CHAPTER THREE
Lindsey looked at Connor as they went into the Sagebrush Saloon. Tucker was still on the door. Lindsey remembered the bouncer from the times when he would shed his corporate skin and came here to be himself. Tucker looked more like a solid block of meat than a man.
"The kid looks a little young to go inside," Tucker rumbled, holding out a restraining hand.
Lindsey wasn't sure if the bouncer recognized him or not. He used to look the other way on occasion for Lindsey when he'd contract out to Wolfram and Hart for 'body' work. "My kid brother. He's legal." He offered twenty dollars to insure the man's cooperation and was almost disappointed that it worked, as if the price for someone to ignore a patron with of a piece of underaged ass was that cheap. Regardless, he walked Connor inside.
"Brother?" Connor asked.
"I didn't want them thinking you're my date." Lindsey surveyed the packed club but couldn't pick one face out of the crowd.
"Date? Two men can do that?" A perplexed expression twisted across Connor's face.
"So you arrived here from hell, what? Three days ago?" Connor's innocence amused Lindsey.
"Over a month," Connor replied, miffed.
"Let's just say yes it can be done by about ten percent of the population. I'm not in that percentage." Lindsey wove through the crowd.
"Back corner," Connor said. "We can see a lot and nothing can come up behind us."
"Good thought."
Lindsey nearly got knocked off his feet by the dancing throng but finally he got to the lonely two person table in the corner. It was lopsided and out of the path of most of the traffic. Its candle was unlit as if the table had somehow been forgotten. Both men pulled the stools to one side of the table, putting as much of their bodies to the wall as possible. It also allowed them maximum viewing for the dance floor.
"Keep an eye out for a tall woman, mousy brown hair, real bitchy expression on her face," Lindsey said.
"Why?" Connor examined the laminated drinks menu he found on the table.
"Because it was most likely Lilah who set me up," Lindsey replied, taking the menu away.
Connor nodded and set about watching the crowd. Lindsey waved over a waitress.
"I'd like a beer." Lindsey took a look at the extensive menu. "Oh man, you have Pete's Place choc beer."
"You know it?" She seemed surprised.
"I'm from Oklahoma. Out here, I miss the stuff. I'll have one of those and what kind of soda do you want, Connor?"
"Just water. Don't like soda."
"I'll get those right out to you," she said and disappeared. She came back quickly with the drinks.
Connor watched Lindsey up a brown leather wallet, tooled with an elaborate design on it of a belt around a crown and an armored hand holding a strange cross. The words in the belt didn't make sense to him, Per mare, per terras. Connor noticed the gold ring on Lindsey's finger had the same symbol. Lindsey paid the waitress and she left.
"What is that? Magic stuff?" Connor poked the wallet.
Lindsey laughed and put his wallet away. "No, that's my clan symbol. The ring and wallet were gifts from a girlfriend who thought I was into my Scottish heritage."
Connor shrugged. He didn't get it but didn't want to let on. He sniffed at the beer. "That's the stuff Gunn never wants to share with me."
"You're too young. You have to be older to drink alcohol."
"Why?"
"Because it alters your judgement and makes you do dumb things."
Connor cocked his head to the side, his eyes saying 'why would anyone that?' "Then why drink it?"
Lindsey looked at his choc beer, suddenly wanting it less. "When you're older, you'll understand."
Connor settled down quietly and they both watched the dance floor. After a half hour, Lindsey got up.
"Too crowded to see a damn thing. I'm going out on the dance floor and see if I can spot anything from there," Lindsey said. "You stay here and keep looking for her."
"But I don't know her. Every woman I pointed out you said wasn't her," Connor moaned. "Then just sit and stay out of trouble."
Lindsey left him and went out to dance in the crowd. His Tejun lizard- booted feet easily picked out the dance steps to 'Boot Scootin' Boogie.' He went through several more line dances before he finally spotted the person who had to be the one who sent him the letter and it wasn't the person he was expecting. When he got back to the table, he saw Connor was on his feet, looking out of his league as a girl with breasts nearly the size of her head tried to lead him out onto the dance floor.
"Come on, sweetie. Dancing's fun. It's a good slow song. We'll dance 'til your belt buckle shines," she promised.
"I don't have a belt." Connor had a deer in the headlights look.
"Then I'll have to polish something else." She grinned like the big bad wolf.
"Little brother, we have work to do," Lindsey called and Connor looked relieved to see him. The girl whirled on Lindsey with a pout. He could barely read her shirt over the valley and hills of her chest, 'Save a horse, ride a cowboy.' Maybe Connor wouldn't thank him for the rescue. What teenager didn't want ridden? Of course, being in a hell-dimension until a month ago, Connor might not have a clue what the girl wanted. Lindsey decided it wasn't to his advantage to throw Angel's son to the drunk and hornies of the saloon.
