Safeword: Storm Clouds (16 page)

"When we hire bouncers for the bars we have to be very careful about hiring ex-military. We like for our bouncers to defuse a situation instead of just throwing people out, and ex-military usually just wants to throw people out. So, I guess I find it odd that a security company is looking to hire from the military for that kind of work."

"But I'm not what you are used to seeing. Defusing situations is one of the things I'm trained for. I'm also trained to kill everyone if the situation can't be moderated, of course, but in many cases a political solution is much preferred over wholesale slaughter."

"Yes, but they aren't considered everyday civilians, either. They are... I guess you'd say they are in the business, even if it is private now instead of government."

"Well, if I can't make small talk with you by asking questions then I'm not sure what to say at this point. Maybe you can tell me embarrassing stories of Eric growing up?"

"Ah, like the time he jumped off of the roof of the house holding a sheet over his head like a parachute? He was about eleven or twelve at the time. I thought his mom was going to kill me, since I'd let him come watch us jump earlier that week."

Kendra laughed. "Yeah, that's the kind of stuff I want to hear." She looked at Eric, "Were you hurt?"

"I jumped off of a two story house onto hard dirt, of course I was hurt. And when mom got me home from the emergency room with a cast on one ankle and a wrap on the other she took a belt to my ass before she gave me the pain pills, just to make sure I didn't do it again."

Ranger laughed. "She threatened to take a belt to my ass, too. I told her that I'd just enjoy it too much and she got pissed and told me to get the hell out of her house."

Kendra looked up pretty sharply at that and Ranger grinned at her reaction. "No, I wouldn't have enjoyed it, but she didn't know that. She knew I had some sexual kinks but didn't know what they were, so I figured I could throw her off balance with that. And, it worked. Kind of."

"How much older are you than Eric?"

"I'm eleven years older. I was kind of a father figure to him a lot during his teen years in those times when his dad couldn't be around, but in a lot of ways I guess I was more of a big brother figure."

"Then I would guess one of the reasons you are interested in this job is that it will put you in a city that Eric has chosen to spend a lot of time in."

"Yes, that's a big part of it. I know there is no guarantee he won't find another city with even more fun to be had within a day's drive, but he's spent a good bit of time here for several years and it seems to have turned into kind of his home base. I won't stay in the military forever, not like my brother did. At some point I will go into the private sector, and I guess now is as good a time as any."

Kendra excused herself around 1:30 so the men could talk some without her around before Ranger went to bed. Eric walked her to her car and told her he was sorry they didn't get to come back and make love. She told him there would be plenty of time for that later, they kissed, and she went home. She contacted Abbot on the way home.

Abbot? Are you where you can talk?

Yes Kendra, are you okay?

Yes, I'm fine. Do you know what Special Operations Forces are?

Yes, where have you run into this?

Eric's uncle. He showed up tonight unexpected and I heard a heartbeat where one should not have been and I kind of immobilized him before Eric could tell me was friend and not foe.

You
kind of
immobilized him? I doubt you just
kind of
did it.

Right, but the reason I'm talking to you about it is that he's here interviewing with some firm that is hiring people like him out of the military. Drake Security. Heard of it?

Yes, it's run by Aaron Drake.

The supernatural that no one can figure out? I thought he went by Aaron Drakko?

He's using Drake now. And, is there any other Aaron Drake that I'd expect you to know?

No, I guess not. I didn't know he was in town.

Yes, he has recruited from the werewolves with Randall's permission, and of course he has the Lion's Amakhosi, the Lion King, on his staff, so he has some werelions as well. He also recruits exceptional humans, of course. He runs a top notch agency.

So, is there a chance that Eric's uncle will find out about supernaturals if he works for Aaron?

Not at first, but eventually, yes. Aaron tells the humans he can trust about werewolves and werelions, possibly more, I don't really know exactly what he's able to tell them. I doubt that any know what Aaron is though since that's such a big secret. I do know that he has humans that work alongside shifters and are present when they shift.

Which means that if Eric's uncle comes here to live and Eric and I continue to see each other I'll probably need to look into telling him about us sooner rather than later. Once he knows about shifters he'll figure out right away that I'm a supernatural. He's already pretty suspicious that I came up on him without him knowing it and then that I managed to take him down.

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it Kendra. I'll talk to you later.

Chapter Eleven

When Kendra arrived home there was a car she didn't recognize parked in the front of the house. As she went by she noted a New York license plate. The vampires all parked in either the huge garage or in an area at the back of the house designed so you couldn't see how many cars were there from the front. This was a very nice neighborhood, it was a neighborhood built around a golf course, actually. And the vampires didn't really want anyone knowing how many people lived here. If this were someone that was invited, the car's owner would have known to park around back.

Kendra parked and went in the back door as always and went through to the great room, curious about who the visitor might be. As she walked in, she froze.

"Dead. Yes, I know. And to be honest, I'm still not sure how I managed to pull myself back together. I just know I woke up a few hundred years later, underground. I dug my way out and stayed in Romania for a while until I could build up some wealth again, then moved around Europe, looking for you. It wasn't until I made it to the United States that I finally heard word of where I might find you. I've been in New York for a few months now. I thought about calling you, but to be honest, I really wanted to see you."

Norris was alive? She had mourned him all those years ago. She had loved him once, with all of her heart. And he was here, in front of her. But, what about Eric? Eric had said they weren't exclusive... but she knew that Norris would not feel the same way about Eric. If she and Norris started something up he would expect it to be exclusive. Plus, the last time she and Norris had been together she'd been submissive to him. In fact, he was the last man she'd ever submitted to. She was pretty sure she was more powerful than him now, which would mean he would be submitting to her. Would he be interested in a relationship where she was the more powerful one? She wasn't sure.

