Mating Inferno

by Lynn Hagen

  Renny could argue the point that he and Roberto had been starving when they’d shown up at the station. A full stomach wasn’t a requirement to track Roberto down. But Sal was right. Even though Renny had eaten last night, his stomach was growling as they entered to the smell of waffles and bacon.

  “But what if Molimo finds Roberto before we do?” Renny looked around at the small interior. It was more narrow than wide, but it was also packed. He didn’t see anywhere they could sit.

  Not that he wanted to. The problem was Renny had no idea where to look for his brother. He doubted Roberto would go back to Falls Bend. Then again, when Roberto had thought Renny was still passed out, he’d talked about leading Molimo away.

  Renny was still pissed at Roberto, but he was worried, too. He knew why Roberto had cheated that demon. Desperation. Renny had felt the same way, but god…

  “Here we go.” Sal nodded toward a booth near the middle. An elderly couple had gotten up and left. The table hadn’t been cleaned yet, but from the way people kept coming in, Renny knew they had to take the booth quickly.

  He stacked the dirty dishes at the end of the table and used an unused napkin to wipe up the crumbs. He’d always been like that. Every time he’d gone out to eat with his family, they all cleaned up their messes and stacked their dishes.

  It was just good manners.

  The busboy came by and cleared everything away. He even wiped the table down while talking about what a lovely day it was. The guy had to be an optimist because it was overcast, cold, and when Renny had checked the weather on his phone that morning, the forecast called for freezing rain.

  “I was glad to clear your table for you.” He gave them a huge smile before he wandered off.

  “He was…nice.” Renny watched the busboy hurry through the kitchen door.

  “Steven’s a special kind of guy,” Sal said. “A better friend you couldn’t ask for.”

  Renny had been to Maple Grove a time or two. It was the next town over from where he lived. But he’d never gotten to know the residents. He’d just come occasionally over the summers for their famous ice cream.

  He looked back at Sal, and for unknown reasons, Renny’s worries seemed to lessen, as though he knew Sal would be able to help him. “I have to find Roberto. If I know my brother, and I do, he’ll make himself seen so Molimo can find him.”

  “I’m sure Roberto won’t do anything irrational,” Sal said.

  “No, you don’t understand,” Renny argued. “We’re talking about a guy who will do anything to keep his family safe. There was this one time back in middle school when a bully had set his sights on me. Roberto risked expulsion to teach the boy a lesson. When we were older, he broke my ex-boyfriend’s arm for grabbing me and throwing me up against a wall. Roberto has always been my hero, but I can’t let him stand up to this demon.”

  Renny felt near tears. Some might say that Roberto was a little too protective of him, and they would be right. But Renny’s brother was just wired that way. Their dad had taught Roberto at a young age that he was Renny’s defender, and Roberto had taken that job seriously.

  If anything happened to Roberto, Renny would be lost. He turned his head and wiped at his eyes, pretending he had something in them.

  Sal reached across the table and took Renny’s hand in his. “Hey, we’ll find him. But until then, breakfast.”

  Renny nodded, thankful he had someone in his corner, though he still had no idea what a mate was, and didn’t ask. He already had too much on his plate, and from the conversation he’d overheard, he wasn’t sure he was ready to find out. But he couldn’t deny the fierce attraction he felt toward Sal, even if he couldn’t explain why he was so into someone he’d just met last night.

  Chapter Three

  “I think we might have a problem.” Sheriff Grayson Copache closed his office door when the last of his deputies entered. He looked over his men and couldn’t be prouder of them, even Deputy Joshua Hayley who had become very reserved for the past year.

  Joshua had been a thorn in Grayson’s side when Grayson had first taken the sheriff’s position. Joshua had wanted the job. The guy had been a pain in the ass, surly, and held no love for the gay community that was flourishing in Maple Grove. But for the past twelve months, Joshua had become quiet and observed more than he spoke.

