Blood Sacrifice (The Blood Sisters Book 3) (14 page)

Amanda
moaned as Jessica stroked her face. She felt her sister’s love. “You’ll bring
destruction to us all. Let me go, Jess. Please.”

“Never
gonna happen.” Jessica whispered as Amanda’s mind slipped into a cold
unconscious state that was neither of Hell or of the Earth.

With
Amanda collapsed in Jessica’s arm the stasis field that held the police back
faded, but Jessica couldn’t worry about that. All she could do was cradle her
sister, and stroke the once soft skin of her face.

Baby
girl in her pigtails afraid to hurt a fly.

The
sweet little girl who cried after stubbing her toe. The young woman who would
give anything to save one person. One soul. Nursing injured birds back to
health and one day, even using her power to heal a puppy’s paw.

Now
what had happened to her? What? Jessica would hold her. She would protect her
until her dying day no matter what that meant for her. The world.

“Police!”
They were all around them, and the sounds of them scrambling for their weapons
echoed through the open space of Vegas, but Jessica couldn’t be jarred out of
her trance. She’d save Amanda. She would.

If
she didn’t, why even bother? Nothing would be worth doing. Nothing.

“Freeze
or we’ll shoot!”

“She’s
sick. Highly contagious. You can’t take her from us,” it was Duncan’s voice
that reached Jessica. Deep inside of herself she hid, but his voice drew her
out. Hugging Amanda close, Jessica blinked and was drawn back into the present.
This was his play, seriously?

Who
was going to buy a word he was saying?

Duncan
stood, his hands splayed. “CDC, we’re here to obtain patient zero. If you guys
come any closer--.”

Two
police in the front exchanged glances. “You really expect us to believe that,
you bum? When was the last thing you looked in the mirror?”

Jessica
knew it would never work. Sweet loving fool that he was…she was thankful he
tried, but the police were going to haul them away. This time, they might strap
Jessica down so tight with their chains and straps, she’d never escape.

It
was Mike’s turn to stand. He raised his hand while he reached inside his inside
pocket and produced a billfold. Flipping it open for a one or two seconds, he
shut it again. “We are CDC and I am on special assignment from the Vatican. You
don’t really expect to second guess the pope, do you?”

“Father…”
The officer blinked.

“Where’s
your van?” The other cop asked, clearly unconvinced. “Ambulances? Cars? How
come we don’t see anything?”

Gwen
nudged Jessica and spoke in a rushed whisper. “You need to be ready to move and
fast, girl.”

Jessica
gathered Amanda tighter in her arms but she didn’t look at Gwen. She could feel
her aunt bearing down on her with her eyes and she felt blamed for all of this.
Somehow it had to be her fault, right? She was supposed to protect Amanda.

She
failed. Oh God, how she had failed.

Gwen
touched Jessica’s hair. “It’s not over yet. Be strong, Jess.”

As
if she wasn’t? As if she hadn’t been for years? Tears filled Jessica’s eyes as
she heard someone’s voice break over the horizon.

“Van
is just over that embankment. We didn’t want to spook the prisoner. She’s
hallucinating and needs help.”

Jessica’s
skin chilled. It was Ron. Ron Wax. She gazed upon the man she framed for mass
murder under Lourdes’s orders. Wearing a bad black wig and a fake mustache, he
was in a business suit and from the way his arms hung, you could tell it didn’t
quite fit right and wasn’t comfortable. As he flashed his ID to the police, he
glanced at Jessica, and she turned her head away.

Couldn’t
face him. Not after everything she had done and he came now? Well, that had to
be a bad omen.

“Now,
if you could please get everyone inside and stay there for twenty-four hours.
The air purity out here is being compromised. Me and my co-workers here, we’ll
get her where she can be treated and hopefully create a vaccine for you.”

The
officers raised their eyebrows. “For us?”

Ron
coughed into his fist for effect and Jessica had to give it to him, it was
effective. The police started driving the crowds back as Ron approached.
Jessica couldn’t look up, but she knew she had to. She was embarrassed beyond
belief as the police spoke to Ron. “Being sick doesn’t explain what she did.
Our weapons, the building. Whatever it was, it wasn’t natural.”

