Control (8 page)

I got
myself under control, lost it again, then controlled myself again before I sprang
into action.  I carefully placed my feet in areas that I could feel were
solid and I grabbed David’s right leg.  “Now hold still, David. 
You’ve stepped into the edge of the marsh and I have to pull your leg out
straight in order to break the suction.”

David
looked at me with a surprised expression on his face.  “What do you mean
I’ve walked into the marsh?  I thought the marsh is where you were
standing.”

I
shrugged my shoulders.  “Well, it is, but marshes tend to extend out a
little further and you can’t really tell because of the grasses.”

His
eyes narrowed and he glared in my direction.  “So if you knew
that
little tidbit of information, why did you feel it necessary to call me over
here in the first place?!”

“I
didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to walk into a swamp.  I was turning
around to come meet you, but you ran in like you knew what you were doing.”

David’s
face turned purple with frustration. “I’m from CHICAGO.  We don’t have
swamps, and weird reptiles, and freaking quick sand!  How the hell was I
supposed to know this would happen?”

His
face took on an incredulous expression.  “You, my little friend, are a
blasted siren!  You called me out here like I was some lonely sailor in
hopes that I would get stuck in the marsh and drown.  Don’t even try and
deny it!”

I shook
my head in response to his accusation and tried to suppress my grin. “Just hold
the fuck on, David. I’ll have you out of this in a second.”  I tugged his
leg straight up and after a loud sound like a vacuum seal opening, his foot
popped out; sans his shoe.

David
looked down and noticed his missing footwear and let out another shriek. 
“Those were three hundred dollar shoes!  You need to reach down there and
get it, Paige!”

I
placed his foot on solid ground and then turned to tug on the other. 
“There is no way in hell I’m reaching down there to get your shoe.  And
who the hell buys shoes that cost three hundred dollars, much less wears them
into a swamp?!”  When I gave his other leg a good tug it broke free as well,
and also did not have a shoe.  I found a solid spot for that foot, set it
down, and brushed off my hands. “Sorry David, but that was a really dumb
decision on your part.  I think you should really consider your footwear
better while planning out your day.”

David’s
jaw dropped and then snapped shut again. “Shut up, Paige! You’re really not
going to get my shoes out of there?”

I shook
my head.  “Nope.  Consider them buried.  I can say a eulogy if
that would make you feel better.”

David
hung his head down and sighed.  “They were a good pair of shoes and they
will be missed.”  His head turned up for dramatic effect.  “I
remember the first day I walked past the window that contained those shoes…”

I
laughed. “Give it a rest and come on.  We have to get home, it’s getting
late.”

I
grabbed David by the hand and showed him where to step until we were safely out
of the marsh area.  We walked inside and Momma immediately noticed how
muddy David’s feet and pants were.  She tsked at David and then grabbed a
towel for him to wipe himself off.  He pulled off his socks, wiped down
the bottom of his jeans and then rolled them up.

While
watching him clean up, Momma asked, “Do I even want to know what happened to
you, David?”

David’s
head shot up and he pointed to me while looking at Momma. “Your daughter tried
to kill me.  She was out in the marshes and then she called me over
without warning me they extended out into the grasses.  I was sucked into
quicksand and I barely made it out alive.  If it hadn’t been for that
large stick that I was able to grab onto and use to pull my way to safety, I
would have been a goner for sure!”  He paused. “And what’s worse, the
swamp ate my favorite pair of shoes.  They cost three hundred dollars!”

Momma
couldn’t help but grin and she shook her head.  Daddy came walking up
behind her and said, “Who wears three hundred dollar shoes into a swamp?! 
You know, David, you should really consider your footwear better when planning
your day.”

David’s
jaw hit the floor and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.   I
howled with laughter and fell to the floor clutching myself.  Momma and
Daddy joined in the laughter shortly after I went down.

After
everybody had calmed down, we talked for a few moments and then said our
goodbyes.  I climbed onto my bike and watched David shake out his pants
before climbing into his car.  We started our vehicles and began our
journey home.

I woke
up Monday morning feeling refreshed from my trip to my parents’ place. 
Alex hadn’t been at the apartment when we arrived home and I didn’t hear from
him by phone or text either.  Annie was also out when we arrived and I
went to bed after David locked himself in his room muttering something about
swamps and footwear.

I
jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to take care of business.  I
didn’t bother changing out of my pajamas because I wasn’t planning to do
anything but curl up on the couch with junk food and watch old kung fu movies
for the entire day.  Annie and David usually object to this particular choice
of movie marathon but they give up when I convince them that the movies are
necessary components of my ninja training.

I
shuffled out to the kitchen and went through my normal stare down with the
coffee maker.  After experiencing my usual loss to the whims of the
machine, I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.  I
picked up the remote and started the first movie.

I
didn’t even make it through five minutes of the movie before my thoughts
drifted to Daemon.  I had to admit to myself that I didn’t
hate
all
things Daemon, he was just able to piss me off like no other person
could.  I gave some thought to what David had said at breakfast yesterday
and I decided that it was time to put my skills to good use and find out all
that I could about Daemon.  Unfortunately, the only information I had
about him was his first name and the fact that he worked as a bouncer at
Tomb.  Even the most seasoned investigator needed more than that to go
on.  I resigned myself to the fact that I needed more information and that
the only way I could get that was to go to Tomb.