  Just last week he’d helped out a few gay teens who had been bullied and one even injured. Joshua had hunted down the one who’d assaulted them and locked him up. Grayson wasn’t sure what was going on with Deputy Hayley, but at least the guy was now on the right track.

  “Are you talking about the arsonist that got away?” Deputy Malik Burrows asked while tucking his thumbs into his utility belt. “Or the fact that Roy got shot?” He said the last part with a deep snarl.

  Grayson held up his hand. “That pisses me off, as well, but Dr. Bjord assured me that Roy will make a full recovery.”

  The men grumbled their relief.

  “I talked to a buddy of mine who works law enforcement in Temptation County, which is about fifty miles south of here. He says he had an arson problem six months ago, and then the fires suddenly stopped. We’re thinking it’s the same guy. Our suspect targets abandoned homes and uses gasoline as an accelerant. I know that’s a flimsy list to go by, but if we can catch him, not only can we charge him with the crimes he’s committed here but another jurisdiction as well. He’ll be doing time if we can grab him.”

  “We almost had him this morning,” Malik said. “I’m not sure how he got away, but we lost his trail after ten minutes of tracking him.”

  Grayson knew that was an anomaly since two of his men that were after the guy were shifters. They shouldn’t have lost his scent trail, but he couldn’t question them while Deputy Mills and Deputy Hayley were in the room.

  “I want you guys to beef up your patrols around the abandoned homes in town.”

  “Do you know how many homes there are?” Deputy Mills asked. “There’s got to be a good twenty of them. How can we keep an eye on that many?”

  Grayson hoped those abandoned properties would be a thing of the past. A lot of them were being renovated and sold to people looking to make Maple Grove their home.

  “There’s more.” Grayson sighed. “Before he fled Temptation, he escalated to setting fires to occupied homes. He’s killed two people so far. If this is the same guy, he’ll follow the same pattern.”

  “Or worse,” Malik said. “We have a women’s shelter, a gay pride rec center that just opened, and a homeless shelter off of Canton Road. Those places are tempting if this guy wants body counts.”

  There had been a few outspoken residents who’d objected to the gay rec center. Some folks were slow to change while others didn’t want to change at all. Gentrification was never easy. Not when it was sprung on a town this small and with most residents being elderly and set in their ways. But more and more young couples were moving to Maple Grove, and already Grayson saw the change happening all around him.

  He’d even heard talk of a gay bar in the works. He welcomed the young blood. It brought more money to the town and made it a place families wanted to raise their children.

  “I contacted a friend of mine,” Grayson said. “Gregg Richter runs a protection agency and only hires ex-military. He’s willing to cut us a break on the fees since we go way back and I saved his life. He’ll be sending four men to help with this problem and protect our soft targets.”

  “Soft targets?” Deputy Mills asked.

  “People who can’t protect themselves,” Deputy Darren Christopher said. “Vulnerable people.”

  “Oh.” Deputy Mills nodded.

  “Like the places I just mentioned,” Malik added.

  “Once the men are here, I’ll introduce you so there won’t be any mistakes,” Grayson said. “Until then, keep your eyes and ears open.”

  The men filed out, and Grayson took a deep drink of his coffee. It was days like this he wished he smoked. He could use the tension reliever, bu
t he liked his lungs pink, not charcoal black. He was additionally stressed because he knew his mate, Moose, would also want in on the action.

  That was going to be one hell of a battle to turn Moose down, but Grayson would make sure that his mate stayed out of this. Grayson had enough to worry about.

  * * * *

  Renny waited until Sal went to the men’s room before he slipped out of the diner. He couldn’t count on anyone other than himself to find Roberto. Sal wasn’t moving fast enough for him. Roberto could be in Molimo’s clutches already.

  When he was a block away, Renny pulled his phone out and dialed Roberto’s cell. As he listened to it ring, he looked around at the shops. Most were decorated for Christmas, making Renny’s heart hurt that he couldn’t be with his parents. This was his favorite time of the year. Right now he should be out shopping instead of on the run.

  Worse, for the first time in his life, he held some resentment toward his brother. Roberto had never done anything this low. Ever.

