Reed: Bowen Boys (10 page)

“She’s not allowed. Tell him, Dad. Tell him that she has to help us. It’s what she was brought to us for.” Dora’s mouth snapped closed, and still a day later, Reed couldn’t figure out what she’d been saying. His mom touching his arm brought him from his musings.

“She’s upset.” He stood up and went to Kerry. She was just coming from the kitchen and he took her back in there to see what had happened. She crumbled into tears when he pulled her to him.

“My father…he called here to…how did they find me?” He held her, trying to keep his own temper under control. “He said I was to send him the money right now or he’d come here and take it from me. I don’t have any more to give them. And even if I did, why should I have to?”

Khan came into the kitchen with his son, little KJ. He was covered in food, and he started to leave when Kerry’s next words made both of them look at her.

“Why do they keep throwing it in my face that I’m not really their kin, and I’m a Stephens because they let me be a part of them? I wish now I’d been found by someone else.”

“He’s not your father?” She shook her head at Khan. “Then who is he and what is his relationship to you? I mean, do you know anything about your biological parents, anything at all?”

“No. I mean, my birth certificate didn’t even exist until I was five. They had to have one for me to go to school, and when Dad took in all the paperwork to have one made, they had to leave a few things blank. It’s the reason I have a hard time proving anything. None of the information on it is actually true.” She pulled away from Reed to go to her bag and handed him a copy of it. “See the date? That’s about a week before I started in first grade. According to my dad, someone came to the door and told him that he could have me if he wanted me. Apparently, he said that I could be free labor for the rest of my life and would take care of them both.”

“Do you believe him?” She told him she didn’t. “Then why are you still caring for them? You’ve not lived at home since you were eighteen at least. Why are they still making you do things for them?”

“Because when I don’t, they make my life really hard; and lately Death has been coming around a lot to put me in line.”

Chapter 10

“That was bill collectors again. Apparently my family has given them this number. They are demanding that I pay for their services or my family will be shut off.” Kerry looked at Camps. “That just breaks my heart that they don’t have phone service.”

He laughed and set a plate of eggs and ham in front of her. He’d told her yesterday that since the dining room furniture had arrived, she should eat in there and he’d find someone to serve her. She told him if she couldn’t eat in the kitchen with him, she’d have to not eat. He smiled, the old softy.

“Master Bowen Senior will be here shortly. He said that you and he had a date.” She’d forgotten about that. He was taking her to the cable office to see if she could help them out with a few bumps.

“He’s a nice man. And I really like Corrine.” She’d been told in no uncertain terms to call them by their first names. She had been embarrassed at first, but enjoyed them too much not to do as they had asked.

“When he would come to the mansion in DC, he would tease my missus.” Camps smiled. “Sometimes he would make her laugh even when she didn’t feel well.”

“I’m sorry that she passed away. I’ve heard great things about her.” He nodded. “Reed tells me that we’re having Thanksgiving here. You need my help?”

She nearly laughed at the expression on his face, but he turned away quickly. Burn one hamburger and the kitchen was off limits. Not that she cared. Kerry hated to cook.

“I can peel potatoes or chop up lettuce if you want. And grate things without losing my fingers now, thanks to you.” He turned back and smiled at her. “I would never try to cook anything again. I promise.”

He nodded. “I have a menu planned out. If you would have time to look it over, I can start on some of the things we can freeze beforehand. Then there is the turkey. I’ll have to place an order for one now for the size we’ll need for you all.”

“My family never had Thanksgiving dinners. I would have had to make sure they had all the ingredients and then cook it. I’m not sure who cooks for them now, but when I lived there, we had a lot of meals that were already precooked. With working and taking care of them and school, I didn’t have a lot of time to figure out cooking too.” She looked over the neatly written menu. “I was wondering if you could add something. I really like those pull apart rolls you make for us. I guess baked bread is what the family wants though. Never mind.”

He took the menu from her and marked out bread and wrote pull apart. “It is in this household and you are mistress here. We will have what you wish.”

She laughed and looked up when George knocked once and came into the kitchen. Reed was working with the police this morning on a murder or he would have taken her. The rest were going to meet them at the office.

“Ah, there is my favorite newest daughter-in-law. I was wondering if you’d pretend to be a little late getting ready so I can persuade Camps here to make me one of those amazing omelets that he makes.” He winked at her then looked at Camps. “You have the stuff I love, don’t you, old man?”

