Luke on the Loose

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Uh-huh.” Kade folded his arms across his chest. “And what happens if the police pick up an innocent man and convict him of the crime? Before you deny that’s a possibility, let me remind you that we were watching that documentary on Netflix a few weeks ago and that’s exactly what happened to that one guy ... who then spent twenty years in prison.”

  “The reason that story made the news is because it was so rare,” Poet argued. “I get your point. If the cops arrest someone, then I’ll have to come back and give them a little push to make them see the light of day.” She wiggled her fingers for emphasis so he would know what sort of “push” she meant.

  He still wasn’t placated. “I don’t like this, Poet.” He looked around the clearing, frustration evident. “This creature you guys seem to be treating like a joke even though it killed one of our own has been taking out innocent women for a long time. We can’t just sit back and let it happen again.”

  “We have no intention of letting it happen again,” she argued. “We’re going to take the incubus out. We don’t think what happened to Calamity is funny or acceptable. It’s just ... you can’t always control the world when you’re dealing with monsters.”

  I thought her argument was practical. Kade? Not so much.

  “Well, you guys do whatever you want.” He turned on his heel and stalked toward the fairgrounds. “It’s pretty clear I have no say in the matter. I mean ... I’m only the head of security.”

  “Kade.” Poet sounded helpless as she called to his back.

  I put my hand on her shoulder to quiet her. “I’ll talk to him,” I offered, an idea forming in my head. “In fact, I’ll take him out of here for a bit. We’ll head back to that bar and see if we can get a better feel for the guys who hang out there. It will do us both some good.”

  Poet didn’t look convinced. “You shouldn’t go there because you’re susceptible to this thing. He shouldn’t go there because he’s obviously spoiling for a fight.”

  “That’s why we’ll go together. It will be good for both of us.”

  She was incredulous. “How do you figure that?”

  “Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”

  KADE WAS EVEN LESS OPEN TO the idea than Poet when I finally caught up with him outside his trailer.

  “You want me to go to the bar with you?” The way he said the words told me exactly how he felt.

  “Um, yeah. It will be fun.”

  “I’ve seen that bar. It doesn’t look fun.”

  “The bar won’t be fun. Spying on the bikers will be fun.”

  “And what will stop them from picking a fight with us?”

  “Perhaps nothing. You want to punch someone, though, so I figure it will be an added bonus if we get in a fight.”

  Kade opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. “You know what? I’m game.”

  We didn’t say goodbye to Poet. She was walking toward us when we departed in the other direction. I offered her a friendly wave, but Kade, big pouter that he is, focused on the pathway that led through the trees.

  It was dark when we hit the woods, but my sight was keen thanks to my shifter abilities. If Kade was bothered by not being able to see where he was walking, he didn’t show it. Instead, he wordlessly followed me through the gloom. He didn’t speak until we were safely away from the fairgrounds, at which point he apparently felt safe enough to vent.

  “Can you believe she thinks it’s okay not to call the police?”

  I’d never heard him complain about Poet. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. I did once. That was right after he found out she’d been lying to him about Max being his father. She was caught between her boss and a hard place — Max was essentially her father figure, too, after all, and she had no intention of falling in love with Kade. It happened anyway, and the truth came out and he pouted for several weeks.

  They got past it, and ever since they’d been sickeningly sweet with one another. It was almost too much to take.

  “I happen to agree with her on this one,” I offered, scuffing my shoes against the hard-packed earth as I steadily moved forward. “We can dole out more punishment to the incubus than the police can.”

  “Not everything is about punishment.”

  “No? What should we focus on besides punishment?” I was honestly curious.

  “How about closure for those families? How about recognition that those women are more than discarded garbage?”

  Wow! He was completely worked up. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him this annoyed. “Is that how you think Poet looks at them?” I slowed my pace. “Honestly? If you think she’s that callous why are you even with her?”

  The question clearly caught him off guard. “I ... didn’t mean it like that.”

