Marc (Bowen Boys, #4)(39)
“Will you be able to live with that choice, Jonny?” They both looked at Caitlynne. “Killing another being, panther or not, is a big decision. Even in the heat of the moment, a life or death thing, it’s something you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life. Do you think you can do that?”
“Hell yes.” Caitlynne applauded her. “I don’t want you to think this is going to be fun for me, but when I think of all those people he hurt and made suffer, I want to find him now and chew his arm off.”
“This isn’t the first scam that Roy Dawson has tried. It’s had the least impact on the murder count, but not for lack of trying. We’re pretty sure that once an animal has served his purpose, or sometimes when he wants out, Roy has them killed. I think that you were just lucky that you were just exotic enough that you brought him a great deal of money. Otherwise he would have killed you after the first time.” Caitlynne handed her a file as she continued. “Ten years ago, Dawson was working for a smalltime dealer named Fletcher. He wasn’t worth much in the large scheme of things, but he was getting there. Dawson decided he wanted it all instead of just a cut. What he didn’t know was that the man was only a part of a huge picture, and he ended up working for a mobster for about two years. Just about the time the mob boy turned up dead, Roy was flush with a great deal of cash.”
“What does this have to do with me?” Jonny handed her the file, and Jack opened it. “It’s nothing to me who else he’s killed. I just want him to stop what he’s doing now, to me.”
“Selfish but honest, I can live with that,” Caitlynne said with a smile. “But what this has to do with you is this. Two days ago Dawson was treated by one of my informants. He nearly wet himself when Anthony Kidd picked him up at his home and took him to a warehouse. While he was there, he treated Dawson. Someone had beaten him really badly. A whip was used, as was a bat. He told Kidd that Anita had done it. And she’d not said a word why. Then Dawson hands Kidd this note, and after he reads it he starts to cry like a baby. My informant handed him a box of tissues, and he took it. Would you like to know what it said?”
Jack nodded, too, when Jonny did. This was huge, f*cking huge. Anthony Kidd was the right-hand man to every dealer in the country. If he couldn’t get you any drugs, then you f*cking didn’t need them. And when he said you were done, you were gone too.
“When I find my daddy dearest and get all his money, I’m coming back for you. Both of you will suffer much more than this little slapping around I’ve given you. Love you so much, A.”
Jonny sat down and looked at both of them. Jack waited for Jonny to speak, and when she seemed to be in a trance, she looked over at Caitlynne, her new boss.
“Could have handled that a little better, I’m thinking.” Caitlynne snorted. “You think, I don’t know, maybe taking it down a notch or two might have been a little easier on her?”
“You think Roy will when he comes for her? And you and I both have been in this business long enough to know that he will. He’ll have to. Or he’ll send Anita after her. Either way, she’s going to be in a shit-ton of trouble when it happens.” She nodded, not agreeing with how she’d said it, but that she was right about Roy. “Besides, I think she’ll come out on top. She’s a kick-ass kid.”
“And she’s sitting right here.” Jack grinned at Jonny. Yeah, she liked this girl. She was going to help her any way she could.
“So, you’re going to marry Marc, right?” Jonny nodded. “Good, there are some things you should know about me.”
The chair Jonny was sitting in began to rise. As it moved around the deck, Jonny didn’t say a word but held on. When she sat her across from her, Jack reached into her mind and captured a small memory and smiled.
“You and Marc have been doing the nasty in the woods.” The little push back didn’t bother her so much, but when she felt her nose bleed, Jack stopped touching Jonny’s mind. She looked at her and waited before she tried again. This time her head exploded in pain.
“Don’t.” Jack held up her hand to Caitlynne when she started toward her. “Can you do anything but that?”
“No. I can lift a few items but not very much, and sometimes when I’m PMSing, I can do a lot more, but not on the scale you can.” Jack nodded at Jonny. “Oh, and I can hide really well.”
“Hide?” Jack looked at Caitlynne when she asked. “What do you mean hide? My son can hide. Help me understand.”
“I can tread really lightly on anything. Floors, ground, even leaves. I can move through anything like it’s not there.” Jack sat up and stared at her. “I didn’t know I could do it until I had to escape the house and there were a couple dozen men around. They never saw me.”
“Never saw you or never heard you because you didn’t let them, or they just couldn’t?” Jack went to the door and asked Dylan to come out. “Don’t hurt him, but let him read your mind. He won’t hurt you, but he can dig deeper than any of us can.”
Marc came out with Dylan and she told them what she wanted. Marc went to Jonny and held her while Jack told him what she thought was happening. Marc started to nod.
“I’ve seen her do it. We were in the woods and I couldn’t find her. I could smell her everywhere but not see her. She’s really good. I’ve never seen a better tracker than her.” Jack smiled. “I don’t like that look. What are you up to?”