Chapter 7

Athena wondered why she'd let Derek talk her into going to his grandparents'. The right thing to do when those thugs showed up looking for her would have been to hightail it. She could have asked to borrow some more cash and taken off into the great big unknown.

Instead, she was squished between two large men, on her way to a booby-trapped farm with an outspoken old lady.

Admittedly, despite her trepidation involving them, she was kind of excited. Derek kept fascinating her, from his great attitude to his sense of humor. And that body… Damn that body was hot, and his tongue even better. She couldn't wait for some alone time to finish what they began.

But first, time to play nice with grandpa.

"So you got a name?" the grandpa asked.

"Athena. And you are?"

"The young'uns all call me Gramps. Where you from?"

"Calabogie area. My mom has a farm."

"You don't say. Ours is down in the Richmond area. Wonder if we know your place."

"You might. Beatrice's Honey Bee Emporium?"

"No shit." Gramps took his eyes from the road for a second. "Grams swears by your shit. Says you can tell they pay attention to the flowers they're letting the bees feed on."

"Mom takes her flavors very seriously." Athena paused before saying, "I hear you grow weed and mushrooms."

Gramps snorted. "Yup. We do. Surprised the boy told you."

She glanced at Derek. "He's pretty honest. One of the things I like about him."

"He'd better not be a liar, or the belt will be kissing his ass." A growled threat.

Derek didn't cringe, but he did laugh. "You still got that thing?" He nudged Athena. "I was raised with the spare the rod, spoil the child mantra."

"Did you get whooped often?"

"Not too much, but enough. I could be a little shit."

"Little? Your grams still hasn't forgiven you for using her fine China for target practice."

"In my defense, she never used them, complained they needed constant dusting, and they exploded really cool when shot."

Grandpa snorted. "Never said you didn't do us a favor."

"How long have you and your wife been married?" Athena asked.

"Coming up on fifty-five years. We married young. Eighteen years old."

"High school sweethearts?" she queried.

"Of sorts. I accidentally knocked her up and had to make an honest woman out of her."

"Grams says you did it on purpose," Derek interjected.

"And if I did? She was the hottest girl in school. Smart too. Too smart for a dumb farmer like me, so I put a bun in her oven to make her mine."

Athena's mouth rounded. "You intentionally impregnated her?"

"Yup." Gramps sounded proud. "Best thing I ever did."

"Does she agree?"

"I'm still alive, ain't I?"

Derek muttered, "It's a wonder given how much you smoke."

"Bah. I'm more likely to croak if I stop at this point." Gramps skewed a gaze at her. "So, what you do for a living?"

"I was a lab technician."

"Was? Did you quit? Kids nowadays, never sticking to stuff," grumbled Gramps.

"More like fired since I stopped showing up. Not on purpose, I should add. I ran into some trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

She eyed Derek, who murmured, "Up to you what you want to divulge, but you should know Gramps is cool."

She hesitated before murmuring, "Kidnapped and held hostage by a doctor who thought I had interesting genetics for his experiments."

Gramps stiffened beside her. "Wait, you're hiding from a doctor?"

"Yeah."

"Did you report him and have him arrested?"

"If only it were that simple," she muttered. "Let's just say he's got friends in high places. It wouldn't go well for me if I came forward."

"Bloody quacks with their pills. Don't you worry, little sweetie. If that doc comes sniffing around the farm, we'll make him wish he'd become a car salesman," Gramps declared.

Derek leaned close to whisper, "One down. One to go."

Wait, did that mean his grandpa liked her?

The ride didn't take long, and soon they were pulling into a long drive. Very long. Lined with trees, the asphalt only wide enough for one vehicle. The rising sun bathed the forest and then the fields that followed with warm rays. The crops had all been mown and the ground churned, ready for winter. She saw some goats grazing and pointed.

"I didn't know you had animals."

"We have a couple. A few goats for weed control and poison ivy. Chickens for eggs and meat. Two pigs, a handful of cows, some horses, a few dogs, some barn cats?—"

She interrupted. "That's more than a couple."

He grinned. "Maybe more accurate to say a couple of each."

"Any problems with wildlife? Coyotes? Wolves?" She threw that in casually, wondering if another lycanthrope had a claim on this area.

"Wolves don't stray this close to the city. As for coyotes…" Gramps chuckled. "You should see the carpet I made from their fur in my den."

They pulled up in front of a large farmhouse. Painted white clapboard siding. The roof gray metal. The shutters a dark blue that matched the front door. A hound lay on the porch and didn't move as Derek jumped out of the truck, but it lifted its head and growled when Athena appeared.

"Don't you be nasty to our guest, Rosy," Gramps hollered.

