Brotherhood of Cain (Werewolf/Mafia)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Almost Human

"You know, if I wanted to kill somebody, I'd take this book and beat you to death with it. And I wouldn't feel a thing. It'd be just like walking to the drug store." - Charles Manson

Chapter Twenty-Seven 

Ethel's POV

"Yeah, just give me a call when Ticke finds all of Draven's past locations. That tracker was ripped out for a reason. I don't have much hope that it'll produce anything, but I do have another idea."

"What do you mean, idea? Stop going all lone wolf, Ethel. Just tell me where you are so I can come. We'll find Draven much quicker that way," Tamal's voice flooded my ear.

"There's no way you coming will speed things along. Trust me—" I clenched my fist around the steering wheel of Draven's Land Rover, speeding down a road I'd only been once before. "Disregard that. We both know you don't trust me. I'm just an emotional child who can't handle anything because Mommy's a dead whore and Daddy beat the shit out of me."

"Fuck! I'm sorry, Ethel. Look, I didn't mean that!" Tamal groaned.

I snorted, turning left down a driveway peeping out of the woods. Just because I forgave Tamal, didn't mean I forgot what he said. He was only saying what he was thinking, and that hurt worst of all! I thought we were close, well as close as I can possibly allow myself to be with a friend. But no, I was an unloyal snot with daddy issues.

"The charm amplified preexisting emotions, it didn't create new ones. You don't trust me. It's fine. I don't need your trust, and frankly, I don't want it anymore. Besides, I'm not the only one without a daddy that loves me, you should remember that." I shut the car off and laid back in the leather seat, taking a deep breath.

Before Tamal could say a word, I finished our conversation, "I'll come by to pick up Tycho after I finish my errand."

I ended the call, leaving my trench coat in the car and stuffing the phone in my pocket. After I had crawled back out of the sewers and threw the bloody tracker in Ticke's hand, I had hailed a cab and headed back to Draven's. While everyone decided to sit around with their thumb up their ass and follow the lead Draven had given us, I was going to go find that idiot and slap him back here.

"I have a plan," I muttered, hopping out of the Land Rover and heading to the front door of the brick cabin. "More like, 'I'm a dumbass with a shitty plan and even shittier communication skills.'"

I knocked on the front door and fidgeted with my fingers. My mood was deepening by the second and when I heard a long, leonine yowl, I felt the urge to run back to Draven's car. I was finally going to confront my demons. I was finally going to find out what was wrong with me. I was going to take charge of my life instead of living in fear and waiting for the Alliance to come and kill me.

When the door finally opened, my legs felt like jello and my stomach curdled like sour milk.

Tammy smiled. "I thought I'd see you soon."

I rocked back on my heels. "Well, I'm here. And I need to speak with the High Priestess. My significant other may or may not be getting burned at the cross right now."

Tammy widened the door for me to step through. I did, following her as we made our way through her picture filled house. "We'd heard of Draven Cain's little vacation. I'm surprised he hasn't already run the Alliance into the ground."

That same lavender smell hit me and it eased the nervousness running through me. It was fine. I was fine.

Tammy wasn't in a robe this time around, instead a pair of bell-bottom blue jeans were buttoned high up on her waist with a white blouse tucked in. Her hair was still a wild mass of red frizz that she'd stuffed into a wild ponytail. Her maroon glasses were cock-eyed and she led me into the same living room I'd been in before.