Page 15 of Harman

“Wolfy magic? I love that. Yes, it had everything to do with that. Just open the door, and you’ll see. Also, you’ll need to remember this, you’re an immortal.” That wasn’t all that reassuring, and she told her that.

When she laughed, Katie opened the door. That was when she noticed that there were several large wolves just behind the man. That helped more than Storm’s words of wisdom.

“About damned time.” He couldn’t enter. No matter how many times he tried, and he did try a lot, he couldn’t get past the barrier that was there. When he pulled out a gun, pulling the trigger all in one movement, the bullet freakily stopped at the door jam and dropped to the ground.

The man, whoever he was, didn’t have time to marvel at the things that had happened. He’d disappeared. Just gone. Stepping out onto the porch, she looked at the trail of blood that ended at the outer edges of the decking. Looking at the wolves that were lying down now, she asked the one in front if she was supposed to know them.

“I should hope so.” It was Edwin who introduced each of the wolves to her. All Harman’s brothers and their father. Sitting down on the porch steps, he had to put her head between her legs and breathe slowly. “Honey, are you all right?”

“Since you didn’t tell me which one is Harman, I’m going to assume that he’s off doing wolfy business with that man. I don’t want details, but a simple nod would be fine.” Edwin nodded. “And this wolfy business that…I have no idea why I’m asking this, but I’m assuming that he won’t be bothering anyone ever again.”

“That would be a good assumption. Yes.” She wanted to smack Edwin on the blunt of his nose but didn’t know if she could get up quickly enough to bar him from the house and attacking her. At his laughter, she glared at him. “You’re kind of cute when you’re upset. Did Harman tell you that?”

“He knows better than to screw around with me when I’m upset. Do you know anything about that man? I mean, there is nothing we can ask him now that he’s wolfy food.” She gagged a little. “He won’t eat him, will he? I kissed him…tell me that you don’t eat the people that you take care of.”

“We don’t.” She let out a sigh of relief that she was sure people at the next town over could have heard. “We do, however, tear them to bits too small for anyone to see. There will be blood, I suppose, but that’s easily explain away, too. There will be a missing person’s report, I guess, but—”

“Shut up. Just close your…what is that called that is full of teeth.” He told her it was a mouth. “On a wolf, you dumb ass. I know what it’s called in human language, but…never mind. I’m going into the house now. You can come or go. It’s entirely up to you.”

She sort of wanted him to come in. Not wanting to think about the man, she decided that she didn’t want to be alone. As the million questions kept circling the drain to her mouth, she wanted to shoot questions at Edwin until she understood more of what was going on.

When he entered the dining room, she’d been using it as a makeshift office, she continued packing up the things all over the desk. She only had to glance at him for a moment before she saw that he was clothed now that he’d shifted to his human side.

“As you’re aware, I’m going to be taking over the estate for Mr. Barnhart. I’m going to use some of his money to open a law office that is free of charge to anyone who needs legal advice. They won’t be taking on cases, not at the office, but they can do what they wish after hours. Violations of that stipulation will mean their licenses will be revoked. It’s a nice loophole that I’ve used before when it came to copyright infringement.” He asked her if she was going to have lawyers ready to take the cases. “No. I’ll have the people take a list of professionals that deal with whatever their problems are and they can pick from there. I’m not allowing any cases to go out from that office because I don’t want a conflict of interest to get in the way.”

“That sounds kind of tricky to me. But then, I’ve not been an attorney for some time now. All right. We’ll support you on this. I’m assuming too that you won’t allow attorneys to lay out pamphlets or anything to sway the people coming in.” She told him that she wouldn’t and would keep an eye on that for issues. “Good. It sounds like you have it under control then.”

“Except for one thing. I need a building. I don’t want the foundation involved because I’m sure that people will find some fault with that. Instead, I’d like for you to lend me the money to buy the building. It will have to be a sale because, again, people will talk.” He said again that it was tricky as well. “You’ve no idea. There will be law books there as well. For attorneys that can’t afford their own that they can use or borrow, I guess. The books can be taken home. I like that idea, but if they don’t return them, then they’ll be charged the full amount for the book as well as banned from using the place again. I don’t want to fill out someone’s law library by having people steal what is there.”