Camps set a plate with an egg white omelet and dry wheat toast on it in front of George. “The missus called me last night and said to give you this. She said if I gave you anything else that she would strip me naked and pour honey over me and put me with the red ants she found in the yard last week. She is very frightening.”

George looked at the food, then at Kerry and back to the food. “A man could die wanting for a good meal when he reaches a certain age. I’ve lived this long eating what I damned well want.” He pushed the food away. “Damned women. It’s getting so a man can’t have a good time anymore without someone telling him that it’s bad for him.”

She grabbed her coat and was following him out the door when Camps stopped her and handed her a covered dish. With a wink, she was out the door and in the warm limo. She handed him the dish and he smiled.

“Knew you were my favorite when I met you.” He ate the bacon first and then picked up the omelet and ate it in three large bites. “You’ve no idea how they’re starving me in my own home. Why, just the other day I was told that for my afternoon snack, I had to eat vegetables. Vegetables, I tell you. I’m a damned panther. We don’t do vegetables.”

She was still laughing when the limo took a hard turn. Holding onto the strap, she watched as George pressed several buttons. She assumed he was trying to get the window down. When he looked at her, she saw fear and it spiked up her own. For him to be afraid, there was double reason for her to be.

What is it?
Reed sounded so frantic that she almost told him nothing.
Dad is with you and he’s talking to Khan. Where are you?

I don’t know. In the limo. We were going to the cable office.
The car took another sharp turn, and she felt a little sick from it
. I don’t think we’re going to make it if he keeps driving like this.

Stop and think, honey. Can you see anything? Out the window? The driver?
She told him no, the windows were dark and wouldn’t work.
How long have you been in the car?

Less than ten minutes, I guess. The car is a dark one, almost black, but it’s really blue. There are four doors, and the driver isn’t tall. I’d say maybe a few inches shorter than me. White, with one of those…Reed, I think it’s Robbie from work.
She closed her eyes when they took another turn.
We’ve made two lefts and a right. We’re going really fast and he’s taking the curves on two wheels, it feels like. My phone. Let me see if I can pinpoint us.

Her cat snarled at her, and she was afraid she’d shift. It had hurt so much the last time that she’d not wanted to ever do that again. Getting her phone to work proved to be sickening because of the way he was driving. When she finally got it to work, she told Reed where they were.

Brilliant, love, brilliant. Dad is going to shift if anything happens where you’re in trouble. He’s bigger and meaner than you are right now because he’s pissed off. When the door opens, move to the other door and wait. We’re on our way.

When they came to a sudden stop, she watched as George was slammed against the window that separated the front from the back and broke it. She looked at Robbie when he turned around, and she saw his smile.

“Hello, Kerry. You and I are going to have some fun and then you’re going to get my job back for me.” She looked at George and knew that he wasn’t going to be any help. When the door opened to her right, she tried to go to her left, but that door opened suddenly and she was being pulled from that side. When she landed in the dirt, she looked up at Russ. He had a gun and he didn’t look all that happy to see her.

