Howling Moon Part 17

Out of the corner of her eye Cat saw movement in the snow outside the fogged window. It looked a little like a dog, but when she turned her head, whatever it was had gone.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nah. I'm just a little jumpy." Cat met his eyes across the table. "I heard from Mike this morning. He was there the other morning when you brought me home. Between that and Jack popping in and out of my head "

Raphael set his cup onto the saucer so hard it broke. Scalding brown liquid spilled over the broken shards and onto the table. Cat grabbed a bunch of napkins from the dispenser as the waitress rushed over with a wet rag to help clean up the mess.

"Jack is still getting into your head?"

Cat nodded.

"Are you doing your exercises like I told you?"

"Yes, Holly's been practicing with me."

"Holly?" Raphael looked startled.

"What?"

"I'm just surprised, is all." Raphael's voice was soft enough that none of the other diners would be able to hear it over the music and noise of the restaurant. "After all, Holly's full human. She doesn't have any magic of her own."

Cat blinked a time or two, taking that in. It honestly had never occurred to her that Holly wouldn't be able to do it. "Well, apparently she can. It works."

"Have you spoken with anyone else like Holly?"

"Ned. I did it with Ned."

"All right." Raphael pursed his lips. He drummed his fingers against the tabletop. "I want you to try something." He grinned impishly. "Have you ever met Brad Pitt?"

"No."

"Good. Tell me what he's doing right now."

"Raphael!"

"I'm serious. Try." Raphael fingers tapped faster. He watched her carefully, seeing her eyes glaze over slightly as she sent her mind outward.

Cat concentrated. Nothing. Not a blessed clue. "Nothing."

"All right. What's the maid from your house in California doing?" Raphael asked earnestly. He lifted up his coffee cup.

Cat thought about it for a moment. She let out a distressed little sound. "Oh. She's crying. She got mad at one of the worst gossips in town and said something she shouldn't have. She thinks if I find out I'll fire her."

"Will you?"

"No." Cat answered. "She didn't mean to, and she really needs the job. It's one of the reasons I kept her on full time, even though I'm not there. I mean, I don't think think I'm going back, but..." Cat let the sentence drag on unfinished. She couldn't tell Raphael her plans because, frankly, she didn't have any. All her focus was on taking down Jack. Truthfully, she didn't expect to survive. h.e.l.l, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to. I'm going back, but..." Cat let the sentence drag on unfinished. She couldn't tell Raphael her plans because, frankly, she didn't have any. All her focus was on taking down Jack. Truthfully, she didn't expect to survive. h.e.l.l, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to.

She felt Raphael watching her.

"What?"

He shook his head, but she could tell there was something he wasn't saying. "Nothing. It's just important to know the limits of your gift, Catherine. Apparently you can reach out to anyone you know, whether or not he has any talent of his own but you can't 'find' someone you haven't met."

"Oh."

"It's a very useful skill. But I'd keep quiet about it if I were you."

"It may be too late for that," Cat said with a sigh. "Mike knows, and what Mike knows, everybody everybody knows. Then again, it might not have occurred to him that it was important enough to brag about." knows. Then again, it might not have occurred to him that it was important enough to brag about."

Raphael didn't answer because the waitress appeared with a laden tray, including a new cup and saucer for Raphael. She served the food, asked if there was anything else they needed, and disappeared. When she was out of earshot again, Raphael spoke.

"So, what did he he have to say?" have to say?"

Cat knew from his tone of voice that Raphael wasn't talking about Michael anymore.

"He told me he wanted me to get well trained. That it would make me more of a challenge. But that I should study quick because he wasn't a patient man."

Raphael's expression was sour. He stirred his hash browns idly with his fork, as though his appet.i.te had suddenly left him.

She blushed lightly and raised her coffee to take a sip. "And he told me to find another teacher, that he doesn't like you or trust you, but... that you were doing a good job. Apparently I'm clumsy, but talented."

Raphael began swearing under his breath. He was remarkably good at it. Cat actually hadn't heard some of those combinations before. Considering her mother's grasp of the language, that was somewhat of a surprise.

"Was there anything else?" else?"

"He's very smug about that file of his."

"He should be. It's the only thing that's kept him alive for the past couple of decades."

"So I've heard." Cat took a bite of her toast, and then continued after chewing and swallowing. "I'd give quite a bit to get a good close look at that file."

"Why?"

"Just an idea I've got." She replied vaguely. She didn't look him in the eye. Somehow, when she met his gaze he always seemed to be able to overcome any misgivings she had.

"Catherine..."

It was the second time in a matter of minutes that he'd used her full name. She'd noticed he only did that when he was seriously annoyed. "Oh, don't take that tone. I promised I wouldn't do anything to endanger your people and I won't. But if I do this right "

"Do what what right?" She could tell he was worried, and more than a little insulted that she didn't trust him. right?" She could tell he was worried, and more than a little insulted that she didn't trust him.

"Look, I don't have the details figured out yet. I promise, you'll be the first to know when I do. But I definitely think it's time for me to give Uncle Chuck a call."

Raphael looked at her through narrowed eyes. She could tell he wasn't happy about this development, but that he also wasn't willing to push the issue. She could almost see him make the decision to change the subject. "I don't think I'll ever get used to you calling the Chief Justice 'Uncle Chuck.'"

"That's all right. I know know I'm never going to get used to everybody referring to him as 'Mr. Chief Justice, I'm never going to get used to everybody referring to him as 'Mr. Chief Justice, sir'" sir'"

Raphael gave a forced laugh and at least pretended to let her joke lighten his mood. Neither of them were likely to forget that Jack had, once again, made his presence known, but they could, and did, pretend that nothing was wrong for at least as long as it took them to finish breakfast. Raphael had a long day ahead of him, and it got even longer when his cell phone rang as he was standing in line at the cash register.

