Compelled (The Secrets of Dragons Book 1) (9 page)

She hadn’t thought about that. “We’re going on the motorcycles?”

“Yeah, how else? The truck has bucket seats and it would take us forever to clear out the back. We use it for extra storage. You can ride with me and Eric will survive if he has to ride his own bike.”

“Oh, I only grabbed a light jacket.”

Alex walked into the bedroom, coming out a moment later with a heavy leather in his hand. He gave it to her to put on. “What are you going to wear?”

He lifted a lighter jacket off the sofa arm. “I don’t get cold all that easily.”

Lou didn’t really like the idea of being out on the bikes at night. She wasn’t chilled at the moment, but it wouldn’t take much to change that. She could take her car, but that wouldn’t be any fun.

Eric frowned at her. “Why do I get the feeling you aren’t into a ride?”

“I’m really not. Sixty isn’t bad in a car, but on the bike it can be miserable. It will also get colder before we get back. I’m sorry. I’m a wimp in the cold.”

Alex threw his jacket on the sofa. “I have a better idea. You and Eric can take a ride over to the store in your car and get something to cook. Sound good?”

It did and she nodded. Alex smiled and picked up the remote. “I don’t care what you get. Whatever looks good. I don’t want chicken though.”

“Tacos?” asked Eric.

“That sounds good.”

It sounded good to her also. It had been forever since she had them. Eric gestured to her with his open palm. “Lead the way, my lady.”

****

They were almost finished eating dinner when Lou started to get antsy. She should be relaxed, but instead her muscles were unusually tense. Her stomach flitted with the sensation of butterflies, and she had a supreme urge to go home. Lou wolfed down the rest of her taco and stood. “I gotta go.”

Alex looked at her oddly. “Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.”

“As in your stomach is sick, or are you talking a premonition?”

That stopped her cold. Did a person suddenly start having premonitions? “I’m not sure. I just think I need to go home.”

“Have you ever had these feelings before?” Alex asked.

“No, not like this. I feel like I have ants under my skin.” Lou turned and hurried out the door.

****

Eric’s brow was heavy with concern. “Okay, so I guess we have to call Yassie and see if this is related to us.”

Alex nodded. “You call Yassie. I’m going after her.”

He didn’t wait for Eric to reply as he got up and hurried out the door. Lou’s car was turning the corner as he raced after her. Alex ran over the connecting bridge between the mainland park and the large circle of land surrounded by water. He hesitated for only a moment and then went down the left-hand side, which was normally the exit route. There was no one outside on the cool night, leaving him free to run full speed. As he neared Lou’s mobile home, he slowed. Her car was in the driveway, and he slowed, creeping closer to remain in darkness. The front curtain was closed, but normally Lou kept it open. This fact sent his already heightened sense of worry into overdrive.

Alex strode up to the house, tuning his ears to any noises within. For a moment all was silent, but then he heard Lou yelling, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Fuck you, bitch!” a male voice replied, probably Joe.

That was all he needed to hear. Alex could feel his blood chilling, knew his face was probably Hellboy red, he was far too close to forming scales. He didn’t care as he strode through the front door, glancing quickly at the pile of items in the middle of the living room floor. The messy collection of things gave him a clear vision of exactly what was happening. Joe’s back was to him, but Lou stared directly at him. Her eyebrows went up, her eyes widening. Then a smile spread across her lips, her cheeks bunching with the joy in her expression.

Joe started to turn, but Alex didn’t give him the chance. He grabbed him by the center of the back of the shirt, lifting him off the ground. Alex used his leg to sweep Joe’s feet from beneath him and laid him face first to the floor. Within a moment he had his knee across the back of Joe’s shoulders to hold him down. Joe grunted and started to kick his feet. Alex was tempted to put his full body weight on Joe, but hesitated. “If you don’t stop your shit I’m going to really hurt you, which I haven’t done so far. Knock off the childish kicking and let me talk to Lou.”

