Jett wouldn’t answer the phone when I called. Her ability to hold a grudge was impressive. It was also tiresome. Suspecting that she might be at the rowdy werewolf bar run by her pack, I took Arrow’s car on a little detour.
The Doghead Bar and Grill was one of those rundown, almost ramshackle places that nobody in their right mind would consider entering. Humans were unwelcome, membership only. I’d only been there once before. It had been… odd, to say the least.
Her Mustang was in the parking lot. I gathered myself, hoping she’d let me get a word in while she ranted and raved about Arrow. She surprised me though. When I found her sitting at the bar with a whiskey in hand, she didn’t say a word.
“How long are you going to stare at that whiskey while I wait for you to acknowledge me?” I asked, sliding onto the stool next to her.
The bar was loud, like always. The doors never closed, and the werewolves never went home. Well, some of them didn’t.
Without meeting my gaze, she said, “I knew things would change when you hooked up with Rowen, but I didn’t know how much. It fucking sucks. This is supposed to be our time. Crimson Sin. We have a chance to live our dream, and you’re going to bail because of them.”
“No, I’m not. It’s not like that, Jett. You’re not being fair.” I shook my head when the bartender sidled up, awaiting my order.
A scar slashed across his cheek and through one damaged eye. It was a strange milky blue, eerie in his rugged face. “Look, angel cakes, you know the rules. If you’re staying, you’re drinking. What’ll it be?”
Drinking and driving a BMW filled with drugs, hmm, not the police record of my dreams. I ordered a light beer, intending to nurse it for as long as possible.
“I’m not being fair?” Jett scoffed, taking a sip of her whiskey on the rocks. “We’ve busted our asses for almost five years for this break, and you’re going to blow it because of two idiots who just happen to be like you. So what? Look at how many assholes are like me.” She waved a hand wildly to indicate the many wolves around us. “Think I’d ever let one of them destroy my dreams? Not a chance in hell.”
Jett’s heart and soul had been all about the band, the music, for as long as I’d known her. I understood why she felt threatened. Communication wasn’t her greatest skill either, seeing as she was dominated by either reckless joy or fierce aggression.
Ignoring the idiot remark, I paid for my beer and searched for the right words. “Jett, when I signed on for this journey with you, I said I was in it for the long haul, and I am. That hasn’t changed. Shit happens, but that doesn’t change my commitment to you and the girls.”
A long moment stretched between us with her staring straight ahead at a silent TV above the bar. It was tuned to a sports channel, but nobody was watching it.
“I don’t even care about the song,” she finally said. “I mean, I do, but that’s not what this is about. It was just the thing that set me off. It’s because I can see you slipping away from us. Those fucktards need you. I know that. I see it. It just fucking sucks because I need you too.”
I hid a smile behind my beer bottle. Jett wasn’t known for her candid sharing of feelings. I grabbed her hand, holding tight when she resisted. “Aww, I love you too, Jett.”
“Fuck off.” She laughed, softening the harsh command.
“The truth is,” I continued. “I need you too. I need the band. You guys are my therapy. Things make more sense when I’m playing, and music wouldn’t be the same without you. But there’s some weird shit going on, Jett, and I feel like I’m supposed to fix it, and I don’t know how.” I paused, conflicted. “Arrow’s doing things he can’t remember. He killed Vicky, and I’m afraid it won’t end there. If I can’t help him, Jett, I could lose them both.”
I sucked in a few deep breaths, feeling lightheaded as my fears left my mouth. The shouts of a pool game getting out of hand and the crash of a beer bottle on the floor were all such normal sounds. Yet there was nothing normal about this place or the people in it. None of us were entirely human. It seemed that what made us human lessened as each day passed. What a fucked up world.
“When you say, lose them both, you mean…?” With a brow raised, Jett gave me a pointed look.
“Oh, whoa, no way.” I sputtered a sip of beer all over the bar in front of me. Reaching for some napkins to wipe it up, I gave my head a vigorous shake. “Whatever you’re getting at, just no. Don’t go there. It’s not like that.”
That doubting eyebrow remained raised, and she pursed her lips in silent judgment. “Then what’s it like?”
“Dash is tormenting Arrow. He’s controlling him, hurting him, and he’s doing it all to get to Rowen. He hasn’t given up even after Rowen picked the light. They need me, Jett. I just wish I could figure out what I’m supposed to do.” With an exasperated sigh, I propped a hand up beneath my head and watched two werewolves at a nearby table arm-wrestle. “I’m scared. If Rowen loses Arrow, I lose Rowen.”
