Overview
Searching for a Thief accused of stealing something precious, Chal acknowledges it's the Thief that he wants and is unwilling to give him up.
Being a Tramp on Beasor means Chal spends most of his time transporting items from other universes for his clients. Since Tramps are unaffected by the draining symptoms of flashing, they are perfect for retrieval missions as well. He's watched two of his friends fall in love, and longs to find his own lover.
When he accepts a mission to flash to Earth, and retrieve a Thief who has stolen something important, Chal had no way of knowing his target might steal his heart as well.
Palmer wants to be left alone. He's been used by the man who was supposed to be his friend, and forced to do things he didn't want to do. When he flashes to Earth, Palmer hopes he can remain hidden and safe. Yet the moment a Tramp walks into the diner Palmer works at, he knows his life has taken a radical turn.
For better or worse, the Tramp and the Thief have to find out where the truth lies in the tangle of lies they've been given.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781781840757 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Totally Entwined Group |
| Publication date: | 09/24/2012 |
| Series: | The Beasor Chronicles , #2 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 139 |
| File size: | 291 KB |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
The noise of the pub hit Chal as he pushed open the door. He grinned and waved as Reagan, the head bouncer, nodded towards the back of the pub. It had been a long two weeks and he wanted to drink himself into a stupor before he went home to sleep.
"Hey, there." A voice rang over the noise from the customers.
Chal looked around, and spied Alden, the owner of the pub and one of Chal's closest friends, motioning to him from the table in the corner. He gestured to the bar, and Alden nodded. By the time he got to the counter, Greta had a mug of ale waiting for him.
"Greta, you're a gem." He saluted her with his glass before drinking the ale without stopping. He set the empty mug back on the counter. "Fill 'er up again."
"A long week?" she asked whilst getting him another ale.
"Yes, and after a couple more of these I'm heading home to sleep for three days or so." He snatched his glass up and turned to head over to where Alden sat.
"You're finally back." Percy, Alden's lover, stood and hugged him.
Wrapping his arm around Percy's waist, he gave him a tight squeeze before winking at Alden.
"You're a lucky bastard, Alden." He let go of Percy to shake Alden's hand.
Alden laughed. "I know. We missed seeing your ugly face around here."
Chal dropped into a chair and set his mug down. He scrubbed his hands over his head. "Man, I've been running around like crazy, trying to find this object my client wanted. I had to flash to three different universes and four different worlds before I found what I was looking for. I'm beat."
"Was it worth it at least?" Percy spoke up from where he sat next to Alden.
"Oh, hell yes." Chal laughed. "I charged him through the nose for all those trips. It might not drain me of power to travel through the universes, but he's one of those Beasors who thinks what I do is something like magic."
"You're such a jerk." Percy reached over and poked Chal in the chest. "I can't believe you took advantage of that man."
"Hey, I never said I was a saint. I have to make a living. Some of us don't have a wealthy business owner as a boyfriend to treat us like a prince," he teased the Gypsy.
"Where is this wealthy boyfriend you're talking about?" Percy made a production of looking around the crowd.
Alden grabbed Percy and yanked him over onto his lap. Chal watched the couple kiss for a few minutes before he grabbed a napkin and scrunched it up, throwing it at them. He laughed when it bounced off Percy's head.
"What the hell?" Percy glared at him.
"Ah, pretty boy, don't worry about it. It was clean, and I didn't come here to watch the two of you make out. Not that it isn't the hottest thing I've seen in a long time. Do you think you could refrain from kissing while I'm here?"
Percy pouted for a second, then he nodded. "I guess we could. It's not like we won't be going upstairs in an hour or so and making love all night long."
Chal groaned as his cock hardened at the thought of Percy and Alden in the midst of making love. He whistled for a waitress to bring him another mug. She dropped it off and he took a sip.
"You're being deliberately cruel, aren't you?" Chal whined. "I haven't had sex in like a month or so."
"Why?" Alden nuzzled Percy's neck.
"I've been busy and just haven't found the time."
