He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hadn’t even wanted sex in a very long time. No. He couldn’t risk it again. Staying away was the best thing. For her own safety.
A ringing sound jolted him out of his thoughts. Reaching for his phone, he answered it. “Cooper.”
“Chief, this is Mathers. I need you to check something out in sector Two-A.”
Normally, he would tell whoever it was to fix it on their own because he wasn’t a micromanager, but it would be a good excuse to get out of here—and away from Anna Victoria. “All right. Give me five, and I’ll be there.”
Getting up from his desk, he marched out of his office, already focusing his gaze away from Anna Victoria’s desk. The plan was to avoid eye contact or any contact. At least, it was until he saw Harry Wolford, one of his rangers, leering at Anna Victoria’s bust. The top two buttons of her blouse were open, and whenever she leaned forward to answers questions, her breasts would push together.
“Wolford!” he barked.
Wolford’s body went straight at attention, and he turned around, his eyes widening. “Ch-Chief!”
“If you’d pay attention to anything else but tits and ass, maybe you’d get your patrol done on time!”
“Y-yes, Chief. Sorry about that! I’ll get right on it, sir!” Wolford made an about-face and scampered away.
“You didn’t have to shout at him,” Anna Victoria berated. Her lower lip trembled, and he had to admit, she had balls to talk back to him even though he could clearly smell the nerves rolling off her. “He didn’t do anything. We were just talking.”
The fact that another male even dared talked to her was enough to rile him and The Demon up. “Perhaps next time, you can dress more appropriately, Ms. Hall.”
“Dress appropriately?”
He nodded to her blouse. “Wearing stuff like that won’t score you any brownie points around here.”
Her hands went to her chest, and her face went red as a fire engine. “I—excuse me.” She swallowed hard, got up from the chair, and spun on her heels.
He didn’t miss the way her hands shook or how her blue eyes went shiny with unshed tears, but he couldn’t do anything but watch her walk away. The Demon roared at him, furious that he made their mate cry.
“Goddammit!” he roared back as he marched into his office and slammed the door behind him. “Motherfucker!” He wanted to destroy something. To rip up the walls and furniture with his claws, whatever it took to get out this frustration of being so near the one person he craved, but couldn’t have.
“Damon, what the fuck?”
He had been so consumed with his anger that he didn’t hear the door open. Letting out a snarl, he spun on his heels. Of course, it was Gabriel. “What do you want?”
Gabriel was an easygoing and laid-back person. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his best friend angry, so it was a surprise to see his face red with fury, the muscles in his neck straining. “What the fuck did you say to her this time? She was near tears when I saw her.”
“Leave it alone, Gab,” he said, full warning in his voice. “You do not want to mess with me right now.”
“Is that so?” He could feel Gabriel’s lion, raring for a fight. “Maybe it’ll help knock some goddamn sense into you.”
“Try me, Russel, just fucking try.”
“Jesus, Damon, are you hearing yourself right now?” Gabriel said. “What the hell is the matter with you? You weren’t this much of an asshole to your other assistants. Why are you so determined to punish that girl when she’s done nothing to you?”
Gabriel was right, he knew that. And his last remarks to her had been personal and uncalled for. But he couldn’t help himself. The Demon’s temper was always difficult to control, but when it came to their mate, it was utterly unmanageable. It hated Damon right now because he hurt her, and he hated Gabriel for the friendship they had formed in the last week. “Are you trying to screw her, is that it?”
“Fuck you, Cooper,” Gabriel shouted. “It’s not about that, and you know it.” Anger rolled off him in waves. “Please do us all a favor around here and spend your weekend pulling your head out of your ass!”
Goddammit, he couldn’t believe he said that to Gabriel. His best friend. “Gabe, I’m so—”
“Save it.” He raised his hands and then spun around and marched out of his office.
Fucking hell, this wasn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want to fight with one of the few friends he had left. But he didn’t have a clue how to fix all this. Maybe this was for the best, and he was meant to be alone all his life to atone for the sins of his past.