Jett mulled this over as she drank her whiskey. “Don’t get me wrong. Rowen’s a good guy, and you need a good guy. But I don’t feel bad for Arrow. I can’t. He’s an asshole. If anything happens to you because of him, that demon will be the least of his problems.”
“Jett,” I warned. Her loyalty was appreciated, but the girl didn’t make idle threats. She would follow through.
“No, Spike. Don’t defend him.”
“I’m not.” I held up both hands. “This isn’t about him. Jett, please, I need your support as my best friend. There’s nobody else I can talk to about this. I need you.”
She slammed back the rest of the whiskey and slid the glass down to the bartender. “Dammit, Spike. I was enjoying some good, quality fuming. You damn angel types sure know how to ruin the mood.” A smile curved her dark-red lips.
With the crack in her hard exterior, I released some of the tension I’d been holding in the pit of my stomach. “Don’t make me tell Cinder you shit all over his dream team,” I said with a laugh and a well-placed elbow between Jett’s ribs. “He’ll be crushed.”
There was a shout and a crash as the two arm-wrestling werewolves overturned their table. Shouts became snarls and fingertips became claws. That was my cue to leave.
Jett cast a derogatory glance their way, otherwise ignoring them. She managed to look bored, not an easy feat in a place like this. And she thought the nephilim world was nuts?
“Don’t say anything to Cinder. I was pissed off. I shouldn’t have said that.” She pulled me in for a hug, oblivious to the brawl ten feet away. “If you need me, you can count on me. But let the record show that I don’t give a fuck what happens to Arrow.”
It wasn’t quite what I’d hoped to hear, but it was as close as I was going to get. “The record shows absolutely no fucks given. Your contempt for assholes is duly noted.”
“You better take off before these asshats get the Alpha’s attention. I’ll call you later.”
As I squeezed between tables, narrowly avoiding the fight on my way to the door, I felt mildly better. Knowing my best friend had my back brought me renewed confidence. I wasn’t in this alone.
* * * *
Convincing Arrow to stay in for the night was next to impossible. He put up a good fight, arguing until Rowen and I were exhausted. It was Rowen’s vow to flush his stash down the toilet that made him grudgingly relent but not without a few choice curse words directed at each of us.
“Well, if I’m stuck here with you dorks, I want some blow. And a pizza. Spike, order me a pizza.” Arrow flopped on the couch and put his feet on the coffee table while shooting me a shit-eating grin.
“Um, what the fuck did you just say to me?” I picked up the TV remote from the coffee table with the full intent of flinging it at his face. That only served to make his grin wider. Dropping the remote, I turned away in disgust, counting to ten in an attempt to cool my anger.
Rowen plucked a tiny bag of white powder from a jeans pocket and whipped it at Arrow. “I shouldn’t be giving you this at all. That’s all you get so make it last. And don’t talk to Spike like that. She’s not your maid.”
Scrutinizing the tiny bag, Arrow’s lip curled in disappointment. “This will last me an hour, dude. Seriously, though, let’s order a pizza. Maybe I’ll invite Carly over. I could use a blowjob.”
He was trying to piss us off. I knew that. Still, it was working, even more so because I had a show at The Wicked Kiss to get ready for. Clenching my teeth to keep from spewing venom in Arrow’s face, I grabbed my laptop from the bedroom and logged on to the local pizza place’s website. The joys of technology. A few clicks and pizza was on its way.
“Got any beer, Spike?” Arrow didn’t look up from the thin white lines he was divvying up with his credit card.
“Oh, I’ll give you a friggin’ beer alright,” I muttered to myself as I retrieved a few cold ones from the fridge. If I didn’t find a way to shrug him off, Arrow was going to drive me crazy. I passed him the beer with a tight smile. He took it without so much as a glance at me. “You’re welcome,” I spat.
“Thanks, doll.” Rolling up a twenty from his wallet, Arrow snorted the first of five lines off the coffee table.
Rowen accepted the beer I handed him with an apologetic grimace. This was going to be a long night. I imagined that keeping a guy like Arrow entertained was going to be no easy feat. If we didn’t keep him busy, he’d try to escape. I shook my head, astonished at the direction my thoughts had gone. We shouldn’t have to trap Arrow in my apartment all night, but it was the best way to keep an eye on him.
“Wanna watch a movie or something?” Rowen sat on the couch with Arrow, receiving an eye roll and head shake in response. “We could jam. Or we could talk about “Love Song For An Angel.” I don’t think it’s a Molly’s Chamber song, Arrow.”
That got Arrow’s attention. His head came up, his coke pile momentarily forgotten. “Don’t fuck with me, man. I know you’re just trying to stir shit up to keep me occupied, so I’m not going to get into this shit with you. Grab a guitar and shut up.”
