Prey (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (27 page)

“Rationally, I know I’m not responsible for their actions, but a part of me will always want to make up for the way they’ve lived. You of all people can understand that. Look what you did with your father.”

He understood her so well. “A fine pair we are, huh? It’s a wonder someone hasn’t wiped us out in fear we’ll follow in our parents’ footsteps. In my father’s case he staggered so badly his footsteps are particularly hard to follow. ”

“Don’t feel bad, my father’s feet are cloven, thus easily discernable and my mother kind of oozes leaving no discernable prints.” He laughed. “Someone is watching over us.”

“I think it’s Ernestine.” She was almost serious.

He chuckled. “I think so too.”

* * * *

That night it was Sam’s turn to host the meeting. Reggie instantly spotted the colorful outhouse hanging on his Christmas tree.

“What were you thinking?” She cupped the gaudy ornament in her slim hand.

Sam looked defensive. “You’re just jealous that you don’t have one.” He put an arm around her. “Don’t worry, Reg, I’ll see if I can find another for you.”

“Pffft.” Was all she said.

“Well now that was ladylike,” Sam teased.

Reggie didn’t care. “I’m pregnant, I don’t have to be ladylike.” She rubbed her still flat belly and said, “Please tell me you’ve got food somewhere in this mausoleum.”

“I have a finely tuned sense of self-preservation, I wouldn’t have you over if I didn’t.” Triumphantly, he pointed to six bags of takeout Chinese food.

Without a word they agreed to save the serious discussion until after dinner. They all enjoyed Sam’s attempt to show Jade how to use chopsticks until she grabbed them out of his hand and proved she didn’t need his instruction.

“See? I don’t even drop anything.”

“Jinx,” was all he said as he chased a pea with his chopsticks.

* * * *

After dessert they got down to business. They each provided an update. Travis revealed that the FBI came up empty, but he wasn’t completely convinced he’d been taken seriously. Unexplained phenomenon were often filed away and forgotten. Government investigative agencies weren’t known for being open minded, the X-Files notwithstanding. The Smithsonian was very interested in any evidence they’d found that might prove the existence of an undocumented species, but couldn’t provide any assistance. The county medical examiner ruled the cases death by wild animal or animals. They’d found no match to the print they’d lifted from the bear trap.

Travis said, “Come on, Reggie, please tell me Constance came up with something of use.”

Reggie shrugged. “She’s certain that the desire to procreate is driving this thing. Sorry, Jade, but it looks like it wants to plant its seed in you.”

With good humor Jade waved a hand. “Don’t mention it.”

Reggie smiled at her sister-in-law with admiration. “Constance reminded me that the creature is unnatural and couldn’t possibly be your run-of-the-mill shape shifter.” She rolled her eyes, “She refers to a shape shifter the way I’d refer to a duck. Anyway, she suggested that there is a possibility that this thing is some kind of medical hybrid. Something man has created.”

“That fits with what I’ve learned from the conspiracy theorists on the internet,” Chase said. “There’s no real proof, but they claim that scientists have been combining human and animal DNA in an attempt to create an ubber species. As far as they know, the experiments have been unsuccessful.”

“Well, my father is an overachiever and not to mention…evil. It is possible he’s financed some, if not all, of these experiments. My geek stoolie tells me that until recently, Daniels Pharmaceuticals had an entire wing under lockdown, no unauthorized personnel allowed.” Sam grimaced. “There was human blood at every crime scene of course, but there was also blood I couldn’t identify. It wasn’t animal, and it wasn’t human.”

Jade asked, “Why was the creature’s blood at the scenes? Did the victims fight back? I was under the impression this thing killed quick and clean. I assumed they didn’t have time to inflict any wounds on the thing.”

Sam nodded. “That’s just it. The creature’s blood wasn’t found under the victims’ fingernails or anywhere else on the bodies or what was left of them. It was on the ground. Something’s making the creature bleed.”

Gillian asked, “Do you think there’s a chance it’s dying from some sort of wound?”

