“No, worries, it appears you found your friends, but I was carrying your bag and you left it behind.”
Nat and Rogue gave her a knowing look, smirks barely staying hidden on both of their faces.
“Oh, okay.” She laughed. “I guess since I literally left you holding the bag, I should at least introduce you to my friends." She turned, standing next to Kai, “Nat…Rogue… this is Kai Darrow. He saved me from falling on the ice when I was late to the airport, thus saving my trip, and then got stuck sitting next to me on the flight here. Kai, the tall beautiful one is Nat and the spunky one here is Rogue.”
“Hello, lasses.” Rogue grinned, but Nat’s smirk had turned to a look of wariness on her face. Nat always worried.
“Hello.” Rogue said as she shook Kai’s hand.
“I’m glad to meet you.” Kai said as he offered his hand to Nat, “Alvena was telling me about your group and your trip while we were on the plane. I’ll be heading to New Orleans on another flight here shortly myself." Nat appeared to stiffen, as she looked Kai over.
Rogue on the other hand smiled at him and using her best southern charm, responded, “Well, aren’t you sweet for helpin’ our Al here. It’s a real pleasure to meet a real life hero.”
“As I told Alvena, I’m no hero, just lucky to be in the right place to help a lovely lass.” Kai responded. “Alvena, it’s been a pleasure,” Kai raised her hand and kissed the palm. I think I finally understand what they mean by swooning. Al thought as Kai continued, “I better be off to check in for my next flight. Here’s your bag, I’m sure you don’t want to be without it. And, don’t forget my advice. Ladies.” Kai nodded to each of them and walked away with all three women watching his tight ass.
Sigh. A breath of air came from each of the three friends as Kai disappeared up an escalator.
“Who was he, Al?” Nat asked, concern evident in her voice.
“Just a nice man, Nat. Don’t worry, he just kept me from falling and then we ended up on the plane together. You know, I think this is the first time that I’ve never felt like I was going to have a panic attack on a plane?” Al continued to stare at the last place she had seen Kai.
“What advice?” Rogue asked.
“Huh?” Al said, distracted.
“What advice did he give you?”
“Oh, that. Well, he mentioned that he was going to NOLA to work with his friend in a tattoo shop. So, I said we were planning to get one. We got to talking about it and he said that some places would give me a discount because it’s my first tattoo."
“I’m not sure that’s true, but I’m guessin’ he was just tryin’ to get a chance to see you again.” Rogue said with a wink.
“Cute ass or not...” Nat mumbled, before demanding, “How much did you tell him about our trip?”
Nat was always the cautious one, as an ex-marine she had seen too much not to be. When she shared on Book Worms, she hardly ever gave details, just that she was having a rough day. Al respected Nat for retiring from the service and continuing to work with vets and their families. She was an amazing person who gave hope to people who were not the same due to serving their country. On the group, she was always the voice of reason, sort of like having a house mom. Al bumped Nat’s shoulder.
“Not much Nat, we really just talked about us wanting the tattoos and about why we were going to NOLA. I didn’t give specifics.”
She figured it was best to down play how much she had babbled to Kai on the plane. So, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the business card Kai had given her.
“Here’s his card for the shop. He said if you all hadn’t picked a place then we might want to come by and check them out.”
Rogue looked at the card and passed it to Nat. “I don’t see why we can’t talk about it. Why don’t we hit the road? You girls ready for 6 hours in a car together?” She gave them a grin and winked at Al. “He was one HOT man, Al. I’m envious. I’m thinkin’ we need to check out the shop, just so we can see that ass again.”
Rogue laughed and turned, heading to the exit that led to the airport parking, Nat handed the card back to Al and followed right behind Rogue, while Al stood still with a feeling of jealousy eating at the pit of her stomach. She really didn’t like the idea of Nat and Rogue checking Kai out. She shook her head and picked up her bag to follow her friends and start her fun filled vacation. No sense worrying about a man she couldn’t have. But, she couldn’t help but to gaze longingly in the direction that Kai had left.
