“Mr. Wolfgard.” Monty kept his voice quiet and courteous. “This is my brother, Cyrus James Montgomery. Jimmy.”
“I know who he is,” Simon growled.
Since Simon continued to stare at Jimmy, Monty glanced at Burke, who met his eyes. The message in those fierce blue eyes was clear: keep it smooth, Lieutenant.
Never easy to do when Jimmy was tangled up in something.
Simon dropped a single key on the table. He handed a second key to Monty, his amber eyes never leaving Jimmy’s face. “You can use the apartment above Lieutenant Montgomery’s during your visit. We have rules. There are consequences if you break them. The apartments belong to the Courtyard. You do not let other humans into the building without our permission. We do not permit drugs on our land. If we find them in your den or smell them on your body or clothes, you, your mate, and your pups will be driven out of our territory—and our territory where you’re concerned is the city of Lakeside. Lieutenant Montgomery, as police, has a key to your apartment. So do I. We will check the apartment whenever we choose.”
“The key to the outer door?” Monty asked quietly.
“Not necessary. The door will be open during the day. It will be locked at dusk. The guard has a key and will open the outside door for anyone who has permission to enter the building. Anyone else is a trespasser.”
Remembering the Trespassers Will Be Eaten signs posted on the Courtyard roads, Monty shivered.
“You will be allowed to purchase food and merchandise from the stores in the Market Square but no more than we allow for a family pack,” Simon continued.
“This is like a fucking house arrest,” Jimmy said.
“Yes. Except you’re not confined to the den.”
“And if I don’t agree?”
“We will drive you to the train station now and purchase four tickets to whatever human town you choose within the Northeast Region. You either stay where we can watch you, or you leave.”
“And if I decide to stay somewhere else in Lakeside?”
Gods, Jimmy, stop arguing with him. He’s not a human you can bully.
“We’ll hunt you down and kill you. And then we’ll allow your mate to leave with her pups.”
Jimmy looked sick and, finally, truly scared. Monty doubted the fear would last more than a minute after Simon walked away—with Jimmy it never did—but for the moment, Cyrus James Montgomery appreciated that he’d put himself in a situation that was dangerous, even potentially deadly.
Simon leaned down, bared his teeth to reveal fangs that weren’t even close to human, and said, “If you go near Meg, I will snap your bones, tear open your belly, and eat your liver while you’re still alive.”
Wolfgard left the coffee shop, followed by Henry, Vlad, and Tess.
Stunned silence. Even Burke seemed frozen by the threat.
Nadine walked over to the table and set down glasses of water. “You still want the food?”
Monty forced a smile. “Not right now. Thank you.”
Burke stepped forward. “If you want to leave, I’ll check the train schedule to find out if there’s a train this afternoon and where it’s heading. If you don’t want to spend the night on a train after it stops for the travel curfew, you’ll have to choose a town that’s no more than four or five hours away. Otherwise you’ll have to stay overnight and head out at first light.”
Jimmy ignored Burke and focused on Sissy. “What the fuck did you pull me into?”
“Sierra didn’t pull you into anything, Cyrus,” Twyla said. “Maybe she didn’t understand as well as she should have that we were going to be surrounded by police officers and terra indigene, but coming here was your choice.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “This place is all right for me, and for Sierra and her girls. But it’s not a good place for you, Cyrus. You chose long ago the kind of life you wanted, and nothing I ever said could change that. But you’re my son, so I want you to hear me. This isn’t a good place for you. Pick another town. Make a new start for yourself and your family. There’s always room for a man willing to do an honest day’s work.”
“Honest day’s work,” Jimmy sneered. “The only thing an honest day’s work ever got Daddy was a heart attack.”
“That’s not true.”
“Well, thanks to Sissy, I hauled my wife and children here, passing up better opportunities. Now I’m stuck, so I guess I’ll have to stay until I can sort things out.”
Since there were no human-controlled towns between Hubbney and Lakeside, Jimmy hadn’t passed up anything. But Monty was sure his brother, being Jimmy, now believed he had passed up something better by coming to Lakeside.
Monty rose. “In that case, let’s go across the street and get you settled. Where’s your luggage?”
Jimmy waved a hand toward the archway. “Left it in that other store.”
“We’ll carry it over, Lieutenant,” Kowalski said.
Kowalski and Debany stiffened in response to the look Jimmy gave them. “You going to search through our things while you’re being helpful?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Burke replied, giving Jimmy his fiercest smile. “I’m sure the Wolves have already gone through your luggage and removed anything that doesn’t meet with their approval.” He walked to the front door of A Little Bite and pushed it open. “Shall we?”
Monty led the way, feeling Jimmy’s fury like claws scratching his back. Things had gone wrong between them while they were still children—long before he’d chosen a career with the police and Jimmy had chosen . . . other pursuits. There was more at stake now than a family rift. If Jimmy screwed up the relationship the humans here had been building with the Others . . .
Monty looked at Burke as he walked out of the coffee shop and wondered if it was Simon Wolfgard or his captain who posed the biggest threat to his brother.
• • •
“I’m not sure what’s going on, but the children are safer where they are. No, it’s better if you keep an eye on things over there.”
