Roxie wondered who they were as she wiped down the counter. She was about to bring them another refill when Leo walked in, wearing a tank top. He sat down on a barstool before her. “Aren’t you cold wearing that?” Roxie asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the group of men suddenly shuffle out of the back door. They left mid-game. Odd.
“Not at all.”
Warren’s voice broke her out of her trance and she decided to forget about the men. It was probably just a coincidence anyway. “You do realize it’s snowing outside, right?”
“I do, but you’d be the only thing I need to keep me warm at night.” He winked at her, playing with the coaster in front of him. His eyes were once again a light shade of blue.
“Is that so?” Roxie leaned against the counter, showing off her cleavage, teasing with him. All the excitement she had felt last night was quickly coming back. Her cheeks were hot, but her thighs burned even hotter.
“A beautiful woman like you? I’d make you scream all night long. My hands on those lovely hips, that ass –”
“Calm down cowboy, why don’t you order something first, then we can talk about having fun.”
He laughed. “Get me a rum and coke.”
“Coming right up, handsome.” She winked in his direction.
“You know, you really shouldn’t tease someone you aren’t prepared to handle.”
“Who says I couldn’t handle you? I’ve had larger men come into this bar and try to have their way with me. I think I can hold my own.”
“Well, you’ve never met anyone like me before.”
“No. I don’t suppose I have. Tell me, do you have some sort of weird, color-changing contacts or something?” Roxie placed the drink in front of him.
“Hmm?”
“Last night. Your eyes changed from light blue to dark blue. What was up with that?”
“I think you might’ve been staring into my eyes a little too long. Not that I mind.” He grinned, taking a sip of his drink.
“Oh, is that what you think happened?”
“I know it was. You couldn’t take your eyes off me last night. Go on, tell the truth. I could almost smell your desire rolling right off your body.”
Roxie laughed. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Before Leo could say anything in response, the door opened and Warren walked in. The two men made eye contact and the air between them thickened, growing heavy as lead. It became hard to breathe. “Tell me, what’s the deal between you two?” Roxie whispered into Leo’s ear, trying to get some answers.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me this is all my fault. I won’t believe you two are fighting over me.”
“I think we are.”
“You flatter me.” Roxie whipped her long black hair behind her.
“You’re quite the ravishing creature. I wouldn’t be surprised if Warren feels the same way, but I won’t let him steal you.”
“You know, I haven’t agreed to be with either one of you.”
“You will, soon enough.”
“Cocky, are you?”
“Always.”
“Well, I do have to serve him, so excuse me.” Leo glowered with anger, watching her hips sway side to side as she walked over to Warren.
“Has he been here long?” Warren asked the moment she was close enough to hear him.
“Long enough.”
He locked his jaw, his fists tightening on the counter.
“I’m guessing you want a scotch.”
“Please.” His voice sounded strained. He glared over at Leo who just glared back. Roxie shook her head. “You know, if you two start fighting like you did last night, I’ll have to kick you out.”
“I can control myself, but I’m not so sure he will.”
“If I remember correctly, you were the one to throw the first punch last night.” Roxie placed his drink on the counter.
“He was getting under my skin.”
“Why?”
“Don’t worry about it.” It seemed like both men were adamant about keeping their feud a secret. “But enough about that. How about you, did you get home safely last night?” Warren’s voice was soft and caring. “He didn’t try anything … did he?”
“No. He was a perfect gentleman. Got my car working. Made it home, alright, but wasn’t able to sleep.”
“Oh?”
“I live in a pretty rundown apartment. The plumbing needs some serious work so sometimes, it starts to groan really loudly and keeps me up at night.” Roxie began cleaning some of the glasses behind the counter.
“That’s too bad.”
“Yeah, but what are you going to do?”
“Couldn’t you change apartments?”
“Ha, I wish. I can barely afford groceries, let alone a new apartment.”
Warren frowned. “You’re not being serious, are you?”
“I suppose I’m being a tad overdramatic. Things aren’t that bad.” In reality, she wasn’t exaggerating by a whole lot, but she didn’t want this man to pity her.
“Hey, it’s alright. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” Roxie felt her cheeks redden as she looked down, refusing to make eye contact with this man. All her life, she had been the strong one. She was the one that always handled everything on her own, without breaking down, but for whatever reason, she felt like she could trust this man – like she could tell him anything.
“Are you sure? I mean, I’m quite well –”
“Look, I don’t need your charity or your pity. Just forget I said anything.” Warren suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly in his.
“You know, you don’t have to handle this all by yourself. If you need help –”
Leo appeared abruptly, yanking Warren’s shoulder back. He let go of Roxie’s hand. “What are you doing?” Leo’s face was dark, shadowed by the light of the bar.
“I need to have a word with you. Outside.” Leo hissed, pulling Warren out of his seat.
“Get your hands off me.” Warren tried to shrug him away, but Leo kept his grip.
“I swear, if you guys start fighting, I’m going to have you permanently banned from this bar.”
