He asked, “How?”
“Let’s go inside and I’ll have Kitty show you.” Ice led the way back to the glass enclosed room. On the way, he sent a random man off to fetch Kitty.
Chigaru stood staring over the crowd of men leering at the half-naked women when Ice’s man entered the room with Kitty walking behind him. She said, “I appreciate the break, but I was busy.”
Ice waved away the man who had escorted her and waited for him to leave and close the door before he said, “We have need of your talent.”
“You called me up here for a lap dance?”
“No. Your other talent.”
Kitty’s eyes widened and she took a step back. “You promised.”
“I did, but circumstances have changed.”
“You know how much I hate it, Ice.”
“Which is why I wouldn’t ask you if it weren’t important.”
Kitty turned her gaze to Chigaru. He didn’t know what was happening so had nothing to say on the matter. She must have seen his confusion because she turned her attention to Ice. “No.”
“Yes. The sooner you give in, the sooner it will be done.”
She pulled in several deep breaths and closed her eyes. After straightening her shoulders, she leveled a calm gaze at Ice. “Then I want my three hundred back.”
Ice pulled out a folded leather case from his back pocket and took out the money.
Kitty stared at it. “Just like that?”
“I told you I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”
She stalked forward and snatched the money from him. “Fine.” She stuffed the money down the front of her shirt where several other bills were stashed. “I need a few sheets of paper and a pen.”
Ice retrieved the items while Kitty sat at one of the tables. Once Ice gave her the things she asked for, she placed her palms flat on the table and pulled in a deep breath. She mumbled something Chigaru didn’t catch before dropping her head to the table. He waited for what she would do next but she didn’t move.
“She’s ready,” Ice said. “Write your question on the top of one of the pages.”
Chigaru looked at him and then at Kitty. She didn’t move as he stepped forward and wrote his question on the paper before her. Aloud he asked, “Who is the true mate I was sent to this dimension to find?”
The second he put down the pen Kitty grasped it. She jerked to an upright position, flipped the paper with his question and started drawing. Her gaze, which was covered in a film of white, fixed on some point across the room as she scrawled over the paper quickly.
A few minutes later, Kitty pushed a finished drawing across the table. Chigaru lifted the paper and stared at it. The picture looked so lifelike. The smiling woman appeared happy compared to the one sitting before him. Her smile reminded him so much of Serenity’s. Perhaps if he had seen this smile when they first met, he wouldn’t have doubted Kitty was his true mate.
Ice looked over Chigaru’s shoulder. “It seems Kitty really is your soul mate.”
“Yes.” Chigaru folded the paper and tucked it in his pocket. He would deal with this information at a later time. He stepped forward and wrote another question. “Where is the scroll that will send me home?”
Again Kitty drew her picture with quick precise movements without looking at the paper. When she finished, Chigaru lifted the drawing. He didn’t understand the image so he showed it to Ice.
The man took the picture and stared at it. “This looks like a bar. These are liquor bottles.” He walked to the glass wall and held the picture up. “In fact, it looks like this bar. So it is here at least.”
“Yes.”
Ice returned. “Maybe this would be faster though.” He put down the paper, pulled a new sheet forward, and wrote another question.
Kitty picked up the pen but didn’t write.
Chigaru asked, “What did you ask?”
“To write what the scroll says.” He took the pen from Kitty and wrote another question. To Chigaru, he said, “I’m asking her if she can draw the contents of the scroll.”
He handed the pen back to Kitty, who flipped the paper and wrote a single word before putting the pen down.
Ice said, “No.” He nodded. “Which explains why she didn’t draw anything. She can only answer questions asked of her if she knows the answer.”
Chigaru stepped forward and took the pen. He flipped the paper over and asked as he wrote, “Can you draw the appearance of the scroll?”
“Good question,” Ice said. “We can show the picture around.”
Kitty wrote another No on reverse side of the paper.
Ice shook his head with an annoyed sigh. “It would seem the magic on the scroll won’t allow it to be revealed.” He traded out the paper for a new sheet and wrote another question.
