But instead of backing down, he was going ahead with playing her, a stranger at this game. Which suggested to Doll that not only was he likely to be very sure of himself and confident in his abilities, in all likelihood, Luke was an alpha male. The exact type of male she dreaded. Which normally made the hair on her neck bristle as her inner werewolf growl at her to get away from.
She was surprised to find she didn’t have that reaction upon getting closer to her mark. It was a dangerous game she was playing, hustling an alpha werewolf. And yet, no alarm bells were going off. Were her werewolf instincts even working?
Doll forced herself not to look over at Jeremy. Hoping he was doing okay on the sidelines, sitting at the bar without her. He’d probably figured out the same thing about Luke she had, just through their conversation.
Doll leant down over the edge of the table. “Game on.” She muttered hitting the triangular layout of balls dead centre. She had to let him know, she was no walk over. Because the more she presented as a challenge to him, the more she knew form experience, the more appealing she would be to him, which meant she could get him to lay out some money. It was the fastest way to draw him in. Even though her inner werewolf wanted her to do the exact opposite.
Luke smiled to himself. “Go hard.” He responded with. Doll was an odd female. She flirted with him and then he got fear off her, then when presented with a challenge she became defiant. And yet he was sure she was not an alpha werewolf. Not that he was an expert on women. But she was puzzlingly intriguing.
Doll straightened up as the pool balls spread out across the table, her eyes quickly watching the layout as if committing it to memory. Luke thought they were a team. The guy at the bar and her. Maybe they scammed or conned people out of things. Griffters. Yeah, he could see that. The guy at the bar seemed a little…twitchy. Like he didn’t like to sit still or to be over at the bar while his partner hustled at the pool table.
But then, it wasn’t like someone hadn’t tried to hustle him at a pool game before. And it wasn’t like he couldn’t recognise the inherit challenge in trying to win a hustle. He didn’t mind making people work for what was his. He relished it. His werewolf self was always up for a challenge and Doll seemed like a big one. Besides, it was a good way to pass an otherwise regular Thursday evening.
He watched Doll pick her target ball and proceed to pocket it on her first hit. She then lined up her second and did the same thing. Luke watched on in utter surprise, as Doll the proceeded to clear the table of all her easy shots, without missing a beat.
When it came down to her shots that were slightly more complicated, his mouth dropped open as she zig-zagged shots, bunny hopped shots and got what she required with all but her last ball like an absolute pro. The pool table was full of moves he had to make. And she only had to hit one last ball in and she won. Yet she didn’t. She’d done it in less than two minutes.
“Interesting.” Luke murmured seeing the game she was playing at. She had skill and she was now deliberately holding back. So she could loose and call the shot on what was won. She wanted to be in control. Luke had other ideas about that, after that little display of show-ponying.
Luke decided to take his sweet time, potting each of his shots. He couldn’t figure out why she would show her hand, so openly and so fast to him in the game. Hustling was about being deceiving, and hiding skill so as not to tip off or anger the intended target. Luke felt his inner werewolf begin to pace around. It was watching Doll closely now. She had both their attention.
“So I take it,” Luke said glancing at her and nodding back at the table. “You’re not from around here.”
Doll looked away. Small talk. She hadn’t really mastered the art of it since being free of the Alpha Pack. She hadn’t really wanted to talk to anyone again. Except Jeremy. She didn’t need anything from this guy but whatever cash he had on him and if she had to fall back on offering herself to him, to get it, she would.
Because guys who picked up women in bars were only after a fast good time. Fast she could handle. Good time, she could fake. But she knew to get this guy to really deliver the cash she wanted, she would have to make an effort. She’d already gotten his attention as a means to speeding up the process of her taking his cash.
“New in town, you got me.” That made Luke smile over at her. Doll remained impassive about him. “Let me guess, you’re a local boy.”