"Norris, I don't know what to say. I'm in shock, I think. And, it's been so long. I'm really glad you are alive. Have you met with Abbot yet to get safe passage in his territory? He didn't mention to me you were coming..."

"No, I haven't spoken with Abbot yet. I wanted this to be a surprise to you, so I'd know how you reacted. So far, your reaction isn't making me feel all warm and fuzzy, Kendaline."

Kendra opened herself up so Abbot could hear the conversation. "Norris, it's been over a thousand years! You've got to give me a chance to put all of this together. Meanwhile, I can't believe you went into a territory without obtaining permission from the Master of that territory. I hope you didn't think I'd make everything okay since I happen to be the third in command here. It is Abbot you've insulted here, not me, and it's Abbot you'll have to deal with."

Norris just looked at her, like he didn't believe what he was hearing.

And then Kendra realized... "Wait, Gavin is gone right now, making me temporarily the second in command. You really did think you would see me and I would make everything right with Abbot for you, didn't you? You timed it so that you came when Gavin was gone? Dammit Norris! You can't walk in here and take advantage of me first thing! I am not the same woman I was a thousand years ago. I suggest you get on the phone, now, and grovel to Abbot. I'm not getting involved in that. This is between the two of you, and once the two of you figure it out, then you and I can talk. Maybe."

Kendra turned and went through the kitchen, into the pantry, and then opened the door that would take her to the basement and her suite of rooms. Twenty minutes later she heard Abbot in her head.

Kendra, it's too close to dawn to send him away right now, so I gave them permission to put him on the top floor for the day and he has been told to leave my territory as soon as he arises. He may then call me from Kentucky to negotiate entry in the proper manner if he wishes. The irony here is that if he'd called me before he came I'd have let him in with no negotiations.

Right, but this is Norris, still trying to one-up you. I'd just as soon you not offer him passage into the territory for a while, if you can do it without causing political problems with Marco up in New York. I can't believe I once loved him as I did, Abbot. And when he hugged me, I still felt something for him. But I guess I've grown up, finally, I'm not attracted to the bad boys anymore. And he was always a very bad boy. I just need to stay away from him.

I'm going to call Marco and see what I can get away with doing. I'll let you know what he has to say.

Kendra sat her laptop to the side and went to her bathroom to draw herself a bath. She had a huge tub, and when she got upset she took a hot bath. She carried her cell phone to the bathroom and sat it on the table beside the tub, just in case someone called that she needed to talk to.

She hadn't been in long when she heard Abbot in her head again.

Marco isn't very happy with Norris right now. He's calling him all the way home to be dealt with. Marco says that if I don't want to offer Norris passage into my territory later that he won't take it personally, under the circumstances.

Thanks Abbot.

Norris is asking to talk to you while he's here tonight, before he has to leave upon arising.

Of course he is. Okay, tell them I'm going to finish my bath and then I'll be up to talk to him. I don't want him to have access to the basement at all Abbot, if that's okay with you.

You are right, it would not be appropriate under the circumstances. He will be staying on the third floor in the bunk room. I'll let them know you'll be up in a while to talk to him.

So Kendra took another twenty minutes in the tub and then got out and dressed in a designer pants suit that flowed around her and some of her favorite shoes before going upstairs to talk to Norris. She needed all of the self confidence she could muster to face him and not let him make her fall in love with him all over again. She was not the same woman she was back then, and she didn't really want to go back.

"Yes, but I'm not taking you there. If you want to talk then I suggest you begin talking. And, I go by Kendra now, as I'm sure you've been told."

"I've changed, too, Kendra. It's been a thousand years for both of us. I know we may have changed so much that we can't make it work now, but I still felt something when we hugged. I still want you. I'd like to take the time to get to know you again, see if there is anything there. We were once planning to marry, Kendra. What if there is still something there we can build on?"

"Norris, just go home and deal with your own Master, and then work on negotiating whatever you can with Abbot. Once upon a time I took great pleasure in skirting the rules, and you and I got along great. But now I'm one of the people in charge, I'm one of the people responsible for enforcing the rules and keeping some order amongst our people. I've grown and changed, and I just can't imagine that a relationship with you is going to work anymore."

"Okay Kendra, but... the moon is almost new. What about a night flight together. For the sake of old times? We still have time before dawn."

After sharing just that with Eric tonight, she didn't want to do it again with Norris. "No Norris, no night flight tonight. But I will spend some time with you since you are here for the rest of the night with Abbot's permission. We've got a nice garden area outside, let's go out into the night air and talk."

Kendra kept her distance from him, a few feet between them, and he didn't push it to keep her any closer. They walked the gardens and then sat down in a seating area in separate chairs. She found out that he was working off Broadway as a dancer. He'd had to start his own theater in order to do it, and no one who knew him as a dancer realized he owned the theater, but it was the only way to be sure that all rehearsals and shows would take place at night and not during the day. The director only knew that the theater owner wanted to hand pick a few people, and that Norris was one of the ones he'd hand picked. Norris had set the theater up to hold acting classes during the day and the director was only allowed time in the theater from nightfall until morning – this meant there as no arguing about when the school had the building and when the show had the building. Norris was an incredible dancer and entertainer and she was happy for him that he'd found a way to get back on stage. When they went inside about thirty minutes before dawn he took her into his arms and kissed her. And she let him. She realized during the kiss that she was indeed more powerful than him now, if they drifted off towards a power exchange he would be the one submitting this time. But, that kiss told her loud and clear, this was Norris. The same Norris she had once loved, and that she could easily love again. But... he had a life in New York and she had a life here. Surely he could see that?