The rest of his attention was in the same place it had been for days, studying Bethany and trying to decide what she was thinking. She hadn’t shown any change in attitude since the night they’d spent together or any indication that she expected their relationship to have altered because of it.
That was good. At least, he was pretty sure it was good. Of course it was good. Wasn’t it? After all, it hadn’t affected him at all. Other than the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about the way she looked in the heat of passion, like a wild and glorious valkyrie. Or the glow of the sun on her creamy skin when they were out on the boat together, or the fierce glint in her eyes when she was mad at him…which admittedly, was pretty often.
She glanced in his direction and he nodded enthusiastically at the man next to him, trying not to seem like he was watching her. Unfortunately, the sailor launched into an entirely new story, encouraged by Alexei’s supposed interest. Great, this one had something to do with inappropriate tattoos. Please, gods, let there not be pictures.
It wasn’t as though there was anything wrong with Bethany not wanting to jump back into bed with him, although it made him worry a little that their encounter hadn’t been as wonderful for her as it had been for him. After all, she knew he was just passing through, and she wasn’t the kind of woman who went for casual relationships.
Unless she just didn’t want to be with him in particular. Not that he wanted to be with her. He didn’t do relationships at all, casual or otherwise, his attachment to his brothers and the Baba Yagas aside. Of course, he also didn’t brood over women, and look at him now. What the hell was wrong with him?
Bethany brought him over another beer, nodding at the guy next to him, who had pulled up his shirt to show off a tattoo of…what the devil was that, anyway? A mermaid and a dolphin? Alexei grimaced, pretty sure that the act depicted in the tattoo was not only physically impossible but unlikely to be considered desirable by either party.
Unlike the adorable redhead currently winking at him, who was absurdly desirable on multiple levels.
“Put that away, John,” she was saying to the sailor. “And if you drop your trousers to show him the other one, I’m calling your wife.”
“How do you know what he’s got under his trousers?” Alexei asked, curious (but not at all jealous, because he’d never been jealous a day in his life).
She rolled her eyes at him. “Not that way, you big oaf. Everyone in town knows what he’s got tattooed on his left butt cheek. The tattoo artist who did it was so proud, he has a photo up on the wall in his shop.” She gave a mock shudder. “Believe me, you don’t want to know. You’ll never sleep again.”
Bethany turned to John. “Speaking of which, you need to go home and sleep it off, buddy. I’ve called you a taxi. You can come get your car tomorrow.” She held out one hand and he dropped a set of keys into it meekly and staggered off in the direction of the door.
Bethany sighed, resting her elbows on the bar and her chin in her hands. “It was nice of you to let John blither on at you. I know he can be kind of annoying, but today’s the anniversary of his mother’s death, and he always gets drunk and tells ridiculous stories. You were kind to listen to him.”
“I am not kind,” Alexei growled, out of sorts for reasons he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Probably just tired of waiting for Beka to come back so they could solve this damned kraken problem and he could get back on the road.
Bethany blinked at him. “Well, you’re grumpy tonight. And you’re not fooling me, either. You’re kind to my father, and you’re kind to Lulu. Once or twice you’ve even been kind to me. Probably accidentally.”
Alexei opened his mouth to apologize when a deep, gravelly voice said, “I’ll bet lots of men are kind to you, pretty lady.”
A strange-looking guy slid onto the barstool vacated by John. He had an odd haircut, with a one side of his head shaved a third of the way up, and the remaining hair combed up and over, so it fell in one straight gray sheet down to his chin on the other side. He had a tangled salt and pepper beard, a hooked nose, cold gray eyes, and wore gold hoops in both ears. Something about him seemed familiar, but Alexei was sure he’d remember having met someone so distinctive, so perhaps he’d simply seen the guy in the bar on a previous occasion.
Bethany ignored the compliment, although she raised an eyebrow in unspoken commentary in Alexei’s direction. “Hi, I’m Bethany. What can I get you?”
The man gave Alexei a sideways glance, then stared rudely at a spot well below Bethany’s face. “How about a whiskey, neat, and a night with you?”
“How about a whiskey and you stop ogling my boobs?” she countered. “Any particular brand you prefer?”
“Yours will do quite nicely,” the man said with a smirk. “As for the whiskey, I am not particular.”
Bethany seemed to be dealing with this asshole with her usual patient forbearance, but Alexei had had enough.
“You don’t seem to be too particular about your manners, either,” He said, swinging around to face the man. “I’m going to have to ask you to stop being so rude to the lady. She’s a friend of mine.”
“It’s fine, Alexei,” Bethany said. “I think the gentleman would be happier drinking in some other bar, that’s all.”
The man reached over and grabbed her arm. “The gentleman is quite happy right where he is, thank you, darling. Although we might have a more enjoyable evening if you would tell your large ugly friend to go elsewhere so we can get to know each other better in peace.”
A red cloud seemed to descend over Alexei’s vision. “Remove your hand,” he said through gritted teeth. “Or I will remove it for you. Possibly permanently.”
Alarm crossed Bethany’s face. “Alexei, don’t.”
But it was too late. The stranger gave him a grin that glinted gold at one edge. “I will enjoy seeing you try,” he said, and let go of Bethany to stand up. “Shall we have at it?”
“Oh, yes, why don’t we?” Alexei stood up too, so the two of them were almost toe to toe. The man was larger than he’d thought - almost as tall as Alexei himself, although not quite as broad in the shoulders. Of course, he was a Human, so he wouldn’t have nearly the strength and endurance. Alexei might be a former Rider now, but his father was the god Jarilo and his mother had been the daughter of the legendary warrior Svyatogor, whose name meant Sacred Mountain because he was so large - no normal man could match him.
“Alexei,” Bethany said warningly. “Not again.”
