CAPTURED: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys(108)

"You sound stressed," Ethan said, and from the sound of his voice, the  prick was smiling about it. Jessica was on speaker. Great.

"Fuck off. I'm not in the mood," Jack said.

"Why are we best friends?" Ethan asked.

"Shithead," Jack said.

"It had to be done, Jack," Jessica said, though not unkindly. "She's unregistered, and after what she did to you-"

"She's still here," Jack said quickly.

There was another pause. That was never a good thing with the two of them.

"What happened?" Ethan asked.

"I called it in, but there was a bigger job that required all hands on  deck. The collectors won't be here for another two days. Three if we're  being honest."

"Will you be all right with her in the house? You're not exactly equipped for overnight stays," Jessica said.

"Just chain her to the floor and you should be fine," Ethan said. "Or leave her in the box."

"That's not humane," Jessica said.

"So? After what she did to him it's not exactly the worst thing that could happen to her."

Jack pushed himself off the wall. He started wandering the halls of his  house, not really paying attention to where he was going. "She's afraid  of enclosed spaces," he said.

"So?" Ethan asked. "She wasn't afraid of lighting you on fire."

Ethan was his best friend, and Jessica was Jack's ex, and it was because  of this that they were the only two people on earth Jack had told about  Cindy's involvement in the fire. They usually erred on the lenient side  when it came to the paranormals they found, but Ethan had no sympathy  for Cindy. Jessica acted a little more reserved whenever she was  mentioned. Probably because it was awkward to hear about a former  lover's ex in conversation. No matter what that conversation was about.

"That doesn't mean he wants to lower himself to her level," Jessica said.

Jack clenched his fist, his nails biting into the palm he'd slapped Cindy with. He wasn't about to mention that to Jessica.

"It's his choice what he does with her," Ethan said.

"I'm just saying he's not equipped to handle housing a dangerous paranormal for so long," Jessica replied.

No, Jack wasn't. Especially not with her. Cindy had been in his house  for only a few hours and he'd already jerked off. "I should be fine.  She's already chained up so it's not like she can go anywhere."

"You said she was a pyro," Jessica said. From the sound of her voice, she was getting pissed. Most likely at her brother.

Like Jack could ever forget that Cindy was a fire starter.

"The chains are spelled," Jack said, trying to reassure her. "And she's  in a cement room. She's not burning her way out of that."

There was another brief silence. Jack waited for her response.

"You know, you're the only ex boyfriend I've got that I call up worried about."

Ethan made a choked sound. Like he'd been taking a drink of something and his sister's words made it go down the wrong tube.

Jack smiled at both Jessica's worry and her brother's discomfort. "Which makes me pretty lucky, right?"

He didn't get the response he wanted from his attempt at flirting, which  was probably for the best. Things didn't work out the first time  because he was still hung up on the woman downstairs.

Jessica was good enough to not mention that Jack was being an idiot.  Ethan was still coughing. A dull thumping noise sounded like he was  pounding on his chest.         

     



 

"I'll call you later to ask about her," Jessica said. "If you need any help, I'll come over."

Jack knew she would. At the drop of a hat, she and Ethan would both be  here if he told them he needed help. Jessica wouldn't be coming over  because she thought she could get him into bed either. She was a better  friend than that. It had been hard enough for Ethan to accept that his  sister had been dating his friend, and it had been a real test of that  friendship when they'd broken up, too.

Jack didn't even think he could have sex with her. If Jessica came over  by herself wearing a babydoll and a smile, Jack didn't think he could  have sex with her. Not because he didn't want to hurt her, or put his  friendship with Ethan through the grinder again.

Seeing Cindy had done this to him. Having her in the house was a problem.

That was the most unfair thing in the universe, too, because he could really use a good fuck right about now.

"Jack? Are you listening?"

He came out of his thoughts like someone had splashed water on his face. "Yeah. Yeah I heard you."