***
The man hefted his black duffel and followed his target. He was worried when his target had walked off the plane with the huge man; he knew that man would be trouble. It wasn’t just his size; the man had a manner to him that belied training. Lucky for him though, the tall man had left and she was now with two other women. They wouldn’t cause him any trouble. Women were easy, almost too easy. They hadn’t even noticed him as he brushed past them and dropped in the tracking device.
His partner for this mission was supposed to be waiting for him in the parking garage with a car and his equipment. Before the flight, he wasn’t able to find out who she was meeting or where she was staying, but at least he knew where she was flying to so he could send the man ahead to have things ready on this end. And, with the tracking device on her, they would be able to follow until they had an opportunity.
Yep… easy money. He grinned.
***
Cruising down I-55 in Rogue’s Jetta, Al was sitting in the back seat, her head resting back on the headrest. She hadn’t had much sleep, nervous about the trip and it was now past 2 o’clock in the morning. Rogue had the radio going and Nat was checking the maps using a small pocket flashlight, making sure that they were on track. Al laughed at how different they were, but knew how alike they were in other ways. She was so lucky to have found these ladies.
“Rogue, are you sure this is the best route?” Nat asked.
“Yes, Nat. This is the straightest route between Memphis and New Orleans. Basically, 200 miles straight down I-55.” Rogue responded.
“Nat, Rogue knows her way to NOLA, she’s been there before, remember?” Al threw out from the back seat.
“I know. I’m just used to making the plans and being the one in control.” She said quietly.
Al sat forward and patted Nat’s shoulder. “No worries, Nat. How much longer do we have before we reach NOLA Rogue?”
“Why, you need to stop again?” Both of the women in the front seat laughed.
“Ha. Ha. Who needs friends…”
“Oh, Al, you’re too easy. But, I think we’re about half way, maybe three more hours.” Rogue looked up ahead on the road. “Look, there’s a gas station, why don’t we stop? I can get gas and a drink.”
“I could use a water.” Nat replied as she stuffed her maps back in her bag and took out her wallet.
“Yeah, it wouldn’t hurt for me to stop too.” Al admitted reluctantly to laughter from the front seat. “So, Nat, did you upload the pic of us to Book Worms?”
“Of course. Amelia would kill me if I didn’t.” She said with fondness.
Amelia was their friend who lived in Ireland. She was a spitfire and always made Al think of an ornery fairy. The younger woman impressed them all with her spirit. Even with eye problems that practically made her blind, she could keep up with the best of them. Working at a school for the blind in Dublin, she helped others learn to be self-sufficient. Those poor Irish who chose to be rude. All those blind walking around with their white canes and beating on people as Amelia taught them to do.
“Yeah, she just might.” Al giggled. “I turned off my phone to save the battery. It’s a piece of crap that can’t keep a charge. I’m already in withdrawal from not being on the group during the flight, now thanks to my phone I just might go crazy. It’s funny how addicted you become to something.”
“I know what you mean.” Rogue cut in while she turned into the gas station. “All of you Book Worms help me get through each and every
day.”
“Same here.” Nat agreed as Rogue stopped the car.
They all got out of the Jetta. While Rogue pumped gas, Nat and Al stretched and then they all walked inside together to get drinks, snacks, and to allow Al to visit the ladies room. It wasn’t her fault she had a small bladder.
*
When they got back on the road, Al powered up her phone and posted a Check-In status on her Facebook page. She couldn’t help but go to Book Worms to see what had been posted since she had last checked from Maureen’s car.
“Did either of you see this post that Chelsea shared about the event in Ohio?” Al asked.
“I did.” Nat waved her cell phone to show them she was on the group as well.
Rogue laughed, “Thankfully, since I’m drivin’, I haven’t.”
