I lurched for the mouse and closed the document. “Okay that’s enough.”
Quillan swiveled around in his chair and gave me a huge smile. “Wow.”
“Don’t look so pleased with yourself,” I said, searching for a reasonable excuse as to why my boss’ name happened to be in my sex scene. “I just wanted Captain Slade to be…a blond and um…you were the first person who came to mind.”
Okay, that didn’t totally suck.
“Oh,” Quillan said and dropped his smile.
“Yeah, it just makes it easier for me to write when I can think about the people I know.” I paused. “Trey and Sam are in it too.” Okay, getting better. His phone went off before he could ask me any more questions, and I inwardly sighed. “Hi,” Quillan said into the receiver. “Yeah, we’re here. Ten minutes? Great.” He hung up and faced me again, delving back into his Chinese food. I was already full. “You’re finished?” he asked and eyed me like he didn’t trust me. “Yeah, I don’t eat much. Want the rest?” I offered my plate. He nodded, still mid chew, and took the plate.
When he was halfway through my dinner, the sound of the doorbell interrupted us. I got up, but Quillan was quick to subdue me. “Don’t know who it is, better that I get it.” I jumped in front of him. “Give me a break. This is my house, and Sam’s spell keeps anything bad away.” “Sam’s spell is breakable, Dulce,” Quillan said, looking fatigued. “I know that,” I snapped.
The doorbell dinged again. Quillan sighed. “You’re so stubborn,” he said as I pulled open the door, and we both faced a short and rotund man. Well, actually, goblin.
“Delivery for a Dulcie O’Neil,” the goblin said. “Got them in the truck.”
Quillan started after him. I decided to clean up the Chinese food. Glancing out my kitchen window, which overlooked the yard, I watched as Quillan and the goblin struggled with a large wooden crate. Finding the Chinese food less than interesting, I started for the living room window, which would offer a better view.
Luckily, it didn’t seem like any of my neighbors were home. Quillan had probably cast a spell to keep them away. Whatever worked, I guess.
Thinking I should pay more attention to my new companions, I started for the front door and, closing it behind me, followed the curse words into the back yard. Quillan had a crow bar up against the crate, and the goblin had one on the opposite side. They pulled together, and the front popped open.
Neither man moved, but something inside the crate did. It poked its head out and continued advancing, looking like some sort of pig dog. Labrador or Dalmation? Yeah, no. Its enormous head looked like a bulbous circular mound with two red eyes and tusks as long as my forearms.
Quillan neared the opening of the crate, bending down as if to make friends with the hideous thing. The gremlin approached him, and sniffed at his hand. Its skin was pasty white and completely devoid of fur. It looked an albino dog with mange. It wasn’t a small creature. Seated, it came up to my waist, and its head was easily bigger than any St. Bernard’s. But this creature had nothing endearing about him, even if you wrapped a little first aid kit around its neck.
“Dulce, come say hello,” Quillan said, before turning to face me.
Reluctantly, I started toward the crate, noticing the other gremlin cautiously making its way out of the enclosure. I stood beside Quillan, and he drew my hand forward. The strange little creature sniffed it with little interest. Apparently finding me less than appetizing, it trotted off into the woods, its friend following.
“So, which one’s the Lab, and which one’s the Dalmatian?” I asked.
Quillan smiled down at me. “Very funny, Dulce.”
An hour later, I had two gremlins who were happily scouting out the environment of the woods alongside my apartment. I was doing dishes, and Quillan was en route back to his place.
The shrill ring of the phone cut right through the calmness of the moment. I answered it and heard the unmistakable sound of panting on the other end.
“Dulce, it’s Trey. I gotta come over.”
“What?” I was less than polite but still, Trey needing to come over was definitely on the weird side. We weren’t exactly friends and we’d never been to one another’s houses, which was totally and completely fine by me.
“I had a vision, Dulce. I had a vision of the creature killing Fabian.”
My heart about dropped out of my chest.
EIGHT
Trey was shaking, but he assured me it wasn’t unusual after he had a vision. Not blessed with second sight, I had nothing to go on but his word.
“Do you want a glass of water?” I asked as I showed him into my living room.
He shook his head, sweat sailing from his forehead onto my floor. I tried not to gag and instead, motioned him toward the couch. “Have a seat.”
Trey threw himself onto the sofa, the cushions and springs groaning under his weight. His gaze rested on the TV until it looked like he was hypnotized. But, the TV wasn’t on, so it couldn’t have been that enthralling.
“I know I’m not supposed to be here-Quillan said you were off the squad for a while. But, Dulce, I thought you’d want to know anyway.”
I got the gist of it. Trey was scared but didn’t want to go to Quillan in his current unsettled state. And he probably didn’t want to stay home either, with visions of a creature tearing Fabian apart dancing in his head.
“Do you want to take the couch tonight?” I asked.
“Yeah, if I could. I’m usually not like this after a vision, but this one was pretty bad.” He glanced away, and I knew there was more. I just hoped he wouldn’t start crying-his lower lip was trembling like a three year old before a tantrum. “I’m afraid if anyone knows I had the vision, they’ll come after me. There’s a lot of incriminating stuff in it.” That was something I hadn’t considered. “How would they find out?” “When I have visions, sometimes whoever is involved knows I’m having them.” “That’s happened before?” “Yep, if whoever I see is sensitive enough, they can pick up on it.” “If that’s the case, you need to tell Quillan. You should be protected.”
Trey just nodded, but it was a nod that said he probably wouldn’t. That was one of the things I didn’t get about men-the whole machismo thing-that if Trey told Quillan he was scared, he’d look like a wuss.
“Why don’t you tell me about it?” I started.
Trey exhaled. “Here goes. I was eating dinner tonight, and it hit me out of nowhere. I saw Fabian in his store. It was late, and he was there by himself. Then I remember seeing him trying to get away from something. I got the impression that whatever it was, it was female. And there was someone else in the background. He was dressed all in black and had his head down so I couldn’t see his face. But he was there, watching the whole thing.”
“Okay, you think the creature is female. That’s good to know. Did you catch anything about the size of it or what it looked like?”
He shook his head. “No, nothing. I might’ve been seeing the situation through the creature’s eyes. I could see everything about…Fabian.”
Trey shivered and dropped his attention to his fidgeting hands. “I can’t be alone, Dulce. Not after seeing that.”
“You can stay here tonight. I’ve got Sam’s protection spell on the place, and Quillan dropped off two gremlins earlier this evening so I’m about as safe as can be.” I laughed, trying to lighten Trey’s mood, but he barely managed a half smile. I’d never seen him like this, and it freaked me out. Usually he was the annoying sidekick-the perpetual thorn in my side. I wasn’t prepared for a role change.
“Thanks, Dulce.”
“You know you have to tell Quillan tomorrow?” I asked. “I’m off the case, remember?”
How I was going to get this information to Knight was another question. I’d given him my phone number, but I didn’t have his. I’d have to wait until he called me or showed up in my dreams again. Hopefully I’d get the call.
“Yeah, I’ll tell him tomorrow.”