“You heard the woman. Outside. Now.” Venom dripped from Leo’s every word. Not wanting to upset Roxie, he paid for his drink and got up. She watched the two men leave, wondering what was going on.
Outside, Leo slammed Warren into the wall. “Let’s get one thing straight here. She’s mine.”
“How the hell is she yours? You haven’t mated with her. You have no claim on her.” Warren pushed him back. “She’s still free.”
“Just stay away from my turf.”
“Your turf? I was here long before you and that miserable group of stinky animals you call a clan.”
“You better bite your tongue, mutt, or I’ll rip it out of your mouth. And who are you trying to fool? This is our territory.”
“I’ll prove it to you,” Warren growled, his eyes turning amber.
“You going to fight me, are you?”
“I wasn’t afraid of you back then. I’m certainly not afraid of you now.” Without another word, Warren transformed. His body blurred together for a moment before his limbs started to elongate as he groaned in pain. With his transformation complete, he stood there as an enormous wolf, getting closer and closer to Leo, his teeth barred in threat.
“You think I’m scared of some pathetic little wolf?” Much more quickly, Leo turned into a large brown bear. His eyes were dark, nearly black as he reared onto his hind legs, towering over his enemy.
Warren didn’t spare a moment, taking advantage of his opponent’s show of aggression. He bit down on Leo’s leg, tearing at the meat, trying to rip it straight from the bone. Leo cried out, swiping at the wolf, throwing him into a nearby car. The windshield shattered and the car alarm went off. Blood splattered the scene. Warren got up none the less, blind rage fueling his actions.
&n
bsp; He lunged forward, grabbing hold of Leo’s neck. Leo tried to shake him lose, but Warren held on tight. The bear rammed into a wall, letting the wolf take the full impact. Warren whimpered with pain.
A few bar patrons emerged from the building, hearing the fight.
“What the hell happened to my car?!” A large man in a wool jacket looked furious as he saw his decimated vehicle.
“Whoa…” Some of the other patrons were deadly quiet as they witnessed the destruction. What had caused this?
Behind the bar, the fighting continued. The men tore at each other like wild animals. Their growls were muffled by the soundproofed building. The only person who could hear them was Roxie, who had stepped in the back to get more beer. She stopped, listening to what sounded like a large animal in pain. Seconds later, something slammed into the wall.
She froze in place. What was that? Carefully, she opened the back door, peeking outside. The alleyway was deserted. As she looked down, she noticed the large pool of blood on the ground. Her eyes widened and she grabbed her phone, quickly dialing 911.
Chapter Three
The next day, Roxie didn’t see hide nor hair of either man. The bar was a little emptier than usual, especially after last night’s incident. No one could figure out what had happened. Even after running the blood samples through the system, the cops couldn’t make a match. The parking lot and alleyway were still marked off as crime scenes.
Roxie sighed, counting her tips for the night. $12.34. That wasn’t really going to pay for her brother’s tuition. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she also needed to go grocery shopping. But with what money? She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling like everything was falling apart around her. There had to be some way to make more money. And quick.
The night dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Some of her regular customers were there, offering a small reprieve from her otherwise depressing day.
Eventually, it was time to lock the doors and go home. Roxie had parked her car on the street since no one could enter the parking lot until further notice. As she was walking down the street, she tried to zip up her jacket without success. Struggling with her zipper, she nearly missed the sounds of footsteps behind her. She tightened her grip on her bag, ready to turn it into a weapon if need be.
“Who’s there?” She asked as she turned around.
“It’s just me, Warren. I wanted to apologize for yesterday.” He whispered, his voice full of humility. After the night of the incident, she had nearly forgotten about the two men. It didn’t occur to her that they had left the bar just before the accident. Could it be that they were the ones responsible for all the damage? No. How could two men destroy a car like that? She had seen the destruction herself and no human being could do that. Unless…
“What happened to you two?” Roxie stepped forward, determined to get some answers.
Warren was standing in a darker part of the sidewalk, most of his face cloaked in shadow. “We just had to… sort some things out.”
“What kind of things?” Roxie could tell he was lying – or the very least, making some sort of excuse.
“Just things.”
“You know, I’m getting sick and tired of you two answering me so vaguely. I want to know why you two hate each other so much.”
Warren sighed, stepping forward. There were a few wounds across his face, almost like claw marks. “I think it’s better if we just leave that be. I promise we’ll be more civil next time.”
“He’s right.” Leo popped up out of nowhere from the other end of the street. He limped forward, something obviously wrong with his leg.
“What’s wrong with you two? Did you fight again?”
“It was nothing. Just two men going at it.” He chuckled. “Right, Warren?”
Warren didn’t bother to answer. Roxie felt strange standing between them like she was the buffer keeping them from lunging at one another.
“Why don’t we make amends?” Leo was only a few feet away. “I’d love to take you some place nice and apologize for my rude behavior.”
“Not so fast. I was here first.” As Warren approached, his breathing quickly turned ragged as if something was wrong with his chest.
Roxie looked from man to man. How had she gotten into the middle of some cryptic feud? “I’m going to assume that neither one of you are going to let me go home in peace.”
