“What’s with the tattoo?”
Paula wasn’t one easily led off course. “So you’re hiding something?”
“Everyone is,” Ignatius conceded, barely looking up from the skin he inked.
“Why the tatt?” Orion’s gazed locked on hers.
Ah, questions answered with questions. Paula was good at that game. “What’s it to you?”
“There’s always a reason behind a tattoo,” Orion pointed out. “What’s yours?”
That was true. “Maybe I’m searching for the meaning of life.” ‘Cause they’re ain’t no meaning I can see at the moment that’s for damn sure.
Orion winked at her. “Maybe you’re hiding something too.”
“Nope, but I have been called annoying.”
Ignatius laughed as he wiped her tattoo clean of ink and blood. “Trust me, she can be.”
“Thanks, friend.” Paula wondered about the link between the two men. Ignatius had introduced him as a friend, yet they were so different. However, she could tell by their easy comradely there was clearly a firm friendship between them.
“All done.” Ignatius gave the tattoo one last wipe. “’Want to check it out in the mirror?”
There was no easy way for a lady to dismount from the table and keep her legs together. Thank God I have my good kickers on today. She noticed, however, neither man averted his eyes. That pleased Paula. Nothing like a confidence booster. She walked over to one of the large mirrors knowing her t-shirt barely covered her ass. Paula stopped dead in front of the mirror and gasped. “It’s amazing!” She hadn’t wanted the standard boring tattoo. Hers was one of light and shade, black and gray, depicting a gothic-looking woman carrying a sword. It was a tattoo that bespoke power and strength, and it was exactly what Paula needed in order to remind herself that any difficult times in life, like now, could be overcome. And while maybe spending money on a tattoo was crazy considering her lack of it, Paula decided to treat it like a Scarlet O’Hara moment and worry about all the difficult monetary things tomorrow.
“It’s interesting.” Orion looked at her thigh, his head tilting on different angles. “Was it worth the effort?”
“Yes.” The pain was easily forgotten on viewing the final product. She liked it. The tattoo felt right. It was something only another person with tattoos could understand.
“Why?”
“I need to feel…” Paula hesitated. Would a stranger understand her need to get back in control? To sense something more than floundering in life? She decided too much information wasn’t a good thing. “Anyway, it is what it is. I love it, Ignatius.”
The tattoo artist nodded. “Any time, sweetheart. You know that.”
Yeah, Paula did and knew it wasn’t just tattoos they were talking about. Ignatius had made it clear he’d like to be her lover. And maybe when she got her act together, he would be. There was an easy likeability about Ignatius that indicated he’d be a friendly, fun fuck.
The bell on the door jangled and another man walked in. “Oops, pardon me. I didn’t realize there was a beautiful, half-naked lady here.” Another man walked straight over to Paula, his hand capturing hers. “I’m Patrick.” He smiled down at her. “I do so love the smell of sex in the morning.”
Her mouth dropped open. This guy was tall, blond, and gorgeous in a wildly rakish way. “It’s afternoon, and we’re not having sex.”
“Not yet.” Patrick winked at her. “And you are?”
“Er—Paula.” His teeth were the same as the other guy’s. Was it a trend? Were they related? Or did they need a different dentist?
“Perfect name and stunning thigh—and that tatt’s good too.”
Paula could feel her body heat up with excitement. Down, girl. “I—er, um, should get dressed.” Three hot men in the one room. What were the odds? And if I undress—no, head slap, remember your mantra.
Ignatius beckoned her back to him. “Let me put some antiseptic cream on it and wrap it first.”
“Yes, right.” Focus woman. “Are you here for a tatt?” Paula asked Patrick.
His smile was charming. “No, business.”
“What sort?” And why do I feel as I did when I was out on the street thinking everyone was watching me? Which they were, but this was different. There was an intenseness in the gaze of all three.
“I investigate things with Orion here.”
And why do I think there’s more to that statement? “Oh, like insurance fraud?”
Ignatius finished up and handed Paula her shorts.
Orion nodded. “Something like that.”
Suddenly the door to shop flew open. “Hey!” A wild-looking, red-haired man appeared with a very large pumpkin in his arms. “I’ve nearly cracked the record!” He looked extremely excited.
“Well done, Magnus!” Patrick clapped him on the shoulder.
The man named Magnus turned to Paula. “I’m close to completing my thesis on the speed in which a pumpkin can be thrown from a building.”
Chapter Three
And they’re all acting as if this is normal. Hmm… “That’s—er, nice,” Paula said, for want of a better word. She stepped into her shorts and fastened them. “But how could you measure that accurately?”
Ignatius slapped his forehead dramatically. “Oh God, don’t let him explain that. He’s been doing his thesis on it for three years now.”
“O-kay.” Who were these men? All so different yet tied together somehow. There was an easiness in the way they spoke and looked at each other that told her that.
“It’s all to do with position, refraction, and velocity.” Magnus started to explain and then stopped. “’Wanna watch?”
“Um—well, I guess.” He seemed so enthused it would be impolite for Paula to say no.
