Ex-Con Alpha

by Sky Winters

  It seemed her parents were too. Kat wasn’t about to let him go down the wrong road without at least trying to save him. He meant too much to her, and she knew he did to her parents. They were just angry and tired. They’d come around. In the meantime, she’d find him on her own.

  “I need to see Paco,” she said to an oily haired goth-looking girl who sat outside the building she’d been directed to by some of Mike’s drug buddies.

  “Paco don’t need to see you,” the girl said, absently picking at a scab on the back of her hand.

  “Tell him Big Mike sent me.”

  “Big Mike?” she said, finally looking up and her, sizing her up. “You his bitch?”

  “I’m no one’s bitch. I’m his sister. Now, get Paco for me.”

  “Paco ain’t no dog. You can’t just call him and he’ll come.”

  Kat glared at the girl and then reached into her pocket, pulling out a twenty and holding it out to her.

  “Will this help?”

  “Maybe. You got another one?”

  “No,” Kat replied, pulling it back before the girl could take it.

  “Alright. Twenty will do.”

  Kat held the bill back out toward her, and she took it, stuffing it into her overly abundant cleavage. She nodded toward the door to her right.

  “Go in there. Last door on the right. Knock twice, cough, knock again.”

  Kat followed her strange directions and soon found herself looking at a tall, lanky guy with a shock of orange-red hair and a beard to match. His eyes were red, from what was anyone’s guess.

  “What’s your poison?” he said, looking around nervously.

  “I don’t have one. I’m looking for my brother.”

  “He ain’t here,” he said, already closing the door between them.

  “Wait. Wait. Big Mike. I know you know him. I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want to find my brother.”

  “Big Mike’s sis, huh?” he said, smiling. “He owes me money. I don’t deal to that fucker no more. You find him, you tell him I’m running out of patience.”

  “When’s the last time you saw him?” she persisted.

  “Man, I don’t know. Been months. Go talk to them boys on Fifth and Vine. They might know him. I ain’t got nothing for you but that message to him. Take it and get the fuck out of my doorway, bitch.”

  He slammed the door, causing her to jump back to keep from getting hit in the face by it. She had to draw the line here. Fifth and Vine were in a neighborhood she wasn’t stepping foot into alone. It hadn’t been long enough to file a missing person’s report, which was her last resort anyway. Given what circumstance they might find him in, that might only bring him more trouble.

  Back at home, she sat down and stared at the wall. She felt exhausted. After a few minutes, she got up and fished some leftovers out of the fridge, popping open a bottle of wine while the food heated in the microwave. What she needed was just to veg out for a while and try to focus on something besides Mike.

  By her second bottle of wine, she felt much calmer. Drinking probably wasn’t the best way to unwind, but she didn’t really care. Right now, she just needed not to think so much, not worry so much. The phone buzzing stirred her from her thoughts. The display showed an unknown number.

  “Hello?”

  “Kat?”

  “Yes?” she replied, not picking up on the voice immediately.

  “It’s Travis.”

  “Travis?”

  She wasn’t being coy. For a moment, she wasn’t picking up on the name. It had been a long day, and she’d had perhaps a little too much to drink.

  “Travis. You know, you saw me today.”

  “Oh, Travis. I’m sorry. Yes. What can I do for you?”

  Her tone was formal as if she were taking a business call. He’d all but ignored her this morning; why should she act like anything more than a stranger to him tonight?

  “Listen, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. You must have thought I was incredibly rude.”

  “It’s fine. You were obviously occupied elsewhere.”

  “I was, but not like you think.”

  “Okay,” she said, not really interested in his explanation or sure why he felt she needed one.

  “Listen, Kat. I think you and I got off on the wrong foot.”

  “It’s fine, Travis. You have other things going on, and I understand that. I can take a hint.”

  “The problem is, I wasn’t trying to give you any hints. I really enjoyed our time together and was looking forward to going out again.”

  “It didn’t seem that way. You were very quick to say you were going to be busy, but I don’t blame you. I mean, I did pass out on our first date, and apparently, I have some issues that aren’t going to go away.”

  “Oh, Kat. No. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I was just starting a new job today and wasn’t sure how my schedule was going to go. The woman I was getting in the car with is my boss. Seeing you today made me want to call you.”

  Kat was quiet for a moment. She had made this all about her and never considered that he might have something going on that had nothing to do with anything between them. She felt so stupid now.

  “I’m sorry. I—” she began, but he cut her off.

  “Don’t apologize. I should have tried to be a bit clearer. Anyway, I’d really like to go out again, on a real date.

  “I’d like that too,” she found herself saying.

  “Good. Saturday? Pick you up at seven?”

  “Perfect.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Travis

  So far, Travis’s job was not as glamorous or exciting as one might think. It consisted mostly of trailing around a spoiled rotten princess who, from what he could see, fancied herself in much more danger than she actually was. No one seemed to recognize her, and there seemed to be little cause for alarm.

