He quickly stepped out and shivered. He waved at Nick, and once he had the man’s attention, he reached inside the car and took his jacket from the passenger seat. He was zipping it up when Nick stopped next to him. “Sorry I didn’t answer but I was driving.”
“It’s fine.”
Nick was wearing his work clothes—suit and dress shirt. Will wasn’t used to seeing him dressed like that, because in pack territory Nick was a jeans and T-shirt kind of man. He’d obviously been to work, and something important enough for him to leave and call Will had happened. “Is it Mal? Something happened to him?”
Nick looked toward the coffee shop, and Will followed suit. He couldn’t see Mal anywhere, but he could be in the back room. There were a few other people, but no one Will recognized except for Leila, Mal’s colleague.
“He’s fine, but his ex is in the shop,” Nick said.
Will looked at the men sitting. He didn’t know which one was Paul, but if he had to guess, he’d say it was the angry-looking man sitting in the back corner. He was glaring, looking out the window and then back inside.
Will tightened his hands in fists. “What do we do?” He needed to check on Mal, to make sure his mate was fine. His bear wanted to rip Paul apart, just because he’d scared Mal, but Will kept it in check. It wouldn’t do any good to shift in the middle of the street on a Wednesday afternoon.
“We go in. Mal told me he was in the back room and that he wouldn’t come out until I was there. He doesn’t want to leave, though.”
“Why not?” Will asked, even though he already knew the answer. He and Mal had talked some, and he knew Mal was happy to have his life back, and that he’d do anything to protect it, including not running away again. He wasn’t on his own anymore. He had friends and support, and he wouldn’t want to let Paul win again.
“He’s stubborn,” Nick grouched.
“He is, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing, not even in this situation.”
Nick sighed. “No, but it’s not helping.”
“I know you have more important things to do, so you can go back to work if you want. I’ll stay.”
Nick eyed Will, and Will felt a bit offended when Nick shook his head. He knew he wasn’t a fighter, but Paul was human. Will could probably overpower him if he needed to, even though he wasn’t used to fighting. Maybe it’d be a good idea to start taking lessons, though, just in case.
“The pack is more important than my job.”
“Your boss can’t be happy to have you leave like this.”
Nick smirked. “Maybe not, but I’ve been a good boy over the past years. He’ll forgive me. It’s almost time for me to leave anyway. I’ve been working there for a while now.”
Will nodded and looked inside again. Paul was still glaring around, and he was bouncing his leg. He was getting impatient, and Will didn’t think it was a good thing. “How about we go in?”
“Yeah. You go to the back room and reassure Mal. I’ll take care of Paul.”
“What will you do?”
Nick’s expression was evil. “Oh, nothing much. Yet.”
Will waited for more, but Nick shook his head and started walking toward the coffee shop door. Will followed, smiling at Leila when he stepped inside. She looked relieved to see him, and he hurried toward her while Nick sat close enough to Paul that they could have talked if they’d wanted to.
Will leaned toward Leila. “Nick said he was in the back room.”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Will passed by her and knocked on the back room door. There was a noise, then a chair moved. The door opened just a bit, and Mal peeked out. His eyes widened when he saw Will and he opened the door wider. His gaze darted behind Will, and when they widened, Will knew Mal had noticed Paul was still there.
Will gently pushed Mal inside and closed the door behind himself. “Are you all right?”
Mal nodded. “Yeah, but what are you doing here? I thought you were coming on Friday.”
“It was supposed to be a surprise.”
Mal chuckled. “It is.”
Will reached for Mal and wrapped his arms around him. “I know. I just wish it’d be different.”
“Have you seen Nick?”
“Yeah, he’s sitting out there, so if you want to come out, you’re safe. He’s just waiting for Paul to make a move.”
Mal nodded against Will’s chest. Will looked down. He didn’t like how pale Mal was, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. The only way to make Mal feel better would be for Paul to leave, and somehow Will doubted that would happen, at least not easily.