Percy snorted while Alden shot Chal a sceptical glance. Chal laughed after he took another drink.
"All right. I could have found the time, if I'd met anyone interesting enough for me to make an effort. There just hasn't been anyone around who's caught my eye." He paused. "Well, except for Steril, though even I know there's nothing but trouble with him."
Alden nodded while Percy gasped.
"Steril is a wonderful person. You shouldn't say things like that about him." Percy glared at Alden when his lover poked him in the side. "Hey, Steril's not here to defend himself, so I have to do it for him."
"I have to say, Chal, I understand what you mean. It seems to me Gypsies and Thieves are some of the highest-maintenance Beasors in the universes."
Alden winked at Chal before Percy punched him in the arm. Chal shook his head.
"Well, you know these pretty boys. They need us to grovel at their feet and tell them how much we love them." Chal finished the rest of his ale and stood. He smiled at his friends. "I'm heading home to sleep for like, three days, or something like that."
"I thought travelling between the universes didn't tire you out?" Alden questioned.
Yawning, Chal shrugged. "It normally doesn't, but doing it constantly without really resting for two weeks or so can wear any Tramp out."
"Got it. Well, why don't you call us when you wake up, and we'll meet up for dinner or something?" Alden stood and slapped Chal on the shoulder.
"Sounds good to me." He leant down and kissed Percy on the cheek. "You're looking good, Percy. I'll talk to you later."
He waved at Reagan as he strolled out of the pub. After grabbing a hover sled, he slid into the back, swiped his credit card to pay, and punched in his address. He leant back against the cushions, closing his eyes. The idea of falling into his bed and pulling the blankets up over his head filled his mind. He really needed some sleep. Then he would see about finding a new job.
Chal must have dozed off because he jolted awake when the sled stopped and the bell chimed, alerting him to his arrival at his destination. He somehow climbed out of the sled and stumbled up the steps to his apartment.
After making sure the door was locked, Chal shuffled into his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind him. He'd pick those up in the morning, or whenever he surfaced next.
* * *
A constant buzzing burrowed deep under the blanket of sleep covering Chal. Grunting, he opened his eyes and blinked at the ceiling above him. It took him a few minutes to remember where he was.
The buzzing hadn't stopped, and Chal practically fell when he tried to get out of his bed. His feet tangled up in the sheets, causing him to swear while he kicked to remove the fabric wrapped around his ankles.
"Quit pushing the fucking button," Chal shouted, stumbling down the hallway to the front door.
He jerked it open to glare at Percy, who stood there with a rather worried expression on his face.
"What the hell do you want?" Chal snarled, but stepped back to allow Percy inside his apartment.
The Gypsy shook his head. "I was worried about you, jackass. No one's heard from you for three days."
"Really? Well, I did say I'd sleep that long." Chal scrubbed his hand over his face before dropping into the closest chair. "I didn't look at a clock. All I did was get up to hit the bathroom when I needed to, then go right back to bed. I guess I was more tired than I thought."
Percy sat on the arm of the chair and rested his hand on Chal's shoulder. "We didn't think you were serious. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm not usually bothered by all the flashing, but I probably should have rested in between trips." He leaned his head back and stared up at Percy. "Are you really here to make sure I'm all right?"
"Of course. Alden was worried about you as well, but he couldn't get away from the pub at the moment. I just finished a job in the area, so I thought I'd stop by and make sure you're still alive."
Chal blinked in surprise, and grunted. "I don't think I've ever had anyone come to check on me."
"Don't you have any family who might be worried?" Percy moved from the chair to the couch, sitting gracefully before crossing his legs and studying Chal.
"No." He hesitated, then continued, "Well, I have family, but they never really worried about me, especially since I moved out and started working on my own."
"Hmm ... I understand that. Do any of us have a happy family story?" Percy tilted his head, like he was thinking about his own family.
"Maybe not in the past, but I think you and Alden are building your own good memories. How are things going for you?" Chal didn't want to think about his family, or how they'd turned their backs on him because he wasn't interested in improving his status in society.
