Dreams in the Dark (Destroyers Book 2)

by A. R. Case

  I shook my head. “Me rubbing off on you isn’t a good thing, you know that?”

  He laughed harder. “Tell me when I’m not drunk.”

  Vega was going to kill me. “Your woman is going to be pissed at me, you know that?” I think my comment was lost on him. He swayed in place and his good eye was glassy. “You eat anything on the plane?”

  It took him a half minute to focus on me. “Eat, yeah. Maybe some of those damn peanuts or some shit.”

  “I know a good Mexican place.”

  Later, a slightly more sober TomTom dealt with his woman, and I got ready to deal with mine.

  Edie was waiting on information about the meeting I’d lined up. Between setting up Vega, getting Edie’s show buyer on the hook, and dealing with the chapter here, I’d forgotten why I’d really left.

  But, staring at her number, knowing I what I’d done, I didn’t know how I’d talk to her.

  It had been a week.

  Before, I talked with her every morning, every evening, and in the middle of the night. It didn’t matter what we said, just that time stood still, and I was in that place with her. Even with the trouble, the space that was her and I was untouched.

  Now I was scared.

  There wasn’t enough courage or stupidity in me to say “fuck it” and just dial the phone. Normally, I’d take the leap. Life is pretty simple when nothing matters. It was a good five minutes of soul searching before I finally walked out into the heat of the veranda, and sat my ass down in the cooler end. I stared at the xeriscape. Being around all those spiky things helped. It reminded me of the armor she designed.

  “Hey Edie.”

  “Indy! I was wondering when you’d call. Fin said you’d checked in with Walt.”

  “Oh? Yeah, called him from New Mexico. Middle of alien country. Did you know they’ve got a UFO shaped McDonalds there?”

  “Really? You didn’t eat there did you?” She sounded disgusted. It was cute.

  “No, stopped at a little restaurant near Carrizozo, green chili. Rough roads. Don’t know if the side trip was worth it. Didn’t see any aliens. I don’t think they like me much.”

  “I told you, dark fae and aliens don’t exist on the same plane.” I took her word for it, but that didn’t stop me from being curious.

  “You’re right, as usual. How’s the designs coming along?”

  Her tone turned smug. “All done. You’re going to like Pink.”

  I smiled. She was one step from naming this design. That was a damn fine thing. The great designs got names. All of her work was great, but a few got names. She’d name them, then parade a prototype around the house.

  “Really now?” My mind got imagining Edie in Pink. “You got any pink lipstick?”

  “Are you imagining me in pink?”

  “Busted.”

  Her laugh was a cool breeze. I settled into my seat and let her lead me around. Time stood still again, and I could breathe.

  She asked me how I was liking the belt. “Haven’t taken it off, well, except when I’ve got to take a shit or something.” That got a laugh, and I asked about a few folks back home, catching up. She meandered through stories like canoe on a lazy river, with as much pleasure in the listening.

  She shifted back into business mode. “Have you set up a meeting with that investor you mentioned?”

  “Yeaup. How does two weeks sound? Think you can be ready by then to fly out?”

  “I’m ready now, I think.”

  “You’ll do great. He loves the work that I’ve shown him, he’ll be blown away by whatever you’ve done with Pink.”

  “I’ll snap some pictures, and send them to you. And…”

  I let her collect what she was thinking, but she let the silence spread. “And what, baby?”

  “I lost my train of thought. I miss you.”

  Shit. “I miss the fuck out of you, too.”

  “Such poetic language.”

  This woman, could break my heart, and make me laugh. I was rethinking why I even offered to leave.

  “Oh, question, did you get gas at Morgantown?”

  I tried to picture the receipts I’d sorted the first night here. “The tank was half empty. It got topped off there, yes.” For some reason, I was having a hard time lying.

  “Oh good. Then it was you.”

  “Was me?”

  “Yes. Some police showed up early this week, asking questions to everyone here. They had a picture of you at the gas station. I couldn’t say for sure it was you, because of that silly mask. I’m glad you don’t wear it when you’re with me.”

