Love Conquers All Evil

by Mary Abshire

  Striding into the living room, I noticed Alan was alone in the kitchen. He was sitting on a stool in front of the laptop with his chin resting in the palm of his hand. Not far away, Ryan meandered near the sofa holding a cell phone to his ear. The other men were out of sight.

  "Where did everyone go?" I asked, coming to a stop near Alan's side.

  Alan straightened his back. "Ryan found a hotel with plenty of vacancies. I told them to go ahead and wait for Ryan or me to contact them with instructions."

  "Oh, great." I shifted my attention to Ryan. He lowered his gaze and turned his back toward me.

  "Ready for an early dinner?" Alan slid off the stool.

  "Yeah. Shall we wait for Ryan?"

  "No. He's going to wait here."

  "Is it safe to wander around without any guards?" I asked, surprised.

  "We will be fine. Don't worry, I will have men following at a distance."

  Relieved, I took a deep breath. Considering how trouble always followed me, I didn't want to be responsible for accidents or problems, especially involving the Alpha of Vandett Trucking. Having guards near would help avoid any issues.

  Alan gathered his coat from the chair. After he slipped his arms through the brown leather jacket, he stepped toward me, pulling up the zipper. "Do you need a jacket?"

  "No." Smiling, I shook my head. "Demon blood keeps me warm."

  Amusement hinted on his lips. "Ah, of course. Shall we go?" He extended his arm.

  We left through the garage, pausing briefly near the door. While I crammed my feet into the tied tennis shoes, the garage door lifted. Two vehicles pulled into the driveway. Alan walked toward them with a casual stride, his hands in his pockets and elbows sticking out like a bird's wings. Every time he exhaled, his warm breath created a small fog that disappeared within seconds.

  The driver of the first vehicle stepped away from the door. He exchanged a few words with Alan, nodded his head, then strode to the second vehicle. I tried to listen to their conversation, but they were too far from me. Superhuman hearing would've come in handy, but neither God nor the devil gave demons that gift. As I approached the parked SUV, Alan settled behind the steering wheel. The second vehicle backed out of the driveway.

  I hopped into the passenger seat. "You're driving?"

  Alan shifted the gear, then glanced over his shoulder out the rear window. "Did you think I owned a trucking company and didn't know how to drive?" he asked as he backed the SUV out of the driveway.

  "No, I just…" I inhaled the leathery scent of his jacket and instantly thought of Drake. Damn, I really missed him. "I'm used to seeing one of your men driving."

  The car skidded slightly as Alan steered it onto the road, but Alan maintained control.

  "I can tell you one thing, I'm not accustomed to driving in these conditions. In Phoenix, we don't see much snow."

  I recalled the excessive high temperatures in his home city when I had visited last July. Although I disliked all the snow, if I had a choice between Alaska and Arizona, I'd select Alaska as a home.

  "Do you know where you're going?" I asked.

  "I memorized the driving directions while you were changing."

  The car shook as he drove over clumps of hard snow and ice. I sat quietly with my hands under my thighs while Alan navigated through the treacherous terrain. When the vehicle fishtailed along a curve, I braced my palm on the dashboard. Alan spun the wheel, trying to right the SUV. His jaw clamped shut and, by the look on his face, I gathered the road conditions weren't quite what he expected. Once he turned onto a main road, which was free of snow and ice, he loosened his grip on the wheel.

  After a short and quiet drive, he turned into the parking lot of a restaurant. The family surname on the sign gave no indication of the selection of food offered. Since I hadn't eaten much of anything during the day, I didn't care if they served soup. I was starving.

  Alan parked away from the door where there were plenty of empty spaces. The vehicle I'd seen earlier in the driveway took the spot next to us. I glanced at the driver and gave him a nod.

  "Hungry?" Alan asked as he slipped the key out of the ignition.

  "Yes, I am."

  "Good. Me too." He gave me a warm smile.

  We left the confines of the vehicle and walked together to the entrance of the building. Alan opened the door for me and held it. His gentleman qualities reminded me of Drake.

