Page 10 of Curses and Casualties
“Because of the storm,” Georgia adds quickly when her brother’s brow creases again. “It was basically a mudslide up there. No one on the mountain had power for days. Lots ofpeople got hurt.” The lie falls from her lips easily. “And my limp is so much better now. I can even walk without a stick.”
“OK.” Jason sighs and rubs at the back of his neck. “I guess I’m just glad you’re all right.”
“I am. I promise.”
He nods. “So if this is just a supply run before you go back up there, when can I expect you home for good?” Jason’s shoulders lose some of their tension, though his eyes remain troubled.
Georgia and I exchange quick glances. “Um, I’m not sure yet,” she hedges. “We’re still trying to gather data and salvage what we can from the team’s equipment.”
Jason frowns. “Can’t someone else handle that? I don’t like the idea of you traipsing around the mountains right after a disaster. Especially when you’re obviously hurt.”
“I’ll be fine, really,” Georgia assures him. “This is my project, my responsibility. If I step away now someone else will swoop in and take all the credit.”
Jason still seems reluctant to let Georgia go, but after a moment he sighs and says, “OK, is there anything I can do to help while you all are up there?”
Scarlett pipes up from behind us. “We could really use some money. It’s tough on our budget trying to work through all that mud and damaged equipment.”
“Scarlett!” Georgia hisses.
Jason’s eyes narrow warily. “Money? What for?”
“It’s fine, Jase,” Georgia says. “We’re just dealing with a lot of red tape, right now. But we’re OK.”
“No. I want to help.” Jason looks from Georgia back to Scarlett. “How much are we talking here?”
“As much as you can spare,” Scarlett says smoothly. “We just need some help covering extra costs. Food, mainly.”
Jason frowns, hesitating, but finally pulls out his wallet. “I only have a couple hundred on me. But if you can meet me tomorrow, I can get you more from the bank.”
He hands the cash to Georgia, but Scarlett quickly intercepts it and pockets it with a smile. “We appreciate it, Georgia’s big bro. You’re a lifesaver.” She gives him a friendly punch on the shoulder. He just frowns some more.
With yet another sigh, Jason turns back to Georgia. “I don’t believe a single fucking thing you’re telling me here. But if you need my help, I’m gonna give it to you. Just...whatever this is you’re involved in, I want you safe, OK?”
“She’s safe with me,” I say, meaning it. “I assure you no harm will come to her.”
We keep mate safe. Always. Even from nosy brothers,Kane adds internally, making me fight back a smile.
Jason worries his lips together, but he nods, sliding his wallet back into his pants pocket. “You’ll text me a dollar figure and where to meet you tomorrow?” he says to Georgia. “And you’ll let me know if you need anything else?”
She nods, moving in to give him another quick hug. “Promise. And thank you, Jase. I know this is weird, and I’ll pay you back for everything. But I just need you to trust me.”
“I do. I wouldn’t agree to this if I didn’t.”
After a few more assurances, we make our exit. I keep my senses alert as we leave the building, checking for any signs that Jason was followed or that we’re being watched. The neighbor he mentioned is nowhere to be seen, but I make a mental note to be extra cautious.
I can feel Georgia’s emotional exhaustion through our bond, the weight of lying to her brother pressing down on her. Once we’re a safe distance away, I pull her close, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“I know that was hard,” I murmur.
She leans into me with a shaky breath. “I hate lying to him.”
“I know, love. But you’re keeping him safe by keeping him in the dark. At least for now.”
“Between what Dad gave us, the money from Georgia’s freezer, and the couple hundred from big bro just now, we should be OK for a while,” Scarlett says, squinting up at the sun as we walk down the street. “Do you think your brother will come through with some more cash tomorrow? I know we agreed we’d seek out the witches, but does anyone know how much their help is going to cost us?”
“It’s hard to know,” Ethan says. “I think the first witch we should seek out is the one your dad said could help with your mark. She works out of a tattoo studio on the edge of the city. But the cost of her work will depend on the strength of the magic needed. If we had heartstones, we could drastically reduce that cost, but those things aren’t so easy to come by in the city.”
“Maybe we should wait then,” Scarlett suggests. “I mean, this poultice is working well enough for now, right?” She gestures to the bandage covering the concoction spread over the Alpha’s mark on her neck. “It’s not perfect, but it’s keeping things under wraps until we can manage something better.”
