Frost & Bothered (15 page)

“Right.”

“I’m not supposed to bow or anything, am I?”

“No, only his people do that sort of thing. Just,” Logan shrugged. “Treat him like a client.”

“Okay. Dane, would you let the big dogs in?” I needed to feed everyone and clean up before the Rex arrived.

J
ames O’Meara, Rex of the Santo Trueno Pride, wasn’t an imposing figure. He was my height and in good shape, but rather slender for a shifter. I knew right away that he was worried about his missing son, because the skin under his bright blue eyes looked faintly bruised. His hair was bright too, a coppery red that bordered on orange.

O’Meara hadn’t come alone. The man with him was younger, taller, and looked as though he’d spent his entire life lifting weights. Though his skin was darker, that gorgeous clear brown some mixed-race children are blessed with, he had the same bright blue eyes as O’Meara, and his close-cropped, tight curls were a darkish red.

“James, this is Discord Jones, our newest queen,” Logan said while leading them into the living room. I didn’t have furniture for my office yet.

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Jones. Thank you for seeing us so quickly.” O’Meara had a nice smile. “This is my eldest son, Tanner.”

His son merely nodded, crossing his arms as he stood next to the chair his father chose. The arm crossing looked awkward, because Tanner’s arms were huge, and his chest was broad and bulky with muscle.

“You’re welcome, and I’m pleased to meet you both.” I was on the couch, Leglin lying at my feet, Bone and Diablo snoozing on either side of me, and had the Chihuahuas dozing in my lap. I’d had a talk with the dogs about their barking habits over breakfast.

Logan rested his hands on the back of the couch, evidently preferring to stand. Dane was sitting on the hearth.

“What’s your other son’s name?”

“Connor. He didn’t return from his night out. We found his car in the parking lot of...”

“A club called Dreamland.” When O’Meara nodded, his gaze sharpening, I said, “We’ve been there. Other people have gone missing from there over the past couple of weeks.”

“I see.”

“Prince Thorandryll hired us to look into the matter, and so did the mother of one of the missing men. We’re already on it.”

Tanner frowned. “Then why have us come here?”

I looked at his father, who reached into the pocket of his dark blue suit jacket. “For that.”

Logan had remembered to ask the Rex to bring something belonging to his son. O’Meara leaned forward to place a gold chain with a small, black stone dangling from it on the coffee table.

“To bring that? Why?”

“Miss Jones is a psychic.” O’Meara straightened, and for a second, his composure slipped, his calm expression tightening. He was prepared to hear the worst. “Please, if you would.”

Speck’s thin legs wind-milled when I moved him off my lap and next to Diablo. Squishy grumbled, but quickly curled up next to Bone and returned to sleep. I scooted forward to reach for the necklace. “I have to warn you that this doesn’t always work immediately.”

“I understand.” The Rex’s gaze tracked my hand when I picked up the necklace. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ginger gliding down the visible portion of the stairs. Diablo let loose a loud snore. I fought a giggle, closing my other hand around the lower half of the necklace and the stone.

Loud music, steamy heat, and a pretty brunette’s smile. Shouting and a pissed-looking Tanner. Ripping into a deer, blood and meat hot as it slid down his throat.

Eww. I replaced the necklace on the coffee table, creating a new mental folder to tuck Connor’s golden shimmer into. “He’s alive, but that’s all I can tell you right now.”

The wave of relief O’Meara felt would’ve knocked me down if I hadn’t been sitting. His voice gave no hint of it though. “That’s enough to know for now. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I scooted back, trying to pretend I couldn’t see Ginger prowling around Tanner. Her ashy gray hands trailed over the big shifter’s body, and I mean, all over it. “We’re going back to the club tonight, to see if we can’t figure out how this is happening. One of us will keep you informed.”

Tanner dropped his arms, his mouth opening, but his father stood. “Of course. I sincerely appreciate your assistance with this.”

“We’re allies. We’ll do our best to bring him home,” I promised. “Be careful driving.”

Logan showed them out, and I caught a hard, thin-lipped glare from Tanner before he walked out the front door. I petted Squishy, who’d crawled back into my lap, and waited for the front door to shut. “He’s really controlled.”

“He has to be. Lions aren’t like us. A Rex doesn’t stay king if he’s careless. It’s not a position that passes down in a particular family,” Dane said.

“It will be if James has his way.” Logan dropped into the chair the Rex had used. “And I’m not looking forward to Tanner taking his place.”

“Why not?”

“Tanner doesn’t like allying with anyone he thinks isn’t as strong as the Pride.”

“Oh.” I gently rubbed Squishy’s belly. She still had the soft, pink skin of a puppy, but the vet had estimated her age to be two. “He thinks the clan’s weak?”

“Going by numbers, we are compared to the Pride.”

“I could take him.” Dane’s confident declaration put a grin on my face. “He thinks being big is what matters. It helps, but it’s not the only thing that counts.”

“I think I made him mad.”

“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t offend James. He wants Connor home. Tanner, on the other hand,” Logan waggled his hand.

“Yeah, I got a flash of them arguing. Tanner and Connor, I mean. Connor’s the baby of the family, huh?”

Logan nodded. “Spoiled rotten, but he’s a good kid in spite of it.”

“Cool.” I checked the time, which was four-seventeen. Late nights were becoming a habit. “Dreamland opens at seven. I’m going to do some more unpacking upstairs.”

“Okay. Need any help?”

“Nah. I’ll start dinner in a couple of hours. You guys do whatever.”

Ginger followed me upstairs. Eventually, I’d have to figure out what to do about her.

