by Ashlyn Chase
“I’m not a delicate, fragile flower, Nick. What was so traumatic I couldn’t handle it?”
Actually, he did think of her as delicate. Physically, anyway. Mentally, she seemed rock solid. That might not be handy in this case, but he liked a woman he didn’t have to treat with extreme caution. He’d known a few unstable babes in his long time on earth.
The amnesia story might be difficult, but he had to make it fly. “You were held at gunpoint, sweetheart. In fact, that’s the only reason I didn’t try to escape until the guy guarding us fell asleep. They said they’d kill you if I moved a muscle. I’m sure they meant it. You probably believed you were looking at your imminent death.” That was all true, so he hoped his delivery was persuasive.
Brandee didn’t appear convinced, but it was all he had. He knew better than to talk too much. That’s how criminals got caught in lies.
He took her in his arms again and rubbed her back in slow circles. “I’m so sorry that happened, sweetheart. I owe you a real date.”
“No, you owe me a real explanation.” She pulled away. “Why did my aunt say we were with Katie?”
“Because we were. That’s how we wound up in that situation. I was hired to find your cousin, and you followed me.”
She leaned back and looked up at him. “What happened to my camera?”
“That was the tornado. Did you see the story on the news this morning?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Maybe they have it online. Check it out.”
“I’ll have to do that later. I have to get to work now.”
“What time do you get off work? I’ll come by and take you camera shopping.”
“I don’t think I’m up to it tonight, Nick. I’ll see you.” She started to walk away, but he caught her arm.
“Don’t I get a kiss?”
She stared at him as if she wasn’t sure she could trust him. He knew better than to push it. She might go back to the idea of being drugged and forced to do something against her will.
Finally she tipped up her face for a kiss and he gave her a relieved peck on the lips.
Whew. “I’ll call you tonight. What time do you go to bed?”
She shrugged. “Depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not I get kidnapped, I guess.”
***
“Nicholas Wolfensen?”
Nick stopped walking and turned around, surprised to see Mr. Balog’s son.
“Yeah?”
“You have been summoned to appear before the Supernatural Council.”
The back of his neck prickled. Nick had heard of it but wasn’t sure the Council really existed. No one he knew had ever met the mysterious society of elders—or whatever they were.
“I was just heading home. Why don’t you give me a way to get in touch with them, and I’ll make an appointment.”
“That’s not how it works. You’re to come with me right away.”
What the hell? Nick stretched himself to his full six feet, three inches, at which point he towered over the young man. “And what if I don’t want to?”
Young Balog pulled a pouch from his inner jacket pocket and opened it. He shook out some kind of powder and tossed it up in the air. It shimmered and spread, covering both of them. Before Nick knew what was happening, he was somewhere else—standing under some kind of glass bubble or dome.
“Thank you, Balog,” said a stern-looking, middle-aged woman in a flowing white robe. “You may go now.”
Adolf bowed and strode to an elevator. He punched the down button and waited. Nick gazed at his surroundings. All around the round room, people in white robes strolled and chatted with each other. The only one who seemed interested in him was the woman.
“Wolfensen. Do you know who I am?”
“No, I can’t say that I do.”
“My name is Gaia, but you might know me by my other name, Mother Nature. I’d welcome you, but you’re not actually welcome. I don’t invite anyone here unless they’re doing my bidding or I’m pissed at them. Guess which situation you’re in.”
“Uh…”
“You’re a real conversationalist, aren’t you?”
Nick scratched his chin. “Look. I’m not sure how I got here or why you want to speak with me, but I don’t want to assume anything either. Is this the Supernatural Council?”
“And what if it wasn’t? You’d have just tipped off a mortal that such a thing exists—if I was mortal. That’s why you’re here, big mouth.”
“I’ve never told anyone about the Council.”
“And you won’t if you know what’s good for you. However, I understand you allowed yourself to be photographed during a shapeshifting occurrence.”
“It was an accident. I didn’t allow—”
“Silence,” she bellowed. The others in the room paused and listened. “There is no excuse for this kind of breach. Now, how far has this mess spread, and what do you intend to do about it?”
“It’s been contained. My vampire friend glamoured the mortal.”
“Anthony did this?”
“Yes.” Nick hoped he wasn’t getting Anthony in trouble.
“At least you asked someone who you could trust,” Gaia said. “What if you had to go to one of the less friendly vampires? Someone who would just love to expose your kind?”
“I-I wouldn’t have.”
“So, what would you have done had Anthony not been there to bail you out?”
“I know a couple other vampires I could ask.”
“Do you, now? So, I guess that makes it all right. You have a couple of backup vampires in case you screw up.”
“Well, I guess so…” A bead of sweat trickled down his spine.
“Wrong!” she yelled. “That’s the wrong answer, dipshit.”
“What’s the right answer?”
“The only answer is this: if you ever expose the existence of paranormal beings again, I’ll send you to Mount Vesuvius and go all Pompeii on your ass. You get me?”
Nick’s mouth went dry. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t call me ‘ma’am’! You can call me Mother Nature, Gaia, or Goddess. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good. Now get out.” She pointed toward the elevators.
