She waited for me to speak. Even energized, I was still a little slow. “Pack?” I asked with a frown.
“That’s what he called it. A Band of Brothers kinda’ thing. Or sisters, in my case. Is it like the He-Man Woman Hater’s Club? Because I don’t want to crash your groove or anything.” She grinned, making my testosterone respond. It was definitely a bedroom grin: dark, dirty, and full of improper yet enlightening insinuations. Or maybe I was still thinking of Indie from this morning. “Is there a reason that he needs your permission for my help? Are you in charge?” She asked politely, face neutral of any disrespect.
I shook my head, and began to speak, but Gunnar answered. “I trust Nate… Master Temple with my life, and now you’ve seen why. We all have secrets, as I showed you mine a few seconds ago, but he is one of the scariest men I have ever met, and if he says you aren’t up for recruitment, then I’m sorry to say that I would have to agree. This is a hobby of his, and he’s survived encounters that are even less believable than what you experienced today. Many encounters like this, in fact. And the dangers will only escalate, with probably even scarier bad guys. He has veto power on my recruits.”
I watched Gunnar, surprised that he had told her his secret. Was it National Come out of the Closet Day for werewolves? “I didn’t even want to be in your… pack, and now I have veto power? That is… so cool.” I added sarcastically. Gunnar and Tory laughed. “I have to be honest, Tory. This harem of dragons is nothing to scoff at. Today was a close call, but she has sisters, and I have no idea how powerful they are. We can hope that the silver one was the strongest, but I doubt it. It’s kind of like the Billy Goats Gruff. The next one is always bigger than the one before. I had thought dragons were extinct until a few days ago when we were attacked at my bookstore.” Tory waited respectfully for my answer. Damn. I was hoping I could scare her off. “Do you have kids, a family?” She shook her head. “Boyfriend?” Again, she shook her head. “Manfriend?”
She laughed at that, the sound tickling the sensitive parts of my neck like a kiss. “I know my way around a bedroom,” she spoke lasciviously, “But have yet to find a lover who could accommodate my… lifestyle.” Before today it had just been me helping Gunnar, but now we had two new pups to take care of, and I didn’t know if either were strong enough to benefit our cause or if I was simply setting them up to die a horrible death like pawns in a game of chess.
“One thing that I think is essential is absolute honesty on the team. Everyone needs to know the other’s strengths and weaknesses in order to play to those strengths in a life or death situation. You’ve seen what I can do, well, some of it. I’m a wizard. I can harness, control, and manipulate energy to my will, but I’m no archangel. I use magic like others use guns. It’s just a part of me. I was born into it. But it can be dangerous to be around me.” I waited for her to run screaming, but if anything, she looked more content than before, relieved, as if finding a new home. Damn it, damn it, damn it.
“What else can you do, Tory? Is bending metal the extent of your power? Try and explain whatever you can. We need to know in order to see if it will help us.”
Gunnar nodded approval, waiting for Tory to speak. “My whole life I’ve been strong. I never realized how much stronger until I was involved in a fatal car accident on a date.” Her voice grew distant. “My date was trapped under the car on an old country road, dying of severe blood loss due to several deadly wounds. I was scratched up, but fine. Kind of like now. I climbed out of the car, looked down at him, and knew that he was going to die. It shouldn’t have been possible, but I knew if I didn’t help, he would die. I grabbed the car, and lifted it off his legs. It wasn’t adrenaline. I know that now, because adrenaline can make me… scary strong. I managed to drag him out from underneath the car, and then the cops and medics arrived. A Good Samaritan must have called them. My date was too delirious from blood loss to remember what happened accurately, so no one ever knew about it. I decided to become a cop the next week.”
She stared inward at her own memories, and I struggled not to drop my jaw. One handed car curl? Jesus. That might help out in a pinch. Tory’s eyes refocused. “I wanted to use that strength to help people, and I’ve been careful about stepping too much out of bounds for others to notice, but anything to do with my muscles is simply superior to others. Running, lifting weights, punching bags. You name it. It’s almost as if I have extra fuel inside me waiting to ignite my muscles… like Nitrous in a car. It’s just there.”
