Without Mercy (Mercy 1)

“And dragon rolls,” Gerri added.

“Sounds good.”

“We just didn’t know what you wanted to drink.”

“With this?” she asked. “Saki. No question.” She scoffed at Erin’s glass of white wine and Gerri’s martini. They’d known each other since their freshman year in college, all ending up in the same dorm, none pledging a sorority, all education majors. Gerri was from Washington, D.C., while Erin had grown up around Spokane. It was Erin who had first met Cooper Trent through her older brother, who trained horses.

They drank, ate, and laughed. Erin’s sarcastic sense of humor helped chase away the sense of foreboding that had been with Jules ever since she’d first found out that Edie and a judge were sending Shay to Blue Rock. Eventually the conversation wound its way to the academy.

“What’s going on with you? You look depressed,” Erin said, dipping a slice of rainbow roll into mustard sauce. “Don’t tell me it’s Sebastian.”

Jules frowned at the mention of her ex. “No.”

“Of course not,” Gerri said skeptically.

“I believe you.” Erin eyed her friend as she bit into the slices of tuna and salmon. To Gerri she added, “You know Sebastian was just a rebound thing.”

Gerri lifted a shoulder. “Rebound thing that turned into marriage.”

Jules saw no reason to hide what was going on with her family, and she had drunk just enough saki to let down her defenses. “It’s my sister,” she said with a sigh. Then, while finishing the remainder of her meal, she launched into the story.

Gerri and Erin only broke in to ask a question or two, but for the most part, they were rapt, spellbound by Shay’s problems, not particularly sure Jules was looking at the situation the way she should.

“So … I can’t shake this really bad feeling about the whole thing. I think it’s a big mistake,” Jules admitted. “I hate the fact that there’s no communication between the students and their families.”

“All those rehab places are like that,” Erin offered. “They have to cut off negative influences.”

“But that’s not me,” Jules defended. “I support my sister.”

“I know, but it’s all part of the treatment.”

“Maybe the doctors and teachers and psychologists at Black Rock—”

“Blue Rock.”

“Okay, whatever. The people there are professionals. Has it ever occurred to you that they know what they’re doing?” Gerri offered. “Shay was getting herself into trouble. It sounds to me like the judge was lenient, giving her another chance. Come on, Jules, you know she’s got problems.”

“We all got into trouble,” Jules said. “We all experimented with drugs, alcohol, and sex.”

“Just weed,” Gerri clarified, “and nothing after college.”

“Shaylee was arrested a couple of times, right?” Erin touched Jules’s sleeve. “I know you worry about her, and I hate to agree with Gerri, but maybe this place is the best thing for her. You’ve got to quit mother-henning her; she’s almost eighteen. Believe me, she can handle whatever that academy dishes out.” She took a swallow of her wine and effectively changed the subject. “So, let’s talk about you. How’s the job hunting going?”

“Dismally.”

“Sorry that I can’t help you out. They’re laying off teachers at my school,” Gerri said. “I think I’ll be okay, but the first-year teachers are really worried.”

“The economy sucks,” Erin agreed. “My company’s cutting hours.”

“There’s a job opening at Blue Rock.” Jules sipped her drink, letting it heat her from the inside out.

“Uh-oh. Don’t tell me you’re thinking of applying?” Erin smelled trouble.

“No, I don’t think so,” Jules said, though, in truth, the idea kept taunting her. “One of the teachers there was let go.”

“Maris Howell, right?” Gerri asked thoughtfully. She wiped an imaginary spill from the black lacquer tabletop.

Jules was surprised. “How did you know?”