"We were talking," she said, giving Lindsey a look.
"And now you're done," Lindsey informed her. She grimaced but pushed off, mumbling something about all the cute ones being gay.
"She's here?" Connor asked, still looking confused.
"Not she, he. I was wrong." Lindsey pointed at the Asian man pushing his way through the crowd, looking highly out of place in the sea of mostly Caucasian faces. Lindsey sat back down and indicated for Connor to do the same. "Gavin, I wasn't expecting you."
"And I most definitely wasn't expecting him." Gavin nodded at Connor.
"What did you want, Gavin? I didn't come back here to waste time with you," Lindsey grated, completely regretting the risk he had taken to return to L.A.
"No, you came back thinking your undead girlfriend wanted you." Gavin gave him a superior look. "I should just skip why I lured you here and claim an unexpected prize." He pointed at Connor who bristled.
"I'd like to see you take him. He'll pull you apart," Lindsey said, hoping Connor hadn't lied about his abilities. Gavin shrugged. "Perhaps. Still, if I brought him in, my worries at Wolfram and Hart are over."
"What worries? You're so second string, no one notices you," Lindsey scoffed.
Gavin's look could have melted metal. "I took your place since you were so obviously inadequate."
"I left Wolfram and Hart, Gavin. I wasn't fired," Lindsey said. "My call. You're their desperation fill-in for me."
"This is boring. Just find out what he wants," Connor groaned.
"Impatient, just like his old man," Gavin said.
"I'm nothing like him," Connor said and Lindsey thought he'd have to hold him back from crushing Gavin.
"Gavin, just get to the point. You took a chance meeting me here so I'm guessing you don't want to turn me over to the Senior Partners. You want something from me." Lindsey took a swig of his second beer.
Gavin reined in his peeved expression. "You knew Lilah well. She's angling to get control."
"She's always wanted to get control of our division. I was just too good to let her. Too bad you're not up to the task." Lindsey smirked.
Gavin returned it. "I'm not worried about the division. Lilah wants Linwood's job. I can sense it. You knew her best. Tell me how to stop her."
Lindsey laughed then looked out at the crowd, feeling a change in its atmosphere. People were heading toward the door en masse. "Why?"
"Because you don't really want her to win."
"Like I care," Lindsey said, watching Connor sneaking a drink of his beer. The boy's face wrinkled up at the bitter taste. He took the bottle away, ignoring Connor's disappointed grunt.
"You care," Gavin replied, no doubt in his voice.
"Like hell. I'm out of it, Gavin. I want nothing to do with this." Lindsey held up his hands. "Learn to handle women on your own."
Gavin stiffened. "You'll help or-"
"Or what? There's nothing you can do to me, Gavin. If I can make myself invisible to the Senior Partners, what makes you think you can do..." Lindsey trailed off, seeing even more people heading for the door. "What the hell is going on?"
"I have no idea." Gavin sounded disinterested in whatever was going on.
Connor shrugged. "They're saying it's snowing outside."
"You can hear them?" Lindsey asked in shock. "Over all this noise?"
"That's what they're saying," Connor insisted.
"It never snows in L.A., especially not in the middle of the summer," Gavin gibed.
"This I have to see." Lindsey got up. "And Connor, if he makes a stupid move, hurt him."
Connor grinned ferally, taking Gavin's arm. "Sure."
Gavin swallowed hard and didn't resist as Lindsey and Connor headed for the door. They had to fight through the crowd. Once outside, Lindsey stopped, looking up. Fat snowflakes fell, trimming his long eyelashes.
Connor smiled up at the whirling dance of the snow. "It's cold...feels good, like home."
"You're a sick creature," Gavin said. "And this...this is wrong."
"No kidding, snow in summer." Lindsey felt a chill and it wasn't from the cold winds blowing around him.
"No, I mean this is wrong. She wasn't supposed to start this yet," Gavin said then looked terrified realizing he has let a secret slip.
"I think you had better start explaining," Lindsey said. "Or you'll find out why Lilah stayed in line around me."
* *
*
Gunn tried to process being rubbed on all sides. Fred had chosen one of the trendiest night clubs in town. It was so packed that the spot he had staked out on the dance floor was barely big enough to jiggle back and forth against Fred. As it was, his very limited moves not only wiggled him against Fred but against the backside of the woman behind him and along the hip of the man next to him. It was like having extra arms that he didn't want.