“But I don’t know where I am or where to go.”
She jammed her hands on her hips and leaned toward him. “Oh, I’ll tell you where to go if you stand here much longer, believe me.”
One of the white-robed men hurried over and grabbed him by the arm. “I’ll show him out, Gaia.”
She spun on her heel and marched off toward the small forest in the corner.
The elder, or whatever he was, ushered Nick to the elevator and pushed the down button. While they were waiting, Nick figured he’d use his one and only chance to ask a question or two.
“So, the Council members…who are you exactly?”
The white-robed man looked at him with a pitying expression. Nick imagined him thinking something like: “You poor, dumb earthling,” but instead the man answered in a voice that seemed sincere.
“We’re the Gods And Immortals Association. Thus the initials, GAIA.” He leaned in and whispered, “It’s just like her to name the whole shebang after herself.”
“I heard that,” a female voice called out.
The white-robed gentleman rolled his eyes. Nick decided to press his limited opportunity and ask another question.
“Are there any other females on the Council? If so, where are they?”
“There are other female immortals, all working for the greater good. Some are goddesses and some are mere muses, but they don’t hang out here very often.” He whispered behind his hand conspiratorially, “Gaia likes to be the center of attention, so she stays here most of the time a
nd delegates all the tasks she doesn’t want to do.”
“Apollo!” Mother Nature’s voice bellowed.
Nick gasped. “The Apollo?”
At that moment, the elevator doors whooshed open and the god shoved Nick inside. There were no buttons to push for a particular floor and no need for any. The doors slammed shut and the elevator dropped like a rock. Just when Nick was afraid he was about to hit the ground, it slowed to a stop. He felt as if he had left his stomach a few stories up.
The doors opened on a familiar lobby. Nick stepped out and noticed the directory on one wall. He scanned it, not knowing what he’d find there. It seemed innocent enough. The building was made up mostly of law offices. Nowhere did it say “GAIA.” or anything that could be construed that way. He went back to the elevator he had just exited and saw a whole panel of buttons to push for the different floors.
Whoa, that wasn’t there a minute ago. “I must be losing my mind,” Nick muttered to himself.
He thought he heard a feminine laugh.
***
Brandee was just walking past the bar’s large window when it shattered. Someone screamed, so she dropped her tray and hit the deck.
“What was that?” Wendy yelled.
Malcolm, the bartender who alternated with Angie, shouted, “Holy shit, is that a harpoon?”
Brandee took in the scene directly opposite the window. A long, rusted metal rod with a sharp barb at the end was sticking out of the wooden edge of the bar. People were rushing out the door faster than you could shout, “Danger, Will Robinson.”
She gathered her wits and picked up her tray, replacing the unbroken shot glasses and two glass beer mugs while avoiding the shards from the window all around her. It was too dark outside to see who was there.
Anthony came running out of his office. “What the hell happened?” He rounded the corner of the bar and gripped Brandee around her waist. Quicker than she thought possible, he lifted her off the ground and rushed her to the opposite side of the bar.
“Stay down,” he ordered. Then Anthony dashed out the front door, bellowing, “Ruxandra!”
His ex-girlfriend did that? Oh, my boiled bunny!
Wendy hurried over to where Brandee crouched. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Did Ruxandra actually throw that harpoon through our front window?”
“Probably. I think she was aiming for you. She’s wicked jealous.”
Brandee gasped. “Aiming for me? Why?”
Kurt stood at the end of the bar. “Sorry, sweet cheeks. Wendy’s right. Ruxandra is jealous of you. You should have seen how she trashed the place last night.”
“Last night? But I wasn’t even here.”
“Yeah, when Anthony went looking for you, that’s when she decided you were too important to him and she went ballistic.” He glanced around the bar. “I’m amazed it was all cleaned up and ready to go tonight.”
“He must have a kick-ass cleaning crew. I had no idea the place was wrecked last night.”
Kurt leaned on the bar. “It was messed up. She tossed chairs, broke bottles, and really busted up the place. I hate to say it, but if you’re smart, you’ll find another job.”
“And you’ll have to find another place to live,” Wendy added. “I’m sure she knows about the apartment over the bar.
“Why would she target me? I haven’t flirted or even looked twice at Anthony.”
Sadie moseyed over. “Don’t you dare quit or move because of Ruxandra. You haven’t done anything wrong. She just needs someone to blame for the breakup, even though she’s the one who drove Anthony away.”
“And she picked me? Faaan-tastic.”
Sadie extended her hand. “You’re safe. You can stand up now.”
“I don’t know. Someone should probably call the police first.”
“Anthony wouldn’t want that.” Sadie began wandering away, then turned and said, “Brandee, dear. Would you get me another White Russian, please?”
I could use one myself. Brandee let out a long breath, then peeked over the top of the bar. Other than the smashed window and lack of customers, everything looked fairly normal. Malcolm was already sweeping up the broken glass.
“I’ll get that, Malcolm,” Brandee said. “Sadie wants another drink.”
“She can wait. You need to stay away from the windows.” Malcolm emptied the dustpan into the trash.