Percy shrugged. "I'm still meeting with a therapist, and working through my issues. I think we're doing well. I've been working off and on for the past month or so."
"That's good news." Chal's stomach rumbled, and he laughed. "It's probably a good thing you stopped by. I'm pretty sure my stomach thinks my throat's been cut."
"If you want, I can call Alden and have him meet us for dinner?" Percy suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you call him, and I'm going to take a shower? I need to clean up." Chal ran his fingers over the stubble on his chin.
Nodding, Percy pulled out his phone, then hit a button. After standing, Chal headed back to his room where he dug out some clean clothes. He went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He washed up and shaved, taking care not to cut himself while rushing to get ready. He didn't want Percy to come searching for him.
Percy was standing in front of Chal's bookcase when Chal came back into the living room. Smiling, Percy turned to look at him.
"I didn't realise you could read."
"Ha ha. You're such a smartass. What did you think I did when I was by myself?"
Percy shrugged. "I guess I didn't think you spent a lot of time by yourself. You always struck me as a party kind of guy."
"Are we meeting Alden?" Chal grabbed his wallet, and gestured for Percy to precede him from the apartment.
"Yes. We found a wonderful little restaurant a couple of blocks from the pub. I know the address. Alden will get us a table." Percy slipped his arm through Chal's while they wandered down to the lift. "You don't have anything to say to my comment?"
"What comment? The one where I was a party guy?"
"Yes." Percy hit the sled call button, found on the street lamps.
While they stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the sled, people stared at them. Chal was pretty sure they weren't looking at him. As a Tramp, he was tall, broad and very plain. His brown hair and eyes weren't anything special. No, the people walking past them were looking at Percy, whose blond hair and lavender eyes marked him as a Gypsy. The exotic Gypsies and the elusive Thieves fascinated normal Beasors, but Tramps didn't draw the same kind of attention.
Chal accepted the fact that he would never garner the looks of awe Percy did, and he didn't mind it. In many ways, he liked people not having any expectations of him — it made it easier for him to do his job.
Of course, Tramps weren't used for the exciting or fun jobs. They were mostly transportation specialists. Being able to flash between universes made it easy to grab items other Beasors wanted. He often made runs to Pillian, picking up crates of wine for Alden, because Percy's favourite wine was Pillian, and Alden would pay any price to make Percy happy. Yet there were times when he was asked to take more valuable things, and he'd taken a job or two like that. They were usually more lucrative than regular transportation gigs.
Their sled arrived and Chal gestured for Percy to climb in first. Once the Gypsy was settled, Chal slid in next to him. Percy typed in their destination and they leant back to enjoy the ride. Chal's phone buzzed, and he tugged it out of his pocket to check the number — it was one of the men who usually recommended him for jobs. He sent it to voicemail, not interested in talking about a new job after how long it had taken to finish the last one. He wanted a few days to relax before he jumped into more work. Stuffing his phone back in his pocket, he sighed. Who was he kidding? After dinner, he would be calling Isaac back and setting up a new client. Percy chuckled, and Chal glanced over at him.
"What?"
"You just can't let work go for a while, can you? You always have to be busy. I should have realised that, and that's where you are most of the time. You're not out partying or fucking every cute thing you can find."
Chal shrugged. "Yeah. I haven't been doing that for a while now. Got old real quick."
"Why do you let people think you're a stud?" Percy frowned when Chal glared at him. "Okay. Well, you're still a stud, but why do you make everyone think you're all about the sex and shit?"
Chal shifted on his seat, not really wanting to talk about his reasons with Percy, but he had the feeling Percy wouldn't let it go until he said something.
"I guess, by acting that way, it's easy to get people to underestimate me. People make stupid mistakes when they think they're smarter than you."
Percy nodded. "I've seen that."
"You have reached your destination." A computerised voice came over the speakers.
The sled stopped and the door lifted. Chal stepped out onto the kerb first before turning and offering his hand to Percy. The Gypsy climbed out and they stood for a moment, looking around.