I definitely couldn’t fault Jett for feeling as she did. Arrow was a difficult person to like. He tested my patience in ways I’d never dreamed possible. It normally took a lot to make me mad enough to feel violent toward someone. With Arrow, it didn’t take more than a look.
Rowen grabbed the acoustic guitar from where it leaned in the corner of the living room. I sat on the armchair adjacent and watched his fingers move over the strings. Though his usual instrument was a bass, watching him handle my guitar with familiarity and ease was a pleasure.
He picked out the riff of a Molly’s Chamber song, one that usually tumbled out hard and fast, loud and electric. On the acoustic it transformed into something softer, slower but just as powerful. I was sure that Rowen could play just about anything, even elevator music, and it would sound fantastic.
Captivated by the beauty of him, I relaxed in the big, cushy chair and let the music calm me. I was almost able to pretend Arrow wasn’t there.
Then he opened his mouth. “How long til that pizza gets here?”
So much for my happy chill moment. I stifled a sigh, choosing instead to answer him without as much snark as I wanted to inject into my tone. “It gets here when it gets here. Why? Are you in a rush? Got a big date?”
Arrow eyed me before leaning in to snort another line. “I could, but instead I’m stuck here with my brother and his girlfriend. This is punishment, isn’t it? For pissing off Jett about that song.”
“She’s not the only one you’re pissing off about that.” I smiled sweetly, sipping from my beer. Oh yeah, this was going to be a long evening. Lucky for me, I got to leave soon.
Rowen stopped playing and pinned his brother with a simmering glare. “Arrow, we’re here to help you. Instead of punishing us for caring by being a royal pain in the ass, you could try showing some gratitude.”
Arrow considered this and immediately dismissed it. “Whatever, dude. I get it. You’re doing your angelic duty. Don’t pretend this is how you really want to spend your night.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re here, so let’s make the best of it.”
“Let’s go party, Rowen.” Arrow flopped back on the couch and put his feet up on the table, almost upsetting the remaining few lines. “You can babysit me at The Spirit Room.”
I met Rowen’s gaze, finding irritation in his amber eyes. He’d been picking up after Arrow for years. It was a wonder he hadn’t blown his top by now.
The buzzer announced the arrival of the pizza. Hopefully that would keep Arrow’s mouth busy for a while.
“No Spirit Room,” I said as I went to the door with cash to pay the delivery guy. “Not every night has to be a party. Sometimes you need to settle down and spend some time with yourself.”
Though he didn’t say anything, I could feel Arrow’s glare on my back. I retrieved the pizza and dropped it on the kitchen counter. Pizza, beer, and cocaine. And Arrow still wanted more. His focus was in serious need of redirection.
Setting the guitar aside, Rowen stood and stretched. “I’m going to jump in the shower. Don’t let him escape. I won’t be long.”
Arrow muttered something involving more than one F-bomb beneath his breath. After Rowen had closed the bathroom door and started the water, he said, “You could never keep me here if I really wanted to leave.”
I understood that he was trying to project hostility to cover up the fear he must have felt at being controlled by Dash. So I bit back the retort I wanted to fling at him. Instead I grabbed a piece of pizza and shoved it at him, ready to mash it into his face if I had to. He jerked back before I could and swiped the slice from my hand.
“Arrow, I’m here because, in some demented way, it’s my duty to watch out for you. If you insist on making this more difficult than it has to be by challenging me, don’t be surprised when I fight back.” Engaging in conflict with him was not what I wanted, but it might be what he needed. I perched on the arm of the chair with arms crossed, trying to be both kind and firm.
He munched on the pizza, watching me the whole time like he thought if he stared long enough it would get under my skin. Well, he was right. The weight of his stare made me uneasy, but it wasn’t intimidating me into backing down.
Several minutes passed with the two of us staring at each other in tense silence. Bite after bite until the pizza slice was gone and Arrow had yet to budge. Had to hand it to him, he had strong, silent antagonism down pat.
I let out my breath in a huff, annoyed that he wanted to make this a game. But that was what demons did. They played a lot of games. Though Arrow was reluctant to admit it, he was dark and, therefore, half demon.
“So, is that it?” Unable to hold my tongue any longer, I broke the silence. “We just try to out stare one another all night? That’s going to get boring.”
Arrow finished his beer, still quietly contemplating. A small smile teased the edges of his mouth. I didn’t like that smile. Something about it felt… off.
A chill descended, filling the room with a frigid breeze. The windows were all closed. I stiffened. Something unseen moved around me, a force that spoke of bad things.