  “When I’m with you, the cops ain’t looking at me, they’re looking at you.”

  “You’re silly.”

  “It’s the truth. You on the back of my bike is the prettiest thing in the world.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Now don’t be filling my mouth with that bullshit.” I laughed.

  Her tone got real soft and sweet. “I can’t wait to see you again.”

  “You need your head examined.”

  “Indy.” She warned.

  “You know what I mean.”

  My tone was soft too. But inside something got unmoored. If she truly knew what I meant, that was a mean trick. Because my head and my heart were not agreeing with each other. That hadn’t happened in a long time.

  After the call worked its way to an end, I worked hard to stuff all that crap back into place to get my head squared away.

  Edie

  We were celebrating as one only could in Las Vegas. The investor loved my shoes. He requested twelve designs, and some of the costume sketches for the photo shoot he planned. The figure was more than I’d made in the last four years, combined. That was for only three months of work. TomTom and Vega joined us, celebrating a bit of her success as well. The drinks were flowing. VIP ropes were lifted, and the setting was extravagant. Since we had a driver for the night, no one was holding back.

  I discovered two things. One, Indy doesn’t get drunk. Seriously. I counted at least five or more drinks, yet no slurring. He could carry on two conversations at once. One with TomTom, and another that bounced between Vega and I. The booth we had was in the visible part of a VIP section, just off the dance floor of a rooftop club. Vega and TomTom danced together. Indy danced with me. Which led to a second discovery. With the right partner, just about anyone can dance well, even a mudhen.

  Indy was a great lead. I didn’t have to worry about where I was stepping, or how to move. All I had to do was follow. It was amazing. Back in high school, I’d enjoyed dancing with my friends. This brought back just a little piece of me I’d forgotten.

  Everything was perfect.

  There must be a perverse goddess in the universe. Her sole job is to stomp on Eileen Darina Krupps. I never knew this goddess before my name change. After it, things weren’t great. She made her presence known in little ways. It was about five years until I knew just how much of a bitch she really was. I thought losing my own flesh and blood, and my flesh and blood would be enough to sate her for a lifetime. But apparently, with her, and her vendetta against me, she wasn’t done.

  Of all the places we could celebrate in Vegas, and of all the nights, we managed the one that coincided with a builder expo downstairs. I’d just sat down at our VIP table to take a break from dancing, and Eddie spotted us.

  Eddie. In Vegas.

  That wasn’t all that unusual. He disappeared to conventions all the time. It was so cliché while we were married. Tinny was the only reason I didn’t leave after I found out he’d cheated on me during one. Well, that, and his parents talking me into staying.

  Old wounds never quite heal right. I went from drunk and happy, to angry in the time it took for Eddie to come to a stop in front of our table.

  “Edie? That you?”

  It occurred to me that I could pretend not to know him. Fake an accent or something. Maybe European like my new investor. How did that sound?

  I was still figur
ing it out when Indy intercepted Eddie. “Scram asshole. My girl.”

  “Fuck you, biker trash. She’s my wife.”

  “Ex. Wife.” My teeth couldn’t open, but I still managed to hiss the words over the din.

  “You heard her, fucktard. Ex. Get gone.” Indy stepped between us, breaking Eddie’s stare. He had been staring. Like a man with an obsession. He never even glanced at me when we were out years ago. Now he acted like I was water in the desert.

  “Big man, starting shit here? They’ll throw you out before they throw me out.” Eddie bragged. All the while he stared up and down at Indy’s leather vest and tattoos. As a counter to that, Eddie was in the ubiquitous polo shirt and dress khakis you see on almost every convention tourist. Comfortable business attire, the Sackville-Baggins of clothing.

  “Won’t need to throw me out.” Indy fired back. “You’re the one that’s not welcome here.”

  The light glinted off the rings on his right hand as he clenched it and opened it again.

  TomTom tapped Eddie on the shoulder. “Problem?” His bruises were starting to fade into his tanned skin, but he still had a cut over one eye that hadn’t healed.

  Eddie turned to glance at him. “Fuck off, Spic.”