"Hey."
Turning, Chal watched while Steril and Alden walked up to them. Alden wrapped Percy in a quick hug, brushing a kiss over Percy's cheek. Chal embraced Steril and kissed the Thief on the top of his head.
"It's good to see you again, Steril."
Steril grinned up at him, his bright gold eyes gleaming with happiness. "You're gone a lot, aren't you?"
"No rest for the wicked," Chal joked.
They followed Alden and Percy into the restaurant. The hostess greeted them like old friends and Chal guessed they probably came there often. They were escorted to a private table back in the corner of the room. Chal pulled out a chair for Steril, and the smaller man smiled while he sat. Chal took a seat next to him and they looked over the menu.
After eating, they sat around the table, laughing and teasing. As Chal studied the faces of the men with him, he realised he considered them true friends. He'd spent so much of his life alone, avoiding any relationships or entanglements because he didn't want to risk getting attached. Getting attached to someone hurt when that person decided Chal wasn't enough for him. Not good-looking enough, or ambitious enough, to make his lover happy.
Yet there he was, sitting with three men who thought of Chal as their friend. They didn't expect anything from him except to be their friend in return. He knew he could be that. Hell, he'd already done it for Alden, and got Percy back for him.
When Chal wasn't working, he hung out at Alden's pub, drinking and talking with them. Somehow, without his meaning to, he'd got friends, and he wasn't that upset about it.
Steril glancing at his watch broke Chal out of his introspection.
"I have to get back to the Facility. Lately, it's like I'm on lockdown. If I'm not back by a certain time, the teachers come looking for me. You'd swear I was going to run away or something."
They paid their bills and escorted Steril out to the sled stop. When the right sled arrived, they said goodbye. Alden and Percy flagged down another sled to take them back to the pub.
"Are we going to see you later?" Alden asked after giving Chal a hug.
"Not sure. I have to call my boss back. He might have another job for me, and, if he does, I'll be taking it."
"Why? You just got back from the last one. Do you need money that badly? We could lend you some." Percy rested his hand on Chal's arm.
Chal laughed and shook his head. "No, I don't need any money, but thank you for offering. I like working, Percy, and I don't like sitting around my apartment doing nothing. I can't spend all my off time at the pub. That starts looking desperate and sad."
Alden nodded while taking Percy's hand. "I get it. Well, I hope you'll let us know either way. If it's not a job, stop by for a drink tonight."
"All right. I'll talk to you later."
He got his own sled and headed home. After getting back and changing into some comfortable clothes, he grabbed his phone, dropped on the couch, then dialled the Head Councilman for the Tramps.
"How nice of you to call me back, Chal." The Councilman answered after the phone rang several times.
Chal rolled his eyes, hating how the Tramp always tried to act superior to everyone else. Especially when everyone knew the man had got his position because of political clout, and not because of how powerful his magic was.
"Sorry. I was busy with other things. I got back to you as soon as I could. What do you want?" Chal stretched out on the couch, staring up at the ceiling while waiting for the Councilman to talk.
"I've got a job for you. The client wants to meet you tomorrow at ten to discuss it."
"I just finished two weeks of flashing from one universe to another, almost non-stop. Don't you think I'd like a little downtime to recuperate?" Chal wanted to roll his eyes at himself.
"Chal, you're one of the strongest Tramps I've ever seen. You, more than any other, don't need time to rest. The client is willing to pay a lot of money for your time, and he specifically asked for you. Seems you have a reputation of retrieving lost things."
He grunted and mentally dismissed what the Councilman had said. Having any kind of reputation meant nothing to Chal. All he wanted was to make money, live a good life, and have fun from time to time.
"Just meet with him, Chal. I'm sure the money he's offering will outweigh your need for a vacation. Remember, you keep sixty per cent of the fee." The Councilman sounded disgruntled about that.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Tramps"
by .
Copyright © 2012 T.A. Chase.
Excerpted by permission of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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