“You could say that. Seattle born and bred.” Luke said picking up his beer and stopping to take a mouthful of it. “And you’re friend over there? Where’s he from? What’s his deal?” Luke returned to the pool game after nodding his head at Jeremy. Doll’s face fell and her body stilled almost completely, which made Luke straighten up and take notice of her, even more.
She swore to herself internally, she couldn’t believe he’d made them. Some hustler she was. Most guys she went after this way were usually eight beers to the wind by the time she moved in. It was so easy to just pick them off slowly then and pretend you had no idea how you were magically winning every pool game. But Luke Charleston, wasn’t drunk, and didn’t come across as dumb. He seemed very clued in to her scheme. Which was fine with Doll as long as he didn’t go after Jeremy.
Was she in trouble with that guy? Was he watching her? Stalking her? Luke’s werewolf suddenly flared to attention inside him. And he saw the look of surprise mixed with fear rush over her facial expression before fading away. She schooled her emotions quickly and reigned in her feelings. Doll turned back to look at bar and met Jeremy’s eye. She had to remind herself, that this was small talk was. He was just asking, making chit-chat. She tried to relax herself before speaking.
“We’re backpackers.” She said smiling falsely back at Luke. He hit a ball and watched it sail the length of the table before hitting the end part of the pool table and bouncing back down, half the table length. He’d deliberately missed the shot.
“Uh huh.” Luke muttered knowing fully well that she was lying. Doll could sense an anger simmering away near the surface of this male. She’d picked the wrong guy to hustle at pool. She was busy watching his facial expression closely as he watched the ball sail around the table. So much so that she missed Jeremy scooting over to her until he was tugging on her jacket hem and she looked at him silently. His expression told her all she needed to know. He didn’t like it. He could feel the anger there too. He wanted her to stop the hustle and for them to just go. Without the money.
They needed money. But it wasn’t worth pissing an alpha werewolf off. Especially when she didn’t even know how much her mark had on him or was willing to part with. Her whole plan was flawed with stupidity. Doll was tired. Ever since they became free she’d been on hyper alert and it was wearing her down. They had enough money for food and after that they’d pretty much be broke. They’d manage somewhere out on the street and she’d do better in the morning on a full stomach and a clear head. When they could explore more of the city and figure out the layout and what was what.
Messing with Luke was just a stupid move. She nodded her head at Jeremy. “You know what, it was nice meeting you Luke but um, it’s getting late and we’re getting hungry so we’re just going to go and get ourselves a feed.” Doll said suddenly, laying the pool cue down against the table. Luke straightened up slowly and looked at her. He didn’t know what she was playing at. But a werewolf who threw down then walked away, was most definitely not an alpha werewolf, he knew that much.
“So you forfeit then?”
That made Doll smiled brightly at him. “What exactly am I forfeiting?”
Walking away from a hustling pool game was hardly a loss. Doll knew that much. Luke was stunned by her smile. It was the most genuine thing about her, that he felt like she’d hidden since speaking to him. It was amazing to see. It was like laughter contained, mischievous laughter. It made her whole face brighter and more life like. Her eyes twinkled in response. He felt like he’d been bumped in the chest by someone, after seeing it for the first time. Why could s
he be relaxed now that she’d broken rank on her con-job on him? Or was she laughing at him?
Doll turned around “Come on Jeremy, let’s get dinner.” They walked back out of the bar together leaving Luke, stunned.
What had just happened? Had he got hustled in some other way? Was she trying to draw him into her by walking away? Cause he had to admit that was kind of genius cause he kind of wanted to follow her. Or at least step in front of her and stop her from going, easily. The werewolf in him wanted to play.
“Sorry I messed up the job.” Jeremy mumbled at her as they hit the sidewalk again.
“You didn’t mess it up. I did. Got to pick my targets better. He was on to us from the start it was always going to be hard to hustle him. “ Doll sighed as they walked further downtown. “And it’s getting late. It’s like that song, you got to know when to hold them and when to fold them.” Jeremy nodded his head silent as he walked along, head down beside her and they began the search for dinner.