I
started formulating my plan and I determined that I would need a second set of
eyes and ears with me at the club.  I considered taking Annie or David,
but quickly dismissed that idea realizing that I would end up babysitting one
or both the entire evening.  I pulled out my phone and texted Alex.

Me:    
I have a mission, if you choose to accept…

It was still early so I
was surprised when my phone chirped back almost immediately.

Alex:   
Excellent.  What is it and when do we rendezvous?

Me:     
We’re going to Tomb.  You will be playing the role of my doting boyfriend.
Rendezvouz at my place. Six o’clock.

Alex:   
Mission accepted.

I
returned my attention to the kung fu goodness on the screen when Annie
staggered into the kitchen.  She emerged a moment later and then padded
her way into the living room.  I watched as she sat down on the couch and
sipped from her cup.  As usual, the caffeine kicked in and she suddenly
came to life.

“Morning
Paige!”  

Odd. 
Even for Annie after her first sip, this was a little too chipper.

“Morning.  
Where were you last night? Or do I not want to know?” I gave her a sly grin.

Annie
laughed and her face was absolutely beaming.  “I had a date last night and
I know it’s early, but I think I’m in love.  He’s incredible, Paige, and
it feels so different this time.”

Annie’s
speech is familiar.  In fact, it’s the same speech she gives every time
she meets a new man.  I started to point that out to Annie, but then changed
my mind. “How’d you meet this one?”

She
jumped up and down in her seat as she started her story.  “When I left
work, I decided to stop at the grocery store before heading home.  I
finished my shopping and was walking out to my car when I saw him trying to put
his groceries in the back of his car.  He had a splint on his hand and
couldn’t grip the bags and boxes, so I stopped to help him.  He wanted to
thank me, so he took me out to dinner.”  She got a dreamy reminiscent look
in her eye. “It was the best night of my life, Paige.  This guy could be
the
one
.”

I
wanted to be excited for her but I inwardly groaned at the thought of another
boyfriend. “That’s great, Annie.  Tell me about him, and you can start by
telling me his full name, date of birth and social security number.” I flashed
her my brightest smile.

Annie
laughed and then shook her finger at me.  “Oh no you don’t.  I know
what you’re up to and I’m not letting you
investigate
him.  His
name is Chris and he’s really a nice guy, so when he comes over, I want you on
your best behavior.”

I shot
her a look. “He’s coming over?”

She had
an innocent look on her face and she rubbed her finger along the rim of her
cup. “I invited him to come over and hang here tonight.”

I shook
my head and responded. “Well, you are in luck Annie.  I have plans to go
out to Tomb tonight so I won’t be around to screw up your future marriage.”

Annie
smiled but then gave me a strange look. “You’re going to Tomb.  I thought
you were going to avoid that place?”

“Well,
yeah, I was, but I like it there and I’m taking Alex with me to keep me
company.”

Annie
nodded her head and I returned my attention to the television.

~

Alex
arrived to the house promptly at six.  I quickly briefed him on his role
for the evening and explained that I was on a fact finding mission and needed
my
boyfriend
there to appear innocent. When our pow wow was complete and
he understood his task, I went back to my room to get ready. I looked in my
closet and choose a black, corset style top which I paired with skinny jeans
and my boots.  I took some extra time with my makeup by lining my eyes and
applying a light layer of eye shadow to bring out their color.  I left my
hair loose but curled it at the ends.

Alex
and I left and waved goodbye to a really excited Annie and a nervous
David.  I chuckled when I realized that she must have told him about her
expected guest.  I should have felt bad for leaving him to fend for
himself, but instead, I couldn’t help but be amused.

We took
Alex’s car so that he wouldn’t have to ride on the back of my bike and we
parked along the same side street as before.  It was a Monday night and
luckily it wasn’t as busy at the club as it had been two nights ago.  We
made it through the front line with no problem and headed into the main
area.  Logan was tending the right bar tonight so I grabbed Alex’s hand
and led us over to see him.  He smiled when he saw us approaching and
leaned over the bar to talk to me when I sat down on a stool.

“Back already? 
I was wondering how long I would have to go without being able to bask in your
presence.”  Logan looked up and did that head nod thing guys do when
acknowledging each other.  Alex nodded back and then sat down and turned
to look out over the club.

I
smiled at Logan for the compliment and asked, “Why’s that?”

He
looked at me like I was crazy and laughed.  “Because of what happened the
other night.  I saw the brawl you almost got into with the creep who
grabbed you.  And damn, Paige, that guy was twice your size.  What
the hell were you thinking?!”

I waved
my hand in the air to stop his protest. “I’m not worried about that guy. 
I totally had that handled.”

His
eyebrows shot up.  “You had that handled?  Because from where I was
standing, it was Daemon who had to rush in there and handle that.”

Perfect. 
An opening. Time to throw on my business face.