Kitty started drawing again. When she finished, Ice picked up the paper and made a sound of amazement as he stared at it. “So this is your true form.” He showed the image to Chigaru.
The picture showed his actual self as though Kitty had drawn it while looking at him. He nodded. “That is me.”
“Impressive. Whoever transported you here was right to change your form. Like this, you would cause a riot.” Ice handed the page to Chigaru and then faced Kitty. “I can’t think of anything to ask her that will aid you.”
Chigaru folded the page and put it in his back pocket with the other. “I know her to be my true mate. All that remains is to find the scroll and return to my home.”
“With Kitty?”
He closed his mouth, unable to answer the question because he didn’t know the answer.
Ice chuckled under his breath as he wrote a single word. Kitty sucked in a deep breath and shivered before she looked at them. “Did you get the answer you wanted?”
“Yes and no.” Ice held up the image of the bar. “We asked for the location of Chigaru’s missing item and you drew this.”
Kitty frowned at the paper. “You’re missing a bar?”
“Something hidden in the bar. You couldn’t draw the item. I’ve reasoned it’s under a powerful cloaking spell. We need that item to send Chigaru home.”
“Home? Wouldn’t a cab be quicker?”
“If you can find a cab that travels between dimensions, I would be happy to use it.”
“Between dimensions? There are other dimensions? I thought that was a bunch of science fiction wishful thinking from humans who don’t know what’s really going on in the world around them.”
Ice gestured to Chigaru. “He’s living proof.”
Chigaru frowned in confusion. “Are you not human, Kitty?”
“Not completely. Strictly speaking, yes. But the term also refers to those who are not part of the preternatural community. I’m a magic user. The majority of the population thinks things like magic and dragons are fantasy in stories. Until now, I thought alternate dimensions was categorized the same way.” She stared at Chigaru and then smiled. “So that explains why you appeared in front of my car out of nowhere. You really did appear out of nowhere.”
Chigaru was right. The smile, a genuine smile, transformed her entire appearance for the better. He couldn’t deny the attraction that made him step closer to her.
“Well, sorry again for hitting you with my car. At least I didn’t hurt you.”
Ice said, “He’s a dragon. I doubt hitting him with a dump truck would hurt him.”
“A dragon? Nice.” Her gaze roamed over Chigaru in an appreciative manner. “If more dragons from this dimension looked like you, I wouldn’t still be single.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Ice said in a wry tone.
Kitty waved at him with a dismissive gesture. “Ice, you’re cute, even if you are fun-sized compared to me. But I prefer my men a little less psychotic and homicidal and with a lot more muscles.”
“Fair enough.” Ice tapped the picture of the bar. “Take Chigaru downstairs and search for his scroll.”
“Scroll?”
“Yes, scro
ll. A long, cylindrical—”
“I know what a scroll is, Ice. Geez. That wasn’t my question. Is that what he lost?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s why you put me under?”
“Yes.”
Chigaru appreciated Ice answering, because he couldn’t have. While they had asked about the scroll’s whereabouts, that hadn’t been their purpose in requesting Kitty’s aid. He still didn’t understand why his first meeting with Kitty didn’t resemble the one between Serenity and Melchior. Perhaps that reaction had been unique to them. Chigaru didn’t know much about true mates, so he had nothing against which to compare.
Kitty stood and stretched, straining her large breasts against the front of her top. She removed her hat and ruffled her mid-back length wavy, black hair before putting the hat back in place. “I’ll help him look after we close.” She faced him. “You don’t mind waiting a few hours, right? This place is a bit hectic right now. If I go downstairs, there will be a bunch of guys wanting my attention and we won’t get three feet.”
“I can wait,” Chigaru said.
“Good. Thanks. If I get close to the bar, I’ll look around, but it’ll be easier to search with the lights up after we close.”
He nodded.
She turned to Ice. “Need anything else?”
“Don’t mention the three hundred to Vincent.”
