“I wouldn’t dare, at least not in your own office,” Liam winked at Frankie.
“Ah, cazzo,” she said playfully, as she stood up to greet her husband. Grant wrapped an arm around her waist possessively and pulled her up to him for a passionate kiss. Liam turned away politely, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. It was obvious the two were very much in love.
“C’mon,” Frankie pulled away from him. “Let’s not embarrass poor Liam, I’m sure he doesn’t need a show.”
Grant grinned at his wife. “Whatever you say, sweetheart.” He placed a hand on Frankie’s stomach in an affectionate manner, and the two exchanged a heated glance. The electricity between the two was so palpable, Liam began to feel uncomfortable.
As if sensing his unease, Grant cleared his throat and led his wife to the chair next to his. “Let’s get this meeting started, shall we? Jared?”
The young Lycan man who was playing with the screen stood up straight. “Yes, Primul, Switzerland is online.”
“Put them up on the screen.”
***
The meeting with the Lycan High Council went much better than Liam had thought, but the three Alphas didn’t get their way. All the members of the council were in attendance - Rodrigo Baeles from Brazil, Jun Park from Korea, Oded Khan from Iran, Adama Amuyaga from Ghana, and of course, their de facto leader and elder, Lljuffa Suitdottir from Sweden, who took the lead in the meeting. Grant and Frankie pled their case, and Liam reported what had happened in San Francisco. The five council members were shocked, and they promised swift action on their part. The loss of Lycan life was not a small matter, considering their dwindling numbers.
However, the Alphas didn’t get anything solid from the council, no matter how much they pushed. They’d been lobbying the High Council for months to work with the Witch Assembly and have some plan of action. At the very least, a formal statement or rebuke would alert all the Lycan clans all over the world. The attacks at Fenrir and Grant’s attempted murder hadn’t swayed them, but now the mages were targeting humans. The mages could expose their secret, so they should have no choice but to take them seriously.
Grant and Frankie had other business to discuss with the council, so Liam excused himself from the meeting. He was glad to go, as the meeting was giving him a headache. Liam tried to pay as much attention as he could, but he couldn’t wait to get out. Being so near Lara, he had to go and find her. And then what? He wasn’t sure.
Taking the elevator to the lobby, he decided he would wait for Lara. It was almost 5 p.m., so she should be coming out any moment.
Time passed slowly, it seemed, at least to Liam. He checked his watch numerous times. It was almost 6:30 p.m. Where the heck was she? Was she avoiding him? Did she sneak out another exit when she saw him waiting? He cursed softly. He was about to give up when he spied a familiar figure headed towards the exit. “Jade!” he called out.
The Lycan scientist stopped in her tracks. “Alpha.” She nodded at Liam. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Yes,” he began but hesitated. “I mean, I was wondering…” Shit. How was he supposed to explain why he wanted to see Lara?
Jade pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and then crossed her arms. “She’s not here.”
“I don’t--” Liam stopped, forgoing the lie. “Where can I find her, then?”
She sighed. “Meet me at Rusty’s in the East Village at 9 p.m. tonight, OK?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Listen.” She looked him straight in the eye. “Do you want to see her or not? My best friend hasn’t been the same since we came back from San Francisco. You obviously have something to do with it, I’m not blind. Now, show up at Rusty’s or not, I don’t care. But if you want to know where she is, trust me and meet me there, OK?”
Liam looked down at the scientist. Jade was about a whole foot shorter than him, and he had a hundred pounds on her, yet the piercing look she gave him made it hard to say no. “All right.”
Chapter Thirteen
At 9 p.m. on the dot, Liam was already waiting outside Rusty’s, as Jade instructed. A few seconds later, the scientist appeared, walking around the corner from the bar.
She gave him a quick once over. “Let’s go.” She nodded towards the entrance of the dive bar, and he followed her down the steps, going in behind her as she pushed the heavy wooden door open.
