Chapter Eight

"You know, it's really sad," Ari said, glancing over at Eoghan who'd been driving for about a half hour. They'd driven out of Gilroy and then pulled off the freeway at a rest stop so Eoghan could call the chief on her burner and let her know what they'd talked about with King John. She'd agreed that it was a good idea to bring in a helpful clan, but she honestly couldn't think of one—shifter, vampire, or werewolf—who'd be willing to help. Other kinds of supernaturals like ghosts and ghouls wouldn't want to offer assistance with this type of thing and she could only think of a couple of witches who'd ever been very helpful. Eoghan had agreed that he'd never met a witch he liked, male or female but he'd asked her to reach out to them regardless.

The discussion that had followed the revelation that the world they dealt with also included those entities, had freaked Ari out even more. Some days, he was pretty sure he'd be better off not knowing and leaving the I.S.R. but then he'd look over at Eoghan and his heart would melt. He seemed to do a lot of that these days. That was probably a good idea since this job entailed them spending a hell of a lot of time in the car together, not just sharing an office space.

"What's sad?" Eoghan asked, reminding Ari he'd asked a question. He glanced over at him as they drove down a straight stretch of the 101 Freeway, headed back down south. They'd already discussed driving as far as they could tonight or until Eoghan was too tired. They knew they wouldn't make it all the way to L.A. without having to stop for the night somewhere. Though, Eoghan preferred to drive, Ari had noticed how he rubbed his hand over his face and sighed every now and then. He'd almost forgotten they'd been woken bright and early before sunrise by some asshole who'd set off their motel's fire alarm.

"The fact that the king is all alone out there in that awful smelling garlic field wondering what will happen to his people…constantly worried about them," he replied.

"Okay, hang on before you start lamenting his situation," Eoghan said. "Don't get me wrong. I feel bad for him too but there's something more important we need to talk about first."

Ari wondered what he'd missed. "What's more important than the way his clan is being wiped out?"

Eoghan scoffed. "Nothing. I'm not talking about that."

"Then, what're you talking about?"

"The very real fact that you just called the smell of garlic awful," Eoghan deadpanned.

It took a second for Ari to replay what he'd just said before he grinned over at him. "For the record—and you're a witness to my cooking and its smelly aftermath between the sheets—I adore garlic."

"Oh, my God, you're so gross," Eoghan said, laughing. "And, for the record, I adore your cooking, garlic or not." He paused, sobering. "But, yeah, I hate the fact that he and his clan are in this situation. I really hope we can find even one shifter clan willing to help because the werewolves are hopeless and—"

"Two Trees!" Ari shouted, suddenly sitting forward in the car.

"What?" Eoghan asked, sounding alarmed as the car wobbled only a fraction in his hands as he put both hands on the wheel. "Chief of Police Two Trees?"

"Yes! They're grizzly bear shifters, clearly living on a mixed-shifter reservation." Ari shot him a glance. "Is mixed-shifter even a term?"

"Yes, it is. And, yes, they are, Ari," Eoghan replied. "Actually, that's—oh, my God, that's actually an amazing idea!"

"He liked us, right?"

"Not only did he like us, but even Alo Uwaite, his deputy, liked us in the end. I think you may be onto something. I think he was feeling indebted to us for not only exposing Colt Wilkins but for seeing to it that Riversong and her children were being escorted home safely."

Ari noticed that he looked down at the dashboard. "If the chief gives us the go ahead to speak to them again, we'd need to gas up before we go back to Tahoe."

"Okay, so pull off the freeway when you can and we'll call her. If we get the go ahead to turn around and go back, then we'll find a motel for the night and drive back in the morning," Ari said.

"Why wait? We should drive back now."

"Because you've yawned three times in the last five minutes, that's why, Eoghan." As if on cue, he yawned again making Ari chuckle.

"Okay, you might have a point," he grudgingly agreed. Eoghan drove until he located a rest stop and pulled off in a remote area, parking in the large, well-lit parking lot close to the facilities. He pulled out his phone while Ari got out of the car and used the men's room before returning and climbing in beside him.

"Will do, Chief. It probably won't happen until morning, though. Ari and I will bring him and his deputy some coffee. That might help smooth over our request." He paused, listening. "Yeah, okay, boss. Will do. Good night to you too, ma'am." He swiped the phone, looking over at Ari with a smile on his face. "She agreed. Her exact words were, ‘You should do whatever you can to keep that smart partner of yours around, Sapphire.'" He grinned as Ari smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him silly.

