by Tara Lain
“Maybe he’s just on a tryst with a female.” Blaine’s chuckle rumbled through his chest.
Well, hells. Killian rose on his elbow. “Do you think Al likes girls? Or boys? In the time he’s been with me, I’ve never known him to have a liaison.”
“He’s a cat. He’s sneaky.”
“I suppose.” He lay back on Blaine’s shoulder. “Jimmy’s trying to find out who the hell those female witches were and why they attacked me.”
“Any leads?”
Killian sighed. “The signs are pointing toward the European covens again.”
“You’re kidding me. Didn’t you, Sammy, and Aloysius teach those assholes a lesson?”
“I doubt they realized the critical role Sammy played in that battle. They probably think it was all just me and Al. I doubt they know how I regained consciousness.”
“Why don’t you sic Sammy on them?”
Killian shook his head. “His power really is too awful to use except in the direst emergency. I don’t even want him thinking about his abilities. He’s happy with Ryder and doing his painting. Let that be enough for now.”
“Yeah. I guess wiping those assholes off the face of the earth is too much to expect.”
“My bloodthirsty physicist.”
“So what about Al?”
“Let’s give him another day in case he’s trysting as you suggest. Then I’ll do the location spell.”
ALAIN FOLLOWED Luke into the apartment. Following was a pleasure. This human looked good from every side. So tall and lean. His hair was odd, though. Like maybe it wasn’t the right color. His eyebrows were fair, but his hair was darker. Still, he had such a lovely face with beautiful gray eyes—and he liked animals.
Luke flipped on the lights. Oh, how nice. Alain reached into the bag he carried, pulled out another few kitten treats, and handed them up to the hungry little creature on his shoulder.
Luke looked back at him. “She hasn’t stopped eating since you found the food she likes.”
Alain scratched the kitten’s stomach. “Yes. Her belly is close to explosion.” He scratched her chin, and she nuzzled him, then went back to chewing. “They were kind to let her into the restaurant.”
Luke crossed his arms. “No, they were beguiled—by you.”
He smiled. Luke was very lovely.
Luke waved an arm. “So this is it. Not much but home. The guest room is in here.”
Alain looked around as he followed Luke. A small, simple place, awkwardly arranged. A big, masculine gray couch, two comfortable-looking blue chairs, and of course, a TV. Cozy. Hmm. He seemed to recall another simple apartment but with interesting finishings. And he remembered a very grand estate. Two, in fact. Did he have horses? He sighed. Most important, he recalled an imaginative place that felt like home. He must remember that place. He must. Where would that be?
He walked into the small bedroom with Amelia purring on his shoulder. The room held a medium-sized bed, a chair, a chest of drawers, and had a nice painting of a dog on the wall. He sat on the bed and bounced. Where did Luke sleep?
Luke walked in with a plastic bag. “Here are the clothes we got. You can put them in the drawers or closet, at least until we find your family.”
Alain nodded. Family. The idea made him happy and sad at the same time. “Thank you.”
“I have to go back to the clinic for some late appointments. I’ll put out the directions on how to operate the TV, okay? And also the computer. Do you think you know how to operate a computer?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps.”
“Good. And help yourself to anything in the refrigerator or cabinets.”
Alain patted his stomach. “I’m very well fed. I did enjoy that bacon.”
Luke laughed, but it didn’t sound real. He crossed his arms and looked uncomfortable.
Alain stared at him. What did he want to say? “Is something wrong?”
He blew out his breath. “Uh, this apartment is all I have along with the clinic, of course. I don’t want you on the streets, and quite frankly, I can’t figure out where you can go if you don’t stay here.”
“You’re very kind.”
“Yeah, well, I’m counting on you not to, you know, rob me or anything, okay?”
“Rob?”
“Take stuff out and sell it.”
“Where would I take it?”