"Ramirez."

Cat heard both sides of the conversation clearly, but pretended not to listen. "Raphael, it's Eddie. We've got a problem."

"What's up, Ed?"

"Mona's in the hospital. Juan's there with her. So I'm stuck in here, we're down two drivers and it's snowing!" it's snowing!"

"s.h.i.+t. Is she going to be all right?"

"They think so, but she may have to be on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy."

Raphael turned to Cat. "Look, I've got an emergency at the towing company. I need to get there right away. Can you drop me off and take the Jeep back to the hospital?"

"No problem."

"Eddie, I'll be there " he looked at the snow falling steadily outside the window and grimaced, " in about thirty minutes."

"Right, boss."

Raphael avoided 1-70. Instead, he took 1-76, turning off on a secondary road to avoid traffic that had slowed almost to a standstill.

"What's the problem, anyway?"

"My weekend secretary's in the hospital and her husband's one of my best drivers. So I've got another another one of my men stuck behind the desk answering phones and operating dispatch. With the weather like this, I can't afford to be down two drivers. Especially not after such a long dry spell." one of my men stuck behind the desk answering phones and operating dispatch. With the weather like this, I can't afford to be down two drivers. Especially not after such a long dry spell."

He downs.h.i.+fted, taking a sharp turn with a crunch of gravel. The winds.h.i.+eld wipers beat a steady rhythm as they cleared the heavy snowflakes from the gla.s.s as fast as they could fall. "I'm just glad it's only Sunday. I don't know what I'd do if this happened during a weekday rush hour."

"How hard is it to do the dispatch?"

"Not that hard, really. All my drivers know the area. It's not like they're going to get lost. And we can work out who's in the best position to take a call over the line. Why?"

"Well, if you show me how, maybe I can take the calls and do die radio while you and Eddie drive the trucks."

"You'd do that?" Cat could tell Raphael was floored. She really couldn't blame him. After the fuss she'd put up about working at Jake's he probably would never have expected her to volunteer. That she was willing to pitch in, and didn't consider answering phones for a towing company beneath her, seemed to be a surprise.

"Yes." She grinned. "But don't get mad if I screw it up."

"You won't screw it up," he promised. "And tell you what, as a thank-you, I'll buy you dinner."

"You just bought me breakfast."

"Yeah, well as busy as we're going to be today, you'll have earned another meal." He kept both hands on the wheel as he turned onto the access road that led to his offices. "My cell phone is in my back pocket. You'd better call Jake and let him know you won't be in to work today."

"Not an issue," Cat answered, trying to keep the hurt from her voice. But the flat tone said just about the same thing. "He fired me."

Raphael stared at her for a long enough moment that she was worried about his driving. When he finally spoke, it was softly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Actually," he admitted, "it is." Cat watched as he fought to find the right words. "I'd hoped that your being around the pack would help them get used to you. It's how they handle the species thing in Wolven. You expose people to the species they don't get along with and eventually they usually can see past the prejudice and start judging the person as an individual."

"It's not working," Cat observed dryly.

"No. But I wanted it to. I wanted them all to see you for the terrific woman you are."

Cat watched him for a long moment. He looked so serious, and sad, but the compliment had fluttered her heart unexpectedly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

"Well," she said ruefully, letting out a small laugh. "I really haven't been trying that hard to fit in."

He laughed, and die Jeep filled with the smell of citrus. "No kidding."

"I could leave." The minute she made the offer Cat realized that she didn't want to go. Yes, Mike and the pack were a pain. But there was Holly and Raphael.

"I don't want you to go."

Cat let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Oh. Good."

She expected him to laugh. Instead, she watched as he pulled himself together, visibly steeling his body. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you." The burnt metal scent of determination filled the Jeep, mixed with an odd combination of sorrow and guilt. The scents were so overwhelming that Cat had to sneeze several times to clear her head.

"I told you that Jack chose you because you look just like Fiona Monier did in her twenties, and Jack lost her to another man."

"Yes."

"I was the other man." He sat there, stiff, jaw set, as though expecting a blow. was the other man." He sat there, stiff, jaw set, as though expecting a blow.

"Yeah. I sort of figured that out." Cat's tone was dry.

Raphael's head jerked back in surprise, but the stiffness left his body. "You did?"

Cat rolled her eyes. "It was fairly obvious from the things he's said and the way you've been acting."

"Oh."

She managed not to laugh, but it wasn't easy. "What I haven't haven't figured out is why he didn't kill figured out is why he didn't kill you." you."

Raphael stared down at his hands. "The Chief Justice and the Council wouldn't let him. The seers said I needed to live."

"I'm surprised that stopped him. He's not exactly the reasonable type."

Raphael shook his head. "They made him an offer he couldn't refuse. They couldn't threaten his life directly he has the file, after all. So they threatened Fiona. If I die, she dies. And And they ordered me here under Lucas's protection. Other than Charles, Lucas is the one man that Jack won't cross." Raphael couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice. He would never have risked Fiona's life for his. Charles and the council, however, were far more pragmatic. The seers had foreseen Raphael being needed in the future. Fiona, apparently, was expendable. they ordered me here under Lucas's protection. Other than Charles, Lucas is the one man that Jack won't cross." Raphael couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice. He would never have risked Fiona's life for his. Charles and the council, however, were far more pragmatic. The seers had foreseen Raphael being needed in the future. Fiona, apparently, was expendable.

"Ouch. Bet that p.i.s.sed him off."

"No doubt. And not just him. I understand that Fiona's brother wound up in a duel over it."

They sat in silence for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts. It was Raphael who spoke first, asking a question that he wasn't positive he wanted answered. "Are you okay with this?"