  “Travis, can you carry my purse for me?” she purred as the driver let her out of her side of the car.

  Travis looked down at the large white leather bag with bright colored flowers splattered across it and groaned. Thank God no one in the pack could see him out here on this set. It was in the middle of nowhere in a forest, a horror movie. She was running through the woods in lingerie for some reason.

  It was the same thing she’d been doing for the past three days and, according to one of the crew members he’d overheard, two days over schedule because she couldn’t get her lines right when confronted with the killer chasing her.

  “If this keeps up, I may stab her myself,” another joked.

  “I don’t see why they wanted her. They knew she was high maintenance, and she’s not even that attractive without all the makeup and hair extensions,” a woman beside them added.

  “She rolled up in here with four bodyguards too. I guess she needs them with her personality. Who wouldn’t want to punch her in the face?” a younger-looking girl joked.

  Travis cleared his throat, feeling like an eavesdropper, even though he’d made no effort to overhear their conversation. Even though he didn’t look in their direction, he heard the silence that acknowledged they were aware of him, one of the aforementioned bodyguards and an imposing figure—a large man carrying a fucking flowery purse.

  “I’ve decided to stay in town this weekend,” she told him on their way back to the hotel.

  “I’m not available Saturday evening,” he replied.

  “What do you mean you aren’t available? I need you the whole weekend.”

  “I was told my work week was only weekdays, and the other bodyguards would handle weekends as you would be returning home for those.”

  “Perhaps, but this is an exception. I want to stay, and I need my local protective services to assist me in securing the places I go.”

  “As I said, I’m sorry. I have plans,” he told her.

  “Mr. Porter, if you review your contract, you will see there is a stipulation in there that you be available to me seven days a week, despite wh
atever primary shift you are assigned.”

  Travis gritted his teeth. He needed this, but he didn’t like being yanked about after being told something he’d accepted as truth. He most certainly didn’t want to have to cancel his plans with Kat. Perhaps he could catch this fly with some honey instead.

  “I appreciate that you would like me to work, but I have a date. It’s our first official date, and I don’t want to cancel on her.”

  “Alright. I can be reasonable, despite what people say about me. When is your date?”

  “Saturday at six,” he lied, wanting to give himself some flexibility.

  “Fine. You’re mine until, say, five on Saturday, and again on Sunday? Start time eight a.m.?”

  “That works. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she replied, seeming quite pleased with her negotiation skills as she turned to watch as the remote part of the county they had been in turned back into city.

  Travis said nothing. He considered that perhaps he really might need to read the contract after all before he got sideswiped by something else he didn’t see coming. Granted, having to cancel a date wasn’t the end of the world, but he wasn’t much for having things dropped on him like this. It just wasn’t his style.

  Of course, he wasn’t surprised at all when his Saturday at five turned out to run late. It was almost six when she finally got him back to the hotel with fake apologies about how she was sorry she was making him late for his date. She wasn’t even a convincing actress at that.

  He was glad he had lied to her.

  Back at the hotel, he ran up to his room and grabbed the keys to his truck, heading back out before she could conjure up any other reason for him to be detained. He drove back to his house for a quick shower and change of clothes before going to pick up Kat.

  Despite feeling a little rushed and aggravated, he found it subsiding as he got closer to Kat’s house. He was looking forward to tonight. It some weird way, he felt connected to her. Of course, he had no idea what they were going to do tonight. He figured they’d just start with dinner and then see what they felt like getting up to after that.

  She opened her door wearing a simple white dress with spring flowers that hugged her upper body and then flowed into a long skirt with a slit up to the knees that could only be seen as she began to walk out to the truck. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail that hung down between her shoulder blades, laying against her skin where the dress plunged downward almost to her waist.

  “You look amazing,” he said.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  “Ready to go then?”

  “I am.”

  “How do you like French food? I thought we might go to Le Sheron down by the waterfront if that’s okay with you.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  Travis helped her into the truck and did his best not to be too distracted by the bare leg extending from beneath her dress as she sat next to him. He really needed to get a grip on his hormones. They were in overdrive tonight, and he didn’t want to come off like some sort of dirty old man with only one thing on his mind.

  “So, what have you been up to since you regained consciousness?” he teased.

  “Very funny. I’m so embarrassed about that.”

  “Don’t be. Stuff happens to us all. You said the doctor got you sorted out, though, right?”

  “Yes. I’ll be fine from now on. What about you? You said you started a new job.”

  “Ah, avoiding my question and asking your own. Okay. Yeah. It’s temporary, but it pays well. I took a leave from the bar for the next six months and will hopefully have enough to start up my own little business when I’m done.”

  “Hopefully?”

  “Well, the woman I’m working for is a bit of a handful. If I can manage to keep my mouth shut or not walk out for that long, I’ll be golden.”

  “She’s that bad? Did she make you help her pick out lingerie?” she asked.

  “Lingerie? What? No. Why would I do that?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

  “That’s what she was saying when I saw you in town. Something about having to get to a lingerie fitting.”

