chapter 19
“This is the second time you’ve f*cked up, Wolfensen. What did I say would happen if you ever revealed any more about paranormals to a human again?”
He glanced up and down the alley, looking for an escape route. “I-I don’t remember.”
“That’s convenient, isn’t it? Let me remind you.” She waved her hand in a circle and something like a movie became visible in that space. He saw himself standing there, being upbraided by Gaia. Her image said, “If you ever expose the existence of paranormal beings again, I’ll send you to Mount Vesuvius and go all Pompeii on your ass. You get me?”
The movie dissipated into the air in a curl of smoke.
“Oh, yeah. Now I remember,” he said, despite a sudden dry mouth.
“Good. Well, guess what?” She raised one hand.
“Please don’t. I’m afraid there’s another breach, and I have to take care of it.”
Her jaw dropped. “What do you mean by another breach?”
Even if she’s pissed, my punishment can’t get much worse. He took a deep breath and spit it out. “My girlfriend’s roommate overheard us talking. Now she’s in the wind. We need to find her and—”
“I know all this. Why do you think I showed up?”
“Oh. I guess I thought it was because I marked Brandee as my mate.”
“You what?” she roared.
Crap.
The back door opened a crack and Brandee peeked out. “Is everything okay back here?”
Mother Nature continued to stare at Nick but snapped her fingers in Brandee’s direction. “Come here, girly.”
Brandee stiffened and didn’t move.
Gaia whirled on her. “Now!”
Nick shouted, “Hey. Don’t talk to my mate that way.”
A sinister smile played across the ancient one’s lips. “Aren’t you the brave fool, Nicholas Wolfensen.”
Brandee stood in the doorway and appeared like she didn’t know where to go or what to do. She glanced over her shoulder as if she wanted to run back to the safety of Boston Uncommon.
“Go back inside, sweetheart. I’ll take care of this.”
She nodded and disappeared back inside.
Nick folded his arms and stood with his feet shoulder width apart. If Gaia was going to punish him, so be it. But she’d better not drag Brandee into it. “She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“Then how did her roommate find out?”
“I told you. It was an accident. We were talking and her roommate overheard.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be talking about the supernatural. Or if you absolutely must, maybe you should be someplace where you won’t be overheard.”
Another idea occurred to Nick. If they were living together, they could talk freely all the time.
Then Mother Nature continued, “Either that or I could see you both put into solitary confinement.”
“Don’t. Brandee would never divulge our existence on purpose.”
Gaia folded her arms. “How do you know that?”
“She promised not to.”
“Oh well, that’s all you had to say. I mean, look how well humans keep their promises.” She snorted.
Nick began to pace. This conversation wasn’t going well, but then again, he hadn’t been sent to Mount Vesuvius yet. “I can fix this if you’ll let me.”
“How?”
“Brandee knows her roommate better than anyone. We’ll find her, bring her back, and have Anthony compel her to forget.”
“Where is Anthony, anyway?”
“He’ll be here soon. The sun is just beginning to set.”
“So, who’s in charge when he’s not around?”
“A human. Claudia, the manager.”
“Is she aware of the bar’s seedy underbelly?”
Nick raised his eyebrows. Seedy underbelly? Is Gaia reading too many crime novels?
Mother Nature stomped her foot. “I asked you a question.”
“As far as I know, none of the other employees are aware of the bar’s paranormal patrons or its paranormal owner.”
Mother Nature’s tense posture relaxed slightly. “That’s good. By the way, what the hell is a dragon doing here?”
“A dra…” Nick suddenly remembered the unusual guy with the yellow-streaked hair. Of course! The guy’s a dragon. They all had unusual markings to denote what family they belonged to, or so he’d heard. He’d never met a dragon. At last, another piece of the puzzle fell into place for him. Who would want a fire mage like Katie?
“A f*ckin’ dragon,” he muttered.
Gaia tipped her head and squinted. “What’s rolling through that hairy skull of yours?”
“I’ve been working a case. It involves a paranormal kidnapping, and now everything is making sense. Please. I need your help. You can’t send me away now.”
“Of course I can.”
In a flash of light, Nick felt himself ripped from the fabric of reality. An instant later, he stood on an island the size of his living room populated by exactly one palm tree.
“Crap.”
Another blinding flash of light later, he was back in the alley. He glanced around and then down at himself. Other than feeling a little queasy, he seemed okay. The sun was still setting, so no time had passed to speak of. But where was Mother Nature?
The back door to Boston Uncommon opened and Brandee peeked out. She scanned the alley. “Is everything okay with you and your mother?”
