Witch Way to Turn (2 page)

“You didn’t. I offered.”

“Thank you.” Ears ringing, Breena bolted for the tiny gray break room. She grabbed her purse from her locker and raced out the side exit. Before the door banged shut, she caught a glimpse of Myles watching her, his piercing blue eyes full of concern.

Daylight had faded and the sweeping shadows outside mirrored something dark and seething inside her. Breena didn’t have time to explore the sensation but, as she swung into her car, the darkness in her rose and her palms tingled.

Norma had promised to wait until Breena got off work before taking Real Daughter to Boone for the weekend. She should’ve known Norma would break her word, leaving Jenny home alone with sleazebag-of-the-week.

Breena forced the gearshift into first, pumped the clutch and peeled out of Granite Drug’s parking lot. Her reckless driving would be tomorrow’s gossip but she didn’t care. One more reason to love the podunk town of Rhodhiss, North Carolina.

She floored it and her 1980s Volkswagen Beetle lurched to the side of the street. She grappled it back into a straight line and, at the first road past the bridge, made a hard left onto Dogwood Drive. After a right down the short driveway in front of Norma’s paint-chipped, two-story shanty, gravel crunched under her tires and the all-too-familiar dread washed over her.

She cut off the headlights and pulled up to the house. Scumbag Stan’s enormous I’ve-gotta-be-compensating-for-something silver truck was still here.

Fuck
.

She’d hoped he had maybe gotten bored and left.

The streetlamp on the far right corner of the property was on the blink and darkness surrounded the house, except for the blue TV glow coming through the porch windows. For once she actually wanted to find him passed out on the couch.

She crept up the front steps and opened the screen door with one swift motion so it wouldn’t squeak. Inside, sweat beaded her forehead in the still, heavy heat of the house.

F-ing cheapskate!

Norma never turned on the air-conditioning, despite the stifling humidity of summer by the river.

Inch by inch, Breena made her way into the foyer, praying like hell he wouldn’t hear her. If she could just get in, grab Jenny and leave without Stan being the wiser, everything would be okay. She laid her purse and keys on the table by the door, gripped the edge of the wall and peeked around the corner of the hallway. No telling what he’d be watching on TV–the dirtier the better with Stan.

Damn redneck.

Her sweaty palm slipped and she stumbled sideways. She managed to break her fall with her hands before doing a face plant, but she shot an anxious glance at the couch, fully expecting her clumsiness to have disturbed him.

Surprisingly it hadn’t, because he wasn’t there.

Shit.

“Jenny?” she whispered.

Her sister never followed directions, so the chances of her being upstairs were small. This time it would work to their advantage though. Breena could snatch her up and go.

No answer.

She raced through the dining room and into the kitchen, checking any small space where Jenny might hide.

“Jenny?” she called out, louder this time.

Silence.

Breena swallowed hard and shot back the way she’d come.

Heart racing, she clambered up the steps three at a time. She shook, afraid of what she might find.

At the top of the stairs, she could see into Jenny’s bedroom.

No Jenny.

Where is she?

As she edged down the hall and into the room, she scanned for movement. A sound. Anything.
 

Then she heard it. The sharp creak of a heavy footstep on the hardwood behind her. Breena spun around to find Stan eyeing her up and down. He wore too-tight jean shorts and a white wifebeater with his chest hair sticking out.

Breena’s stomach dropped to her feet when Stan closed the door and reached his calloused hand behind him to turn the lock.

Trapped.

She didn’t move. Didn’t even breathe. She couldn’t.
Breena
should’ve locked the door as soon as she came in, but she hadn’t found Jenny. Where was she? Was she okay?

Breena saw something out the corner of her eye–a tiny movement. Two garments hanging in the closet parted ever so slightly and Jenny’s big brown eyes peered out, opening wider when she spotted Stan.

Relief swept through her. At least Jenny was all right. Too bad Breena had no idea what to do now.

Not daring to take her eyes off Stan, Breena inched backward each time he shifted his weight. Pretty soon she’d run out of room but until then she had no other options.

Stan stroked his stubble as he watched her. Breena had seen him do the same thing right before taking Norma into the bedroom and doing God-only-knew-what to her. The difference was, Norma got off on it.

“Little old fer my likin’, but you’ll do. Off with the shirt.” He hadn’t even moved from the door but she felt the sweaty-handed touch of his words on her skin.

Breena wanted to throw up. “No.”

“I weren’t askin’.” He took two steps forward, putting his back fully to the closet.

Breena held her ground. As long as Stan was looking at her, he wasn’t looking at Jenny and that was the important thing. No matter what, she wouldn’t let that fucker lay one finger on her sister.

No matter what
.

Stan lumbered forward and let out a whisky belch that made her stomach churn. He had his drunk on all right. Maybe that would work to her advantage though. Before she could figure out how, he threw a fisted blow at her, hitting her with such force she fell onto the bed. He towered over her, lust in his eyes. His junk was eye-level, bulging against his shorts.

Oh God. Omigod.

Scrambling backward, Breena smacked into the headboard. She glimpsed her sister crawling out of the closet. Jenny would surely make it to the door before Stan noticed her. She had to. Breena couldn’t stand the thought of her having to see this.

Stan reached down and jerked Breena across the bed. The smell of burnt tobacco assaulted her nose as he clamped his hands over her wrists, pushing her flat against the mattress. When he bent over her and let go of one of her arms to scrabble at her jeans, she clawed his face with her free hand. He caught it again before she did much damage, so she kicked out, hoping to get him in the balls. He might be stronger than her, but she wouldn’t make this easy for him. She had no illusions about getting out of this undamaged but he’d have to pay for each and every touch.

