Page 80 of It's You
From his favoritespot on the fire escape, Jack felt like he was a part of her world. He had meant to remain in Boston for a few hours, just to see how she was doing and then return to his life, working as an enforcer for the council. At this point, he was two days overdue to return and knew his disobedience could carry a heavy punishment, but he couldn’t seem to tear himself away.
As the days went on, it was easier to control his body, although his hunger for her was ceaseless. But his years of loneliness were somewhat assuaged by being close to her. Even if his lips couldn’t speak to her and his arms couldn’t hold her, his heart knew how close she was, and he drank her in with his eyes. It wasn’t enough, but it was something, and now that he’d experienced being around her, it was hard to imagine letting go.
Jack figured out that Phillip worked for a bank, and they mostly saw each other on the weekends. So in the four days thatJack had been following her and sleeping in the far corner of her fire escape, Phillip hadn’t been around. Perhaps scorching Michelle had proved hotter than Phillip could handle. God willing, she’d burned a hole right through Philly.
Darcy’s life became familiar to him the longer he stayed. He watched as she walked around her apartment in some silky boxers and a matching tank top that was totally wasted on her cat, Frank, who wove in and out of her long, tan legs and occasionally spat at the window if Jack leaned forward too close.
She heated the water for tea, taking a tea bag out of a box, unwrapping it, and placing it in her teacup. She liked tea in the evening and sometimes white wine, never red. Her long hair undulated against her back as she moved, and his fingers twitched. He took a deep breath, leaning back, staring up at the waxing gibbous moon. Whether he wanted to stay longer or not, this would be his last night in Boston. He needed to be back up in the safety of the Bloodlands before he shifted at the full moon. A city was no place for a lone Roug.
She poured the boiling water into the cup, and then he watched as something caught her attention. She put down the kettle and made her way to the speaker beside her front door. One delicate, white finger pressed down on a red button, speaking into the speaker on the wall. She stepped back and grimaced, looking down in thought, then pressed the button again. Suddenly, she threw back her head, scrunching up her shoulders and giggling, and pressed the green button. After she unlocked the door, she disappeared for a moment to grab a silky bathrobe off the back of her bathroom door, reappearing slightly more covered, but almost more sexy.
Jack leaned closer to the window. Who was here? It was almost ten o’clock on a Thursday, and she had tea to drink, teeth to brush, and studying to do before bed. She opened the front door, and Phillip staggered in, steadying himself on a bookcasebeside the front door. Darcy stepped back, looking surprised, and tilting her head to the side in disapproval.
Phillip struggled out of his leather jacket, throwing it on the floor, and fell back onto her sofa. Darcy picked up the jacket, hung it on a hook beside the door, and asked him a question. He nodded, and she walked back into the kitchen, took another cup out of her cupboard, and found a new tea bag. She poured some hot water into Phillip’s tea and walked back toward the sofa, handing it to him. He glanced at it, then gestured to the coffee table, where Darcy placed it in front of him.
As soon as the cup hit the table, Phillip’s arm reached out and snaked around Darcy’s waist, pulling her down onto his lap. She shook her head, chuckling as he buried his face in her hair, presumably kissing her neck, although it was hard for Jack to see.
Jack could feel his claws dropping, bit by bit, and he was powerless to stop them. The sight of this bastard pawing his Darcy was almost more than he could bear to watch, so he was relieved when she pulled away from Phillip. Still sitting on his lap, she leaned back, picking up the tea and offering it to him with a gentle smile.
Phillip looked at the proffered cup, then smacked it out of Darcy’s hand, sending its contents flying across an end table and pieces of the shattered cup as far as the kitchen. Darcy leaned back in frightened surprise, her eyes furrowing in understanding as Phillip took hold of her flimsy bathrobe, ripped it open, and pushed his face into her breasts. Jack leaped up and tested the window with the palms of his hands to see if it would open, but realized it was locked shut.
He could hear Darcy’s voice through the window, higher pitched as she pushed at Phillip’s head, trying to get off his lap.
Jack started to panic. He felt his eyes burning and the prickly hairs pushing through his skin. A full shift had started, and Jack was paralyzed for the few seconds until it was finished.
Phillip’s arms were like an iron band around Darcy, even though she struggled and fought to get away from him.
Faster, faster, faster,Jack stared at the moon, pleading.
Darcy finally wrenched one arm free and reached back to smack Phillip’s face, but Phillip caught her arm and pushed her backward, hard. Darcy fell over the coffee table and landed on her back, her head cracking the floor loudly. With Darcy unconscious at his feet, Phillip staggered up, pushing her head lightly with his foot. In the absence of a response, he shrugged, then moved his hands to his pants, unbuttoning the top button and unzipping his fly. He reached down and pulled down her silky boxers until they lay tangled around her knees. He licked his lips, smiling, then stood back up to pull down his pants.
Jack flexed his enormous muscles, his long, twelve-inch claws protracted to the hilt, and he howled at the moon, fully shifted. He put his back to the window, then with one big push, he hurtled his body through it, shattering the glass of the large pane and rolling unharmed onto Darcy’s kitchen floor. Lithe like a wolf with burning eyes and snarling fangs, he jumped to his feet only to see the terror in Phillip’s eyes as Philly was neatly castrated by the Roux-ga-roux’s claw.
So distractedby his memories of Boston, Jack found himself walking up the sidewalk that led to Darcy’s house, which wasn’t at all surprising. From the moment he tied his sneakers, hisheart had been pulling him here. After years of finding her surreptitiously, Darcy acted like a homing device for his heart. Even being in the vicinity of wherever she lived proved soothing to Jack more times than he could count. He detoured off the sidewalk and slipped into the woods adjacent to her lot, walking stealthily through the thicket until he had a good view of the window seat in the picture window.
Somehow, he knew she’d be there, curled up with a cup of tea, knees pulled up to her chest, staring at the darkness out the window. He blinked to be sure his eyes didn’t glow, then stepped out of the dark woods and walked closer to the window. She couldn’t see him through the glare of soft light on the glass.
Her face had a faraway expression, but her eyes were heavy and sad as she traced the rim of the teacup. He checked the driveway for Willow’s car, but it wasn’t there. She was all alone, with too much heaviness on her mind. His longing to knock on her door and try to talk with her was overwhelming. Just seeing her sent ripples of pleasure through his body, even as it made his heart ache to see her so sad.
He took his phone out of his pocket, careful not to flash the screen toward the window as he checked the time. 1:31 a.m.Aw, Darcy. You should be sleeping, baby.
He looked down at the phone again and then back up at the face of the woman he loved. He couldn’t stop himself. He dialed her number.
Thank God her roommate was a doctor, which meant that early morning callers weren’t cause for panic or alarm. She got up to grab the phone, then returned to the window seat and pressed talk.
“Hello?” Her voice was raspy and tired. She’d been crying. A lot.
“Darcy,” he started, watching her. Her shoulders drooped, and she covered her eyes with one hand, but she didn’t hang up. “It’s me.”
She stood still with one trembling hand over her face. He wished he could see her expression. After a moment, she moved her hand and took the phone away from her ear. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat down on the window seat with her back to him.
But she didn’t hang up. Finally, she put the phone back up to her ear.
“Darce?” he whispered.
“What?” Her voice was thready and thin, laced with tears, and she shifted back into her favorite position so he could see her in profile. He watched her swipe the back of her hand slowly over one eye.
“I know it’s a lot to process, baby,” he murmured.