“What do you think I’m going to be able to do for you if you fucking kidnap me? I’m not going to be able to get you a job at a fast food restaurant after this.” She lunged for the gun only to have it hit her in the head. Her cat snarled at her, and she tried to hold her back. But when she was jerked up and held by Robbie, she let her take her.

~~~

George held the young cat. She was terrified, and he didn’t really blame her. He’d seen what they’d done to her and what she’d done to them, and he’d been unable to do a damned thing about it. When she raised her head to look at him again, he felt his heart break for her.

“It’ll be all right, dear. I swear to you it will. You’ll see as soon as Reed and the others get here, they’ll fix this right up.” He hoped so anyway. He looked at what was left of the two men and certainly hoped so.

She’d killed them both, sure enough. And she’d done it quickly and with a viciousness that had him both impressed and terrified. When he’d stumbled out of the back of the limo, he was ready to let his own cat take him when the man had hit her, but she’d shifted so quickly that all he could do was watch. Then as suddenly as it started, it was finished. She had limped to him and he’d held her as he called for his sons to come now.

The first truck that pulled up had her bouncing to her feet and standing over George. The fur on her back was standing on end, and he was glad, gladder than he’d ever been in his life, to see the men stop and wait for her to recognize them.

“She’s a mite on edge. I’d move slowly if I was you. I don’t think she’ll attack you, but…well, she’s a little on edge.” Reed nodded, and Khan went to his knees. “Khan, you didn’t call the police, did you?”

“No, sir.” George nodded and knew his sons were trying their best not to let their own cats go with all this blood around them. “Did she do this, really?”

“Yes. And now she’s frightened.” Reed moved closer to her, and she snarled. “Go easy, boy. She’s protecting me again.”

“What happened, Dad?” He showed Reed the blood on his shirt. “They hurt you? Shot at you?”

“I don’t think that was their intention, but when she…she saved them from killing me is what she did. And she’s hurt too. Think they might have shot her in the leg. She can’t shift on account of her not having things to pull on, but….” He took a deep breath. “She was fucking amazing.”

The next truck pulled in and George’s mate leapt out of the cab. She moved toward them and Kerry snarled again. When Corrine dropped to her knees in front of Kerry, she pulled the cat into her arms and held her, sobbing.

When Corrine looked at him, he would swear he fell in love with her all over. “You old fool. What am I going to do with you?”

“She said you’d be a mite upset with me.” He tried to move, but he was hurting more now. “I’m thinking she’ll let you go by now. I think I might need Walker. She might too, if I’m thinking right.”

He was light-headed and tried to remain upright. He knew that he could shift and be all right, but he’d had to keep her from running. Because he knew she would have. When he felt hands on him, he looked up. He didn’t remember lying down, but now that he was there, he didn’t feel much like getting up.

“Been shot again, damn it. How many bullets does an old man gotta take before he can have real food?” He knew he was babbling, but he was a little afraid. He’d never felt like this before. “Do you think later I can have some bacon?”

“You can have whatever you want if you live. What the hell were you thinking, not shifting? What am I going to do with you?” He smiled at her, and he felt a tear hit his face. “Don’t you dare die on me, you turd.”

“I don’t plan on it, but sometimes things like this happen.” He opened his eyes when Khan shouted at him. “Do you mind? I’m very tired.”

“Shift, damn it.” He wanted to tell Khan it was too late, but he felt his cat move along his skin. “Shift now.”

The cat took him, but he really did think it was too late. He knew that he was bleeding badly, but the girl…she would have run and he wasn’t going to lose her. She had given him the best breakfast he’d ever had. He blinked several times.

“Can you get up?” He shook his head. “Come on, Dad, you have to move him around so he can heal you. Lying there is not an option.”

I hurt.
It wasn’t as hard to admit as he’d thought it would be and was glad for it.
I can’t do it. I’m old and out of shape.

“If you make what I did for you count for nothing, I will tell little George what a coward you were. That you lay in your own blood and gave up.” When Kerry spoke, George looked at her, sitting next to him with Reed’s shirt on. “You old bastard, get the fuck up and help me clean this mess up. I would be basking in my mate’s arms right now if you could just show a little gumption.”

Gumption? You want gumption? I’ll show it to you.
He struggled to stand and snarled at Khan when he tried to help him.
You know what I’m going to do when we get your bottom back to the house? I’m going to tell my Corrine that you force fed me a breakfast that you knew I wasn’t to have. See what she thinks of that.

He was feeling a little better but still weak. He looked at her and wanted to continue being pissed off at her, but she was smiling and he thought it the best thing he’d see in an age. When she brushed at her cheeks, he moved toward her and rubbed his head on her throat and licked at the tears. Not even the low growl from Reed could have made him stop loving this girl.

You saved my life. Worthless as it is, I’m grateful to you.
She nodded
. You did a good job here today, love. Had you not, both of us would be dead and none would be the wiser for our passing.

George watched his sons move around the two bodies. He went out to the deeper part of the woods and shifted, and pulled on the clothes that were always in the truck. He held his Corrine as the others discussed what to do with the two dead men.

Ama looked at them, then at the men. “I can take care of the back of the limo. Prints and stuff like that if you just want to leave them here. Someone will wonder what killed them and it’ll come up as a large panther, but that’s about all. There’s no way that they can trace it back to the family, and there was already that small blurb about a panther being sighted recently.”

So it was decided. They’d leave the men there to be found or not, and the car was wiped clean of all traces of Kerry and George. George watched Reed fiddle with the GPS to take off that they’d been to his house, and they loaded into the trucks and moved out. When the one in front of them stopped suddenly, George had another fright, but Ama got out and moved to where they’d been and waved her hands around. He watched as the grass and dirt covered their tracks.