[Southern Arcana 1] Crux (3 page)

She narrowed her eyes. “I thought Nick owned the bar.

How can you offer to let me stay there?” She probably didn’t even realize that she’d taken a step back from him, but Jackson noticed.

He kept his voice soothing. “Nick is my best friend. She wouldn’t want you to be here, that’s for damn sure. I think she’d want you to stay there until you find a better place.” The fight seemed to melt out of her, leaving her looking exhausted. She finally met his eyes, and gave him a tired, self-conscious smile. “Honestly? I don’t think I’m up to walking all the way back there tonight.”

“So I’ll call a cab. Hell, I’ll call my partner if I have to.

He won’t like having his tired old ass dragged out of bed, but I’ll do it.”

Mackenzie stared at him for a long time, studying his face as if she could read his intentions. Then she nodded once. “If you don’t mind calling a cab, I can go and get my bag.” There was no way in hell he was letting her go to her room alone. “I don’t really want to wait here by myself.

Would it be all right if I came and waited outside the door?”

“Okay.” She tilted her head toward the dark driveway.

“It’s back this way.”

www.samhainpublishing.com 25

Moira Rogers

Jackson already had his phone out. He dialed information absently, the bulk of his attention focused on every noise in the dim alley. As confident as he was in his ability to take care of himself and Mackenzie, he didn’t relish the thought of getting caught off his guard. But they reached the top of the rickety staircase without incident.

A man stood by the landing, leaning against the wall next to a defaced sign entreating the guests not to smoke. He had a cigarette in his mouth, but pulled it out to leer at Mackenzie when she walked by. He caught sight of Jackson and the expression faded, replaced by surprise and then wary resentment.

Mackenzie appeared to ignore him, but Jackson could see how tight her shoulders were as she walked to the second door and slipped a key out of her pocket.

“Evening,” Jackson said with a nod, taking care to follow Mackenzie closely.

The man glared at Jackson and ground out his cigarette on the sign next to his head. His dark gaze slid to Mackenzie, who struggled to work the rusty key into the lock with hands that shook.

Jackson answered the man’s glare with a bland look and stepped forward. “Let me.” He reached around and took the key from her trembling hand. The lock yielded easily. “I’ll be right here.”

26

www.samhainpublishing.com

Crux

She was close enough for him to feel her shiver before she slipped away, still moving with that surprising grace though obviously exhausted and terrified.

Jackson spoke into his cell phone, asking to be connected to the first cab-company listing. The sooner he got Mackenzie out of here, the better.

*

Mackenzie was fumbling through her bag for her envelope of cash when she looked up to see Jackson pass several folded bills through the cab’s window. The cabbie handed him a slip of paper in return and pulled away, leaving Mackenzie on the sidewalk with the money in her hand.

She stepped forward and held it out. “Here. I was going to pay for the cab.”

He shook his head. “Got a receipt. It’s a tax-deductible business expense.”

“Oh.” Even if it was just his way of making her feel better about accepting his charity, she was too tired to argue. She shoved the money back into her duffel bag and swung the strap onto her shoulder. “So where do I need to go?” He nodded to the Spanish-style brick building that housed the bar. “There’s a staircase around back that leads to the apartment. Come on. I’ll show you.”

www.samhainpublishing.com 27

Moira Rogers

He led her around the corner and up the sturdy, wrought-iron stairs. “Wait here,” he said on the landing. “I need to see if I can find the key.” He fumbled around the doorjamb before kneeling and lifting a potted fern. “Here we go.” His broad shoulders blocked her view as he opened the door with a click.

He stepped back and gestured her in.

For a moment Mackenzie stood on the landing and watched him, fear and paranoia battling with the desperate need to sleep in a safe place. The bar was located in a quieter part of the Quarter, and most of the surrounding buildings housed residences or businesses that had long since closed for the day; walking into the apartment would put her at Jackson’s mercy. It was unlikely anyone would come to her aid if she called for help.

Then again, no one would have
cared
if she’d called for help at the motel. If Jackson had wanted to hurt her, he’d had ample opportunity. She didn’t know if he made her feel safe or if she just didn’t have the energy to care anymore, but she nodded and walked into the apartment.

