brother."
Their eyes met in silent communication. Both of them understood the reason for Jack's reluctance. It was not simply that he would be leaving her behind, or leaving the pub in her hands. There had been a great many conversations about such things over the previous months as the four of them had determined that they were going to pursue this crusade against the Prowlers in earnest. The staff at Bridget's could handle the additional responsibility and workload. Courtney would manage.
It wasn't about that. The wordless understanding between them now had to do with Bill. Courtney's eyes revealed the truth: she was terrified for him. A sudden departure the night before, a midnight rendezvous with Lao, and a trip down to Manhattan to try to find Olivia, knowing that Jasmine was lurking about somewhere, starting up a brand new pack there. None of it boded well. They had no way of knowing when Bill would be back.
But he had promised to call her every morning, and had already done so today. That was something, at least. Jack gazed at his sister, saw the fear and uncertainty there, and he felt it within himself as well.
"He'll come back," Jack told her.
"Today?" Courtney asked.
Jack smiled. "Probably not today."
"Look, you take care of herself. Check in regularly," she said as she stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "But don't use that cell phone number unless it's an emergency, right?"
"Got it. You keep an eye out, too."
Courtney glanced around as though someone might be listening, but they were alone in the alley. "I'm not all that concerned. I know we can never be sure, and we've had enough of them try to get at us here, but Bill told me he asked a couple of his friends to play guardian angel."
Jack frowned. Friends meant Prowlers. It was difficult enough for him, now that he understood what the underground was, to accept that there were dozens, maybe hundreds of Prowlers in Boston that he had not known about. But the idea that some of them were supposed to be babysitting Courtney just did not sit well with him.
"Listen. If you have any trouble, call me, we'll come right home."
She promised she would and they embraced once more before Jack climbed up into the Jeep. Courtney made Molly promise to bring him back in one piece. The girls had a good laugh with that one. A few moments later he drove down to the end of the alley, turned right, and left the pub behind. Again.
In the rearview mirror, he saw his sister watching after them until they had turned out of sight.
As he navigated through the circuitous streets of Boston toward the highway, Jack reached out to take Molly's hand. She slipped her fingers into his without hesitation. Warmth, comfort.
"On the road again," Molly said.
"On the road," Jack echoed solemnly. "On the hunt."
The novelty of being away from home wore off for Jack pretty quick. The drive had taken them west on the Massachusetts Turnpike, deeper and deeper into the most rural parts of the state, until at last they simply ran out of Massachusetts and found themselves crossing the border into New York state. But in spite of Molly's company, Jack had grown impatient with the trip long before that. Boston radio stations had accompanied them through most of the drive on the Pike, but they reached a certain point around exit eight or so when even the strongest of the familiar radio signals fizzled out.
It was as though some tether keeping him tied to home had snapped. A small thing, really, and yet it unnerved him in a way it never had before.
Jack spent nearly every day with Molly, and every night with her sleeping in a room just down the hall. He had no idea what would become of their feelings for one another, but he knew he loved her. Not in that desperate-to-see-her-naked way that guys back in high school had always equated with love — sometimes without words and sometimes with too many — but in the sense that he could not imagine his life without her. The touch of her
Their eyes met in silent communication. Both of them understood the reason for Jack's reluctance. It was not simply that he would be leaving her behind, or leaving the pub in her hands. There had been a great many conversations about such things over the previous months as the four of them had determined that they were going to pursue this crusade against the Prowlers in earnest. The staff at Bridget's could handle the additional responsibility and workload. Courtney would manage.
It wasn't about that. The wordless understanding between them now had to do with Bill. Courtney's eyes revealed the truth: she was terrified for him. A sudden departure the night before, a midnight rendezvous with Lao, and a trip down to Manhattan to try to find Olivia, knowing that Jasmine was lurking about somewhere, starting up a brand new pack there. None of it boded well. They had no way of knowing when Bill would be back.
But he had promised to call her every morning, and had already done so today. That was something, at least. Jack gazed at his sister, saw the fear and uncertainty there, and he felt it within himself as well.
"He'll come back," Jack told her.
"Today?" Courtney asked.
Jack smiled. "Probably not today."
"Look, you take care of herself. Check in regularly," she said as she stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "But don't use that cell phone number unless it's an emergency, right?"
"Got it. You keep an eye out, too."
Courtney glanced around as though someone might be listening, but they were alone in the alley. "I'm not all that concerned. I know we can never be sure, and we've had enough of them try to get at us here, but Bill told me he asked a couple of his friends to play guardian angel."
Jack frowned. Friends meant Prowlers. It was difficult enough for him, now that he understood what the underground was, to accept that there were dozens, maybe hundreds of Prowlers in Boston that he had not known about. But the idea that some of them were supposed to be babysitting Courtney just did not sit well with him.
"Listen. If you have any trouble, call me, we'll come right home."
She promised she would and they embraced once more before Jack climbed up into the Jeep. Courtney made Molly promise to bring him back in one piece. The girls had a good laugh with that one. A few moments later he drove down to the end of the alley, turned right, and left the pub behind. Again.
In the rearview mirror, he saw his sister watching after them until they had turned out of sight.
As he navigated through the circuitous streets of Boston toward the highway, Jack reached out to take Molly's hand. She slipped her fingers into his without hesitation. Warmth, comfort.
"On the road again," Molly said.
"On the road," Jack echoed solemnly. "On the hunt."
The novelty of being away from home wore off for Jack pretty quick. The drive had taken them west on the Massachusetts Turnpike, deeper and deeper into the most rural parts of the state, until at last they simply ran out of Massachusetts and found themselves crossing the border into New York state. But in spite of Molly's company, Jack had grown impatient with the trip long before that. Boston radio stations had accompanied them through most of the drive on the Pike, but they reached a certain point around exit eight or so when even the strongest of the familiar radio signals fizzled out.
It was as though some tether keeping him tied to home had snapped. A small thing, really, and yet it unnerved him in a way it never had before.
Jack spent nearly every day with Molly, and every night with her sleeping in a room just down the hall. He had no idea what would become of their feelings for one another, but he knew he loved her. Not in that desperate-to-see-her-naked way that guys back in high school had always equated with love — sometimes without words and sometimes with too many — but in the sense that he could not imagine his life without her. The touch of her
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