"Jack's also the Pumpkin King," Shock pointed out. "You [i]might[/i] want to be on good terms with him around here."

Her own relationship with Jack - and by extension, her brothers' as well - was complicated. They didn't hate him, and Jack understood their need to cause trouble as trick-or-treaters. But it also caused friction when their love for trouble countered whatever plans Jack had in store. The best way to put it was they didn't always see eye-to-eyesocket, and even that was putting it nicely.

Shock grinned as Carver took a seat next to her.

"They got something [i]really[/i] good in stock?" she asked.

Or there was blackmail available. [I]Please[/i] let it be blackmail.