He glanced up at her. “What’s going on?”

Lou giggled. “I had a damn feeling and I was right. Joe was packing up my shit and I can almost guarantee he called someone to come get him.”

“I already told you, I wasn’t ripping you off,” Joe said.

“From the looks of the thing on the living room floor, you were collecting valuables that would be easy to carry and sell. So what exactly were you doing? Cleaning them?” asked Alex in sarcasm.

When Joe didn’t reply, Lou said, “Yeah, Joe. I asked a similar question and you haven’t answered me yet. You were never really quick with replies when the answer was a lie.”

“Fuck you, Lou.”

Alex leaned harder, putting added pressure on Joe’s back. Lou walked closer with her head tilted inquisitively. She ran her palm slowly down his cheek. “Wow. You feel really cool.”

Touching his cheek, he grimaced. He had allowed his anger to get the best of him. His face was stony with scales. Inhaling deeply, he forced the anger down, watching Lou’s face as the scales absorbed back into his skin.

“You and I need to talk,” said Lou.

“That was the original plan. So what am I doing with asshole here?”

Lou pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed. “Hello, yes, this is Louisiana Arius. I need a police officer at my house. My ex-boyfriend just tried to rob me.”

She listened for a moment and then said, “Yes, that’s my address and no, I’m in no danger. A friend is here with me and has the situation under control.”

Lou gave him a smile. “Yes, he’s currently pinned on my living room floor.”

Again she said thank you and then put the phone on the table.

“Why do you still have a landline?”

“I don’t know. It’s easier to hear than my cell.”

Joe started to struggled again and Alex grabbed his arms, drawing them to the center of his back and then lifting Joe with them. It probably hurt like hell, but he really didn’t give a shit. This man had hurt Lou and Joe was lucky Alex had the sense not kill him. “You got something to hogtie this piece of shit with?”

“Fucking let go of me, asshole,” Joe screamed. “This is none of your business. This bitch owes me for all the shit she put me through.”

Lou rolled her eyes and walked out of the room. She came back a moment later with a roll of cooking twine. She surprised him by deftly tying a slip knot in it and sliding around Joe’s wrists. Lou pulled it tight and then made a second loop to keep it secure. She then knelt down and tied the same rope around his ankles. Before she could get it tight, Joe tried to kick back at her, but the rope was looped tight enough to stop him. Lou promptly brought her fist back and punched him in the thigh. Joe sagged and probably would have gone down had not Alex still been holding his arms.

“Fucking bitch.”

“I can be, Joe. Of course if you had succeeded in kicking me I would probably have a few broken ribs right now, so don’t expect any sympathy from me.” She tightened the knot around his ankles and then stood to walk around in front of Joe. “You have really proven your true colors today. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before, but the best thing you have ever done for me was to take off with that teenybopper. I gave you six months of my life and it was a complete waste of time.”

Alex sat Joe down on the sofa and Joe turned his gaze to him. He was warming up, so his face was probably lightening to a normal color.

“Ain’t you Mr. Macho? You got yourself a real looker this time, Lou. If it wasn’t for a case of sunburn you would be perfect. Are you a model or something, running around in tighty-whities?”

“Yeah, something like that.” He wasn’t giving this moron any information. Alex sat across from him on the chair and patted his thigh. Lou smiled and came over to sit on his leg. “So what horrible things have you done to this boy that caused him to feel entitled to rip you off?”

She titled her head, looking loftily up at the ceiling. “I … cooked for him. I let him live in my house. I helped to pay for his car when he needed new tires. I paid for dinner when we went out. Actually I paid for all the food. When he did go to work at his part time job, I never saw the money. What the hell was I thinking?”

“So was he at least Mr. Mom, taking care of the house for you?”

Lou shook her head. “I guess it’s my own fault for being stupid enough to think he loved me. Love is surely blind in this case.”

