Flirting Under a Full Moon (7 page)

“I don’t pay attention to the news, I’m afraid. It’s all bad anyway. So what was he accused of?”

“Remember the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum heist?”

“Oh, my Rembrandt. That’s terrible. I love art and art museums. It broke my heart to see the empty frames where priceless paintings used to be.”

“My brother was the last person who’d do something like that, but he was set up. The fact that the robbers wore Boston Police uniforms to get past the security guards convinced the rumor mill I had something to do with it. I wasn’t even a cop at the time.”

“Then how could they blame you?”

“The public didn’t know how long I had been a cop. And even if they did, people believe what they want to believe.”

“That sucks.” Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “I’m sorry. I mean, that’s really awful.”

He chuckled. “I like how you try to avoid offensive language, but why around me? I’ve certainly heard worse.”

She blushed. “When I was in art school, my mouth was pretty filthy. I realized how bad I sounded after hearing myself on a friend’s answering machine. ‘Trailer trash’ was the term that sprang to mind. I attracted the wrong kind of guys back then. Eventually, I figured out why.”

He put his arm around her shoulder. “I know my reputation isn’t stellar, but I promise I’ll be good to you.”

He leaned in for a kiss, and she met his lips eagerly. Her lips parted and their tongues sought each other out, swirling together as if this dance was second nature. Fire sprung up between them and he clutched her close.

Desire hit him in the gut…and lower. This wasn’t the normal horniness of a man attracted to a hot woman. An overwhelming desire to take her and mark her, then and there, pounded through his veins.

If he didn’t stop soon, he might not be able to. He broke the kiss and found himself panting hard. “Brandee, I’d better go.”

“Is everything all right?”

He took a moment to compose himself. “Everything is too right. If I don’t leave now, I’m afraid I’ll pressure you to go too far too fast.”

She nodded as if she understood. “Yeah. And then I’ll never get any sleep.”

***

“Kidnapped! What do you mean I was kidnapped?” Brandee couldn’t believe what her aunt was telling her. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it as if she could see if it was lying.

“Katie said you were with her. And that you were tied up.”

Oh, my rubber ducky.
“Why would she say that?”

“I-I don’t know why she’d make that up. I just called to thank you. She said you kept her calm and helped her escape. Well, you and Mr. Wolfensen.”

“Nick was there?”

“Yes, we hired him. But why were you with him? That’s what I can’t understand.”

Brandee was speechless. She had been out with Nick on a date last night. A terrific date from what she could recall—but that’s about all she remembered. Since when did kidnapping count as a great date?

“Aunt Dee, I’ll have to call you back.”

“Of course, dear. But, before you go, is there anything we can do?” The worry in her aunt’s voice came through.

“No, I’ll be okay. I just need to talk to someone.”
Someone
who
apparently
lied
to
me
about
what
happened
last
night.

“Yes, I should say so.”

Brandee realized how that sounded.
Great, now she thinks I’m nuts.

“Love you, bye.” She shouldn’t have hurried her aunt off the phone like that, but she really didn’t want to hear any more about her “lost night” until she spoke to Nick.
He’d better not try to lie to me, either.

On the off chance he was downstairs in the bar already, she decided to go in a bit early. She could always say she was making up for being late more often than not. Claudia, the daytime manager might faint, but Wendy would appreciate a hand if it was busy. It was a beautiful September day, and tourists would be getting thirsty.

Thank goodness Angie had the day off and was gone before Brandee woke up. She didn’t need to answer any more of her roommate’s questions until she got more answers herself.

Nick waited, shifting from foot to foot outside the bar. He didn’t need an audience when he saw Brandee. He knew there was a good chance she’d want to fill in more of the blanks from their so-called date.

The morning news had paused between their stories of assaults and accidents to report a short-lived tornado hitting the Boston Common. Because there had been no damage, the event was ignored by the newspapers. He had hoped for an article he could show Brandee, but alas, it wouldn’t be that easy.

Regardless, the idea that she had hit her head and had temporary amnesia served his purpose well. He’d said he took her to his place to let her lie down and rest. She wouldn’t remember where he lived or what the place looked like. He could joke with her and say thank goodness she didn’t remember it, because his apartment was a mess.

Suddenly the woman in question appeared before him.

“Just the man I wanted to see.” Her expression was unreadable.

“Good. I wanted to see you too, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?”

“Just fine except for my wrists, which is strange. They’re a little bruised, but you’d think my head would hurt if I bumped it.”

“Uh, yeah. You got lucky, I guess.” He patted her on the head. “You must have a hard noggin’.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “What really happened, Nick?”

Uh-oh.
“What do you mean? Oh, I guess you want to know what happened after that.”

“Sure. Go ahead. Give me the details, and don’t you dare lie. I’ll know if you do.”

Sweat broke out on Nick’s brow. She was probably bluffing. She couldn’t know if he was lying or not. “We were strolling across the Common, discussing, you know, life and stuff. We never made it for drinks or dinner. The tornado struck and you must have bumped your head. You seemed disoriented. That in itself was frightening. I took you to my place to recover from your scare.”

Yeah, that sounds reasonable. Maybe she’ll think she blocked it out of her memory due to the traumatic nature of the incident, and that would explain why her head doesn’t hurt.

“Oh, so you live in a basement? And instead of letting me lie down, you tied me to a pole?”

“Uh…”
Shit. Who told her?
The one loose end he hadn’t tied up completely was Katie. He’d hinted that she might want to spare her parents the details, but the girl must have told them what happened anyway.
Of
course
she’d cave when her parents asked her to tell them everything
.
Why
would
she
listen
to
some
guy
she
didn’t know over her parents?

Anthony didn’t erase Katie’s memory, only Brandee’s. Why, oh why didn’t I think that through? Perhaps Anthony could have mesmerized both girls at once. Nick had just assumed his vampire friend couldn’t.

He had to change the subject. He grabbed Brandee and kissed her for all he was worth. At first she stiffened, but shortly after that she relaxed and molded her body to his.

Suddenly she pulled away and shoved his chest. “Don’t try to distract me.”

“I’m not. I just missed you, baby. That’s all.”

“Look, I’m not satisfied with your answers and don’t call me ‘baby.’ I’m an adult.”

“But I did miss you. That’s the God’s honest truth.”

“Maybe so, but I was talking about last night. Something happened that I can’t remember. I don’t know why I can’t remember it, but if I find out you drugged me—”

“Jesus!” He couldn’t have her thinking that. He had to make her believe something else.
Anything
else. “No, Brandee. No way would I do that to you. I’d never do that to any woman. How can you even think that?”

She opened her mouth to speak but he laid a finger against her lips. “I’ll tell you exactly what happened. I just didn’t want to frighten you—again. You were so scared…It was a blessing when you blocked it out.”

She crossed her arms. “So, you’re saying I was so afraid I blacked out?”

“No. Not exactly. Sometimes traumatic situations are so overwhelming, the mind just does the victim a favor and temporary amnesia is the result.”

He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. At least she was considering the idea.

“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 and 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?”