Addict (Hunter #2)(41)

“If I could give this shit to him, I would.” I was lying. Jamie was right on one count. I was getting comfortable with the strength and power at my fingertips. I kinda liked playing the superhero. And if Jamie had watched out for me while we were growing up, Nate had been my playmate. Nate was only a year older than me. We’d been each other’s companions.

“So let’s add up the score,” Jamie continued. “Kelsey lives in a big, rent-free condo with her rich, powerful boyfriend, and Nate doesn’t even have his gaming group anymore. How much does he have to pay?”

“Don’t make it sound like I’m some sort of princess,” I complained, surprised at his attitude.

“Marcus treats you like one,” Jamie shot back. “Tell me something, Kels, when was the last time you cooked your own food or did a load of laundry? Does Marcus make you do the dishes?”

“No, we have staff.” I frowned and knew I was probably pouting. “I also have to answer to the freaking king for everything. I’m basically his prisoner.”

Jamie glanced down at my feet. “You seem to have forgotten your ankle monitor.”

“I snuck out, okay.”

His eyes were dark and judgmental as he stared down at me. “Like I said, you have a hard life. You haven’t talked to Mom, either.”

I wanted to talk to my mom even less than I wanted to talk to Nate. “She lied to me, Jamie. All of my life, she’s lied to me. She lied to all of us.”

“And she raised you,” Jamie replied, his mouth firming with indignation. “She sacrificed for you. She took it every time Dad used her as a punching bag. Do you know how easy it would have been for her to have ‘taken care’ of the situation?” Jamie sighed and rubbed between his eyes. “I’ll drop it, Kels, but I wish you would think about it for a while. I know what Nate did was wrong, but he loves you. He did it because he loves you. Mom loves you.”

I thought about all the times Nate and my mother protected me. I pulled Gray’s coat around my torso, trying to shove aside the fact that I really did miss them. Forgiving Liv earlier had settled something inside me. “It’s not like she doesn’t know I’m safe and stuff. I talked to you. I assumed you talked to her.”

Jamie leaned against the light pole. “Marcus kept her updated.”

“She’s talked to Marcus?” He hadn’t mentioned that small fact to me.

“Yeah, Kels. She called because she was freaked out and you wouldn’t talk to her. You’re her daughter. You can’t go missing and not have her get scared. Marcus calmed her down. They’ve been talking once a week. He tells her you’re okay and gives her the occasional story about the stuff you’ve been doing. I hope I’m not getting the guy in hot water, but he talks to Nate, too.”

I had to think about that for a moment. Marcus hadn’t tried to push my family at me. He mentioned them. He told me he thought I should reconcile and when I threw a temper tantrum at the mention of Nate’s name, he let the subject drop. I hadn’t asked him to ignore my family. “I’m okay with it.”

Jamie nodded, relief on his face. “I’m glad because Marcus is a good guy.”

I slid my brother a sly grin. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. I would have thought a vampire would be the last guy you would want me dating, much less living with.”

He let loose a long sigh. “My standards have come way down. Marcus can’t get you pregnant in an attempt to please his father. He can’t marry you, thereby obliging you to go to the Hell plane with him. He’s practically the f*cking boy next door in my book.”

I chuckled at the thought, lacing my arm through my brother’s and leaning against him. “But you and Gray seem fine.”

Jamie sobered quickly. “He’s my best friend. I’ve started to think of him as having a terminal illness. I kind of wish he could find a woman who would make these last years happy. I just don’t want it to be my sister.” Jamie straightened up. “Now, the way I figure it, I can do one of two things. I can haul your butt home or I could tell you that I’ve been casing this place every night for two weeks and I happen to know that Scott takes the trash out and has a smoke at three-thirty every night. I heard Gray mention you were looking to talk to him. This way you don’t have to go into the bar.”

I grinned up at my brother. “You’re kind of awesome, James. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“All the time, sister,” he replied. “And we won’t mention this to Gray. Now tell me all about Italy.”

Fifteen minutes later, I watched as the back door to the warehouse opened and Scott came out right on time. He’d been athletic in high school, and the vestiges still clung to him. Had he been a normal human, he would have gone to fat a long time before given his love of beer and lack of any kind of exercise. He and Liv had started dating in college, and he’d never left her couch until a couple of weeks ago. I thought he was a complete loser, but then it took one to know one. I wasn’t sure how he would take me coming to save him.

He stared up at the air for a minute. He didn’t seem as surprised by the snow as I’d been. He shrugged it off as though it was a nuisance. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his front pocket and was lighting it as he slung the big garbage bag over his shoulder. He started to make his way to the dumpster.