by Sky Winters
“A job? I have a job down at the bar.”
“Not one that pays like this one.”
“Is it legal?”
“Come on, Travis. Who are you talking to here? Of course, it is.”
“Yeah. Sorry. What is it you have in mind?”
“Close protection.”
“Close what?”
“Bodyguard, in layman’s terms.”
“What sort of wolf needs a bodyguard?”
“Not a wolf. An actress.”
“Actress?”
“Yeah, there’s a crew coming in for the next six months or so to film, and the leading actress is pretty high profile. She wants protection.”
“Doesn’t make sense. If she’s that high and mighty, why doesn’t she have her own security?”
“She does, but she wants someone who knows the area and the people.”
“Well, there are plenty in the pack who could do it. Why me?”
“The Alpha requested you, specifically.”
“I didn’t think he much cared for me. Why would he do that?”
“He believes in rehabilitation? Hell if I know. I’m sure he had his reasons. Go ask him if you want,” he shrugged. “Just call it a gift. Here’s the offer. Look it over and give me an answer within the hour, or I’ll have to go to his second choice. Has to be in place today. She arrives tomorrow.”
Carl handed him several pieces of paper stapled together. He glanced at it and back up.
“Who is she?”
“Vivian Demonte.”
“Vivian Demonte?”
“Did I fucking stutter?”
Travis looked down at the paper, catching sight of the dollar amount on the upper portion of the front page. It was impressive.
“I’ll take it.”
“You didn’t read the document.”
“Don’t have to. Where do I sign?”
“Come on.”
Travis followed him to the pack office and signed the document he gave him, handing it back to him. Carl made a copy and handed it over.
“Read it tonight. There is information in there you will need. We’re meeting her detail in the morning for breakfast and then joining them to take her to set. You’re going to need a suit. You got one?”
“Nope.”
“Find one. Go over to Schmitt’s. He’ll give you a good deal, let you make payments if you need to spread out the pain.”
Travis nodded and held up the document. “Thanks, Carl. I needed this.”
“I know, bud. Find you a suit or two to start with. I’d loan you one of mine, but you’ve been lifting while you were away. Those arms are never going to make it in one of mine. Call me later, and I’ll let you know what time we’re set for in the morning.”
“Will do. Thanks again,” Travis replied.
Carl nodded. “Alright. Get out of here then.”
Travis left and went straight to the suit shop. It was going to be tough to get one off the rack that would fit him, but he’d just have to hope for the best. Maybe he could find something halfway decent to wear tomorrow and then order a couple more if everything panned out okay. He’d go ahead and get measured and select some material so he could just call it in after the meeting.
“There is nothing in here that’s going to fit those arms of yours. I mean, I usually keep a few bigger suits for guys like you who are in a rush, but I’m just flat out,” Schmitt told him once he arrived at the tailor’s shop.”
“You don’t have anything you can alter?”
“Afraid not. I’m down to smaller sizes on the rack right now.”
“How long to make a new suit?”
“You’re looking at a couple weeks, even with a rush on it. It’s wedding season.”
“I didn’t know weddings had a season.”
“Ah, yeah. Spring through late summer. Everyone wants that pretty weather for their big day.”
“I’m supposed to be in a suit tomorrow for a new job, and I don’t have one. I don’t even know anyone my size I could borrow one from.”
Schmitt looked him up and down and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as if to push apart his screwed together eyebrows.
“I do. Let me get your measurements and make a call. You okay with a secondhand suit?”
“As long as it’s decent enough that I don’t look like I robbed a grave,” Travis said, then pondered this a bit more before adding, “It didn’t come off a dead man, did it?”
“Not that I know of. I know a guy in the city that buys them from folks on consignment, so the man that owned them might be dead, but hopefully wasn’t wearing them when he died. If he can get close to your size, you should be able to pick one up for cheap.”
Schmitt already had his measuring tape out and was making notes on a small pad as he talked. He finished up and motioned toward a couple of chairs by the window.
“It might take a bit. Just have a seat, and I’ll see what he has so you don’t drive all that way for nothing.”
“Thanks, Schmitt. I appreciate it.”
Travis pulled his phone out of this pocket and sat down with it in his hand. The notification for Alpha Meets Omega caught his eye, and he opened the app. It was flooded with messages and little wink emojis, but he found nothing of interest there. He was unwilling to admit that he had gotten lucky on his first attempt, especially considering he’d taken his date home in a state of unconsciousness, but he’d really liked her.
In fact, he found that he was antsy to call her now that he had her number, but he didn’t want to have to break off their conversation if Schmitt came back. Instead, he sent her a text to let her know he had gotten hers and would call her when he got done with some errands he was running.
“Alright, looks like you might be in more luck than we could hope for. Dakota had a linebacker come in the other day, and his measurements are only slightly different than yours. We might have to take up the hem on the cuffs and pants legs to get a good fit, but he left a half dozen suits there that Dakota says look brand new.”