  Hadn’t his brother said he’d dated a vampire before, that he’d been around the block, and that the card game hadn’t been his first? Renny felt like he didn’t even know Roberto anymore. His brother had led a secret life Renny knew nothing about.

  And damn it, now he felt guilty for his resentment. Even if Roberto had a hidden life, he was still family, and Renny wasn’t gonna turn his back on his brother. Not when Roberto needed him.

  “I’m here,” Roberto said when he answered. “Don’t try and follow me, Renny. I’m cleaning up the mess I created.”

  “You don’t have to do this alone.” Renny looked both ways before he crossed the street. “You didn’t have to ditch me with a guy I don’t even know.”

  “He’s your mate,” Roberto said. “That means fate handpicked you for him. Sal isn’t going to do anything to hurt you. In fact, he’ll protect you with his life. That’s why I left you with him.”

  Renny walked past the coffee shop, dying to go in and get himself something warm to drink. But he was broke and doubted the barista would give him a free cup.

  “How do you know all that?” he asked as a car drove past him, splashing slush onto the sidewalk. Renny jumped out of the way, thankful none of it got on him.

  “You heard me when I said I used to date a vampire,” Roberto replied. “His name was Falkner and the love of my damn life. But he sat me down one night and explained what a mate was and how he’d found his.”

  Renny hadn’t known Roberto had fallen in love. He couldn’t imagine loving someone like that and then getting dumped. If Roberto had been there right now, Renny would hug him. “Sorry to hear that.”

  He wasn’t even gonna think about the whole vampire thing. Renny would examine that fact later. Right now Roberto needed him.

  “Thanks,” Roberto said. “It was a few years ago, anyway. No big deal.”

  His brother was such a liar. Renny heard the unshed tears in his voice. “We need to stick together. You going off by yourself is gonna get you killed, and how am I gonna explain that to Mom and Dad? How am I going to live without you? You’ve been my hero my entire life, Roberto. Don’t do this to me.”

  Renny leaned against the coffee shop wall and shoved his hand into his pocket as he stared down at his feet. His sneakers were covered in snow, and his toes were starting to get cold, but he held the phone jammed against his ear as he tried not to let any tears fall.

  Roberto was too stubborn for his own good. Renny could beg all he wanted, but when Roberto’s mind was made up, there wasn’t anything anyone could do to change it.

  And that was what terrified Renny the most. “We can get Sal to help us. He said he would.”

  “I’ve gotten enough innocent people involved. You just make sure he keeps his word and pays Mom and Dad’s mortgage. As long as I know they won’t lose their home, I can get this done.”

  “Get what done?” Renny asked. “Tell me what you’re planning.”

  “Nah, kid. I gotta do this on my own, and the less you know, the better.” Roberto sighed. “I gotta go.”

  “No!” Renny strangled the phone in his hand. “Please, Roberto. Talk to me. Let me help you.”

  “I love you, kiddo.”

  “Roberto!” But it was too late. He’d hung up.

  “Any good news?”

  Renny looked up to see Sal walking toward him. It seemed he couldn’t win for losing. Not that he thought Sal was a bad guy. Renny just wanted to know where Roberto was.

  “No,” he said. “Roberto won’t tell me where he is.”

  “I got a friend I’m gonna contact and see if he knows anything about Molimo.” Sal opened the door to the coffee shop. “Come on. Let’s get some hot chocolate while I make that call.”

  Maybe that was the solution. Not to hunt Roberto down but to try and reason with the demon. Could demons be reasoned with? Molimo had kept all the money, including Roberto’s two grand. He’d gotten paid for his troubles. That should be the end of it.

  If only life worked that way.

  * * * *

  “I thought we were meeting up in the spring for our annual camping trip,” Hawk Magnar said when he answered his phone. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you before then.”

  “We’re still on for that trip,” Sal said. It was one of the things he looked forward to every year. For an entire week Sal and Hawk and a few of their mutual friends got together to live off the earth, sit around campfires, and see who had the most interesting stories to tell.