He took Fred's hand and gently tugged her through the crowd, moving off the dance floor. She was so close she was practically under his skin. He couldn't fight the tide of people and rode it until it spat him out at one of the side bars. Unable to move forward or go back, he just smiled at her. "Want something to drink?"
"A Tainted Heart," she said, brushing her damp hair off her sweaty face. The strands were curling just a bit from the heat and humidity inside the club. Gunn found it cute.
"I don't know how you drink those things," Gunn said then placed an order for one and for a beer.
"They're yummy," she assured him.
"It's Aftershock," he said, grimacing at the remembrance of the one time he had been enticed into drinking the cinnamon liquor that could strip the hide off of a tongue.
"And chocolate liquor. It's like Valentine's day in a shot glass." Fred licked her lips. When their drinks came she hoisted hers, clinking it to his beer bottle. "Happy birthday."
"And it's a good one," he said, taking a long swallow. It felt good after all the hot work on the dance floor.
Fred pounded the shot. "Are you having a good time?"
He smiled, bobbing his head. "It's fun...only it is awfully crowded in here. Want to find somewhere a little more private?"
"Okay." She favored him with a cat-satisfied look. "Where do you have in mind?"
"I don't know. There's got to be plenty o' places to go and be alone...a nice secluded place to park, have a little one on one without worrying about some skinny little kid hearing us." He smirked. "And the risk of getting caught can be a real turn on."
"Charles, are you suggesting what I think you are?" Fred looped her arms around his waist.
"Let's go."
He pulled her with some effort through the crowds to the outdoors. He shivered involuntarily. "I know it was too damn hot in there but should it feel this cold in comparison?"
Fred wrapped her arms around herself. "Something's very wrong."
"I didn't hear that," Gunn grumbled.
"Look, Charles." Fred pointed up into the street lights. A few snow flakes could be seen cutting the beams. Those few flakes were quickly joined by others until it looked like a proper snow storm was whipping up.
"Okay, this ain't possible," Gunn said, incredulously.
"We work with vampires and demons and you think a little snow is impossible?" Fred's big eyes got even wider. "Anyone else thinking magic?"
"And Wolfram and Hart?" Gunn wrinkled his nose. "We had better get back to the hotel and do the book thing and we'd better go now before everyone freaks out and the streets aren't driveable."
"I have such a bad feeling about this," Fred said, following Gunn to the car.
"Happy birthday to me," he replied, bitterly.
Lindsey looked at Connor as they went into the Sagebrush Saloon. Tucker was still on the door. Lindsey remembered the bouncer from the times when he would shed his corporate skin and came here to be himself. Tucker looked more like a solid block of meat than a man.
"The kid looks a little young to go inside," Tucker rumbled, holding out a restraining hand.
Lindsey wasn't sure if the bouncer recognized him or not. He used to look the other way on occasion for Lindsey when he'd contract out to Wolfram and Hart for 'body' work. "My kid brother. He's legal." He offered twenty dollars to insure the man's cooperation and was almost disappointed that it worked, as if the price for someone to ignore a patron with of a piece of underaged ass was that cheap. Regardless, he walked Connor inside.
"Brother?" Connor asked.
"I didn't want them thinking you're my date." Lindsey surveyed the packed club but couldn't pick one face out of the crowd.
"Date? Two men can do that?" A perplexed expression twisted across Connor's face.
"So you arrived here from hell, what? Three days ago?" Connor's innocence amused Lindsey.
"Over a month," Connor replied, miffed.
"Let's just say yes it can be done by about ten percent of the population. I'm not in that percentage." Lindsey wove through the crowd.
"Back corner," Connor said. "We can see a lot and nothing can come up behind us."
"Good thought."
Lindsey nearly got knocked off his feet by the dancing throng but finally he got to the lonely two person table in the corner. It was lopsided and out of the path of most of the traffic. Its candle was unlit as if the table had somehow been forgotten. Both men pulled the stools to one side of the table, putting as much of their bodies to the wall as possible. It also allowed them maximum viewing for the dance floor.
"Keep an eye out for a tall woman, mousy brown hair, real bitchy expression on her face," Lindsey said.
"Why?" Connor examined the laminated drinks menu he found on the table.
"Because it was most likely Lilah who set me up," Lindsey replied, taking the menu away.
Connor nodded and set about watching the crowd. Lindsey waved over a waitress.
"I'd like a beer." Lindsey took a look at the extensive menu. "Oh man, you have Pete's Place choc beer."
"You know it?" She seemed surprised.
"I'm from Oklahoma. Out here, I miss the stuff. I'll have one of those and what kind of soda do you want, Connor?"
"Just water. Don't like soda."
"I'll get those right out to you," she said and disappeared. She came back quickly with the drinks.
