Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse (44 page)

"Fifty grand, just for saying yes," he said.
 
"Another fifty for leading me to her killer."

Marie swallowed, trying to keep her cool.
 
One hundred thousand dollars, just for doing what came easiest to her.
 
Smelling.
 
She'd never made that much money at one time in her life.

"Marie, come on," he said.
 
"That's a lot of money to turn down.
 
I know you're hurting.
 
The fridge is empty.
 
I already see a few late bills on the coffee table.
 
You haven't started rebuilding the bar, which simply means you can't.
 
You probably never got the proper insurance—"

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Stop…reading me like that.
 
That detective shit."

He leaned back and held up his palms in a show of peace.

"We have a deal," she said, keeping her voice as even as she could.

Marie extended her hand across the table.
 
Jack stared at it as he finished his soda.

"I don't shake hands.
 
I'm not a big touchy-feely guy."

"When you make a deal, you shake hands.
 
That's what people did when their word actually mattered, before all this big business."

"Marie, I'm a little older than you.
 
I know how it was done."

"Then shake my hand."

"No.
 
Let's see if this replaces a handshake."

Jack stood up and walked to the living room.
 
He retrieved a suitcase he'd brought with him, sitting in the corner.

"How old are you?" Marie asked.

"Two-hundred twenty-four."

"Shit," she muttered.
 
"A witch…."

"Yup, they're real."
 
He set the case on the table.
 
"And they're a pain in the ass."

Marie's eyes lit up when he opened the case, revealing stack after stack of money.
 
He didn't have it handcuffed to him, didn't pay any mind to it while they ate dinner.
 
If that were Marie's money, it would never leave her sight.

There was far more than one hundred grand.
 
She wondered if she was literally leaving money on the table.
 
Would he have gone higher if she didn't agree?

He set two stacks in front of her.

"Fifty grand, like I said."

She held a stack in her hand.
 
It was real.
 
Earlier in the day she walked through town, filling out job applications.
 
Now she held a year's salary in her hand, with more to come.

If she found Erica's killer.

"Do you still want to shake my hand?"

"Nah.
 
Like you said, not a bad substitute."

"That's what I thought.
 
I'll also cover your expenses, but I don't think that will be too much of a problem."

"Why is that?"

He held up a finger.
 
"Ah, one thing I forget to mention—"

"Of course.
 
Here it comes."

"We're going to be joined at the hip.
 
I'll be right there with you, while you do your little bloodhound impression.
 
And I get to make dog jokes."

Marie held in a smile.
 
For that much money, she was positive she could ignore his comments, and put up with him at her side.
 
He was also pleasing to look at.

"I can do that."

"Great!"
 
He clapped his hands together.
 
"You want to get started now?"

"Uh, no.
 
It's almost three.
 
I'm tired.
 
You're not tired?"

"No, I don't get tired.
 
Part of the curse.
 
It's a long story."

She raised her eyebrows and leaned forward, resting on her elbows.
 
Jack was already the most unique man she'd ever met, and there was more to him.
 
She was definitely interested in whatever story he wanted to tell.

"But that's not part of our deal," he said.

She scoffed and glared playfully.
 
"Tease."

"Okay, well, I'd say our business is done, and so is dinner.
 
I'll even be so kind as to load everything into the dishwasher."

"The dishwasher doesn't work.
 
They haven't gotten around to fixing it yet."

Jack stared into the kitchen, and then back to Marie.
 
His expression was unreadable.

"You do know what century this is, right?"

"Yes, Jack, I know."

He shook his head and finally tossed his hands in the air.

"Because I'm such a nice guy.
 
You want to wash or dry?"

She smiled.
 
"Dry."

They washed dishes together in silence, standing shoulder to shoulder.
 
It was a fitting end to a most unusual evening.
 
A werewolf and a witch's victim, washing dishes.
 
She didn't know what the future held, especially working with Jack.
 
But she'd enjoy the completely normal moment, cleaning up with someone who not only knew she was a werewolf, but didn't seem to mind.

She was ready to collapse into bed when they finally got done.
 
Like he said, Jack wasn't even tired.
 
He gathered his coat, a new one, and collected his suitcase.

"I've got your old coat," she said.
 
"Did you want it back?"

"No.
 
You tore it, you get to keep it."
 
He opened the front door.
 
"I'll see you in the morning, or rather a few hours."

Marie knew she should have just let him walk.
 
There was nothing else that needed to be said.
 
Jack came to conduct a business transaction, and that transaction was finalized.
 
Saying anything personal would make her look weak.

"Jack."

He turned, nearly out the door.

"This was nice," she said.
 
"Just business, I know.
 
But…I haven't done anything like this in a long time.
 
Thank you."

Jack was quiet, fighting his own internal struggle.

"You're welcome," he said, then leaned in the doorway.
 
"Erica and I, we only dated a few months.
 
We fell apart pretty fast when she found out about people like you and me, sooner than she was ready to know, and faster than I was ready to tell her."

"That's why she came out here."

"I'm sure that's a part of it, even though she said it wasn't.
 
In one night, she found out I was immortal, that there were monsters in the world, and that I've done my share of killing in the past."

She waved away his concern with a mock wave of her hand.

"She got upset over all that?
 
Who hasn't done a little killing every now and then?"