  The delicious aroma of butter and garlic greeted us as we stepped inside the restaurant. My stomach grumbled in response. I couldn't wait to sit down and eat. A hostess dressed in a white shirt and black slacks welcomed us.

  "A table for two, please," Alan said, standing at my side. Energy rippled from him, making my skin twitch ever so slightly.

  The hostess gathered two menus, smiled, and said, "Follow me, please."

  We passed several empty tables and booths before we stopped at a table in the central part of the restaurant, close to the kitchen area.

  "Have you been here before?" the young hostess asked.

  Alan lifted the chair away from the table. "No, we have not."

  Once my rear touched the seat, he helped scoot me closer to the table.

  "Well, welcome to Owens." She handed me a dark menu. "Our specials are on the first page. We have a wide selection of wine. And if you enjoy seafood, we have our catch of the day posted on the on the board." She pointed to a blackboard on a wall between two doors.

  Alan removed his jacket, then hung it over the back of the chair across from me before he settled in his seat. "Lobster sounds good."

  That it did, but I didn't want to work to eat. My hunger demanded quicker satisfaction.

  "Can I get you something to drink?" the polite hostess asked, handing him a menu.

  "Can we have a bottle of your finest red wine?"

  I arched my brows at him. Finest red wine? The first time we met for dinner, he ordered red wine.

  "Sure. Anything else?" she asked, and gazed at me.

  "Can I have some water, please?"

  "I'll be right out with your water and a bottle of red wine," she replied before she left.

  "We never did get to enjoy our dinner date in Arizona," Alan said as he opened his menu.

  I'd completely forgotten about it. Once Gabe kidnapped me, everything had changed.

  "No, we didn't," I said as the hostess delivered a glass of water.

  "We will make tonight our make-up dinner."

  Opening my menu, I wondered what he meant exactly. Though I liked Alan and found him quite attractive, I hoped he wasn't planning to seduce me again. That time had passed long ago. "Okay, and just to let you know, I'm really hungry."

  Alan let out a soft chuckle. "Have you ever seen a hungry werewolf?"

  "No, I haven't, since I don't know that many werewolves. Are you going to show me?"

  "I could show you many things," he said, head tilted and with a playful gaze.

  Smiling, I ignored his innuendo and scanned the menu options. Everything I read appealed to my appetite. From behind me, a tall waiter appeared with a bottle of wine and two long-stemmed glasses.

  "Have you decided what you would like to order?" the waiter asked as he poured the dark fluid into a glass.

  Alan and I locked gazes. One of his brows rose.

  "I can't decide. I'm hungry for any kind of seafood, except lobster," I said.

  Alan faced the waiter and rambled off several orders of food, including two appetizers and multiple dishes. Yes, he even ordered the lobster. The waiter repeated everything back with amazing accuracy.

  "Will you be having dessert later?" the waiter asked while he collected our menus.

  Alan laughed. "Maybe. Check with us in an hour."

  After the waiter disappeared, Alan leaned back in his chair with a contented grin on his face.

  "I'm hungry, but I can't eat all that food," I said.

  Warm laughter spilled from him. "No, I don't expect that you can. But you can eat as much as you want."
He reached forward and lifted his wine from the table. "Jessie, I can't tell you how many times I thought about you over these last five months. If we could go back in time and do things over again, would you change anything?"

  Wow, what a question. Delaying my response, I grabbed my glass, then took a sip.

  Alan imbibed a bit of liquor, then set his glass on the table. "I'll answer it, in case you wondered what my response would be." He relaxed into his chair with his hands under the table. "If we could go back in time, I would return to the moment we were together in the pool and I wouldn't let you slip away from me. That single moment would have changed everything."

  My heart fluttered. He was right. Our lives would've changed completely. I would've broken up with Drake and started a relationship with Alan. Moreover, Gabe might not have had the chance to kidnap me if I'd stayed in the pool with Alan. Would I go back in time and change that moment if I could?

  I shook my head. "Alan…"

  He leaned forward. "Are you happy, Jessie? Are you truly happy?"

