Shadows Unbound (Book One in the Shadows series)

Max's Place

Drew and Jonathan pulled into Max's place about three days later. Grace crashed out in the back seat with Jonathan and Drew and Christy were up front. Drew pulled up the driveway and cut the engine. He let go of Christy's hand and slapped Jonathan's knee.

"Jonathan we're here. Wake up."

Jonathan jerked awake and looked around. He was careful when he did since Grace's head was in his lap. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked down at his sister.

"Grace?" he said, shaking her gently. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."

Christy was out of the car already, looking with interest around the yard. It was a giant scrap yard. Grace sat up slowly allowing Jonathan to get out of the car. She reached over to Jonathan, and he grabbed her pulling her into his arms and out of the car.
"Where's Max?" He asked, looking at Drew.

"Right here boy," Max said, coming out of the back door with a water bottle in hand.

Now both boys knew what Max was about to do, it was his basic routine. He splashed both Ravenwood boys with the water, and then Grace. He walked over to Christy and splashed her just as Jonathan was starting to object to him doing it. Christy had opened her mouth to say hello to Max just as he splashed her. The water went down her throat, making her throat feel like it was on fire. When Christy tried to scream, the scream died instantly. Grabbing her throat, she turned her back to Max and glanced wildly at Drew, terrified that if something wasn't done, worse would follow. Drew jumped in front of Christy to cover her from Max. Drew looked at him and saw the look on his face. Grace also lunged forward and fell to the ground because of the shock of pain.

"Max we can explain all of this with her, but no more holy water" Drew said, putting his hand up.

Bobby frowned at Drew. He knew this wasn't the first time they had paired up with a demon, but he thought that they had learned their lesson after Ruby had screwed them over. He sighed and was trying not to yell and scream at the two idiots. 

"I'd have thought you'd have known better by now, boy," he said, disappointment coloring his voice as he grabbed Christy's arm, and jerking her off her feet, he began dragging her away.

"Stop!" Christy cried out in shock.

She turned pleading eyes on Drew and Jonathan; they had saved her from that vampire, surely they wouldn't leave her at the mercy of this madman now, friend or no friend? Especially Drew since they had agreed to go out, now that everyone knew about them. He wouldn't let her just die now, would he?

"Max stop!" Grace commanded.

Jonathan ran over and grabbed Christy up and put her behind him protectively. Yeah sure Ruby had massively screwed them over, but she helped save their sister more times over than anyone would have. She was an important part of this family now and he wasn't about to let Max do anything to her. No matter how much Max got pissed off at the boys. 

"Ruby might have helped start the apocalypse, but she has saved Grace more times than we would like to admit. Max, she's one of us." Drew said coming up and standing in front of her too.

Grace laid back down on the ground where Jonathan had left her and sighed. At least if her brothers were in front of her, Max couldn't get to her. She hadn't seen Max in a couple of years. Not since the last check in, and now she was mad because Max never said anything about her brothers, and he knew about them the whole time. She had never been this mad at someone in her life.

Christy sighed with relief, but she didn't cower behind the brothers. She lifted herself up tall, but Drew was still much taller than her. Even Jonathan stood taller than her. She wanted to say something, stand up to Max herself, but she couldn't get a voice out.