Trey shook his head. “The Feds aren’t cracking this time. The best we know right now is the same as before. They think they have a lead. They seem to be picking apart her last days of freedom systematically. They’ve questioned all her friends and relatives. They’ve moved on to minor associations, classmates, coworkers. They’ve pulled in all the members of the staff at the rag where she works and have been trying to weasel out her contacts. They’ve retraced her steps as best they can and torn apart every building she set foot in. From what we can tell, they’ve come up empty handed. At least we assume so, cuz they’re still looking.”
Natalie knew that they were talking about her. Who else could it be? Rag, she thought with annoyance, no one ever takes fringe reporting seriously. Maybe I shouldn’t either. Just when she started to think that her brain had abandoned her, pieces of information started to click into place in her mind. From the way they’re talking they must not be with any branch of the government. Well, duh, Natalie, she thought at herself, they wouldn’t have broken me out of there if they were. Not to mention the word “lycan” being dropped repeatedly. But if people are still looking for my tapes then maybe I’m not insane.”Don’t do that,” she whispered at herself. “The minute you start talking crazy again, it’s back in the strait jacket.” Natalie wrapped her arms around herself protectively and hunched down in the chair.
A sudden hand on her shoulder made her jump. “I’m not going to put you in a strait jacket.”
Natalie hadn’t realized that Mira moved away from the door. It was closed again and Trey was gone.
“I want you to know that a great many lives are depending on getting the information you have on those tapes. It’s more important than you realize.”
Pulling away from Mira’s hand Natalie virtually fell to the floor and backpedaled away from her. “No. You don’t realize. There’s nothing. I didn’t tape anything. I don’t know what you want. I just want to go home.” Tears streamed down Natalie’s face. That’s it, her mind said, racing, stick to your story. That’s the only way. They’ll have to let you go when they figure out that you’re worthless to them. Worthless.
Mira walked back to the window. “This is going to be a long night.”
Natalie couldn’t help the chill that went down her spine at thecomment..
* * * *
Tired and hungry, Jenna stared up at the dilapidated, blinking neon vacancy sign. The motel behind it beckoned. Not long ago Jenna would have seen this place as being so far beneath her, she wouldn’t have considered staying anywhere on the same street. Now she stumbled across the muddy lot toward the rotting building as a thirsty beggar at a desert oasis. She was hungry, tired, and had nowhere to go. All of her contacts had been exhausted and her relatives refused to acknowledge her. Everywhere she stopped Cadifor showed up shortly thereafter. She was praying that she could get one lousy night of peace in a bed. Any bed. Even a bed here.
Soft lustful sighing distracted Jenna. For the moment, she forgot that her father’s soul was sharing her mind and body. Sex was generally the only thing that Jenna obsessed over more than power. But she hadn’t had a bed in weeks, let alone someone to share it with.
Brennus’s disgust at his daughter’s thoughts emanated through her body. Their joining had been the traditional euphemist double edged sword. Thanks to Brennus’s death and Jenna’s desire to save him trapping his soul in her body, they had come to know and understand each other better than any father and daughter ever should.
Jenna now understood that Brennus had truly only ever wanted her happiness and truly loved her unconditionally. Brennus now knew that he never managed to bring her to understand that and all of her behavior had been a cry for him to be proud of her. Those realizations, a long time in coming, were now outweighed by the sheer quantity of truths that neither ever wanted the other to know.
Jenna now recognized where her desire for power came from and that her willingness to do whatever it takes to keep it was also a family tradition. The only difference being that Brennus aged and came to understand that true power also needs temperance if it is to be kept. That lesson he learned the hard way. Now it was Jenna’s turn and she wasn’t managing as well as he did.
Brennus, for his part, had come to understand any number of things about his daughter that he wished he never knew. The one that currently was causing the most issues was her streak of lust. Another trait she inherited from him, but one he wanted to know nothing about. Jenna snuck around the side of the motel headed toward the sounds of sex. There was no point in going into the office, considering she had no cash left and she knew that if she used her credit card, she would be found.
Turning the corner, Jenna found a man standing with his back against the motel wall. An emaciated woman with dirty blonde hair and tracks on both arms was on her knees in front of him. She had a bored look on her face as she sucked rhythmically on his cock. Jenna stood mesmerized, feeling warmth begin to pool between her legs. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Brennus was growling in disgust at his daughter’s interest in the filthy hooker and her John.
The pair reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. When the man noticed Jenna watching he flashed her a toothless grin and beckoned her over. When she hesitated, he produced a grimy wad of bills and waved it at her.
Jenna took a step toward the pair, only to feel her legs resisting as Brennus attempted to override her will. I want to sleep in a bed tonight, she mentally growled at him, forcing her father back to the recesses of her mind. He wasn’t willing to acknowledge that a part of her just wanted to suck off this guy in the alley.
The girl who was already working on the guy didn’t seem to care as Jenna joined her. Lost to her pent up desire, Jenna took turns sucking on the stranger’s cock. Her hand found its way between her legs and she rubbed her clit as she worked on the guy with her mouth. Brennus at least had enough control to force Jenna to back off as the guy started to groan, all too quickly, and sprayed cum across the other girl’s lips and chin.