Luke on the Loose

by Amanda M. Lee

  “I think we should search the woods,” she announced. “I mean ... the odds of the incubus still being around are slim, but we have to check.”

  I nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll go with you.”

  “I’m going, too,” Kade announced, causing me to scowl.

  “I don’t really think that’s necessary,” I countered. “I mean ... you obviously have your hands full here.” I inclined my head toward Mark. “You should worry about him. He wanted to put his hands on your girlfriend, after all.”

  “Thanks a lot, Luke,” Mark drawled, tossing me a serving of his world-famous stink eye. “We’re going to talk about this later.”

  Mark didn’t scare me, so I merely grinned and shrugged. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “You guys aren’t going in the woods looking for this thing without me,” Kade argued, refusing to back down. “From what you explained, you’re both susceptible to it.”

  “And what thing are we talking about?” Mark asked.

  “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with,” Poet replied, her eyes conflicted as they roamed Mark’s face. “But it’s very important that you not leave any female workers alone — or potentially homosexual males — until I tell you otherwise.”

  “That’s very specific.” Mark turned to me. “Do you want to tell me what she’s talking about?”

  “Not particularly.” As annoyed as I was by Kade inviting himself along on our trek into the woods, I couldn’t join forces with Mark ... even if it meant winning a potential argument. I loved winning as much as the next person — maybe twice as much — but Mark couldn’t be trusted. I’d learned that the hard way more than once over the years. “Just watch your people until we get a handle on what’s going on.”

  Mark made a disgusting snuffling as he sucked snot down his throat. “I think we’re going to need to have a meeting later about the pecking order of this outfit, Poet. I’m going to request a sit-down with Max, and I think you and your little friends won’t be so smug by the end of the day.”

  “Don’t bet on it,” Kade shot back. “I’m head of security. I outrank you and I’m well within my purview to tell you what to do. Poet is second in command and it goes without saying that she’s your boss.”

  “And I’m the one who brings in the most money,” Mark reminded us.

  “No one cares when lives are on the line,” Poet argued. “Just do as I say. If Max wants to talk about the pecking order, I’m more than willing. For now, the three of us have to make a trip into the woods. So ... you’ll have to excuse us.”

  She kept a dark look on her face as she directed us toward the trees. She waited until we were at the edge of the fairgrounds to speak again. “I’m not sure you shouldn’t stick close to make sure he follows our orders, Kade. Luke and I will be fine in the woods.”

  “Absolutely not.” Kade was firm as he folded his well-muscled arms across his chest and jutted out his chin. “You just told me that an incubus is designed to lure women. Luke had a weird thing happen to him overnight and couldn’t wake from a dream. I’m pretty sure that means he can be lured, too. I’m not leaving you guys to hunt this thing without me. It’s not going to happen.”

  I leaned closer to Poet. “I think he’s worried you’re going to have sex with the incubus and it’s going to be so good you’re literally going to die.” I used a stage whisper so my voice carried and managed not to cringe when Kade glared at me.

  “You are an absolute delight,” he drawled. “Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “You tell me that almost daily,” I shot back. “I find it ... charming.”

  “And I find both of you ridiculous,” Poet barked. “We have a real situation. Once we identify the incubus, it’s easy enough to dispatch. We outnumber it and we have plenty of people who can’t be touched by its song. Unfortunately, the hardest part is identifying it. That’s why I want to search the woods.”

  “I’m not opposed to the idea,” Kade argued. “But I won’t leave you guys to do it alone. You’re both susceptible. You need me.”

  I wanted to argue, but it seemed useless. “He’s right, Poet,” I said after a beat. “The more I think about what happened last night, the more I think that I’m just as susceptible as you. We should bring him with us ... even though he’s absolutely zero fun.”

  Kade pinned me with a nasty look. “I’ll have you know that I’m tons of fun.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I am.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Poet, will you tell him I’m fun?”

