An Alien Love Bk. 02 Ch. 04

Hi again. Still here. I am getting a bunch of people trying to get me to play video games, but this has me amused for the moment. If you are still here, thanks for sticking with me.

~M. From C.M. Moore

***

*Chapter 4*

Drug dealers can be a problem.

Sloan stepped out into the night air and his heart dropped. Reese leaned against his mini-van waiting. No Octnavin.

True, he didn't know if meeting the stranger was a good idea, but that changed nothing when it came to his ex-lover. He still wasn't going with Reese.

"I said no." Sloan started walking toward the side of the bar. His bike was parked in the back alley. He would just go home and look up the Learning Institute and see if Elijah knew what JP was. Maybe Elijah would tell Sloan that the fat man and the young man thing was all a misunderstanding.

"Don't be like that." Reese grabbed Sloan's arm.

"Are you going to make me hit you?" Sloan glared at Reese's hand and the other man let go. "We've been over for a long time. You know it."

"You're God-damn exhausting." Reese ran and fingers back and forth through his hair. "Call me when you get your head out of your ass." Reese stormed off and jumped into his minivan. The exit would've been more dramatic if random cheerios and a juice box didn't fall to the ground.

As Reese drove away, Sloan continued trotting to his bike. He turned the corner to the back alley behind the bar and stopped. Now he wished Reese had stayed. His Ex could've called the police.

Sloan's bike was in pieces scattered on the cement. The black Cadillac was parked with Hugo leaning against the door. His two thugs stood with their weapons already in their hands. One of the men had planted himself near the trunk of the car.

"You holding out on me?" Hugo said for a greeting.

"I don't know what you mean." Sloan backed up a few paces, but the thug next to the rear of the car opened the lid. Sloan stopped. Elijah, beaten and bloody, was tied up and visibly shaking in the trunk.

Sloan met Elijah's wide panic-filled eyes and stopped his retreat. What now?

"I had rent."

"Your money is mine." Hugo pulled his handgun and aimed at Elijah's head. There was no doubt in Sloan's mind that they would be killed, and their bodies never found. He had to think fast.

"I can get you more money," Sloan lied. He had no idea how to do that. He had his tips from tonight, but he doubted that was going to be enough. "We can make a deal."

The sound of footsteps behind him had Sloan turning around. Everyone's eyes flipped to the mouth of the alley. Octnavin strolled toward them with his hands in his pockets. The man appeared like he didn't have a care in the world. Dumb foreigner.

"Who the fuck is that?" Hugo snapped.

"No—no one." Sloan held up his hands. "That's just my bar hook up. I was going to get laid. He's foreign. He barely speaks English. I'll get rid of him."

Hugo glared like he was about to shoot them all. Sloan turned to Octnavin as the man reached his side. Sloan had to tip his head up to look at the tall stranger. Shit. Octnavin was even hotter up close and in the moonlight. Focusing, he spoke fast.

"You gotta get out of here." Sloan pushed Octnavin's chest toward the other end of the alley. It was shoving a rock. The man was built solid. "Like run."

"You do not want to be with me? But I am attractive to you."

"I did want to be with your before, but I changed my mind." Sloan glanced over his shoulder. Did the man not understand guns?

"You changed your mind?" Octnavin's eyes now swept the thugs, guns, and Elijah beat and tied up in a car trunk.

"He's busy." Hugo waved his weapon at Octnavin. "Unless you want to die, I suggest you run as he says."

"You are trying to protect me?" Octnavin didn't even acknowledge Hugo. His green eyes, amused and bright, pinned Sloan.

"Yeah. I'm trying to protect you. Look, just leave, okay?"

Octnavin straightened his spine. For a second, Sloan thought he was going to turn and leave. That's what a sane person would do. But Octnavin wasn't sane, and maybe he wasn't even a person.

"I understand that this issue..." Octnavin waved to Hugo like he was a small bug. "Is causing a problem with our agreeing to fuck?"

"I'm done with this bullshit." Hugo lost his patience. "Toss Sloan in the trunk and kill the pretty boy." Hugo pointed his barrel at Sloan. "Let's go."

"Run." Sloan pushed Octnavin again as one of the thugs grabbed his arm. Sloan used to bare-knuckle box in his youth. He knew how to fight, but if he fought and got away, he knew for sure Elijah would die. And what about Octnavin? The news would say a foreign model was robbed and shot in an alley

"Hugo." Sloan tugged against the man holding him. "Let Octnavin go. He's foreign, like French or something. He doesn't understand."

"I understand." Octnavin grinned.

"Dick," Sloan hissed. He was starting to think Octnavin should get shot for his stupidity. "I'm trying to help you out."

"Help me out?" Octnavin laughed. "Men." His voice took on a quiet commanding tone. "I have a special gem that I planned to give to Sloan." His green eyes focused on Hugo. "This is rare and valuable, but now that I see this situation, I have decided that I would like to give it to you."

Hugo's lips tipped up at the word valuable. "It's like a diamond or something?"

Sloan shook his head at Octnavin's ignorance as a zip tie was secured around his wrists behind his back. Hugo would take the gem and kill Octnavin. For a brief second, he considered that Octnavin wanted to give him a precious stone. Why would he do that? Maybe he was lying. Lying to Hugo would get him murdered for sure.