Not Rosy's fault. She smelled the predator in Athena. But Athena knew how to deal with canines. She approached the dog and crouched, crooning, "Hey, Rosy. Who's a good guard dog?" Sweet words, soft tone, but she fixed an intense stare on the dog and bared her teeth slightly.

Rosy didn't argue about who was boss but did duck her head before inching forward for pets.

The door swung open, and a woman boomed, "Where's the little bastard and his hussy?" With snowy-white hair and a thick frame that matched the big voice and personality, it could only be Grams.

"Right here, you old bat." Derek dragged his grandma into a hug that lifted her off the ground and growled, "Be nice to Athena."

"Why? Is she a pussy who can't handle conversation?" snapped Grams as he set her on her feet.

Athena held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, ma'am. Thanks for your hospitality."

"Don't thank me yet. Did the bastard warn you that everyone staying here is expected to chip in and help?"

"I'd be delighted. I've not seen my family farm in months, so it will be nice to get my hands dirty again."

"Your family has a farm?" Grams asked suspiciously.

"Her mom runs that honey place you like," Gramps stated, stomping up the porch steps, cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Really?" Grams eyed her up and down. "You don't look like your ma."

"I take after my dad's side."

"Like the little bastard. Poor fucker. He wasn't blessed. Not one bit." Grams shook her head.

Derek didn't take offense but grinned. "I might be hideous, but at least I've got Gramps' good hair and my grams' shining personality."

Grams snorted. "Such an ass. Get inside. I've got breakfast just about ready. You hungry?"

"Very," Athena exclaimed. She didn't shy away from food. Shifting burned a lot of calories.

"You one of them vegan, meat-hating bitches common in the city?" Grams asked as she led the way inside.

"Hell no. If given the choice between eating only veggies the rest of my life or meat, I'd choose meat."

"What if the apocalypse wipes out all animals?" Grams queried as she entered a massive kitchen with huge wooden cabinets and a butcher-block-topped island.

"I'd eat people. After all, meat is meat."

Grams paused by the counter to stare at her but directed her question at Derek. "Where did you find this girl?"

"Naked by the canal."

"Turning tricks?"

Athena coughed. "More like escaping some assholes who thought it was okay to kidnap me."

"You got away?" At Athena's nod, Grams added, "Did you pay them back?"

"Not yet. But don't worry, they won't get away with what they did."

Grams offered a feral grin. "Let me know if you need a gun or a grenade. I have a rocket launcher, too, but those tend to draw attention. How do you like your eggs?"

"On a plate," she replied.

"Sit your ass down. I'll have them ready in a minute."

Athena slid into a kitchen chair, with Derek sitting beside her. Gramps took the head of the table, and despite the sound of eggs sizzling, Grams whipped him up a coffee and placed it in his hand. Strange given the woman's outspoken nature.

Seeing her surprise, Derek leaned close to whisper, "Grams has some old-school ideas, feeding her man being one of them."

Indeed, Gramps got the first plate, then Derek, Athena next, and then Grams herself.

It was heaven. Fat sausages drizzled in maple syrup, crispy bacon, potato hash, and toasted bread she had the feeling wasn't store-bought. The orange juice tasted fresh squeezed. She cleared her plate using a fourth piece of toast to sop up the runny yolk of her over-easy egg.

By the time she finished, she caught Grams watching her. "You eat good," she remarked.

"Blame the cook. That was delicious." Athena then rose, grabbed her plate, and stacked it onto Derek's. Then she went to grab Gramps', but Grams already had it.

"I'm off to get you a buck," announced Gramps.

"Take the boy with you so you don't throw out your back again."

Derek glanced at Athena, a question in his eyes. She gave him a slight nod. "Make it a fat one. I love venison steak."

As the men left, Athena stood at the sink and began washing. Grams started drying quietly before saying, "Who's chasing you?"

"A doctor."

"Why would a doctor be so interested in a girl?"

"Good genetics?"

"Bullshit."

She shrugged. "I know it sounds nuts, but he really was interested in my DNA. He took lots of blood and samples."

"Looking for what?"

"You'd have to ask him." Athena rinsed a plate and put it on the rack before adding, "There's a chance he'll track me here."

"Ain't worried about a doctor."

"He won't come alone, and the people he brings will most likely be armed."

Grams chuckled. "So am I."

"I don't want to see anyone hurt because of me."

"Yet here you are."

"Because Derek kind of made me."

Grams snorted. "I doubt anyone can make you do shit."

"Fine, I'll admit I was curious. He talks about you a lot."

"Of course, he does, we're his family."

They finished the dishes, and Athena rinsed out the sink before asking, "What can I do to help?"

"You afraid of messing up your nails?" Grams had a sly expression that probably didn't bode well, but Athena accepted the challenge.

"What do you need?"

Apparently, Athena needed to pass some kind of test, which was why Derek found her mucking out the pig pen.