Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1) (13 page)

“Natalie smells luscious. There’s nothing more relaxing to my cat than having her scent in my nostrils. It’s musky and sweet.” Charlie sighed in contentment.

“I hope to hell you were paying attention while sniffing after your mate.” Kai growled.

“Damn it, Kai, back the fuck off. Let me enjoy this for five fucking minutes. I have a lovely, strong mate that smells like my best dreams.” Charlie waggled his eyebrows.

Kai sighed. He knew he was acting unreasonable, but he couldn’t help it. His mind continuously flashed images of Alvena from the day before. It was wearing down his resolve about waiting until he had the confirmation of her seeing his Warrior Mark.

Charlie looked at Kai, “You’ve gotten to talk to your mate. All I’ve gotten to do is follow mine around and watch her get attacked.”

“Aye. You’re right. Sorry.”

“Besides I have good news.”

Kai waited for Charlie to continue. When his friend just stood their looking at him, he rethought his change of heart and thought about slamming him against the brick again.

“You’re partially shifted, Kai. You need to calm.”

“Then tell me what you know you arse.” Kai’s training normally kept him in control, but since meeting Alvena, everything had gone out of the window.

“Fine.” Charlie stepped away, then turned back, “The girls are coming to the Great Spirit tomorrow.”

“What?” Kai’s head jerked to his friend.
Please Great Spirit, don’t let him be messing with me.

“Yes, tomorrow first thing when the shop opens they are planning to come in.”

Kai exhaled in relief and began to pace. If they were coming in, then he should be at the shop.

“Alright, I’m going to have one of the enforcers guard the lasses with you tomorrow, that way I can be on-site at the shop when they arrive. I will need to make sure that we have everything ready. They need to see the book with our marks first thing.”

Charlie just looked at Kai and grinned. Kai now knew the real reason why his friend had finally calmed down, their mates were coming in.

***

He had watched the women enter a building part way down the road. He stayed back, he was sure that they would return this way. For right now, he was just keeping an eye on them making sure they didn’t try to leave the city. The idiots that he had hired had been useless pieces of shit. Multiple failures and the target was still breathing. Not to mention that the men had disappeared after the most recent fiasco. They probably took off, embarrassed by being beaten by a girl. He chuckled. Whatever, he had the money he paid them back and had better trained men coming in tonight.

Playing middle man for his boss should have been easy. Hire and send men where problems existed. The task was simple, take out some feeble women and make it look like an accident. A few men, hell one man, should have been able to get the job done.

As he paced, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, swiped the screen, and put it to his ear.

“Yes.” He answered.

“Are you with them?” His boss asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“We need this taken care of immediately.”

“I understand, sir. But, are you sure you want us to take out all three women?”

“Yes, it is the only answer. I take the chance of them being successful if I don't cover all of the bases. Do you have the men we need? I won’t accept more failures.”

“Understood, sir. The new men will arrive tonight. This time won’t be subtle, but it will achieve your goal.”

“At this point, I’m not worried about being subtle anymore. They are aware and I need this taken care of before they succeed.”

“The women will be gone by tomorrow evening, sir.”

“Good.”

His call went dead. His boss wasn’t one for unnecessary words.

Picturing what would happen if the men failed again, he decided they would need more incentive than the money they were promised. His boss was not a patient or forgiving man. So, he would pass on the promise of pain for failure. Yes, he might not know why his boss needed all of these women killed, and he didn’t care. It was money in his pocket, and he was determined to live long enough to enjoy it.

It was time to relay the instructions and get out of the way. He could have one of his men watch the hotel tonight and tomorrow the watcher could let them know where they all needed to converge. Tomorrow would be his big pay out and then he would retire to a tropical island and some beautiful women for a while. It might be a bit cliché, but if it wasn’t the dream of every man, then it wouldn’t be cliché, would it? He chuckled. Yes, time to enjoy some of his earnings. He would sit back and watch from afar as his men went to work. They would end this assignment and collect their pay.

Chapter 8

Al had spent a restless night. Her dreams were full of white eagles and dragons. She had risen early and taken her time to get ready. A shower and some strong tea had helped her feel more like herself, but she worried that the nights of little sleep were showing on her face. She could swear the bags under her eyes had their own zip codes. The reading with Miss Cleo had been strange. She hadn’t told them much and Nat had complained the whole way back to Jackson Square about the waste of money. Rogue had been quiet, a slight smile on her mouth. They had visited Saint Louis Cathedral and then returned early to the hotel. Al couldn’t get the imagery of dragons from her mind. The mystic with her tarot cards had given Rogue a bear and Nat a black panther. What could it mean?

Hours after waking, lots of primping and several outfits tried on and discarded, Al walked with her friends past a park in a more residential area of the city. They were headed up Frenchman Street looking for the Great Spirit Tattoo shop. Al pulled out the business card Kai had given her again, the corners were already worn from the number of times she had pulled it out and looked it over. Double checking the address, she motioned for Nat and Rogue to cross the street at the corner.

“It should be right up here on the right.” Al said looking from a restaurant on the corner to a store front beside it. Then as they passed a wall covered with new and weather-worn fliers, she saw the wooden sign hanging in front of a bright yellow and red painted store front… The Great Spirit Tattoo. All three women stopped and faced the front door. Two large display windows allowing them to see into the shop past the stylized painted “TATTOO” and the shops phone number. A neon sign flashed "OPEN” in the window of one door and the other door had a sign that said, “ENTER.”

“Wow.” Nat said. “This is some place.”

“I love it.” Rogue said nudging Nat with her shoulder.

