Hunted (Scarlet Dawson Book 1)

by Nicola Chadwick

  He looks me up and down then heads back into the club leaving me seething outside. I head over to my car and get in. I sit musing through what had happened and realise I needed to go back in to find out about JT.

  Chapter Six

  Aylesbury was waiting for me in my office when I got back, he’s sat in my chair with his feet propped upon the desk looking mighty pleased with himself.

  “You might as well move in, every time I turn my back you appear as if by magic.” I move into the office and throw myself in the direction of the nearest sofa.

  “Now, now, Red there’s no need to take that sarcastic tone with me. I am merely here to tell you my good news.” He walks over to me and perches on the back of the sofa. “I have been asked to do some work with the Lycan’s infamous Guardians.”

  I look at him for a few moments studying his smug demeanour and then I laugh really loud. He looks at me in shock, his mouth hanging open.

  “You’re kidding me right?” He just stares at me a little more. I guess not. “Why would the most elite trackers and warriors this side of the Vale need your help? I assume it’s to hunt something. But by law of nature the Lycan’s are formidable hunters, no one can escape them.”

  Actually if they were desperate enough they could escape through the Vale and disappear. I’d been contracted a few times myself to bring some of them back. There was something about Faerie that freaked the Lycan’s out so only the desperate or stupid fled there.

  “I’ve been tasked with working with them on behalf of The Guild until they find some people they have missing. It may be that we have information they need and you know The Guild is all about interracial cooperation. But until their people are located my new priority is to aide them in whatever way I can, so if that means I can learn some new skills while I’m at it why the hell not.”

  “So does that mean no more stakeouts?” I ask rather too enthusiastically.

  “Yes it also means that I will be working with the most feared Lycan of all...The Beast Master.”

  “Feared usually means not a good idea, stupid.” I stand up and walk over to my computer firing it up ready to do a scan for JT.

  “Do you have any idea what sort of prestige I will get as a Hunter who has worked with the Lycan’s? I could make Lieutenant.”

  I tap the keyboard and set my search running. “Does that mean you’ll finally be out of my hair?”

  “Doubtful, it means I’ll be around to pester you some more.”

  I groan.

  Even though a part of me still hated him for his part in making me feel even less wanted when I was a kid, I had to admit we worked well together and a part of me still loved him. He’d become that brother that I hated but tolerated because he was mine.

  The screen displayed the results for my search and it meant going through the phone book for every person with names that started with a ‘J’ and ‘T’. I really needed to go back to the club, but I really didn’t want to go alone. I look up at Aylesbury as he arranges himself on the corner of my desk and smile.

  “I don’t like the look of that smile Red.”

  “How would you like to accompany me to the Pit for a little look around?” The look on his face was priceless.

  “No way are you going there I’ve told you it’s dangerous.” I carry on smiling at him until he states. “You’ve already been haven’t you? You cause trouble for yourself.” Exasperated he stands up and starts pacing. “ Let me tell you this again nice and slow, you can’t go there again, you could die or worse be mistaken for a hooker and ... Hell I am not even going into what else could happen to you there. Worst of all though would be that it was recently bought out by the Lycan’s and poking our nose into their business is not a good idea.”

  “Look I went because I needed information from one of the fighter’s, now I need to find out about a guy that frequents that place quite lot, he left with the girl I’m looking for and he is literally my only clue, not only that but the name I have for him is JT. Two stupid initials and I can safely tell you that there are eight hundred and twenty three males under forty years of age in and around the city with those initials.” I said glancing at the figures from my search.

  “Fine, I’ll come with you but any hint of trouble and we are out of there.”

  I smile. “I knew you’d help.”

  “It’ll be open for few more hours yet so grab your things.” He gets up and heads to the door.

  “You mean like now, now?” I ask hoping the answer was going to be no.

  He raises his eyebrow. “Why what did you do?”

  As we walk out to his car I tell him about the encounter I had just had.

  “Trouble with a capital T, that situation could have gone completely different then where would you be?”

  “Oh quit your whining and drive, otherwise my muscles might start to protest having been cramped into this contraption far too many times this week.”

  He laughs but manages to get us back there in half the time it took me in my run down car.

  He parks the car but grabs my hand as I start to get out. “You need to leave your sword here and pull your skirt up a little to show some more leg.”

  I stare open mouthed at him. When I recovered I said. “You’re kidding me right?” He just frowns at me but says nothing. I’ll take that as a no then. “You actually want me to go in there unarmed and flashing more skin than I am already? Are you insane?”

  “Were going in the front entrance and if you want to look the part you can’t be armed the men in there will pick up on the fact that you’re not who you say you are and then where will you be, outside refused entrance with no information.”

  Hell, I hated it when he was right. I adjusted my skirt so that it literally hung just below my ass, pulled my top over to cover it and reluctantly left my sword under the car seat.

  Aylesbury gives me a look. “What?” I demand straightening myself as we walk towards the entrance.

  He pulls me to his side and hangs his arm around my shoulders. “I’m beginning to regret making you shorten your skirt, I have the sudden urge to drive you back home and leave you there. It’s like sending my sister out to whore.”