2
Luke Charleston continued to stand by the pool table, somewhat entranced. He picked up his beer glass and took another mouthful of the amber liquid. He just couldn’t make heads or tails of it. The female werewolf. That was odd. He’d never been one to fully get the way of women, but Doll, was something else entirely. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Had she just caught him by surprise, was that it?
This was not at all how female weres acted around him. No it was usually full on charm and touching, brushing up against him. Or it was him, constantly at them. He was never rejected. Never. He might get choosy sometimes, but he was the one who walked away if it came to that. Not her. Doll, what a hard ass and yet the most intriguing and infuriating female werewolf he’d come across, in a long time. She’d just perplexed him and he didn’t get it and yet both he and his werewolf, felt like it was something they didn’t want to let go of. And he’d let her walk out of there. Away from him. He’d let her go. What the hell?
“Oh no, no, no.” He said to himself coming back to life and abandoning the pool table and cue stick completely. He grabbed his jacket and hurriedly threw it on in search of the mysterious werewolf duo.
He drove around for two hours which was impressive considering he was the local and knew his way around town and all the likely spots a couple of pseudo backpackers would hang out. But he found them again, only this time, he was really not happy to see her. Not happy to see where she was would be more accurate.
Her friend was nowhere in sight and Doll stood on a street sidewalk, leaning against a wall. She looked inconspicuous enough, but Luke knew about the neighbourhood area she was standing in and why she was standing against the wall. A wave of anger shot through him. She was a hooker? He’d almost got hustled by a hooker? This woman was beyond intriguing, she was a complete mystery to him.
Two women stood nearby in over zealous high heels and stockings and mini skirts with fake animal print, mini jackets on and ridiculous amounts of make up, smoking a cigarette and chatting away together. Luke pulled his car up to the curb in front of Doll and leaned out the window. She looked up at him.
“Get in.” He all but growled at her.
She stared at him for what seemed like a long time. How had he found her? And was he really now, aware of what she’d tried back at the bar on him, going to pay her to join him? Not that it really bothered Doll that much. But it made her suspicious of him and his motives. He glanced at the two hookers watching the exchange between them. Frowning.
“Honey you don’t have to go anywhere with him you do not want to go to, this right here sugar, is independent-ville.” One of the women said sweeping her arms wide. “No pimps allowed.”
Luke leaned harder on the window still looking at Doll. He wasn’t used to not letting his alpha traits show through. His invitation might have come across as pushy. A bit too authoritarian. He knew all too well how werewolves didn’t always respond well to authority. But he didn’t want to see her out here selling herself to whatever jerk came along. The idea that someone might paw her for cash, gnawed at him.
“What happened to Jeremy or getting some food huh?”
She stared at him and then blinked and looked away. She didn’t move off the wall. Just stayed there her arms in her jacket pockets looking nowhere, anywhere but at him. Doll was not about to explain herself to some local lad who didn’t know when to leave her alone.
It occurred to Luke that if she’d been prepared to hustle him at a pool game and now as selling herself on the street, that she must be desperate for money. “Fine, I’ll pay then.” The statement made Doll look back at him. He unlocked the passenger side door.
“For how long?”
“What?”
She sighed as she approached the car, bending down to look at him. “You want my services for how long? I got to know what to charge you.” She replied not mentioning she had to figure out what to do about Jeremy the whole time she was with Luke. That wouldn’t be easy. She looked about her, seeking Jeremy out again. She’d told him to hang back in the shadows for a bit. Let her get a John or two and they’d have enough for some sort of room for the night if she could make it fast enough.
Luke’s eyes swept over the streetscape, Jeremy was probably nearby too. They seemed like a team to him at the bar, maybe it was more than that. Luke’s eyes widened as he looked back at Doll and he shrugged his shoulders. “Uh, all night. Both of you.”
