Blood Sacrifice (The Blood Sisters Book 3) (22 page)

Days
ticked by. The sun set and the moon rose. Still, everything was too fresh in
Jessica’s mind to move on. She had kissed the devil and been pulled from the
brink more times than she cared to remember. But now, thanks to Gwen, Jessica
and Amanda had somewhere to live. Somewhere to call home.

Jobs,
money. Somehow they’d figure it all out. Gwen hadn’t left them much in the way
of inheritance, but she’d left them enough to buy food and some basic
furnishings. Leaving them with a nest egg big enough so they could take their
time figuring out what they wanted to do.

Outside,
on the porch swing, Amanda nursed a glass of sweet tea. The kind Mom used to
make. Her left hand was cupped, and in that hand was a small ball of growing
light. She basked in its happiness as Jessica sat beside her.

Jessica
was toying with the idea of trading in her leather pants for good, and this day
wore simple blue jeans and a light sweater. The wind was cooler than it had
been for weeks. Soon, summer would leave them for fall.

“I
was thinking maybe a teacher,” Amanda said. “Or social services. Someone who
can help the kids who are invisible. That no one listens to.”

Jessica
kicked her legs out so the swing would rock. Her flip flops fell from her feet.
“That sounds good to me. For me, well….there’s still the little issue with my
rap sheet. The warrants out for my arrest.”

“You’re
not the only one who’s wanted.” Amanda’s voice was solemn as they stared at
each other. “We’ll figure it out. Fake IDs. New social security number. We
could cut our hair. Dye it. No one would think to look for us here.”

To
give up their hair that was so much like Mom’s? Unease settled into her
stomach. Jessica nodded, but watched Duncan and Mike talking on the grass.
Duncan shook Mike’s hand and watched as the priest got into his car. Why he
wanted to go, Jessica didn’t have any idea.

“Being
around us is hard. He needs to set out his own path. Find a reason to keep
going.” Amanda said.

Jessica
smirked. “Here I thought you couldn’t read minds anymore.”

“I
can still read your face and tell what you’re thinking,” Amanda smiled. “I’m
your sister. I know you.”

Yes,
she did. Jessica couldn’t have been happier to have her as a sister. Duncan
waved as he approached the porch and Jessica waved back. “If we’re good, maybe
we can convince him to bake us a pie with those berries you bought at the
store.”

Amanda
straightened with excitement and returned the wave.

“Miss
me?” Duncan slid onto the swing between them, his arms up around their
shoulders.

Amanda
suppressed a laugh, but Jessica folded easily up against him. “I always miss
you when you go.”

Duncan
kissed her angular nose right on its bump, like there was no part of her he
didn’t love, and his hand caressed her shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about
that happening anymore.”

Jessica
smiled because she knew. Her heart finally understood.

“What
should we do first?” Amanda asked. “A beach with those little umbrella drinks?”

“I’m
a little pale for the beach,” Duncan said, “But if Jessica….”

If
he thought she was going to wear a bikini, Duncan had another thing coming.
Still, Jessica let him have his fun. Then they lingered into a comfortable
silence. Jessica rested against him and stretched out her toes, listening to
the hum of the crickets in the distance.

Until
they fell silent in favor of the sound of feet quickly crunching against the
gravel. It turned out, trouble could find her anywhere.

Jessica
tensed as she rose from the seat and wished for a brief moment she had her
shotgun in hand. As the woman got closer, it became apparent that she hobbled
on torn and bloody feet. Her white skirt was ripped and dirty and her face was
streaked with tears.

“Please…”
she
outstretched
her hand to Jessica as
she approached.

“She’s
in pain,” Amanda said quietly from the porch. She and Duncan trailed Jessica.

“What
happened to you?” Jessica demanded. Slipping back into old habits was far too
easy.

The
woman gulped back her tears. “We were attacked. They…looked like men, but there
were stronger. So strong. Please, you have to…they took my daughters! I need
help…. There were no other houses. Can you call 911 or help me?” She took
Jessica’s hands before she fell down to her knees. “Please!” Her sobs wailed
loud and threatened to suffocate her.

This
woman wasn’t strong. She couldn’t fight.

Jessica,
well, that was her job, but what about her promise to Dad? Get out of the game.
Live a normal life? It was okay for him to want that for her, but was it really
possible?

“Jess?”
Amanda whispered.

She
glanced back at her sister and Duncan. She saw the questions in their eyes.
Jessica sighed. Hadn’t she fought enough? When exactly would she get her rest?

None
of it mattered. It didn’t, but maybe that’s the way it was meant to be.

Jessica
crouched down beside the woman and touched the top of her head. She gazed up at
Jessica as rivers of tears streaked her sunburned cheeks. “We’ll help you. It’s
what we do, but to help your daughters, you need to be strong. You need to do
everything we say. Do you think you can do that?”

The
woman nodded as she rose to her feet. “Yes, yes! Whatever you say.”

Amanda
led the woman away. “Come sit in the shade. I’ll get you something to drink and
see what I can do about those bruises.”

With
Amanda and the woman moving out of earshot, Duncan slid a toothpick into his
mouth. “And they say you don’t care about people.”

“I
care,” Jessica said. Maybe too much. Maybe that was the real answer. “As long
as I have you and Amanda, I’m home. We’re family. So let’s get this woman her
family back. If
there’re
demons in
town….”

“We’ll
get rid of them.” Duncan’s eyes twinkled.

There
would be more. There were always more. The fight always had to be fought and
for the first time, Jessica thought she was okay with that. Maybe even some
part of her even needed it.

“But
if you tell anyone what a softy I am,” Jessica pointed a finger at him.

Duncan
laughed and raised his hands. “Under penalty of death. Ready to help this
woman?”

Jessica
was ready.

It
was time to get to work. There were children that needed to be saved. With
Duncan and Amanda at her side, Jessica could tackle anything.

The BLOOD SISTERS WILL
BE BACK!