Chapter 8
Mrs. Tully pulled into Trevor’s driveway and shut off the car. Looking over at her patient, she knew he wouldn’t be able to get up to his apartment on his own. Getting out of the car, she went around to his side and opened the door. She leaned over him to undo his seat belt and Trevor smiled.
“I’m not that badly hurt,” he said. “I can make it on my own.”
Mrs. Tully gave him a look only a mother could accomplish. “As your doctor, you are going to follow my orders and they are to let me help you get into your house.”
Trevor sighed then gasped when he moved his legs to get out of the car. “Yes ma’am.” He got one leg out then the other and used the car door to help him stand up. “I feel like I’ve been run over by a steamroller.”
“It’s almost the same thing as fighting too many vampires at one time,” Mrs. Tully explained as she clucked her tongue at him. “One of these days, I’ll tell you about my first encounter with one of the were-dingoes I met when Mr. Tully and I went to Australia for our second honeymoon. Now that was being run over by a steamroller while sitting on a cactus.”
Trevor leaned against Mrs. Tully’s shoulder and grinned at her. “I’ll bet you have a whole book full of stories.”
Mrs. Tully smiled back as they started walking toward the apartment. “That I do my young friend.”
They got to the door and Trevor fished out his keys. Mrs. Tully unlocked it and they stepped inside the cool interior.
“Where have you been?” a male voice demanded. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”
“Shut up, Zachary!” Trevor muttered. “I’m not in the best shape right now.”
Mrs. Tully got Trevor onto the couch and looked over at Zachary. Her eyebrows quickly disappeared under her white bangs as she smiled in appreciation.
“Are you one of Trevor’s friends?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
Zachary turned on the lamp and grinned at the woman. “We’re partners…” Zachary stopped realizing how that sounded, “and not in that way.” He quickly corrected with a smirk.
Mrs. Tully blinked in surprise. “A meta-shifter and a flame wielding mind controller on the same team?” she asked impressed.
Zachary’s grin faltered a bit but he caught the action in time. “I have no idea what you’re talking about ma’am.”
“Don’t bother trying to fool her,” Trevor informed him. “She knows about shifters, weres, wielders, elementals, vampires, demons, and the fallen.”
“Damn,” Zachary whispered. “What are you?”
“I’ve been called many things,” Mrs. Tully answered him with a wink then smiled down at Trevor on the couch. “Call me if you need anything.”
Trevor nodded and felt his eyelids growing heavy. He wanted to sleep so badly. Mrs. Tully let herself out of the house and the two of them remained silent until her car drove away.
“So,” Zachary started. “What in the hell happened to you? Spending too much time with a cougar like that is bad for your health.”
Trevor’s mind immediately went to Kat and he grinned. “She’s definitely into the cougar thing.”
“You're not right… you know that?” Zachary stood up and went into the small kitchen to get something to drink, bringing Trevor back a bottle of water. “I set up the phone taps so we can track the jaguar’s movements. I was also able to splice into their video surveillance system so we can get a direct feed of the club.”
“What about their cell phones?” Trevor asked.
Zachary sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “That’s the tricky part because they’re always moving. I can track them through the GPS chips in their phones but I don’t get very much of the conversations. One thing I do know is that Devon Santos is probably coming home.”
Trevor raised his head at this. “When? And where is that girlfriend stealing bastard at?”
Zachary shrugged, “We can’t trace the cell phone calls. For all we know he’s in Antarctica. As for when… nothing’s definite. I picked up that conversation through Warren’s phone.”
*****
Michael glanced over at Kane, wondering about his friend’s mental health for the umpteenth time since finding out he was alive. Kane had cleaned up at the house but they hadn’t stayed very long before coming back to the bar to check on the others. Kane was still covered in wounds, but at least they had all stopped bleeding and started the healing process.
He ordered both of them some of Kat’s famous drink, Heat. He knew Kat never drank it but he actually enjoyed the way it relaxed him. Sliding one of the glasses toward Kane, he nodded, “Here, if you’re in any pain, then this should help to dull it.”
“What are you trying to do Michael? Get me drunk?” Kane asked then downed the glass without waiting on an answer. He had wanted to feel alive tonight and he’d gotten his wish. It was taking most of his concentration not to groan from the pain. “If so, then leave the bottle out,” he smirked dryly at the bartender.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” Michael asked. He’d tried to get Kane to stay at the house and sleep the fight off, but Kane had stubbornly followed him, insisting he was fine.
Kane sighed, wishing Michael would just leave it alone, “I don’t much care for it. And since I basically slept for 30 years, I haven’t felt the need.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask…” Michael started to ask how the spell was broken but Kane cut him off.
“Don’t.” Kane’s voice was firm. He turned around on the swivel stool and stared out at the almost nonexistent crowd. Almost four A.M. Ten more minutes and the bar would be closed.