W
hen we arrived at Dreamland, Angel Elf notified Merlandon, who wasn’t happy to hear someone else had gone missing. “I’m going to be relegated to cleaning the stables,” he moaned, wringing his hands as he led us to the break room. “Prince Thorandryll does not look kindly upon failure.”

That’s the punishment he was so afraid of? Having to clean horse poop? My earlier sympathy for him took a healthy nosedive. “I’d be more worried about what’s happening to the missing people.”

Merlandon had the grace to look embarrassed. “Oh, I do worry, Miss Jones. I hope they’re not injured. The guests here are my responsibility, after all.”

Uh-huh. “We’ll be circulating, keeping an eye out. Mind if we use a locker again?”

“Of course not. Help yourself.” He hurried away, the tips of his ears bright pink.

“Okay, he’s kind of a jerk,” I said, shrugging out of my coat.

“He’s an elf.” Dane opened a locker. “Did you really expect different?”

“Cut him some slack. I wouldn’t be looking forward to centuries of cleaning stalls either.” Logan hung his leather jacket on one of the hooks inside the locker. I handed him my coat and purse. I’d switched to the one I thought of as my “case” purse, a largish, black messenger-style bag.

“Whatever. Okay, troops, eyes and ears open. Let’s see if we can’t manage to catch a clue tonight.”

A clue wasn’t in the cards right away. Instead, I caught a mild case of panic upon spotting Nick out on the dance floor half an hour into the evening.

There’s nothing quite like seeing an ex when you aren’t remotely expecting to. Nick was dancing with a tall blonde, and he certainly didn’t look mopey.

Fortunately, I was alone when I saw him, and he didn’t see me. I ducked out of sight behind one of the columns surrounding the dance floor. The club’s décor had changed to some freaky version of Dante’s Inferno, all black and red, with flames flickering on the walls. There was even a fiery waterfall. Or firefall. Whatever.

My attempt to quell the instinct to get the hell out of Dodge wasn’t completely successful. I wanted to be gone before he saw me. Particularly before he might see me with Logan.

Not that leaving was an actual option, since we were working on a case. People were missing. That was far more important than a potential scene between Nick and me.

My stomach disagreed, flip-flopping violently, and Ginger chose that moment to materialize in front of me. I closed my eyes to block out her grisly grin, and flinched as I heard a familiar voice.

“What a coincidence. Psychic Girl at the very club I finally manage to drag my little brother out of the house to.”

I opened my eyes in time to watch Patrick walk right through Ginger, and for a second, seriously considered throwing up on him. That would be certain to wipe the smug look off his damn face.

Instead, I hissed, “What the hell, dude?”

“You tell me. You’re the psychic.”

Gah. “I’m working.”

“Sure.” Patrick’s grin widened. “You just happen to have a case that’s resulted in your showing up at the college I attend, and the club I brought Nick, the guy who loves you, to.”

Had I thought something earlier about not believing in coincidences? I was beginning to, and they could kiss my butt. “Yes, that’s exactly what’s going on. I can’t leave, so you have to.”

He laughed. “No way. I think maybe Fate’s taken a hand in this. Maybe the old hag thinks you two belong together.”

“Dude, I swear...”

“Cordi?”

Oh, damn. I turned around. “Hi, Nick.”

His face lit up, a big smile following. “Hi. What are you...?”

And of course, that’s when Logan walked up to join us. Nick looked at him, his smile gone, and his eyes narrowing. “Oh, you’re on a date.”

“No, we’re on a case,” Logan said. “I’m helping out.”

Bless his gorgeous green eyes. “Yeah, we’re working. Sorry, but I kind of don’t have time to chat right now. Bye.”

I managed a smile, grabbed Logan’s arm, and dragged him along as I speed-walked away. I didn’t stop until we’d gone around the dance floor far enough to change directions and hit the bar. “Holy crap.”

“Can I have my arm back?”

“Sorry.” I let go, and Logan rubbed his arm. “That was awkward.”

“Kind of got that impression.”

“Thanks for bailing me out.”

“No problem.” He ordered an ale when the bartender stopped to see what we wanted. I passed, climbing up on a stool. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” My hands were shaking. I clasped them together and dropped them in my lap.

Logan noticed. “If you still have feelings for him...”

“No. I mean,” I bit my lip. “I kind of used him, and I feel awful about it. Plus, he’s been jealous of you since we met, and he pretty much accused me of breaking up with him because of you.”

“Oh.” Logan accepted his drink and tipped the bartender before resting his elbows on the bar. “What do you mean by ‘kind of used him’?”

I sighed. “Remember the day you washed my car, and I babbled about rushing things?”

“Yes.”

“I got together with him because I was lonely, and there was a freak-out involved, too, the day he and I met. I mean, I didn’t like, plan it, but it did happen. Us hooking up, no prior dating.”

“So you feel guilty.”

“Big time. That’s a horrible thing to do. And then the ring thing, and...well, everything. It’s a mess.”

“Compounded by my asking you out.”

Maybe I did want a drink. “Yeah, I guess. Not really, but kind of, because if he hears we’re dating, he’ll think I lied to him.”

“Instead of believing you broke off things because the two of you weren’t working out.”

“Right.”

Logan nodded and drank some ale. I ordered a mojito. Talking had calmed my stomach.

“You’re not responsible for what he decides to believe.”

“I know, but jeeze. I already hurt him, and don’t want to make it worse. You know?”

“Yeah.”

“The only way to keep him from believing you’re the reason I broke up with him is to tell him the truth, and that’s a truly crappy thing to hit him with. ‘I was lonely, and you were available’.” I drained half my freshly delivered mojito. “But I don’t want him mad at you either.”