mystic caravan mystery 01 - freaky days

by Amanda M. Lee

  All pretense of amiable compromise slipped from Kade’s face. “It’s a family name.”

  “So is Angus … and Otis … and Apple. I wouldn’t go around bragging about it.”

  Kade licked his lips, clenching his fingers into fists and then releasing them as he worked to tamp down his anger. It didn’t take a psychic to know he was imagining wrapping those fingers around my neck and squeezing. Because I’m psychic, I could read his mind if I wanted to. I usually only do it during paid readings and I only look for the good stuff. I try to refrain from my baser instincts when I’m not invited in. It’s not polite to poke into someone’s mind when they don’t want you there. For some reason, I wanted to make an exception for Kade. I fought the urge.

  “Ms. Parker … .” Kade’s voice was flat as he squared his shoulders and regarded me with a dark expression. “I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot.”

  I knew we had gotten off on the wrong foot, but I couldn’t seem to muster the energy to care. “So what?”

  Kade made a face and opened his mouth to say something else, but Max stilled him with a pat on the arm.

  “Kade, can you do me a favor and go outside?” Max asked. “Poet and I need to have a talk. If you have any questions, I’m sure you’ll find a blond man out there. His name is Luke, and he and Poet are joined at the hip.”

  “I don’t think that speaks well of this … Luke,” Kade replied, causing me to scowl.

  “Luke is warm and friendly and I think you will get along well,” Max said, not missing a beat. “Poet and I need to spend a few minutes talking about your new job duties and her … attitude.”

  Kade sneered in my direction, the expression making his handsome face unappealing – but just barely. “That sounds great.”

  Once Kade was gone all pretense of compromise vanished from Max’s face. “I’m ashamed of you, Poet!”

  I took a step back, surprised by his reaction. This wasn’t even the worst behavior I’d put on display this week. What in the heck was going on here? “I … .”

  “No, you keep your mouth shut,” Max snapped. “You just treated that man like he was garbage. No, to be fair, you treated him as if he was less than garbage. That is not acceptable, young lady.”

  I’d long since passed the “young lady” stage. At twenty-seven, I liked to believe I was wiser than my years. Max was making me feel like a small child instead of an empowered woman, and I didn’t like it. “I didn’t mean to treat him poorly,” I said, choosing my words carefully. That was a lie and we both knew it. “I … I will apologize to Mr. Denton.”

  “You do that,” Max said, running a hand through his snowy hair as he sank back down in his desk chair. “This is not meant to be a commentary on you or the work you do for me. You’re the best worker I’ve ever had.”

  It was a nice sentiment and yet there was something else going on here. Max was up to something – and it was clearly something he didn’t want to share with me. Because Max was the most honest man I knew, I had trouble understanding how a situation like this could occur. “I’m obviously not doing a good enough job,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound as petulant as I felt. “You feel you need to bring in some additional … help. This is your business and I’m just a worker. I have no right to tell you how to do business.”

  “Cut the crap, Poet,” Max said, scorching me with a look. “We both know you like to play the martyr. That’s not what’s going on here and you know it. I always told you I planned to bring in a new head of security. We need it. This cannot come as a surprise to you.”

  “I … why do we need a new security head?” I asked.

  “You know why.” Max didn’t elaborate, but his unsaid words hung in the ether between us and I knew what he was talking about.

  “Are you saying he knows about what we do?”

  Max licked his lips as he considered the question. “No. He knows we’re a traveling circus and nothing more.”

  “How is that going to work?” I pressed. “What’s going to happen the first time he sees a monster and realizes all those horror stories he read as a child are true? What’s going to happen the first time Seth or Luke shift in front of him and he realizes people can turn into animals? What’s going to happen the first time Naida gets desperate for a bath and calls down a storm in the middle of the night? We can’t hide all of those things.”

  “You hid them from Mel,” Max pointed out.

  “Mel was middle-aged and needed glasses to see up close and far away,” I countered. “He knew we were different. He didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to know the specifics and he liked his paycheck. Can you guarantee it’s going to be the same with this guy?”

  I expected empty promises and assurances. Max didn’t bother with either. “No. I expect you to do the best that you can.”

  “I don’t understand.” I was frustrated. I didn’t want to take it out on Max, but he wasn’t giving me a lot of options. “How do you think this is all going to end?”

  “I’m hoping it will end happily,” Max replied. “I have no idea what the right answer is, though.”

  “Tell me the truth Max,” I prodded. “Why is he so important? Why this guy? Why didn’t you include me in the hiring process?”

  “I believe Mr. Denton’s credentials are beyond reproach,” Max said. “My decision stands. He is in charge of security. You are still in charge of the day-to-day operations of the circus. You two are going to have to find a way to work together without killing each other.”

  That didn’t sound like a likely scenario. “And what if that doesn’t happen?”

  “Then we’ll have to find a spot to hide one of your bodies,” Max replied, his eyes flashing. “I’m not joking about this, Poet. You need to find a way to make this work.”