He seriously doubted Jessica believed him, but she was good about it and let it pass.

"I wish I hadn't heard any of that. You both need to warn me when you want to have a conversation like that," Ethan said.

Jack shook his head. "Won't happen again, buddy, don't you worry."

He hoped saying that wouldn't hurt Jessica's feelings.

Jessica sighed. "All right. Keep in touch, though. I'm worried about you with her in the house."

Jack didn't blame her for that.

"Actually, before you hang up," he said.

"Yes?"

Jack bit down on his bottom lip. Hard. Then he squeezed his eyes shut  and pinched the bridge of his nose. "She told me it wasn't her."

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked without hesitation in her voice.

"I'm not surprised," Ethan said.

Jessica snapped at him. "Shut up. Jack, what's going on?"

Jack leaned against the nearest wall. He spoke through his teeth. "I mean, she said she didn't do it."

"Do you believe her?" Ethan asked. He sounded genuinely curious.

Honesty was always the best policy here, so Jack wasn't sure why he felt like he was lying. "No."

Now Jessica and Ethan seemed to be hesitating again. Jack was sometimes  stunned the two of them weren't twins, sharing a single mind between  them.

"I mean it," Jack said. This time he felt better about his answer.

"Look, I didn't know her then, so whatever happens, whatever you choose to do, just be careful," Jessica said.

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Ethan asked.

At least he was on the same page as Jack. There was no choice involved  here. The choice was already made. Cindy was going with the collectors  when they came.

"Just take care of yourself, Jack," Jessica said, and he hated the fact  that she sounded like she knew something he didn't. Then she hung up and  Jack was alone again, staring at the screen.

What did she mean by that? Jack set the phone down on the table.

He reached for his tablet so he could check his e-mail. When there was  nothing from Head Office regarding a specific time for the pickup, Jack  looked into his banking.

Bringing in a pyro, especially an unregistered one who had been on the  run for so long, would bring in enough money for him to completely pay  off this house three times over, with enough left for a new truck and  then some. People with elemental powers weren't as common as vampires  and werewolves. Only mermaids were as rare and hard to bring in, and  they were mostly left alone.

His account was still healthy, however, even after all the cash he'd  dropped on weapons, hiring private investigators, and taking classes to  better learn the trade he thought he'd never completely devote his life  to.

Hell, he should probably just give Cindy to the collectors for free  after what she did to him. Jack had no outstanding debts, and he could  even take a nice long vacation if he wanted to.

Maybe he would take a vacation after Cindy was gone. He could use one.  He might even convince Ethan and Jessica to come with him.

Jack gave that some serious thought as he took a seat at the kitchen table and rested his chin in his hands.

What if she was telling the truth?

If Cindy was telling the truth, and he still didn't believe that she was, then he didn't want to send her to a lab.

If he didn't bring her in, then where was she going to stay? With him?  Yeah right. If he was wrong about the entire thing she would just finish  what she had started years before.

He was so fucking stupid for even considering this, and it wouldn't  matter anyway because he'd already called her in. The collectors knew he  had a woman who could light fires with a thought. No one wanted someone  like that on the loose.

Jack opened up a file full of pictures. His father, Sean, was there,  holding up a fish he'd caught on his honeymoon, and Jack's mother was at  his side, an equally big smile on her face.

Aidan and Liam weren't born yet. Jack got to their pictures next, with  the most recent one having been taken the day before they were killed.

It gave him chills to look at this picture, how they were all smiling,  not knowing what was coming. He missed the smiles on their faces. It had  been taken right after he'd told them his plans of attending school  with the love of his life. Sometimes he was glad he'd gotten one last  picture, though. Something with all of them together.

He'd given them his decision. He wasn't going to be a hunter, and they'd been genuinely happy for him.

They'd always supported his passion for art, though Sean's support came  with a lot of reluctance. The man hadn't been happy about one of his  sons choosing a profession where a paycheck was hard to come by.