HISS (12 page)

information, and when he comes running out in the open put a bullet in the bastard’s head.” Loubel

tossed over his shoulder.

“I love you, Loubel.”

“As you should, Kiele. See me before you leave. Don’t make me come looking for you again.” He

walked between leafy branches and was swallowed up by the marsh.

* * * *

Jamison eased Marree’s head off his shoulder and scooted to the edge of the bed. He walked to the

corner and snatched up his clothes to put them on. Their attacker was out there, and he still had to get

them to safety. He dropped the bundle. It would be better if he checked their surroundings first.

Marree was still sleeping. A few minutes, he could go out, look around and be back before she knew

he was gone. He picked up the rusty twenty-two she’d aimed at him and shook his head. The old gun

was more likely to backfire than shoot straight. With the barrel firmly in his grip he climbed out the

window he’d come through and dropped the old rifle in the water. He walked along the edge to where

the bow was submerged and leaned on the old rail, listening to it groan under his weight as tiny rust

particles covered his feet.

He caught a burst of colorful movement in his peripheral vision. When he focused on the spot,

nothing was there. He took a few steps into the water and climbed over the submerged bar. Water

sloshed up his knees when he jumped into the inlet. He knew those vibrant striations. The question

was what the hell was Loubel doing out in the middle of nowhere?

His steps were quiet as he moved through the lily pads that dotted the shoreline and stopped short.

A camouflaged man that appeared to have vegetation growing out of his clothes backed out of the

bushes with a snake gripped in a brawny fist. The tail of the animal was curled up a burly arm. The

reek of ammonia with the underlying scent of a mammal floated to him. Some sort of urine. He

narrowed his eyes and studied the scene.

The hunter swung around and met Jamison’s gaze. His eyes widened in panic. He gripped the snake

with his other hand when the animal darted its head. Jamison shifted. The guy stumbled back his

fingers wrapped around Loubel’s throat. A strangled cry fell from his lips as Jamison slithered up his

leg looking for a way to coil around his body. Anger burned in his belly as he slipped under his

assailants back and started to twist around the man.

Loubel darted his head. He sunk his fangs into the guy’s forearms and was immediately released.

He changed forms and rose to stand above the now prone figure of the hunter tightly bound by

Jamison. Loubel sat down and pursed his lips.

The muscles rippled along Jamison’s frame as he slowly constricted. A snap and crunch brought

tears to the man’s eyes as he tried to wiggle free of the hold. His clothes rustled and chafed at

Jamison’s skin. He squeezed tighter and hunter wheezed as he gasped for breath.

“Uh, Jamison, as much as I would enjoy watching you kill this guy, I already promised someone

that honor and I need a little information, so could you let up, eh?” Loubel crossed his feet at the

ankles and leaned back.

Jamison raised his head and stared at Loubel.

The viper cocked a brow. “No? But then we will never know who sent him.”

Jamison weaved back and forth. He dropped his head on the guy’s shoulder. Warmth spread over his

belly and the distinct odor of human urine wafted across his tongue. He loosened his hold.

Loubel waved his hand. “Damn, son, man up. Now, my friend here…” he glanced at Jamison, “…

and I use that term loosely, would like to know why the hell you been hunting him?”

The hunter pressed his lips in a tight line.

“Alrighty then. Look like you going to die anyway. You can go quick or the way ole Jamison plans,

slow and painful.” Loubel pulled his feet under him.

Jamison tensed and disconnected his jaw to widen his mouth.

“Wait!” The gunmen whined. Deep cervices bracketed his mouth. He peered at them from blood

shot eyes. “Release me and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

“Or we could kill you and just figure it all out ourselves.” Loubel rose.

“Hold on. I’ll tell you the name of my target.”

“Truly, you a bad gambler.” Loubel turned and started walking.

Jamison tautened and several more pops rent the air combined with the hunter’s screams. He didn’t

care who the target was but he was curious about who hired a human to assassinate a shifter. Loubel

was probably interested too. He moved in front of the man’s face and hissed.

“I’ll tell you who contracted the hit!” The guy’s scream came out closer to whimper.

Loubel stopped but didn’t turn around. “We’re listening.”

“A woman by the name of Cheryl Conda wire-transferred twenty-five thousand dollars into m-my

account and emailed me a picture, along with all of the pertinent information about my target.”

“And that is?” Loubel asked coldly.

“Marree Cottons.”

Shock surged through Jamison. In his anger, he took out his frustrations on the hunter, squeezing

until the guys eyes bulged. A shot rang through the air, and a small spot of red appeared in the center

of the man’s head. Blood splattered Jamison’s upper body. He shifted to his human form. “What the

fuck, Loubel!”

“The asshole was already dead from the moment I bit him. Boy you got bigger fish to fry. Thank the

Goddess your
maman
either lacks the sense or the connections to hire a decent killer. My boat is

across the levee. Get Marree and meet me there. Percel and the others need to know about this.”

Loubel continued walking.

“How the hell did you find us?” Tension knotted Jamison muscles. “If you’ve come for her, Marree

is mine. The claiming is complete.”

Loubel turned and stared at him, the corners his mouth slightly turned down. “About time. Think,

dumbass. If your mama sent someone to kill Marree, she isn’t above hurting a child. How do we know

there isn’t a second assassin out there gunning for your daughter?” Loubel’s hair brushed his

shoulders as he shook his head. “Calm your nerves, snake. I have no interest in Marree, at least not

like you think. I have my own ghosts to chase down.” He spun on his heel and hiked along the water’s

edge.

