The Marradith Ryder Series, Part 59
The early morning flight on Rafael’s private plane was pleasant, but by the time Justin reached his destination, he was already feeling jet lag.
It was afternoon when he reached New York. He’d been given one particular address to go to.
The apartment was on the third floor of an old complex. The hallway was dimly lit. He looked around, and then carefully picked the lock.
No one saw him.
Walking around the dingy apartment, Justin tried to find anything that would give him a hint of who lived there.
There were a couple of letters on the counter. Utility bills in the name of C. Smith.
Obviously an alias.
There was a silk robe on the couch.
He picked it up, and sniffed. The scent was familiar.
He felt the presence of someone else in the apartment, but not before he heard the click of the gun’s safety.
Spinning around on his heel, he drew his gun.
*******
“Pow,” the woman said.
Justin frowned, looking at her in disbelief.
“Sheila? What are you doing here?”
“Well I should be asking that question. This is my apartment, you know.”
They lowered their guns simultaneously.
“When did you even get here?” Justin asked. “Last time I heard you were living in Hawaii.”
She shrugged. “I have been here a while.”
“Well how’s Tom, and your son?”
“You haven’t heard what happened?”
“No.”
“Tom got killed in Brooklyn. He was cornered by some neighborhood thugs who found out what we are. They were waiting for him in an alley one night. With knives and blow torches.”
“God, Sheila, I am sorry. How many years was it you were together?”
“Thirty years, give or take.”
“How’s your son?”
“He’s a man now,” she said, with a proud smile. “Just turned twenty last month. He’s living on his own, and looking for a female to make a Pack with. It’s truly unfathomable to me that Tom and I could produce a child who is so responsible. I honestly don’t know what happened to him.”
Justin laughed. He was sure that she was being honest. For many years Sheila and Tom were nomads, moving every time the inclination hit.
She looked just as he remembered her; warm brown skin and slanted eyes, with a lions mane of hair that she wore natural. He really was sorry about Tom. Together, they were quite the couple. Tom adored Sheila, and would let her get away with literally anything.
Justin also knew that if Tom met his fate at the end of an alley with “thugs” carrying blow torches, it meant he’d been caught dining upon humans.
“So Tom died, and you decided to stay here?” Justin asked.
“Good as any other place.”
“I thought you would have headed back out to California, or maybe Tahiti.”
“Too many memories,” she said, her dark eyes shining. “It’s time for me to leave the past behind. So you still haven’t told me why you’re here, J.”
“Sojourner business,” he replied.
“I thought as much. There’s a werewolf in this area. A newborn, is my guess. There have been some killings. Are you hunting it?”
“Yes. And trying to see if there are any connections to what happened here in the city with another killing that happened a year ago.”
She nodded.
He sincerely hoped that Sheila was not the Wolf he was hunting.
She sat down, and offered him a seat, suddenly the amiable hostess.
“I heard you got married,” she said. “Please tell me she’s not another human.”
“She’s part Wolf,” Justin replied.
“Well that’s an improvement, I suppose. One of these days, you’ll have to try a woman that is a Fullblood.”
“We tried that before, Sheila.”
“Yes, but things never got serious with us.”
“Of course not. Because Tom clearly was the man for you.”
She couldn’t argue with him on that point. So she tried something else.
“Just how domesticated are you?” she asked. “Come on, you can tell me. Do you even Feast anymore?”
“Occasionally. I don’t have as much of a craving for it as I used to. But I prefer to do my hunting and Feasting alone.”
“Does your little half human wife know that?”
“I have no secrets from her,” he said coolly. “And if I were you, I wouldn’t even try that. She’s not one to be messed with.”
“Enough posturing,” she snapped. “I have known you too long. I remember you and all your appetites. I am not the quarry you are hunting for. So you can go now.”
He stood. “It really was nice to see you again, Sheila. If you see or hear anything,” he said, handing her a card. “You can reach me through this number. Just leave a message.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I will be here at least another month, J. If you should want an outlet, someone to talk to, or just a meal worthy of you, then you know where to find me.”
“Let me be clear. I. Am. Newly. Married. And I won’t be back here unless I return on business. Which you should hope, for both our sakes, and that of your son, that I don’t. It would be tragic for him to lose both parents so close together. And for nearly the same reason. If you have been enjoying the local nightlife, you need to stop. If you can’t control yourself, leave town. And about my appetites,” he lowered his voice to a growl. “My cravings are well fed at home.”
___________
©2009 Lori Titus
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:14 am
I didn’t see that ending coming! Neat twist, Lori. (And nice title. Caught my eye!)
June 16th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Justin has been around a while, so of course he is going to run into an old flame now and then.