“Whoo-wee honey, charge him double for a threesome!” one of the Hookers hollered loudly. Doll frowned. She didn’t want to do this, but she would because she knew she could get what she needed from it, money. They had so little of it. But she wouldn’t put Jeremy through anymore sex than he’d already been through at the hands of the Alpha Pack.
He watched her face harden as she leant down touching the car window, growling so low and angry only he could hear it as she came close to him. “You don’t get Jeremy. Just me.”
Luke saw the anger dancing in her eyes. Oh they were definitely more than a team. And Doll was definitely the leader who called the shots. Which briefly made him wonder if he’d assessed the situation in the bar wrong. Was Jeremy the one in trouble and Doll the one who controlled him? There was something there; he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Luke sat back enough to pull out his wallet and pull out some notes. He was an alpha, not a beta werewolf; he got what he wanted, one way or another.
“Both you and Jeremy, all night, my place and you get all this.” He said showing her the cash. Doll’s eyes scanned over the cash. He was holding four hundred dollars in his hands. It was too much money for her to ignore. Shit. But she couldn’t put Jeremy through hell just for money. He’d gone through so much and all he had was her. She’d break him if she betrayed him like that. And the thing was, Doll knew how much Jeremy trusted her. If she asked him to do what she was willing to do to get them some cash, he’d do it. For her, for them. No questions asked.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
It occurred to Doll that this is what happened when you wished for something, you could get it, but there’d be a catch. One you didn’t see coming or want to deal with. “Go away Luke.” Doll muttered at him somewhere between unhappy and angry. “The game is over.”
Luke frowned, this was not going at all the way he had envisioned it and he had no idea why. She clearly wanted money, that had been her intent back at the bar, to get him to bet her money. To hustle him out of it. Now, here he was flashing it in front of her and she was saying no? And it was easy money. She was a hooker turning down a job! Luke didn’t think he’d ever had his head so puzzled by a woman before.
Doll straightened up just in time to turn and see Jeremy running towards her. He ran up beside her before she could stop him. “What’s wrong?” He asked her quickly.
“Jeremy right?” Luke called out from the car. “Luke from the bar,” Doll turned and put herself between the car and Jeremy so he couldn’t see Luke.
“It won’t work Jer, he wants both of us.”
Jeremy looked at her and nodded his head. “Okay.”
Doll’s eyes watered. “No, not okay. Not you.” Luke couldn’t help but overhear the strain of hurt in her words. Life on the streets had clearly not been nice to them. Still he stayed silent waiting and watching. It sounded to him like Doll was coming around to his request. Which ultimately was what he wanted.
“I…I can do this.” Jeremy said softly. “Can’t let you be the only one, ya know?”
“Jer, its all night.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Doll pressed on. “At his place.” She emphasized to Jeremy. They were putting themselves at risk and they’d barely been free long enough to enjoy their time out of the grip of the Alpha Pack. They didn’t know what awaited them at Luke Charleston’s place. He’d come cruising that street for sex and he’d asked for both of them.
“But he’ll pay right?” Jeremy asked her. Four hundred dollars was a lot of money for them. It was more than would probably come there way for some time. Doll hadn’t exactly figured out what she and Jeremy were going to do to survive yet. But this would help them. A lot.
Doll turned around and silently opened the car door and slid into the front passenger seat beside Luke stiffly. Jeremy slid into the back seat of Luke’s car. They drove back to his house in utter silence. Doll’s mind went into overdrive, figuring out ways she could keep Luke occupied and appeased so he wouldn’t go near Jeremy or touch him. Just because she’d been used for sex, didn’t mean she actually knew how to do sex like a prostitute would know how to. She didn’t actually have many sexual skills. Really it was a case of lying there and taking it. And in the time that she’d been free, she’d only had to suck a couple of Johns off or give them a hand job and let them give her a facial, out the back of some bar doorways and alleys. She’d gotten what she would call, lucky. She vowed to herself it would be the last time if only time, Jeremy ever had to have unwanted sex again whilst he was with her.
Bleeding Hearts Page 2