“My mother?” He couldn’t suppress the cathartic bubble of stress release. It began as a chuckle, turned into a guffaw, and before long he was bent over laughing.
A sudden flash of lightning and boom of thunder interrupted him. He straightened up and wiped his eyes. “She’s a mother, all right, but not mine.”
“Good. ’Cuz I don’t think she liked me.”
“She’ll be all right as long as you keep your promise and we can find Angie.”
Brandee’s eyes rounded. “Angie? What does she want with Angie?”
Nick scratched his chin. “She wants us to find her and bring her to Anthony so he can hypnotize her. She has to forget what she heard. And there’s another thing.”
“What’s that?”
“She thinks it would be best if you moved in with me. We’d be much less apt to be eavesdropped on.”
“Angie wasn’t eavesdropping, she was just—wait a minute. What did you say?”
“I said she’d like you to move in with me.” He smiled. “I’d like that too.”
Brandee’s lips started to lift in a smile, then quickly returned to neutral. “Let’s wait on that. First we need to find Angie. I’m not gonna move anywhere without telling her.”
Nick didn’t want to get his hopes up, but it was too late. He was already delighted. Wolves wanted nothing so much as to snuggle up with their mate and make loads of pups. “So you’re considering it?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know yet. Don’t confuse me.”
He grinned to himself. Soon enough, dear Brandee, you won’t be confused anymore.
***
Nick tried to act casual as he took the empty seat next to his suspect. He stuck out his hand. “Hi, my name’s Nick Wolfensen. I forgot to introduce myself when we talked before.”
The guy he believed to be a dragon stared at Nick’s hand but didn’t shake it.
“My name’s Cameron.”
“Cameron, what?”
He hesitated before answering. “Drake Cameron.”
“Can I buy you a beer, Drake Cameron?”
“Nah. I’m good.” He lifted his nearly empty mug.
Nick got comfortable on his stool. “You’re new here. Do you live or work in the neighborhood?”
The guy chuckled. “I work here. Can’t afford the pricey real estate on a firefighter’s salary.”
“You’re a firefighter, eh?” That makes perfect sense. Who’d be more comfortable around a fire than a dragon?
“Yeah. Are you Canadian?”
Nick tipped his head back and laughed. “No. Canadians aren’t the only ones who say, ‘eh,’ I guess.”
Drake shrugged. “Oh. I have some Canadian relatives. Just thought I’d ask.”
“What part of Canada?”
“Nova Scotia.”
“Ah, New Scotland.” He gave the guy a knowing look, hoping he’d continue down that road. Instead, he changed the subject.
“The guys from the firehouse usually frequent another bar in the neighborhood.”
“Don’t say Cheers.”
“Why not? I mean, that’s not the one they go to, but what’s wrong with Cheers?”
“Tourist trap. So, where do they go and why aren’t you with them?”
“I heard about this place. Thought I’d try it out.”
Nick noticed he’d conveniently avoided the first question. Damn. If he doesn’t come back here, I’d like to know where to find him outside of his firehouse. “So, what do you think of Boston Uncommon?”
“The bar or the concept?” The guy’s green eyes seemed to glow for a millisecond.
Nick’s eyebrows lifted before he could school his expression. “Both.”
“I like it.”
“Me too. I hope I’m not being too nosy, but the glow in your eyes…does that mean what I think it means?”
Drake leaned away from him. “Depends on what you think it means. I’m not in love with you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Nick let out another booming laugh. “No. See her?” He pointed to Brandee. “She’s the love of my very long life.”
The guy nodded but seemed unsure about how to continue. Nick needed to find a way to give him an opening.
“So, are your people long lived too?”
Drake looked at him askance. “Uh, yeah. Very. Yours?”
“We don’t live forever, but we’re hearty stock.”
Drake nodded. Nick hoped that meant he had ruled out vampires from the list of possible paranormals.
At last Drake leaned in and lowered his voice. “Have you heard of this bar’s reputation as a safe place for paranormals?”
“Yes,” Nick said, relieved. “I’m friends with the owner and several of the regulars. Would you like to meet some of them?”
“Yeah.”
Nick called out to Tory and Kurt. “Meet me at the back booth. I have someone to introduce you to.”
The two regulars glanced at Drake and nodded. All four of them moved to the farthest booth, near the back door. Sadie’s booth was empty, and only one other was occupied by customers. Thankfully, it was the booth closest to the front, so they would be able to speak freely. Supernatural hearing would allow them to whisper and be heard by their companions without fear of eavesdroppers.
When all four of them were settled into the booth, Nick proceeded with introductions.