Rusty’s seemed almost out of place in New York, where hipster theme bars and glittering clubs ruled the social scene. It was narrow, but long, with the bar taking up space in one end and a couple of booths on the opposite side. It didn’t have a particular theme, but the dark wood paneling, neon beer advertisements and low lighting made it seem it should have been on the roadside somewhere in middle America, and not the Big Apple.
“Why are we-” Liam stopped short as Jade jerked her head towards the bar. Or rather, the bartender.
Strawberry blonde curls piled sexily on top of her head, lips painted red, and wearing a low-cut black T-shirt that showed off her cleavage, Liam’s body instantly reacted to Lara as she stood behind the bar, mixing a drink and chatting with a customer. Said customer seemed to enjoy her company, his eyes never leaving her ample breasts.
His blood began to boil, and his wolf let out a growl, releasing a deep rumbling from his chest. Striding over to the back of the bar, he grabbed Lara by the arm and pulled her to him.
“What the hell? You can’t come back here!” Luminous green eyes grew wide in shock, her painted lips formed into a perfect “o”. “Liam? What are you doing here? How did you know…”
“What am I doing here?” he asked, his voice tinged with anger. “What are you doing here? Why are you working here?”
“I need this job!” She pulled her arm away from him.
“You need this job?” he roared at her. The thought of her broke and unable to pay her bills gnawed at him. His wolf growled angrily at him, and he deserved it. He should have been taking care of her. “Do you need money? I can give you money!”
“What?” she asked in an incredulous voice. “I don’t need your-”
“Hey, Red,” the burly older man at the other end of the bar interrupted her. “You can’t have boyfriends behind the bar. Health code rules.”
“Sorry Rusty,” she waved at him. “I’m taking my break now, while we’re slow.” She wiped her hands on a towel hanging from a rack and then removed her apron, placing it on the hook behind her.
When Liam realized she was wearing a tiny pair of denim shorts that showed off her long legs, he ripped the apron from the hook and handed it back to her. “Put it back on,” he snarled, barely keeping himself in check.
Lara rolled her eyes and then put the apron back on. “Happy?” she asked, jutting her chin up in defiance.
Ignoring her, he pulled her away from the bar and sat her down in the farthest booth. “Talk,” he said as he slid in next to her, spreading his arms across the back of the seat and the table, essentially trapping her against the wall.
Green eyes blazed up at him. “I don’t owe you an explanation! How did you know…wait, never mind. Jade. That traitor.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, which only pushed her breasts up higher. Liam’s eyes were drawn down like magnets to the ample curves, and he groaned inwardly as he imagined what her nipples would look like. Probably pale and pink, puckered like raspberries and--
“Eyes up here,” she huffed, making his head snap up. “Now, what are you doing here?”
“I was waiting for you at Fenrir after work. You didn’t come out, so Jade brought me here.” There was also no sign of the Lycan scientist, he just realized. Did she just bring him here and then leave? “Now tell me why you’re working here. Are you in trouble? Doesn’t Fenrir pay you enough money?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but Fenrir pays me plenty, but most of it goes into a common fund for my coven,” she explained.
Liam frowned. “You’re the one working for it
, shouldn’t you be able to keep your money?”
“It doesn’t work that way, not with witch covens. We live as a community, kind of like Lycan clans, but we share everything. I grew up never needing or wanting for anything, because the coven took care of me. Besides, Fenrir pays me a shit ton, and I’ve made more money than I’ll ever see or need in my life. They also pay for my apartment and all my daily expenses while I’m working, so I haven’t even touched my share of the salary.”
The Lycan looked confused. “Then why are you here?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Witches are nurturers by nature. We have this need to take care of people. If we don’t, we feel empty inside. Bartending allows me to do that in some way. People are always looking to share their troubles with anyone willing to listen. Rusty lets me pick up a shift one night a week so his regular bartender, Joy, can stay at home with her kid.”