He flopped heavily on top of her, pinning her completely with the weight of his body. She couldn’t bear the victory in his eyes so she turned her head, only to be met by a sight so much worse.

Jenny.

Her sister had crept across the floor and now crouched at Stan’s legs.

“Jenny, no!” she shouted.

Suddenly, Stan unleashed a string of profanity and reached for his leg. Jenny sat hunched on the ground next to him, her mouth covered in blood.

She’d bitten off a chunk of his calf.
A chunk!

“Fuckin’ shit!” He swung at Jenny and the powerful blow knocked her flat on her back.

Anger surged through her. Unable to look away from Jenny lying motionless on the floor, Breena fumbled behind her for a weapon. While Stan crouched over Jenny–hiking up her skirt–she brought it down hard on his head.

“Wha’ the–” he slurred.

The snow globe crashed onto the floor, barely missing Jenny, sending liquid and glass scattering. Stan went down, clutching his head, but the blow hadn’t knocked him out.

She’d accomplished what she’d aimed to do, though. She’d drawn the bastard’s attention away from Jenny.

Diversion over. Now to get Jenny the hell out of here.

She jumped off the bed, tripped over Stan and toppled forward. Shards of glass pierced her palms.

Breena tried to stand and fell. She scrambled away crab-style, her bloody hands leaving a streak of red in her wake, but didn’t move fast enough. He grabbed her ankle, yanking her to him. She pulled her free leg in, reared back and kicked him square in the jaw. He only swayed to the side.

“Run!” Breena yelled.

Jenny slipped on the snow-globe-liquid as she made a mad dash for the door.

“Get back here.” He turned to the girl and reached out for her foot.

Breena pushed off the ground, sliding in her own blood. She stood on the second try. Hate overwhelmed her. She wanted to scream, to explode, to send this asshole straight to hell.

Her bloodstained hands shook. Her vision blurred. All emotions disappeared except for one: rage. The violent anger bubbling right below the surface devoured her. Instinctively she threw her palms out in front of her. She wanted to launch herself at him but couldn’t move. Instead, something fired out of her. A blue light filled the room and she crashed backward against the nightstand. Stan careened away from Jenny and smacked onto the floor with an impressive
thud
.

What the fuck?

What the hell was that light? What just happened?

No time for that now.

“Jenny, run.” Breena thought she’d shouted it.

Her sister didn’t budge.

Shit.

Her mind urged Breena to move, but her body ached somewhere deep within. She was so cold, and each step drained her more. Somehow, Breena finally made it to Jenny, wrapped her arms around her and hoisted her up. She unlocked the door. Stumbled into the hallway.

Did I do that
?

Had that light come from her?

Shit, Breena. Focus!

Stairs. Porch. Car. She chanted it in her mind, the weirdest mantra ever. If she kept the goals short, they might make it.

The lone streetlamp flickered on and off in the distance, sending eerie shadows scurrying across the yard. With their goal in sight, Breena reached down to fish her keys out of her purse.

Damn.

She didn’t have it, or her keys. She’d left them on the hall table. How could she be so stupid?

No time
.

She didn’t know if she’d killed Stan or just knocked him out. Either way, she didn’t want to stick around to find out.

Breena detoured them into the woods. Moonlight broke free from the blanket of clouds and picked up where the occasional strobe of light from the streetlamp left off. They needed to get some distance between them and the house but Breena felt her steps faltering. Jenny tightened her grip on Breena’s arm and she turned to see the fear in Jenny’s wide eyes. She found the strength to keep going.

A couple of failed attempts later, Breena got her sister piggyback and hauled tail.

Each step forward was heavier than the one before. And God dammit, she was cold. So cold. The only warmth came from her sister’s body clinging to her.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
Her heart pounded in her ears and she knew she couldn’t go any farther.

They fell to the ground, twigs and dry grass crunching under them. For a moment, as she huddled on the forest floor and tried to hold back tears, she was caught in the grip of deja vu. She could almost hear a baby’s cries echoing through the trees. Breena’s pulse raged in her throat. Sweat dripped down her face. Her body ached in every muscle, but more than that, she felt hollow. Scooped out. Empty. A terrible hunger took hold of her, but it was bone-deep and she had no idea what would satisfy it.

Despite the heat, Breena shivered. “You okay?”

Jenny nodded.

“I’m sorry, Jenny.” She pulled her sister close, careful not to touch her cheek where Stan had hit her. “I can’t believe you bit him. You were so brave.”

Jenny’s gaze met Breena’s and her lips curled into a small grin.

The moonlight disappeared as the woods spun. Breena’s stomach churned. Everything was still and silent, like the quiet after a snowstorm. Jenny’s lips moved but nothing came out. Jenny shook Breena’s arm but she couldn’t feel it. Her sister peered down at her.

As the fight drained out of Breena, the darkness swallowed her whole.

Chapter 2

The piercing sound came and went quickly but the aftershock of pain coursing through Myles’s head left him crouched on the stockroom floor, hands pressed against his temples.

Breena.

Something wasn’t right. He grabbed his cell and dialed her number. No answer. He tried a couple more times as he raced out to his car but to no avail. Moments later, his tires squealed as he blazed out of the pharmacy’s parking lot.

All the time he’d spent watching her, waiting, and it had happened when he wasn’t with her. Breena’s ability had awakened.

Her presence in the supernatural community would now be known. And, of course, Victor Vale would be gunning for her.

Myles couldn’t let himself think about what horrific thing had provoked Breena’s power. The only thing he knew: he had to get to her.