  So far Hawk was the one who always came up with doozies.

  “So to what honor do I owe this call?” Hawk gave a hearty laugh.

  “One, I found my mate.”

  “Congrats,” Hawk said. “We’ll be adding someone else to our trip. Johnny’s already talking about what wardrobe he’ll be packing. I think he’s already excited about it.”

  “There’s another reason I called,” Sal said. He explained to Hawk what was going on with Renny and his brother. “Have you ever heard of a demon named Molimo?”

  “Pick another demon,” Hawk said in a serious tone. “Tell me your mate and his brother didn’t go up against Molimo.”

  “Tell me about him.” Sal took a sip of his drink as he watched residents come and go from the shop. He had no idea what Molimo looked like and was on his guard.

  “It’s almost like a human gang, and Molimo runs them,” Hawk said. “The demon warriors have been trying to take them down for years. They run things out of Remtin, the sex trade, drugs, weapons, and anything else they can turn a profit off of. But they’re low-life scum, not organized like the mafia, though Molimo thinks he’s that hardcore. He’s gonna try and make an example out of them, Sal. If Roberto intends to square off with Molimo, the human is gonna die.”

  “I knew it was bad, but…” Sal looked toward Renny, who sat there sipping his hot chocolate and bouncing slightly to the Christmas tune playing in the shop.

  “He’ll send some of his crew to take out Renny,” Hawk said. “Molimo is actually a bit of a coward, but he pays his men well to keep him protected. I’d come and help, but I’m dealing with my own situation here.”

  “I’d ask if it was anything I could help with, but you’ve got a ton of sentries to watch your back.”

  Hawk chuckled. “I think I can handle a five-year-old. Snowstorm hit, and her parents never picked her up from the rec center. Johnny is keeping an eye on her, but I have a feeling I’m gonna have to pry North from his grip when they come to get her.”

  Sal wished his problems were that simple. “Thanks for the information, and I’ll see you in the spring.”

  “I’m only a phone call away,” Hawk said before he hung up. That had been a generous offer, but if Sal needed help, he would look closer to home. The only reason he’d called Hawk in the first place was because Sal knew the sentries at the Den kept a watchful eye on the preternatural world.

  “I can tell from the look on your face that you got bad news.” Renny set his cup on the tab
le and sat forward.

  There was another option, but Sal hated to get the sheriff involved. If they had a serial arsonist on their hands, Grayson would already be up to his eyeballs with the case. But Sal had to do something besides sit on his ass and let Roberto die. He just wished he knew where to look for the human.

  Sal got up and waved for Renny to do the same. He didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone again, not when he could talk face-to-face with Grayson.

  “Where’re we going, and what did you learn on the phone?” Renny hurried to keep pace, which made Sal slow down. He tended to forget just how tall he was and how long his strides were.

  Sal stopped at the slushy curb before crossing. He made his strides slow so Renny could keep up. When they were halfway across the street, Sal noticed a car coming at them way too fast.

  Instinct kicked in, and Sal grabbed Renny’s hand, yanking them out of the way as the red sedan with a dented trunk kept going, the driver never once hitting his brakes. Light sprays of slush covered them as Sal watched the brake lights glow for a brief second before it careened around the corner.

  “Jackass!” Renny shouted at the car.

  Sal wondered if the driver was connected with Molimo, but demons didn’t run people over. They used their powers to take down their adversaries.

  With a shake of his head, Sal led Renny into the police station. The receptionist looked up from her computer and frowned. “You guys look as though you got splashed.”

  “Some crazy driver who needs his license revoked,” Sal said. “Is the sheriff in?”

  Sabrina shook her head. “He’s out on a call. You can wait, but I’m not sure how long he’ll be.”

  Sal rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Just tell him Chief Monroe is looking for him.”

  “Will do.” Sabrina smiled before she went back to her computer.

  “We’re gonna head to my house so we can change,” Sal said. “I can’t go back to the station wearing a dirty uniform.”