“You couldn’t do anything else?”
“Well, some witches work as teachers, nurses, or even doctors. I never went to college, and I’ve been doing this since I was 18, though I started as a waitress at a diner when I was 16. I was a really shy kid, and it helped get me out of my shell.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry you don’t approve and you think this job is lowly, but--”
“That’s not what I meant!” he interrupted, the look of her hurt on her face slashing at his insides. He took her hand in his, rubbing her palms with his thumbs. “I don’t think less of you because you worked as a server or bartender. I just don’t like what you’re wearing and having all these men stare at you.”
She laughed. “I’ve had much worse than that guy. I can take care of myself.”
But I should be the one taking care of you, he thought.
“Liam, you can let go of my hand now,” she said, a blush creeping up her neck.
“Red, c’mon!” Rusty barked from the bar. “You can make out with your boyfriend later, bar’s starting to fill up.” Sure enough, two large groups of patrons had come in at the same time, and the line at the bar was two deep.
Lara grew even redder, which he couldn’t help but find cute. “I should go…” Lara pushed at him gently. He stood up and let her pass but followed her to the bar as she resumed her shift.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked as she began taking orders.
“Just a beer,” Liam said.
She nodded and grabbed a bottle from the cooler behind her. “On the house,” she said as she handed him the bottle.
With a grateful nod, he grabbed it and took a swig, letting the bitter drink cool his throat. He scooted farther away from her, taking the last seat at the bar. Rusty, who must have been the bar owner and Lara’s boss, gave him a strange look but went about his business, helping Lara serve the patrons and cleaning up used glasses.
Liam sipped at his beer, watching Lara work and seeing a whole different side of her. He realized he didn’t know a lot about her, and what she was like growing up as a witch. She intrigued him for sure, but he wanted to know everything about her. He’d never felt this way about any woman. Sure, he’d dated before and had his share of lovers, but few held his interest for more than a few weeks. The closest thing he had to actually liking or falling in love with someone was Alynna, but there was always something that stopped him, and he knew that was because she was meant for someone else.
“Can I get you something else?” Rusty asked, eyeing his empty bottle.
“Sure, another one, please.”
The older man grunted and got a cold bottle from the cooler, sliding it over to him. “Lara never told me she had a boyfriend.” He eyed Liam suspiciously.
“I don’t suppose she tells you everything,” he countered.
“She’s been working here for months now, I’ve never seen her bring a man or even go out with any of the guys who hang around here. And they can be quite persistent.”
Liam gripped the bottle of beer in his hand so hard, it almost broke. The thought of all those men flirting with her and asking her out made him want to smash something. Preferably one of the heads of those men flirting with her now, their eyes roving over her luscious body.
“A real heartbreaker, that one,” Rusty shook his head and walked to the other end of the bar.
He took another bitter swig, wishing he had something stronger that could get him drunk. The liquid felt good but didn’t do anything to quench the real thirst he felt, nor calm his wolf. The damn animal was scratching at him, urging him to go and show those men who Lara belonged to.
Fucking hell. Liam considered himself a practical man, cool and collected. His parents had raised him to be polite and treat everyone, especially females, with respect. The women he’d dated in the past (except for maybe one or two very bitter ones) always told him he was a “good guy”. But ever since that encounter with Lara in the elevator, he became some sort of possessive alpha male he-man. He was itching to bleed something - or someone.
The hours ticked by, and by the time Rusty gave out the last call warning, Liam was wound tighter than a spring. A couple of the customers had bought Lara some drinks, which she discreetly poured down the sink when no one was looking. The shots, though, she couldn’t turn away, but she only had one or two that night. Rusty was cleaning up and shutting down the bar while Lara disappeared into the back room.
Liam’s keen hearing heard a distinct crash from the other room, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He shot to his feet and ran to the back room, ignoring Rusty’s protests. As he flung the door open, Lara’s soft cry made his wolf snarl and growl.