After Damon responded to the call from Mathers, he decided not to go back to HQ. Instead, he stayed out, patrolled a couple of sectors that he knew would be empty and came back when he was sure Anna Victoria and most of the people on day shift would have gone home. It was Friday night after all, and for most normal people, that meant a relaxing weekend ahead.
When was the last time he had any time to relax? He couldn’t remember. Though he was technically off on Saturday and Sunday, he still checked in at the station on weekends or caught up with paperwork. Being alone with his animal was never relaxing, and he needed the distraction.
Taking his hat off, he wiped the sweat from his brow as he entered the station. To his surprise, the lobby wasn’t empty. J.D. was there, leaning on the front desk.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she said, smirking.
“Shouldn’t I be saying that about you?”
J.D. grimaced. He knew she hated talking about her animal. As far as he knew, only he and Gabriel knew the true nature of her shifter side. “Where’ve you been?”
“Out. We’re shorthanded today, so I went patrolling. Is there a reason you’re here?”
She frowned. “You forgot, didn’t you?”
“Forgot what?”
“What day it is?”
“What day?” His tried to recall the date, but since last week, the days seemed to meld together. Then he remembered. “Jesus.” He blew out a breath. “J.D. I’m sorry. I truly am. I forgot … about today.” He’d been so busy and distracted, he forgot today was her father’s birthday. The old man had been gone over ten years now, but to J.D., it was a sacred day. Jimmy McNamara had loved birthdays, after all and he never forgot anyone’s, plus he always had a party on his day. “Every year you’re still alive is a reason to celebrate,” he had always said.
“Are you ready to go then?” J.D. asked.
Every year, except for when he was deployed, they would go down to The Den and have drinks until J.D. would get so drunk, she’d pass out. It was a kind of tradition, a way they remember the old man. It was really the only night he would endure being in a crowded place like The Den. The last few years it hadn’t been so bad because it was always a weekday. It was just his luck that this time around it fell on a Friday.
“I’m sorry, J.D. I can’t.” There was no way he was going to be able to control The Demon, not tonight. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”
“You can’t?” she hissed. “You haven’t even stepped foot into The Den. You can’t back out, Damon.” Her voice trembled. “Not now. Not tonight.”
J.D. never cried except when it was about her old man. He had raised her alone since her mom died, and they had been close as could be. “J.D.—”
“Please. I need you there.”
He growled inwardly. Just for tonight, he told his animal, behave. Maybe this year, J.D.’d get drunk faster, then he could go home. “Let me get ready, okay?”
Ten minutes later, after showering and getting dressed, he was driving down the mountain road, following J.D. in his truck. When they pulled up into The Den’s parking lot, it was nearly full which meant the inside would be packed.
Cutting off the engine, he took a deep breath. He realized he didn’t even ask about Gabriel. The lion shifter would be there of course; Gabriel would never forget such an occasion. Hopefully the
y could put their anger aside for tonight, for J.D.
He hopped out of his truck and headed toward the entrance. J.D. was already there, waiting for him.
“I do appreciate you coming. Despite, you know.” She nodded at the door.
He could already hear the noise coming from the inside. “I might have to make an early exit, but why don’t I buy you two bottles tonight, and you can drink yourself silly faster?”
She laughed. “Deal.”
He held the door open, and then followed her in. The moment he stepped inside, the noise, the heat, and the crowd made his chest tighten. The Demon roared to life, clawing at him. Calm down. He wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or his animal.
“We got a place reserved, don’t worry,” J.D. assured him and nodded to where the billiard room was located. There was a signboard in front of it that said, “Reserved for a Private Event.”
“Wow,” he said. “I didn’t think Tim ever closed off a portion of The Den.”
“Yeah well, you know him and Dad. They were tight.” She waved to Tim as they walked by the bar, who acknowledged them with a nod.
