Grayslake: More than Mated: PAWS & Surrender (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Bear Allegiance Series Book 1)

by Josie Walker

  She turned to bolt, but she was too late. They’d already seen her. Of course it would have to be the Schmidt boys. The three brothers ranged from early to late thirties. They were all tall and had fought to retain the muscled bodies of their football glory days. And she could tell they were drunk even before she smelled the beer fumes rolling off of them.

  It wasn’t that she really cared about her employers getting stiffed, but something made her tuck her hand behind her back. Her fingers gripped the money bag nervously, hoping they wouldn’t notice.

  “OOOOOOH EYYYY! What have we here?” Ethan Schmidt hollered drunkenly.

  His drunken leer made her wonder what aspects of her body he could possibly be appreciating given the unflattering polo shirt and khaki pants she was wearing. She’d never been more grateful for the unbecoming dress code.

  She began slowly shuffling backwards towards the rear exit, hoping they wouldn’t notice.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” she said softly with her head down, inching another foot back.

  “I don’t want any trouble!” Leroy Schmidt mocked in a high pitched girly impression.

  She knew better than to defend herself. Those boys were looking for a fight. She just wished they’d gone somewhere else to find it. There were only two police officers in the small rural town, and she wasn’t going to hold her breath that they’d miraculously patrol by and save her. From what she’d seen they didn’t leave the office unless someone called them to get a cat out of a tree.

  Nathan was the oldest Schmidt boy and he still hadn’t spoken yet, but he was the one that made her the most uneasy. Since she’d first met him she’d instantly sensed there was something wrong with him… like he liked to torture small animals in the woods and belonged on the set of Criminal Minds or something. He gave her the major creeps and obviously her radar hadn’t been wrong.

  “Where you goin’ Goldilocks?” Leroy taunted. He strode forward, closing the gap between them.

  “Listen, my shift is over. So why don’t I just go and you guys have fun with the store?” she offered in a demure tone. Riling these boys up further was the last thing she wanted to do.

  “But who we gonna play with if you leave?” Leroy asked.

  “Pretty Bird,” Ethan chimed in as he moved to block her way to the rear exit.

  Jessica started shaking when Nathan slipped behind the counter and opened the register. He wasn’t impressed by the fifty bucks in change she’d left behind to be able to make change when she opened in the morning.

  Nathan didn’t speak, just dumped the measly pile of bills on the counter. Then he savagely ripped the plug from the wall and hurled the register angrily at the popcorn display to her right. Jessica screamed hysterically as she dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding being clocked by the heavy machine.

  Leroy guffawed loudly, clapping his hands and stamping his feet like it was the best show in town. It didn’t matter that there was literally sweat dripping down her back, Jessica instantly felt cold. Had she really left the crime-filled city to die in the supposedly safe south? Her hand reached for the pocket she kept her cell phone in, but it was empty. Her heart thudded erratically in her chest. She’d left her phone on the counter. There would be no calling for help, and odds were she was about the be murdered, or worse.

  Get your copy of Panther’s Mate today!

  https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Shifters-Panthers-Paranormal-Shapeshifter-ebook/dp/B01AGU71K0?ie

  Author’s Note:

  Thanks for taking the time to read PAWS & Surrender. If you liked this book please take a moment to leave a review.

  Good reviews make my heart beat faster than a were-bear in mid shift :-)

  Josie Walker