  “You don’t have a sister.” I state. He just shakes his head and walks straight to the head of the queue.

  “Why are you jumping the queue?” I ask in a whisper.

  “Just let me do all the talking.”

  There where two bouncers on the door, real big fellows and really mean looking. The one on the left had a pinched face and a small pointed nose, reminding me of a massive rodent. Aylesbury steers me right up to them, mummers of discontent where silenced by one look from Rat Face.

  The bouncer to the right never moves, Rat Face was the one who steps up to us and looking me up and down declares to Aylesbury. “You’ll have to go to the back of the queue Mate unless you’re on the Guest List?”

  I assume Aylesbury was about to reply when a shout come from just inside the door. “Let them through.”

  I barley even hide my surprise as we walk through the door.

  “How did you do that?” I whisper. He tightens his grip on my shoulder so I take that as a sign I wasn’t getting an answer and to shut up.

  The guy that walks over was well built and of Asian descent with short dark hair and really nice brown eyes. “Hey man what are you doing here? If you have some info for us we can go to our rooms backstage.” He says shaking Aylesbury hand.

  “I’m here on a totally unrelated case but you might be able to help, can we go somewhere a little bit less crowded?”

  The man gestures towards the door behind the ticket office and I once again find myself in the same corridors as before. As we walk through the corridors we are passed by women in uniforms carrying metal drinks trays. I look in open doorways and see men sat around with women on their knees and other men that could be fighters in various stretches and practicing stances.

  The guy opens a door for us and we walk through. The roo
m has a few small sofas and a table with chairs pushed up against a wall. Other than a kettle and coffee mugs this room was a lot more basic than Montego’s room. He indicates the sofas and we sit.

  “What can I help you with and who’s the lovely lady?” He asks leaning against the table.

  “Scarlett, Dante. Dante, Scarlet.” I reach out and shake his hand. “Actually this is Scarlett’s case. So I’ll let her explain.”

  “I’m looking for a young man named J T, he apparently hangs around here when he can and he was the last person to see a young girl I’m searching for. All I know is his name and that he comes here, no more than that.” I should have really grilled Montego and his henchman for more information but I just wanted to get out of there.

  “Sorry Sweetie, I don’t recognise the name, I can ask a few of the others but you might just be better off in the crowd keeping an ear out.” He looks at me a little intensely and then says to Aylesbury. “Is she yours?”

  “No, but we’ll pretend she is while I’m here.”

  “Hang on a minute, why the hell do I have to be someone’s property just to be here?” I fume at them both getting up.

  Dante pushes away from the table and chairs and strategically places himself in-between me and the door. “Most of the men that come here are used to women that do what they are told, most of them won’t take no for an answer but also the most dangerous of them are ruthless and would kill you sooner than look at you. There is a reason why some of the weaker races made it illegal under their laws to come here. Clearly as a Human you should not even entertain the idea of being here, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to you under our roof.”

  “Is that a threat?” From what I was witness to earlier the men that frequented here were archaic which was why I needed Aylesbury with me for back up.

  “Nope, just a warning. Like I said if you don’t adhere to the rules and something happens the management would literally kill me, so it’s in my best interest to make sure you behave, comprende?”

  “So you’re saying you’d be in trouble if I got killed by not following the rules but yet men are allowed to bring whores here and treat women like their own personal slaves and the management does nothing? The logic there is flawed.”

  Aylesbury chooses that moment to join the conversation. “I think you’ll find Scarlett that The Pit is a new acquisition for the owner and even though he is currently trying to change things here it’s a good idea to keep to the previous rules so there aren’t any upsets to deal with.”

  “Fine!” I huff out. “How come you know so much about this place and the owner anyway?”

  He exchanges looks with Dante who nods back then says to me. “The Pack now owns The Pit, and part of what they are doing here could have something to do with why their men are missing. A lot of the city’s big wigs and criminals mix here and a lot of them fund the fighting. Dante here is a Guardian one of the men I’m partnered with whilst helping them on their case. He’s also here to keep an eye on any criminal activities that may go down. ”

  “Okay now all the secret hush hush stuff is out of the way can we just get to looking around while I play the meek slave girl?” I said.

  Aylesbury again puts his arm around me and we head back to the main area, I could hear Dante chuckling as we left.

  When we reach the main area, the noise bubbles around us and I strain to hear most of the conversations. Aylesbury leads us into a bar area and as the door shuts the noise becomes a little more subdued.

  Women are fawning over their partners or shrinking into the background like good little slave girls and the men were huddled deep in conversation, drinking dark brown liquid from small crystal glasses. No one looked up as we entered and found a seat in the middle of the crowd.

  A waiter came over to take a drinks order from Aylesbury as he pulled me to sit down on his knee. He wraps his arms around me and pretending to nuzzle my neck he whispers. “See the girls over at the bar, they are the waitresses, if anyone’s going to have heard of this JT they will.”