Nick burst through the front door. “Brandee. Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Her voice quivered.
He dropped his bag on the bar, reached her in two long strides, then pulled her into a strong embrace. “What the hell happened here?”
Kurt rested his elbow on the bar casually. “Hurricane Ruxandra struck again.”
“Anthony ought to press charges this time. I know he doesn’t want to…” Nick yanked the harpoon out of the wooden bar and tossed it in the trash bucket. “But it would be for everyone’s safety, including Ruxandra’s. If anything happens to my girlfriend, Anthony’s psycho bitch won’t make it to jail in one piece.”
Kurt raised his eyebrows. “Your girlfriend? What’s this? Have you turned over a new leaf?”
Nick placed a kiss on Brandee’s head. “Yeah. What of it?”
He declared us a couple in public! Maybe I can trust him… If he’ll just tell me the truth from now on.
Kurt held up both hands. “I wasn’t challenging you. I just didn’t think I’d see the day.”
“Well, now you have.”
“Brandee, are you really willing to take a chance on this lug?”
She gazed up at Nick and smiled. “Yeah. He’s worth it.”
Anthony opened the front door and dragged Ruxandra inside. He aimed a stern glare at her. “Apologize.”
“I will not apologize to that little whore.” Ruxandra was wearing an all-black catsuit as if she had planned on breaking and entering, rather than just breaking.
Nick reached her in less than a second and grabbed her by the throat. “You’d better not be talking about Brandee that way.”
Nick’s jaw twitched and his arm quivered. His eyes flashed with a dangerous intensity she’d never seen before.
Anthony crossed his arms. “I told you. Nick and Brandee are together. She’s not my mistress. I think you owe her an apology.”
“Ugh. Can’t. Breathe.”
Nick let go of her and she rubbed her throat. After a brief hesitation and another dark glare from Anthony, she crossed her arms and tipped her nose in the air. “Fine. I apologize.”
Brandee bit her lip. Her voice quivered when she said, “Your apology is accepted.”
“Frankly, I don’t give a rat’s ass if you accept my apology or not. Just stay away from my Anthony.” She pointed a long red fingernail at the rest of the staff. “That goes for all of you.”
Anthony sighed. “I don’t date my employees—but more importantly, Ruxandra, I’m not dating you, either. You’re unstable, erratic, and I can’t trust you to conduct yourself in a civilized manner. This is my business you’re disrupting. If you care about me, you have an odd way of showing it.”
Ruxandra balled her fists and stomped her foot. “We’ve been together for a cent—for a long, long time. How dare you talk to me that way in front of your peons!”
Anthony grabbed her by the back of her stiff collar. He opened the door and tossed his troublesome ex-girlfriend out, then slammed it behind her. Facing the staff he said, “For the record, I’ve never called any of you ‘peons.’ I value your hard work and loyalty. In light of the situation, I’ll offer a thousand-dollar retention bonus to anyone who stays for the next six months.”
Wendy spoke up. “I can really use the money, but do you think Ruxandra will move on soon—or ever?”
Anthony covered his eyes with one big, pale hand. “I truly hope
so.”
***
Nick insisted on staying the rest of the evening so he could walk Brandee right to her door. No way was he going to allow anything to happen to his mate, if Brandee was the one…and he had an inexplicable feeling that she was. His overwhelming need to keep her in his sight, making sure she was safe, trumped anything he’d ever experienced. He would take a bullet for his partner or his brother, but he’d throw himself in front of a freight train for Brandee.
He had waited too long to find her, and he was anxious to secure her commitment. For that to happen he’d have to prove himself trustworthy. He knew she still had questions, so he expected to walk a fine line between telling the truth and withholding bits of information.
Maybe if he brought it up instead of waiting for her to do it, he’d look as if he wasn’t hiding a big, fat secret. Anything was worth a try.
As they ascended the steps to the second floor apartment, Nick asked, “So, have any of your memories returned yet?”
Brandee frowned and shook her head. “No. It’s weird. It’s as if it didn’t even happen.”
Whew. Thank you, Anthony. “That’s a blessing, right?”
She shrugged. “I guess so.”
Pausing in front of her door, she fished out her key.
“Here. Let me get that for you.” Nick hoped some old-fashioned good manners would help his cause.
Brandee’s eyebrows lifted, but she handed him her key. He transferred the plastic bag to the other hand and opened the door, but he didn’t make a move to follow her in. He hoped she’d invite him. When all she did was hold out her hand for her key, he said, “Can I come in for a few minutes? I have a surprise for you.”
“Really?” She smiled and glanced at the bag in his left hand. “Sure. Come in.”
“It looks like you trust me again.”
“I-I want to. We have some things to work out, but I know you mean well. I don’t think you’d hurt me, at least not on purpose.”
“I’d never hurt you, Brandee.”
He strolled to her sectional sofa and sat on the lounger. She took the seat beside him. He had hoped she’d share the spot right next to him, so he could pull her down and invite her to stretch out beside him. Suddenly just thinking about lying down with Brandee in his arms was doing something to his self-control. He had to hold it together. She’d just barely let him in the door. He could blow it if he came on too strong now.
