Reed: Bowen Boys (16 page)

He pulled out the final piece of silver and staggered back to his ass. Pain raced over him, and he felt his wolf snarl at him again. This wasn’t good. He was dying, and they both knew it. He was going to shift to try to save them both, but wasn’t sure that he could do it and kill her before the silver she had in her gun would do its worst.

He let the wolf take him and felt the bullet enter his chest. Reaching out to her, he ripped at her throat with his claws and felt the satisfying tear of her flesh, heard the scream that came from her injured vocal cords, and felt hot, fresh blood splash across his muzzle and face. They both tumbled back onto the floor even as she fired again and again. Each time a bullet entered him, his wolf tore more and more at her. Death knew the exact moment that she was dead and lifted his head, heavy with his own death, to look down at the horror that he’d done to her.

Her throat was torn to shreds; he’d nearly torn her head off. Her face, once pretty but not beautiful, now held a macabre appeal to him that he found lovely and sexy. Letting his wolf have his way, he licked along her ravaged cheek and tasted still warm blood, and threw back his head and howled. Moving off her completely, he looked at the rest of her.

Her gut was open and intestines spilled to the floor and over the blankets that had been ripped from the bed. Her legs fared no better in that Death’s wolf had clawed at them severely and opened muscle to the bone, and broken them in several places. She had gotten what she deserved. Then he looked down at his own body.

Blood poured from his chest, belly, and leg. She’d shot him a total of five times, so many that he could hardly tell one wound from the next, they had done such damage. As his body weakened, he let his wolf go and took his human form, knowing that when they were found—and they would be soon if the sirens were any indication—they’d have no idea what had happened here. Laughing slightly, he was glad now that he’d taken the time to ensure that his dream came to fruition. That there was at least someone now that would carry on his idea of a hunting ground for humans. His friend the vampire was going to buy the property from Puckett and call it Natural Habitat.

Dean had been his friend for years and now the man would be rich. He’d take the money and use it just as he’d told him to do. It had been Dean’s idea to visit Dora that first time and make her afraid of him; they’d laughed about it for hours afterwards. Now all that was a moot point as Dora was going to be dead long before the deal went through. But then so was he.

Death coughed once and felt the blood pour from his mouth. This was taking longer than he’d thought. His wolf tried to heal them, but there was no hope for it. Even he had to know that. When the door burst open at the front of the house, he heard the person shout that he was the police, to stand down. Laughing again, he thought that was all he could do at this point. When the officer came into the room, he took a hasty step back and nearly fell in all the blood.

“What the fuck?” Death couldn’t have agreed more with his statement and closed his eyes. Smiling, he wondered if they would blame Norman for all this. He hoped that when the panthers found Kerry and the man, that Dean would tear them apart as Death had done to Norman’s daughter. Death finally let his namesake take him and felt the relief of no longer being in pain.

Chapter 16

Corrine sat in her chair, where she’d been for several days now. She’d watched the boys and their wives come and go, but she just didn’t have the energy to speak. Her mate was gone. She glanced up when someone said her name, but she didn’t have any interest in the food tray. She hadn’t any need for it. When Monica sat it in front of her on the little table, Corrine looked away. It sickened her.

“I miss you.” Corrine didn’t even acknowledge her. “I’ve been trying and trying for days now to figure out how to bring you back to us, but I don’t think you want to come back. I think you would be happy if we let you starve and die. I’m sorry, but I really don’t think I can do that.”

“I’ve lost everything.” She hadn’t realized her voice could sound so full of hurt and sorrow until then. “He’s all I had in the world for so long, and now he’s gone.”

“Yes. He’s gone, but you’re not.” Corrine just wanted them all to leave her alone. She decided that today she’d go back to their home…her home now…and let things go as she wanted.

Monica left a few minutes later, and one of the other girls came in. Corrine didn’t really care who it was, but knew when she spoke this was the one she most did not want to speak to. Because of her, she was all alone.

“He spoke of you while he lay there. His last thoughts were of you.” Corrine glanced at Kerry, then away. “He saved my life, but I can’t save yours in return, can I?”

“I don’t want you here.” The words spilled out before she could think. “I would prefer to be left alone by all of—”

“No, I’m pretty sure you had it right the first time. You don’t want
me
here. And believe it or not, if I could do it all over, I would have gladly taken his place.” Corrine looked up when she stood, feeling the shadow fall over her. “I’m really sorry, Mrs. Bowen. More than you’ll ever believe me to be. I’ve just come here now to tell you goodbye.”

It took a few seconds for what she said to register in her mind, but when Corrine looked around, Kerry was gone, as was the tray. She wondered what she’d meant, and decided that finally someone was going to give into her wishes and leave her be.

