Thomas by Kathi S. Barton Page B

Uncle
Daniel know?”
    Wanda shook her head and started to
stand.
    “ Sit down.” Linyah’s voice
was sharp and had she been standing, Hannah would have sat too.
Wanda glared but she sat down. “You think that he’s going to let
you off with whatever he’s got you doing with Hannah? You really
think that a man like him won’t have you on the hook for the rest
of your life? You’re stupider than I gave you credit for if you
think that. The man is an evil, greedy bastard that will suck you
dry before he’s finished with you.”
    “ He said that if I got
Hannah to him, he’d wipe my slate clean.”
    This time Linyah snorted at her. For
some reason, Hannah thought that Linyah had it right. He was going
to suck Wanda dry, and her too if she let him.
    “ All she has to do is go
to his house for a period of one month. One fucking month. Is that
too much to ask?”
    “ Yes.” They both looked at
Hannah when she spoke. “I’ve never met the man, but I already know
that he’s not all that trustworthy. And I can’t believe you
actually believed that I’d simply go to them without taking someone
with me, or at least taking some sort of precautions. I have a
husband that I love, a lovely home, and—”
    “ So you’re not going to
help me.” When Aunt Wanda stood this time, so did Linyah. “What do
you think you’re going to do? Hurt me? I have news for you, it
can’t hurt me any more than what it’s going to do to me to tell my
husband. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him
with all of my heart and because of this, I’m going to lose it all.
Everything in my life, what was good and nice, it’s all going to be
gone.”
    “ I can help you.” Aunt
Wanda shook her head at Linyah. “I can. I can even get the men you
owe money to back off too. Or to go away altogether. I have a
little experience in this sort of thing. I’m
very…talented.”
    “ You can’t kill them all.
And for as much as I dislike the old bastard, I love Carole and
don’t want her hurt in all of this. But I can’t do this anymore.”
She sobbed a little more, then sat down. “I’m a mess. And even
though I’ve stopped gambling—and I really have this time—I still
owe them so much money. So very much. When Daniel finds out, he’s
going to leave me. And despite his father, I love him with all of
my heart.”
    “ What is the name of the
casino and the name of the man that you owe?” Aunt Wanda told her,
and Linyah nodded to her. “I’m going to make a fast trip. While I’m
gone, I want you to explain to your aunt what we are. She has no
clue what you are or what you’re capable of. My leaving you like
I’m going to will help her believe, but you might have to play with
your other part just a little to get her to really
understand.”
    Hannah nodded and Linyah disappeared.
She looked over at her aunt, who looked like she’d been hit in the
back of the head. When Hannah touched her hand, she jerked back so
quickly that she spilled the water. She started talking as she
mopped up the water with her napkin. Her aunt was in for a huge
awakening.
    “ I’m a leopard. Well, the
entire family is. And Linyah is…well, I’m not really sure what she
is, but she can do all these amazing things. She’s even shared one
of them with me. It’s how I knew that you were helping my
grandfather.” She finished with the water just as their salads were
being served. As soon as the man left, she continued. “Misha is the
leader of the family; it’s called a leap, a pack of cats is a leap.
Anyway, when I met him he converted me—”
    “ She’s gone.” Hannah
nodded. “And you can read my mind, like she can. You said that, you
can read my mind and know everything about what I’ve done. You also
believe that you’re a cat, a leopard. And you can what, change into
it when you want?”
    “ Yes.” Her aunt stood up,
and Hannah grabbed her arm. She let just enough of her cat go so
that she ran along her arm, and her