Vlad glanced toward the checkout counter as he followed Simon, Henry, and Tess toward the stairs leading to HGR’s office. Merri Lee froze, the store phone pressed to one ear and her mobile phone pressed to the other. Must be talking to Ruthie and Eve Denby.
“Good advice,” he said quietly, then hurried up the stairs. He hadn’t realized how angry he was until he closed the door. Then he strode up to Simon and gave the Wolf a shove.
“Are you sure about this?” Vlad demanded.
Simon snarled at him. “No, I’m not sure. I do know there’s a fight for dominance going on, but I don’t think Montgomery understands that.”
“That Cyrus knows it,” Henry rumbled.
“He wants control of that pack, wants to drive Montgomery out,” Simon said. “His mate will go with him. So will the Sierra. And Miss Twyla might go to try to protect the Sierra and her pups.”
“Families do split sometimes during a fight for dominance,” Vlad said. “But when that happens, they don’t both stay in the same territory.”
“Montgomery and the Lizzy will be the ones who stay,” Henry said. “If Montgomery is driven away from that family pack, the rest of them will be banned from the Courtyard.”
“Not Miss Twyla,” Simon said. “Elliot almost likes her.”
Vlad studied Simon. “That Cyrus will bring trouble here. He’ll be close to the vulnerable among us.” What would Grandfather Erebus say about a hostile male being that close to Meg? “Why should we let him stay? Why are you giving in?”
Simon growled. “Two of the Elders returned to the Courtyard when we were all distracted by the job fair. They’ve decided that Cyrus needs to stay where they can watch him.”
“Blessed Thaisia,” Henry rumbled. “Why?”
Simon kept his eyes on Vlad. “Unless the Elders can understand why one human like that Cyrus can be
a threat to a whole pack of humans—or us—they won’t allow any humans to migrate through the wild country to reach other towns.”
“So we risk the humans we trust for the Elders’ benefit?” Tess said.
No answer. Finally Simon said, “They agreed to help protect the female pack. And they agreed to let the humans from the job fair travel through the wild country unharmed.”
Human cities were ideal hunting grounds for the Sanguinati, so they rarely brushed up against the Elders. But he understood now the choice Simon had made about letting that Cyrus stay—save the Lakeside Courtyard from what would hopefully be nothing more than an annoying inconvenience or let Tolya and the town of Bennett fall along with Prairie Gold, the Intuit village that depended on the train station for its supplies. And how many other places, other people, could have fallen if Simon hadn’t made that choice?
“Well,” Vlad said. “If that Cyrus draws out others like himself, he may be of some use to us.”
The coils in Tess’s hair relaxed a little. “Bait? For who?”
“For that Jack Fillmore, the male who hurt Theral MacDonald and is still hunting her,” Vlad replied.
They let the words settle and grow weight.
“That Cyrus lived in Toland. Would Stavros know about him?” Simon asked.
“Since he’s still alive, my guess is he wasn’t important enough to draw the problem solver’s attention,” Vlad replied. “But I can ask.”
“Ask.”
“Nyx is willing to work around the consulate, freeing Elliot to deal with the mayor and other government officials. She’ll make sure no one enters the consulate who shouldn’t.” And he would talk to Grandfather Erebus about assigning more Sanguinati to spend time around the Market Square.
“Good,” Simon said. “Tell her that includes the Sierra and that Cyrus’s mate.”
“I’d like the upstairs offices here to be off-limits as well.”
Simon nodded. “I don’t want that Cyrus or his mate working in any of our stores. And they’re to be watched whenever they’re in the Market Square.”
“Are you hoping that Cyrus will do something so that you can justify killing him without causing trouble with the police or the Elders?” Tess asked.
“Aren’t you?” Vlad looked at her shoulder, relieved to see green streaks in her hair. Their resident Harvester was calming down.
“We’ll do our best to protect our friends and deal with our enemies,” Simon said.
“I’d like the Sierra to put in her work hours at A Little Bite,” Tess said. “I can watch her there.”
“Divide the time with library work,” Henry said. “I think it’s a place that holds little interest for that Cyrus.”
Simon agreed and Vlad had no objections, so they all returned to their work. But the enemy was among them now, and so were the Elders, so none of them let down their guard.
• • •
Exhausted from the emotional bomb of Jimmy’s arrival, Monty stopped at Captain Burke’s office before clocking out and going home. He wanted to spend time with Lizzy, maybe take a walk while he listened to her chatter about her day—which was more entertaining now that there were fewer complaints about her having to spend the mornings in school despite its being summer. She and Sarah Denby were teaching some of the terra indigene how to play human games such as hopscotch, and it wasn’t just the youngsters who wanted to learn. Apparently, Jenni and Starr Crowgard were fascinated by the game and played with the children whenever they could.
Crows were nimble and had excellent balance.
Monty knocked on the doorframe of Burke’s office and walked in.
“Busy day,” Burke said. “Your brother and his family get settled in?”
“I’m not sure what my sister told him, but the accommodations were a shock.”
“I’m sure they were.” Burke folded his hands on his desk. “You know I’m going to make some calls about him, find out whether he’s just a nuisance or a potential threat.”