“Do I look stupid to you? If I told him about the money, he would ask why and then I would have to lie about the reason. Better to just keep my mouth shut.”
“Smart girl.”
“Busy girl.” Kitty walked to the door at a quick pace. “I’ll come back here after close and we can start the scroll search.”
Neither Chigaru nor Ice had a chance to respond before Kitty left. Chigaru didn’t question the sense of loss that washed over him. The longer he was in Kitty’s presence the more he felt a closeness to her. It had to be the pull of his true mate. Or maybe he felt drawn to her because he now knew she was his true mate. Whatever the reason, he wanted her to return.
Ice patted Chigaru’s back. “Be easy, my friend. Kitty isn’t going anywhere. You can watch her from here.”
Chigaru returned to the glass and found Kitty with little effort. She walked through the crowd of men, stopping from time to time to speak to one of them. One man waved a wad of money at her. She bent over the man, pressing her breasts close to his face, and tilted her head back. The man pulled some money free of the stack and tucked it between her breasts, pushing it deep so he touched her skin.
Kitty laughed and then proceeded to dance close to the man, crawling on top of him and gyrating.
Ice said, “It’s called a lap dance. And no you can’t kill him for paying for one.”
Chigaru guessed Ice responded to his clenched teeth and muted growl. Both had been involuntary actions on his part. “Why does she do this?”
“You’ll have to ask Kitty. It’s her story to tell.” Muted music from Ice’s side made the man glance down before removing a small case from his hip. He poked it before putting it to his ear. After a few affirmative noises and head-nodding, he said, “Be there soon.”
Chigaru got the impression Ice wasn’t speaking to him, so he returned his attention to Kitty and the man receiving her lap dance. Now that he knew she was his, he didn’t like her touching other men. But he didn’t have the right to stop her since he planned to return to Gezane without her.
Ice said, “I have a matter to attend. Stay here until Kitty retrieves you. I’ll let her know to check on you from time to time.”
He acknowledged Ice’s words with a grunt. Ice left and Chigaru stood silent vigil over his true mate, torn between wanting her and knowing he couldn’t have her.
* * * *
Kitty couldn’t stop glancing up at VIP. Ice had left over an hour ago. Before leaving, he’d interrupted her lap dance to tell her to keep an eye on Chigaru. Ice had tapped her to babysit before and she didn’t mind, but something about Chigaru distracted her.
It was probably him being a dragon. They were rare and Kitty only knew Ice. It was nice to know not all dragons were as scary as Ice. In fact, being around Chigaru made Kitty feel safe and relaxed. The jumpiness of the day before that had had her ready to pack up and leave had abated. Maybe the feeling had been a prelude to Chigaru’s arrival and Kitty had misinterpreted anxiety for anticipation.
She kept one eye on the clock and all but ran off the floor when her break arrived. She stopped by the kitchen and snatched up the nachos someone had ordered along with two water bottles. While not a proper meal, something was better than nothing.
Chigaru was watching the door when she entered VIP. His intent gaze made her hesitate as a bout of shyness—an emotion she hadn’t felt in years—overcame her. She smiled at him and held out the nachos. “It’s my break. I brought a snack.”
He nodded and gestured to the table she had used earlier.
Kitty set down the food and bottles and then sat. Chigaru sat across from her, staring at the nachos. She chuckled, drawing his attention to her. “Nachos. Fried wafers made of flour and covered with cheese. It’s good.” She ate a chip to demonstrate.
Chigaru ate one and then made an appreciative noise before he ate another.
Since she couldn’t think of a topic of conversation, Kitty decided to stick to silence. VIP was soundproofed so the club seemed far away. Or it did until someone started pounding on the door.
Before Kitty could tell the person to come in or go away, the door swung open and Angie entered. The petite woman, made taller with platform high heels, stomped into the room. “Kitty, your break ended five minutes ago. You’re not the only one who wants to take a rest. Just because Ice set up your friend in VIP doesn’t give you the right to take advantage and hide.”