Gunnar was quiet for a spell, as if deciding if this petite cop was worthy of the club. I nodded at him to proceed. “I vote for her, Gunnar.” I said, confidently. “We can’t have a gang without the token cool girl. We need some estrogen on the team.” I added with a smile. “Even if she can arm wrestle better than us.”
“Everything is better with a girl around.” She added with a mysterious smirk.
I frowned at that. “This isn’t like your usual beat as a police officer. This will be…” I struggled for a word, finally saying the first thing that came to mind. “Black Ops.”
Tory and Gunnar both stared at me as if I had spouted a prophecy. “Well, damn. That’s exactly what it is, isn’t it?” Gunnar said in surprise, nodding. “I’m not saying that it can be our official title or anything. We aren’t spooks, but it does have to be hush-hush from the traditional police force, so that’s a pretty appropriate name.”
Tory spoke conspiratorially. “Let’s go hunt some dragons then, shall we?”
I smiled back. “Soon. I have to go beat up the Minotaur first, and then we can go hunt dragons. Well, after I swing by Temple Industries.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief for a moment, but Gunnar spoke up. “He’s being literal. We’ll get in touch with you after the fight, and the meeting at his company, and then we’ll figure out a plan.” Tory simply shook her head, mouthing Minotaur to herself.
Thanks to the odd addition of their energy to mine, I was somehow refreshed, and I didn’t even care how at the moment. Wizards needed nutrition to use their power: water, food, sleep, and vitamins. If I ever forgot to eat, or drink enough liquids, I found myself lethargic, and utterly useless in the magical department. Which meant I probably needed to grab some food and water stat, but for some reason none of that had hindered me today. In fact, I felt stronger than ever. As long as this odd recharge gave me strength against the Minotaur, all was just dandy. Without it, I wouldn’t have been up to battle him, or even light a cigarette with my magic. At that thought, I beamed. I placed a cancer stick between my lips and lit the tip with a thought. “Well, driver, where’s the car?”
Gunnar’s eyes flicked away instinctively. “Expensive car go Boom.” He mimed an explosion with his hands. I groaned in frustration as I suddenly remembered the bloom of fire where our car had been before I had passed out. Gunnar spoke fast. “But everyone survived.” He added. “Oh, and I managed to get your man purse before it was destroyed.” He held it up, smiling.
“Satchel, asshole. Indiana Jones carried one, and he called it a satchel.”
Tory laughed, tossing him a set of keys. “Officially, you can commandeer a car when necessary. I think the police owe it to you. Just try not to scratch it up. I already destroyed one, and that will come back to bite me in the ass, no matter what the story. The bottom line is always money, ya’ know.” She added with a grin.
“I bet you dress up nicely, Tory.” I offered flirtatiously, hiding my anger at the totaled car.
She smiled carefully, studying me. “As a matter of fact, I do. Why?”
Gunnar rolled his eyes. “Come on! Really, Nate?”
I ignored him. “We might have need of a stunning piece of eye-candy to accompany us to a gala tonight. You have something to wear?”
Gunnar looked unhappy, but resigned to the fact that she was now part of the group. “I don’t know if I have anything nice enough for a VIP event.” I peeled off a thick stack of hundreds from my wallet and handed them t
o her. “Get something. I don’t know if you will be going, but I would like you to be prepared just in case.” She backed away from the proffered cash with manicured hands up. “Stop. Just take it. It’s for a good cause. I’m not trying to bribe you or anything. We will need you to look convincing if you are to accompany us. We need to reek of money or they will think we don’t belong. Master Nate Temple can go anywhere,” I said mocking my own title. “But not with shabbily dressed peasants.” Gunnar grumbled at that.
She finally agreed, making sure I knew just how uncomfortable she was about it all. But I recognized the smile she was hiding. Girls loved to shop, and they loved even more to show off the results of all that hard work. We exchanged numbers so that we could get a hold of her on short notice, and then we set off. Less than one day, and the beautiful Aston Martin had been destroyed. I wanted to beat Gunnar to a pulp, but that was risky in front of all the other frightened police officers. Oh, well. Nothing to be done for it.
