either.”

  “We’re estranged. But there are things that make all of that unimportant. I’ll call around on my way out of town and get one of the guys to come in. I have some favors built up.”

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Okay, I guess. I mean, what choice do I really have?”

  “None.” His nice guy persona gave way. He might have opted out of their world, but that didn’t change the blood that ran through his veins or the training beaten into his muscles. Even out of commission, he’d continued the intense workout routine and training. Just because he’d turned his back on monsters didn’t mean they’d forgotten about him. Evil never forgot a face or a debt, and you couldn’t win every battle.

  He turned on his heels and walked into the back. He grabbed his jacket, pulled it on, and released the button on the hidden pocket. His hand brushed the tip of the silver knife dipped in holy water. Lowering his hands, he left out the back. While scanning the parking lot, he used his sixth sense. It felt clear, but that didn’t mean shit. He shoved his hand into his pocket and clasped the sanitizer mixed with holy water.

  He made it to his black Chevy Nova, climbed inside, and locked the door. He turned on the engine, pulled out of the parking lot, and fired up his Bluetooth.

  “Hey, Jim, something going on at the bar?” Keith asked.

  “I have a family emergency and I had to leave. Right now, Becky is all alone. I’ve bailed your ass enough times I figure I can call in a favor.”

  “Shit, man. Yeah. I’ll be there in like ten.”

  “Thanks. I’ll settle up with Ricky later.”

  Keith snickered. “Like he’s going to give you shit. You practically run the place and never ask for a thing.”

  “Let’s hope he remembers that when I call him next.” Jaegar disconnected and rang his boss.

  “Something happen at the bar. A fight?”

  “No, Rick, everything’s fine with the bar. I had to leave. A family emergency came up and I need to take some time off.”

  “How much?” Rick asked.

  “I’m not sure. I need to get there and assess the situation.”

  “Shit, Jim, you’ve been working here almost two years and this is the first vacation you’ve ever taken. Why don’t you get where you’re going, settle yourself in, and keep me posted. We can do without you for a couple weeks.”

  “Thanks, Rick.”

  “Just get your business squared.”

  Jaegar disconnected and his bond with the world he’d created for himself snapped. He’d walked away once from the Keeper life and it pulled him back in. He wouldn’t do it a second time. Pulling onto the highway, he pressed down on the gas. His time in the real world had been a number of things, but none of them had made him feel at home. He was heading back to the people he fit with and the woman he planned on re-staking his claim on. He’d broken something good and he’d have to grovel, beg, humiliate, and prove himself over and over to get her back. If she’s available. The thought stung. He’d kept tabs on the Noble. She hadn’t seen anyone seriously. At least, that’s what Richard said. Though, when it came to anything non-hunting, the dude was usually oblivious. He blew past the town limits and dialed the number he knew by heart.

  “You’d better be dying.”

  Even after all this time, her voice brought a smile to his face. “I hate to disappoint you, but no.”

  “The only reason I’m not hanging up is because I know this has to be important. Speak, Jaegar.” She spat his name out like a curse.

  Her tone made his chest ache. “I had a visitor tonight. Tall, pale, and fanged.”

  “You think they’d just leave you alone because you decided to become a civilian?”

  “No, Bri, I didn’t.”

  “You don’t have the right to call me that,” she snapped.

  He sighed. “He told me you were in danger and Noble was about to take a blow it couldn’t recover from.”

  “And you believed him?” she scoffed. “You’ve been out of the game too long.”

  “You didn’t see him. Are you going to put everyone at risk because you loathe me?”

  “Fuck you, Jaegar. Unlike some people, I know where my loyalty lies and I do my duty every time. I’ll sound the alarm. You want me to thank you for the heads up? Thanks for getting back in the game two years too late.”

  Her fire singed him, but he lapped up the pain because he craved emotion of any kind from her. After he’d left, she’d cut off all contact, refusing to talk to him. His mouth went dry. “I’m coming, Brigh.”

  “Don’t bother.”

  The dial tone buzzed in his ear, but she couldn’t hide the hitch in her voice. She still felt something. He clung to the small truth as he traveled the dark roads.

  CHAPTER TWO
/>
  Brigh’s heart banged against her ribs as she called her father. “Dad?”

  “Everything go okay with Richard?” he asked, all business, as usual. He wasn’t a cold man, just driven and proud.

  “Yes, I’m headed back now. Jaegar just called.”