  “Oh. Yeah. No. She’s an actress. She had to get to her fitting with the wardrobe people.”

  “An actress? Here?”

  “Yeah. It’s a bit hush-hush, I think, though I’ve seen some reports that have leaked about it.”

  “Oh!” she squealed. “That slasher film they are filming down in the south woods!”

  “Yes.”

  “Wait. You aren’t working for Vivianne Demonte, are you?”

  “The one and only,” he groaned.

  “Lucky you.”

  “Not really. She’s not exactly a pleasant person.”

  “She’s rude?”

  “Not really rude—just demanding and a bit fake.”

  “I’m surprised. She always seems like such a sweet person in interviews and stuff. I guess she’s a good actress.”

  Travis scoffed but didn’t elaborate.

  “Anyway, enough about her. You didn’t tell me what you’ve been up to since I saw you last.”

  “Not much. Working and trying to find my brother.”

  “Find your brother? The one I met at your parents?”

  “Big Mike? Right. I forgot he said he talked to you.”

  “He’s missing?”

  “Yeah. He’s been gone for several days. He has some ... problems. I guess the police don’t really care and my parents are mad at him, so I’ve been trying to find him on my own. I’m done now, though. Nowhere else I can look for him, not alone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Mike runs with a pretty shady crowd. It’s just not safe for me to go nosing around in their business. Ya know?”

  “Yeah. I know. What’s he into?”

  “Into?”

  “Yeah. Folks that run with shady people are always into something that will end badly.”

  “Right. He drinks and I’m pretty sure he’s using again.”

  “Drugs? What kind?”

  “I don’t know. I saw him slipping something in his mouth the other night before he left my house, so maybe just pills or maybe harder stuff. I have no idea. He zonked out on something and crashed into the corner of our parents’ house. I had to take him to the doctor.”

  “Oh, boy.”

  “Yeah. Anyway, enough about Mike. I’ve done all I can do to find him. He’ll turn up when he decides to face my father’s wrath.”

  “I hope so,” Travis told her, wishing there was something more he could say or do to help, but knowing that guys like Mike did whatever they wanted and left nothing but misery in their wake.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Kat

  Kat couldn’t believe she’d told Travis so much about everything. He was just too easy to talk to about things. He didn’t seem judgmental at all and at least gave the impression that he was empathetic. They dropped the topic of Mike and instead began talking about their own futures.

  “So, this money you’re saving up to do your own thing. What is it that you want to do?”

  “You’ll laugh.”

  “Why would I laugh?”

  “It’s just not what you hear from a typical Alpha.”

  “I have a feeling you are anything but a typical Alpha. It might be what I like about you most.”

  He glanced sideways at her for a moment and smiled before turning back to the road in front of them.

  “I want to sculpt, so I’d like to use the money to get me started and then try to sell some of my stuff. You know, give it a few months, and then if I see it’s going nowhere, maybe just go back to the bar or something else.”

  “Sculpt? Like Greek statues and such?”

  “Oh, no. Not like that at all. I am a pretty good welder, and I love how some of the found object sculptures look. You know, like Penny Hardy’s stuff.”

  “I don’t know Penny Hardy.”

  “Really? You’re missin
g out,” he said, pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant. “Come on, I’ll show you while we wait for our food.”

  Once they had ordered their food and drinks, he pulled out his cell phone and pulled up the website for the artist he had mentioned and held it out for her to see as he scrolled through a few of the photos there.

  “Wow. That is gorgeous.”

  “Yes. My pack has a ton of this kind of stuff lying around from the construction and mechanical work they do. I can pick it up cheap from them and use it in works of my own.”

  “Won’t you have to get a studio and get it into a gallery and stuff like that? That sounds like it would take a lot of time.”

  “No. I’m not interested in art shows and gallery displays. My stuff would be like hers, created for the outdoors. People would buy it for their gardens or business entrances. So, I wouldn’t be making a bunch of stuff to sit around and waiting for it to sell. I’d create a few sample pieces and then work on commission for people wanting to buy a piece past that.”

  “It sounds amazing, and I’m not one to poop on anyone’s parade, but is there a market for it way out where we live?”

  “No, not there, not much of one anyway—but here in the city, there are people who will buy it. I might not make the big bucks at first, but if it became popular, I could make enough to live comfortably. If not, I won’t quit my day job—well, in my case, my night job after this one runs out.”

  “Well, I think it’s great. It sounds like you are enthusiastic about it. I hope it works out for you.”

  “Me too. I plan on creating the sample pieces on the weekends when I’m off work so that I have them done when the time comes. If it never happens, I’ll at least have a few cool pieces to put in my front yard. Anyway, what about you?”

  Kat took a sip of her drink.

  “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t really thought about it much. I enjoy just doing my massage business. I think I would eventually like to have just my own little space to do massages rather than being mobile with it. It does get a bit old sometimes having to lug my gear from house to house and find a space to do my work. It would be nice just to have people come to me.”