Grimm Consequences by Kate Serine Read Free Book Online Page A

errand.” I jerked my chin at her monitor before she could ask any other questions. “Find anything about the Jabberwocky?”
    She shook her head, her brows drawing together in a frown. “Nothing. I’ve looked over the footage again and again. I can’t figure out how Demetrius was able to break out the Jabberwocky without anyone noticing. It doesn’t make sense, Nate.”
    â€œBarriers like walls and doors aren’t an issue for Reapers, but we generally don’t transport anything but souls with us when we go dark.”
    â€œDon’t,” she asked, “or can’t?”
    â€œDon’t. It expends a lot of energy, makes us weak. It’s a risky move.”
    She heaved a frustrated sigh. “Instead of trying to figure out why Demetrius pulled a Houdini with the Jabberwocky, maybe we should try to figure out what we’re going to be up against when we finally see the Jabberwocky again. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not encounter any more surprises in that regard.”
    â€œWorks for me.” I pulled a chair around behind the desk and shrugged out of my suit jacket. “Show me what we got.”
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    After spending several hours going over everything that had ever been compiled on the Jabberwocky, we weren’t a whole lot better off. He was just as much of an enigma as when Lewis Carroll wrote him.
    Tess hung up her phone and ran her hands through her hair, frustrated. “Still no sightings of Jabberwocky.”
    I glanced at the clock on her wall. “If he hasn’t reared his head since the escape, I don’t think he’s going to until Demetrius unleashes him. And, unfortunately, sweetheart, there’s no way to predict when that will be. No use sitting here all night, poring over records in hopes of coming across something that will lead us to him.”
    She turned back to her monitor, torn. “This blows,” she huffed. “I want that bastard back in the Asylum where he belongs.”
    I took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “No more than I do, trust me.” I kissed her cheek. “Now, let’s get outta here. We still need to celebrate your promotion, remember?”
    â€œAfter Lav’s meeting.” When I gave her a disapproving look, she added, “I told you, I can’t bail. If you’re coming with me, let’s get moving.”
    Three hours later, I was sitting in the parking lot of the cathedral where the AA meeting was about to let out. I’d tried to talk Tess and Lav into letting me join them inside, but without explaining my uneasiness to Lavender, I couldn’t really persuade her to let me tag along. She was still coming to terms with the things she’d said and done over the years. Since becoming sober, the memories wore on her, tormented her on nights when she couldn’t sleep. More than once, Tess had gone over to sit with her on those nights, to talk or watch a movie—or just be another person in the room to keep her accountable and away from the bottle.
    I had to respect Lavender’s determination to get her life together. She’d been through one hell of a lot and deserved a second chance. And I knew about second chances better than anyone. I certainly wasn’t going to begrudge her a little of Tess’s time and attention if that support made the difference between falling off the wagon or finally finding the love and happiness Lav deserved.
    But it was still boring as hell sitting in the church parking lot, watching the seconds tick by. And it gave me more time than I would’ve liked to dwell on Demetrius and his visit to headquarters that morning. If his intent was to get up in my head, make me wonder what he was up to, what he was planning, it had worked. I didn’t trust the bastard.
    Ruthlessness was one of the defining characteristics of Reapers, one of the reasons we were selected for service in the first place. But