“Supernatural?”
Ron chuckled. “You going to put that in your report, officer? You feel like
retiring early? We’re experts at this, let us handle it.”

The
officer’s face. “That doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to have to drop
by the station. We need to make this official.”

“Of
course I will. You think I’d break protocol?” Ron asked with the utmost
authority. “Let’s get her moving. C’mon!” He whispered to Duncan. “I’m guessing
we don’t have much time.”

Duncan
didn’t say anything out loud, but he raised his eyebrows. He bent over Jessica.
“I’ll carry her, Jess. If you’ll let me.”

Jessica
nodded and was grateful Duncan was there. Besides her, Duncan was the only
person she’d trust with Amanda. Her sister’s head fell
backward
and the way her limbs hung, terrified her. Until Jessica
saw that the lines on Amanda’s face had retreated, ever so slightly.

“Lourdes’s
magic—.”

Gwen
nodded as she grabbed Jessica’s arm and helped her up. “She’s unconscious and
not accessing her power. Giving her healing ability time to work. It won’t do
much, but it might buy us some time.”

So
Jessica had to be happy with that? A little bit of time, what would they get
them?

“Which
way to your car?” Ron asked.

Jessica
pointed back down the street. It seemed like forever since they had parked
there. She wanted to say something more to Ron, but didn’t know where to start.
Apologizing? “Ron—.”

“Let’s
just get to your car,” Ron said without looking at her. “I came here for her,
not you. Got it, sunshine?” He picked up the pace.

“At
least he came,” Gwen said, but she didn’t understand. Not really.

Jessica
realized Hannah was following them. “We’ll get you somewhere safe. Trust me,
that’s truly not with us.”

“Yeah,”
Hannah said, “I was starting to piece that together.”

*****

Duncan
lay Amanda in the backseat of the Blood family Chrysler with gentleness and
placed his rolled up jacket beneath her head. They kept it safe for him after
they discovered it outside the church. Amanda had been the one who wanted to
return it to him. And now…

Jessica
chewed on her inside lip as she waited and glanced at Gwen and Mike. Something
about their stance wasn’t right or normal. She couldn’t put her finger on it,
but whatever it was, it was bad.

“Did
you get the Ruby Heart?” Jessica asked.

Gwen
took a deep breath. “She’ll never make it all the way back to Vermont. There’s
another church like that one. New Mexico. Albuquerque. Has a cage. Everything
we need. We’ll lead and you follow us.”

That
would work, right? They could get there? The drive wasn’t short, but Jessica
was confident they’d find a way. “What about the Ruby heart?”

 “Get
her there. Then, we’ll talk.” Gwen said with flushed cheeks. She wouldn’t look
Jessica in the eye and well—that was bad. What was her aunt keeping from her
this time? Another dark family secret?

Jessica
opened her mouth to answer, but Gwen and Mike were already on their way to her
Jeep, wherever that was parked. Jessica wished people would just be straight
with her.

Speaking
of being straight… “Thanks for helping us back there,” Jessica said to Ron.
“And for what I did when I was under Lourdes’s control.”

“Forget
it,” Ron sighed. “I tried to stay gone. Keep the hell away from your boat load
of trouble, but what I saw out there? Deep shit is opening up and it’s because
Lourdes is dead. Because Amanda—But we can’t let her fall. I know that. I don’t
want to lose her any more than you do.”

Jessica
nodded. Humbled by his words. “Thanks,” she muttered quietly.

“But
get this, Blood,” Ron pointed his finger at her. “We are not friends. And if
I’m going to help you with this thing, when it’s over, you turn yourself in.
You clear my name so I’m not walking around a fugitive. People think I killed
my own gang. You think I want to live with that hanging over my head?”

Duncan
rose up. “Hell, Ron. She doesn’t need this. She doesn’t need this from you. Do
you have any idea—?”