When Ari pulled back, he stared down at Eoghan's plump lips, swollen from his kisses, feeling the growing bulge in his pants. "We should find a nice motel with clean sheets and smoke detectors that actually work. Do you know of a place around these parts?"

Eoghan grinned. "In fact, I do know just the place. Come on. I need to stop and fill up because it's about seventy miles back the way we just came."

Ari groaned as Eoghan broke eye contact and started the car, revving the engine, and pulling out of the parking space. "Nothing like driving around in circles in the damned middle of the night," he said, folding his arms across his chest and leaning his head against the window as Eoghan muttered something about him being the one doing all the driving. In seconds, Ari had drifted off to sleep.

He woke with a start when the car came to a halt. Disoriented at first, he got his bearings quickly as he looked around and noticed a large convenience store and six gas pumps under a well-lit canopy. He glanced over at Eoghan who yawned loudly and turned to look at him. Dark circles were prominent under his eyes, and Ari instantly felt bad for sleeping while Eoghan drove. He reached over and took his hand.

"I'm sorry for falling asleep, Eoghan. I just closed my eyes for a second and boom…out like a light."

Eoghan smiled. "That's okay."

"Where are we?" Ari said, looking around and noticing several semis parked on the big lot. "Is this a truck stop?"

"Yeah, not one of the larger ones but the gas is cheaper here and they have a great selection of energy drinks in the cooler, better than the Flying J."

"Okay, I could use one too," Ari said. He reached for the car door handle when Eoghan stopped him.

"Hang on…there's ah…something you should know about—"

A loud rapping at his window almost launched Ari right out of his seat. He looked up and spotted a beautiful woman with long, red hair standing just outside his door, bending down just low enough for him to glimpse her ample cleavage. He stared at her boobs for just a second before lifting his gaze to her eyes. She smiled widely at him, then pursed her bright red lips in a kissing moue before she spoke.

"Well, hey, good lookin'. How'd you like a date?"

Ari gulped as he stared into her eyes. They were the most gorgeous shade of green with amber rings surrounding the irises. He rolled down the window and she immediately leaned closer, putting a hand with brightly painted nails on the door, half inside the car. The odor of cheap perfume hit him in the face like he'd been sprayed with it.

"Oh, ain't you a gorgeousss man?" She made a purring sound with a little bit of a hiss thrown in for good measure. "Where'd you get thossse beautiful hazel eyesss?"

He heard Eoghan move behind him, and he glanced over at him to find that he'd ducked his head and was leaning across the center console so she could see him. The smirk he wore on his face was devilish.

"He's not interested, Laycee."

She ducked her head so she could see him, and when Ari looked back, the woman's eyes were glowing so neon green, it almost scared him to death.

"Well, if it ain't Eoghan Sssapphire? How unhappy I am to sssee you!" The deepest voice Ari had ever heard came bellowing out of the woman, freaking Ari out even more. He scrambled away from the window as she stuck her hand into the car and flipped Eoghan off with her middle finger, tipped with a scarlet talon-like nail. "Asshole!" she shouted as she turned away from the car.

Ari clamped his hand over his heart which was thudding in his chest so hard he felt like he'd just run a marathon. He watched the female—whatever it was—walk away wearing the shortest, tightest leopard-spotted dress he'd probably ever seen. Then he sat forward, blinking rapidly as he tried to clear his vision, unsure of what he was seeing as Eoghan roared with laughter beside him.

Ari stared in open-mouth shock as a long, green tail became visible at the hemline of her dress, seeming to get longer as she sauntered away. It swished back and forth behind her as she strolled back across the lot toward the line of trucks for a few seconds before retreating back underneath her dress where it was once again, hidden from sight.

When Ari could finally catch his breath, he jumped again as Eoghan's hand landed on his shoulder. He winced as the top of his head hit the Charger's roof liner and then turned back to his lover with a curse on his tongue when he homed in on the near hysterical laughter.

"Oh…my…God…" Eoghan gasped, laughing between breaths. "You should have seen your face."

"Oh, my God! You are an asshole!" Ari practically shouted. "What the fuck was she—ah—he—ah—that?" He shook his finger at the retreating figure.