  Now that, I could answer. I stared into his green eyes. "Yes. Drake makes me very happy. He always has, well,"—I lifted a shoulder—"except for the few miscommunications we have."

  Alan lifted his wine and held it over the table. "If you are happy, then that is all that matters."

  I picked up my glass and clinked it with his. "To long-lasting friendships."

  As we sipped our drinks, I wondered what he would've replied with if I'd said I wasn't content. Would he have offered to whoosh me away with a promise to make me happy? Would he fight a vampire to ensure my happiness? The thought scared me a little, yet assured me that he was a loyal friend to the end of my days.

  Through two appetizers and two main courses, we took our time and devoured shrimp, scallops, wood-grilled salmon, stuffed flounder, clams, and oysters. I amazed myself with how much I packed away. When the waiter delivered the lobster, I leaned back in my chair. My belly felt bloated and I couldn't eat another bite. Smiling in delight, Alan wore the plastic white bib the waiter gave him and tore the helpless lobster's legs apart. Still the gentleman, he offered me bites of the juicy meat, which I happily accepted, even though the waistband of my jeans dug into my skin.

  The waiter appeared sometime later with a menu in hand. "Can I offer either of you dessert?"

  I held up my hand as if to tell him to stay away. "If I eat anymore, I'm going to need to buy bigger clothes."

  Alan grinned. "I believe the answer is no."

  The waiter slid the menu under his arm, then gathered the remaining plates on the table. "I will be back with your check."

  I folded my cloth napkin before I dropped it on the table. "Dinner was excellent, and I'm not just talking about the food."

  His lips curled at one corner. "I'm glad we could enjoy each other's company for a while." The smile disappeared fast as he jerked his head down and patted his jacket.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  He withdrew his phone from the pocket of his coat. "My phone is buzzing. Excuse me." Pushing the chair back, he rose from his seat. Holding the cell to his ear, he headed toward the front of the restaurant.

  Curious thoughts raced in my head. Maybe Ryan called to give him an update. Maybe they had found Gabe. Maybe the pack leader discovered why Alan had come to town. I shook off the worry and dug my own phone from my pocket. The time showed we had roughly forty-five minutes before the meeting.

  The waiter appeared with the check and two mints in a tray. He set it on the table before he disappeared.

  Alan returned within minutes. "Ryan called. He wanted to make sure we stop by the house before we go to the meeting."

  "Is everything all right?"

  He nodded, but his eyes remained lowered. "Yes. He let me know a law enforcement officer contacted my secretary. The person inquired about a vehicle we were renting." After he withdrew his wallet, he placed his credit card on top of the check in the black tray.

  "Maybe it was Ben, the officer who is friends with Gabe. I ran into him at the police station while I was with Paul early in the morning, and then─"

  "Yes, Frank told me how he found you. I suspect he followed you and took the plate numbers to get information."

  We hushed momentarily when the waiter reemerged. He grabbed the tray, then left.

  "If Ben didn't believe Frank worked for you before, I'm sure he does now," I said.

  "And that is fine. We already made contact with Gabe's leader."

  "But his leader doesn't know the meeting will be about Gabe. Do you think Ben would have said something?"

  The waiter returned with the Alan's credit card, a pen, and a receipt in the tray. "Thank you for coming in. I hope both of you have a good evening." He smiled before he left.

  "We have no way of knowing if he told his leader anything. But we need to be extra careful wherever we go." Alan took his card, then slid it back inside his wallet.

  "So we're going back to the house for a bit?"

  "Yes, the men are arriving. We need to go over our plans one more time before we leave."

  I watched Alan drink the last bit of the wine from his glass. He didn't seem rattled or worried. In fact, he had a calm attitude, like that of a man with great confidence. If he had any anxiety, I couldn't see it from his expression, the way he spoke, or the way acted. By all accounts, he appeared in total control.

