Nightstruck - Jenna Black Page 0,96

with that.”

I followed him willingly enough, too numb to argue, even though I thought I should. It had been my choice last night not to give in to Piper’s demands, and it was up to me to deal with the consequences of that choice.

I knew I was in bad shape, because I didn’t even feel tempted to cry. Not when I saw the house, not when Luke and I hurried back to his place to tell his mom what had happened. Not when Dr. Gilliam hugged me and assured me everything was going to be all right. Not even when they finally left me alone in the guest room to get some rest while they made calls on my behalf.

* * *

The rest of Black Friday wasn’t much better. I probably should have gone out and done some shopping so I at least had a few possessions to my name, but I was too dispirited to manage it. I finally broke through the tear barrier when I had to call my mom and tell her what had happened to the house. Dr. Gilliam had done some research for me while I was moping in the guest room and had determined that it would cost something around an arm and a leg to repair the damage to the house, although of course none of the contractors she talked to would come right out and give an estimate sight unseen.

Whatever the total bill turned out to be, it would be way more than I could take care of myself. I was getting by using a credit card on my mom’s account, but I wouldn’t be able to use it for the repairs, and I wouldn’t have access to any of Dad’s money until the will had gone through probate, which was going to take forever, thanks to the death toll and the shortened workdays. Mom was going to have to handle paying for the repairs from a distance.

My mom was warmer and more nurturing on that call than I’d ever known her to be before, and I desperately wanted to cuddle up in her arms and let her take care of everything. Dr. Gilliam was being great, and I was incredibly thankful I had her, but she wasn’t my mom. I felt like a little girl again, and not in a good way. I cried ugly while clinging to the phone like it was a lifeline.

After that ordeal was over and I had at least marginally calmed myself, I thought again about the call I’d had with Piper last night.

I felt robbed and violated by what Piper had done to my house, but she’d threatened to do far, far worse if I didn’t give in. She’d threatened Luke and his whole family, and I knew the threats weren’t idle. For as long as I resisted, Luke and his family would be in grave danger, and that was a hard concept to live with.

I couldn’t, in good conscience, keep the threat to myself, so I told Dr. Gilliam about Piper’s call. I had no idea where I would go if she decided I was too hot to handle, and I didn’t know if my going somewhere else would in any way help, but I offered.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Dr. Gilliam told me firmly.

“But if me being here puts you all in danger—”

“What’s the alternative?” she interrupted. “Piper didn’t threaten to hurt us because you were with us, she threatened to hurt us because she thought it would hurt you. That’s not going to change if you go somewhere else.”

“Maybe I should just give in,” I said. It was the first time I’d allowed myself even to think that, but if I were the good, unselfish person I liked to think I was, shouldn’t I do everything in my power to protect those I cared about? Those who were in danger only because of me?

“Never!” Dr. Gilliam said, taking my shoulders and giving them a little shake. I had never seen her look so fierce. “You don’t deal with bullies by giving in to them. That just makes them demand more.” Her expression softened. “None of this is your fault, Becket.”

But of course it was. I hadn’t told her about my conversation with Aleric, about my realization that I had unwittingly invited this evil into our city. I might not have done anything wrong, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t my fault.

“Do you really think it would help anything if you ran out and