“Speaking
of Daemon, how long has he been working here anyway?  I don’t remember
seeing him around until the other night.”  I gave him my innocent look.

Logan
thought before answering and then shrugged. “He’s been working here since
before I started. I’m surprised you haven’t seen him before.  He doesn’t
work every night, so maybe you just keep missing each other.”

I
nodded my head in moderate disinterest and tried to appear like I was just
making polite conversation.

“So, is
he just a bouncer, or does he work other jobs around here as well?”

Logan
narrowed his eyes slightly like he thought I was up to something.  “He’s
just a bouncer.  Why?”

I
realized he may have been on to me so I rubbed my finger in a circle on the bar
to enhance my innocent facade.

“No
reason.  I was just making conversation.”  I smiled up at him
sweetly. “You don’t happen to know his last name, do you?”

A low
timbre voice from beside me responded and I jumped.  “If you want to know
about me, why don’t you just ask me yourself?” 

 
Busted.

I
slowly turned around and looked up into Daemon’s eyes.  My body instantly
reacted and I felt woozy all of a sudden. 
Holy Crap!  Was that a
swoon?!  Did I just fucking swoon?!  What the hell is wrong with me?!
Daemon had his signature smug look on full power and my face heated from his
glare.  I reached over to take Alex’s hand and he turned back and noticed
my predicament.  He scooted over in my direction and put his arm across my
shoulders.  I looked up at Daemon and a sly grin broke out on his face.

“Hey
Daemon, long time no see.”  I looked between Daemon and Alex and I wasn’t
shocked to find them in the middle of a stare down.  “Let me introduce you
to my
boyfriend
, Alex.” 

Daemon
and Alex both looked each other over and then Daemon smiled and nodded his head
at Alex.  I turned, “Alex, this is Daemon.  He’s one of the bouncers
here at Tomb.”

Alex
nodded at Daemon and I was pleased to get the introductions over with.

Daemon
looked back over to me and held my stare as he spoke next. “I’m glad to see you
brought your own personal white knight with you tonight, Damsel.  I was
nervous when I saw you were here.  You tend to make my job a little
tougher.”

If
my eyes could throw daggers, this man would have about a thousand holes in him
right now.

We
continued our stare down and then Alex cleared his throat to break up the
tension.  I shook off whatever this was between me and Daemon and said,
“I’m happy to oblige, Daemon.  I’d hate to pull you away from your fan
club again this evening.”

A
wicked grin broke over Daemon’s face.  “I’m surprised you noticed.  I
would have thought you were too busy with all the
situations
you kept
finding yourself in.  I was starting to wonder if you weren’t purposely
setting it up for me to have to come save you.”

I
narrowed my eyes at Daemon and then Alex reached down to squeeze my hand. 
I looked over to Alex and he had a questioning look on his face.  I looked
back over to Daemon and said, “Well, this has been a good talk, but I’ll need
you to excuse me so I can enjoy my evening with my
boyfriend
.”

A low
timbre chuckle erupted from Daemon and he nodded his head at me.  “Stay
out of trouble tonight,
Damsel
, I hope you and your
boyfriend
have an enjoyable evening.”  With that, he turned and sauntered out into
the crowd.  I realized my body had been tense while talking to Daemon
because when he was out of sight, my shoulders relaxed and I turned back to
Logan to order a drink.  If I was going to get through tonight without
committing murder, I needed a few mixed drinks to relax me. Fortunately, we
took Alex’s car and he could play the designated driver.

Alex
and I talked with Logan while he was preparing our drinks and then sat at one
of the tables by Logan’s bar.  We talked and joked around about the people
at the club and after a couple of drinks, Alex left to go to the
restroom.  I stayed at the table and continued looking out over the
crowd.  The club was playing old southern rock tonight and I tapped my
foot along with the music.  It took a while for Alex to return and I
turned in my seat looking for him.  When I spotted him, I noticed that he
was chatting up a pretty brunette over by the dance floor.  She was looking
at him with interest and kept lightly touching him in response to something he
said.  I should have been jealous to see him like this, but I couldn’t
help but hope that maybe, Alex was finally moving on.

“Where’s
your white knight, Damsel?”  That familiar low timbre voice called from
behind me.

I
turned to see Daemon staring down at me and he momentarily looked over in the
direction of Alex.  His eyes narrowed when he saw Alex and the brunette
and I could see his body physically tense.  I looked between him and Alex
and shrugged my shoulders.  “Uh, he’s over there talking to an old friend
of his.”

Daemon
eyed Alex again and then raised one eyebrow. “A friend?  Okay, Damsel, we
can go with that if you want.”  I nodded my head in response and then
started playing with the little straw in my drink.  Daemon moved closer
behind me and then leaned down to whisper in my ear. “You know, if you were
my
girl, I wouldn’t take time away from you to talk to a
friend
.”  His
lips brushed my ear and tremors ran through my body.  He must have felt me
shake because he smiled knowingly at me and his gaze darkened slightly.  I
had to play this off.

“Yeah,
well, you know how it is; we’ve been together so long that we’re kind of like
an old married couple now.”