“Drake Cameron, this is Kurt Morgan—wizard, ex-military helicopter pilot—and Tory Montana—shapeshifting coyote and high-end real estate developer.”
Drake’s eye’s rounded. “Cool. I’d shake your hands, but mine are very hot at the moment. It’s been a while since I had a chance to blow off steam, if you know what I’m talking about.”
Wizard Kurt chuckled. “Dragon, huh? It sounds like you need a girlfriend.”
“Don’t we all?” Tory said. Then he pointed to Nick with his thumb. “Except this guy. You could take notes from him. Had a different girl every weekend.”
“Until recently,” Nick added quickly. “I finally found my mate.”
“The waitress?” Drake asked.
“Yeah.” He smiled at her and when she looked up, he winked.
She started heading over to their table. “Shit. I didn’t mean to wave her over. Can I buy you guys a beer?”
Tory laughed. “You won’t find me turning that down.”
“Get a pitcher,” Kurt said.
“Might as well. Something tells me we might be here a while. I have a few questions for our new friend.”
Drake raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment.
Brandee approached the table with a pleasant smile. “Can I get you gentlemen anything?”
“Yes,” Nick said. “A pitcher of Sam Adams and four frosty mugs—plus a kiss for me.”
“Hey,” Tory interjected. “If she’s giving out kisses, I want one too.”
“And me,” Kurt said.
“Forget it, guys,” Nick said quickly. “You’ll settle for the beer and your nuts. Touch her and you’ll forfeit the ones between your legs.”
“Nick!” Brandee jammed one hand onto her hip.
“It’s all in good fun, sweetheart,” he said and chuckled.
Tory drummed his fingers on the table. “Don’t worry, Brandee. He’d have to catch us first. I hear big lugs like him are pretty slow on their feet.”
“Don’t count on that,” Nick said with a growl.
“I’d better go place your order before I get hit with one of those testosterone bullets flying around,” Brandee said and walked away.
The guys chuckled.
“So, you said you have questions for me?” Drake reminded him.
“Yeah. Some of us have become good friends. We help each other out when our talents are needed,” Nick began.
“Ah. So you want to know what my special abilities are?”
“To start.”
Again Drake seemed surprised. But instead of becoming defensive, he simply answered the question.
“Well, in dragon form I can fly, and naturally, I’m fireproof.”
“Do you breathe fire, like in the myths?” Tory asked.
“I personally do not. Some dragons still do, but it’s such a destructive force, it’s been socialized out of us.”
Nick tipped his head. “Socialized out? In other words, you can, but you prefer not to?”
Drake shifted uncomfortably. “The Asian dragons still breathe fire. They seem to have more self-restraint and can handle having the ability. Unfortunately, some of the European dragons abused the privilege and it was taken away—at least from my family.”
“By whom?” Kurt asked.
Drake shrugged. “Don’t know. If it occurred over centuries we’d simply blame evolution, but it was sudden. Right after the Chicago fire. I have to assume a dragon had something to do with setting it.”
And I’d have to assume Gaia had something to do with the sudden evolution.
“You seem like a straight-up guy, Drake. I’m going to level with you. I’m a werewolf and a paranormal private investigator, and I’ve been working on a frustrating case recently. I might be able to use your help.”
Drake shrugged. “Sure. What can I do?”
“Let’s take a walk. Tory? Kurt? Would you mind drinking our beers for us?”
Kurt smirked. “It’ll be a hardship, but we’ll try.”
***
Drake accompanied Nick to the Boston Common. They located a bench far from anyone else, and after evaluating the spot for privacy in every direction, they sat.
“I’m going to get right to it,” Nick said. “Do you happen to know a dragon who goes by the name Martin Rossi?”
Drake scratched his head. “No. I—” He suddenly fell silent, then tipped his head back and groaned. “Yes. Dammit. I do. I have an uncle in New York who goes by that alias sometimes.”
New York. It fits. “What’s his real name?”
“Irwin.” Drake leaned away and shook his head. “You don’t want to get mixed up with him. He’s the reason I came to Boston.”
Nick raised his eyebrows. Was Drake working for his uncle in Boston? Or afraid of him and hiding here?
“What can you tell me about him?”
Drake bit his lip and hesitated. At last he let out a hot breath. “My uncle has his own brand of ‘family,’ kind of like the Mafia. I may be related to him by blood, but he wouldn’t hesitate to off me, if you know what I mean.”
Nick nodded. “So you’re hiding out from him here?”
“Yes. I’d heard Boston had more than its share of paranormals. Something about the old places reminding immortals of their home cities back in Europe. Not that it looks anything like my native Scotland. I had hoped to locate some other dragons—ones like the family I grew up in, not the distant uncle’s family in New York. Do you happen to know of any other dragons?”