Harman joined them in her new office just as she was carrying the boxes she’d packed into the room. The books, all law books, were on the shelves, too, and she couldn’t have been more proud than she was seeing them all lined up the way that Jimmy had had them.

Twice now, she’d had to pinch herself when she had a moment of thinking things weren’t real. Even her love for Harman would catch her off guard, and she had to sit down for a moment and breathe because she was so nervous. She called herself lucky. In all her life now. However, it didn’t make her any less afraid that the other shoe was going to drop and soon.

Chapter 7

Tony only just noticed the boy who was down between two cars. He was watching the traffic and waiting. For a moment, he thought that the kid was going to jump out and in front of the car that was speeding down the street.

It was warmer now, but it didn’t make the clothes that the kid had on any less appropriate. He was wearing a white tee shirt that had seen better days. Not that it was too dirty, but it was worn in places that showed more skin than it did in keeping the kid covered. When he looked as if he was going to jump again, it was all he could do not to reach out and grab him by his too-large jeans.

“Nah, you don’t want to use that car.” The boy nearly fell into the traffic and only just barely got back to his place. When he turned and glared, Tony just grinned. “You’re going to need a newer car. That way, you can be sure that they’ll going to be able to replace the car when you’re killed. No, it’s better to use a new one.”

“What do you know? I might have a ball in the street or something.” Tony didn’t bother pointing out that he didn’t even have any shoes on, but the kid seemed to get it. “Things are tough. All over.”

He’d heard that from some adult, he’d bet when telling him that they couldn’t afford anything much anymore. Tony had seen that time and time again around here. Things really were tough. But killing himself wasn’t going to solve anything, he told the kid.

“You have no idea.” He turned his back on him and watched the cars. “That was a good idea that you had about cars. I wouldn’t want my parents to have to pay for a new car, too, after I’m gone.”

“The next car is Mrs. Weddle. She’s like ninety-three. If you jump out in front of her, you could kill her, too. She’s one more heart attack away from pushing up daisies as it is now.” The kid nodded. And stayed where he was. “What makes you think that being dead is better than being alive? Things will turn around. I don’t know when, but they will.”

Without turning, the kid answered him. “My dad has been out of work for almost three years. My mom lost her job at the diner when they closed up last week. Something about not having the right foods anymore. I think my mom cooks the best food in the world but some people just don’t care for comfort food anymore.” He told him that he’d not known that the diner had closed down. “The post office is trying to get that place closed down too. She told her boss that it was stupid for her to be paid by mailing out one envelope a week. At least she’s getting paid.”

“That is true.” He told him about the next three cars. One of them being his wife. “She’d beat your butt if you didn’t get killed. Then she’d hug the stuffing out of you. If I were you, I’d not let any of my family hit you. It wouldn’t end well for you.”

Although he thought that it might end very well for the boy. His family would take them in, and they’d never have another worry. But he needed to talk to this boy to figure out why he thought that jumping under a car would solve his worst problems.

“My dad, I heard him telling my mom that he was better off dead for them. That got me to thinking that there was just one too many people to feed. And if it was me, instead of my dad, then things would be all right for them. I had to think on this powerful hard, Mr. Griffin. I have me a little sister at home now, and I do love her.” Tony congratulated him on the birth of his sister. “Thanks. She’s a tiny little thing. Cries sometimes late in the night, but she’s all right. I love to feed her the bottle. For such a little thing, she can empty one faster than I can count to a hundred.”

The boy, his name was Cody Banks, he knew now wasn’t watching cars. Tony wasn’t going to take the chance that he’d changed his mind, so he kept a good eye on him. When his mom came and sat with him, he told her through their link what was going on. She promised him that she’d not say anything to Cody.

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