Michael shrugged and poured himself another glass of Heat. “Fine then,” he pouted, “I won’t.”
Nick leaned over the railing looking down into the dance floor. Seeing it was finally empty, he reached up and touched the com-link in his ear, “lower level clear. Kill the lights.” He waited until the hollow sound of clicks echoed across the bar and the dance floor disappeared into darkness.
Turning around, he noticed Kane and Michael sitting by themselves at the bar. The bartender was staring back at him so Nick nodded, indicating he could leave. Besides, Michael knew how to mix drinks better than the hired help. If he wanted something, he could just fix it himself.
About that time, Kane turned the stool around and Nick blinked. He’d never seen a vampire in such bad shape before. What Kane had gotten himself into tonight? His gaze slid over Michael noting that he didn’t seem to have a hair out of place, while Kane looked like he should be in a hospital somewhere.
He wondered what the other guy looked like and was glad Kane hadn’t decided to remain their enemy because from the looks of it… he would be a formidable one. Remembering what Malachi had done to Kane, Nick felt guilt crawl across his skin.
“It’s not your fault, little Nicky.” Kane smirked and toasted him with another shot of Heat.
Nick froze knowing Kane had just read his mind. When Michael glanced back at him with a frown, Nick took off up the stairs mumbling something about creepy ass vampires.
“Did you just read that boy’s mind?” Michael asked.
“Maybe I’m just a good guesser,” Kane replied knowing he had. He’d never heard of a vampire that could read minds but if another vampire could do it… then he was probably wise to keep his mouth shut about it. “I’ll meet you back at the house later.”
Michael didn’t bother trying to talk Kane out of it as he watched the other vampire head for the door. Kane had done well tonight and had earned the right to be trusted with some much needed alone time.
*****
Sometimes it sucked living in a family full of men, and it was times like this that Kat really missed her grandmother. She smiled softly… just thinking about her helped.
Her grandmother had been her idol and she’d left her house to Kat just for times like this. Gazing toward the window, she walked over to it and threw it open. Looking down, Kat knew it would hurt her already abused body if she jumped but she didn’t care.
She flinched guiltily hearing a soft knock at the door. It was Warren… it had to be. Over protective brother was so NOT what she needed right now. Instead of opening the door, she called out, “I’m tired and sore… can we do this tomorrow please? I want to go to sleep.”
To her relief, she heard the footsteps retreating down the hall. Sneaking quietly back toward the door she listened, hearing another set of footfalls join her brothers. She heard Michael's voice and then Warren's office door shut.
‘Good,’ she thought to herself, ‘that means Warren will be nice and distracted.’
Tossing on a loose summer dress, she knew she wouldn’t need anything else because she had a closet full of clothes at her grandmother’s house… her house. Before she could talk herself out of it, Kat slipped through the window and landed in a crouch on the ground.
She sucked in a sharp breath, trying not to cry out when the vibration of it seemed to hone in on every injury she had. One thing for sure… she wasn’t up to walking. Sneaking round the front of the building, she climbed in her car.
Quinn opened the door to Kat’s room to check on her and narrowed his eyes. Kat’s bed was empty and the window was wide open letting in the cool night air. He’d been right in his suspicions about Kat sneaking off again. When she was younger, she’d had a tendency to do that whenever something got to her.
A soft cry from the street below the window had him rushing across the room. He stuck his head out the window and looked down just in time to see Kat carefully making her way out to the parking lot toward her car.
Gripping the windowsill hard enough to crack it, Quinn growled and pushed away from the opening. The thought of leaping out the window after her crossed his mind but he got a better idea. Making sure his keys were in his pocket, he ran downstairs and slipped out to his own vehicle while Kat was slowly getting into hers.
His first impulse when he stormed out of Moon Dance the first time was to speed all the way to Night Light, but something nagging in the back of his mind stopped him from cranking the car. Now he knew what had made him go back inside to check on Kat… feline intuition.
Question was… where was she running to? Or better yet… whom was she running to? Was she running to her elusive mate hoping he would take care of her?
He sat behind the steering wheel and watched until Kat’s car drove past him and turned left at the intersection heading east. Quinn started his car and pulled out behind her, making sure to stay a safe distance behind his little runaway.
Kat drove through the city streets heading to the one place she knew she would be safe and alone. Driving into the more suburban area of Los Angeles, Kat entered a sprawling community where everyone basically kept to themselves. It was, for the better part, a low crime rate area but things still tended to happen every once in a while.
Kat pulled into the driveway of a two-story house that looked like something out of a storybook. It wasn’t old or dilapidated, just homey looking. While the other houses were ranch style homes or multiple story townhouses, this house was the house all the kids used to come to for milk and cookies. That was no exaggeration.