"That's Laycee, an alien cephalopod, basically a member of the molluscan class of Cephalopoda."

"Cephalopod?" Ari asked.

"You know, squid…octopus…cuttlefish…nautilus…does any of this sound familiar?" Eoghan asked.

Ari hated the smile he wasn't even trying to hide. "You fucking asshole. You couldn't even warn me?"

Eoghan shrugged. "I tried." He paused as he looked at him with something akin to pity. "What? If I warned you about every alien living in Central California, I'd never have any fun at all. Besides, Laycee has a filthy mouth but she's completely harmless and a very popular lot lizard with the trucker crowd around here."

Ari narrowed his eyes, wondering why he shouldn't hate the beautiful man sitting in the driver's seat beside him.

"Lot lizard?"

"Lot lizard…you know…a hooker who turns tricks with the trucker boys," Eoghan replied with a smile.

"The trucker boys?"

"Yeah, mostly long haulers. Those guys are away from home and their women for days at a time, even weeks. They gotta get their entertainment someplace."

"And they get their entertainment from the alien cephalo—whatever lot lizard crowd, do they?"

"Cephalopod," Eoghan said, still chuckling. "I told you that you need to study up on your scientific classifications."

"Yeah, and I somehow missed the chapter on alien lot lizards," Ari said.

"You can't get it out of your teeth, can you?" Eoghan asked with a grin.

"Not for a fucking second."

"Fine. Come on. I need to use the facilities, pay for gas, and grab an energy drink," Eoghan said, opening the car door.

Ari got out beside him and joined him on the other side of the car. They began walking across the lot, and Eoghan reached over, stopping him with a hand across his belly. "What? No. Let me guess. There's something else you haven't told me about this place, right?"

"Just a little thing," Eoghan said, eyes flashing with amusement. "Laycee's twin, Kaycee, runs the convenience store."

"For fuck's sake," Ari muttered, standing still as he kept going. When Eoghan stopped and turned around, he was still standing in the same spot.

"Are you coming?"

"I don't know," Ari grumbled. He pointed at the convenience store door. "Are there any more surprises you want to tell me about?" He looked around at the empty parking lot nervously.

"Yeah, they have a brother and he patrols the lot as security," Eoghan said.

"Fuck!" Ari shouted, jogging to catch up to his lover. He took him by the arm and propelled him even faster toward the door. "Let me guess. His name is Jaycee or something equally as rhymey, right?"

"No, smart ass. His name is Bob," Eoghan said, sounding way more amused than he should. "Let's go, Ari."

Ari shook his head as Eoghan began laughing again. He leaned down and whispered in Eoghan's ear, "Laycee was right. You're the world's biggest asshole." He practically dragged him into the store which announced their presence with a tinkling bell over the door. The store was large with floors so clean you could probably eat off them. He glanced around nervously, searching for anything alien. Then again, Ari probably wouldn't know anything alien if it walked up and bit him in the ass, which ironically, was what had almost happened right outside in the parking lot. When he spotted a pretty red-haired girl sitting behind the counter at the back of the store, he flinched. "Oh, fuck."

The girl behind the counter pointed outside. "No, sssugar," she hissed. "The fuckin' is done out thea." Her southern accent would have been adorable if Ari hadn't been on a hair trigger and her looks hadn't been more fucking adorable than a child in an Anne Geddes photo. Unfortunately, this alien creature had a goddamned snake draped over her shoulders like a mink stole. The girl smiled at them as they walked up to the counter. Ari hung back making sure he kept his head on a swivel so he could get a good look around, even beyond the periphery.

"Well, if it ain't Eoghan Sssapphire," she hissed. She smiled seductively at him before turning to look at Ari whose gaze was darting between her bright green eyes and the spotted brown and white snake coiled around her shoulders. "Who'sss your friend, Sssapphire?"

"This is my new partner, Kaycee. His name is Ari Brown."