Sam shook his head. “I don’t know, but there’s no sign that the creature is getting weaker, so I doubt it.”

Gillian took a deep breath. “I’ve been sitting with the last victim, Kristen Sage. She won’t be regaining consciousness any time soon, she’s not ready. I did get a rather sketchy impression of what happened to her the night she was attacked.” Gillian had her audience in the palm of her hand as she continued, “It ran her off the road, the same thing it tried to do to you Jade, but poor Kirsten isn’t the driver that you are. She spun out and lost control. When she brought the car to a stop, it grabbed her right from the driver’s seat and ran off into the woods with her. The creature kept shifting in appearance so descriptions are useless. A stag appeared and caused a distraction. That’s the only reason that creature didn’t finish what it started.” Just relaying the sequence of events made Gillian shiver. “That’s not all, guys. Get this, the creature could talk. It kept saying or moaning the words, ‘need, need, take, take.’”

Jade said, “Some part of it must be human. But what happened to the stag?”

“He has everything. Sam is the quintessential man who has everything. So what do I do?” Jade complained to Reggie and Gillian the next day

Gillian said, “I guess a tie or aftershave’s a bad suggestion.”

Reggie said, “You could always go with the ever popular signed photo of David Hasselhoff, oh or a Speedo.” She scooped a handful of popcorn and delicately popped a fluffy white kernel in her mouth.

The three of them had gathered at Reggie’s to watch
It’s a Wonderful Life
. Gillian insisted that New Crescent looked just like Bedford Falls, George Bailey’s home town. Once it had been suggested, Reggie and Jade had to agree.

“What are you getting Chase?” Jade asked.

Reggie lifted an eyebrow. “I’m going to have his gigantic baby. What more could he ask for?”

Jade laughed. “Well, there’s just no topping that I guess.”

Gillian nodded in agreement. “I’m having the same problem with what to get Travis.” She gave Reggie a look of warning. “And, no, I’m not going to give him a baby for Christmas, at least not this year. You’re the pregnant one for now, Reggie.”

“Ah, you agreed to marry the guy. That’s gift enough for a lifetime.” Reggie licked butter off her finger and closed her eyes in appreciation.

“That’s what he said.”

Reggie dropped the humor for a second. “Actually, I searched the Old Family archives and found a likeness of Constance McCann when she was a young girl. There is a family resemblance that’s striking. I’m having the portrait restored, dry mounted and framed. I wonder if Egg will look like her.” Bemused, Reggie smiled.

Jade thought for a moment then burst out excitedly, “You’ve given me a brilliant idea!”

Reggie motioned for her to explain. “Well, spill.”

Gillian was much more polite. She simply smiled with encouragement.

Jade put them out of their misery. “Do you remember that photo booth they had in the old mall? You know the kind I mean, you put a couple of dollars in and get four wallet sized photos back?” Reggie and Gillian nodded. “Well, I have a shoebox full of those strips of pictures from when we were kids. I cannot tell you how often I dragged Sam to that silly booth and made him pose with me. I’m going to haul them out and get them framed together.”

Reggie’s face lit up. “I remember that booth. You’d have some of me too.” Her golden eyes gleamed. “Jade, do you have any of Chase and me together?”

“I’m sure I do, and you’re welcome to them. I’ll pull them out for you.”

Gillian said, “That’s a great idea. Sam and Chase will love it.”

“That’s much better than a tie,” Reggie said.

Gillian pretended to pout. “I’ll just have to get Travis some aftershave.”

Reggie sympathized. “You could give him a date for Christmas.”

Gillian laughed, and Jade looked at her in astonishment. “You mean to tell me you still haven’t set a wedding date?”

Gillian had the good grace to look a little shamefaced. “Travis has been bugging me, but so much has happened since I accepted his proposal. Reggie, you’ve given me an idea. Thanks. Now there will be something for Travis under the tree. Our tree is stuffed with gifts he’s got for me.”

Reggie shook her head. “Travis loves to give presents. Indulge him. Besides, we are so much easier to buy for.”