Feeling like she was still one of those children, Kat found herself standing on her grandmother’s front porch. How she wished she could just ring the doorbell and her grandmother would answer, wrap her up in a hug and let her cry her heart out. Kat sighed knowing that fairytale had ended over ten years ago.
Opening the alarm box, she typed in her birth date on the keypad and let herself in. Turning all the lights on and pulling the blinds as she wandered through the elegant rooms, she let the warmth penetrate her numb emotions.
This place was like Fort Knox when the alarm system was turned on and that meant she could have as much privacy as she wanted. Warren had insisted on upgrading the system every year and for that she was grateful.
Kat failed to see the familiar car drive past the house as she pulled down one of the shades in the living room.
Quinn frowned seeing she’d gone straight to her grandmother’s house. Grandmother Kathryn had left it in her will for Kat to live in when she found a mate.
Back when Grandmother Kathryn had been as young as Kat, a woman that owned property was considered strong and independent; a good prospect for a future mate. It indicated they could take care of themselves and didn’t need a man. While things had changed as far as that particular belief went, Grandmother Kathryn wanted Kat to have it regardless.
He slowly drove on past the house then parked once Kat had let herself in, turned on the lights and started pulling down the shades. He hadn’t been here since the night Kat had started mixing her grandmother’s herbal recipes… a couple months after Grandmother Kathryn died.
Quinn still got a headache just thinking about that night… it had taught him not to drink alcohol ever again… and he hadn’t. He’d woken up the next morning with no memory past the first couple drinks from a huge purple bottle. He’d still been seriously drunk when he’d left the house and still had no idea how he’d made it home.
He leaned forward against the steering wheel wondering if someone was meeting her here. The thought had him silently growling and glaring at every car that drove by.
Kat pulled the afghan from the back of the sofa and wrapped herself up in it. She loved this house and she loved the memories that came with it. She even had her own bedroom, though it was still decorated with the rage of a teenage girl.
Moving into the large kitchen, she was assaulted by memories of her grandmother bustling around making dinner and telling her stories of how she was once chased for years by Grandfather Vincent.
Standing in the middle of the kitchen, Kat closed her eyes listening for the memories that always came in the form of her grandmother’s voice.
“Boys just think they can take care of themselves… but if that were really true, then why are they always such a mess until they find the right woman?” she repeated one of her grandma’s favorite sayings.
“Because they’re idiots,” Kat answered the quote with a firm nod and opened her eyes.
Already tired of feeling sorry for herself, Kat started looking around the kitchen for her grandmother’s recipe book… the special one. Turning full circle, she smiled seeing the door to the pantry. That’s where she kept the secret ingredients so that’s probably where she’d stashed the book the last time she’d been here.
Investigating the theory, Kat entered the huge walk-in pantry and looked at all of its mysterious contents. Spotting the book on one of the top shelves, she grabbed it causing a purple bottle to tilt forward and fall. With Kat’s quick reflexes, she never gave it a chance to hit the hardwood floor and sighed in relief when it was safely in her grasp.
Holding the bottle up, her eyes widened seeing what it really was. This was what was left of the bottle she’d made the first batch of Heat in. It was also the reason she’d never drank another drop, although she loved seeing other people drink the stuff. She’d mixed the first batch way too strong… both in alcohol and aphrodisiac.
Since then, she had toned it down and perfected it by watching the customers and their reactions to it. She caressed the cool, smooth glass of the bottle as partial memories from that night came back to haunt her. This was the same bottle Quinn had helped her drink and got them so blasted that Quinn couldn’t remember his name.
Right now she needed to blow off some steam and it seemed the pantry had given her a way to do it. Her grandmother had taught her not to waste things… and she was a good girl. Kat smiled slyly. Walking out and closing the pantry door behind her, Kat made her way back out into the living room. Forgoing a glass, she turned the bottle up and started drinking.
“Men are very stupid, Grandmother Kathryn,” Kat said to a painting of Kathryn and Vincent. “Was Grandfather Vincent ever this much of an idiot?”
Kat tilted the bottle back again, taking another long drink and wiped a hand across her mouth when some of it dribbled down her chin.
“At least he didn’t give you a mating mark and leave you the morning after.” Kat growled. “How could that stupid jerk turn his back on his own mate? I’m gonna kick his ass next time I see him.”
Kat swayed then fell back on the sofa still staring at the painting. “That’s right Grandma, he abandoned me and for ten years has been acting like he didn’t mark me.” She tried to sit upright but failed and slouched even further. Deciding to take another drink, she emptied about half of what was left in the bottle.
“Whassat Gran’ma?” Kat asked, her head starting to feel a little fuzzy. “Yoooo think I should make ‘im suffer? How I do dat? If I let ‘im in again… he’ll leeeve again. Yep… just like that. Nooo looking back. There he goes, down th’ road… nice ass.” Kat tilted her head to the side and grinned at her imaginary conversation. “Make ‘im see the error of his ways? I like that part.”
