The Mercenary Read online

  A suffocating tension fell over the breakfast table and nobody seemed to want to make eye contact. After all the anticipation, Friday had finally arrived. Jodie and Zach had established from Luke that the change happened around sunset. Though they still had many hours to wait, it was all any of them could think about. Jodie had convinced Matt to let her leave work at 2:00 pm and by this time; Laura had already collected the girls. Zach thought Jodie insane for sticking around but bad as it might be, Jodie needed to see it.

  When the light had started to fade, the guys went out onto the back porch with Jodie not far behind. Luke explained that their first instincts would be to run into the woods. Therefore, they positioned themselves on the lawn, out of sight from prying neighbors. Jodie stayed on the porch near the open door. Luke turned out to be right. She had never been in danger, though it didn’t make it any easier to witness.

  Jodie watched his body groan and contort as the change began. Luke moaned and gasped as bones repositioned, and flesh rolled back upon itself to reveal a thick hairy coat. The whole process took between three and five minutes, the agony of it all too clear on his face.

  He stood for about another minute to catch his breath and then thundered off into the woods. Jodie had been so mesmerized by Luke’s transformation that she’d forgotten all about Zach. He still looked human and completely bewildered.

  They waited a long time, just in case Zach’s delayed change had been due to it being his first time. For some reason, it appeared the change would not happen for him. Though not being a pig was still the ideal, Jodie and Zach felt bothered by the lack of shifting. It didn’t make any sense.

  Crawling into their beds at about two in the morning, utterly exhausted and unable to stay awake a moment longer, they were both glad to get some sleep at last. Jodie hoped Luke didn’t mind that they hadn’t waited up for him. She didn’t even know what time he would be back. For all she knew, he might not return until daylight.

  Laura and Ainsley arrived on the doorstep at 9:00 am, anxious to find out if everyone had survived the night intact. Jodie loved the closeness they shared, Laura and Ains were like sisters.

  Her nieces’ absence on the porch worried Jodie at first, but a glance toward the driveway reassured her. Two angelic faces peered out from the backseat of Laura’s silver Toyota Celica, eagerly awaiting permission to disembark.

  “Is it safe to bring them in?” Laura asked, after Jodie had hugged her.

  “Yes,” She nodded as she hugged Ainsley in turn.

  Laura jogged back to get Grace and Rose, and Jodie headed for the kitchen to make coffee with Ainsley following behind. Ains cast an anxious glance around the room, her halting footsteps revealing how low her confidence had dropped. She seemed surprised to discover nothing out of place.

  “Did anything happen last night?” Her voice faltered about half way through the sentence. She had to know, but didn’t want to have to comprehend anything too horrific.

  “Zach didn’t change,” Jodie announced. “He’s asleep in the spare room.”

  “Seriously?” Laura’s incredulous tone rang out across the room, from where she’d just walked back in.

  “I don’t understand it either,” Jodie shrugged, as she handed Ainsley a bottle of milk. “But he’s not a ‘were’ anything if he doesn’t change when it’s the full moon. I mean that’s how it works right?”

  “Wait, let me just consult Animal Planet...” Laura responded with an eye roll.

  Jodie gave her a dirty look, “okay, this is all weird. I get that. But you don’t have to be rude.”

  “Can we have cake?” Grace interrupted.

  “It’s still early sweetie. Wouldn’t you rather have breakfast?” Jodie asked, welcoming the distraction.

  “No. We’ve been up since 5:00 am and we already had waffles,” said Grace matter-of-factly.

  Jodie looked at Ainsley in amazement, “you made waffles at 5am?”

  “Sure,” she smiled, dark eyes shining.

  Jodie raised an eyebrow, but she smiled. “You are awesome.”

  “So can we have cake?” Grace repeated, her thin arms supporting her small face as she leaned on the counter with a world of expectations.

  Before Jodie could answer, they heard another knock at the door. Ainsley had abandoned the coffee making in favor of rummaging around in the pantry looking for cake, and Laura helped Rose seat herself at the table. Jodie hurried back out into the hall and threw open the door. There on the doorstep, left thumb hooked through a belt loop, stood one of the most gorgeous guys she’d ever seen.