  “How did you mean it?”

  “I just meant ... I don’t like ignoring the fact that those women have been abandoned in that field.” He looked miserable. “When I was in Afghanistan there was a similar field. There were fifty bodies in that field. Most of them belonged to young girls who were accused of being sexually active. The thing is, over there, women are stoned for things like that, even if they were raped. The men who carried out the crimes were given a free pass.”

  “That is horrible.” I meant it. “That’s not what we’re dealing with here, though. I’m sorry you had to go through that. I would be infuriated, too. This really is a different situation.”

  “I know that.” He dragged a restless hand over his short-cropped hair. “I don’t mean to be snippy with her. I don’t think she’s a bad person. I could never think that. I just ... can’t stand this. I want to make someone pay for what was done to these women.”

  “What do you think we’re doing?” I was matter-of-fact as I started walking again. “We need to find the creature that did this. It very well could be at this bar. You also need to take a breather so you don’t pick a fight with Poet you’ll end up regretting.”

  “That would probably be for the best,” he agreed. “You don’t think she’ll be mad I went out with you, do you?”

  That was a tricky question. “No,” I replied decisively. “She wants us to be closer. What better way to bond than spending a few hours at a biker bar where an incubus might be hiding?”

  “Good point.”

  “I’m full of them.”

  THE CLIENTELE AT BIG BILLY’S BIKER BONANZA didn’t look happy to see us. I recognized a few faces — although, sadly, none of them belonged to the man with the green eyes and chiseled cheekbones. I would never admit that in front of Poet or her morose boyfriend — and I plastered a bright smile on my face as I slid into an open booth with Kade.

  Billy was behind the bar, his expression hard to read. Finally, he gave the waitress standing a few feet away a curt nod and she scurried over to our table to take our drink orders.

  “I’m Patty,” she announced with a ridiculously perky voice. “What can I get for you?”

  “I’ll take whatever you have on tap,” Kade said amiably.

  “Of course.” She turned to me and waited.

  “I’ll have Sex on the Beach.”

  Patty pressed her lips together and shifted from one foot to the other. “Excuse me, but ... what?”

  “Did he say something to you, Patty?” one of the men at the bar called out. He either had very good hearing or was a shifter just like me. He almost looked as if he was salivating to get into a fight. That was fine with me. I happened to love a good fight ... as long as I had proper backup. I wasn’t sure if Kade, who was still learning to control his magic, fit that bill.

  “He said he wants Sex on the Beach.” She sounded scandalized. “We don’t even have a beach.”

  “It’s a drink,” I offered, my gaze connecting with Billy’s demented stare. “Seriously, it’s just a drink. It has peach schnapps, pineapple juice, orange juice, vodka and lemon juice.”

  Billy blinked several times and screwed up his face. “I would say that sounds like a chick drink, but all t
he chicks here drink straight from the tap.”

  I could see where this conversation was going. “I’ll have whatever is on tap, too. How does that sound?”

  “As if it’s going to be a thrilling evening,” Billy replied. I couldn’t see it from my vantage point, but I could hear the eye roll in his voice. He clearly wasn’t happy with our presence. He also didn’t want to cause a scene. That was ... interesting.

  “Will that be all?” Patty asked.

  “For now,” Kade replied, handing her a twenty. “Keep the change.”

  It was a generous tip, especially since pints were five bucks apiece. I didn’t point that out as the happy waitress disappeared toward the bar.

  “This isn’t too bad.” I leaned back in my seat and glanced around. “It’s got a homey vibe going for it.”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” Kade said dryly. “I feel as if I’m home.”

  I shot him a quelling look. “You’re getting sourer with each passing minute. You need to knock it off. Nobody likes a big, fat whiner. That’s totally how you’re acting.”

  “I happen to think I’m right.”