“Well, for Rogue’s benefit, I’ll tell you about it.” Al grinned. “It’s in Cincinnati where my parents live in June. I could visit them; maybe stay with them to save money. The event looks huge and it says here that they sell out pretty quickly. I wonder if we could get a few of the others to attend.”
“Al, do you really want to see your parents?” Nat was using her Freudian voice.
Nat knew how much stress Al’s parents caused her. They were great in a lot of respects. Loving and all, but they had suffocated her until she had turned 18 and headed to college. Since then she had to listen to lectures whenever she visited about everything she should or shouldn’t be doing. It had become easier to stay away. She was always busy with work and would find something to keep her busy on any weekend they wanted to visit her in Delmar or have her come to Cincinnati. She loved her parents, but it was much easier to only visit them on birthdays and holidays.
“But, I would never hear the end of it if I was in town and didn’t visit…”
A huge popping noise ricocheted through the car, cutting Al off in mid-sentence. The car jerked to the right. Rogue gripped both hands on the wheel in a tight grasp. Nat had a tight hold on the arm rest and the handle above the door. Al jerked to the right and then sat back in her seat. As the car began to decelerate, a collective indrawn breath sounded from inside the car.
“What the Hell, Rogue! What’s going on?” Nat demanded in her best drill sergeant voice, ever the Marines trainer.
“I think we blew a tire.” She responded through clenched teeth.
“Just let her concentrate Nat!” Al squealed from the back seat. Dang it! Why do I seem so freaked compared to them? Why are they not freaking out? They could have crashed and flipped the freakin’ car!
“Breathe Al.” Rogue coaxed from the front seat as she pulled the car to the side of the road. “I got this.”
Once Rogue had the car stopped and made sure that everyone was safe, all three women got out to check the damage. The car sat on the side of the road with its headlights shining down the berm. The headlights of the few passing cars, providing a strange strobing light, as all three women stood staring at the front right tire in the light from Nat’s pocket flashlight.
“I thought tires didn’t blow out like this these days. Didn’t you say that you just had the tires replaced Rogue?” Nat asked, always the logical one. Yes, logical and cautious that was Nat.
“I did. I don’t understand it.” Rogue said distractedly. “I’m so sorry. I just spent several hundred dollars to make sure the car was safe for the trip. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. These things happen. So, let’s get the spare and get this thing changed.” Nat said as she headed to the trunk. “You have a spare, right?”
“Oh… yes.” Rogue said as she followed Nat.
Al watched nervously as Nat and Rogue proceeded to get the spare and the jack out of the back. Al was thankful that it was the right side tire, so they wouldn’t have to stand on the edge of the lane with passing traffic in the middle of the night. As Nat rolled the spare tire to the front of the car, Rogue struggled with the jack as a truck pulled up behind their stranded vehicle. A young man stepped out of the stopped truck, his cowboy hat sitting on his head and his boots looking scuffed and well worn.
“Y’all need some help?”
“Sure, that would be great?” Rogue replied.
“Rogue!” Nat said under her breath and grabbed her by the arm as she started to head towards the man. “We don’t know him.”
“No worries Nat, it’s just southern hospitality.”
***
Kai’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket. Seeing Charlie’s number he pressed his finger to the screen to answer.
“Go.”
“Kai, something’s up.” Charlie said through the background noise of passing traffic and the wind whipping across the phone’s mouthpiece. “I’ve been following the girls, but I had to keep a bit of distance because there’s not a lot of cars on the road this time of the night. Then, all of a sudden I was passing them. Their tire blew Kai.”
“What! How in the world did their tire blow? I thought you checked out Alvena’ s friend and she had just had her car worked on? I would never have left her if I knew the car wasn’t safe Charles.”