"Nice to meet you, Marssshal Brown," she said, holding a manicured hand out toward him. He noticed she had the same red painted nails as he reached out slowly to shake. When he did, the snake lowered his head, seeming to examine him with beady, black eyes as he moved closer, darting a black tongue out of his white mouth as if testing the air, trying to pick up his heat signature. Ari had to admit, his coloring was beautiful with an almost white underbelly, covered in irregular brown spots that gradually got darker from his belly, up the sides, to his back where they were darkest. He shook her hand slowly, eyes fixed on the snake whose head hovered over her shoulder, close enough to their clasping hands to make him nervous as hell. He let go of her cold hand, slowly pulling his own back, and breathing out a sigh of relief when he realized he still had all his fingers.

"Nice to meet you, Kaycee. What's his name?" He pointed at the snake.

"Kevin the boop noodle."

"Of course it is," Ari said.

Eoghan laughed, reaching out and rubbing under the snake's chin slowly. "Kevin the boop noodle is a spotted python, one of the smallest varieties of python," he said. "They only grow between three and four feet."

Ari gulped. "Sorry, did you say three or four feet?"

"Yes."

"That's small?"

"For a python it is," Eoghan said. "They have a slower metabolism in winter when they go into a semi-hibernation." He lowered his face as if expecting an answer when he spoke to him. "Who's a good boop noodle? Is Kevin a good boop noodle? Yes, I am, yes I am," he cooed.

Ari looked at him like he had two heads and when Eoghan glanced back at him, he smiled so shyly and openly, Ari felt his heart squeeze in his chest. This man…this amazing man…was completely insane and he loved every single thing about that.

"Ssso, Sssapphire, what bringsss you out our way?" Kaycee drawled as he straightened, dropping his hand from where he'd been scratching the snake.

"We're on a job, Kaycee. I just needed to stop in to grab an energy drink and use the restroom," Eoghan said.

"Well, you know where they are," she said, pointing to the back.

Eoghan turned to look at him. "I'll be right back. You gonna be okay all alone?"

"We'll keep Marssshal Brown company, Eoghan," Kaycee said, petting the snake.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Eoghan. Do your thing." He widened his eyes, silently hinting that he hoped he'd make it fast.

Eoghan got the hint because he gave an almost imperceptible nod and then grinned, walking off to the restrooms.

Ari turned to look back at the woman behind the counter. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem. So…a…cephalopod, huh?"

She grinned. "That'sss right." She batted her eyelids flirtatiously. "Do you like sssea creaturesss?"

"Ah, yeah, I like them just fine. In fact, sushi is—" He stopped himself as if realizing that he'd just fucked up royally when her alien eyes flashed a startling neon green. "…is one of the most tragic things out there," he rushed to say, dissembling quickly. The green faded a bit as he shrugged, forcing himself to lean an elbow on the counter. "I mean, can you believe people actually eat that shit—I mean sea creatures?"

"It'sss tragic," she said.

"It really is." He drummed his fingers on the counter, staring at her. "I mean, I'm a huge believer in cuttlefish culture."

"What do you know about cuttlefisssh culture?" she asked.

"Ah—" He straightened up, darting a glance at the back of the store and wondering how fucking long it took to pee. "Not enough. I don't know nearly enough about cuttlefish culture."

She nodded, as if in agreement.

"Now, Octopussy," he babbled on. "That was a great movie." He glanced at the back of the store again before turning back to the creature who was watching him closely. He grinned. "You gotta love that James Bond."

"Jamesss Bond?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know, I thought it was terrible when that creepy bitch used ringed octopus venom to kill that guy." He heard the door in the back open and shut as her eyes flashed neon green again. When he spotted Eoghan coming back, he almost fainted with relief.

"Octopusss venom?" she asked, opening her mouth. For the first time, Ari noticed a black beak-like thing sitting within her mouth. Her pale skin had now turned yellow, and it was covered with neon blue and black rings. He gasped and stepped back.

"So, you ready to head out?" Eoghan asked, sauntering up to the counter, and putting a cold Monster drink down on the glass. He was smiling but the moment he spotted the way Ari's mouth was hanging open and then turned to look at Kaycee, he went pale. He grabbed Ari's arm and turned. "Ah, see you later, Kaycee," he said, dragging him bodily to the door as the woman behind the counter began making some sort of wet, squishing sound. "What the fuck did you say to her?" he practically shouted as he slammed a hand onto the glass door, smashing it open with a crash and dragging Ari out into the parking lot. They broke into a run, charging at the car as a high-pitched, inhuman squealing began behind them.