  I was beaten. He knew it and I knew it. Max was the boss, no matter how much I fancied myself in the big chair. I blew out a sigh, resigned. “Fine. I will make it work.”

  “Good,” Max said, flashing me a genuine grin. “You can start by giving him a tour of the grounds and making sure he knows how things operate. Stick to the real world worries for now. I know we can’t hide the supernatural stuff forever, but I’d like him to get settled before we upend his world.”

  “And what happens when the dreamcatcher is fully activated tonight?”

  “Let’s hope he’s really tired and is a heavy sleeper,” Max replied, nonplussed. “We can only do what we can do, Poet. Right now, what you have to do is make our new employee feel welcome.”

  That sounded like the last thing I wanted to do.

  “I’M supposed to show you around.” The words tasted bitter before I saw the look on Luke’s face. After catching a glimpse of his gleeful gaze as it bounced between Kade and me, I wanted to punch him … or bite him … or replace all of his organic underwear with the scratchiest fabrics I could find. He didn’t know what was going on, but whatever it was, he was enjoying my discomfort.

  After leaving Max inside his trailer to do whatever it was he was doing – I was starting to think plotting my mental collapse was on the top of his to-do list – I grudgingly joined Luke and Kade out front.

  They weren’t speaking, instead studying each other from afar. Kade didn’t bother to hide his smirk when he registered my annoyance. “That sounds horrible … for you.”

  “Am I missing something?” Luke asked, clearly sensing the tension. “I … what’s going on?”

  “Luke Bishop, meet Kade Denton,” I said, gesturing widely because, well, I don’t know why. Being theatrical and petty seemed the perfect way to handle this situation. “Kade is the new head of security.”

  Luke’s ramrod straight shoulders relaxed marginally. “Oh,” he said. “That’s a relief. I thought something bad was happening in there.”

  Was I not telling the story correctly? “I need to show Kade around,” I said. “You need to … what are you doing tonight?”

  “I am the ringmaster this evening, little missy,”
Luke said, placing his hands on his hips and turning his full attention to me. “I have plenty of time. I don’t even need to be in my costume for another hour. I can go with you on your tour with … Kade, was it?”

  Kade nodded, amused by Luke’s bravado. I had a feeling he knew Luke was going overboard to get under my skin, which meant he was already a fan of my irksome best friend. “It’s a family name.”

  “I like it,” Luke said. “It makes you sound exotic.”

  “Or like a stripper,” I mumbled.

  “Oh, that’s a good one,” Luke said, ignoring the antagonism associated with my words. “You do look kind of like a stripper. You look like a military stripper, in fact. You have the short hair … and I’ll bet you look good in Army green. Do you have dog tags? You could hook women with them while you dance. Do you have rhythm? No offense, but you don’t look like you have rhythm. That won’t matter if you look good enough with your shirt off, though. I’m guessing that’s not a problem for you. You look like you work out. Do you work out?”

  Kade’s grin vanished as Luke’s ADD came out to play. “I’m sorry, what?”

  He was staid in the face of ridiculousness, so I already didn’t like him. He was polite, almost too polite. He was not going to fit into this environment if he didn’t pull the stick out of his really well-shaped and ridiculously muscular rear end. Wait, what I was I complaining about? I mentioned I don’t like him, right?

  “We need to get moving,” I said, snapping out of my reverie. “You need to get the lay of the land if you want to … protect us.”

  “You sound like that’s up for debate,” Kade challenged. “I thought Max just ordered you not to fight with me.”

  How could he possibly know that? “I think you look as if you’re ready for a fight.” I forced a bright smile. “Do you want to fight?”

  “You’re a mouthy little thing, aren’t you?”

  Kade’s words took me by surprise. “Excuse me?”

  “I think you talk to hear yourself talk. That’s okay. I think that’s a woman thing. It’s not specific to you.”

  “Oh, I like him,” Luke said. “He’s … feisty. He’s going to be a good addition here.”

  Was Luke talking about the same person I stared at? He couldn’t be. It was out of the question. “Luke, go get ready for the big show. This is the last night here. We should give people their money’s worth.”

  “But … .” Luke didn’t look thrilled with the suggestion.

  “I’m going to take Mr. Denton on a tour,” I said, cutting off any further argument. “This is our last night here, so giving him the tour now seems like a waste of time, but I’m a team player.”

  “I really can’t wait,” Kade said, pressing his lips together tightly. “You’ve been so welcoming. I just want to … hug you.”

  And I just wanted to punch him in his naughty bits.

  “Oh,” Luke said, his face sobering. “Now I get it. You two are hot for each other, but you don’t want to admit it. Things are making so much more sense now.”

  “Go to work, Luke!” I barked more forcefully than I intended.

  Instead of being hurt or even feigning sadness – something he would’ve done under normal circumstances – Luke snapped his feet together and mock saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Kade and I watched Luke move away in silence, and when we finally turned back to each other, Kade’s face mirrored my own morose countenance. “I guess we should get moving,” he said.

  “I guess so.”

  “Do you want to lead or should I take my rightful place at the head of the line now?” Kade was teasing, but his words still bothered me.