  I pull my head away from his and sweep my hair over my other shoulder and lean back in to reply. “I can hardly approach these women when I’m meant to be playing the good little slave girl. So I’m going to the bathroom to powder my nose, wait for me to leave and then see if you can’t find something out from the men in here.”

  I get up and do my best impression of sashaying as I walk over to the bathroom door. When I reach the door I turn and blow a kiss at Aylesbury over my shoulder.

  There where a few women smoking and chatting as they reapplied makeup to their already overly made up face’s, so I walk up to the mirror in the middle of them and lean against the counter.

  The woman closest to me is sat on the counter cigarette in hand, her dark roots betraying her hair colour as much as her craggy face betrayed her age. Despite this she was still a good looking woman. She turns to me and speaks. “Hun you don’t look like you belong here, you a cop?”

  I grin at her. “No need to worry ladies I’m a private investigator, I’m looking for a young girl that was last seen with a guy called JT, only problem is my trail ends here. I was hoping one of you ladies might know something, there’s a little cash in it for the right info.”

  A couple of the women turn and walk out straight away, not wanting to either get into trouble with me or with their bosses for saying something they shouldn’t. The blonde remained her expression the same as when I entered.

  “They’ll not risk their positions with their bosses where as I don’t care. I want the Lycan’s to change this place just like they said they would, I’ve lost too many girls to those aggressive thugs out there.”

  “That kid you’re looking for he’s well on his way to being one of those idiots, he dates my girl’s, strings them along, offers them the world and then drops them. They feel so sorry for themselves after that they can barley work and he just goes on to the next. If he has anything to do with your missing girl, you have your work cut out for you. She’ll be so enamoured by him you’ll never be able to drag her away.” She takes a long hard drag on her cigarette.

  “I don’t suppose you could point him out to me? Only I don’t know what he looks like.” I ask hoping she’d give me more.

  “Oh Hun, he ain’t here tonight he’s got himself one of those bands they play over at The Opal, it’s about a block away from here. They have a poster of the band up on the wall their called The Saviour, lame ass name for a band if you ask me. Anyway he’s the only member of the band with blonde hair you can’t miss him.”

  The Opal was the same hell hole we’d been staking out. I reach into my bra and pull out the small wad of notes I had stashed there. “Here thanks for the info. You’ve been a real big help to me.”

  She arches her brow at me and looks me in the eye; she never reaches for the money. “Sorry Hun all I ask is that when you see that jack ass you kick him square in his balls and tell him that Nola says hi.” She smiles and takes another drag on her cigarette.

  “Look if you ever need any help look me up I’m in the directory, my name’s Scarlet Dawson.” With that I turn and walk straight out of the bathroom and straight into the Hulk from earlier.

  He grabs my arm and drags me into a nearby corridor. He shakes me slightly and says. “I thought I made it clear to you earlier, you should not be in here without protection.” He practically growls the words at me. What was his problem?

  I try to grab my arm back but his grip hardens further. “Why does it matter to you if I am here unprotected, hmm?” I demand. “Sorry to disappoint you but I need to get back to my protection before he comes in here and kicks your ass. Although I think I proved earlier I can look after myself.”

  I manage to grab my arm back and start to walk off as I hear him mutter. “If I catch you here again stupid girl, I’ll kill you myself.”

  I pull my shoulders straight and walk off with as much confidence as I can muster. Aylesbury was just where I left him reclining in his sea
t, although there were now a few men gathered at his table. I glance over my shoulder and thankfully the Hulk was nowhere to be seen.

  I walk straight up to Aylesbury and bend at the waist. “Sweet pea I think it’s time you took me back to your house so we can celebrate your win tonight.”

  Hell, I was really winging it but it was definitely time to get out of here. Aylesbury grabs my hand, excuses himself from the men at his table and we both head back to his car together.

  As soon as we were in the car Aylesbury asks. “So?”

  “The guy I’m looking for is a bit of a ladies man and plays with a band at The Opal the same joy filled dive we were staking two nights ago.”

  “Hmm, seems to be the place to be at the moment.”

  “So let’s go and be there again shall we.” I say with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.

  We head away from the industrial district and find ourselves outside the crappy looking building again. It was just a big box dumped in the middle of the street, it was grey with a red neon sign that was no longer working, stuck to its low roof.

  The bouncers let us through although they don’t look pleased about it, I’m guessing two nights on the go was bad for business but what could they do.

  I walk straight over to the side of the bar and the poster hanging from the notice board. The Saviour’s were shirtless and looking every bit the seedy band that played in a bar like this. Like Nola said you could pick JT out as the only blonde member of the band, he was lean and wore tight fitting trousers, he has hair that brushes the top of his ears in some floppy retro style.

  Aylesbury is talking to the bar tender, I’m sure his name is something like Manuel, I had never really spoke to him before, I usually spent as little time as possible here on my previous visits. I head over to them.

  “Miguel here tells me the band is on for their second set in around five minutes, he says as long as we don’t arrest anyone he’ll get us his finest booth ready and then show us backstage for the finish.”

  “In that case I’ll have a lemon and lime while we wait.” I may not drink it but hey he was being cooperative so I’d give him my custom.