It seemed like an eternity before he reached the billiard room, but finally he stepped inside. In here, he breathed easier, and his anxiety levels lowered. He recognized a few of the old-timers from J.D.’s garage, the ones who had worked with the old man. And of course, Gabriel was there, in the corner, holding a drink. They exchanged glances, a silent message passed between them to put their unfinished business aside for now for their friend’s sake.
“Here you go,” Gabriel handed him and J.D. a glass of bourbon each, which had been her father’s drink of choice.
“Thanks,” he replied, trying to keep his voice neutral as he didn’t want J.D. to notice things between him and Gabriel were strained.
“To the old man,” Gabriel said, raising his glass.
They followed suit, and J.D. downed hers in one go, then handed her keys to Gabriel. “You still driving me home?”
“Can we have a pajama party after?” he asked cheekily, which earned him a playful slap on the shoulder. The lion shifter wasn’t being serious of course; they’d been friends for so long that it would be weird to be anything more than that.
“Thanks,” he said as Gabriel refilled his glass.
“Let’s get everyone to toast to him.” Gabriel went around, gathering people so he could pour them some liquor.
“You okay?” Damon asked J.D.
“Yeah.” J.D.’s personality was like a hurricane—she bulldozed anything in her path, which was why most people found her abrasive and loud. However, this was one of the few times she was subdued. “This day is always, you know. Tough. I—oh, she’s here!”
Every nerve ending in Damon’s body lit up, as if he already knew who was here. He turned to the entrance, and sure enough, it was Anna Victoria. Though she was wearing the same blouse and pants as earlier, she had her hair down around her shoulders, and her lips were red and glossy. She was smiling as she entered, but when their gazes locked, her smile evaporated.
“What is she doing here?” he asked, fingers curling tightly around the glass.
“She’s my friend and roommate,” J.D. stated. “I invited her. Why, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” The fact that J.D. didn’t know anything told him that neither Anna Victoria nor Gabriel told her about how he’d acted this week and this afternoon. If she did, J.D. would surely have torn him a new one by now. “I should go get that second bottle for you.”
He slunk away in shame. Anna Victoria could easily have swayed J.D. to her side by telling her how he’d been a damn asshole this week, but she didn’t. Not liking the guilt seeping into him, he swiftly headed to the bar and asked Tim for a bottle of bourbon. After paying, he headed back to the billiards room, carefully watching Anna Victoria from the corner of his eye to make sure he stayed away. The Demon did not like that one bit, but he was in charge here.
As the night wore on, J.D. got drunker, as expected. It was clear that even after all this time, she still keenly felt the loss of her father. He couldn’t even imagine what that was like—after all, his own parents were still alive, living down in Florida after his father retired from working in the Blackstone mines most of his life. He called them regularly, on birthdays and holidays, saw them when they came for visits, but he knew he could do better. It was just difficult to connect with them again, after all that happened.
“You about ready to go home?” he asked J.D.
“Naw,” she slurred. “I ain’t no quitter!” It took a hell of a lot of liquor to get a shifter drunk, and everyone had been buying drinks for her all night. “But … I should go to the bathroom.”
“Do you need help?”
“Pffft!” She waved him away. “I’ll get Anna Victoria to go with me.”
He watched as J.D. went to Anna Victoria, who was chatting with Gabriel and a few of the older guys from the garage. The two women linked arms and then headed out of the billiards room. When she was out of his sight, an uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the door, wondering when they’d be back.
A few minutes later, J.D. returned, but Anna Victoria wasn’t with her. His beast clawed at him, urging him to find out where she was.
“You’re back,” he said to J.D. “By yourself.”
“Yeah. So, what’s wrong with that?”
“I thought Anna Victoria went with you?”
“She said she was going to ask Tim for a drink of water,” J.D. said with a shrug. “Did you—”
Not bothering to wait for her to finish, he marched toward the main room. It was even more crowded now, and he stopped suddenly, as if an invisible barrier hit him.
