Chapter 6
**Jackson
Jezz, this girl was uptight. I can't tell if it is because she is in pain or if she is just going to end up a pain in my ass. Either way
I was getting a kick out of annoying her, at least for now. Mera had failed to say that she was so easily riled. She was kind of cute when irritated. I only felt a little sorry for doing it while she was in this condition.
She was beautiful in her own right. Her long red hair had a glow about it as if it was on fire, even here in the hospital with fluorescent lights. Her worn jeans and hoodie hid her figure, but she was taller and thin. She looked nothing like the heir to the drug dealing underground of the city or the biggest Lycan pack around. I’d seen her mother out in the city shopping or going into an office building, I’m assuming on business. It wasn’t that Phoenix was attractive, but she was less than classy in the way she would speak to people while out. I’d never seen anyone that looked happy to see her. Cortlyn didn’t look, act or speak anything like Phoenix. She seemed to carry her father's characteristics in that area. She had his eyes for sure. Beautiful green, and deep. Something about them drew me in when I looked at them, they turned a darker green when she was mad which was more intriguing. That could be why I was enjoying pissing her off right now.
I had taken the time when Mera’s mother had arrived to go through her phone, there was nothing there. She had no social life. I didn’t even see a social media app on her phone. I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that her mother and father were the Alpha and Luna of the Oak Bane pack. Nell had given me enough information on them that I knew she was the heir to more than just drugs and the biggest pack around here. I couldn’t really see her running anything like the underground. There was a purity about her that I couldn’t put my finger on, but it was like a fire that burned through her to keep all the dark out of the depths of her soul and was let out through her hair.
The call I had made to Jasper didn’t go as I had expected. He seemed almost unphased at the well-being of his daughter at the moment. Even though I had done some jobs here and there, as a way to get information, for him he had never actually met me. Without question, he was going to let her leave with me. With the way things are going right now, I was expecting an army to show up to get the heir to the city. He sounded almost like he wasn’t quite hearing me, or like it was a programmed response. I would have to see what Nell thought about that also. Then there was the creep doctor. The thoughts that were going through his head had made my blood boil. He was without doubt one of the worst types of humans around. I was willing to bet that a background check would have sexual complaints written all over them. His thoughts also ran deeper than just perverted, there was a danger to them. Something that made my skin crawl. I saw that he would like to be able to study Cortlyn. Horror movie experiments study her. It was sickening.
Before I returned to the room to wait with Cortlyn and hopefully see Mera off, I called Nell.
“Well, this is a surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear from you today. Is everything alright?” For a woman who could kick some ass her sweet grandmother's voice could fool anyone. I told her often she should play poker for a living.
“Hey Nell, I'm fine. There was something with Cortlyn today though. I had met up with Mera as planned, but nothing else has gone the way we hoped. Cortlyn passed out while walking, and hit her head pretty good. Not sure what to make of it, Nell. Do you know if it has anything to do with her reaching seventeen?”
“Could be, dear. Without being there with her I cannot be sure. There aren't many that know the situation with her and that’s for the best. Did you contact her parents?”
“I called Jasper, that was an odd conversation. I want to get into it, but I need to get back. Make sure she does try to leave by herself.”
“Yes, of course dear. We can talk later.”
I decided that I would grab a drink from one of the machines, on the way back, and that’s when I heard her. Phoenix, her voice was unmistakable. She was talking with Doctor Creeps. It didn’t sound like this was their first meeting either. They were huddled close in a corner but not completely out of site. Everything about it was odd. I had thought that she was out of the city on business. I hung out of sight hoping to catch part of the conversation. I could only catch words. Nothing that made sense when I was trying to put it together. “The bird, Child, Forged, Complete, and then
I heard Cortlyn.” So, she did know that her daughter was here. I wondered if she was going to go and at least let her know that she was here. She how she was. Doc Creeps turned to walk away when Phoenix grabbed his arm and bent down to whisper in his ear. His cheeks flushed red and the thoughts that I had been trying to hear for the last fifteen minutes came screaming at me. Holy shit GROSS!! His disguising mind had no boundaries. That is something that may leave a very large scar. Or send me into therapy.
There was a hundred percent something not right with the two of them, but I could get a read on it. Both are clearly very practiced at being able to conceal their thoughts. They had to have known that someone was trying to read them. I watched as Phoenix headed to the elevator; four men moved from the waiting area chairs to join her. This was probably normal security for her, which made Jasper’s lack of concern for Cortlyn even more frustrating.
Doc Creeps looked as if he was headed to grab some test results, which was my cue to get back to Cortlyn. Mera and her mom were on their way out as I came close to the room. I took a short minute to let Mera know what I had just seen and laughed at her face when she heard the doctors' thoughts at Phoenix. “No Freaking Way!! Oh, my god gross.” “How do you think I felt, I had a visual also.” “Better you than me,” she said as they walked on towards the elevators.
She hadn’t seen me come in, so it gave me the time to look over her and try to see what she was thinking. All I could tell was that her thoughts were everywhere. She couldn’t focus on one thing without something else barging in. The replay of what she had seen while she was passed out was interesting. I wasn’t sure if it was a dream she was remembering or an actual memory. This girl was different. There was nothing about her that was boring, that’s for sure. Even passed out she had the wildest mind.
Telling her that I had managed to get her phone was probably the best thing to see as of yet today. Her mind went to tracing our steps and thinking I had to be a pickpocket. Since my rep was rough and vague around the city all she knew was that it would fit. I could help but to laugh at her, which pissed her off more.