Luke looked at him, dropped his gaze, and shook his head. Then he smiled. It looked more real this time. “Don’t worry about it. You guys settle in. I put out a plastic tray you can use for Amelia’s litter box and a small bowl for her food.” Alain gave another treat to the kitten. “Although she may already be adapted to your hand-feeding technique. I’ll be home about seven, and if you start to feel woozy or anything, call me right away, okay?”
“Yes. I don’t think I will, but thank you.”
Luke stared at him. “My pleasure.”
Hmm. Alain was pretty sure where the pleasure lay. In his groin. This man made him feel warm and tingly, which was very nice and slightly confusing.
“Bye.”
“Luke.”
“Yeah?”
“I would never take anything that belonged to you. Unless you gave it to me.”
Luke tapped on the door and walked away. A few moments later, Alain heard the door to the apartment open and close.
Alone. Just him and Amelia.
He walked into the living room with Amelia on his shoulder. Where were they, exactly? He went to the slightly grimy window in the living room and looked out. A fire escape. He’d seen one of those before. With a shove up, he pushed the window open. Noise. Cars honking, brakes screeching, a whistle or two. Amelia grabbed his sweatshirt in her claws, and he reached up to reassure her. Holding the kitten tightly, he stepped over the sill and onto the metal landing outside.
“Mewwww.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
They were on the top floor of the building. The fire escape went up to the roof and down to the street. The view showed the side of the building across the street and the alley below, but the sky gleamed blue like—maybe like his mother’s eyes—and the afternoon sun shone warm on his face.
He’d lost a whole lifetime, it seemed, and his jumbled memories made little sense. There were flashes of something rural compared to this. A grand house, horses, dogs, cats—and maybe a family. And yet there were more recent memories that seemed to rush through time, full of battles, fire, and flame. Plus some feeling of deep attachments that he so wanted to remember, but they wouldn’t come. He shook his head. The sense of urgency trembled through him. He had to find his purpose. But how? Everything rested with Luke’s policeman. No other course of action came to mind. He’d try to be patient.
For now, he had Luke. And Amelia. He petted the tiny cat’s head. No, he didn’t have them. Luke was just being kind, and Amelia belonged to Luke. Who did Alain belong to? Odd.
He stepped back into the living room and closed the window. The quiet pleased Amelia, who licked his ear. He walked over to the computer and glanced at the directions Luke had left. Lightly he touched the keys. Yes, this seemed familiar, like maybe he had seen people using it many, many times.
He looked around the room. Awkward. The furniture would be so much better if the couch weren’t blocking the walkway to the kitchen. Hmm. He had hours until Luke got home.
“Here, take a ride.” He placed Amelia on the couch, grabbed an end, and swung it around. Another room flashed in his head! Oh, nice. He could make Luke’s apartment more like that. He pushed farther, then grabbed a chair and slid it. A small bookshelf stood in the way of the exact right spot. That would be better under the window. He tried to lift it, but it was heavier than it looked, so he shoved it. Three books fell out on the journey, and a fourth that seemed to be behind the others fell over as well.
He placed the bookshelf. Good. It looked nice there. He grabbed the fallen books. Two appeared to be men’s action-adventure stories by someone named Clive. H
e perched on the edge of the chair and flipped through the pages. Probably not his genre since he didn’t feel any compulsion to read them. He slipped them onto the bookshelf and went back for the other two. Oh, much better. A romance of some kind. He’d read it later.
He looked at the last book. It had a plain cover with no title. He opened it. It said Laser handwritten on the inside. Dates and times filled the pages. An appointment book. Names were written here and there, mostly in the evenings. He shrugged and slipped it back on the shelf.
What else could he do to make this apartment feel like home? He cocked his head.
Whose home?
LUKE WIPED a hand over his neck and hung up his lab coat. Man, was he tired. This day had felt like a century, starting with the arrival of a total mystery into his life. Funny, he couldn’t wait to get home to that mystery. Assuming he still had anything left in his apartment to go home to. The kid could totally have robbed him blind. He smiled. But he didn’t think so. Alain was a strange combination of innocent and sophisticated, but nothing about him fit the mold of a thief. Maybe it was just that Luke allowed himself so little fun that having Alain show up was a welcome change. Ha. Right.