Too many people.
Too noisy.
Hot, too hot.
Moving.
Feet stamping.
Pain.
He let out a soft growl and shook himself out of the daze. With a deep breath, he scanned the room. Sure enough, there she was at the bar. But she wasn’t alone. Some guy was chatting her up already.
Goddammit. She was too damn beautiful for her own good. Gritting his teeth, he marched over to the bar, not even caring about the heat and noise and the crowd.
“… I don’t think I’ve seen anyone as pretty as you around here,” the man said, sidling closer to Anna Victoria. Damon recognized him as one of the firemen from Blackstone F.D. He smelled feline, probably mountain lion.
“I just moved here and—” Her mouth clamped shut when her eyes landed on Damon. Blonde brows drew together, and she moved aside, even closer to that asshole. “Go ahead,” she said, motioning to the empty space at the bar.
He couldn’t say anything, so he just continued to stare at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said, then turned back to the man next to her. “As I was saying …”
Her dismissive attitude and the way she smiled at that other man made hot, searing jealousy roll up tight in his chest. “I don’t need a drink.”
Exasperated, she turned to him. “Then what do you need?”
Oh, he was going to show her what he needed all right. Without another word, he hooked his arm through hers and dragged her away from the bar. She let out a yelp, but he ignored her. When that bastard fireman tried to protest, he shot him a look that said, just try it, and the other man quickly backed away.
Despite her protests, he managed to maneuver her outside. The cold, biting air was a welcome respite from the stuffiness and noise inside.
“What the heck!” Anna Victoria screeched, disentangling her arm from his. “You … you … knucklehead! What do you think you’re doing?” Her chest heaved as she struggled to take in big gulps of air. “Wasn’t it enough that you humiliated me in front of other employees, but you have to do it out here too? You can’t control who I speak to when I’m on my personal time.”
His fists tightened at his sides. “You didn’t even know who that was.”
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“That’s what you do in bars, get to know people,” she huffed. “Are you determined to make me miserable and ensure I never make friends? Did you want to isolate me so that I leave Blackstone?”
“Goddammit, that’s not what—”
“Then what the heck did you do that for?”
“That guy, and any guy in there, they aren’t looking to be your friend.”
“Ha!” She raised her hand in frustration. “I’m not a child, you know! And so what? I’m not allowed to have any friends? Who else am I supposed to be friends with, you?”
“I don’t want to be your friend,” he gritted out.
“That’s obvious. I—”
What he should have done was walk away. But instead, he gripped her by the arms and pushed her against the wall, caging her in. He couldn’t take it. She was driving him crazy, and it needed to stop.
“D-Damon?”
Wide pansy-blue eyes looked up at him. But he couldn’t smell fear on her. Only … excitement? He could hear her heart beating fast, smell her sweet scent, and read the confusion play across her face at the conflicting emotions.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t know. Didn’t care. Except he had to have her. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers. She tensed, but only for a moment, before relaxing against him, and soon, she was kissing him back too.
God, he’d never had anything as sweet as her lips. He licked his tongue out to swipe at those lush petals, making her moan and part her mouth. Tentatively, he brushed inside her mouth, past her teeth, to touch his tongue with hers.
One hand moved up to her neck, caressing the soft skin there, making her moan into his mouth. The Demon roared, wanting him to do more. Take her. Claim her. Black claws extended from his fingers and he raked them gently down to her collarbone. She didn’t seem to notice as she was eagerly opening her mouth to him, her tongue dancing against his. His cock hardened instantly in his jeans, straining against the seam so hard it was painful.
His claws moved lower, to that damned blouse. She had buttoned it up all the way, maybe because of what he said. In any case, it wouldn’t stand a chance against him. He slipped his claws between the slit in the front and snipped the buttons off, one by one, until her skin was bared to the cool evening air.
Blackstone Ranger Chief Page 7
