Flirting Under a Full Moon (10 page)

The following evening, Nick asked to speak to Anthony in his office. Brandee was busy waiting on a table full of rowdy college kids. Thankfully, Ruxandra was nowhere to be seen.

Nick needed to back off and let Brandee take care of herself when she wasn’t in any immediate danger. He didn’t want her to accuse him of smothering her again. It made him nervous that his mate was human and mortal. It would have been more convenient if he’d fallen for another werewolf, but he hadn’t. His heart and soul belonged to Brandee.

As long as she was dealing with mere humans or the paranormal patrons who believed in the peaceful goal of the bar, she’d be fine. So when Anthony came out to get him, Nick sent her a jaunty wave and followed his friend into his office. He closed the door behind himself and sat on the comfortable couch along the opposite wall.

“How’s it going?” Anthony asked as he seated himself behind his desk.

“Things have been kind of crazy, but I still want to find out what those goons who kidnapped us had to say when you mesmerized them.”

“You were right. They were doing someone else’s dirty work. But they couldn’t tell me who hired them. It was all arranged by phone. The thugs are from New York. They said they’re Yankees fans and didn’t much care what happened to Red Sox Nation. That’s all I know.”

Nick scratched his chin. “Didn’t care what happened to Boston…and they kidnapped a fire mage. That doesn’t bode well for the city.”

“But because of you, they didn’t get away with it.”

“I still want to know who hired them and exactly what he had planned. Did you kill the perps?”

“No. I just drained them a little bit and compelled them to go back to New York and never return.”

“Okay.”
I
guess
that
lead
is
a
dead
end. Damn.
“There’s something else. I was wondering if you know anything about this building’s history.”

Anthony leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers behind his head. “I know it was built in the early nineteenth century.”

“Did anyone die in here?”

“Are you concerned about a spirit?”

“I wouldn’t say concerned—yet.”

“Sadie said something about feeling a presence. That was a few months ago. She didn’t mention anything malevolent, so I didn’t think much about it.”

“So, it’s possible.”

“In these two-hundred-year-old buildings, I’d say it’s almost probable. But why do you care?”

“Brandee said she hears strange noises sometimes. Some kind of howling or moaning that sounds more supernatural than human or animal.”

Anthony’s brow wrinkled. “I haven’t heard anything like that.”

“Did you ever live here?”

“When I first bought the place. I was probably the only being who could sleep through the renovations during the day—but that’s death-sleep for you.”

Nick chuckled. “I can see that. What about the Balogs? Didn’t they live here before you moved in and renovated?”

“Yeah, I inherited them with the building, and I didn’t have the heart to turn them out.”

“But you do charge them rent, don’t you?”

“Of course. In a way, they’re the perfect tenants. They pay their rent right on time, don’t want anything in their place updated, and show no signs of wanting to move.”

“How do they make their money?”

Anthony shrugged. “Don’t know. As long as they give me good checks and aren’t running a meth lab, I don’t especially care.”

Nick paused, unsure of his next question. “I can trust you to keep anything I say confidential, right?”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?”

“The Supernatural Council. Ever heard of it?”

“I’ve heard rumors about its existence, but that’s all. Some say it’s made up of gods and goddesses who punish paranormals who make them angry. I’ve never encountered anyone who has any firsthand knowledge.”

“Well, now you have.”

Anthony’s brows shot up. “You met them?”

“Yeah, but if you tell anyone, I’ll deny it. I’m not supposed to tell a soul.”

“Technically, I don’t have a soul.”

“Hey, that’s right. So I’m in the clear,” Nick said.

Anthony leaned forward. “Who are they? What are they like?”

Nick worried his upper lip. “You’ll think I’m ready for the funny farm.”

Anthony waved away his concern. “I know you, Nick. You’re one of the most rational werewolves around. Just tell me.”

Nick had to tell someone or he’d burst. Ordinarily he’d tell his twin, but in this case it might be better not to.

Anthony sighed. “If you’d rather not, I’ll understand, but I swear on my own grave I’ll never tell a soul—or the soulless, even.”