  Standing at about five feet ten, his fitted white t-shirt and faded bootleg jeans enhanced his lean muscular physique, closely hugging the smooth lines of his body. A long silky ponytail hung at the nape of his neck, such a rich and decadent caramel hue that Jodie longed to reach out and touch it. The fine chiseled features and well-sculpted jawline came alive, cobalt blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he smiled a little. Perfect dimples appeared in both cheeks as his full lips stretched upward. Oh. Wow.

  Jodie wondered why he looked so amused and then remembered she still had her pajamas on. Blue satin pajamas that Ains had given her as a birthday present, printed with ‘I don’t function without sex or coffee’. Jodie blushed to the roots of her un-brushed bed hair and looked back up at the stranger.

  “Um... hi,” she stammered as she froze, unable to pry her eyes from his captivating expression.

  “Hi yourself,” he grinned again. “I’m Daniel Archer.”

  A brief moment of awkwardness followed as Jodie struggled to think of something intelligent to say, but he seemed un-phased by her inability to conceive rational thoughts.

  “Shall I come back after you’ve had coffee?” His smooth velvety British accent sounded incredibly dreamy, leaving Jodie ready to melt into a puddle at his feet.

  “Um...”

  “Jodie, what are you doing out there?” Laura called out, her tone suspicious.

  A few seconds later, Ains appeared in the entranceway behind Jodie. Her snug cream-colored sweater and chocolate mini skirt offered a stark contrast to Jodie’s appearance.

  “Danny!” She gushed, mahogany curls jiggling as she trotted over.

  “Hello Ains.” He gave Ains a brief non-romantic hug, gazing at Jodie the whole time as though gauging her reaction.

  “You came here to see Ainsley?” Jodie gave him a questioning look.

  “Pffft, of course he didn’t!” Ainsley rolled her eyes and laughed. “How would he even know I was here?”

  “Indeed,” Danny mused, dimples still on display.

  “Would it be alright if I came in for a short while?”

  Jodie threw her hands up and stepped aside. Still without a clue as to who the guy might be or what he wanted, she felt a little reassured by the fact that Ainsley seemed to know him. She watched Ainsley take him by the arm and lead him into the house, her nude platform heels making a loud clacking noise as she crossed the polished wooden floor.

  Danny said nothing, taking a seat on the couch he simply smiled.

  Jodie tried to convince herself that agreeing to let him in had nothing to do with his breath-taking good looks, but that lie wouldn’t have fooled anyone. She wanted to know why he’d come to her house at 9:00 am on a Saturday morning and also wished she’d had a little more notice that she’d have company. Being caught so un-groomed couldn’t have been more humiliating.

  While Ainsley and Jodie spoke to Danny, Laura assembled a coffee tray. She breezed in, setting it down on the coffee table. Jodie noticed Laura didn’t seem surprised to see a strange and handsome man in her living room.

  “Do you know Danny, Laura?”

  “Sure, he works at The Furnace.”

  The Furnace was one of only two nightclubs in Redcliffe. Most of the locals preferred to drink in bars, so two clubs were all the town could support. Jodie had been to The Furnace before once or twice, but she’d spent more time at the other club Jive, since her co-workers liked to
go there.

  “So what do you do?” Jodie asked, trying to appear casual. “I’m a bartender.” He said sipping his coffee as though it were the most normal thing in the world to be sitting in her living room.

  “You should see him when he makes cocktails; he does all those tricks you see on TV.” Ains gushed, now perched on the edge of her chair, eyes aglow. Jodie sensed a bit of a crush. Not that she blamed her friend of course; her own pulse rate had almost doubled since he’d arrived. Though she could have been wrong, perhaps he’d just plain impressed Ainsley.

  “So what brings you here?” Laura cut straight to the point.

  Jodie gulped back her coffee, downing the cup in one swallow, wondering why she couldn’t seem to get it together. What on earth is wrong with me? She questioned herself. It hadn’t escaped Danny’s notice, but he appeared either too polite to say anything or enjoying her blatant discomfort.

  “I decided that I should introduce myself to Jodie,” his tone remained confident and relaxed.

  “Oh, have you been following her articles?” Ainsley asked.