Corrine had never loved anyone like she had her George. He’d been a pain in her bottom for decades, made her so mad she wanted to clobber him, but he’d also made her smile. He’d made her laugh when she was too upset or blind to see that there was humor in a great many things. She simply didn’t want to live without him beside her.

Khan sat down across from her, and she sighed. Wouldn’t they just leave her alone?

“I’m taking you back to your home in the morning. I know that’s where you want to be so…Monica said that you needed to be there, so we’ve all agreed to let you do what you want. Then when the funeral is over for the others, we’ll see about getting things as back to normal as we can. I’m going to miss them.” She nodded, happy that she could live out her days in peace.

“You’ve all grown now. I’m happy for you all.” He nodded and looked out the window that she’d been staring out for so long. She looked too, and saw Reed and that woman near a car. “She will give him children, I think.”

“She will, I suppose. I’m glad they’ll get a fresh start.” Khan left her to herself, and she watched her youngest son hug his wife and her get into a car. When he moved to the woods after the limo pulled away, she wondered what was happening, but honestly didn’t really care. She was going home.

Corrine must have dozed off, because when she woke up, it was dark in the room. There was a small light in the hall, but the room she was in was dark as pitch. Standing to use the bathroom, she had to grab onto the back of the chair, she was so dizzy.

Moving slowly out into the hall, she realized that the house was quiet and at rest. She could hear the large clock in the hall ticking, as well as the house settling down for the night. She’d been here when word came back to her that George was gone from her, and here she’d been since. But in the morning she’d be where she needed to be most.

To avoid looking in the mirror, she used the toilet and flushed without ever turning on the light. She was headed back to the den when a noise made her turn. Reed was just coming in the house, and he had a large box with him.

“I’m sorry. I thought everyone would be in bed.” She shook her head at him. “I’ll just put this in Khan’s office and be on my way.”

Corrine waited for him to return, and when he did, he moved by her and to the door without speaking. She said his name, wondering if he had planned to go without saying more to her.

He spoke to her without turning. “She’s gone to DC. I’m headed there now. She…we couldn’t bear to be here with you hating her so much, so we’ve decided to sell out and move back. I’ve been offered a good job, and I start on Monday.”

“Reed, I….” She didn’t know what to say to him, and he seemed to know it. He nodded once, moved out of the house, and closed the door quietly behind him. Corrine stood there for several minutes just trying to wrap her mind around what he’d just said. He was leaving?

Corrine started for the door to stop him, to…she wasn’t sure what, but she knew that this wasn’t right. Before she could touch the doorknob that he’d just closed, Caitlynne spoke softly.

“You’ve driven them away. I hope you’re happy with yourself.” She turned, ready to tell her that the woman had killed her mate, when she cut her off. “Oh, I know you’re hurting, but I guess you don’t care that the rest of us are as well. Little George cried himself to sleep tonight because you ignored him. Abby and little Khan sat with him, not really understanding, but knew that you’d hurt their cousin somehow.”

“I’m grieving. Can’t you see that? My mate was taken from me. He died because…because of her.” She felt her face heat with embarrassment when she realized how loud she’d been. “I can’t stand the fact that he’s gone from me. I don’t want to live any longer knowing that I’ll never see him again.”

“Good for you.” Corrine was startled by her comment, but she continued. “I’m so happy you’ve got the market cornered on grief and dealing with it. Because in the event you didn’t notice, the rest of us are grieving as well. His sons, for one, are torn up about this, but since they’ve spoken to Kerry, they’re not nearly as consumed by it as you’ve allowed yourself to be.”

“You’ve no right to speak to me that way.” Caitlynne laughed. “I don’t see the humor in any of this. I’ve lost my heart.”

“No you haven’t. You’ve closed your heart. And that’s sadder than his death ever would be.” Caitlynne started for the stairs, then turned to her. “She’s not coming back here. Not ever. She’s told us that Reed may return if he wishes and bring their children if they have any, but she’ll never darken the doors to any of our homes again. Kerry didn’t kill George, but you’re killing her. And for no other reason than you’re more dug into what you think happened up there than what really happened there.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s alive and he’s not. What would you expect me to feel? Glad for her? Thrilled that because she’d managed to get herself wrapped up in that family that my mate is dead?” Corrine snorted, her heart breaking for some other reason than George being gone. “She should have made sure he was safe. He was old and not in good shape.”

“But he saved her life.” Corrine looked at her. “Kerry said that he leapt at Norman and tore his head off him when she’d told him to stay back. She said that he’d told her several times that he was dying, weak from loss of blood, and she’d begged him to…. Never mind. It’s too late now.”

Corrine went back to sit in her chair. Caitlynne was right. She’d never listened to any of them when they’d tried to talk to her. Not that first day and certainly none after. She’d been grieving, like she’d said, but she’d also been trying to die. Sitting back in the chair, she let the tears fall and thought of her George.