Nick sympathized with the guy hoping to locate others like himself and wished he could help, but Drake was the first dragon he’d met. “No, sorry. So I guess your uncle’s so-called family must not have a presence in Boston if you’re here.”
“Not as far as I know. But why are you looking for him?”
“He might be behind a kidnapping I’m investigating.” After Drake’s long hesitation, Nick decided he needed reassurance. “Don’t worry about talking to me. I won’t let anyone know we spoke.”
“Don’t be so quick to promise that. If he gets wind that either of us is involved, he wouldn’t hesitate to hold your girlfriend hostage to get what he wants.”
Nick’s spine straightened. “You’d never tell him about Brandee, would you?”
“Of course not. I want nothing to do with him.”
“How would you feel about helping to put him behind bars?”
Drake let out a snort, followed by a small curl of smoke. “If I can do it without being seen, heard, or identified in any way, I’d love to.”
“You probably can. I won’t ask you to do anything. I just need to know his habits, his weaknesses. Anything I might be able to exploit.”
Drake leaned back and stretched his long legs in front of him. “I didn’t stay with him long. My parents obviously had no idea what he was like, or they’d never have sent me to live with him in the first place.”
Nick suddenly had a glimmer of hope. “So, can you tell me anything about him?”
“Yeah. I can give you his address, but the place is a fortress. You can’t just waltz in there and take him out in cuffs.”
Nick already had the address but didn’t have time to check it out. “Any security I can get around?”
“On rainy days the guards are inside. He has attack dogs and they’d be in too.”
“So all I have to do is get him to come outside by himself in the rain. Sure. That should be easy.” Nick didn’t mean his sarcasm to be so apparent, but nothing about this case was easy.
“Wait. I’ve got it,” Drake said.
“I’m listening.”
“He has a driver. The limo goes in for service once a month. It goes to a car wash once a week. I think if you could meet his driver alone, you could arrange a bribe.”
“What makes you think the driver would give him up?”
“My uncle is a hard man to work for. I personally witnessed him yelling at his driver for driving too slow, too fast, getting stuck in traffic, you name it.”
Nick wished he knew more about this driver. He wished he knew more about Drake, for that matter, but his instincts were telling him Drake was on the up and up.
“What’s his name, and do you know when and where he gets the limo serviced?”
“His name is Tom and I rode along a couple of times, just to get out of the house. If he’s going to the same one, I can tell you where it is. I don’t know if he’s using the same schedule, though.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can call the place and say I don’t remember the exact date and time of the appointment, and I have to be sure it doesn’t interfere with something else that has to be scheduled.”
“That might work.”
“Does the driver have a distinctive voice or accent?”
“He’s a New Yorker with a low-brow Brooklyn accent. His voice isn’t that unusual. A little higher than yours, maybe—and not gravelly like mine.”
“I can work with that.” Nick stuck out his hand. “Thanks, friend.”
Drake took his hand and shook it. “I wish you the best of luck. You’re going to need it.”
***
Angie strolled along the shore of Star Island, part of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire. The morning sun hid behind the clouds and a cool September breeze matched her mood. She had been there with her mother when she was a kid. The place was equipped with a very basic inn and offered personal retreats. The rooms were spartan, almost dormitory-like. It seemed like the perfect place to get away, feel safe, and have minimal distractions—which Angie needed desperately to sort out her jumbled thoughts.
She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and mulled over calling Brandee. She was still mad at her, but that didn’t excuse the anxiety she was probably causing her best friend.
She fished her cell phone out of the pocket of her aqua windbreaker. Brandee was her number one on speed dial, reminding her just how close they were. Her mother was second and Boston Uncommon’s manager, Claudia, was third.
She hit speed dial and waited for only one ring before Brandee answered.
“Where the hell are you?”
No “Hello, how are you?” Shit, I suppose I don’t deserve it. “Hi. Before I tell you where I am, I want you to know something.”
“What’s that?”
Angie found a boulder and settled herself onto a relatively flat spot. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”
There was silence on the other end.
“I think I know why you kept Nick’s secret to yourself. You’ve always had this misguided loyalty thing going on.”
“Misguided?” Brandee’s voice rose.
“Maybe that wasn’t the right word, but dammit, Brandee, what do you call someone who invites a Lycan into her apartment and doesn’t tell her roommate? I assume you’ve seen enough werewolf movies to know there’s a crap-load of danger involved.”
