CHAPTER THREE

Lindsey tipped back his beer letting the bitter liquid course down his throat. He loved this bar. The Crazy Coyote was the kind of place no one at Wolfram and Hart would think to look for him, a simple honky tonk that had cheap booze, good music and plenty of dance space. NASCAR memorabilia competed with cowboy/cowgirl themed ads, plaques and pictures of country music stars.

Even if he was a little shy about doing it now, he had suited himself up for a night of dancing. It felt awkward to hold a woman close with a fake hand, just one more thing to hate Angel for. Lindsey was on his second beer, hiding out at his patio table just enjoying the music when a tall blonde approached him. Lindsey corrected himself; she wasn't blonde in so much as nearly albino. Still, she was pretty enough, even if her almost golden eyes were disconcerting.

She smiled at him. "Would you like to dance?"

Lindsey considered it and decided it could be fun. "I'd love to. I'm Lindsey."

"Sophie."

Lindsey let Sophie corral him on the dance floor for the better part of an hour. She was a fantastic dancer and he enjoyed being with her even if she towered over him. He counted himself lucky to find such a pretty, talented woman. By the time they headed back to his table for a breather and a drink, Dominique and James were sitting there. He shot Sophie an accusatory look. "You set me up."

"I guess you could say that." Sophie was utterly unapologetic.

Lindsey refused to let them see they had rattled him by showing up. He didn't know how they had found him unless they had him followed. He had had less disturbing thoughts. Lindsey sat down, leaning back and trying to look casual. "So, what can I do for you?"

"And here I was hoping we could have a few drinks before we got down to business." Dominique pouted. "Even got you a pitcher."

"You drink it. I'll get a bottle, thank you," Lindsey said.

"You don't trust us." Sophie brushed back her white-blond hair as she took the remaining chair between James and Lindsey.

"Trust no one," Lindsey replied.

"Fine, Mulder, we'll do it your way." James smiled thinly as he beckoned over the waitress.

Lindsey looked up. "I'll have another Corona. Are you drinking from the pitcher, Sunka?" Lindsey's eyes canted to Sophie who seemed a little shocked to be called by the dog's name. "Or do you want something else?"

Her lips twitched up. "I'm good."

"I'll say," James muttered and she glared.

The waitress nodded and took off.

"I think someone knows your secret, my pretty little wasichu." Dominique giggled at Sophie, pouring a beer for herself. She tried to pour for James but he covered the remaining mug with his hand.

Sophie gazed at Lindsey coolly as she played with the Bud Lite coaster on the table. "So he thinks."

"You stole something from us," James said bluntly. "Give it back and your life goes back to normal."

"You know, a little birdie already told me that something of mine was about to cause me trouble. So what is it you think I have that belongs to you?" Lindsey slumped back in his seat.

"I think you know and you'll feel a lot better once you give it back." Dominique's eyes went flat and deadly in the golden glow of a neon beer sign hanging on the nearby wall.

Lindsey felt his pulse skip a beat. He suddenly realized the true danger and it wasn't Sophie the She-Wolf. It was this dark-haired women just like Lorne had said. "The only things I've purchased recently are flowers and some toys for a lady friend who had to cancel her visit. I've already given away the flowers but I could let you have the toys."

James eyes lit up. "Me and my girl might like that." He dropped a hand on Sophie's knee.

"Talk about amusing jokes." Sophie leveled a glare at James who moved his hand as if it had been resting on a hot stove.

"Speaking of lady friends, I think that's one of yours." Dominique pointed to the woman following their waitress.

Lindsey scowled at Lilah as he accepted the beer. "Put it on my tab please," he told the waitress. "Lilah, what are you doing here?" Lindsey hated this. The Crazy Coyote was supposed to be his safe haven. No one from Wolfram and Hart was supposed to know about it.

"Oddly enough, I got a call." Lilah tried to cover a snicker. "Look at you. Aren't you the little cowboy? You even have a pearl-button shirt." Lilah ticked a finger against the button of his ocean blue shirt.

He whacked her with his prosthetic hand. "Keep your hands off. In fact, why don't you get out of my honky tonk?"

"Awww, is the eenie-weenie Okie mad at little ol' me?" Lilah drawled, batting her eyes as she sat down in the seat James relinquished to her. He looked longingly at the dance floor as the DJ put on Brooks and Dunn's Boot Scootin' Boogie. "Who're your friends?"

"Not friends." Lindsey squeezed the lime into his Corona then dropped it in before swigging.

"Of course not. Why would you have friends?" Lilah smiled sweetly.

Lindsey resisted the urge to punch her in the face. "James, Dominique, and Sophie. This is Lilah. She's the one you probably want to be talking to. I have a feeling she has what you're looking for, or at least she was supposed to."

"Then you do know what we're looking for," James said. Sophie and Dominique seemed irked at the ham-handed way he broached the subject.

"Let's just say I have some ideas and I bet Lilah does, too," Lindsey said, waving his bottle at his coworker.

"No clue. Are those snake skin boots?" Lilah laughed, pointing to Lindsey's feet.

Lindsey glared. "What of it?"

"So, you giving back the medicine shield or what?" James toyed with the ends of his long hair impatiently.

"Is that what this is about? That dumb relic?" Lilah sat back and looked at her perfectly painted nails, bored. "We're not authorized to negotiate on that."

"So you do have it?" Sophie looked between the two lawyers.

"Not actually. I'm just the interim caretaker until the object goes to our client whose name I can't give you so don't bother asking. Lilah was the actual caretaker," Lindsey said, still furious about that. "So, if you're responsible for my very recent run of bad luck, you can stop any time now."

"You think we could actually effect luck?" Dominique seemed highly amused.

"James always screws up mine," Sophie said, and it was James' turn to glare.

"I've seen a lot of weird stuff working at Wolfram and Hart. It would hardly surprise me," Lindsey replied.

"So I'm guessing you ain't giving the shield back," James said, still impatient.

"Not mine to give." Lindsey shrugged. "However, if you think you have a legitimate claim by all means hire a lawyer and get an injunction against Wolfram and Hart to prevent the transfer of the item. Take them to court. It should be good for a laugh."

"How about you and I take a few turns around the dance floor and talk about it." Dominique smiled prettily at him.

"Sorry, been warned against women like you. My seer said it would be bad for my health." Lindsey saw that dangerous look return to Dominique's eyes.

"You ought to take her up on the offer. It's not like you'll do any better," Lilah said. "Unless you plan on carrying that sign around with you." Lilah pointed to the plaque reading 'Save a horse, ride a cowboy.' "In this place that might work."

"That's a very good idea." Dominique leaned in. Two extra sets of arms and hands ghosted out of her, touching Lindsey and Lilah in concert. "Ride a cowboy."

As Dominique sat back, looking entirely human again, Lindsey and Lilah exchanged sly grins. Lilah grabbed his real hand and yanked him up. They raced out.

"Neat trick," James observed. "Think you could teach it to me or work a little mojo on..." He inclined his head toward Sophie.

She ran a hand through his long raven hair and smiled feral and cold. "You have one child, James. Do you want the chance to ever even try to father another?" Sophie's voice, while sweet, could have chilled the beer pitcher.

"I like her. She's spicy," Dominique said.

"I know. Some risks are worth taking, Sophie." James blew her a kiss.

She just sighed.