Magnus’ eyes lit up. “Excellent. We’ll use the roof here. Its fifteen floors to the street below. Anything less is a waste. ” He rushed out with everyone trailing behind him.
Paula found herself following the men up the stairs to the rooftop. She didn’t know any of them but Ignatius yet she strangely felt safe with them. That was unusual for her. Normally Paula was the suspicious type. But with these men she felt at ease.
That was until she got to the roof. Paula feared heights. She instinctively grabbed onto someone’s arm for reassurance. Orion’s.
He looked down at her hand then into her eyes. “Problem with heights?”
“Yes.”
“Want me to hold your hand?” Patrick moved in close.
Yes. “No.” The body heat from these men was making her more dizzy that the height. “I have no idea what I’m doing up on the roof watching this. It’s crazy.”
“Maybe you need some crazy in your life,” Orion observed, placing his hand over hers.
His touch made Paula hot and cold and tingly all over. “Oh, I have plenty of crazy.”
Magnus held the pumpkin in one arm and waved them toward the edge of the roof with the other. “Okay, gather round. I‘m going to throw this over the edge and into the alley below. He placed the pumpkin on the outer ledge, reached into his pocket and pulled out a stopwatch.
“Wait a second.” Paula wondered why no one else could see this was insane. “Shouldn’t you make sure no one’s down there?”
“I’ll yell ‘watch out’ before I do it.” Magnus handed the stopwatch to Ignatius.
“Oh yeah, that’ll help…not.” Paula rolled her eyes.
“The timer must be pressed the exact minute I throw the pumpkin.”
Paula knew she probably shouldn’t ask as the day had been strange already, but she wanted to know. “How can you work out the speed?”
Magnus’ eyes were bright with excitement. “It’s calculated on weight verses time and wind factor.”
“Riiight. My car’s down there.” It wasn’t much, but it was the one thing she owned.
“Which one?” Magnus leaned over and looked.
Did it matter? The street was full of parked cars. “It’s the purple one w
ith the large dent in the hood, and I don’t want any more.”
“I’ll avoid it. Ready, everyone. On the count of three.”
Ignatius grinned. “It’s almost like watching Einstein and his experiments.”
“Not really.” And it was hard to concentrate on the fate of her car when so many hot men were standing so close.
“Okay, one—two—three!” Magnus threw the pumpkin over the edge at the exact time Ignatius hit the timer.
Paula craned her head forward slightly. She felt oddly protected by the two men at her side. “Amazingly, that only took out a ‘no parking’ sign.” Pumpkin guts were splattered all around it.
Magnus turned to Ignatius. “What time?”
“Two-point-seven five seconds to impact.”
“Damn!” Magnus was annoyed. “That’s not the record.”
“Never mind, man.” Ignatius clapped him on the shoulder. “Next time.”
“Next time I’ll use a blue-skinned pumpkin.” Magnus walked away shaking his head. “Orange ones have too many variables.”
“Oh that very weird note, I have to go.” What had started out as getting a tattoo had turn out to be a weird yet interesting moment at a low period in her life.
Patrick instantly caught her elbow before she could move away from the edge of the building. “Why?”
Paula looked from man to man. Three of them had their eyes on her. It would be nice and flattering to believe she was so desirable that all three needed her to remain in their presence, but she doubted that was the case. “I have things to do.”
“People to do?”
She looked at Patrick. “Don’t tell me. You’re oversexed and believe everyone else is too.” Not a bad thing, but just not at the moment.
Patrick grinned at her. “Aren’t they? Aren’t you? Isn’t sex just about admitting need?”
Paula liked people who spoke their mind and didn’t gloss over what they meant. “Do you pick up a lot of women this way?”
Patrick stroked her arm. “You, I like.”
“Well, of course I’m flattered—”
Orion interrupted. “Give up, man. She sees through your fake charm. “
Paula looked at the dark one. All three men were sexy as hell, but he was the one who captured her attention the most. She wondered what the dread clothes hid. At another time and place, Paula would have been more than happy to play around with all three. They were gorgeous. But now wasn’t the time. Paula knew she needed to assess her life and work out where to re-start it.
“Okay, boys, it’s time for me to go.” Before I do something dumb. As she started to turn away from them, something like a flickering of shadows playing on either side of the buildings below caught her eye. Despite her fear of heights, she moved closer to the edge and looked down. “Whoa! Lucky that pumpkin didn’t hit those people.”
Paula could just make out a gathering of people below. There was maybe eight to ten of them, all dressed alike in gray, and all huddled very close together looking up at her. Or maybe it was the building that interested them. Why would they be looking at her? And what were they doing in the alley? It wasn’t like this building was heritage listed or even unusual to look at. Were they pumpkin enthusiasts, or some obscure religious group who’d gotten lost and were looking for their God in the wrong place?
Orion was instantly at her side. “What people? I see no one.”
“Them.” Paula pointed to the figures looking up at her.
“What do they look like?” Ignatius came to stand at her other side.