  “Of course you do. You can’t help yourself from being self-righteous. You’re still getting used to everything. As you spend more time with us, learn more about our ways, you’ll get over yourself.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to get over myself. Have you ever considered that?”

  “Not really. Now ... stop being a baby.”

  BY THE TIME WE started our third beers Kade had loosened up nicely. He wasn’t the only one. Apparently, once he realized we weren’t leaving, Billy decided to join us during a break, and he never left. He was fascinated with hearing about the circus.

  “Do you really travel all over the country?” He pounded half a beer and let loose a loud belch. “Have you seen every state?”

  “Not every state,” I replied, trying to refrain from making a face when I caught an overpowering whiff of Billy’s body order. He smelled like Axe body spray, sweat and day-old farts all mixed together. “We don’t travel to Alaska or Hawaii because that would take far too much time, and there are a few other states that don’t like visits from the circus.”

  “Which states are those?” Kade asked dryly as he signaled for another beer. He wasn’t drunk yet, but I figured he would be well on his way in another thirty minutes. I was starting to like him, especially when he let his mouth get away from him ... which was happening more frequently.

  “We’ve never been to Alabama, Rhode Island, Vermont ... um, a couple more of those little ones that are all bunched together up in the east. We haven’t been to one of the Dakotas either. I think it’s the north one ... although it could be the south one.”

  Kade chuckled. “The Dakotas don’t like circus folk?”

  “Nope. They think we’re weird.”

  “Oh, don’t let that get to you.” Billy, suddenly gregarious, gave me a firm smack on the back as he motioned to Patty to indicate he wanted another drink. “People think we’re weird all the time. I used to hate it, shrink when people stared. Now I like it. I use it as a shield.”

  “A shield to keep people away?” Honestly, I was starting to like Billy, too. He wasn’t such a bad guy. He was unfairly judged regularly and I felt bad for him.

  “That’s exactly why.” Billy extended a finger and waved it in my face. “I like you.”

  I smiled at him. “I like you, too.”

  “I didn’t think I would when you and your friends came in here all full of yourselves this morning, but I’m starting to really like you now. I’m guessing the woman was the one who made you unlikeable.”

  “That’s the story of my life,” I lamented. “Women are the devil.”

  “Don’t say that.” Kade made a smacking sound with his lips as he accepted his beer. “That woman you’re talking about is my girlfriend. She’s not so bad.”

  “Not so bad, huh?” Billy snorted. “That’s a ringing endorsement if ever I heard one.”

  “She’s not bad,” Kade repeated. “She’s a good girl. She’s my good girl. She’s ... really pretty. She’s not all that sweet when she’s around other people, but she is when we’re alone.”

  “I bet she’s a honey in the bedroom, too, right?” Billy pressed.

  Kade might’ve been bordering on tipsy but he knew better than to answer that question. “She’s a good girl and I love her.”

  “She is a good girl,” I agreed, watching as Billy sucked the froth from his mug. “She’s my best friend. I knew she was a good girl before him.”

  “Too bad you’re light in the loafers, huh?” Billy gave me a sidelong look. “You could’ve had her first if you swung that way.”

  “I guess.” I’d never really thought about it. Now that Billy was feeling no pain, though, I decided to take advantage of the situation. “So ... I don’t suppose you have any loners who hang out here?”

  “Loners?” Billy drew his eyebrows together. “Sure. We have lots of loners.”

  “Do any of them have a particularly interesting effect on women?”

  “Do you mean making them vomit or lose their panties?”

  “Um ... the panties thing.”

  “Not that I can think of offhand, but a name might come to me. Give me a minute.”

  “Take as much time as you need.” That’s exactly what I wanted. “I’ll be right here waiting when the name comes to you.”

  Seven

  I drank more than was wise. Kade had even more. Still, I was convinced it was a good idea until it came time to walk home.

  The mile, which should’ve taken us fifteen minutes to walk, seemed to take twice as long.