Okay, here goes.
“The Council is run by Mother Nature, and she calls it GAIA. It stands for Gods And Immortals Association. They’re housed in a high rise on State Street. Now,
this
is where things are going to sound weird.”

Anthony raised his eyebrows. “Which building?”

“It doesn’t matter. You can’t access the Council headquarters from the building’s elevator. I’m not even sure how I got there or exactly where it’s located. The outside architecture doesn’t match what I saw on the inside. They just spat me out there on State Street.” Nick raked his fingers through his hair.

“What did they say?” Anthony asked.

“I was in deep shit for revealing my true nature to a human, especially getting caught on camera. Mother Nature confiscated the camera, so she bailed me out there, but she made it clear that if I ever screw up like that again, she’ll have my hide.”

“Fuck.”

“Exactly. I told her that you wiped Brandee’s memory, but there were a few things I had to explain. I figured we should get our stories straight.”

Anthony’s jaw dropped. “You told them about me?”

“You were already on their radar. But they seemed glad that I went to you. They believed me when I said I trusted you.”

“Whew!” Anthony wiped his brow. “That’s a group I really don’t want to piss off. I imagine gods must be pretty invincible.

“No shit.”

“So what do I need to know?”

“Just that Brandee’s mind was wiped of my shifting. She knows nothing about my being a werewolf. However, I had to fill her in on the kidnapping. Apparently the victim told her parents that Brandee helped her get through it, and they called to thank her.”

“Christ. How did you explain to her that she forgot something like that?”

“I said the trauma must have made her blank it out. But I wonder if she’d believe that more if you lifted a few of her memory blocks about what happened. Then it would seem as if some of her memories are returning. That’s usually how amnesia works isn’t it?”

Anthony fiddled with a paperweight. “My power doesn’t work like that. I can add new memories of things that really happened if you tell me exactly what you want her to know. But I don’t want to spend any more time with Brandee than I have to—for her own sake.”

Nick leaped to his feet. “You can’t mean Ruxandra is still gunning for her.”

“Not exactly.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll just let Ruxandra hang around for a while and make her see I have no interest in any of my employees. Well, except for Claudia, but that’s just between you and me. I’d never put Claudia in danger by pursuing her until Ruxandra is out of the way—permanently.”

Nick whistled. “That’s quite a gamble. I hope it works.”

“It will…for now.”

***

“I’m surprised everything got cleaned up so quickly,” Kurt said. He and Tory grabbed a table in Brandee’s station. “I thought for sure the window would be boarded up for a few days.” Kurt leaned back in his chair and asked, “How are you holding up, kiddo?”

“I’m okay.”

“So it looks like you’re staying here?”

Brandee took her order pad from her apron pocket. “Anthony assured me Ruxandra won’t be a problem. Besides, I really can’t afford to quit.”

Tory shook his head. “It’s a damn shame he ever got involved with that psycho bitch in the first place. Do you really believe she won’t bother you again?”

“She has no need to. She was jealous because, for some damn reason, she thought I was involved with Anthony. Nick told her we were dating, and she’s noticed how protective he is. He’s been hanging around a lot, keeping an eye on me. I’m not supposed to know that, though.” She winked. “He’s keeping a low profile.”

Kurt glanced around the room. “He must be invisible. I don’t see him anywhere.”

“He’s in Anthony’s office. Probably threatening to have Ruxandra arrested if she tries anything again.”

Tory snorted. “Good luck with that.”

Just then, the door to Anthony’s office opened and Nick walked out. Simply laying eyes on him made her heart skip a beat.

“So, you and Nick, huh?” Tory sounded skeptical.

No more skeptical than Brandee would have been a couple weeks ago if she’d heard the infamous playboy had suddenly become monogamous. She still had moments when she wondered if it was real. “I know, I know. You’re probably going to tell me to be careful.”

“Nope,” Kurt said. “Because here he comes.”

Nick placed a possessive arm around Brandee’s waist. “Are these goons bothering you?”

She assumed he was just kidding. He was smirking at the guys when he said it, and then he sat down with them.

“Not at all. I was just about to take their orders.”

