Joseph: Bentley Legacy (12 page)

Images of his life, of his brothers, and then of Chris and Angel slammed into his head. Memories of things that happened to them all as children, as adults, then in the future seemed to blend together, merge into one loop of a movie.

Joey saw children that were born to him. His brother being hurt by a gunshot one day, and the wife that would make his brother so happy that he was forever smiling. His mother happy, having a child on each arm as she took them to the swing set that had yet to be built. Grandda sitting in a chair at the end of a dock, fishing and talking to a small boy. Grandma working in a garden, her flowers as bright as the smile on her face as a little girl stood beside her helping. He saw Micah and Reggie with a houseful of children, all of them sitting around a large Christmas tree and happy. As the storm began to calm, the force of it seeming to lessen, he saw other things, things that made his heart ache in pain.

The long procession of a funeral, the black limo holding him and the others. Flowers surrounding an open grave, his mom and grandmother quietly crying under a canopy. Grandda, his heart said, and he felt the pain more in the knowing that he’d die. As the images slowed more, he saw things that were more now, in this time, and saw a man on the lawn with his family. He wasn’t Jackson Hill, but a man that he’d never known. And he was powerful.

This time when the people moved, the places changed, he saw Nolan standing in front of a building, lines of the homeless and sick going into it. He stood back, Nolan did, and watched. In this he wore nothing more than a tattered coat, his pockets turned out as if to show that there was nothing in them. Joey settled down. His feet seemingly touched the ground as he looked at Nolan. He was sad, his heart heavy. Joey turned back to the building and nearly wept with what he saw.

“I named it for Dad.” Joey nodded. “But it took all I had. I should have asked for your help. For all of your help, and now it will close.”

“No it won’t.” Joey looked at Nolan, and his face changed. Burke was there and he was crying. “What is it?”

“I’m not happy.” Joey asked him why. “Because I’m a failure. I’m simply a failure. And I’ve no reason to live.”

The pain in his head had the dreams or whatever they were fade out. The next pain, sharper than the last, seemed to bring him around. Joey opened his eyes and looked at Burke, who was standing over him, his hand drawn back to hit him again. Joey told him he was awake. That he was all right.

“What the fuck were you thinking? Huh? What were you told several times to do before this ever began?” Joey never got a chance to answer because Burke seemed to be on a roll then. “You were told not to touch anyone until this was finished. Until Myra—who I might add is in the kitchen with your wife—until she told you to. But you had to do it. You and Nolan just had to do what you were told not to, just like when we were kids.”

“You’re not happy, why?” Burke drew back as if he’d hit him too. “You’re not a failure, you know. You’re the best doctor I know, and the hospital is very lucky to have you on staff.”

“Who…what are you talking about?” Joey was helped up off the floor, but his brother and then he looked around before speaking again. “I’m not even going to justify what you’re talking about with anything. You’re nuts.”

“But you’re not a failure, Burke. If you want out of what you do, then stop it, but I think you’re doing a great job. And no matter what, I’m so proud to call you brother.” Burke looked away, then back at him. “I love you.”

“I can’t save them.” Joey nodded. “I try, but sometimes it’s just not enough. I can’t…I know I can’t save them all, but it’s getting harder and harder to even save a few.”

“Burke, do you like what you’re doing? Even if it’s only the few, do you still like it?” Burke didn’t answer him but just looked at the picture of their dad that hung over the fireplace. “You think he would have wanted you to be unhappy in what you’re doing? What would he say to you right now, you think?”

“He’d say to me, boy, what are you whining about? Get in there and have some dinner with your family and buck up.” Joey didn’t say anything but waited on Burke. “He’d tell me to be proud of what I’m doing and if I can’t, find something that does make me proud.”

“He’d say that.”

Burke looked at him then. “Nolan has been asking me to go into practice with him. I think…I’m going to do it. The emergency room is just…I need a connection with the people I help. I don’t get that with working there. Nolan said that he has patients, whole families, that come to see him, and he gets to see them from birth to death. I think…I really think that’s what I need.”