“You know what your problem is, white lighter? You never know when to shut up.” Arrow blinked, and his hazel eyes gleamed solid black. He swung the empty bottle at my face so fast I never saw it coming.
It cracked against my cheekbone just beneath my eye, hard enough to knock me off the chair arm. Adrenaline slammed through every cell of my being as I hit the floor. The training I’d been doing with Cinder kicked in, instinct guiding me as I flung an arm up to stop the next blow.
I clutched Arrow’s forearm, stopping the bottle from connecting a second time. With my free hand I threw a ball of fire into his face, driving him back so I could get up. There was no time to puzzle out what had just happened. A mass of shadows engulfed Arrow, snuffing out the flames.
He came at me again, but his movements were slow, calculated, like a snake preparing to strike. The shadows moved around him like they too were snakes, separate tendrils that darted about, waiting for his command.
“Arrow, stop,” I shouted, hoping that some part of him was still in there. Was this it? The blackout that drove him to murder? “You don’t want to do this. I just want to help you.”
“Help me?” He eased around the coffee table, gliding with an inhuman gait. He snapped his fingers, and one of the shadows lashed out at me, thrusting me into the armchair hard enough to make me topple over the back of it. “You’ve done nothing but cause problems since the first day Rowen laid eyes on you.”
I scrambled to my feet, shoving away from him as he drew closer. He drove me into the kitchen where I was trapped. Another fireball forced him back a few feet but didn’t keep him from approaching. I didn’t want to hurt Arrow nor did I want to risk burning the building down, but he wasn’t giving me much time to weigh my options.
Arrow seemed oblivious to his injuries as he came at me. He threw the bottle aside before raising both hands to freeze me in place. I braced. His gift was disturbing to see in use, and I certainly didn’t want to be the victim of it. Then the power hit me, and my entire body seized. Every muscle went tense, frozen, and the urge to scream was locked inside me.
I fought against it, knowing that, if he came at me now, I was finished. A scream tore from me as I broke free of his hold. Gasping for air, I braced myself, taking a fighting stance. Without waiting for his next move, I swung a mean right hook, hoping I could knock him out, a small addition to his already expansive injuries. To my surprise, he took the punch and held up a hand to invite another.
“You’re the one that keeps Rowen tied to the light,” Arrow said, his words a guttural snarl. “It’s you who fucked this all up. The dark wants him, and they will never stop until they have him. If that means having to take you out of the equation, then so be it. We will find a way to make him ours.”
The ugly things he said sank deep into me, penetrating into a place of dread. I’d feared this would happen. That being with me would only endanger Rowen further.
Though I wasn’t sure it would work, I grabbed hold of Arrow’s arm, feeling for the power within. My new ability to steal and replicate the power of another was a short-lived and limited gift, but it had its perks.
As Arrow’s power slipped into me, I had the strange sensation of being covered in dirt. I threw my hands up, releasing what I’d just taken and freezing him in place. Without hesitation I shoved by him and fled the kitchen, rushing to the bathroom door to pound my fists and shout Rowen’s name.
A glance back over my shoulder revealed an angry Arrow. He broke free and came after me, fast this time, no calculated movements. Grabbing hold of my hair, he slammed my head against the bathroom door.
Pain shot through my skull. I whirled around to face him, shrieking when a handful of hair tore from my scalp. “Dammit, I’m not the enemy, Arrow.” I caught him off guard with a throat punch. As he struggled to breathe, I took the chance to try to speak sense into him. “Don’t you see what’s happening here? You’re being used. Controlled. The dark is not your friend. They don’t care about you. Me and Rowen, we care.”
Though he fought for a breath of air, Arrow’s black eyes gleamed with malevolence. It chilled me. With a twirl of his wrist, a shadow darted toward me, wrapping tight around my neck. I grabbed at it like an idiot, my fingers clawing at nothing.
Desperate and afraid, I rushed him, both hands ablaze. Unable to take him down, I had to settle for shoving him into the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room.
We struggled to gain some kind of control. Arrow made the mistake of spinning me so that he was behind me; I knew how to get out of the move, thanks to Cinder. Grasping his forearm I twisted my body, using the momentum of his motion to haul Arrow off his feet and slam him onto the floor. The impact jolted him, breaking his concentration, and the shadows choking me disappeared.
Rowen burst out of the bathroom. His hair dripped water down his back as he hastily slung a towel around his waist. His amber eyes flashed wide with alarm. “What the hell is going on?”
I was fully prepared to step on Arrow’s throat to hold him down if needed, but he ceased fighting. Blinking confused hazel eyes up at me, he sounded like he’d swallowed gravel. “Spike? What happened?”