Ari watched in horror as Eoghan fumbled with the key fob, unlocking the doors just as a man with bright red hair came charging around the building. They jumped into the car, slamming the doors even as Eoghan started the car and tore out of the lot. Ari twisted to look behind them and spotted something coming across the lot after them. He blinked rapidly, almost a hundred percent sure that the creature had eight arms and was half running and half gliding over the asphalt, moving faster than he could imagine as it chased them, tentacles flailing.

Eoghan gunned the engine, leaving the truck stop in the dust behind them, and only then, did Ari breathe out a sigh of relief and turn back around. He pulled on his seat belt and glanced over at Eoghan who was speeding down the road, darting glances between the windshield in front of them and the rearview mirror. Only when they were finally back on the freeway, headed toward the motel his partner had in mind, did Ari allow himself to let out a shuddering sigh and put a hand on Eoghan's knee.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Eoghan," he said meekly.

"What in the hell did you say to her?" Eoghan asked, clearly exasperated.

"I don't know," he said. "I swear all I did was try to make small talk. One thing led to another and all of a sudden, we were talking about cuttlefish culture."

"Cuttlefish culture," Eoghan repeated, deadpan. "What do you know about that?"

"As it turns out, not a hell of a lot," Ari muttered, looking sheepish.

"Then why'd you fucking do it?"

Ari bit his lip, trying not to laugh at his tone. He shrugged. "Honestly, it all started out fine until she asked me if I liked things from the sea. I mentioned something about sushi which led to a discussion about octopi and James Bond and then everything just went tits up."

"James Bond?" Eoghan asked. "How'd that come up?"

Ari shrugged again. "I don't know. One thing led to another. Who knew mentioning some bitch killing a guy with ringed octopus venom would set her off like that?"

Eoghan made a choking sound, and Ari felt terrible. When Eoghan didn't say anything, he glanced over to find him holding one hand on the steering wheel with the other firmly clamped over his mouth. Shoulders shaking, Ari realized he was silently laughing.

"What? Are you laughing or crying?"

Eoghan burst out laughing, unable to contain his mirth any longer as Ari sat there with his mouth hanging open and feeling more and more stupid with every second that passed as he roared with laughter. When he was finally gasping in breath and wiping away tears, Ari spoke up.

"I hope you had a great laugh. We were almost killed back there. What's so fucking funny, Eoghan? Did you know she has a damned black beak in her mouth?"

Eoghan gulped and spoke between laughter. "Of course, I know she has a beak. That's how they break the shells of the sea creatures they eat. Kaycee is a ringed octopus shifter. So is Laycee and their brother Bob."

"I take it Bob is the thing that chased us out of the lot?"

Eoghan nodded. "Yeah, that'd be him. "They're ringed octopi but all octopi have beaks. The moment you called one a bitch, that was it. I'm not surprised she tried to eat you."

"Jesus, what are they doing running a truck stop in the middle of Central California? They're like almost two hundred miles from the nearest ocean."

"I don't know the whole story. I just know what they are and where they live and that one is a lot lizard."

"Yeah, what's up with that? I was almost sure I saw something under Laycee's skirt. What do you think that was?"

"Hell if I know. Probably one of her tentacles," Eoghan said.

"Yeah," Ari said, thinking. "Hey, I'd bet she's a popular hooker. All those suckers, you know?"

Eoghan started laughing all over again. And Ari didn't even know what to do except stare at him open-mouthed and laugh himself.

"Sure, laugh it up, hot stuff," he grumbled, smiling even as he pointed at him. "You know, this is all your fault. You didn't warn me at all."

Eoghan wiped the tears away from his eyes and glanced over at him. "I had to pee, dude. I didn't do it at the rest stop like you did. I couldn't have imagined that you'd manage to say something to insult their whole classification in a matter of minutes…so insulting that I can never go back to that truck stop again." He pounded on the steering wheel. "Goddammit!"

"What? I said I'm sorry, Eoghan. I really am," Ari said, slightly shocked at the outburst.

"It's not that."

"What then?" Ari asked, feeling terrible as he stared at Eoghan's profile.

Eoghan sighed as he glanced over at him. The hint of a smile he wore on his face was almost adorable. "I didn't get my damned energy drink." He chuckled and all Ari could do was roll his eyes and smile back, thanking his lucky stars he had a forgiving and very patient partner.