The small entry gave way to a kitchen and living area, everything decorated in bright, welcoming colors. After a string of motels that had started at cheap and nosedived to trashy, the sight brought tears to her eyes.

Jackson stood there, one hand on the edge of the open door. “I hope you’re not hungry. There probably isn’t any 28

www.samhainpublishing.com

Crux

food in the fridge, though you might be able to find something in the pantry.” He scratched the back of his head and furrowed his brow. “You could always order in. The phone should be in working order.”

“I’m fine,” she said quietly, hoping he wouldn’t hear the slight tremor in her voice. She moved slowly into the living room, dropping the bag by the side of the couch. She surreptitiously wiped her eyes, turned and sat. “Are you sure Nick isn’t going to mind?”

He shook his head and spoke, his voice low. “Nick won’t mind. She’ll be glad you stayed someplace safe.” His grin was encouraging. “Hey, you’re not likely to be late for work tomorrow.”

His smile was as irresistible as his eyes, and she found herself wishing she had an excuse to get him to stay a while longer.

Don’t be stupid
, she reminded herself sharply as she pulled her gaze from his.
Now is not the time for distractions.

She couldn’t get involved with him. At best, it would make it hard to move on when she needed to. And if Marcus showed up while they were together…

He was too nice a man to get tangled up in her problems, so she met his eyes again and tried to show gratitude in her expression without letting anything else creep in. “Thank you, www.samhainpublishing.com 29

Moira Rogers

Jackson. It—it’s really nice that you and Nick are helping me out. I promise I’ll find someplace else to stay.”

“Sure,” he said easily, rocking the door back and forth absently. “I’ll call Nick in the morning and tell her you’re here, so don’t worry about that. Bolt the door behind me.

Sleep well, Mackenzie.” He disappeared, and the door closed with a gentle click.

Mackenzie let out the breath she’d been holding.

Exhaustion dragged at her as she made her way to the door to lock the deadbolt and back to the couch, and she sank back into the plush cushion with a soft sigh.
I’ll just sit here a few
minutes…

In moments, she was curled comfortably on her side, her head resting on a bright blue cushion. For the first time since Marcus had found her over a month ago, she drifted to sleep feeling safe, comfortable, and almost hopeful.

Jackson leaned against the lamp post and scratched his arm as he looked at the second-floor windows of Mahalia’s old apartment. The lights hadn’t gone off, but he hoped Mackenzie was getting some rest, anyway. She’d almost fallen asleep in the taxi back from her crappy motel, even though it was obvious she was fresh out of trust for strangers.

A handful of people walked past, almost knocking into him, and Jackson stepped back automatically, his mind on the 30

www.samhainpublishing.com

Crux

woman upstairs. She’d been so skittish he hadn’t wanted her to look out and see him on the street, so he’d thrown up a quick shield, something to shadow him from most people’s sight. It was a trick Mahalia herself had taught him, back before she’d decided to retire to Boca Raton and make him learn all his magic the hard way, from dusty old books that tended to fall apart on him and make his eyes water.

There was no doubt in his mind Mackenzie was on the run from something, though he’d bet anyone a hundred bucks it was
someone
. An old boyfriend, perhaps, or a husband.

Some overprotective, possessive asshole, maybe even an abusive one. His fists clenched at the thought. Surely if she was a shapeshifter, as Nick had suggested, she could have taken care of such a situation. Or maybe the hypothetical guy was just as strong, or stronger. It made sense.

Except that she really had seemed clueless when he’d tossed out that line about people like them. That part didn’t make so much sense. He resolved to ask Alec to take a look at Mackenzie. His partner was fifteen years older than Nick, and his shapeshifter instincts were more refined. He should be able to settle the question.

What wouldn’t be so easy to settle was why Jackson could still remember the striking cobalt shade of her eyes, or the way she moved like the same gravity that affected everyone else couldn’t quite reach her.

www.samhainpublishing.com 31

Moira Rogers

He scratched his head and huffed in disgust. He was standing under a streetlight, waxing poetic about the shade of a stranger’s eyes. Add a show tune or two, and his already bizarre life was headed straight for the theatre of the absurd.