Patrick was close behind her. “Do they look shadowy?”
The heat of his breath on her neck made her shiver. “No, just bland and boring. Why?”
“No reason,” Orion murmured.
She knew from long experience there was always a reason to everything, however, now wasn’t the time and place when she had other problems on her mind. “Okay, well, it’s been, er…weird, but I gotta go.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.” Orion made it sound like a command and not a request.
“Me too.” Patrick held out his arm to her as Paula turned around.
Ignatius nodded and smiled. “I’ll leave you boys to it. You know where I am if you need me, Paula.” He walked off.
What was going on? Why do I feel like I’m part of some boy’s own secret adventure? “There’s no need.”
“We’re trying to be gallant,” Patrick insisted.
“Is that what they’re calling horny now?”
“Here’s the thing,” said Patrick. “We’re attracted to you.”
Thank God. It was good to hear after the Darrin incident. “That’s nice, but the thing is, I’ve sworn off men for the moment.”
“We’re more than men.”
Paula looked from Orion to Patrick. “Right, you’re no doubt cosmic super heroes, but you both undoubtedly have dicks, and I’m avoiding interaction with those at the moment.”
That made Orion laugh. “You’re avoiding dicks?”
Oh what a beautiful smile he has. Patrick was lovely, but Orion. If she had been interested in hooking up with a man again, he’d be the one. “Yeah, they make me do dumb things.”
“We’d never let you do anything dumb.”
A sudden vision of both men naked and in bed with her popped into her mind. “Oh boy…I really have to go.”
The two men followed her to the car. Magnus was out in the street with a tape measure trying to calculate the distance of splatter compared to the point of impact. Ignatius stood watching him.
Orion scanned the alley before turning his attention to Paula. “Do you see anyone else odd or unusual?”
Paula opened the door to her car. “Only you guys. It’s been interesting. See ya.”
****
They watched her drive off.
“That’s not good.” Patrick was suddenly serious.
“No,” Orion agreed. “The shadows have never deliberately let themselves be seen until they’re ready to act.” Orion knew they had no other choice but to escalate their plan of action.
Magnus looked up from his measurements. “You’re going to have to take the lady to the retreat. She’ll be safe there. I’ve upgraded security.”
Orion nodded. Although Magnus enjoyed his quirky experiments, no one was better at security. The problem was that the shadows were unlike any foe they knew. Only pure darkness with no moon or stars could weaken them.
“You know, Paula’s not going to go to the retreat willingly,” Ignatius pointed out.
In the short time he’d known her, Orion was well aware of that fact. Some people had a clear independent streak. She was one of them. “The lady will have no choice. We have to look after her until we know what the shadows plan to do to her.” Orion thought about the woman with the gothic tattoo. Perhaps at first glance Paula Prince was an unlikely candidate for a hero, but he knew the most ordinary people could do the most extraordinary things in times of crisis. “We will look after her.” It wasn’t only what duty decreed of him. It was also his need to do so and not many women had made him feel the need to protect.
Chapter Four
“She saw us.” The shadows watched her leave.
“Yes, that is annoying. It indicates she’s a more powerful being that we suspected.”
“I hate do-gooders.”
“She hasn’t done any good yet.”
“We will stop her.” They all nodded as one. They knew their duty. The woman couldn’t be allowed to live the life she was fated to.
“Do you think she knows she’s dealing with vampires?”
“I hate dealing with those bloodsuckers, especially Chevalier. He’s always so damn high and mighty.”
“Yes, vampires have that noble streak that makes our work difficult.” They had been the nemesis of the shadows for years.
“No doubt they want to fuck her. “
“Let ‘em. It makes them sloppy and easily eluded.”
“They cannot be allowed
to get in our way.” There was mass murmuring on this.
“And the tattooed man? Shame there’s no inherent streak of evil in him. We could have used him on our side against them. The bizarre looking make the most ferocious impression on the weak.”
“The only normal one is the one with the pumpkins.” They all nodded in unison at that.
“We must act fast and now.”
“What if they start fucking her like bunnies? Will we even get a chance?”
“We will do anything we have to.”
****
“I want you to turn my power back on right now! I paid the bloody bill! It’s not my fault you couldn’t find the payment.” Okay so I paid it late but it was paid. “I want my lights back on. It’s the middle of bloody summer and I’m here without air con in my underwear sweating like a pig.” The heat was making her tattoo burn and that made her even crankier. The first couple of days after being inked were always hard. “What do you mean you can’t turn it on straight away? Twenty-four hours? Are you on drugs? Isn’t it just a matter of flicking a switch? No? What am I supposed to do?” She fanned the bill in front of her face as she listened to the myriad of policy mumbo jumbo from the call center operator. “Yes, yes, whatever. What’s that? Can you help me further? Well, gee, have you helped me at all?” Paula hung up the phone and swore long and loud. It would soon be dark. Her tiny apartment with the windows bolted shut due to burglaries in the area would turn into a sweatbox. Paula kicked the sofa hard. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. Can it get any worse?”
The Perils of Paula Page 2