  Silence fell across the line. The slight from Jaegar wounded her father’s male ego and he’d never fully recovered. “Dad, are you still there?”

  “Yes. What did he want?” His voice sounded strained.

  She envisioned his jaw twitching, the way it always did when he was biting his tongue. “To warn us. A vamp tracked him down and told him Noble would fall.” She left the threat against herself out. It was par for the course.

  “They’ve been saying that for years. Why would now be any different? Has it been so long, he jumps at the slightest thing?” His voice oozed disapproval and disdain.

  Her heart ached for the mess left behind where love and respect once sat. “Yes, but he says this was different,” she insisted.

  “And after all this time, you’re inclined to believe him?”

  “He was the best, we both know it.”

  “On the outside, yes. His insides were weak. His heart…” She could hear the thump of her father pounding on his chest. “Was not in the right place. We placed our trust in him and he let us down, betrayed us, and turned his back.”

  “He didn’t sell secrets, Dad. He chose to live his life the way he wanted. He’s not the first and he won’t be the last.”

  “After what he did, you take up for him? Like he didn’t leave you at the altar in front of our kinsmen?”

  The words hit her like a slap to the face. “Everything I do and have done is for the Keepers. I do this now because I think something doesn’t smell right. What will it hurt us to be on high alert and raise the alarm?”

  He sighed. If you looked up the word stubborn in the dictionary, you’d see her father’s face. Flaws aside, he always put the greater good ahead of his needs and emotions. It’s the only reason they hadn’t tracked Jaegar down, dragged him back, and doled out punishment he’d never forget. Noble tended to do things old-school medieval, which was only fitting since that’s when they Knights of Nobility had been officially founded. “Fine, I will sound the alarm. I do not like the thought of you alone if they’re seeking our ruin. You’re important.”

  “I know, Dad.”

  “It’s time for you to choose. You’ve left this off too long.”

  If she weren’t driving, she would’ve closed her eyes. The bars of the jail were tightening around her. The time had come. “I hear you, Dad.”

  “No. I want this done. We marry you on the night of Samhain. It was foretold you would be the mother of the new era of Howells.”

  “Dad, that’s Sunday,” she whispered.

  “So, you have three days to choose.”

  Her gut twisted. He wasn’t going to let this go. From the minute she’d been born and the years rolled by with no other females, her future had been set in stone. The prophecy had hovered above the heads of women born to Noble for centuries. “I understand, sir.” The words were a noxious concoction she was forced to chew and swallow.

  “Good. Hurry home. I don’t like having you out there with so much uncertainty in the air. I can feel the tides changing.”

  They disconnected and she shifted in her seat, wishing she could slow down time and stretch out her last moments of freedom. She’d been raised to live and die for the cause. Not because she was a thoughtless soldier, but because she believed in it. People deserved to have someone out there protecting them from the evil that stalked while they remained unaware. A world without Noble fell prey to the darkness always lurking just out on the outskirts. They’d seen it time and time again in history. Every time Noble disbanded, a plague of darkness crept over the world. It’s why they took their jobs, their legacy, and their numbers so seriously. They’d taken a lot of hits this century.

  When a person turned twenty-one, they were given the option to continue and swear their allegiance, or leave. More had been choosing the latter. She couldn’t blame them. It was a hard life. You lived in the shadows, lied to almost everyone you met, and constantly sacrificed for the elusive greater good. Some days the mantra was a record you wanted to smash to smithereens.

  Damn you, Jag. You ruined everything.

  Facing the ancient words written down in their archaic book of history hadn’t been nearly as scary when she had her best friend by her side. Born a few months after him, they were reared up together. When they turned thirteen, the boy who used to turn everything into a competition started making her blush. The memory of butterflies in her belly almost made her forget his betrayal.

  She knew he had reservations about dedicating his life to something that was pretty much a thankless necessity, but she’d never thought he’d turn his back on her, on them. Her vision blurred and her throat grew tight. She shoved away the emotions, locking them in the vault along with her other inner demons chomping at the bit as they waited for a chance to escape. Feelings were the enemy. They made you hesitate, distracted you at every turn. She liked to deal with them, or rather, not deal with them with a healthy dose of sarcasm, alcohol, and work. The minute someone stopped laughing in this business, they went crazy or left the game altogether.