“Nick is nothing like the werewolves in movies. He knows exactly who I am, even when he’s in wolf form. He’s very protective, so I know I’m perfectly safe. He even let me pet him.”
Angie chuckled. “I think you guys are way beyond that point. I can’t believe he transformed in front of you.”
“It was the only way I’d believe him.”
Angie hugged her windbreaker closer. “Weren’t you afraid? I mean, sure, he probably told you he wouldn’t eat you, but how did you know?”
“I trusted him. And Anthony was there, just in case.”
“What good would Anthony be if a werewolf attacked?”
“I wasn’t worried about Nick attacking me. And Anthony wasn’t there to protect me. He was there for moral support, and because he knows how to hypnotize people. He and Nick thought I might want the memory erased.”
“I guess you didn’t. You seem to remember it pretty well.”
“That’s right. I didn’t. It’s a terrible thing to witness, but it’s even worse to go through. I don’t know how he stands it without screaming his head off. Anyway, if I want to stay with him for the long haul, I ought to know what he has to deal with.”
Angie didn’t know what to say to that. How could Brandee even consider being with Nick anymore? Her roommate was a little too tolerant of people’s eccentricities, and that was one thing Angie both admired and disliked about her.
Angie took a deep breath. “Honey, I’m not telling you what to do, but don’t you think you ought to consider what your life would be like with and without a werewolf in it?”
“I have. More to the point, I’ve considered what my life would be like with and without Nick in it. I love him so much, Ange. Wolves mate for life. I don’t like the idea of throwing away a love so true and unconditional, that he says there’s nothing I can do to drive him away. I love that. You know what my story is.”
She had her there. Brandee had big-time abandonment issues. Not only did her parents get divorced, but her father wanted nothing to do with her afterward. Her mother had a string of boyfriends, and after a while, Brandee learned not to get too attached. Her own dating life wasn’t much better. She’d been dumped in just about every way—in person, over the phone, stood up, text message…and for about every reason a creative guy could think of.
Her latest had said he was being transferred to Switzerland and didn’t see the point in carrying on a long-distance relationship. Ouch.
“Okay. I get it. Nick is part of your life, and it’s nice to have somebody to count on besides me.”
“Can I still count on you?”
Angie’s spine stiffened. “What do you mean? Just because I had to get away and think over a life-altering piece of information, you can’t count on me anymore?”
Brandee sighed. “It’s not that. I mean, can I count on your discretion? I promised Nick and Anthony never to reveal what I know—to anyone. Can you make that promise? Because if not, you might want to have Anthony hypnotize you and remove the information.”
“So, I guess Anthony has that mesmerism thing that vam—” Angie spied a couple of kids playing on the rocks nearby. This conversation could get awkward if she was overheard. “Why? Did he offer?”
“He offered to do that for me, so I assume he’d include you too. It’s that important that no one know. Can you imagine what would happen? People would panic. They’d be suspicious of everyone who was a little different. Hell, some paranormals might even wind up as lab rats.”
Angie’s friend spoke the truth—never more so than now. “Look, I guess you’re right, and I’ll consider your crazy suggestion, but I have to go. My privacy is about to be compromised.”
“Before you go, please tell me where you are.”
“I’m on Star Island. The season is almost over, so I have to leave soon anyway. The last boat back is tomorrow.”
“Good. You’ll come back tomorrow, then?”
“I only paid for one night, so I might as well come back today. Do you think I still have a job and a place to live?”
“Yeah, at least I assume you do, if you want ’em.”
“Anthony won’t fire and evict me?”
“I doubt it. He was worried about you, but he didn’t seem angry.”
“Okay. Tell Claudia I’ll probably be late, but I’m coming.”
“Thank God! Can I pick you up at the ferry dock?”
“Do you think your rust bucket will make it all the way to Portsmouth?”
“Maybe. If not, Nick said he’s good with cars…”
Angie rose. “Oh no. You’re not bringing him along, are you?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone.
“Brandee, you and I need to talk alone first. Maybe you, me, and Anthony.” She strolled away from the kids, who had stopped to study a tide pool. They probably had parents nearby watching them. She lowered her voice. “Does Claudia know about the bar?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Sheesh, are you sure? She’s been there for what…four years?”
“At least. She waitressed to put herself through BU’s business school,” Brandee reminded her.
“I wonder if she would have stayed if she’d known…”
“Probably. I think she has a crush on Anthony.”
“Uh-oh…”
“Don’t even think about it, Ange.”
“Think about what?”
“Telling her.”
Angie set a hand on her hip and huffed. “I told you I wouldn’t tell.”
“Promise?”
Angie crossed her fingers behind her back, as if her friend could see her. “I promise.”