Maybe I would get Gunnar a Hummer next. Or a tank.
Chapter 23
G unnar dropped me off at Plato’s Cave, with me telling him I would call him when I was ready. I spotted Indie behind the counter, but no customers present. She was wiping off the counter with a focused gleam in her eyes. Spotting me, she straightened with a smile. “Evening, Cap’n.”
“Indie,” I breathed the word like a man dying of thirst. Her smile turned inappropriate, and her cheeks reddened.
“Well, you sure know how to pronounce a name. I don’t think anyone has ever said my name like that before.” She eyed me up and down, eyes tightening at the dust and debris all over my clothes. She plucked out a few pieces of glass windshield from my hair, her thumb brushing my temple in the process. “You’re a mess, Nate…” She whispered softly, her eyes concerned.
“Yeah, and I have to head back out. The company requests my presence.” I made the word company sound like a curse.
“Not like this, you can’t. Come on.” She grabbed my hand, and began weaving through the glass dividers, guiding me upstairs to my loft. One of my other employees watched us curiously. Indie noticed also. “Nate’s run into a bit of trouble. I’m going to doctor him up a bit before he leaves again. Can you watch over things for a bit, Alex?”
Alex, a blonde haired Greek med student nodded with a grin. “Doctor him up, eh? Sounds… nice. Can I watch?” His grin grew wider.
Indie glared. “Careful, Alex. Look at him, and tell me he doesn’t need it.” Alex looked me up and down for the first time.
“Shit, Cap’n. You all right? I’m the med student, maybe I should help you.”
He took a step towards us. I held up a hand, grateful for his help, but knowing that I needed to say some things to Indie that no other ears were privy to. “Thanks, Alex, but it looks worse than it is. She’ll be fine. Her doctoring probably means something more like ‘Chew Nate up and down for his poor safety choices this afternoon.’ My pride would appreciate it if no other males were present to witness my downfall. I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”
He grinned again, nodding knowingly. “Ah, in that case, good luck. She’s got a tongue like a razor. I’ll watch over the ship for you. We managed to get it all cleaned up after the break-in. Whaddya’ think?” He spread his arms at the shop proudly.
“It looks great. Thanks for taking care of everything today. And also the premiere for Gods of Chaos IV last night. I’m glad you all made it out of here before the burglars peeked their noses in.” He nodded agreement. “Good turn out?”
He laughed, shrugging. “Didn’t take much convincing, I mean, Gods of Chaos IV? Seriously? Divorces have resulted from keeping a guy away from that franchise. It was fantastic. They really upped the visuals, and-” He realized he was babbling, and stopped. “It was great. I’ll update you at the meeting next week. Go get doctored up. We can’t have our fearless leader looking like a stray now, can we?” With that he turned away.
Indie mouthed Thank you, before leading me up the stairs. I spoke my thoughts before thinking. “I don’t think you have a tongue like a razor, but I have wondered lately…” My implication was instinctual, still slightly dizzy from my new power high.
She stumbled up a step, turning a red face at me. “I’ve made my intentions clear, Nate. If we were at Chateau Falco right now, I might just have resorted to the kind of doctoring every man wants from a woman. I can be such a good nurse.”
It was my turn to stumble. She laughed lightly, her hand squeezing mine as she led me into my loft. She closed the door behind us, and began to reach for the blinds to the windows overlooking the store. Instead, I snapped a finger, and they instantly closed. She turned to me, eyes moving slowly, dreamlike. “Makes a girl wonder what else a wizard can do.”
I grinned back. “You have no idea…”
“Oh, but you are wrong. I have many ideas, just no facts. Yet…” She winked, gliding towards the bathroom in that seductive sway that only girls can do — the grace of movement that could somehow make men physically hungry. She strode into my bathroom, and I heard the water turn on. My employees had even cleaned up my loft so that it was almost unnoticeable that anyone had broken into it last night. A few minutes later, she leaned out the door, smiling. “Here, boy.” She patted her thigh as if calling a dog. I grinned, shaking my head, but complied. I did need a shower.