  Danny frowned, “her articles?”

  “I work for the Redcliffe Times,” Jodie told him.

  “Oh. I’ll have to check that out,” he said.

  “So how do you know Jodie?” Grey-blue eyes fixed on Danny, Laura started to get suspicious and she wasn’t the only one.

  At that moment that Luke walked in from outside, stark naked.

  “Omigod Luke!” Jodie cried.

  “Sorry. I couldn’t find my clothes last night after I –” His jaw dropped as he saw Danny sitting on the couch. “You! What are you doing here? How dare you come here!” Luke’s shaggy hair stuck out in all directions and a large mud smear streaked across one shoulder. His cave man appearance did nothing for his already declining reputation. Ainsley politely glanced elsewhere, but Laura stared open mouthed. Jodie doubted her friend could believe what she saw.

  Grace and Rose ran over to see what the fuss was all about. Unable to explain his nudity to his young daughters, and embarrassed to be caught in such a predicament in front of company, Luke stormed off to find some clothing.

  “Am I the only person who doesn’t know you?” Jodie felt like a prized idiot as she turned to face Danny again. “Should I know you?”

  “Oh we’ve met, you’ll figure it out,” Danny said and this time he didn’t smile. He stared in the direction Luke had gone with an undecipherable expression.

  Jodie had had enough of the melodramatics and the mind games. “Why doesn’t he want you here?”

  “He’s an alcoholic. I tried to help him and he doesn’t want to be helped.” Danny stated. “Obviously this isn’t a good time for a social call, but I’ll be working tonight. Feel free to come on down and say hi.”

  Jodie watched him leave with a measure of disappointment. No matter how crazy a first meeting it might have been, she hadn’t wanted it to end. Her gaze lingered on Danny as he made his way to the door, as though her subconscious wanted to prevent him from leaving. With the view from the back almost as good as the view from the front, Jodie found herself powerless to look away. She had a momentary vision of touching his ass, and then she forced herself to snap out of it. What the hell is going on with me? Jodie demanded of herself.

  That Saturday dragged on forever. Luke wouldn’t talk to her, Laura and Ainsley had long since left, and Grace and Rose were grumpy. Jodie struggled to find the patience to deal with it as her brain went into overdrive. She couldn’t stop thinking about Danny Archer. His smile, his eyes, his luscious body...

  Though Jodie had been in relationships before, she usually took a while to warm to guys. She didn’t lack in self-confidence, however when presented with a prospective relationship she got tongue tied and went all shy. That had been with ‘regular’ guys, Danny was anything but regular. Jodie didn’t even try to talk herself out of going to The Furnace, it would have been pointless. Finding something suitable to wear would be a problem. Her best dress had been ripped apart the night Luke tore up the house and she hadn’t had the time to replace it. Short of an expensive shopping trip, Jodie had just one option.

  Chapter 6

  Pieces of shell crunched beneath Jodie’s feet as she made her way up at Ainsley and Laura’s driveway, heading for the beautiful Spanish-style house nestled in the grove of large Nikau palms. Laura’s shift didn’t finish until ten, but Jodie knew that Ains would be home. She and Laura had a new roommate moving in.

  A tall redhead with a slim willowy figure disappeared head first into the back of a van parked in the driveway. Sounds of exasperation came from the vehicle as she tried to haul out a blanket chest. The tiny shorts almost didn’t cover everything, but by some miracle Jodie managed to keep her eyes at a respectable height, avoiding the free show.

  “Can I help you at all?” Jodie asked, because it would have been rude to say anything else.

  “Oh God thank you,” she breathed. “I’m Jessie and I’m moving in. Do you know Laura and Ainsley?”

  “Sure, we went to school together. I’m Jodie,” Jodie grabbed the other end of the chest and hoisted it up out of the vehicle.

  “Man this van is hideous, it’s my boyfriend’s. I was like so embarrassed to be seen in it because you know, my car is little and totally cute. But today I had to be practical,” Jessie continued. “I mean could you imagine my futon fitting in the back of an MX5? I don’t think so!”

  “You were lucky you were able to borrow this then.”