“Why would someone sell new suits to a consignment shop?”
“Hey, I don’t know, but it’s your good luck. Dakota closes in an hour. It’ll take you twenty or thirty minutes to get to his place, depending on the traffic, so you best hurry up. He’ll be waiting on you,” he said, holding out a slip of paper and a card. “If you need them hemmed and I’m closed before you get back, just give me a call at home, and I’ll do you a favor.”
“That’s good of you. Thanks,” Travis told him, looking down at the paper. There was an address and quick directions on it to a place called Suitable Attire.
Travis hurried out the door and hopped into his truck, not wasting any time. He hoped that whatever happened tomorrow was worth the trouble and that, even though the suits were secondhand, he could afford at least one with what money he had.
An hour later, he walked out of Dakota’s shop with not one, but all of the suits Mr. Linebacker had left for less than the price of what one new one would usually cost. He had even had enough to grab some dress shirts and a handful of ties. He stopped off at Schmitt’s on his way home, catching him before he closed up shop.
“Come on in and let’s see what you got,” Schmitt said, leading him back to the sewing area of the shop. “These are nice suits. I don’t know why anyone would get rid of them. They’re in mint condition. Let’s get them on you and see what they need.”
When Schmitt was done with him, he walked out with one suit altered to fit and the rest left behind for adjustments. He told Travis to come back tomorrow afternoon before closing time and he’d have the rest done for him, as they were all easy fixes he could get done in a hurry.
Things were looking up. He was in decent shape for the job tomorrow. Hopefully, he wasn’t getting his hopes up for nothing. It was temporary work, but it would pay well enough for him to get on his feet a hell of a lot quicker than slinging drinks at the bar.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kat<
br />
“Hello?” Kat gasped into the phone as she dropped her groceries onto the living room floor of her house.
“I’m sorry. Did I catch you at an inconvenient time?” a voice replied from the other end.
She had expected her mother was calling to check on her and hadn’t looked at the caller ID before answering. Now, she did and realized it was a number she didn’t recognize. It took a moment for it to sink in.
“Travis?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“I’m sorry. I was just coming in with some shopping. It’s a bit warm out there when you’re on the go.”
“Ah, I’ll let you go then. Perhaps I can call later,” he said, his voice trailing off a bit as he spoke.
“No. No. I’m in now. I can talk to you while I put things away.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, of course. You just caught me off guard. I thought you were Mom calling to check in on me.”
“Definitely not Mom.”
“No, definitely not,” she laughed.
“Though I did call to check in on you. I wanted to make sure you are okay and to apologize for leaving before you were completely up and about. I just thought you might be more comfortable dealing with things without your date hanging about.”
“Was that a date?”
There was some hesitation on the other end before he responded.
“You know, I think I’m going to say it wasn’t. We just met for drinks, not really a date, and considering how it ended, I’d really like a do-over for a first date if you’re willing. Still, you didn’t answer my question. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Just some weird genetic thing that decided to rear its head at an embarrassing time. I get to go for shots every week for months, and then it will supposedly be under control without further medication or incident.”
“Um, that sounds pretty serious.”
“It isn’t. At least, that’s what the doctor tells me. I could do without the needle, though. Hate them!”
“Everyone does.”
“True,” Kat replied, pulling some vegetables free of a bag and putting them into the fridge behind her.
“I really enjoyed spending time with you last night, but I may be pretty busy for a while, so I’ll have to play it by ear with when I can ask you out again.”
Kat furrowed her brow. Was he making a complete one-eighty on asking her out? First, he was all about a do-over for their first date, and then, it seemed like he was blowing her off. It occurred to her that the genetics thing might be a deal-breaker for him. He was an Alpha, no doubt in the market for an Omega who could eventually provide him with strong pups.
For the first time, she realized that she might be even more worthless than a typical Omega. Alphas already viewed her kind as second class citizens. Well, actually, it was more like third as even the Betas seemed to get a little more respect than the Omegas.
“Sounds good,” she said dismissively. “Just let me know when you’re interested. Hey, I’ve got to run for now. Thanks for calling,” she told him.
“Sure. Glad you’re better,” he said.
“Yep. Bye,” she told him, not waiting for a response before clicking the end call button.
She finished putting the groceries away, wondering if she’d been too quick to judge him, but then deciding she hadn’t. It was better to let it go now. They’d only been on one date or whatever it was, and it had ended badly. That wasn’t his fault but blowing her off after she’d confided in him about the genetic thing was all on him.
She carried a bottle of water and an apple over to the sofa and sat down, staring into space and letting her mind wander. She was going to die single and still a virgin. Both were rarities for Omegas, especially at her age. Granted, twenty-one wasn’t that old, but most Omegas her age were married and already on their second or third litter by now.
Now, here she was, having held out for the right Alpha to marry and give herself to with a serious flaw. Would this have happened if she had gotten married and had kids earlier? The doctor said her grandmother had gone through it when she was younger. Was it before or after she had children? There was no reason to believe it would affect her ability to have children, but would she pass it on to them?