Jack didn't laugh.
 
His eyes actually dropped, staring at the floor.
 
Her words stung.
 
She took a step toward him, reaching out to touch his arm.
 
She hesitated when she remembered his disdain for physical contact.

"I'm sorry.
 
I didn't mean…."
 
She fumbled for words and lowered her voice.
 
"I've killed before, too."

"Of course you have, and that's my point."
 
He let out a smile.
 
"Meeting someone you can share at least one thing with…."
 
He trailed off, but gave her a thumbs-up, drawing a laugh from Marie.
 
"I had fun."

"Me, too.
 
I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Benji."

"You are just so funny."

Kevin unlocked the front door and held it open for Tiffany.
 
She ran under Kevin's arm and threw her backpack into the corner.
 
He dropped two boxes of cable to the floor and barely made it to the couch before his legs gave out.
 
Tiffany ran laps around the couch, playfully smacking his arm with each pass.

"Tag, you're it," she said, repeating herself five times.

He couldn't even muster the energy to play.
 
Everything ached.
 
His arms, his legs, his neck.
 
He was filthy, and heard a shower calling his name.
 
He couldn't remember a day in which he worked so hard.
 
Running five cables across a warehouse, climbing up and down a ladder countless times, replacing five motherboards and four hard drives, each requiring a complete reinstall.

There was also the first day rituals.
 
He signed his name more times than he'd ever done in his life.
 
Only one human resources employee was perplexed when she took note of his address a state away, but didn't ask any questions.

Despite his aches, he had a job, and it was an excellent first day.

"Are you okay?" Tiffany asked.
 
"What's for dinner?"

"I have no idea."

"I can cook dinner!
 
I watch Jack cook all the time, and he lets me help him."

"No, don't worry about it.
 
But do me a favor and get me a bottle of water out of the fridge."

Tiffany did as asked and sat next to Kevin on the couch.
 
Kevin added his magic touch to the bottle and took a deep drink, hiding it from Tiffany's view.

"This is so cool," she said.
 
"You work for my Dad.
 
That means you can come over every single day."

He laughed.
 
"Yeah.
 
Somehow, I don't see Jack and I watching the game together on Sunday afternoon."

"On Sundays we usually go the park, or the beach.
 
You can come with us!"

Kevin smiled at the girl's enthusiasm.
 
"It's starting to get cold.
 
I doubt you'll be doing that much longer."

"Yeah we will.
 
I'll just wear a big coat.
 
Oh!
 
Maybe we can start a fire in the front yard."

"That's a great idea."

"My day at school was boring.
 
How was your day at work?"

"I just can't believe I get to go back tomorrow.
 
What fun."

"Yeah, but soon you'll be rich.
 
And you can buy Leese something nice so she isn't mad at you anymore."

He looked down at her.
 
"What do you know about that?"

She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner.
 
"It's
so
obvious, Kevin.
 
Dad tells me I just have to be still and watch people.
 
And I saw you staring at a picture last night, looking all depressed.
 
And she hasn't been coming over.
 
What did you do?"

"Whoa now!
 
Why does it have to be me that did something?"

"Because girls don't do anything wrong.
 
We're smart.
 
You didn't call her ugly, did you?"

He laughed shortly.
 
"Not even I am that stupid."

"Good.
 
When Robbie gets mad at me, he calls me ugly.
 
So I just hit him."

"I hope you hit him hard."

She beamed.
 
"I do."

Kevin held out a fist.
 
Tiffany nodded as she gave him a fist bump.

"Okay," he said.
 
"You get started on homework.
 
I'll clean up a little, then we'll tackle dinner."

"No.
 
I'll tackle dinner.
 
I want to cook."

He'd somehow managed to rise to his feet when there was another voice in the room.

"Kevin."

It was Leese.
 
His eyes shot open as he glanced down at the stone under his shirt.
 
Magical or not, perhaps a cell phone wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Uh, hold on."

"What was that?" Tiffany asked.
 
"Was that someone talking?
 
Who are you talking to?"

He pointed at her.
 
"Homework."

She sighed and climbed off the couch.
 
Kevin walked up the stairs and went to Jack's bedroom.

"Okay, it's clear," he said.
 
"Sorry.
 
Tiffany was right in the room."

"You know, if you just got a cell phone—"

"I know, I know.
 
Cell phones solve everything.
 
How was work?"

"I had off today."

Kevin nodded, not knowing what else to say.
 
Small talk seemed silly.
 
She'd barely said a word to him after she left that afternoon, after their wonderful encounter on the couch, followed by her discovering his side job.

"So…are you still mad at me?"

"I was never really mad at you."

"Yeah you were.
 
I've been over here working on a potion to block the laser beams from your eyes."

Leese laughed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
 
Laughter was good.
 
He realized how much he missed it.

"Okay, I was mad," she admitted.
 
"But I miss you more than I'm mad.
 
Can I come over?"

"Just email a picture."

He went back downstairs to the laptop.
 
Tiffany was working on her homework at the bar.
 
He checked his email, and Tiffany almost got a glimpse of a photo she wasn't meant to see.
 
Leese sent another skin-bearing self portrait.
 
This time she wore no bra, only covering her breasts with an arm.
 
Kevin shut the lid quickly as Tiffany's neck craned to see.