  “I … come on.”

  It was going to be a long night.

  Three

  “So, what do you do here?” Kade asked, following me onto the midway.

  “I … do a little of everything,” I replied, fighting to keep my temper in check. “I balance the books and I put out all the personality fires before they turn into infernos. I’m also the resident fortune teller.”

  “Do you look into a crystal ball and put on a show?”

  “I have a crystal ball,” I said, reaching back so I could rub the building tension from the base of my neck. “I also use tarot cards and read lifelines.”

  “Did you have to go to school for that?” Kade taunted. “Did you major in psychic abilities … or acting?”

  I glanced at him, vitriol clawing through my chest in an attempt to get at him. “I didn’t go to college.”

  “Because of this … place?”

  “Because my parents died when I was a teenager and I spent two years in foster care,” I replied, nonplussed. “There was no money for college.”

  Kade’s face softened. “I’m sorry. That was a horrible thing for me to say. You didn’t deserve that.”

  I wasn’t so sure. I’d set the tone of our relationship thus far. He was reacting to me because I was baiting him. I couldn’t blame him. “We need to try to get along,” I said. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m happy about the situation. Max is clearly unhappy with my work, though. That’s my problem to deal with. It’s not yours. I’m the one who should apologize.”

  Kade balked. “I don’t think Max is unhappy with your work,” he said. “I think Max wants to make things easier for you.”

  “You seem to know Max,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “How did you two meet?”

  “He’s been something of a … an uncle … since I was a kid,” Kade said. “Whenever he was in town he stopped by to visit. He was a friend of my father's – before he died. He was always funny, and he had great stories to tell about this place.”

  “You do realize you kind of called Max your funny uncle, right?” I was going for levity, and luckily for me it worked because Kade barked out a coarse laugh.

  “I guess I didn’t think of it that way when I was saying it.”

  “And what are your qualifications for being head of security?” I asked, opting not to stand on ceremony and get to the meat of this particular conversational barbecue.

  “I spent six years with the Marine Raider Regiment.”

  “I … .” Crikey. I had no idea what that meant. I wasn’t familiar with the armed forces. “Is that good?”

  Kade rolled his eyes. “Let’s just say I know my way around a gun and security and leave it at that, shall we?”

  “If that’s what you want,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “I still don’t understand why you’re here, though.”

  “I ended my military career when my mother got sick,” Kade said. “She died three months ago. I was looking for a new … path … and that’s when Max showed up at her funeral with a job offer.

  “I ignored it at first,” he said. “The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized it might be a good fit. I’ve never been one for staying in one place. I have nothing to anchor me anywhere now. This is kind of the best of both worlds. You can have familiar people around you, but the scenery always changes.”

  Something about Kade’s story bothered me. I thought I knew about all of Max’s side trips and interests as we criss-crossed the country. When did he manage to take on someone else’s family and be a surrogate uncle? That didn’t make any sense. “How did Max know your father? Was he with the circus?”

  Kade shook his head. “No. My father was an accountant. I think he did some work for Max before you … long before you, obviously. My father died before I was born.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I never knew him,” Kade said, his face unreadable. “My mother told me some great stories, and Max filled in a lot of the gaps when he stopped by. He’s still a … mystery to me.”

  “That must be rough,” I said, leading Max through the midway.

  “You lost both of your parents,” Max said. “I would think that had to be worse. I had my mother to raise me.”

  “I had years with my parents to build up memories, though,” I countered. “You don’t have any
of your father.”

  “You can’t miss what you never had.”

  “I don’t think that’s true.”

  Kade sighed, but his eyes lighted up as he shot me a charming grin. Holy moly, he had dimples! I was a sucker for dimples.

  “I think you like to argue just to argue,” Kade said, drawing my attention from the cute indentations in his cheeks. “I find that … oddly exhilarating. That being said, we really do have a job to do.”

  “Right,” I said, snapping my attention back to the task at hand. “You need a tour.”

  “A brief one,” Kade said. “We’re only going to be in this place for another twelve hours and I figure I can get to know people as we’re setting up the new camp. We don’t need to do anything strenuous tonight.”

  The way he phrased the sentence made my mind go to a naughty place. Darn it! “I’ll show you around really quickly, but then I have to get to my tent.”

  “Fortunes to read?”

  “Futures to look toward,” I corrected.

  “Lead the way.”

  READING fortunes is a risky business. People want to be part of the magic and pomp – but only if they’re getting good information. They don’t want to hear that their husband is cheating on them. They don’t want to know that the babysitter is stealing their liquor. They certainly don’t want to know that the man they intend to marry will lose interest two weeks after the wedding and walk out before the thank-you notes are even mailed out.

  Instead, they want to hear that they will be rich and famous. They want to know that they’ll be married forever and nothing will ever mar their perfect fantasy. They especially want to know that they will one day have a boat and be one of the one-percenters they see on television all of the time.

  I’m not a liar, but telling the truth is a balancing act. You have to know how to couch things in a way that lets people hope for the best and still ready themselves for the worst.

  “What do you see?”