Perhaps it skipped a generation, which was why her mother didn’t have it, but her grandchildren would suffer it instead. Did it affect only girls? Did it affect only Omegas? Whereas her only thoughts before with the doctor had revolved around how big the needle was going to be, she now found that she had a lot more to ask him when she went in, if she could wait that long. She might just call.
She found herself wishing that Travis would call her back or text her to shed some light on why he was blowing her off. She didn’t want to think the worst, but it made sense. Even if he texted to say he wasn’t interested anymore, she’d at least know that. Opening up the Alpha Meets Omega App, she dismissed a dozen or so messages. Her interest in meeting anyone while all of this was weighing on her was non-existent.
Instead, she went into her settings and put her profile on pause so that it didn’t show up unless she went back in and changed it again. She sighed and lay the phone to the side, taking a bite of the apple and reaching for the remote to find something worth watching on T.V.
A loud knock at the door caused her to jump, and she walked over to see who was there, expecting that her mom or dad had just walked down instead of calling. She was half right. It was Mike with one of their mom’s stoneware bowls in his hands.
“Mom sent you some beef stew,” he said, lifting the pot upward as if she might not have noticed it grasped between two large silicone oven mitts.
“Of course she did. I’m surprised she’s not burning up my phone.”
“She said you might be sleeping and she didn’t want to disturb you.”
“So, she sent you to do it instead?”
“Yes,” he laughed, stepping inside with the foot and crossing over to the kitchen to set it down on the counter.
“Well, it smells good, anyway. You want some?”
“Of course,” he replied.
Kat looked him over. He’d looked better. He wasn’t at his worst, but she’d seen him look better. Whatever he was on had him a little sweaty, and his pupils were almost fully dilated. The food might do him some good.
“How are you then?”
“Perfectly fine. I slept in for a bit this morning and woke up feeling none the worse for wear. Whatever the doctor gave me seems to be working like a charm.”
“Pretty scary night, though, huh?”
“Not really. I never knew the difference. One minute I was just fine and then I just felt really tired. I hardly had time to think about why before I was out cold. Scarier waking up on Dad’s vet table. Thought I was getting spayed or something.”
Mike laughed and sat down on a stool as she passed a bowl over to him and sat down on her own. She turned to pull out spoons and noted him pop something in his mouth when he thought she couldn’t see. She sighed and lay the two soup spoons down before using a large one to transfer some of the stew into their plates.
She wanted to talk to him about whatever he was taking, but she’d wait until he ate something. Otherwise, he’d bolt, and who knew when he’d eat again. Mike was a big guy, but she could see some of his weight beginning to fall off with his addiction taking over his need for sustenance.
“So, your date. He seemed a little freaked out.”
“Yeah. I think he was. I talked to him earlier, and he kind of blew me off.”
“Ah, the called-to-be-polite bit,” he observed.
“I think so. Yeah.”
“Probably best. I know you want to find a nice Alpha, but he seemed a bit too old for you anyway.”
“The age thing doesn’t bother me, but I don’t suppose that matters now. I’m not going to worry too much about dating until I get this condition sorted out.”
“Good. Less for me to worry about,” he told her.
&nb
sp; She smiled and dipped into her soup, taking a bite before turning to fetch them each a bottle of water. They remained mostly in silence until she was putting the bowls in the dishwasher.
“You want to stay and watch a movie or something?” she asked.
“Nah. I’ve got to meet someone in a little while.”
“Mike, I don’t want to nag you,” she began to say.
“Then don’t,” he cut her off.
“I’m just worried about what you’re doing to yourself.”
“I’m not doing anything to myself. I’m fine,” he said.
As expected, his defenses were up. He threw up his hands and then shrugged, smiling at her. She stood looking back at him with pursed lips.
“You need to get yourself together, Mike. I don’t want to lose you.”
“Never. I’m your big brother. I’ve got your back, sis,” he said playfully before jumping up and making a beeline for the front door. He paused as he opened it. “Call Mom. I was supposed to stop by and give her a report on my way out, but I’m going to skip it.”
Kat knew that just meant he didn’t want a lecture from her too, but the door shut between them before she could respond. She sighed and finished clearing away the counter before returning to the sofa to find a movie to watch alone. She’d no more than settle in when she heard a loud crash from outside and ran to the door, flinging it open to see what was going on.
CHAPTER NINE
Travis
“Eight a.m. sharp,” Carl told him on the phone later that evening. “You find a suit?”
“I did.”
“Alright, I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty and we’ll ride to the hotel together. Pack a bag for your room there.”
“My room there?”
“Yes. If you take on this protective duty, she’ll expect you to stay in the hotel near her in case she wants to go out and needs you.”
“I didn’t realize it was a twenty-four/seven duty.”
“Does it matter? For the kind of money she’s offering, a free five-star hotel and expenses, you’d be crazy to say no. Did you still not read the contract?”
“I glanced through it.”