“A Corona for me,” Tory said. He glanced at the other two. “My doctor said I’m not getting enough vitamin C, and it comes with a lime.”

They laughed.

“Hey, it’s always a good idea to prevent colds.” Kurt ordered one too.

“Would you get one for me too, sweetheart?” Nick asked.

“Vitamin C all around then.” Brandee smirked as she made her way to Angie at the bar. When she caught her friend’s attention, she ordered, “Three Coronas with limes.”

Angie nodded.

As she waited, Phil, another semi-regular, asked, “Is Nick going to be your bodyguard from now on? Doesn’t he have a job or something?”

Brandee spoke a little louder than usual because Phil was hard of hearing. “I imagine his workload is just light right now.” She leaned closer to speak directly into his ear. “He’s not my bodyguard.”

“Could have fooled me.”

Brandee thought about it and realized Nick hadn’t mentioned taking any more cases. She hoped he wasn’t turning them down just to keep an eye on her.
I’ll ask him later. He’ll probably be here after my shift.
That thought was both comforting and annoying.

***

A couple of hours later, Kurt and Tory had left, and Nick wanted to check out one thing. It would satisfy his curiosity and get him out of Brandee’s hair. She was beginning to look at him as if she didn’t appreciate his hanging around.

He slid into the booth opposite Sadie. She was shuffling her cards as usual.

“Can I ask you something? I don’t need a reading—well, not exactly.”

“Did you meet the one-drink minimum?”

“I nursed a beer for an hour or so. Does that count?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Barely. But since you’re a friend of Anthony’s, I’ll allow it. What’s on your mind?”

“Is this building haunted?”

“Yes,” she said matter-of-factly and stopped shuffling. “Does that bother you?”

“Not unless the spirit is unfriendly. Do you know any details about the haunting?”

“Like?”

“Like who? How many? Why they’re here?”

“I don’t know any of that. He, she, or they have never given me any sign of wanting to make contact.”

“What if he, she, or it doesn’t know you’re a psychic?”

“More likely he or she is shy and stays out of the bar when there are people here. Why are you interested in this, Nick? Are you concerned about Brandee?”

“Bingo.”

“I don’t think she’s in any danger. I would have mentioned something to Anthony if I was worried.”

Nick remembered Anthony telling him that Sadie
had
mentioned it to him. Maybe her nonchalant act was just that—an act.

“Sadie, if I can get you into Brandee’s apartment when she and Angie are out, would you try to make contact and see what the story is? I’d feel better knowing everything is okay.”

“What makes you think it isn’t?”

Nick glanced over at Brandee. She seemed sufficiently busy and wasn’t paying any attention to them. “Brandee said she hears moans, growls, banging…”

“Oh, dear. Is she sure it’s not the Balogs?”

“What she described didn’t sound human.”

Sadie stared off in the distance for a few seconds.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t say for sure unless I make contact, but it doesn’t sound like the spirit is hanging around because it’s comfortable here.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Sadie began to wave Brandee over.

Nick pulled down her hand. “What are you doing?”

“I was going to schedule a time to go upstairs and check it out.”

“No. I don’t want to alarm her.”

“Too late. She saw me wave to her.”

“Then just order a drink. I’ll pay for it if you don’t say anything to her about ghost busting.”

Brandee wove her way through the crowd to their table. “Hi there, Sadie. What can I do for you?”

“Nick generously offered to buy me a drink. I’ll have the usual, please.”

“You got it. Anything for you, Nick?”

“All I want is to see your beautiful smile.”

Brandee rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the blush invading her cheeks—or the smile.

Nick snapped his fingers. “Hey, I just thought of something.”

Brandee tipped her head. “Yeah? What’s that?”

“You mentioned you were having car trouble. I’m bored out of my mind just sitting around and waiting for my phone to ring. Why don’t you let me take a look at it?”

“My car?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty good with older models. I thought about becoming a mechanic before I became a cop. I might be able to figure out what’s wrong with it if I can hear the motor turn over. Why don’t you bring me your keys along with Sadie’s drink?”

“I, uh…I guess I could do that. It’s not like I have to worry about you voiding the warranty.”