“I told you, I’m not interested!”
A large figure clad in an expensive Armani suit loomed over the redhead, his hand braced on either side of her as he trapped her against the wall. She was pressed up against the concrete, her face red with anger.
“Not interested in me? A broke little waitress like you in New York? C’mon honey, don’t you know who I am?” He leaned down.
Red filled Liam’s vision as he marched towards them. He didn’t wait another second, grabbing the man’s shoulders and pulling him off Lara. A sense of satisfaction settled over him as the man’s face twisted in surprise.
“What the fuck, man?!”
“Get away from her,” he growled.
Mine, his wolf snarled.
The other man pulled his arm back, but Liam’s inhumanly fast reflexes beat him, his fist connecting with bone, muscle and skin. The man’s eyes rolled back and fell in a slump as Liam released him.
“I was about to take care of him!” Lara said, raising her hand. “You do know I can call up a tornado if I wanted to, right?”
“You sure were taking your sweet time,” Liam spat.
Green eyes flashed with anger. “Are you implying I wanted this creep feeling me up?”
“What? No!” Shit. He rubbed his face in frustration. “I mean, what were you waiting for?”
“I can’t just show my power to anyone,” she stated, her arms crossing over her chest. “I was trying to get him to stop first! And then you come in here with your weird Alpha vibes and knocked the shit out of him!”
“He deserved it!” His wolf yipped in agreement. The animal seemed to bristle and was urging him to kill the other man. Fuck, what was wrong with him?
“Shit, Red, I knew you’d be trouble,” Rusty said as he entered the back room. He shook his head.
“Fuck! Rusty, I’m-”
“Shush, Red.” The older man bent down and checked the man’s pulse. “Still alive, thank Jeebus.”
“Shit, I’m so sorry, Rusty,” she cried, putting her hand in her face.
“I said shush, Red,” the other man barked. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, OK? Not if this sonofabitch tried anything with you. I’m gonna call the cops. Do you wanna press charges?”
“No.”
“Yes,” Liam answered at the same time, which earned him a frown from Lara. “Thi
s guy could sue the bar, Lara.”
“I wouldn’t put it past the bastard,” Rusty nodded. “Pressing charges could give us leverage.”
She let out a breath. “Fine. Call the cops.”
***
Lara rubbed her arms to keep the cold away. Despite the fact that it was summer, a chill ran through her as she thought of what happened in the back room. She had finished giving her statement to the police, and while Liam was giving his, she snuck out to the back alley.
The guy was a regular, his name was Brad or John or something generic. He was some big-shot Wall Street type who thought he was doing her a favor by slumming it at Rusty’s and paying attention to her. He tipped a twenty for every drink and laid it on thick whenever he showed up, which seemed to be almost every shift she worked. He always bragged about how much money he made and what he spent it on, whether it was a new toy or fancy vacation, making sure Lara was always around to hear the dollar amounts.
She ignored him as best she could, but he was persistent, asking her out several times. She wasn’t sure what triggered him tonight, but she wondered if he saw her talking to Liam earlier as he walked in with his friends. He was suddenly rude to her, even making lewd comments to make his asshole buddies laugh. When she brushed him away again, she thought that was the end of it, but apparently he had snuck in to the back room, pouncing on her the first chance he got. If Liam hadn’t been there…
Truth be told, she had frozen in terror. She’s had her share of persistent men, but none had ever tried to physically overpower her. She felt afraid, unsure how she could get him to stop without having to resort to revealing her powers. By the time she snapped out of it, Liam had dragged her attacker away.
“Are you all right?”
Liam’s low baritone voice soothed her, caressing her almost. “I’m fine.”
“You’re cold.”
“I’m not.” Before she could protest further, a pair of strong arms came around her and pulled her against a hard, warm chest. She felt warmer, his body running as hot as a furnace and his scent enveloping her.
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