“I miss you. You old fool, what were you thinking getting yourself killed like that?” She felt the air around her stir and looked up at the man standing before her. George. He was back.

“You’re a fine one to talk, my dear. Getting myself killed when you’re doing nothing but the same to yourself. At least I had a purpose. What do you have in mind?” She sat up, knowing that he wasn’t really there but glad he was. “I guess you’ve nothing to say for yourself then.”

“I can join you in the afterlife. Be with you.” He shook his head. “What do you mean ‘no’? I will most certainly join you. Soon if I can manage it.”

“No. If you murder yourself, you’ve no rights to be with me.” He moved to the chair near her and sat back. “She begged me to stay out of it. Told me that you’d be angry with her and with me. I guess she was right, wasn’t she? But when that man made to attack her, I knew that I had to do something. She would never have survived had I not done what I did. And then our own baby would have died with her. Would that be what you wanted in order to have me here with you in the flesh? I think you would have done the same.”

“I would have done nothing of the sort.” But she knew it for the lie that it was, and apparently so did he if his laughter was any sort of indication. “You’ve left me with nothing.”

That brought him up out of the chair. “I’ve left you with everything. Six fine boys and their lovely wives. Grandchildren to bounce on your knee and tell them about me. I’ve even left you with my love, all of it, as I’ve never been able to give it to another and wouldn’t have even if I could. You’ve got more than most have in two lifetimes, and you’re throwing it away.”

“I need you.” She sobbed then and reached out to touch him, and her hand went through him. “You’re only a figment of my tired mind. All this isn’t real.”

“Isn’t it, love?” He looked off to his right, and she knew that someone was speaking to him. When he looked back, he looked so terribly sad. “I must go. I won’t be able to come back unless you do what’s right. And then only to help you along the way.”

“You mean get up off my bottom and start to live again?” He nodded. “You’ll come for me when I die, when it’s my time?”

“Only then.” He looked away again and then back at her. “You’ll be fine, my dear. Better than fine. But you must move on. You mustn’t let the family break up. They’ll need each other when the time comes.”

He faded away, and she felt the brush of his mouth over hers and smelled him on her. She let the tears flow when he was gone and cried until the sun came up and brightened the room. Lying in her lap was a single yellow rose, her favorite. And when she lifted it to her nose to smell it, she didn’t smell the scent of the rose, but that of her mate. And took it to her heart.

“Oh, you old fool, I love you so much.”

~~~

Reed was putting the For Sale sign in his yard when Khan’s truck pulled up. He tried to ignore him, but when Khan grabbed him up into his bear of a hug, Reed felt the tears he’d been fighting all morning struggle to be let go. He finished with the sign only to have Khan pull it up again.

“You do know that I’ve listed it with a realtor. And taking this sign out of the ground won’t do any good at all.” Khan broke the stick over his knee. “Whatever.”

Reed started back to the porch to pick up the last of his bags. Kerry had left last night, unable to stand it any longer. He was just leaning over to pick up the bags when Khan spoke.

“The jet is on its way back to get Kerry and bring her home. I’ve called the realtor and had them take the house off the market. You’ll need a place to stay, I think. And Mom is pissed that you think you’re leaving.”

His heart did a little dance, but he wasn’t going to be sucked into whatever fantasy that Khan had dreamed up. His mom hated Kerry, and that was all there was to it. He had to protect her, and this was the only way.

“You should turn on your cell phone so people can call you,” Khan said. Reed had turned it off last night before going to bed. Hearing from his family begging them not to go was too much. Khan took his bags.

“Why are you doing this?” Khan nodded to the house, and as much as he didn’t want to go inside again, he followed him. “Tell me so that I can get to the airport. The plane is ready to go.”

“I told you it’s not. It’s probably already halfway to DC by now. Kerry isn’t aware of what’s going on yet, but she will be soon enough. Mom is going to get her.” Reed started to go for his truck, to do what he wasn’t sure, but his mom was not going to hurt his mate again. “Dad came to visit Mom last night.”

Every part of Reed froze. He turned slowly to look at his brother, who had entered the house. He had no choice now but to follow him. This was just too…surreal, he supposed.

“Dad is dead.” Khan nodded at him. “Then what do you mean that Dad visited her last night? Last I heard, being dead kind of revoked your visiting rights.”

“Be that as it may, she said she talked to him. He told her she was being selfish and mean, basically. He also told her that he loved her and left her a single yellow rose.” Reed sat down, trying his best not to look at the rose he’d put in a vase just this morning. “I think he told her to get her ass in gear and live or she’d be on her own in the afterlife.”

Reed wasn’t sure what to do. Should he tell Khan that his dad had come to him as well? He glanced at the rose and back at Khan. Khan looked at the flower sitting on his empty desk, then back at Reed.

“He was here too?” Reed nodded at Khan. “And what did he say to you? To not sell and stay here with your family?”