Quinn climbed out of his car finally satisfied that Kat wasn’t secretly meeting a lover here… not that he would have let the guy make it to the door. He raised his hand to knock but stopped short. Why give her the opportunity to not let him in?
Opening the keypad, he frowned wondering if Kat had changed pass code in the last ten years. Typing in her birth date, he smiled hearing the click of the door unlocking.
Slipping inside, Quinn closed the door and turned to reset the alarm. His hand paused admiring the updated system. It was the same one they used at the club and very high-tech. That’s when a thought hit him like a ton of bricks. Quickly changing the pass code, he set the doors and windows to lock from the inside and out.
This time, she wouldn’t be able to run away… least not until they had finally hashed this little war of theirs out.
*****
Michael walked up to the front door of his home and bumped into the door trying to get the keys out of his pocket. Wiping a hand over his face, he got the door unlocked and opened it, stumbling in slightly before shutting the door behind him.
He was still feeling the high from all the Heat he’d drank that evening. It had started out innocently enough drinking with Kane. However, the blonde vampire had vanished, leaving Michael with Warren. This was the closest he’d come to being drunk in way too long.
Michael smiled feeling Kane nearby and tried to walk a straight line in order to save his dignity. Stepping into the living room, the smile slid from his face as he lost all expression.
Kane was here all right. He was finally sound asleep on the overstuffed sectional with a throw blanket draped across him. But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was the ball of fur lying between Kane’s arm and his chest… and it was growling at him.
Michael raised his hands and massaged his eyes hoping that would fix the problem. Looking back at Kane, he tilted his head when the fur ball wiggled out of the cover and climbed up on Kane's chest growling a little deeper. Not realizing he’d done it, Michael took a step closer for a better look.
“Since when do dust bunnies growl?” Michael asked while arching an eyebrow.
The dust bunny growled again and jumped toward him a bit with a soft bark before taking a step back. Michael blinked when the dust bunny’s eyes turned red and its mouth opened, showing a row of sharp teeth and very long fangs.
Stumbling backward, Michael turned around and grabbed a hanging shield from the wall in one hand and a sword in the other. Satisfied that he was now armed, he turned to face his opponent.
“Yield,” Michael called out in a slurred voice and held the weapons up in a defensive position. “Stand down from my friend and face your fate dust bunny dragon.”
The growling got louder, followed by another bark.
“So, you defy me?” Michael demanded. “I shall strike you down and hang your head in your village so all dust bunnies will know their fate if they cross me.”
Michael raised the sword at the exact same moment that Kane opened his eyes.
“Scrappy, leave Michael alone,” Kane ordered in a sleepy voice.
Michael watched as the dust bunny stopped growling and its eyes returned to normal. The sharp fangs vanished and it returned to its original spot between Kane’s arm and chest.
“How?” Michael asked before toppling backward from the weight of the sword he still had lifted in the air.
Kane sat up, picking the puppy up in his arms and petting it, “How what?”
“How is it you have managed to tame such a creature?” Michael demanded while trying to pull himself up into a sitting position.
Kane raised an eyebrow, “Michael, do you have any idea what this is?”
Michael rolled onto his belly and nodded his head, “Yes, it is a dust bunny dragon.”
Kane couldn’t help himself and roared with laughter.
“You’re drunk,” Kane said after a few minutes.
“I am not!” Michael exclaimed and pushed himself to his feet. “I do not get drunk, I get drunk.”
“Michael, this is the puppy I was telling you about.” Kane explained while trying to keep the smile off his face. “Michael, this is Scrappy.” He lifted the Yorkie up so Michael could get a better look at the creature. “Scrappy, this is Michael and I want you to be nice to him. He’s letting us live here for a while and you need to behave yourself. So no peeing on the carpet.”
Scrappy yipped at Kane’s attention and playfully bit the end of his nose. Kane made a cute cooing sound and cuddled the dog closer.
“That’s my good boy,” Kane praised then they both turned to look at Michael.
Michael shook his head. This was too much for his intoxicated mind to take. Turning around, he stepped on the edge of the shield making it flip up and bang against his knees.
“Damn it, Kane,” Michael muttered. “If you’re going to use the weaponry, put it back where you found it when you’re done.”
Kane looked at Michael with a smirk on his face. The smirk widened when Michael suddenly fell forward and landed on the floor with a deep thud. The snoring began immediately and Kane looked down at Scrappy again.
“We have a very strange roommate don’t we?” he asked.
Scrappy barked in agreement and hopped down from Kane’s arms. He ran across the room, climbed up on Michael’s back and sat down. Kane laughed helplessly when Scrappy threw his head back and howled.