Her humor was going a long way to calm the remainder of his anger. Joe looked absolutely pathetic hogtied and sitting on the sofa. “It happens to the best of us.”

“Did it ever happen to you?”

“On occasion. The big question should be is it going to happen again?”

Lou stared at him in silence. Joe was being overly quiet and Alex turned his gaze to him. “You may not want to wiggle out of those ropes. As long as you’re sitting there quietly you’re safe. If you try to run, the outcome may be very different.”

“Yeah, right, asshole. What are you going to do, grab me from behind and kneel on me again? I bet you like that shit, fuck ’em in the ass.”

Alex chuckled. “Actually I do, but you aren’t my type. I like my men honest and trustworthy.”

Joe appeared confused by the comment. Of course he had meant it as an insult and obviously hadn’t expected Alex to reply as he did.

Lou’s eyebrows went up, her mouth opening into an O, then she burst out laughing. Alex couldn’t resist an urge to see if she was ticklish and grabbed her sides. She instantly began to thrash in his arms, yes, the woman was ticklish. Lou screeched, slapping at his hands and trying to escape him. In unison his phone howled and the doorbell rang, which stopped them both. He took his phone from his pocket to answer it, and Lou got up to get the door.

“What’s going on?” asked Eric in a tone that relayed both concern and irritation.

“We’re waiting for the police.”

“You’re what?”

“Joe was here making a collection of shit to take with him.”

“He’s hogtied on the sofa. The police should be here any moment.” Alex heard Lou say.

He was keeping an eye on Joe. If the man was going to try anything, now would be the time. Joe squirmed, obviously trying to free himself, but Lou’s knots were holding fast. “Eric, hold on a minute. I want to listen to what Lou is saying.”

“Who the fuck are you?” asked the unseen man who Lou was talking to.

“I’m the owner of this house and the items Joe had planned to steal. They are piled up in the middle of my floor ready to load into your vehicle which I believe makes you an accessory.”

“Uh—Joe didn’t say anything about stealing stuff. He just said he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and he was moving out.”

“I was the girlfriend before he started fucking around with the teenybopper by the beach. The only thing that belongs to Joe is the box of clothing he brought with him. So are you staying to wait for the police or are you hightailing it before they get here?”

Lou was a cocky little shit. This was a side he hadn’t seen before. It was quite amusing. He heard the sound of the door being slammed. Lou strolled back into the living room and took a seat back on his leg. “I guess he didn’t want to wait. Sorry, Joe,” she said smugly

“I’m back, Eric,” Alex said into the phone.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I became overly angry, but I have it under control.”

“How angry? Like red angry or next stage angry.”

Next stage from red was scales. “Next stage.”

“Oh shit. Did either of them notice?”

He grinned at Lou. “Yeah, she did and handled it rather oddly. She said it was cool.”

Silence on the phone, then Eric said, “Cool?”

“That was the word.” It certainly hadn’t been what he expected. Her entire reaction was odd as if it was perfectly normal for a man to form scales in anger. He really wanted to talk to her. “We’re going to have a discussion right after the police get Joe out of our hair.”

“Am I welcome to join in or do you want me to stay here?”

“Take a walk down. Then I can show the smartass the kind of man a real man fucks.”

“Huh?”

Alex had to laugh. They were both completely comfortable with their sexuality and didn’t care who knew about it. “I’ll explain later.”

“Okay,” Eric replied with a note of skepticism. “I guess I’ll be down shortly.”

Alex hung up, sliding the phone back into his pocket.

“What the fuck are you doing, Lou? You’re fucking around with a fag?” asked Joe.

Lou lowered her eyelids, glaring at him. “The proper term is homosexual, but Alex is actually bisexual, and if you fucked half as good as him, on your best day, it would be better than any night I spent with you. Yes, Joe, he fucks women, too and is very, very good at it.” The wag of her head as she spoke added to her belligerent words.