Page 40 of Jacob Michaels is Not Here

Jason was more than a little surprised to see me when he swung his front door wide. Of course, when you come to your own front door in nothing but basketball shorts at dusk and find your archnemesis standing there, it’s reasonable to be surprised. Outstretched in my hand, I held a thick envelope from the bank, my eyes staring into Jason’s as he fumbled with what to say to me. I could sense, without having to look around, that Jason was all alone. His pack wasn’t there to back him up if he decided that he wanted to fight for whatever reason his mind pulled out of his ass.

Oma had asked me not to take the money over to Jason and his pack alone once my accountant had arranged for it to be wired to the First Bank & Trust in Point Worth. She was suspicious of my motives. Coincidentally, the teller, and then the manager, at the bank, had been suspicious of me and my twenty-thousand-dollar cash transfer. When it became apparent who I was—Jacob Michaels, not Robert Wagner—they were less suspicious. Throwing in that Esther Jean Wagner was my grandmother had sealed the deal. Apparently, they were used to dealing with crazy from her, so my twenty-thousand bucks were no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Being suspicious of me taking the money to Jason alone was not entirely wrong of Oma if I was being honest. Having Jason by himself to talk to any way I wanted, about anything I wanted, was a big motivator for me. Knowing that I might say or do something that Oma might not approve of meant that I needed to keep her away from the meeting. Besides, if things did get hairy—every pun intended—I figured it was best to keep Oma out of it. Oma had power, but she didn’t have discretion. Thinking of Point Worth being on fire in my dreams flashed through my mind before I decided she should not be involved in any way.

Jason sized me up, angry heat in his eyes as he stood in his doorway, one hand still clenched against the door itself. His whole body seemed to be quivering with pure, unadulterated animosity as he stared out at me. Of course, surprising him at home as the sun was going down, when he didn’t have his pack to back him up, and he was not fully dressed for a fight probably didn’t help. None of that concerned me since Jason’s feelings about being surprised at his home by me and my envelope of money were the least of my problems. However, I had to do my best to not look concerned for my own safety. While I knew that I could probably take Jason in a fair fight, Jason and his pack were not known for fair fights.

“Funeral money,” I stated evenly as I held the envelope out to Jason.

Jason was muscular but lean, not pasty nor tan, his eyes human, not glowing red. Stylish short hair, the shorts hung just so on his hips. Big hands, strong arms. Tall. He looked like the type of guy any Hollywood casting agent would choose as “Werewolf Number Twelve” in some movie where a teenager has to choose between an immortal and a werewolf. I’d met plenty of those guys that I felt comfortable making that mental generalization.

“What?” He glowered at me once he shook off his surprise.

“For your friend who attacked me and I had to defend myself against,” I explained slowly like he was an idiot—because he was. “This is the money Oma promised you for her funeral.”

“Her name was Katie.” He squinted as he snarled back at me.

He hadn’t reached out to take the envelope from me, so I held it at chest height between us.

“Katie,” I replied simply.

“You killed her.”

I stuck my bottom lip out and batted my eyes.

“And it hurts my soul so much that she got hurt while trying to attack my friend and me in my grandmother’s backyard unprovoked.” I faked a sob. “Whatever will I do to feel better about this?”

Jason actually growled at me. Not the way a human growls when mimicking a wolf, but the way a wolf growls. Period.

“I really wish you would.” I snorted, still holding the envelope out. “I only need one reason to light your ass up, too, Jason. I’ve been waiting a long time to do just that. And I’m a big boy now.”

“Fuck you.” Jason leaned forward slightly to growl again. “Don’t talk to me like you know me.”

Jason growling at me reminded me that he didn’t remember the things that I remembered. Of course, it was obvious that losing his memories hadn’t made him lose his feelings about me. I shook the envelope playfully.

“Twenty-thousand bucks, Jason,” I said, ignoring him. “That will do plenty for Katie’s family.”

“That’s how much a life is worth to you?” He snapped before stepping across the threshold and onto the front porch.

I’m no idiot. I took an equal sized step backward.

“No.” I shrugged. “Her life is worth nothing to me. Neither is yours. But a promise is a promise, so here’s money to bury her.”

Jason was growling again, his shoulders raising up as heat poured off of him, and his eyes started to glow red. I lowered the envelope arm calmly and raised my other, the flame already visible and ready.

“I’m not kidding,” I said evenly. “Your life means nothing to me. I’ll burn you and this whole piece of shit house down.”

His house wasn’t a “piece of shit.” It was small but fairly nice. Looked well-kept and clean. But I find it best not to pay compliments to people whose lives you are threatening. Takes the sting out of it, really.

Jason’s eyes caught the flicker of the light, and he backed up marginally, his shoulders no longer looking like hackles. His eyes got stuck somewhere between their usual shade of brown and the red color of werewolves. I didn’t lower the hand with the flame, but I pulled it closer to myself and held the envelope out to him once more.

“Do you want the money or not?” I asked. “Because if you don’t take it now, I won’t offer it again. No matter what my grandmother promised to you.”

“You’d defy Esther Jean Wagner?” Jason was amused.

“A lot has changed. I’m a new man, Jason.” I grinned widely. “Actually, I’m my old self again.”

He considered me for a moment, his eyes boring into mine as I held the envelope out towards him, not breaking his stare. Suddenly, he reached up and snatched the envelope away from me. Lowering my arm slowly, so as to not look as shocked as I was by the sudden movement, I kept my eyes on Jason. I didn’t want him to get any sudden ideas that he could take me in a fair fight. I hadn’t gone to Jason’s house with the money, hoping he would attack me so I could set him on fire. That wasn’t my plan at all.