Chapter Eleven

Jamison threw the door open, and the bang of it hitting the adjacent wall jerked Marree out of a

deep slumber. Her clothing was tossed on the bed as he stomped to the corner to retrieve his own

outfit. She’d rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and took in the room. Nothing had changed in the

dingy interior, but she could feel anger flooding the area and it was pouring off Jamison. The grim set

of his mouth and the way his jaw muscle ticked had her hurrying from the bed and approaching him.

The multi-colored, winged serpent that filled the width of his back and shoulders seemed to rise off

his skin when he bent to put on his pants. She bit the inside of her lip and laid a hand on his arm.

He straightened and half turned, leaving his slacks unbuttoned. “Get your clothes on, Ree, we need

to get back to Betaille.”

The blood splatter across his chest sent the alarm bells ringing in her head. She crossed her arms.

“How exactly are we going to do that?”

“Loubel is here.”

Worry welled up in her belly. “Please tell me that’s not Loubel’s blood.”

“What? No! This belongs to the guy that tried to kill us.”

She could feel an ache building at the base of her skull. “You’re not making sense.”

“I’ll explain later. Get your clothes on, babe. Loubel is waiting for us on his airboat.”

She’d rushed through dressing, skipping her crusty, mud-hardened socks. Jamison took her along

the other side of the wreck for them to exit. He lifted her over the railing and drew her along the

waterline making sure her path was clear. She glanced over and caught site of what she thought was

vegetation, until she saw the hand sticking through the foliage. The pounding in her head intensified.

She stopped, resisting the tug on her hand by Jamison.

He backtracked and stood beside her. “We need to get home, Ree. I want to make sure Karma is

safe.”

She stared up at Jamison and saw the concern in his eyes. “Why?”

Jamison nodded toward the prone figure on the shore. “Because he was hired by my mother to kill

you and I can’t be sure our daughter is okay.”

Panic churned in her belly and she swallowed the saliva filling her mouth. Her beast bristled. “Jami,

don’t take this the wrong way, but I will kill your mama.”

“Not if I get to her first.” His fangs lengthened. He twined his fingers between hers and started

jogging toward the little hill.

They moved up the levee within minutes. She kept slipping on the moss-like ground covering on the

descent, tightening her grasp on his hand every time her feet slid over the rocks. Loubel’s air boat

bobbed in the slow current. Sunglasses hid his eyes but he was clearly agitated, holding the craft’s

gear in a pale knuckle grip. She nodded and he returned the gesture.

Marree took the seat below him and next to Jamison. Loubel turned the key and the fan started,

increasing its speed with every rotation. Metal blades whipped the air and echoed through the narrow

tributary. She glanced up the hill and leaned in, narrowing her eyes. Someone was standing just

beyond the tree line. Kiele briefly stepped into the sun’s beams and did the little finger wave she use

to do when they said goodbye to each other. Marree rubbed her eyes and looked again. Her best friend

was gone.

She slumped in her seat and Jamison tilted to the side to get her attention. Marree looked at him

then twisted in her seat to stare at Loubel. Both men acted as if they hadn’t seen anything. Jamison

lifted his chin and shook his head. She curled her lips up at the corners in a rueful smile and flicked

her hand to tell him it was nothing. What the hell was going on? No one had seen Kiele in a little over

five years. And the woman appears out of nowhere?

Thoughts about her entire situation tumbled around each other in her head. First, she needed to get

to Karma and make sure her baby was safe. She knew Sint would kill for any child in her care but if

Cheryl was willing to hire people to do her dirty work, Marree wondered how effective Sint would be

against professional killers. She closed her eyes. Her beast brushed through her mind just out of reach.

The ripple of scales just below her skin made her limbs itch and she grazed her hands over her arms.

Loubel shifted gears and the airboat increased in velocity. Marree opened her eyes and brushed at

the wisps of hair blowing in her face. She was almost thrust out of her chair when Loubel took a tight

turn. The rim of the craft skimmed the surface and large droplets of water soaked her shirt. Jamison

grabbed her hand. She glanced down and he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. The engine whined as

Loubel worked the mechanisms, sending the airboat into a spin when he quickly changed directions.

Stilt houses rose out of Bayou Animaux. As they got closer to the circle of structures the Betaille’s

Alphas lived in, she noticed a stretch limo between the pylons. It was parked in front of Percel’s and

Sint’s home. Panic made her tremble. Was she too late? Had Cheryl gotten a hold of her child? Loubel

ran the airboat aground and Marree didn’t wait. She pinched the buckle to free the belt and leapt over

the side. Gravel bit into her bare feet as she raced around the side to the front of the house.

Sint stood in front of her screen door with her arms crossed. Cheryl was flinging her hands in Sint’s

face. Marree stopped cold and stared at them. Time had not been good to Jamison’s mother. Her once

luscious blonde tresses were now all white. She’d pulled her hair back in a severe bun. Still reed thin,

her designer clothing hung off of narrow shoulders and her pants were belted tightly at her waist. In

the sunlight Cheryl, so pale, looked washed out.

Karma stuck her head out the door and Sint shooed her back behind the screen. Marree formed fists

at her side as her building rage claimed her reason. “Get the fuck away from my baby!”

Sint and Cheryl turned to face her simultaneously. She ignored Jamison’s attempts to get her

attention and marched toward the stairs.

Karma rushed outside and ran past Sint to the railing. “Hi, mama!”

Her little girl screamed when Cheryl yanked the child up by her clothes and twirled Karma around

to face her. Cheryl said something Marree couldn’t make out and began to shake her daughter.

Marree’s animal came to the forefront of her mind and she let the creature engulf her. Bone broke

and reformed, extending her vertebrae. A tail formed from the augmentation. Scales erupted from her

skin layering along her body like armor. She collapsed to her knees. Her vision changed and her chin

jutted forward as double rows of serrated teeth filled her top and bottom gums. Thick mucus-like