  Instead of immediately answering, she let out a long-suffering sigh. “Sometimes I feel as if I’m babysitting but not getting paid enough,” she groused. “Why can’t you just get along?”

  “Because that would throw our entire dynamic off,” Kade replied, unruffled. “We’ve built the foundation of our relationship on bickering. We can’t change that now. It’s too late.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. “He’s not wrong.”

  “Fine.” Poet held up her hands. “Let’s just get this over with. The faster we find the incubus, the faster we can put this behind us.”

  THE TRIP TO THE WOODS WAS boring. Actually, that was putting it mildly. The trip to the woods was akin to watching the Kardashians argue about which one of them is thinner when they should be arguing about which is a bigger waste of space.

  “Here’s something,” I noted, my nostrils flaring when I picked up a distinct smell and hunkered down to study a faint trail. “I’m smelling cake. I’m pretty sure it’s red velvet with that really yummy buttercream frosting.” My mouth watered at the thought. “We should pick up some cake when we’re grocery shopping this afternoon.”

  “I think that can be arranged.” Poet dropped down next to me and stared at the footprint. “It’s pretty light, but I think you’re right. That’s definitely the sole of a boot.”

  “What kind of boot?” Kade leaned over us. It was shady in the woods so he didn’t block out the sun, but his presence still agitated me. He was like the third wheel on a disastrous date and he constantly made me want to mush his face into the dirt so he would stop talking.

  “I’m not a fashion consultant,” Poet replied. “It just looks like a boot to me.”

  “They’re the Faded Glory line from Harley-Davidson,” I announced, swiping at the side of my nose to brush away a bug. I wasn’t a big fan of the outdoors — something that was supposed to be unheard of for shifters — and I’d long since gotten over my failures as a wolf. “Size twelve, to be exact.”

  Kade made a face. “There’s no way you can possibly know what brand of boots we’re talking about.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Poet argued, pressing herself close to the ground. “I think he’s right. I can clearly see the Harley-Davidson logo here.”

  “Oh, now you’re just messing with me.” Kade joined us closer to the ground, frowning when he looked at the spot Poet indicated. “That could be anything.”

  “It’s the Harley-Davidson logo.” I was sure of it because I thought about buying a pair of the boots myself a few months back. I don’t have a motorcycle, but I was convinced I would look fabulous if I dressed the part. “They’re nice boots. I’ve had my eye on them for months.”

  Poet wrinkled her nose. “You can’t dress like a biker. People will laugh at you.”

  “I’m not going to dress like a biker,” I retorted. “I just want the boots. Trust me. Leather chaps are ruined for me thanks to Percival, and nobody can carry off a leather jacket now thanks to The Fonz.”

  I risked a glance at Kade and found him silently laughing. “It’s the truth,” I pressed.

  He held up his hands. “I believe you. Let’s see if we can follow these tracks. A hot guy who smells like cake dressed up like a biker shouldn’t be hard to find.”

  For once, we agreed on something. “Maybe this will be over right away and we can go back to spending quality time
together without your buddy Kade the Monotonous threatening to follow us everywhere for the next few days, Poet,” I suggested.

  Kade growled as Poet patted my arm. “You’re on my last nerve,” he muttered.

  WE FOLLOWED THE FOOTPRINTS a full mile. Just when we thought we would have to give up and go back for help – or a vehicle – the trees thinned and gave way to a parking lot filled with motorcycles.

  “What is this?” Kade asked, pulling up short.

  I moved to his side and frowned. “It’s a bar.” I pointed toward the sign on top of the square cinder-block bunker of a building. “Big Billy’s Biker Bonanza. I guess Billy is a fan of alliteration, huh?”

  Poet stepped between us, her usual position. She liked to make sure that she was in the way should we decide to start throwing punches. It hadn’t happened yet, but there was still plenty of time. “And here we thought finding those boots would be easy,” she lamented. “I’m guessing most of the people at a biker bar wear motorcycle boots.”