Connor watched Lindsey up a brown leather wallet, tooled with an elaborate design on it of a belt around a crown and an armored hand holding a strange cross. The words in the belt didn't make sense to him, Per mare, per terras. Connor noticed the gold ring on Lindsey's finger had the same symbol. Lindsey paid the waitress and she left.
"What is that? Magic stuff?" Connor poked the wallet.
Lindsey laughed and put his wallet away. "No, that's my clan symbol. The ring and wallet were gifts from a girlfriend who thought I was into my Scottish heritage."
Connor shrugged. He didn't get it but didn't want to let on. He sniffed at the beer. "That's the stuff Gunn never wants to share with me."
"You're too young. You have to be older to drink alcohol."
"Why?"
"Because it alters your judgement and makes you do dumb things."
Connor cocked his head to the side, his eyes saying 'why would anyone that?' "Then why drink it?"
Lindsey looked at his choc beer, suddenly wanting it less. "When you're older, you'll understand."
Connor settled down quietly and they both watched the dance floor. After a half hour, Lindsey got up.
"Too crowded to see a damn thing. I'm going out on the dance floor and see if I can spot anything from there," Lindsey said. "You stay here and keep looking for her."
"But I don't know her. Every woman I pointed out you said wasn't her," Connor moaned. "Then just sit and stay out of trouble."
Lindsey left him and went out to dance in the crowd. His Tejun lizard- booted feet easily picked out the dance steps to 'Boot Scootin' Boogie.' He went through several more line dances before he finally spotted the person who had to be the one who sent him the letter and it wasn't the person he was expecting. When he got back to the table, he saw Connor was on his feet, looking out of his league as a girl with breasts nearly the size of her head tried to lead him out onto the dance floor.
"Come on, sweetie. Dancing's fun. It's a good slow song. We'll dance 'til your belt buckle shines," she promised.
"I don't have a belt." Connor had a deer in the headlights look.
"Then I'll have to polish something else." She grinned like the big bad wolf.
"Little brother, we have work to do," Lindsey called and Connor looked relieved to see him. The girl whirled on Lindsey with a pout. He could barely read her shirt over the valley and hills of her chest, 'Save a horse, ride a cowboy.' Maybe Connor wouldn't thank him for the rescue. What teenager didn't want ridden? Of course, being in a hell-dimension until a month ago, Connor might not have a clue what the girl wanted. Lindsey decided it wasn't to his advantage to throw Angel's son to the drunk and hornies of the saloon.
"We were talking," she said, giving Lindsey a look.
"And now you're done," Lindsey informed her. She grimaced but pushed off, mumbling something about all the cute ones being gay.
"She's here?" Connor asked, still looking confused.
"Not she, he. I was wrong." Lindsey pointed at the Asian man pushing his way through the crowd, looking highly out of place in the sea of mostly Caucasian faces. Lindsey sat back down and indicated for Connor to do the same. "Gavin, I wasn't expecting you."
"And I most definitely wasn't expecting him." Gavin nodded at Connor.
"What did you want, Gavin? I didn't come back here to waste time with you," Lindsey grated, completely regretting the risk he had taken to return to L.A.
"No, you came back thinking your undead girlfriend wanted you." Gavin gave him a superior look. "I should just skip why I lured you here and claim an unexpected prize." He pointed at Connor who bristled.
"I'd like to see you take him. He'll pull you apart," Lindsey said, hoping Connor hadn't lied about his abilities. Gavin shrugged. "Perhaps. Still, if I brought him in, my worries at Wolfram and Hart are over."
"What worries? You're so second string, no one notices you," Lindsey scoffed.
Gavin's look could have melted metal. "I took your place since you were so obviously inadequate."
"I left Wolfram and Hart, Gavin. I wasn't fired," Lindsey said. "My call. You're their desperation fill-in for me."
"This is boring. Just find out what he wants," Connor groaned.
"Impatient, just like his old man," Gavin said.
"I'm nothing like him," Connor said and Lindsey thought he'd have to hold him back from crushing Gavin.
"Gavin, just get to the point. You took a chance meeting me here so I'm guessing you don't want to turn me over to the Senior Partners. You want something from me." Lindsey took a swig of his second beer.
Gavin reined in his peeved expression. "You knew Lilah well. She's angling to get control."
"She's always wanted to get control of our division. I was just too good to let her. Too bad you're not up to the task." Lindsey smirked.
Gavin returned it. "I'm not worried about the division. Lilah wants Linwood's job. I can sense it. You knew her best. Tell me how to stop her."
Lindsey laughed then looked out at the crowd, feeling a change in its atmosphere. People were heading toward the door en masse. "Why?"