“I know and she did Kai.” Charlie responded with aggravation. Using his first name may have been going too far. Kai thought. But, I need him to understand the severity of this. If something happens to Alvena…
“I don’t think there is any way the tire would have blown out like this on its own. Luckily, there was an exit right after I passed them and a large wooded area along the road.” Charlie continued. “I parked my bike and ran through the trees. I’m watching them right now, but there is some country knob helping them change the tire." Kai let out some inventive curses. His dragon roared, not at all happy at the idea of some stranger near his mate on the side of a dark road.
“Do you think someone did something to the tire?”
“I don’t see how. The only thing that seems plausible is that someone shot it out, but how would they have done that? I was behind them, but not by that far. I would have seen someone set up to shoot at them.”
“Shite! Should you intervene?”
“No. The traffic has picked up a bit and I don’t see anyone else stopped but this guy and the girls. But, I really don’t think he is the one that did it. The panther says he’s irrelevant.” Charlie and Kai sat in silence until Charlie spoke.
“Kai?”
“Yeah?”
“Who is the tall one with the blond hair?” Charlie asked.
“Oh, that’s Nat, why?”
“She’s mine Kai. The panther says she’s mine and I agree.” Silence once again resonated from both sides of the phone. “Kai, make sure she sees my mark?”
“Absolutely, my friend… absolutely.”
Kai was shocked that Charlie thought one of Alvena’s friends was his mate. For two of them to find their mates so close together after all of this time searching… Destiny and the Great Spirit were definitely finally helping them out. Knowing that Charlie would be protecting his own mate, helped Kai calm his dragon and their instinct to shift and fly to Alvena. Not that Charlie wouldn’t protect the lasses without one being his mate, but there is just something about a Dásreach male’s protective instinct when a mate was involved.
Charlie growled.
“That prat is lucky her other friend isn’t my mate. With the way he’s flirting, he’s lucky my mate got back in the damn car. Don’t worry, Kai, I’ll stay with them.” He said with another growl.
Kai thought about Alvena and her friends on the side of the road and what could have happened if her friend hadn’t been so good at controlling the car. Kai was beginning to think he hadn’t been crazy after all for having Charlie meet him at the Memphis airport and then follow them. However, Rogue had obviously stopped the car safely or Charlie would have said something and they had no evidence that it was foul play. Kai said a prayer to the Great Spirit for his mates safety. He couldn’t have found her, hell he and Charlie couldn’t have found them, just to lose them to some stupid accident. But,
was it an accident?
“Should I send someone to check around the area?” Kai asked Charlie as he heard mumbling on the other side of the connection.
“Fucking tosser.” Charlie mumbled clearly before answering Kai. “I doubt we’d find anything. At the speed they were going, I’m sure they went at least another mile or so before stopping after the tire blew.” Charlie was quiet a moment, then continued, “My best guess is that someone shot the tire out Kai, but why would someone shoot their tire out?”
“I have no idea Charlie, none at all. Just stay with them. Bring our mates in safely.”
“On my life, Kai.”
***
Nat and Al had gotten back into the car and were sitting turned in their seats so they could watch Rogue as the Mississippi country boy put on the spare. Rogue chatting with him the whole time.
“I could have changed the tire.” Nat grumbled.
“I couldn’t have… maybe I should learn.” Al said back.
“Definitely, you really need to know how to take care of yourself Al. I’ve seen too many times when people trusted the wrong people and got burned.”
“Yeah, I know about getting burned.” Al said on a sad sigh.
She hated to think of her past relationships, many of those with men and friends had not been good ones. But, her memories always seemed to resurface and remind her why she couldn’t trust her own judgment. She sighed and checked on Rogue, who waved at them with a grin. Rogue was so ready for a relationship. She had told them about her cancer scare right before they had all met. Something like that changes someone, and it had forced Rogue out of her comfort zone. She had her life checklist, the things she was doing for herself. Thankfully, time with the Book Worms was on that list. Because, no matter the past, Al knew that her judgment about these women wasn’t wrong.
“I’m sorry Al; I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I know you know about the asses of the world.” Nat interrupted her thoughts.
Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1) Page 4