He kissed the top of Mal’s head and Mal looked up, puckering his lips. Will chuckled and kissed Mal on the lips. He kept it short, but he felt Mal relax. Will was worried. He wanted to haul Mal on his shoulder and run to their house, but he knew Mal had to face Paul, and that Paul needed to be taken care of. “Ready to go?”
Mal shook his head. “No, but I don’t have a choice.”
“You could leave.”
Mal stepped away and shook his head again. Will tucked a strand of blond hair behind Mal’s ear and Mal smiled at him. “I need to face him. When I left, I just grabbed my stuff while he was at work. I didn’t talk to him, and I think I need the closure. I need him to see I’m strong enough, and that I’m not going to bow to his requests anymore.”
“Nick and I will stay here until he leaves.”
“I know. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you here. Thank you.”
Will kissed Mal again. “You’re my love. I’d do this and so much more for you.”
Mal blinked, his lips stretching on a smile. “Your love?”
Will shrugged and blushed. “Yes.”
Mal kissed his cheek. “You’re my love too.”
It was the closest they’d come to saying I love you yet, and Will liked it. He wanted to keep those three words for when they didn’t have an ex hovering outside the door. “Ready?”
Mal nodded and straightened. He smoothed his hands down his apron and looked at the door. Will opened it and stepped outside, Mal right behind him.
Nick was sitting, a steaming mug in front of him. He was at the table next to Paul’s and was looking at his phone, but Will knew he was keeping an eye on Paul.
Leila gestured at Mal to get behind the counter and Will walked around it. He sat at one of the stools and Leila winked at him. “Coffee?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“Black, right?”
“You remember right.”
She nodded and went to work while Mal started cleaning up just in front of Will, smiling up at him every so often. Will heard a chair rattle on the floor as it was moved, then heavy footsteps. Mal briefly looked up and paled, but he continued to work as if everything was fine.
Someone leaned against the counter next to Will, and Will held his breath as he looked sideways.
“Hey, baby,” Paul drawled.
* * * *
Mal did his best to appear calm. “Paul. What are you doing here?”
“I came to take you home.” The glint in Paul’s eyes said that he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Mal was glad both Nick and Will were there.
“I’m already home.”
Paul leaned forward even more and Mal took a step backward. He might try to look courageous, but he was really shaking in his boots. He was scared of Paul. He was only human, not a shifter.
“Come on, baby. I need you to come home with me. You know I’m nothing without you.”
Mal swallowed and looked at Will, who looked ready to punch Paul in the face. Mal didn’t want Will to have problems, and that coupled with Will’s presence helped him more than he’d thought was possible. He straightened and looked straight at Paul. “I’m not coming anywhere with you. I’m already home.”
Paul’s eyes narrowed, and Mal knew he was thinking of a way to intimidate Mal without being obvious. He didn’t know Nick was a co
p, but he wasn’t stupid. “Why did you leave me like that? You didn’t even say goodbye.”
“Because I was done letting you hurt me.”
Paul’s gaze darted to Will, who kept his own gaze on Mal. Paul shook his head. “Baby...”
Will snapped his head toward Paul and Mal’s breath hitched. “Would you stop calling him baby?”
Paul looked at Will again, and Mal knew he was examining him, trying to understand if Will might be a problem for him, at least physically. Of course, he didn’t know Will was a shifter, so he’d probably think Will was just another paper-pusher, scrawny and unable to defend himself.
“And you are?” Paul asked.
“I’m Mal’s husband-to-be.”
Mal knew he was gaping, but it was nothing next to Paul’s expression. Mal saw the surprise and the moment he got over it and decided he’d just have to deal with Will to get Mal back. Mal didn’t like it. He hated it. He didn’t want Paul to hurt Will.
“His husband-to-be?”
Will took a deep breath and the tension in his shoulders lessened a bit. “Yes, so he obviously doesn’t want to go anywhere with you.”