He walked into the waiting room and waved to Madeline, who was on the phone explaining care and feeding instructions to a new parrot owner. “Keep him out of drafts, and try to maintain a fairly even temperature around his cage.” She jotted something down. “I understand you bought him on a whim, but caring for a tropical bird isn’t easy. If you don’t think you’re up for it, you should find him a new owner.”
Luke checked his backpack. He wanted to take some vitamins for Amelia. The phone buzzed in his pocket. He grabbed it. Ruben. Shit, he was actually afraid of what he’d hear. He pushed the button. “Hi, Ruben.”
“Hi, baby boy. I got nothin’.”
“What?”
“Not a single Alain Bellarose reported missing, and no one of that description is currently on the docket.”
“Well, damn.” Why was his heart beating a happy tattoo? That was fucked-up.
“I checked everywhere, Luke. I’m really sorry.”
“Not a problem.”
“Seriously? If you’ve got somebody you need me to take off your hands, put into the system, holler.”
“You just like his description.”
Ruben chuckled. “No, really. If there’s somebody in trouble, just tell me.”
“It’s okay. He’s not in trouble.” Luke was the one in trouble. “Thanks again, Ruben.”
“Anytime, baby boy.”
He hung up. Madeline was staring at him. “Sorry. I couldn’t help overhearing. The cops got nothing on our boy?”
“Nothing. That’s so strange.” Where had the angel of animals come from? And what in hell was he going to do with the kid? Why hadn’t he let Ruben take him? Shit, he knew the answer to that.
“What are you going to do?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I thought about getting him an MRI to check for head injury, but he seems certain it won’t reveal anything.”
“What do you think?”
“He doesn’t act like someone with head trauma. I can’t think of any other way to find out who he is. Hypnosis?” He shrugged. “He has no place to stay except with me. No clothes, money, job, or prospects.”
“Can I make a suggestion?”
He frowned. “What?” Damn. He might want to get rid of Alain, but he didn’t want anyone else messing with him.
She held up her hands. “No worries. I’m not saying get rid of your new friend.” The word was laced with irony. “But I saw him walking out of here with that little feral kitten riding on his shoulder like he was the Lion King.”
“Amelia?”
“Is that her name?” Madeline shrugged. “Anyway, most of us can’t even touch her, but she loves your boy. I told you that Eduardo has to quit. He’s going to school. Why not bring the kid in as a helper? He can clean cages, feed the animals, and if we can keep his clothes on, I’m sure he’d do a good job.” She grinned at Luke.
Well, hell. “Surprised I didn’t think of that. At least he’d have a little money. But where can he stay?”
“With you?”
“It sure looks that way.”
She crossed her strong arms. “Oh yeah, Saint Luke, I’m sure that will be a big hardship for you, him being pretty as a medieval angel and having a cock as big as Rhode Island. But we’ll all praise your goodness.”
“Madeline!” He started to laugh. “Yeah, better give me that Boy Scout medal now.”
She laughed as he waved and walked out to the car. He loved Madeline. She was smart, dedicated, and not afraid to tell him the truth. She saw right through him to the piece that was looking forward to going home and seeing that animal lover. Shit.
He slid into the driver’s seat and took off for home. Amazing that Ruben couldn’t find anything on Alain. How would the kid react to realizing Luke had no clues to his identity? He kept saying it was important to find out who he was. That would be true for anyone, but Alain seemed especially adamant.
The phone rang through his car system, and he reached out and touched the screen. “This is Dr. Elliott.”
“Hey, Luke. It’s Blaine.”
God, he still felt so weird about their cat. “Hi, Blaine. Sorry, I haven’t seen him. I keep looking.”
“That’s okay. I’m worried, but I’m sure we’ll get him back. Actually, I was calling to remind you that the men’s group meeting is scheduled for your house this Thursday. I forgot when I saw you yesterday. Does that work for you, or want me to try to find a substitute host?”