Kitty sighed as she pushed to her feet. “Angie, Chigaru. Chigaru, Angie.” Bending close, she whispered, “Everyone calls her Brat. You can see why, right?”
Chigaru gave her a small smile and nodded.
Angie snapped, “What did you say?”
“Nothing. I’m coming. Go away.” Kitty made a shooing motion that Angie sneered at before she vacated the room. To Chigaru, she said, “I’ll be back in another two hours. I can stay longer then since it’ll be my lunch half hour. Until then, I brought you some water.” She twisted the cap off one of the bottles, making sure Chigaru saw how she did it. She didn’t know how their two dimensions differed so she would assume everything was new until he told her otherwise.
Their fingers brushed as Chigaru took the bottle from her. Kitty’s gaze snapped to his and her breath caught. Chigaru’s face reflected the surprise she felt. He opened his mouth and Kitty startled, taking a giant step back. She wobbled on her heels before she righted herself and said quickly, “I’ll be back later. Bye.”
She rushed out of the room and away from the sudden feeling of sexual awareness. Given Kitty’s profession, she didn’t usually get all hot and bothered over anyone. It took more than good looks and a few sweet words to interest her. Chigaru had average looks—strong chin, piercing blue gaze, waist-length brown hair that looked soft to the touch, and a muscled build that strained the fabric of his cotton shirt and jeans. Add his height to the mix and he was okay, but nothing to catch the eye. That was lie. Chigaru was everything she’d hoped for in the perfect man, lookswise. He hadn’t said a single word to her, but she was fighting the urge to return and crawl onto his lap for a special dance minus clothes.
On her way to the floor, she stopped by the bar. Better to find Chigaru’s scroll so he could go home before Kitty did something she would regret. One night stands didn’t faze her. They were great stress relief. The vibe she got from Chigaru spoke of something a lot more intense and long term. Since Kitty’s intuition was rarely wrong, she didn’t question the sensation.
“What did you need, Kitty?” Danny called over the music. One of the few people in the club who was eye-level with Kitty without the aid of shoes, Danny was a beautiful
woman with long black hair that she wore in a ponytail and a come-hither look that had most men tipping generously.
Kitty always joked with Danny about hitting the stage. It would never happen. Danny wasn’t shy and would strip in a heartbeat, but there would be a stampede to the door when she got to her bottoms and revealed she had a penis. Not to mention, Danny’s boyfriend, the club DJ, would rip out the eyes of any man who saw Danny naked. So she stayed behind the bar.
“Have you seen a scroll?”
“Take a stroll? Do you see how busy it is in here? And you know Vincent would pitch a bitch if we tried to leave.”
Kitty shook her head and leaned further over the bar so Danny could hear her better. “No. A scroll. Have you seen a scroll?”
“A what?”
“A scroll.”
“Krull? Yeah, I love that movie. If you want, I can bring the DVD tomorrow.”
Kitty couldn’t tell if Danny was playing with her or genuinely didn’t understand the question. She shook her head. “Never mind.”
“You sure? I don’t mind.”
“I’m sure.” Kitty had to laugh to herself as she walked away. After close would be better. Of course Danny would have heard the question wrong. How many people went around asking for scrolls?
The night passed in a blur of routine interrupted by brief bits of charged silence with Chigaru during Kitty’s breaks. The bouncers led last customer to a waiting cab and locked the front door before Kitty returned to VIP. Ice and Chigaru were waiting for her when she opened the door.
She asked, “When did you get back?”
Ice said, “A few minutes ago. Any luck with the scroll?”
“I told you I would look after close. It’s close. Let’s go look.” Kitty turned back to the stairs and led the way to the bar.
Danny wasn’t there helping Phil and Rob clean. Kitty asked, “Where’s Danny?”
Rob wiggled his eyebrows. “Her and Tim cut out to start the night early, if you know what I mean.” His amusement ended when he glanced past Kitty and choked on the air he was breathing. “Shit. I mean. She…uh…”
Kristar (Bookstrand Publishing Romance) Page 6