"It is not a diamond. This gem is not from Earth. It is from another plant. I will give it to you."

Hugo glanced at him like Sloan should know what this is about. Another planet sounded like alien shit.

"Where is it?" Hugo asked.

"My pocket." Slowly, Octnavin pulled out one hand and held his palm up in a peace gesture. Hugo didn't lower his gun, but he didn't shoot. The thug behind him stopped trying to push Sloan into the trunk. They all stopped and waited to see the jewel. Everyone held their breath waiting to see if Octnavin was lying.

Gradually, Octnavin's right hand came out of his pocket and he tipped up his palm. In the center of his hand was a small stone glowing a dazzling white. The light the rock gave off sparkled like nothing Sloan had ever seen before.

"I do not have a proper translation for the name of this gem. I will say it is a Coltall Gem. That is close enough."

Hugo tucked his firearm into the back of his pants and took a step closer to the glowing rock. Everyone was mesmerized. Both the thugs watched the little glowing rock sparkle like mini fireworks in Octnavin's hand. Even Elijah watched.

"What does it do?" Hugo asked.

"I am glad you asked." Octnavin smiled. "Watch closely."

Sloan stared at the rock. Suddenly, the gem burst with the most beautiful rainbow of light he'd ever seen. Then his vision went white.

Sloan was blind.

"Fuck." Hugo snapped. "I can't see shit." A gun was fired.

Clearly, Sloan wasn't the only one who'd currently lost his sight.

"I'm blind, Sloan." Elijah panicked. "What the...?"

Before Sloan could get out a word, he caught the sound of someone hitting the concrete. Maybe Octnavin? Sloan stumbled forward trying to measure where he stood next to the rear of the car.

There was a gurgle and then the distinct sound of someone else falling to the ground. Another shot came from a gun. Sloan couldn't see anything. The world was nothing but white. He tugged away from the thug holding him only to realize no one held him anymore. His arms were still secured behind him by the zip ties, but he could move. He walked a step and then another. A third shot split the air.

"Fuck." Sloan stumbled and fell over a body. He wasn't a hundred percent sure who he fell over, but the man was dead.

"JP." Octnavin's voice was unruffled. The tone bordered on uninterested. "Take care of the child in the trunk. I want nothing from the eighteen-year-old." Hands wrapped around Sloan's waist and he was lifted in the air.

"Holy shit."

"I am helping you. You need more protection than I." Octnavin tossed Sloan over his shoulder like a large bag of ice. Once again, he spoke to JP as Sloan tried to wiggle free. Fuck, this guy was strong, and when the hell did JP show up? "Handle the clean-up. I will be leaving."

"Yes, my exalted ruler." JP's voice was exactly like the coffee shop. Sloan wondered if he looked the same or had changed like Octnavin. "But I do not suggest this."

"I am aware of your thoughts and concerns. I have evaluated them."

"Let me go." Sloan squirmed in Octnavin's grip. "Am I going to be blind forever? Is Elijah alive? What are you?" Sloan wiggled again. "Never mind. I don't care what you are. I'm going to go home."

"I wish to solidify our agreement. I want you." Octnavin didn't let him down. After Octnavin walked for a short duration, Sloan was finally placed on his feet. "Get into my limousine."

"Fuck no."

"You are a stubborn creature." Octnavin chuckled. "I can make you."

"No." Sloan clenched his jaw. "I'd like to see you try."

"You are blind. You cannot see me try." Octnavin laughed.

"Fuck." That sentence drew a reluctant smile from Sloan. "You're a dick."

"After the blindness wears off, there are other side effects to that gem. Also, you should know that you need an alibi for the three dead men in the alley. Elijah is with JP and that is his alibi. I will look after you for a short duration of time. Think about this. Do you want the police at your door for murder?"

Sloan leaned to his left. Already his vision was starting to come back. Blurry shapes danced. What were the other side effects?

As Octnavin turned him to the car, he felt the zip ties being removed from his wrist. The cops would show up at his door. There were too many connections to his father and the dealer. That was the kind of luck Sloan had.

"Agree to come with me," Octnavin said. "Agree to be with me for a short time."

Sloan groaned. The man had technically saved him and helped Elijah and maybe got a drug dealer off his back.

"What if Hugo's bosses find out that you killed him? You'll be screwed and so will I."

"I will protect you, but only if you come with me." Octnavin was a blurry form in front of Sloan. He heard the car door open.

"Fuck." Sloan was starting to feel dizzy and lethargic. He couldn't have more drug dealers after him, and Hugo had people who would look for Sloan if someone said he was in that alley. Elijah would be named too. "Okay. If you'll help me and Elijah get out of this mess, I'll go with you. But you gotta handle my bike too. You created this bullshit." Sloan knew that wasn't fair. Octnavin saved his life tonight. He saved his roommate too.

"Agree to be with me." Octnavin's voice was like granite. "And I will take care of everything."

"I agree," Sloan snapped. "Dick." He dipped his head to get into the car and almost fell over. Strong arms steadied him and helped him onto the leather seat.

"Excellent."

Sloan didn't like the way Octnavin said that.