Joey had no idea if Burke would be any happier there or in the hospital, but change, he’d discovered, was good. As they made their way into the kitchen, a gathering place in any of their homes, he’d discovered, he asked Nolan how he was.

“You know that wasn’t real, right? I’m not a hobo.” His voice was hard, like he was pissed off about what Joey might have seen. “I want you to stay out of my personal life, Joey. All of you. I’m doing just fine.”

Joey decided that because of what he wasn’t saying rather than what he’d just said to him, Joey was going to have a look into his brother’s life. It wasn’t prying, he told himself, but making sure. Something had happened to Nolan, and he wanted to find out before things got too far. Or if they were already too far. They were family, after all.

Chapter 12

“What is it?” Chris watched as the big crane-like thing attached to the back of the semi unloaded the large crate. It had arrived yesterday while they’d been at Micah’s house, and they were just now getting around to opening it. “Did he leave you a note? Any clue?”

“No. Just this.” He handed her the note which simply said:
Open with someone you love
. “What do you suppose it is? And why does it need to be guarded until we open it?”

“I have no clue. I’ve had enough crap going on lately that I just don’t know what is right or wrong anymore.” Joey just grinned at her and pulled her to his body. “I have to admit that I’m glad it went well. I was terrified.”

The letting, as it was called, that she’d done to Micah had left her feeling no different. Her sigil, like Joey’s, was now up and over her shoulder and down her back. And instead of on her hand, as it had been, it now was from her elbow to her shoulder.

“I knew you could do it. You’re my mate, after all.” The guard that seemed to be in charge cleared his throat, and both Joey and she turned to him. He has been so close to them since they’d come out of the house that she was beginning to think that he was going to come with the box too.

“Mr. Bentley, if you’ll just tell us where you want it, we’ll make sure it gets there.” Joey asked the man what part of the house it went in. “Wherever you want. We took it out of the warehouse the moment we were told that Mr. Emmett passed away. It’s been…no one has been near this since we started keeping an eye on it for him.”

“How long is that?” The man looked down at his paper and told him the date. Joey looked at her, and she could see that it meant something to him. “That’s the day that I interviewed for the job at Peck and Simmons. Surely you have that wrong.”

“No sir. We were hired to not just keep an eye on it, but every year on that date Mr. Peck came to see us and put something in it. I don’t know what, but he was very clear that we were to take it to you the day he was pronounced deceased.” Joey nodded and asked if they could please take in into the barn.

“If it’s something to go into the house, then I guess we can have it moved there later. But I want to open this so that’s as good a place as any.” The men, twelve of them, helped to tie the straps to the carte and the mover took it to the barn.

Chris watched them and as soon as it was set down, she moved to it and put her hand on it. She had no idea why, but she knew that if she touched it, it would tell her what was inside. As soon as her fingers touched the wood, she turned to Joey and smiled.

“You’re not going to believe this. But there is a witch’s curse on this. Myra’s handiwork, I think.” She couldn’t tell what was in it, but she knew that they really did have to open it with the family around them. She knew that it would benefit them all. That whatever was inside was for them all to see.

It took the men nearly five hours to get the thing off the truck and into the barn. Chris invited the men to dinner and went to tell Carol that they’d be joining them, and the woman started taking potatoes out of the big oven. There were five loaves of bread, still steaming on the counter, as well as a large salad and the biggest pile of bacon she’d ever seen. Carol informed her that the steaks would be done when they were ready and not a minute before. Chris started to ask her if she wanted to know how they wanted them cooked and thought she’d already know that. Instead, Chris answered the phone when it rang.

“I’ve decided to take you up on your offer to come out and see you.” It took Chris a few seconds to think who was talking when it occurred to her that it was Jackson. “I need to clear up a few things with you, and I’d like to get them over with before I have to go and find me a job.”

