Chapter 5

LUKE

It's been days. I've been racking my brain. Trying to remember the details of my encounter with the fiery red head. The only way I'm going to find her is if I find that thing, I ripped off her neck.

So that's why I'm in the alley. Grimacing at my humiliation. Looking down at the image of myself bleeding on the pavement. She beat me then. She won't get a second chance.

I search the alley up and down. It has to be here. Then I see it. The sparkle tucked under the lip of a dumpster. I grab it and pick it up.

A long chain. Not silver, but looks like it. On the end is a pendent. I hold it in my hand and run my thumb over it. A Dragon. Twisting in a circle. Breathing fire. I flip it over and there's a single letter 'A' inscribed on the back. I trace the letter with my finger then flip the pendent again.

"Dragon." I mutter to myself. Is it possible? Could the girl I've been dreaming about for over a week be a Dragon? I needed answers.

As my thoughts drifted to her full, pink lips and smooth, high cheekbones, I'm interrupted by a tug on my arm.

"Spare change, brother?" I look to a disheveled man with his hand out. I quickly shove the pendent in my pocket and pull out a few coins.

"Uh...sure..." I place the coins in his hand and walk off.

"Thanks!" He calls back to me.

I needed answers and I knew where to get them. I hop on my bike and head for the downtown security building. A private extension of packhouse security. It was our attempt to recover what we lost when the Unit took back their Border units. It did help for a while, but they ended up losing due to the sheer number of criminals that came here.

I pull into the parking lot and park. I walk into the lobby of the building. I flash a charming smile at the receptionist, Cheryl.

"Hey, cutie. How's it going?" I lean on the counter.

She arches a brow. "When did you get back?" She typed on her keyboard.

I scratched my temple. "Six months ago."

"Hmph...." She didn't even look at me. "No phone call. No text."

"I've been, you know, busy." I shrug.

She turned her chair to me. "You mean you've been stinking drunk." She went back to typing.

"Come on, you can't still be mad." I smile

She twisted her chair to me again. "You take me to a hotel. Order five hundred dollars' worth of food and alcohol and leave. Never to be heard from again. Sticking me with the bill! Yes, I'm still mad!"

I cross my arms on the counter, resting my chin on them and smiling my cutest smile. "I'm sorry. Let me make it up you with dinner at my place." She stands and my eyes follow her as she files some papers. My eyes go directly to her ass. I forgot how tight it was.

She turns with a hand on her hip. "What do you want, Luke?" She takes her seat again.

I stand up. "Is Terry in?" I stuff my hand in my pocket with the pendent.

"Yeah, I'll buzz you in. He's the third office on the left." She buzzes the door and I open it.

I turn back to her. "Is that a yes for dinner?" I smile

She folds her arms. "Not a chance in hell."

I tick my head quick. "Ok then." I walk into the office building, strutting up the walkway.

I get to the office with the name plate "Terry Flash" on the door. I peer into the window. Terry is my dad's Delta. He helps here when he doesn't have pack business to do. He used to work as the Border unit liaison so now he's liaison here. I watch him pour over papers, running his fingers through his golden blonde hair. I give a quick knuckle rap on the glass. He looks up and waves me in.

I open the door and he smiles. "Hey, Luke. What brings you by. I thought you'd be gone already. Sorry I missed your send off."

I wave him down sinking into a chair. "I'm not going. You didn't miss much. Got blind drunk, struck out then got mugged."

"Sounds fun." He arched his brow. "What can I do you for?"

I reach into my pocket and pull out the pendent. "I, uh, pulled this from the neck of the guy that busted me. I was wondering if you could find out anything about it."

Terry took it and twirled it in his hand. "Well, it's certainly unique. Dragon?"

I shrug. "I don't know. But if it was, I wonder why he didn't just kill me."

He throws it down on his desk. "Well, leave it with me and I'll see what I can find. Should be about a week."

"Thanks, man." I stand and shake his hand. "Hey, um, don't.... tell anyone ok. I want to keep this hush until I know what I'm dealing with."

"Ok. If that's what you want." He says.

I open the door to his office. "Thanks. Um, give me a call. Will catch up over beer."

He chuckles. "Yeah, sure."

I leave the secured part of the building and avoid Cheryl at all cost. I walk out to the parking lot. If I'm ever going to find this girl, I'm going to have to go where she lives. The filth that is Red Rock. It's obvious she's no socialite. I need to get down with her. Maybe I can pull her out.

****

I walk up the packhouse steps. I took a picture of the pedant. I can't stop looking at it. I can't stop thinking what it could possibly mean. I just wish I could see her again.

I close my phone and head in.

"Oh good, you're here." Bobby greeted me at the door.