  Poet was waiting when we crossed the dreamcatcher. She wasn’t alone. Nellie and Dolph stood with her, shoulder to shoulder, although they looked much more amused than she did when I tripped and Kade had to grab my arm to keep me upright.

  “Hello, Poet,” I sang out, doing my best to cover for my clumsiness. “How are you this fine day?”

  She shot me a dirty look. “Do you think that’s funny?”

  I straightened and tugged on my shirt to smooth the wrinkles. “I’ve been told that I’m very funny. I could be a comedian if I wanted. No joke. I’ve often thought about leaving the circus and going on the humor tour ... the funny tour ... I mean the laugh nonstop tour. Hmm. What do you call it?”

  “Who cares?” Poet’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “You’ll be on the hangover tour tomorrow.”

  “I think you mean the comedy tour,” Nellie offered helpfully. He seemed to be more amused than annoyed, which was only one of the reasons I liked him so much.

  I snapped my fingers. “That’s exactly what I meant.” I bobbed my head and grinned. “We made friends with Billy at the bar. He loves us now ... but he thinks you’re bossy and doesn’t want you visiting again.”

  “Well, he’s in luck,” Poet snapped. “I don’t want to visit him.” Her frustration was palpable as she planted her hands on her hips. “I think you guys need some Advil, water and sleep. You’re both going to be miserable tomorrow no matter what we do. Maybe I can talk Nixie into making up a few doses of her world-famous hangover cure. We might need it.”

  “I don’t need a hangover cure.” I puffed out my chest. “I never get hangovers. I’ll be fine.”

  The look Poet shot me was withering. “You’re the world’s biggest baby when you get hangovers. I can’t believe you have the audacity to deny it.”

  “And I can’t believe you’re saying that I get hangovers. I don’t. Sometimes I have headaches, but those are because I’m a sensitive individual. The fact that they follow nights of drinking is just a coincidence.”

  “Oh, whatever.” Poet shook her head and slid her eyes to Kade. He’d been completely silent since we tripped out of the woods, but his eyes never left her face. “What’s up with you?”

  He merely sighed. “I love you.”

  Instead of melting, she rolled her eyes. “Great. I a
lmost wish you would turn into a jerk when you’re drunk so I can stay angry with you. This ‘I love you’ Kade is somehow worse.”

  “I really do love you,” he said, ignoring her diatribe. “I’m sorry I got crabby earlier. I didn’t mean it. I just ... it makes me sick to my stomach to think of all those girls out there.” He gestured vaguely ... and in the wrong direction. “I feel as I should head out there and dig them up. That’s what they deserve.”

  “Don’t you dare!” Poet extended a warning finger. “We’ll make sure those girls make it home. I promise you that. We need to capture the incubus first. Once that happens, the rest will fall into place. You have to have some patience.”

  “Okay.” Kade’s lips curved as he regarded her. “Have I mentioned that I love you?”

  Poet’s expression softened, but only marginally. “Yes. And I love you, too. Now ... go into the trailer, wash your face, brush your teeth, take some Advil and drink some water. I’ll be in before you know it.”

  “Okay.” Kade was like an amiable puppy as he followed her instructions and started toward the trailer. “I’m going to knock your socks off when you’re ready. I’ve been thinking about it all night.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Poet waited until he was halfway to the trailer to speak again. “He’ll pass out within five minutes and then be miserable tomorrow. I’ll see if I can get Nixie to whip up those potions before going to bed.”

  “That’s nice.” I was feeling no pain as I folded my arms over my chest. “He’s kind of a gooey mess over you. All he did was say how much he loved you the entire night. That makes him zero fun as a wingman at the bar.”

  “He shouldn’t be your wingman anyway.” Poet grabbed my arm. “Come on. I’ll put you to bed.”

  “I can put myself to bed.”

  “Well, I’m going to do it. I won’t feel comfortable unless I check all your windows and doors. You’re vulnerable to the incubus tonight more than ever thanks to your drinking.”