  The wind picked up outside, rocking the small sedan. Goose bumps broke out over her flesh. She scanned the road and found nothing amiss. Still, the sensation of being watched prickled across her skin like a warning. She hit the accelerator and gunned it. It was back roads of the Midwest. She’d take her chances with the local police if her scanner failed her. A few tears and a sob story and she’d be on her way with stern wag of the finger.

  A loud boom of thunder cracked in the near distance. Thick, gray clouds rolled in and blotted out the sun. Lightning lit up the sky, damn near blinding her. This is not normal. It was coming in too fast and too fierce from nowhere. Lightning struck the ground three feet from the narrow road to her right. She jerked the wheel. The smell of burning ozone crept in through her vents. Her muscles tensed. Another crack ripped the air. This one sounded like it was on top of her. She reached across the car and opened the glove box, struggling to get the wooden, satin-lined box the size of her fist.

  The wind increased.

  She tugged the wheel to keep the wind from taking her off the road. The box fell onto the seat next to her. The sky unleashed hell. Rain battered her vehicle, hitting the exterior so hard she thought it might be hail. Her fingers fumbled with the latch. It gave with a loud pop. She yanked the black thong with the blessed silver metal be-spelled and filled with protective items before being sealed shut. She slipped it over her head. Lighting danced around her car—flickering streaks of light, as if angry that they’d missed their opportunity. Her heart missed a beat. She gripped the wheel tight to keep her shaking hands steady. Her knuckles protested the tight grip.

  A flash lit the sky. A tree toppled. Brigh slammed on the breaks, hydroplaning. Steering into the skid, she imagined a white bubble of protection forming around her and her car. You didn’t fight fire with water. You fought fire with fire. While the KOS didn’t dabble in black magic intent on harm, they yielded white without hesitation. Edging around the fallen tree, she ran through her options. Like a cat, she only had so many lives, and eventually her response time would fail her. There was no way on the deserted road to pull over and everything in her screamed, Get home now!

  Furious with her lack of options, she slapped her palm against the wheel, relishing the sting. It meant she was still alive. Above her, the storm raged on with no signs of slowing. How could they pin this to me so specifically? They’d have to have a personal item. The puzzle piece clicked into place.

  She navigated the car off the highway and slammed the shifter into the park. Where is it, where is it? She crawled into the back and scanned the seats, running her hands over the seams and between the cushions. Coming up blank, she dangled off the edge of t
he seat, peering under the passenger side and the driver’s. Still empty-handed, she growled. She pushed the back door open and stepped into the rain. The water chilled her to the bone and lashed at her skin like tiny razor blades. She bowed her head and walked to the back.

  The license plate was clear. She knelt down and swayed. The wind roared in anger. She fought to keep from falling on her ass. She ran her hand under the bumper and jumped when she brushed something hard and slick. She grabbed it and yanked. The black bag mocked her. A fucking mojo hand. The voodoo curse was normally cast from a distance with its intended victim in mind. But the assholes couldn’t get a piece of me to make it specific, so they pinned it on my car.

  She reached into the inner pocket of her navy blue jacket and pulled out her knife. She sliced through the bag with a sharp silver blade and let the water wash away the things inside, rendering it ineffective. As if she’d hit a switch, the rain let up and the clouds began to disperse. She wiped her wet hair out of her face. This was no beginner spell caster. Not with the power he or she had called down. What worried her more was how close they’d gotten to her. How could they know where I’d be? How did they slip under not just my radar, but Richard’s as well? Her stomach turned. She rose to her feet and froze when she saw a woman in black standing a few feet away. The evil coming off her in waves curdled her stomach. Her long black hair billowed behind her in the wind.

  Brigh gripped her knife tight and struck a defensive pose. “I don’t know what you are, but I’ve had a shitty day and I’m not in the mood. You can try me, but in the end, I guarantee you’ll be on the losing team.”

  The wraith smiled and shimmered away.

  I am so fucked. She spun on her heels and ran to the car, climbing in and pulling away. The sky cleared and the rain dissipated, but the sinking sensation remained. She called her father. The phone continued to ring and went to voicemail. She disconnected and redialed. The three beeps in her ears made her stomach drop. What the hell is going on? She called her mother and received the same response. Panicked, she called Richard. The phone continued to ring and eventually went to voicemail. She called a handful of people and got the same response. Did someone cut down the local cell tower? Swallowing her pride, she called the one person she didn’t want to talk to.