32

www.samhainpublishing.com

Jackson growled and balanced a coffee tray and a paper bag in one hand as he tugged open the office door. “Morning,” he said dourly as he walked in and dropped the bag on the small table that held the cold, empty coffee maker. “I stopped by Café du Monde on the way in and bought beignets.” The young woman behind the receptionist’s desk looked him over before raising an eyebrow. “I thought Alec was the one staking out crazy husband dude. Did something go down last night that you both needed to handle?”

“No, Katherine.” He placed a coffee cup on her desk and laid the tray on his own. “I was working on something else.”

“What were you—” Her words cut off as the door opened again and Jackson’s partner shoved through it, looking even less cheerful than Jackson felt.

Alec also held a coffee tray and paper bag, which he raised as the door swung shut. “I stopped by Café du Monde and got…” His gaze fell on the bag beside the coffee maker and jumped to Jackson. “Shit, what the hell happened to you?”
Moira Rogers

“He was working on something else,” Kat supplied helpfully, an amused glint in her light blue eyes. The look she flashed Jackson was downright mischievous. “So Alec doesn’t know about this mysterious other job?”

Jackson dropped into his leather chair, his elbows hitting the desk as he rubbed his eyes. “I was doing Nick Peyton a favor. Well, not exactly. She’s cutting our bar tab in half as payment.”

“In half? Must have been quite a favor.” Alec dumped a second cup of coffee on Kat’s desk and sank into his own chair with an inhuman grace Jackson found particularly offensive, considering the fact that Alec had not only also been up all night, but had more than ten years on him to begin with.

“Mmm. She hired someone new, but the woman’s been acting kind of squirrelly, so Nick wanted me to make sure she had a decent place to stay. Turned out, she had a room in some condemned roach motel upriver.”

“Where’s she staying now?”

Jackson hesitated. Alec had been his partner for five years, and the man was bound to take his next revelation the wrong way. “I took her back to Mahalia’s and let her into the apartment upstairs.”

Alec’s eyebrows rose, but it was Kat who spoke. “And since Café du Monde was on your way into work, that must 34

www.samhainpublishing.com

Crux

mean you stayed there.” There was
far
too much amusement in her voice.

“Yeah, I stayed there,” he replied irritably. “Outside, in the company of my favorite streetlamp, which is why I look like sun-dried crap, and not like some guy who got lucky last night. So shut up already.”

“Did you figure out why she’s so squirrelly?” Alec shot Kat a quelling look Jackson probably wasn’t supposed to see.

“Nope. I’ve got a good idea, though.” Jackson flipped through his address cards and picked up the phone.

Alec took another sip of his coffee. “Gonna share?”

“Uh-uh.”

Blissful silence filled the office for a full five seconds before Alec snorted in exasperation. “Jesus. You’ve got the hots for her, don’t you?”

Jackson shot him an exasperated look of his own and put down the phone. “Not everything in my life is about sex, Jacobson. I just figure it’s none of your damn business, that’s all.”

“If you’re doing a job, it’s my business. You were supposed to be sleeping last night so one of us would be ready to deal with the fallout on the Smith case this morning. Now
your
personal business is screwing up
my
professional business.”

“
Is
there fallout to deal with?” www.samhainpublishing.com 35

Moira Rogers

Alec pulled a slim camera from his jacket pocket and held it up. “As soon as Kat pulls the pictures off of here, you can see how much. The man’s not subtle. I’m not surprised his wife figured out exactly what he was up to.” Jackson was glad he’d already called Nick to update her on Mackenzie’s status and whereabouts. “Let me guess.

Cocktail waitress? Exotic dancer?”

“Secretary. It’s always the secretary.” Alec turned his dark gaze on Kat and flashed her a wicked smile. “Why is that, Kat?”

Jackson watched in amusement as Kat snatched the camera from Alec’s hand with a dangerous look. “Don’t ask me. I wouldn’t get mixed up with you if you paid me. Oh wait, you do.” She handled the camera with speed and familiarity, her fingers flying over the buttons. She plugged a cord from her computer into the side of the camera and pulled her keyboard toward her. “Now,
Jackson
, on the other hand… I’d get mixed up with him for sure. Especially if he made me Italian food.”