He was lying to her, as only another witch would be able to do, but he did not lie very well. She had no idea how she knew that or why it mattered, but she reached across the phone lines and into his head. She saw the man he’d been talking to, as well as the plan for him to come to their home. Chris felt calmed by the news. It would soon be over with and she could move on with her life. When she turned to write down some notes of the things she’d seen there, Myra was making herself a cup of tea with Carol, and the two of them watched her.

“Invite him here. Tomorrow should be good, don’t you think, sister?” Carol nodded at Myra. “That would be a wonderful time, and we’ll have time to prepare you both for his visit.”

Jackson saying her name again had Chris going back to the phone conversation. “Tomorrow is the best I can do, Jackson. I can send you a car then, around….” Myra held up three fingers. “Three o’clock good with you?”

“Yes, yes. That’s fine. I’ll expect you to be on time too. And if you’re going to make me wait all day, you should at least have me in for dinner.”

Something about that made her sigil move along her skin, and Chris decided that no matter what, he wasn’t coming into her home.

“I’ll make sure that he’s on time. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” While he was still talking, Chris hung up the phone. Looking at the two women, she asked them to please have a seat. “Now. Tell me why I feel like him coming here is a bad idea. And why he’s so not coming into my house.”

Carol turned and looked at Myra, though how she looked at her for very long was a mystery to her. The woman was in the brightest shade of purple that she’d ever seen. It seemed to just glow with color.

“Didn’t I tell you she was smart? I told you just yesterday morning that this grand witch is the smartest of them all.” Myra said that she had said it. “And here she is just brimming with knowledge that no one gave her, save the man on the phone. Which warlock do you suppose is coming here with—?”

“Whoa there, ladies.” They both turned to look at her. “Who is…what grand witch are you talking about? And what do you mean, a warlock is coming? I don’t want either of them here. I have enough shit going on without that too.”

“Why, darling, you’re the grand witch, and that makes…well, I guess I never thought of it until just this second, but your husband is your warlock. Oh my, and your familiar too. A cat and a witch. Isn’t that just grand? What a pair you two are. And oh my, your children are going to be just simply the strongest beings ever born.” Chris sat down hard as Carol continued. The two of them were speaking, but for the life of her, Chris had no idea what they were saying. Then the door to the kitchen burst open and there was Joey’s cat.

“Joey?”

The big black cat snarled and stared at the two women. Chris had no idea what had happened to make him come in like that, but her own cat was clawing at her to come out as well. When Joey spoke to her, she nearly laughed, but she wasn’t sure it would be something he’d appreciate.

I felt your fear. And I have to tell you, I’ve never been on the receiving end of something so powerful in my life. I think…are you all right
? She told him she was just fine.
Then would you mind telling me what the fuck is going on
?
My cat wants blood
.

“I’m the grand witch.” Joey sat down on his haunches, and she felt her cat purr then. “They just told me that since you’re a cat, you’re both my familiar and my warlock. Do you know what that means?”

The cat part or the familiar part
? She told him both.
The cat part is me. Why would I need that explained to me
?

“You’re a panther, but that’s not what I mean. And I’m not saying I believe them, but as my familiar, I can use you. You can be my eyes when I need you to be. And you can help me when I have a spell, if I were to believe all the folklore.”

He said that he still didn’t understand, and Chris turned to Myra to ask her to explain.