  She had a point, still ... . “That doesn’t mean they’re all be wearing Faded Glory Harley-Davidson boots.” I was trying to look on the bright side, which was my way. “I still think we’ve got a shot at finding our culprit.”

  “I don’t know that I want to go in there,” Kade admitted. “There are a good thirty bikes parked in front. It’s not even ten yet. We’re vastly outnumbered.”

  “Yes, but Poet can read minds,” I pointed out. “She should be able to cut the suspect pool relatively quickly once we’re inside. Besides, you’re big and burly. You have muscles coming out of your ears. They’ll probably think you’re one of them.”

  “I very much doubt it.” Kade was firm. “Bikers recognize their own. We won’t fit in.”

  “No, but we won’t look like easy marks either,” Poet supplied. “You and Luke look tough. Er, well, kind of.” Her eyes moved to my paisley shirt. “You really should’ve worn a different outfit.”

  The look I shot her was withering. “I’ll have you know that this shirt is sold out on both coasts. It’s in high demand.”

  “Not in Akron, it’s not. You stick out. There’s nothing we can do about that now. If someone asks ... we’ll just say you’re a dandy. That should be enough to placate them.”

  Usually I was fine with someone using that word to describe me. This time it sounded like an insult. “I’ll have them eating out of my hands in five minutes. Just you wait.”

  I strode through the front door, exuding more self-confidence than I felt. The bar buzzed with activity when I entered, and every set of eyes in the building turned to me as the room fell silent ... other than the insipid hair band music thrumming from the jukebox.

  “Are you lost?” the man behind the counter drawled. He looked to be in his fifties and boasted a huge beer belly that hung between his suspenders, and a kerchief tied over his head. At one time he probably had brown hair, but his beard and eyebrows were almost completely gray now. “I don’t think this is the sort of establishment you’re looking for.”

  Kade and Poet moved in behind me, bolstering me further.

  “We’re here to ask a few questions,” Kade announced.

  I heard snickers from the ranks at my right but managed to keep from glaring.

  “Are you cops?” the man behind the bar asked. “You don’t look it if you are.”

  “We’re not cops.” Kade flashed a smile that didn’t make it to his eyes. “We’re with Mystic Caravan Circus. We’re camping on the other side of the woods to the east.”

  “And why should we care about that?” The man behind the bar was clearly in charge. He might’ve been working, serving the others, but he was obviously the one they looked to when it came time to supply answers.

  “Are you Billy?” I asked.

  The man smirked. “I am. I’ve owned this place for close to twenty years. That doesn’t explain why we should care about the circus.”

  “Someone crossed onto the fairgrounds last night,” Kade replied. “It appears this individual was looking through a few windows, peeping at the women we have with us. We just want to talk to him.”

  I had to give him credit; that was an interesting lie to make up on the fly.

  “And how do you know it was someone from here?” Billy demanded.

  “We found footprints in the woods. We followed them here. We don’t want to cause trouble.” As if to prove it, Kade held up his hands in deference. “We just want to make sure that our women are safe. You understand.”

  Billy rubbed his bearded chin as he regarded the security chief with unreadable eyes. “Nobody was touched?”

  “No,” Kade lied. “Nobody was touched.”

  “Then nobody was harmed.”

  “That’s not exactly true.” Kade refused to back down, which was impressive given how badly we were outnumbered. Interestingly enough, Poet’s magic would even the odds if it became necessary. Kade had magic, too, but he was still working to control it. This show would completely fall on Poet’s diminutive shoulders should the worst happen. “I’m head of security with the circus. I’m not going to sit back and allow our women to feel vulnerable.”

  “Well, I don’t believe we have peepers here,” Billy countered. “You don’t know that the tracks you found in the woods were made by anyone here.”

  “Maybe,” I agreed. “Whoever it was wore Faded Glory Harley-Davidson boots. I think, given the clientele at your fine establishment, the odds of whoever it was going someplace else are slim.” I let my gaze bounce between faces — let it linger over a handsome man with chiseled cheekbones and fascinating green eyes — and then focused on Billy. “We’re not asking you to kowtow to us or making frivolous demands.”