"Because you don't really want her to win."
"Like I care," Lindsey said, watching Connor sneaking a drink of his beer. The boy's face wrinkled up at the bitter taste. He took the bottle away, ignoring Connor's disappointed grunt.
"You care," Gavin replied, no doubt in his voice.
"Like hell. I'm out of it, Gavin. I want nothing to do with this." Lindsey held up his hands. "Learn to handle women on your own."
Gavin stiffened. "You'll help or-"
"Or what? There's nothing you can do to me, Gavin. If I can make myself invisible to the Senior Partners, what makes you think you can do..." Lindsey trailed off, seeing even more people heading for the door. "What the hell is going on?"
"I have no idea." Gavin sounded disinterested in whatever was going on.
Connor shrugged. "They're saying it's snowing outside."
"You can hear them?" Lindsey asked in shock. "Over all this noise?"
"That's what they're saying," Connor insisted.
"It never snows in L.A., especially not in the middle of the summer," Gavin gibed.
"This I have to see." Lindsey got up. "And Connor, if he makes a stupid move, hurt him."
Connor grinned ferally, taking Gavin's arm. "Sure."
Gavin swallowed hard and didn't resist as Lindsey and Connor headed for the door. They had to fight through the crowd. Once outside, Lindsey stopped, looking up. Fat snowflakes fell, trimming his long eyelashes.
Connor smiled up at the whirling dance of the snow. "It's cold...feels good, like home."
"You're a sick creature," Gavin said. "And this...this is wrong."
"No kidding, snow in summer." Lindsey felt a chill and it wasn't from the cold winds blowing around him.
"No, I mean this is wrong. She wasn't supposed to start this yet," Gavin said then looked terrified realizing he has let a secret slip.
"I think you had better start explaining," Lindsey said. "Or you'll find out why Lilah stayed in line around me."
* *
*
Gunn tried to process being rubbed on all sides. Fred had chosen one of the trendiest night clubs in town. It was so packed that the spot he had staked out on the dance floor was barely big enough to jiggle back and forth against Fred. As it was, his very limited moves not only wiggled him against Fred but against the backside of the woman behind him and along the hip of the man next to him. It was like having extra arms that he didn't want.
He took Fred's hand and gently tugged her through the crowd, moving off the dance floor. She was so close she was practically under his skin. He couldn't fight the tide of people and rode it until it spat him out at one of the side bars. Unable to move forward or go back, he just smiled at her. "Want something to drink?"
"A Tainted Heart," she said, brushing her damp hair off her sweaty face. The strands were curling just a bit from the heat and humidity inside the club. Gunn found it cute.
"I don't know how you drink those things," Gunn said then placed an order for one and for a beer.
"They're yummy," she assured him.
"It's Aftershock," he said, grimacing at the remembrance of the one time he had been enticed into drinking the cinnamon liquor that could strip the hide off of a tongue.
"And chocolate liquor. It's like Valentine's day in a shot glass." Fred licked her lips. When their drinks came she hoisted hers, clinking it to his beer bottle. "Happy birthday."
"And it's a good one," he said, taking a long swallow. It felt good after all the hot work on the dance floor.
Fred pounded the shot. "Are you having a good time?"
He smiled, bobbing his head. "It's fun...only it is awfully crowded in here. Want to find somewhere a little more private?"
"Okay." She favored him with a cat-satisfied look. "Where do you have in mind?"
"I don't know. There's got to be plenty o' places to go and be alone...a nice secluded place to park, have a little one on one without worrying about some skinny little kid hearing us." He smirked. "And the risk of getting caught can be a real turn on."
"Charles, are you suggesting what I think you are?" Fred looped her arms around his waist.
"Let's go."
He pulled her with some effort through the crowds to the outdoors. He shivered involuntarily. "I know it was too damn hot in there but should it feel this cold in comparison?"
Fred wrapped her arms around herself. "Something's very wrong."
"I didn't hear that," Gunn grumbled.
"Look, Charles." Fred pointed up into the street lights. A few snow flakes could be seen cutting the beams. Those few flakes were quickly joined by others until it looked like a proper snow storm was whipping up.
"Okay, this ain't possible," Gunn said, incredulously.
"We work with vampires and demons and you think a little snow is impossible?" Fred's big eyes got even wider. "Anyone else thinking magic?"
"And Wolfram and Hart?" Gunn wrinkled his nose. "We had better get back to the hotel and do the book thing and we'd better go now before everyone freaks out and the streets aren't driveable."
"I have such a bad feeling about this," Fred said, following Gunn to the car.
"Happy birthday to me," he replied, bitterly.