“You’re her familiar, darling. The thing that not just holds her magic for her, but you enhance it. When you’re beside her as a cat, her magic and yours is doubly strong, and…well, it’s more controlled too. Like you’re her vault.” Myra stood up, her body tense and alert. Joey stood as well with his fur standing on end along his back. Even his teeth seemed to have gotten bigger. “Tyron is coming.”

~~~

Tyron moved around his hotel room waiting for the fool to call him. Jackson Hill was as useless as he’d thought he’d be, and if he hadn’t needed him to get into the house, he would have killed him. But to get to the grand witch, he had to use him, if only for a little while longer.

As he walked the room, all this hope for this to work depending on Jackson, he thought of the woman. Chris McKenzie was going to be his ticket to a brighter and easier lifestyle. Not just with her magic, but everything that came with being married to the grand witch as well. And marry him she would. Or if it came to it, he’d have to kill her. Which wasn’t out of the question right now.

He’d heard the stories about the girls. Not their names, of course, but that they were out there. And he had searched for years for even a glimpse of what they might look like. Not that looks mattered, and he’d never seen Chris. But if Chris looked anything, even a little bit, like her sister, then she was going to be a beauty. But it was their hidden talent that had him trying to find them.

Their mother, a witch of the highest order anyway, had left the coven she’d been in to raise her daughters. Her husband was a warlock that had taken Deb as his wife, even against her will when he’d found out what she’d been. It was only a short year later that Angel had been born, and a year after that, Chris. They all heard about it. The warlock could talk of nothing else but his very well marked daughters. But after his death, they all seemed to fall off the edge of the earth.

Then about five years ago, he’d heard that Angel was making the rounds with her magic. And it had been a powerful push into not just the coven that he had belonged to but rarely frequented, but the magical world as well. He’d kept an eye on her, not very closely as it turned out, but he’d known about where she was at all times and hoped that the other sister would turn up too. But she hadn’t. Then about a year ago, he’d heard that she’d let her magic go and that even when pushed, Chris never used it. He had written her off, much as he had her mother.

The magical world had taken a blow when it was announced that Angel had been killed. And by one of their own. Jackson Hill, even indirectly, had murdered her and had lost his chance to get her magic. Tyron had gone to the place where she’d been killed and could see nothing that would make him believe that she’d been anything more than a level one or maybe two witch. Until Myra came to the coven to make an announcement.

“Jackson Hill is no longer allowed to be a part of this or any coven. He has killed the sister to the grand witch.” There were murmurs around the room so loud that Tyron stood up to tell them to be silent. The sound of his voice had the room as still as a church. “As I was saying, the grand witch has made herself known to me. And once she is reunited with her sister’s magic, she will come to us as our leader. Jackson Hill will be killed on sight, as well as anyone helping him from now on.”

Tyron had made it his business to look into this Hill person, then the sister of Angel. He’d nearly made a mistake in writing her off until he saw her with her mate three days ago. She was most assuredly the grand witch, and her magic was stronger than his would ever be. Unless he was married to her. And that was his plan.

He didn’t care if she was married now or not. When Tyron wanted something, he made it so that it was his. Killing was as easy to him as breathing. And he’d done it so much in the name of his magic that he knew that it was just as much a part of his makeup as putting on his shoes or pants. It was his, no matter who or what was in the way when he went to get it. A panther would be just as easy to kill as a human.

Tyron had made it his business to find out as much as he could about the Bentleys. He knew that the oldest, Micah, had been recently wed and that he and his wife had two daughters. The fact that he had adopted something as inferior to him as human children made Tyron realize that they were all fools. And Joseph Bentley wasn’t much different.

Who bought land and raised horses that were better off dead? No one that he knew. The fact that they were brought to him instead of the slaughter house made Tyron think that the man had a soft heart. And a soft heart also meant a soft head. He had to have one if he was doing something as idiotic as what he was attempting to do now. So taking his wife was going to be a piece of cake. And the fact that Chris had no real knowledge of her talent, if everything he’d heard about her was true, meant she’d be easy as well.

When his phone rang, Tyron let it ring three times before he went to answer it. The hotel had been warned not to let any calls through but those from Jackson.

“Did you really think that I’d not override your rules, Tyron? I mean, really. I’ve been around long enough—longer than you—that I have picked up a few tricks of my own.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and slid to the floor. “You do know who this is, don’t you? Your good friend, Myra.”

“You’re not my friend.” Her laughter made him think of nails down a chalkboard. “What the hell could you possibly want?”

“This and that. You should know that I’ve had a close eye on the grand witch. She’s more powerful than you can imagine. And that mate of hers, did you know that he’s her familiar as well?” He hadn’t, but he should have thought of that. Bentleys were cats. “The man is positively oozing with power. You should…oh, I was going to say you should see them, but you’re going to, aren’t you?”