He’d forgotten. “No, that should be fine.”
“I think I’ve persuaded Killian to come with me.”
“That’s great.” Man, how would the guys react to Killian? Wait, how would they react to Alain? “Uh, Blaine, I forgot. I’ve actually got a, uh, houseguest. Would it be okay if he came? Otherwise I may have to back out.”
“Is he gay?”
“Uh, I don’t think so.” But he could hope.
“If he doesn’t mind hanging around with a room full of gay guys talking about their life challenges, he’s welcome to come.”
“He can always stay in his room if he’s not enjoying it.”
“Sure. But if you’d rather, we can do it at our place since Killian may well be involved this time.”
“No, that’s okay. It’s my turn. My place it is. If you’ll bring some of that great spinach dip.”
“You’re on.”
“And I’m really so sorry about Aloysius.”
“Don’t be. You’ll meet him when he’s awake one of these days, and I bet he’ll love you.”
“I sure hope so.” He hung up and pulled into the parking garage of his apartment. The building was old, but it had benefits. He got two bedrooms for the price of one, parking included. He didn’t mind a little shabby. It felt more real than a lot of the glitz he used to live in.
After a detour to the mailroom, he walked up the stairs to the apartment. There was a creaky elevator, but he needed the exercise. Had to stay stronger than his big dogs. He fit the key in the lock, pushed open the door and—
Holy shitfire. What happened to his place? The table that stood beside the front door now had a mirror above it. Was it the one he’d had in the closet? And there were flowers in a vase. Where the hell had Alain gotten either one?
A couple of steps took him from the small entry into the living room, where the TV played a dog show. Really? The couch had been moved, as had the chairs, and the rug he’d had in the guest bedroom now defined a space between them. A coffee table covered with a cloth stood in front of the couch. He cocked his head. Where did Alain get the table? He walked over and raised the cloth. Well, hell. It was a door with some concrete blocks. Luke did not have any extra doors unless one was now missing from the bathroom.
How did he do this? And how do I feel about some stranger messing with my stuff?
Answer.
It looked damned good. Luke hadn’t really tried with the place. After all those years moving from bedroom to bedroom, he had trouble feeling at home. In one day, Alain had made this place really nice. But how? No money. No memories. He looked around. Where was Alain? It wasn’t like he couldn’t see most of the apartment from there.
Luke walked back to the bedrooms. The guest room door stood ajar. He peeked in. Alain lay on the bed with only his jeans on and his long black hair spread out like a fan. The kitten lay curled on his bare chest.
Luke stared. With his eyes closed, Alain raised his hand and brought it to his mouth. He licked the side of his palm thoroughly with his long pink tongue and then wiped it over his face. The hand came down for another lick and was reapplied to his face. Methodically, he wiped the wet appendage over his nose, on to his eyelids, around his eye sockets, and down his cheeks.
Laugh or cry? The guy looked so cute, Luke wanted to kiss him. But just how seriously did Alain take his affection for cats? “Uh, Alain?”
The kid’s big blue eyes flew open; he grabbed the kitten and hopped up onto his knees. “Luke. You’re home. I didn’t hear you.”
“Clearly. You might want to try a washcloth for the face bit.”
Alain frowned and cocked his head at Luke; then he flashed those slightly crooked teeth. “I was busy while you were gone. I hope it’s okay.”
“Yeah, it looks great. I can’t figure out how you did it.”
“I met the super.”
“The super? Oh, you mean the superintendent of my building?” Tony was a rough old bird with few good words for anyone.
“Yes. He helped me find objects from storage that people had left behind. He said I could use any of it I wanted. So I took the door and some blocks and an old bookcase that I’m going to paint for your bedroom.”
Luke ran a hand over his neck. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
Alain grinned. “Of course.”
Luke’s stomach growled. “You didn’t happen to find any food lying around in the storage room, did you?”
Alain’s eyes fell. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to cook and I don’t know why I don’t know how. But I’ll try to learn.” That sounded a little too permanent.