  “Oh, like totally,” came Jessie’s cheerful response as they lumbered inside.

  Ainsley sat at the kitchen table, the picture of elegance, slender legs crossed as she painted her nails. Jodie sat down beside her and watched as she meticulously applied each stroke with swift graceful movements. Jodie was hopeless at painting her nails. No matter how careful she tried to be, the silly stuff seemed to get everywhere, leaving her in awe of Ainsley’s skill.

  “There’s wine in the fridge,” Ains said without looking up.

  “Oh no thanks, are you doing anything tonight?”

  Ainsley paused and met Jodie’s gaze, a slow smile creeping its way up her cheeks, “I am now. Are we going to The Furnace?”

  “I hoped to,” Jodie blushed, embarrassed at how easy her friends could read her.

  “Yay!” She cheered in a girlish voice. “I take it you want to borrow something to wear?”

  With a sheepish grin as Ains laughed, Jodie followed to the bedroom.

  Ainsley had the largest bedroom in the house and it was nothing short of amazing. It had two floor-to-ceiling bay windows on either side of the bed and French doors on the adjacent wall, which led out to a balcony overlooking the pool. Organza drapes framed the windows, pooling on the carpet, and provided a fitting contrast to the cool shade of grey on the walls. A dainty chandelier on the ceiling completed the opulent decor. They may not have owned the house, but Ains and Laura lived in style.

  Ainsley’s room also happened to be the only one with its own bathroom, and huge closet. Which had been how she had justified having the biggest bedroom to Laura when they moved in, it took a hell of a closet to support Ainsley’s extensive wardrobe.

  So there they were, standing in the doorway of the closet. Jodie staring at the jungle before her, uncertain where to begin. The aroma of fresh dry-cleaned garments floated outward and somehow Jodie found this daunting. At her back Ainsley made an impatient sound and Jodie threw her a helpless look.

  “Honestly Jodie, just pick something and try it on.”

  “There are so many... I’m not sure what I need.”

  “Ohhh,” Ainsley breathed with newfound understanding. “You want to impress him, but you don’t want to look desperate. You want to look hot, but you don’t want to look like a slut.”

  Jodie’s eyes bulged in their sockets, “Ains!”

  “Oh shoosh. I know you better than you think. Go to the far right corner on the lower rack,” Ains waved her hands in Jodie’s face remi
nding her that her nails were still drying.

  “It’s red chiffon and it’s gorgeous.”

  “I think I found it,” Jodie squeaked. “This is...”

  “Perfect, so try it on.”

  Jodie took the dress out into the bedroom and laid it on the bed where she stood staring at it for a full minute. Ains misunderstood the hesitation. She assumed that either Jodie didn’t like it, or that she didn’t think it suitable, but she guessed wrong. Jodie loved the dress before she even took it off the hanger.

  “Try it on!” Ainsley ordered.

  Ainsley could be a little overwhelming, so Jodie tried it on. Ains nodded in approval and Jodie went to look in the floor length mirror. Right away, she wished she hadn’t. It looked amazing and she wanted it to hang in her own closet. Is it possible to be in love with an inanimate object?

  “See,” Ains said, triumphant, as she stood up a little straighter with the satisfaction of her choice. “I have earrings to go with that over there,” she gestured with her stiffened nail-drying fingers.

  Within five minutes, Jodie had on the earrings, a gold bracelet, and a pair of heels with sheer stockings. Designed especially for open toed shoes, imagine that. They have a loop to go around the big toe and everything. Jodie decided that Ains was the best friend in the entire universe.

  “Excellent, now take it all off again. We need to eat and shower and do something with your hair,” she decided. Ains didn’t take charge very often, but when she did, it was for a reason. She made a good secretary, but she’d have made an incredible personal stylist.

  After a light meal, they began getting ready. Ains whipped Jodie’s dark locks up on top of her head in some elaborate twisty arrangement, with bits and loops hanging off everywhere. Ains assured her it looked fantastic, and even did the make-up. Jodie felt somewhat out of her depth by the time they headed out of the bedroom.

  “Oh you guys are going out,” Jessie said, as they passed through the living room. “Can I come with?” “Oh, um,” Ainsley glanced at Jodie.