  After Alan signed off on the receipt, we rose from our chairs. Even if the rest of the evening went on a downhill slide, at least we had shared some time together. Alan was a smart man, a planner, a man who considered all possibilities. With his wits and professionalism, I doubted the meeting could turn out bad.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Bright lights glared at me as I stared at the oncoming traffic. Darkness once again consumed the sky, making it seem much later than it really was. Alan steered down the one-lane road with a serene look about him—arms relaxed, hands loose on the wheel, and facial features stress-free. If he was perturbed about meeting Gabe's leader, he gave zero indication. But then, he'd spent the last twenty minutes studying a Google map and discussing all the details of the arrangement with several of his men. The Alpha really knew how to prepare.

  The phone in my pocket vibrated, jarring me into motion. Stretching my leg under the dash, I withdrew the phone. A quick glance showed an incoming text message from Drake.

  "Who is it?" Alan asked.

  Smiling at the sight of my lover's name, I pressed the button to read the message. "It's Drake. He says they're checking in at the airport. Flights are on time." I left out the part about him being home soon to kiss me.

  "I'm sure he is looking forward to coming home," Alan said as he turned off the road.

  I was willing to bet we both were excited. Though he hadn't been gone long, I felt incomplete, as if a part of my soul were missing. I needed my vampire lover back. While Alan navigated the vehicle, I typed a response to Drake. I hit the send button right as Alan cut the engine.

  "Are we here?" I asked, raising my head. The first glimpse answered my own question.

  "If he is here, I want you to stay with me. If he isn't here…"

  "I can grab a drink and watch at a distance," I finished for him. Somehow, I got the feeling he wanted me at his side at all times. Maybe it was Drake's expectation of him that carried weight in his head.

  "That should be fine," he said as he pushed open the door.

  We strode around to the front of the car, snowflakes flying gracefully in the air. I got to the door first and held it open for him. He paused for a second before going in. His eyebrows twitched, as if something was wrong, or maybe my measure of respect had caught him off guard. Whatever the reason, he shook it off before he strode inside the shop.

  The sweet smell of coffee instantly perked me up as I entered the establishment. While the idea of a latte appealed to me, I feared it wouldn't mix well with the seafood digesting in my belly.

  Alan stood a few feet from me, eyes scanning the
shop.

  "Jessie?" a female called out.

  My hair swung over my shoulder as I turned my head. Gail and Donnie sat at a tall, round table. Donnie had a laptop propped open in front him.

  Gail fanned her hand, beckoning me toward her. "Jessie." Her voice was soft, yet loud enough to get my attention.

  I looked at Alan, wondering what his next move would be so I could make mine.

  "He's not here," he said. "Do you know them?"

  "Yeah, I met them a few days ago. Mind if I sit with them since he isn't here yet?"

  "Go ahead. I'll keep an eye on you." He winked at me.

  Smiling at his little flirtation, I headed for my friends.

  "Hey there," I said as I squeezed between the vacant chair and table. I planted my rear on the hard wood seat. "What's going on?"

  "Who's your wolf friend?" Gail asked with an upward tilt of her head.

  I glanced over my shoulder. Alan sat a small round table facing the door. The Alpha must have heard Gail because he was staring at us. He gave a nod.

  "He's a good friend of mine. He came to visit and help me with a problem," I said.

  Gail sipped on her iced coffee drink, then set the plastic cup on the table. "You have unusual friends. First a vamp, now a wolf."

  I chuckled. "And look who I'm sitting with."

  Donnie half laughed. "I'm normal. She's the strange one."

  Gail slapped his arm with the back of her hand. "Freak."

  "Hey, I'm the one with the laptop. Remember?" Donnie shot back at her.

  I shook my head and grinned while watching the two carry on playfully. "What are you guys doing here anyway? Don't you have to work?"

  "They closed the supermarket until tomorrow so the police can investigate it more. Mr. Garringer was pissed off, but the order came from the chief, so he had to close the store," Gail replied.

  The tiny hairs on the back of my neck twitched with a surge of energy. I turned my gaze to the entrance. A robust man with short dark hair stood a few feet from the door. He scanned the room before fixing his gaze on Alan.