I hang my jacket. "What's up?"

"You know how we've been looking for your attacker, right?"

"Yeah." I breath.

He smiles. "We found something." He waves me to his office.

I follow him and shut the door. I hope whatever he found doesn't reveal who she is because I want to find her first.

He turned his laptop. "This is from a bar two doors down across the street. It's not very good. But it's interesting."

He hits play and there it is. My humiliation on full display.

Me stumbling down the street to the alley. Me getting hit and planted on my back.

Shit. Me pulling her hood off. Her wild curls unfurling around my head.

I suck on my top lip as I watch. This is when I black out. I lean in to see her, but her hairs in the way.

As she stands over my body, she squats down. She touches me. Did she flinch?

I run my fingers down my cheek on instinct.

Then she stands, flips her hood up and disappears.

Why didn't she kill me?

He hits pause. "So, it looks like your guy is a girl, bud."

I scowl. "Yeah. So." My voice goes deep. "I was drunk."

He chuckles. "I'm not questioning your manhood, Luke. Relax. She's a good fighter. Well trained. Almost too good for the town she's in. Now that we have a better description, we can get the word out."

I look at him. "Just...hold off on that."

He looks at me curiously.

"I just don't want to tip her off. We don't want her running if she catches wind." I say closing the laptop.

He narrows his eyes like he’s trying to see something. "You sure."

I rub my nape nervously. "Uh. Yeah. We want to catch her right. She looks professional. We need to outsmart her. Blasting out an APB is the last thing we should do." I turned to get out of there before Bobby could ask more questions. I turn at the last minute. "Hey, do me a favor. Send that video to my phone. I, uh, want to watch it again to.... see if I remember anything else."

He opens the laptop and pushes some buttons. "Ok sent. You alright? You're acting weird."

"Yeah. Just disturbed a girl busted my balls, that's all." I chuckle.

He grinned. "Don't worry, your secrets safe with me. For now."

"Thanks." I close the door and blow out a breath in the hallway.

I pull out my phone and open the link to the video. I zoom in on her crouched over me. I pause at her hand touching me.

"Who are you?" I say to myself as I touch her image.

"What are you doing right now?" I look up and Lucy is coming at me.

 I quickly close my phone and put it in my pocket. "Uh...nothing. Why?"

"You were supposed to be in training an hour ago." I look at her and she's dressed in leggings and a sport bra.

I put my hand to my head. "Shit. Right. I forgot. K give my fifteen minutes."

I walk to my room and shuck my t-shirt and exchange it for a cut off tank and I shed my jeans for sweats. I hop down the steps. Lucy was waiting. "Let's go." I say to her.

We walk to the back of the house. Off to the left we have a private training room with a full weight room attached to it and outside we have an outdoor sparring area,

Tyrone and Richie are big on combat training. They love to challenge me. I haven't trained with them in years though, so I have get used to their fighting style.

They also go for the throat. Sink or swim type training. When we walk in, Tyrone greets us with crossed arms. "Glad you could grace us with your presence." He said sarcastically.

"Whatever, Tyrone. Can we get this over with?" I stand with attitude.

"Sure." He whistles and six guys saunter over with weapons. "It's over when these guys, don't get up."

"Wait, Tyrone...." I look between all the guys who are giving me the eyes. You know, the 'I'm going to rip off your balls off' kind of eyes.

Tyrone nods and the guys move forward on me. I back up around the room. "Uh...we should start a little light don't you think?"

Tyrone laughs. "You wanna fight, so fight."

The first guy comes at me with a bat, he swings and I duck under him, delivering an upper cut to his jaw.

Another guy jumps on my back, I elbow him in the ribs then spin around and jam my knee into his diaphragm.

The third guy swings and I exchange blows. Spinning around and I deliver a high kick to his head. The fourth, lands a left then a right. I stumble back. Shake my head and run at him throwing punches to his face. I punch him in the gut and he falls to his knees. The fifth comes at me with a bo. I jump as he slams it down where I was, I grab it and jump. Kicking him the head and stealing it. I shove it between his legs and break it over his junk. The sixth guy has a sword.

"Fucking really?" I look at Tyrone who shrugs.

I block his sword swings with my stick. He's fast and just pounding on me. He's cornering me on the wall so I slide under his legs and wrap my stick around his neck. He's struggling to breathe as I hold him tight. He passes out. I let him go and he falls to the floor.

I throw my stick to the floor. I'm covered in sweat and blood. I'm breathing heavy. Six guys are groaning in various positions on the floor. I walk up to Tyrone. "I guess training is over. Might want to get more then the packhouse pussys next time." I back hand his chest and walk out.