Paul slowly turned to face Will, his elbow on the counter. Mal realized everyone else in the shop was silent. Ethan was looking at them with wide eyes, Leila was hovering next to the door, and Nick was still sitting, staring at them. Mal knew he’d be out of his chair and in Paul’s face if Paul tried to do anything, and he gave Nick a small smile. Not that Nick noticed it.
“How did you convince Mal to marry you?” Paul asked.
“I asked him to. Simple as that.”
“Oh yeah?”
Will turned in his stool. “Yes. I didn’t have to hit him to have him do anything.”
The not like you hovered between them, and Paul’s expression hardened. “Who said anything about hitting?”
Will snorted, and Mal was impressed by the fact that he truly didn’t look scared. Maybe it was because Mal was human and he wasn’t, or, more probably, because Mal was the one Paul had abused and hit.
“Right,” Will said. “You can try to play innocent, but we both know what you did to Mal and the reason you’re here. He was convenient for you. He obeyed your orders, stayed home, made sure everything was ready for you, and when you weren’t happy, you just had to hit him a few times and things went better after it, huh?”
Mal winced. He knew everything Will was saying was true, but it was more than that. Paul liked the control he’d achieved on Mal, and the fact that Mal had left suddenly meant Paul had lost it. He wanted it back. It was the only reason why he was there, and Mal knew it. He didn’t kid himself that Paul was in love with him. He’d probably never been, and Mal didn’t want him to.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Paul said slowly. “I never raised a hand on him.”
Now it was Mal who snorted, loudly. Paul turned to look at him, his eyes narrowed in a look Mal had seen too many times. It was the look Paul would give him when he was unhappy with him, when fists would start flying as soon as they were alone.
Mal swallowed heavily, but he didn’t back down. “You never raised a hand to me? Please. We both know that’s bullshit. I was lucky enough to get out of our relationship before you did permanent damage, but I had the bruises from the last time you hurt me for weeks after I got here. My friends saw them.” Mal flitted his gaze on Nick, who was nodding at hm. “The police saw them.”
Paul’s expression became even angrier. “You went to the police?”
Nick chose that moment to get up and the tension eased. He lazily walked toward the counter and leaned on Paul’s other side. “No, Mal didn’t go to the police. He just happens to have a friend who’s a detective.”
Paul looked at him, effectively dismissing Mal and Will, as if they weren’t threatening. Mal was glad, because it meant he could relax. Not too much, or he’d end up on his ass, because his knees felt weak.
“And you’d be the detective?” Paul drawled, looking at Nick up and down. Mal knew his ex pretty well, so he noticed the flash of worry in Paul’s eyes. Nick was huge, and he was a cop. He was bigger than Paul, and he was on Mal’s side. Paul couldn’t win that one.
“Yeah, that’d be me.” Nick didn’t offer his name, and Paul didn’t asked.
He turned to Mal again. “So you’re not coming home with me?”
“No. I’m never coming anywhere near you again. Leave me alone, Paul. Stop calling, stop texting. I’m happy where I am, and I don’t want you in my life.”
Paul’s hands tightened in fists on the counter. Mal took another step backward and both Will and Nick tensed, but Paul didn’t do anything. “You’ll regret it, Malcolm.”
“I don’t think I will.”
Paul grinned, and it made Mal shiver. Things never went well when Paul smiled that way. “Oh, believe me, you will.”
“Are you threatening my friend?” Nick asked, his hand on his side as if he were about to take something out—his gun, handcuffs, Mal didn’t know, and he didn’t care. Anything would be good if it stopped Paul.
Paul raised his hands, trying to make himself look unthreatening. “Id’ never do something like that, Officer.”
“Detective.”
“Sorry. Detective.”
Mal knew better than anyone that Paul’s innocent act was fake, and he didn’t relax. He didn’t think he could, not while Paul was in the same room as him. Paul looked at Nick, then back at Mal. He pushed away from the counter. “Fine, I’ll go. You still have my number for when you change your mind, right, baby?” He looked at Will up and down, seizing him up. “No matter what you said to this guy, you know he can’t do what I did for you.” He grinned lazily. “He can’t satisfy you as well as I can.”