“If that’s what you want…” Warren trailed off.
“But, I know this fantastic steakhouse. You really must try it.” Leo moved even closer. Roxie’s stomach growled at the mention of steak. She hadn’t been to a good restaurant in ages. She found herself licking her lips.
“Um…”
“Well, I know this amazing Italian restaurant.” Warren butted in, trying to one up his enemy.
“Italian?” Roxie raised an eyebrow. “I do like a good lasagna…”
“Please. Warren has a horrible taste in food. Always had. Don’t trust him.”
“And you always eat your food like you’re still a caveman!”
“I do not.” Leo and Warren squared off. Roxie sighed. It seemed like she would constantly have to pry these two apart. If she was smart, she would’ve just stayed away from them, but there was just something about the pair that got her going. It was like their masculine energy was slowly driving her wild. She wanted to be with them. She wanted to experience their adrenaline.
“Why don’t we all go somewhere?” She suggested.
The two men stopped, looking confused. “You want me to go to dinner with him?” Leo asked, aghast.
“I’m not going anywhere with him,” Warren said with derision.
“Look, you two finally agree on something.” Roxie dropped her arms from their chests, feeling like her whole body was tingling. Her heart was beating faster than usual. What had gotten into her? “But I’m not going to pick between the two of you. So, you either put your differences aside or I go home by myself… and I would rather not do that tonight…” She lowered her voice to a seductive tone, trying to convince the two men.
“Fine.” Leo was the first to cave in.
Warren took a little longer. Roxie grabbed his hand, offering him a smile. “Please, for me?” Roxie felt her heart flutter as she touched him. It was like any time they came in contact, she exploded with this energy that coursed through every vein of her body. The sensation was mind-numbing.
“Sure, why not? I guess I could put up with this nitwit if it means spending some time with you.” Warren smirked at Leo who was clenching and unclenching his fists by his side.
“Good, but you’ll have to play nice or I’m leaving.”
The two men didn’t look too happy about this stipulation. “No promises…” Leo mumbled under his breath.
“So, where are we going?” Roxie asked. They had all started walking in the direction of Leo’s pickup.
“It’s up to you.”
“The steakhouse it is.” Warren’s face darkened at her answer. Leo looked smug, slinging his arm over her shoulder and pulling her close.
“Good choice.” He whispered in her ear, his hot breath caressing her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. He wrapped his arm even tighter around her, his hand squeezing her hip. Roxie nearly moaned at the sensation. She felt her lust flare up inside of her and she had to do everything she could to keep her instincts in check.
Leo opened the door of his truck for her, hoisting her up by the hips. “Careful. Don’t bump your head.” He smacked her ass once she was almost inside. Roxie fell forward, landing in Warren’s arms. His scent was intoxicating, which caused her to blush and she quickly pulled away.
Awkwardly, they all sat down. Roxie was squished between the two men, but she didn’t mind all that much. It felt natural to be between them. The air in the cabin, however, was stiff and heavy with tension. Neither man wanted to acknowledge the presence of the other. Roxie turned on the radio, hoping it would help ease the situation.
A pop song came up
and Warren groaned, was about to change the channel when Leo started to sing along, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “Wow… you’re a really good singer.” Leo didn’t miss a beat, following along even in the rap section. “Damn… impressive.” The female part came on then and Roxie took over.
Her voice was full of life and it caused both men to go completely silent. She held her hand against her stomach, letting her voice effortlessly escape her lips. “Wow…” They both said in unison once she was done. She could feel herself blush and was glad for her otherwise dark complexion. At least it wouldn’t be too obvious if her cheeks were the color of a tomato.
“Damn.” Leo looked over at her. “That was good.”
“More than good – that was fantastic,” Warren interjected.
“Do you two constantly have to bicker like this? Not everything has to be a competition you know.” Roxie sighed, seeing their expressions. “Anyway, do you think we could stop at my house? I’d like to change. I’ve been in these clothes for most of the day.”
“Sure. Where do you live?”
Roxie told him the address and he seemed to know exactly where it was. Suddenly, Roxie was the quiet one. She had her hands folded in her lap, not really fond of the idea of these men knowing where she lived. Her rundown neighborhood was embarrassing. However, she wasn’t about to go to some steakhouse wearing her work clothes.
“This is it.” Roxie leaned forward, pointing to a green-colored apartment building.
“Are you sure?” Warren looked out at the structure. The ground floor was boarded up with plywood. “It looks condemned…”
Roxie’s cheeks burned even hotter. “I’ll just be a minute. You can wait out here if you’d like.”
“No. I’ll come with you.” Leo had already turned off the engine. He got out, helping Roxie to the ground.
Warren straggled behind. He couldn’t believe a woman this beautiful lived in a place like this.
“Uh… watch your step coming up… some of these are a little loose.” As Roxie walked up the steps, her curvy body made most of them squeak. Leo was happy to walk behind her, his eyes locked on her voluptuous ass. He was tempted to reach out and grab it.
Claimed by Two Navy Shifters Page 2