  “We are warning you,” Poet added, taking control of the conversation. It was only a matter of time — I realized that — but her tone was demanding and I wasn’t sure it was the right way to go. “Don’t cross our boundaries again. You won’t like it if you do.”

  Instead of reacting with fear, or even grudging respect, the bikers laughed.

  “You’re awfully feisty,” Billy teased. “Did you get peeped? I can see why someone would want to get a closer look at you. I bet you look real pretty without all those clothes.”

  “Hey!” Kade’s eyes filled with fire.

  “Calm down, Sparky.” Billy shot him a warning look. “I was just commenting on your girlfriend’s rather obvious attributes.”

  “Don’t.” I shook my head and pinned Kade with a quelling look when he took an ominous step toward the bartender. The temperature of the room dropped noticeably when Kade threatened violence. “This is not the time.”

  “It’s definitely not,” Poet agreed. She took a moment and studied several faces in turn. I knew what she was doing — invading minds — but she didn’t look triumphant when she finally turned back to Billy. I had a feeling she didn’t find what she was looking for during her brief scan. “You don’t want to bother us again,” she warned. “We’ll be waiting for you if you do.”

  “I didn’t bother you the first time around,” Billy snapped. “Why would you think one of us would care enough to walk a mile through the woods to peep at your women? I mean ... you’re circus folk. That doesn’t exactly fill me with the urge to stare at you naked.”

  “Just stay away.” Poet refused to be drawn into a fight. “I’m serious. We will protect our own ... and you won’t like how it goes down if you push us.”

  “Well, I guess you could say the same for us.” Billy rested his elbows on the counter. “You won’t like what happens if you keep visiting my bar and throwing around threats.”

  Poet snorted. She was cocky when she wanted to be, and she was clearly in the mood to fight. “I guess we’ve drawn our lines in the sand. Now it’s time to see which of us can hold up our end of the bargain, huh?”

  “I’m definitely looking forward to the outcome,” Billy agreed. “Until then, get out of here. I don’t have use for empty threats.”

  “Push me
and you’ll find those threats aren’t empty,” Poet warned. She turned on her heel and strode to the door, an air of confidence streaming behind her. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Count on it,” Billy called to her back.

  I risked a glance at Kade and found him shaking his head. “You wish she’d kept her mouth shut, don’t you?”

  He nodded. “You have no idea.”

  Four

  “Anything?” Kade prodded when we were back in the trees. He wisely waited until we were away from the bar to ask the obvious question.

  “Most of them can shutter,” Poet replied, hands on hips as she stared at the bar. “I don’t know that all of them are human.”

  “That doesn’t mean one of them is the incubus,” he pointed out.

  “I know that.” She shot him a look. “I’m not an idiot. But it makes sense for the incubus to hide among them. Frankly, I’m surprised all incubi don’t try something similar.”

  Kade’s expression reflected puzzlement. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because those are alpha males who go through life pretending to be the boss,” Poet replied. “There were women in there. I’m sure you saw them. Each and every one of them remained quiet and deferential to the men they were with while they puffed out their chests and acted like morons.”

  I’d noticed that, too. “Do you think they’re being mistreated?” The notion made me uneasy. “Maybe we should call the police.”

  “And tell them what?” Kade challenged. “We didn’t witness any of those women being mistreated. If the cops go in there, the women will deny anything bad is happening and we’ll look like jerks. If we need to work with the police in this area going forward, it will be a slog. Is that what you want?”

  “No.” I rubbed my forehead. “The whole set-up made me uncomfortable, though. The place reeked of testosterone.”

  “That’s another reason it would be easy for the incubus to hide in there,” Poet said. “A specific type of woman is drawn to men on bikes. Those who want adventure ... and those who like to be dominated. You rarely see a dominant woman in biker ranks, and if you do she’s not dating one of the men but has somehow become seen as their equal. That’s not an easy feat.”