“Well, tell us what you’re going to do, Gillian.” Jade insisted.

“I’m going to pick a date and have it silk screened on to t-shirts. I’ll get his whole family to put theirs on while he opens his. In fact, I’ll get one done for everyone in town, like baseball jerseys.”

Reggie laughed. “He’ll like that. Especially since the whole town’s been watching your whole wedding proposal saga.”

Gillian started to laugh delightedly. “I have another idea.” She turned to Jade and explained. “One of Travis’s attempts to propose to me was to hire a sky writer, but the pilot fouled it up and misspelled my name. He ended up asking Gilligan to marry him. For weeks people were singing the Gilligan’s Island theme song to him and calling him Skipper.” Jade’s laughter joined theirs. “I’m going to buy him the entire TV series on DVD.”

“For the man who has everything,” Reggie said. The room filled with their laughter and excitement. It was, after all, Christmas in New Crescent.

* * * *

Jade made sure it was still light when she went back to her place to gather up the photos for Sam’s Christmas present. These days she didn’t go anywhere alone after dark. The restriction was starting to cramp her style. She felt like someone had imposed a curfew upon her. The only time she’d ever had curfews was when she’d lived in New Crescent. Rachel McCann had loved her enough to make her follow some very reasonable rules. Jade’s father had never cared what his daughter did unless it inconvenienced him. She’d always made sure not to draw too much of her father’s attention. Her life was much easier that way.

Driving back to Chase and Reggie’s house, Jade acknowledged that her father was probably the reason she’d never completely trusted a man, except Chase of course. The night of Reggie and Chase’s holiday open house, Jade had made a leap of faith for the first time in her life. She’d decided to trust Sam. He’d always been good to her. She really had no reason not to trust him. It wasn’t easy, but she’d made a conscious decision to believe in Sam, the man she loved. To her knowledge, he’d never once lied to her. He deserved her trust, and she was ashamed that she’d ever doubted him.

Dropping off the pictures with Reggie so she could go through them, Jade called to Rags and headed off to the clinic. She needed to spend some time with Tammara and Erick the donkey. It was just starting to get dark when she parked outside the clinic. She walked directly out to the barn.

Sam’s face lit up when he saw her, and fleetingly she wondered if hers did the same thing when she looked at him. It certainly felt like it did.

“Hey, Jinx.” He leaned down and took her lips with his. It started out as a casual hello kiss and ended up taking Jade’s breath away. Sam looked around “How do you feel about hay?”

Puzzled, she didn’t answer right away. He was up to something, she could see it in his eyes. She didn’t have to wait long to find out. He threw her over his shoulder and walked to an empty stall. The hay felt prickly on her back, and it was cold in the barn, but she didn’t mind. She was too busy getting her hands on Sam. He tasted divine, and she couldn’t get enough. Keyed up, Jade looked for an outlet and dug her fingernails into his back. He groaned in response.

He looked down at her. “Tell me, Jade.”

She frowned, not understanding what he asked of her.

“Tell me what you want me to do to you. Tell me what you want to do to me.” He pulled her braid, and she arched her neck. He murmured between kisses, between nips, “Don’t bother to watch your language, Jinx, now is not the time to be polite. Say it.” His ingenious lips sent shivers down her spine as he set the pace.

Still, she couldn’t do what he’d asked. She couldn’t find her voice until he showed her how. Jade had never known words could be so erotic and have such a profound effect on her. At that moment, he wasn’t a gentleman, and he didn’t watch his language. She loved it and happily returned the favor. Sam’s reaction was just as profound, and they cried out together.

Exhausted but content, they embraced each other. Their lovemaking had ignited enough heat that neither of them noticed the cold.

Sam laughed. “There’s just something about barns.”

“Maybe it’s that farmer’s daughter thing.” She giggled. Petra made a strange noise and claimed Jade’s attention. She froze in Sam’s arms, and listened to what the horses and Erick were trying to tell her.

Sam stayed perfectly still. It was obvious that something was wrong. He waited for Jade to explain.