I entered the room, the mirror already fogged over. Candles were lit, and they filled the room with a warm glow, made more appealing by the steam from the shower. I didn’t see her because it was a big bathroom, and the change in lighting slowed me down. The door closed behind me, and I felt Indie’s fingers touch my coat. “Clothes off.” She said softly from behind me.
“Indie…” I began, feeling worse for what I needed to say next.
Her fingers touched my lips, tasting sweet like strawberries. Must be her lotion. “Trust me, Nate. You need help to get all the shards out of your hair.” Her breath was like a breeze of fresh mint, not gum or candy, but the herb. Spicy. I complied, tugging off my coat and shirt, and tossing them on the floor. She hissed when she saw the wound on my forearm from Raven’s attack. I waved off her concern with a smile.
“It’s okay. It’s already healing.” She frowned, and moved behind me. Her arms encircled my bare waist, and I immediately flinched in pain. “What’s wrong? That shy?” She asked softly, curiously fingering the leather thong with the dragon tooth.
“I think you brushed a bruise.” I said, surprised that I hadn’t noticed it earlier. She leaned to my side and inhaled sharply. I looked down to see three large black bruises around my sides where the red dragon had dangled me over the courthouse. Then I saw more from the net launcher. “It’s okay. I just didn’t notice it until now.” I mumbled.
She was breathing heavy against my back, her cheek pressed against my shoulder blades, and I realized that I was sore there too from one of the several fights I had been in. I peeled off the rest of my clothes until I was standing in only my Superman boxers. She circled me, hungrily looking me up and down. “Off,” She said, motioning at my boxers before turning away with an amused grin. She sat down on the edge of the tub, and I realized that it wasn’t a shower, but a eucalyptus-scented bubble bath that she had drawn for me.
She held out a hand, still looking away as I undressed. “I won’t peek.” She whispered. Dropping my boxers, I grasped her fingers, sensing the warmth under her skin, and just stood there for a minute. Her hand finally tugged at mine, so I obeyed, climbing into the steaming tub. I groaned. It was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold, and I had made sure to buy a tub that was big, wide, and comfortable enough to hold two… or more people. I plan ahead, folks…
Once safely settled underneath the foam, Indie turned back to me, snatching up a nearby pitcher. Her shirt stretched tight across her breasts. She leaned over me and scooped up some of the warm water, her hand dipping below the bubbles. The motion drew the shirt up a bit above the waist of her jeans, revealing a
tanned expanse of hips and flat stomach, as well as a tiny ribbon of red panties.
She raised her hand, now coated in bubbles, and began pouring it through my hair, slowly, sensually, with her lips slightly open. She lathered some tea-tree shampoo in her palms, and then stretched her fingers through my hair like a cat pawing a soft blanket. Her manicured nails gently raked my scalp, making me shiver despite the heat as she plucked out several glass shards and tossed them into a trashcan. Huh. I had never experienced anything quite like this before.
“Keep your eyes closed, Nate.” My mind went all sorts of adolescent on me, but I listened. The pitcher brushed my inner thigh, but she continued pouring the water over my head, washing out the shampoo without comment.
“Talk to me, Nate. I know you have a lot going on right now, but I’m here for you.” She tugged on my shoulder, making me open my eyes, and sit upright. She had a washcloth in one hand, and began tenderly scrubbing my back as she waited. Macho man that I am, I managed to suppress grunts of pain when her cloth brushed any bruises.
I said the first thing that came to mind. “I got a call from the company. They discovered some video surveillance from the room where… my parents were found. It’s password protected for me, so they haven’t seen it yet.”
“If it’s password protected, do you even know the password?” she asked softly, her washcloth creeping lower down my spine.
“My parents gave me a list of potential passwords that I could use — depending on the severity of the need — in the event of a problem. I’ll go through them, starting with the worst scenario first, I guess.”
She murmured to herself as she leaned closer, one hand squeezing my shoulder for support as she reached even lower, cleaning the lowest of my back, and the top of another area entirely. I almost lost it when her breasts brushed my arm. “So strong,” she whispered, massaging my shoulder unconsciously. Or consciously. Either way was fine with me. “You have scrapes on your back. Is that from this afternoon?” I shrugged.
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