Mal choked on air. “Satisfy me?”
Paul looked at him again. “We both know how eager you’re in bed. I bet he’s not as good as I am.”
Will started getting up, and Nick clasped Paul’s shoulder. “I think you should go,” he said, pushing Paul toward the door none too gently.
Leila opened it for him, and Mal heard her tell him he wasn’t welcome in the shop as he passed by her. The glance he gave her made Mal shiver, and not in a good way.
She closed the door behind Paul, and they all watched as he walked away and finally disappeared from view. Only then did Mal let go, and he slumped to the floor.
* * * *
Will was around the counter before Mal could stand up again. He sat beside his mate in the restrained space, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and shushing him. “He’s gone.”
Mal nodded. “I know.”
“You’re all right.”
Mal looked at Will and smiled. “I know.” The smile fell. “But I’m not stupid enough to think this is the last time I’ll see him.”
Will didn’t know Paul, but he agreed the man hadn’t look like someone who’d leave just because Mal had said no. “Come on, get up. I’ll help you sit in a chair. It’ll be more comfortable.”
Mal nodded and got up. His legs trembled slightly, so Will wrapped his arm around Mal’s shoulders again and kept a hand on his waist to be sure he wouldn’t fall. Mal slumped in the chair as soon as Will got him close enough, and Will looked around the shop.
Leila was back behind the counter, serving a woman who’d just come in and who was glancing at Mal. The guy who’d been there when Will had come in was still there, looking worried. When he saw Will looking at him, he got up and came closer.
“Is he all right?” he asked Will.
“I’m fine,” Mal answered for himself.
“Who was that guy? You said you didn’t know him, but it didn’t look like it.”
“My ex.”
The guy winced. “Ouch.”
Mal chuckled. “Yeah. I really don’t want to talk about it.” He gestured toward Will. “This is Will, the boyfriend I was telling you about earlier. Will, this is Ethan. He’s a regular here.”
&n
bsp; Will shook Ethan’s hand and ignored the way Ethan stared at him to crouch in front of Mal. “Do you want to go home?” he asked.
Mal shook his head, hair flying everywhere, and Will couldn’t resist tucking a strand behind Mal’s ear again when he stopped. “No. I just got here, and Trent left already. I can’t leave Leila alone.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Yeah.” Mal looked around. “Do you think you can stay, though? I know Nick has to go back to work, but...”
Will kissed Mal’s forehead. “Of course I can stay.”
Mal smiled at him. “Thanks.” He started to get up, and Will hovered close. “I’m fine, really. I’m going back to work. You just sit somewhere, and I’ll bring you another coffee.”
Will had forgotten Leila had made him coffee earlier, and it was probably well on its way to be cold, so he didn’t protest. He nodded at Ethan and walked up to Nick, who was on his phone.
Will waited for Nick top put his phone away to ask, “You’re going back to work?”
“Yeah. I have a case, and I can’t drop it, but I called Kam, and he’s sending someone, just in case.”
“I don’t know if it’s necessary.”
Nick frowned. “Maybe not, but I’m not taking chances. They have more than enough enforcers and recruits to do it, so it’s not a problem.”
“I’m staying.”
“I had no doubts you would. Give me a call if you need anything.”
Nick waved at Mal and Leila, and they both waved back. He left, and Will went to sit at the table closest to the counter. Mal still looked shaken, not that Will expected anything different. Paul looked like an asshole, and after what Mal had told Will about the man, Will didn’t want him anywhere near the man he loved. He wanted to wrap Mal up and hide him from the world, but clearly that hadn’t worked to keep Paul away. Maybe they should talk to Mihaja again and have him check how Paul could have found Mal.
A coffee appeared in Will’s sight and he looked up. Mal smiled, but it was a bit strained, and Will felt the need to say or do something to help. “Marry me.”
Mal Page 7