“If you don’t like it we can leave.” Al offered timidly. Hoping they couldn’t hear the desperation in her voice. She was torn between wanting them to say no and wanting them to say yes. She desperately wanted to see Kai, but as she tugged at her shirt she felt lacking. Her haggard appearance from the sleepless nights didn’t help. Would he be disgusted by her appearance? Had he hoped she wouldn’t show up at the shop at all?

“Maybe we should leave, go somewhere else or something.” Al begged her friends.

Rogue rested her hand on Al’s elbow, “Why? I thought you wanted to see Kai again, Al.”

“I did, I do,… but I look awful.”

Nat turned Al to face her, “Al, you do not look awful. You’ve had a couple of rough days and look a bit tired, but you are still beautiful. That man will be thrilled to see you.”

Nat knew her so well that she didn’t wait for Al to answer, just pulled her to the door and stopped with her hand on the door handle.

“It looks clean.” Nat glanced through the window. “I say we go in and check out the artists portfolios. I don't see any reason to run yet.” Nat gave Al a wink.

“Absolutely,” Rogue agreed. “Besides, we haven’t seen your man yet."

Kai had to be here. Al really wanted to see him. She wanted to know if he was as gorgeous as she remembered and if he made her feel any of the things she did in the airport in the light of day and after some distance. She couldn’t help but blush at her friends ribbing and pushed past Nat to open the door before they could say anything else. A bell tinkled over their heads as they entered the brightly colored and eclectically designed tattoo shop. Nat was right, it was extremely clean. And, even with the eclectic collection of items on the walls and a few shelves, it was extremely well organized.

“I’ll be right there.” A gruff voice yelled from a back room, before a large man stepped past the blood red curtain to the front of the shop. He stopped, half-turned, as he laid supplies on a counter beside the entry to the back. The man was huge, not as tall as Kai, but he had a larger build than the man Al was hoping to see. As he turned to them, Al heard Rogue whisper, “Woof,” under her breath. The man stopped cold, staring at Rogue, before he shook his head and positioned himself behind the counter at the front of the shop.

“What can I do you for?” He asked. Rogue stood staring and not saying a word.

Nat nudged her with a shoulder and replied, “We were told that this was the place to get a tattoo.”

“Oh yeah, who by?” The man demanded.

“Kai.” Al squeaked. She cleared her throat and tried again, “Kai Darrow. I met him on a flight heading this way. When I told him that my friends and I were planning to get a tattoo, he said he worked here and gave me his card.” Al took out the card and waved it at him.

“You must be the gal he said he met on his way down. The one he missed his flight for.” He said as he grinned at Al.
What’s he talking about missed his flight.
Al thought before he continued. “Kai’s not in yet, we had planned on doing inventory, so we don’t have any appointments this morning.”

“Oh. We should have called.” Al began to turn away.

“No worries. It must have been destiny for us to clear our schedules.” The man was staring at Rogue, “Why don’t y’all tell me what you’re wantin’ and I’ll see what we can figure out." He waited a moment and when the girls didn’t answer, he went on. “How about you beautiful?” He said to Rogue, "what you wantin’ on that gorgeous skin of yours?”

For the first time ever, Al watched as Rogue blushed and giggled nervously. She couldn’t believe it; she had never seen her take charge friend ever react this way.
Oh, how fun. I think I have something on Rogue now.
Al giggled. Nat looked over at her and motioned to Rogue with a movement of her head and mouthed, “What the hell?” Al just shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, I… I mean we... we wanted to get a tattoo together. We were thinkin’ the same one. Somethin’ to remember our trip to New Orleans. We originally were thinkin’ somethin’ with the feel of the city to it.” Rogue replied.

Nat continued, “But, there have been some events and we’re thinking something a bit different. Something to represent strength. A warrior tattoo.”

“I kind of thought maybe an animal that represents strength.” Al added quietly.

“Hmm, well…” He reached behind him and pulled a large black binder off a shelf. “This book only contains one style of tattoo, but why don't you look at it to get an idea of the work our artists can create. They’re not New Orleans inspired, but they are warrior tattoos with animals. I think it shows some of our best work. I’ll just go in the back and grab the
tourist
portfolio. I think Kai had it back their updatin’ it.” The big man had made a face when he said tourist.

Al and Nat both stiffened at his words. She hoped he was going to take them seriously. This tattoo meant a lot to her and it needed to be special. Not some knock off art. Kai had made her believe that they would take care of them; she hoped she hadn’t made a bad decision to talk the others into coming here.

With that thought she grabbed the book he had left on the counter and began to flip randomly through the pages.

“You don’t seem enthused with our choice of themes?” Nat questioned before he could disappear into the back.

“It’s just that I hear it a lot, especially about the city inspired part. It’s just not very original for a true tattoo artist.” He responded as he slipped back through the blood red curtains.

“Let me see Al,” Nat said as she grabbed the binder. “Geesh! Start at the beginning, how can you stand to just jump around?" Nat scolded as she flipped to the first page.

“As a technical writer I have to be linear and follow all of the rules, but I’m on vacation and I refuse to do it now.” Al said as she slid the binder back her way and looked at the first photo. She sucked in a breath, her fingers hovering over the edge of the page as she stared.
A dragon. He will guide and protect you.
Miss Cleo’s words echoed in Al’s ears.

The bell above the door tinkled behind them. Al tore her eyes away from the amazing dragon tattoo that she was pretty sure she was going to leave the shop with. Standing in the doorway was Kai. The man she also wanted to leave the shop with.

***

Kai entered the tattoo shop with a large box in his hands that he had picked up at the post office. It probably held the new supplies that Malkum had ordered. It wasn’t heavy, but it blocked some of his view. He smiled at the customers standing at the counter from around the box and proceeded to the coffee table in the waiting area. He dropped the box on the table just as an enticing blend of flowers and cinnamon teased his nose. A fragrance he would not soon forget. His mate had come.