“Yes, sir. Given the restrictions on the living arrangements, I don’t expect Jimmy to stay long. He was looking for a free ride and easy pickings. He won’t find either of those things here.”
“He’ll go too far one day, and it will cost him more than a few days in jail.”
“I know.”
“Is he going to take your sister down with him?”
Monty rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the sore, tense muscles. “Gods, I hope not. She’s a different person when she’s away from him, but I think there’s a lot Mama didn’t tell me when it comes to Sissy.”
“Families are complicated, and family loyalty can push a person into making difficult, even imprudent, choices.” Burke paused. “My men are a kind of family, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them. And that includes you. You’re a good man, Monty, and you’re doing good work here—important work that has an impact on every person living in Lakeside. I’ll keep out of it as long as your brother remains nothing more than a nuisance, but I won’t let him become a threat.”
“Sir?” Monty said, alarmed.
“Are you worried that I’ll take Cyrus for a long ride?”
A long ride meant taking someone deep into the wild country and leaving him there without food, without water, without shoes. Technically it wasn’t a death sentence because there was the slimmest chance of reaching a human settlement and being given the opportunity to start over. In reality it was a form of execution.
“No, sir, I’m not worried.”
Burke gave him a chilling smile. “Well, you should be.”
CHAPTER 8
Firesday, Messis 10
Jimmy stepped out on the apartment’s porch, wanting to inflict a world of hurt on somebody. But there were too many people already awake, and some of those people were cops. And one of those cops was his brother.
Caw!
And if being around cops wasn’t bad enough, there were too many fucking things watching him, keeping tabs on every ass scratch and fart.
A bit of mellow weed would have smoothed things out, but the fucking freaking Others had found not only Sandee’s stash of pills but the weed he’d carefully hidden in a secret compartment in the suitcase. Nobody should have found that hiding place. But his stash was gone, and the compartment had been slashed by a claw or something.
This was all Sissy’s fault. Stupid bitch. Yeah, she’d told him that she was going with Mama and her girls to visit CJ in Lakeside. But she hadn’t pushed hard enough to get him included, and he couldn’t squeeze anything out of her, not with Mama holding the train tickets and the available cash. And, yeah, once she’d reached Lakeside, Sissy had called to warn him to get out of Toland, that something bad was going to go down. And maybe she’d called him in time for him to get one of the last trains out of Toland before the storm shut everything down. But he’d had to pay for his own tickets, with Sandee clinging to him so tight he couldn’t shake her. Weighing him down with her snot-nosed brats. Gods. The way she put out when she needed something, he wasn’t sure those kids were his, so why should he use the stash of money he needed in order to buy clothes and food for them?
After getting out of Toland—he heard on the news later that entire blocks in some neighborhoods were nothing but rubble—he got bogged down around Hubbney, unable to find transportation to a town large enough to have the kind of business opportunities he preferred. In the end, Lakeside was the largest city he could reach. He would have preferred Shikago, even knew some people there, but he couldn’t afford the train fare or, gods, even the bus fare, since the ticket prices had doubled after the travel restrictions were put in place. As it was, he had to scrimp and save for weeks before he could buy the bus tickets to Lakeside and then had to wait a while longer to reach the top of the travel list. And during that time he’d had to smile and pretend to be grateful for the work that allowe
d him to eat watery soup and hard bread.
At first he’d thought he could set up in Hubbney, maybe meet up with acquaintances and do a little business, but the handouts ended after the first week. With all the storm damage, there was plenty of grunt work to be had, and every physically able adult had to show a work chit in order to get a meal at the reduced price for displaced persons. The chits could also be used to buy food from the nearest grocery store—and they could be exchanged for money. But Sandee gobbled up as much food as the two kids put together and then whined about there being no one to watch the kids when he told her he wasn’t feeding her anymore. If she wanted to eat, she could work too.
Since she was coming back to the flop with money instead of chits, he had a good idea what kind of work she was doing. Fine with him. These days, she was the body he banged when he couldn’t find better.
Should have gone back to Toland, where he knew the players, knew the games, knew whose back to scratch and who was weak enough that he could lean on them to get something. But he was in Lakeside because Sissy had led him on, let him believe CJ had somehow greased some wheels and set her and Mama up with a place to stay and food for the taking. But there was no food for the taking, and while he wasn’t paying anything to stay there, the apartment wasn’t any better than the flop they’d had in Hubbney. The freaks had found another bed and brought it up yesterday afternoon. Single beds for a man who had a woman. And bedsprings that squeaked every time he moved. How was he even supposed to hump his woman, knowing there were cops—and worse—listening?
Sissy’s fault. All of it. Well, she could do a little something to make it up to him. She surely could.
Jimmy went inside, letting the screen door slam. The sound woke Sandee, who jerked up in bed.
“What’s going on? Jimmy? Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“Out? Where? Baby, let me put some clothes on, and I’ll go with you.”
He left the apartment while she was still scrambling to find something to wear that didn’t stink since she’d been “too busy” to wash any clothes. He wasn’t concerned about his own clothes. If Sandee didn’t look after him properly, he’d boot her ass out and let Sissy look after him.