  TomTom grabbed him by the shirt, and lifted him off the ground. A feat, if you ask me, Eddie wasn’t a small man. “Ain’t nothing wrong with Hispanic. But FYI, you need glasses. I’m Delaware and Polish, asshole.”

  Indy maneuvered around to get in his face. “In case you’re looking for your friends, they’re over by the bar, cowering.” He pointed toward the main bar. A bouncer joined us. This guy dwarfed everyone, even Indy on height and Eddie on weight.

  “Need a hand, Mr. Jones?”

  Vega slipped in beside me and started humming “Me and Mrs. Jones.” It made me laugh.

  It made TomTom laugh, too, as he set Eddie down and straightened his shirt.

  Indy pointed down. “See this step?” The step I’d almost tripped over coming up from the dance floor. “It’s VIP. ‘You VIP?”

  The bouncer echoed. “You VIP?”

  Eddie twisted the truth, not a new thing. “I’m friends with this woman.” He pointed at me. Then got distracted by Vega. “Hello.”

  Vega is gorgeous. Her normally bright-red hair was now cut super short to fit under the wigs she wore in the review. It was a sedate dark brown, which matched her Latina skin, and made her whiskey-brown Scot eyes stand out. She wore anything well, even almost bald. And, she was one of my best customers. Even more, she was what I considered to be a best friend. I didn’t have many of those.

  Seeing Eddie fix on Vega made my protective instincts surface. Directing my voice to the bouncer, I said, “I’m not friends with my ex-husband, sir. He’s harassing us.” I stared Eddie down until he had to break eye contact because the bouncer was escorting him away. I kept glaring at him as he disappeared in the crowd.

  TomTom blew a whistle. “Damn, Indy. I thought Vega was the one with the temper. Your woman has ice in her veins. Maybe even give Killer a run for her money.”

  A nervous laugh bubbled up. I wasn’t certain if I’d crossed some sort of line with these two. I mean, there were Neanderthal types who never wanted the little lady standing up for themselves. Eddie was that way. Worse, he’d deliberately wielded sharp words to make me feel that way. Up until the accident, I’d been reduced to one good thing in my life.

  I rubbed the scars on my arm. One good thing became nothing because of that man. It wasn’t ice in my veins. No, it was murder. If I knew I could get away with killing Eddie, I probably would set it in motion. Remembering where and when I was, I glanced at Indy. Now I had something good. He wasn’t a good man, I’d figured out he hadn’t really answered me directly about the gas station. Nor did it explain why he’d changed his belt that day, then told me he never took it off.

  He was not a good man. But he was a good man for my life. I smiled at him, determined to enjoy this. Then I smiled at both Vega and TomTom. No one at this table was an angel. I began to feel a bit more comfortable in my skin, scars and all. I reached a hand out to pull Indy down next to me.

  Indy leaned in very close. His breath was heavy and hot on my skin. I felt exposed. His scent hit me. I crossed my legs to stop the needy ache between them.

  “It would cost you nothing for me to kill him.” He whispered.

  “If you got caught, I wouldn’t visit you in jail.”

  He laughed. “Smart woman. I’d visit you.” Then he kissed me.

  Lucky for him, I didn’t intend on going to jail.

  Indy

  Edward Morrice Krupps was a dick. I’d seen a few like him. My mom’s second husband was like him. Shit-ass full of himself and squeaky enough that cops always seemed to look the other way. My fourteen-year-old self knew better, and now my fifty-year-old self knew damn better. But I’d be more of a liar than I am, if I said that shit didn’t bother me. We’d stood our ground long enough to get Eddie good and pissed, but not long enough to have a scene start. It felt like retreating. That was what my gut was saying. My head knew well enough that it wasn’t.

  See, there’s one way to deal with people like Eddie, you needed to ignore them. It grated like hell. If I knew it would help, I’d grind him under my boot. But that just makes assholes like him get interested in you. Trust me, you don’t want someone who inflates themselves inside their head interested in you. They will make you miserable.

  Which is what Edie was right now.

  For that, there was only one remedy, make her damn happy.