Jessica
saw the fire in Ron’s eye. The hurt and pain she had caused. Maybe if she did
turn herself in, she could rid herself of her guilt. Maybe she could right the
cosmic scale of karma, or the very least be able to sleep at night. Leaving
Duncan behind wasn’t something Jessica wanted, but clearing her soul might be
more important.

“All
right,” Jessica said softly, but she repeated it again louder. “I’ll do it. You
help us save her and I’ll do it.”

Ron
and Duncan both did a double take, but while Ron’s glance was one of gladness
Duncan’s face fell. “You can’t possibly be serious.”

Jessica
couldn’t look at him. “Get in the car,” she fished the key out of her pocket
and slid behind the wheel. “Hannah, go with Ron. You shouldn’t be in the
backseat with Amanda. Ron, no funny business.”

Ron
held his hands up. “Wouldn’t dream of it, sugar.”

Duncan
slammed the door shut as Jessica started the car up. “We need to talk about
this, Jessica. We’re not talking about a slap on the wrist. We’re talking about
going away for life for something you didn’t even do.”

Jessica
pulled the car away from the curb and wasn’t careful about speed limits or
traffic signs as she headed toward the highway. She didn’t want to have the
conversation they were about to have, but to shut him out would be a mistake.
Jessica needed Duncan more than ever and she didn’t want to wreck whatever it
was they had. “You think I don’t understand the terms? You think I don’t know
what I’m agreeing to? But if he can play a part and help us save Amanda —I’ll
do anything to save her. You know that.”

That
was the mission. That was what was most important.

He
should’ve known that. It was condition number one.

Duncan
snorted and shook his head. “Why does it have to be her or you? Why are you
both always willing to give your lives for the other? Maybe instead of thinking
of saving just her you should focus on saving us. Her, you. Me. Family, Jess.
Family.”

His
words put tears in her eyes and Jessica ground her jaw to keep them at bay. He
spoke the words her heart always wanted to hear. Family. Was there anything she
craved more than that?

“She
slew Lourdes and has now inherited the throne. Someone needs to take the
queen’s position or else hell is gonna rise, Duncan. It’s already started based
on what Ron is saying. Someone has to descend into darkness and it sure as hell
isn’t going to be Amanda.”

“So
what, you think it’s going to be you?” Duncan demanded with a shake of his
head. “No, Jess—No.”

Jessica
vexed and blew a sigh. “It’s not open for discussion. It was going to be Vain.
That was my bright idea, but Amanda—killed her. Amanda killed her so she
wouldn’t be around to take the throne because she
wants
it, Duncan. Do
you understand how messed up Amanda is? She can’t think straight. She thinks
she can exorcise the entire underworld and save us all. Thinks she can even
save the dead.”

Duncan
scowled and crossed his arms. “I’m not sure how to process all of just what you
said.”

Jessica
nodded. “Well, join the club. I’ve lived through the last few days and I don’t
know how to process it.” She slammed her hand on the steering wheel.
“Everything Gwen did, everything I did, everything my parents did, was to save
her. Don’t you get it? If she falls now, it was all for nothing. All the pain,
all the suffering. It’s for nothing.”

“Okay,
Jess.” Duncan’s voice was soft as he reached her and stroked her hair. His
fingers entangled in the red strands, he scratched at her scalp and slid
closer. “Okay,” he whispered and kissed her cheek. “Whatever you decide, I’m
with you until the end, but if you think I’m not going to follow you into that
hole, you’re wrong.”

A
tear slid down her cheek. “You’d do that for me?” Jessica asked.

“Girl,
don’t you know by now I’d do anything for you?”

Maybe
she should’ve known or maybe something about her made that impossible. She
wasn’t born a broken person, Jessica knew that, but life had made her that way.
Jessica gave him a shining smile, one that broke through the darkness of her
heart. “As long as Gwen got her hands on the Ruby Heart when we were in Vegas,
we can save her. We just have to get to the church before she wakes up.”

Duncan
held up a small canvas zipper bag. “Mike gave me reinforcements. We should be
able to get Amanda inside and locked up before she even knows what hit her.”

“Will
the church let us in?” Jessica asked.