  TomTom and Vega were downstairs in their little bedroom off the kitchen. Edie and I were upstairs.

  She was on the bed where she’d sat, then fell to her back. Her feet were hanging off, one shoe still on, the other dropped to the floor. I smiled, remembering her cozy bedroom in the cabin. Always a shoe ready to trip you.

  I nudged the one on the floor out of my way, then carefully picked up her leg. The shoe slipped off easily. I rubbed her calf first, then the arch.

  “Oh God, Indy, that feels amazing.”

  Her voice was damn sexy. I dug in near the center of the ball of her foot.

  That got a moan. “Nothing too good for my lady.”

  She peeked at me, half lifting her head. “Your lady?”

  “Mine.” I wanted to add, “Always and forever,” but the words would not come. They never did.

  She smiled anyways. This woman was too good for me. I moved to the heel, using a bit more pressure and then shifted attention near the large tendon there.

  “My sweet man.”

  “Take that back.” I joked.

  She lifted her head back up, tucking her elbows under her so she could stay up. “Never.”

  I tickled her foot in retaliation.

  Of course, she twitched. In the tussle, I snagged the other foot, tickled it some, until she almost got it free, then rubbed that one with the same care as the other. Her body melted back down.

  I worked my way up her legs until I had to crawl onto the bed. Once there, she helped me take off the plain leather vest and shirt I wore. Edie got a little wild on my skin for a bit, but I made her melt again, rubbing out the aches and the tension. Her hands paused on my belt.

  “You weren’t wearing this.”

  Between kisses, I made a sound of question.

  “Your belt. On the trip.”

  Shit. What the hell? How would she know that? “Long trips are a bitch. Sometimes it’s good to be comfortable.” The half lie sat like lead in my stomach.

  “Oh. Do you need it fixed? The girls’ shoes sometimes rub, I could work the leather so it loosens up a bit.”

  “Babe, it’s perfect.” I couldn’t look at her. My kisses turned into tiny nibbles on her now bare shoulder. “Like this skin.”

  She wouldn’t let it rest. “Are you sure? Because it really isn’t a problem …”

  I stopped and looked her in the eye. “Nothing, dead fucking nothing you ever give me is a problem, b
aby. I am the god-damned luckiest man on the planet because I got you giving me shit. I don’t need it, and I certainly don’t deserve it.”

  That was the God-honest truth. I didn’t deserve what she gave.

  For fuck’s sake, I was a lying murderer. Edie deserved a whole lot better.

  “I love you.”

  She was killing me.

  “I don’t deserve that.”

  “Why?”

  She was sobering up and we were doing this.

  Fuck.

  “If I could, I’d be that fantasy you’ve made up in your head. But you know damn well, I’m not that guy.”

  “You …”

  “Edie. I’m a murderer.”

  She waved her hand, dismissing it. “I know that, but you served your time for that.”

  I caught her hand. “What if I told you that wasn’t the only man I’d killed, what then?”

  Her eyes got big. Thought so.

  “Are we talking hypothetical now?”

  “No.”

  “Oh.”

  Yeah, oh.

  “Honest truth.” For some really fucked up reason, I needed her to know this.

  Hell, there was a part of me that really wanted her to love me despite who I was. The smart part of me knew that was impossible.

  “Indy, I don’t …”

  The phone rang. Her phone. It was the silly ringtone she’d picked for her mother.

  “That’s your mom.”

  “What time is it?”

  Three a.m. Vegas, so about six in the morning, Pennsylvania time. “Butt crack of dawn there.”

  “Indy.”

  She never corrected my swearing until her mother was in the vicinity, or phone vicinity.

  “Mom? Is everything okay?”

  Chapter 9: Heartburn

  Edie

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  “In Las Vegas.”

  Silence on the other end.

  “It’s after three a.m. here, Mom. What time is there, six?”

  “Were you out with a group of bikers?” She half whispered that.

  “Let me guess, Eddie called you and woke you up.”

  Indy rolled his eyes, and moved off me and into the bathroom. We weren’t done talking, but he’d gotten a reprieve.