Crack. The stranger struck Alexei so hard, it flung him across the room and into the wall.
Alexei straightened, shaking his head. Son of a bitch. That actually hurt. He roared as he raced back over and swept the man off his feet, barreling him a few yards before throwing him down on the ground with a thud.
The man bounced back up, seeming unshaken. He aimed another roundhouse punch at Alexei’s head, but this time Alexei was expecting it and ducked under the blow. He plowed into the man again, ramming his shoulder into the stranger’s gut and making him grunt as all the air left his lungs. They shot forward another couple of yards before the man dug in his booted feet and they screeched to a halt.
“Open the door!” Alexei yelled to one of the regulars who was sitting next to it. The guy stopped staring and jumped up with alacrity, suddenly figuring out what Alexei was doing.
A meaty fist connected with the side of his head, but Alexei just shook it off, although his ears rang a little from the impact. He took one step back to gather himself and then hit the man with all his strength. The stranger flew out the door and landed in the parking lot on his ass.
“The lady asked you to drink elsewhere,” Alexei said, folding his arms over his chest. “I suggest you do as she says.”
The man stood up, making a low growling sound of mixed frustration and anger. His eyes seemed to glow red in the reflection from the neon beer signs in The Hook and Anchor’s window. “Fight me,” he said. “Come back inside and fight me like a man.�
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Alexei shrugged. “No thanks. I seem to have lost my taste for brawling. Besides, I promised not to bust up the bar again. So I’m afraid you’ll have to find your entertainment elsewhere.”
“I could keep striking you,” the man hissed. “You would have to fight me then.”
“Sure. If you insist.” Alexei shrugged again and gestured around them. “If you feel like rolling around in the dirt in a parking lot. I suspect all these cars and trucks are insured. But I will beat you to a pulp eventually, and what would be the point?”
The stranger scowled. “What would be the point indeed?” He glanced back at the doorway, where Bethany stood looking out at them. “Very well. But this is not over.”
“I think it is,” Alexei said mildly. “Go home.”
“Soon,” the man said. “But not soon enough.” He turned and stalked away into the night.
A small crowd spilled out of the bar and applauded. Alexei just grinned and waved them off. He couldn’t believe he was being hailed for not fighting. His life was getting odder and odder. The Baba Yagas would never believe it.
But then Bethany ran over and jumped up into his arms, kissing him soundly before sliding back down to the ground. “You were amazing!” she said. “You purposely moved him out of the bar so it wouldn’t get wrecked. And then you chose not to fight.” Tears seemed to glimmer in her eyes. “You crazy, wonderful, amazing man.”
She kissed him again, to more applause from the regulars, and suddenly Alexei didn’t care how odd his life had become. If not fighting got him this kind of reward, he might just give it up forever.
Once it was clear the excitement was over, everyone went back inside and got back to their drinking, although not without a heightened buzz of conversation as the entire fight was recapped and discussed from every angle. Bethany and Alexei followed the pack, but she surprised him by grabbing his hand and steering him toward the storeroom instead of the bar.
“Hey!” he protested. “I thought I’d at least get a free beer for not wrecking the place.”
Bethany closed the door behind them and shoved him up against a stack of wine crates. The bottles clinked cheerfully as she stood on her toes to whisper against his lips, “I thought I’d give you a different kind of reward,” and kissed him with so much passion, it made him tingle down to his fingertips.
“Just so you know, you have never been sexier to me than you are right at this moment,” she said in a husky voice.
Naturally, he kissed her back. He liked drinking, but the buzz that came from having his body pressed up against Bethany’s was better than the most expensive champagne.
“Not that I’m complaining,” he said hoarsely a few minutes later when they both came up for air. “But there is an entire bar full of thirsty sailors out there waiting for their drinks. And I’d rather not have that big a cheering section for this kind of activity.” He’d been holding her up with both hands on her bottom and set her down reluctantly until her feet touched the floor again.
Bethany sighed, but took a step backward. “You’re probably right,” she said. “But you’d better believe you’re going to get lucky when I get home tonight.”
“I’ll be counting the minutes,” Alexei said. “And possibly the seconds.” That was, if he got enough blood flow back in his brain to count anything.
* * *
That had not gone as planned. Not at all. Hayreddin could not believe that the Black Rider of all people had refused to fight him. Had the man completely lost his nerve when the wicked Brenna tortured him and his brothers? Or had he lost his mind over that silly, flame-haired Human? Either way, yet another brilliant plan had failed miserably.
Hayreddin had had enough. It was time for more drastic measures. If a direct attack could not achieve his goal of getting the former Rider out of his hair, then something more underhanded would be required. Fortunately, Red excelled at devious and malicious schemes. With the help of Len and the two remaining pirates, he would do something that would force Alexei to do as he was told. Or else.
Chapter 16
Bethany hummed to herself as she put the chairs up on top of the tables for the night and shut down all the lights. The bar closed at one AM at this time of year, and the last customer had left ten minutes ago. As usual, Alexei had gone back to the house around eleven thirty to help Calum into bed, and as usual, the place had seemed quiet and a bit empty without his overly large presence. She didn’t even want to think about how it would feel when he was gone for good.
Alexei. She couldn’t believe what he’d done tonight. She would have bet a substantial amount of money that nothing he could do would surprise her, but it turned out she would have been wrong.
When that creep had started in with her, then kept pushing and pushing, she was certain Alexei was going to flip out and go into what she privately thought of as “Hulk mode.” She’d seen it coming, and could already visualize the damage the two huge men would wreak as they battled back and forth across the bar.
When Alexei stood up, she knew she was doomed. She’d have to ban him from The Hook and Anchor for good, get everything repaired again, and maybe even kick him out of the guest house, even though she still hadn’t found a new aide for her dad. Her stomach had clenched so hard, she was afraid she was going to throw up.
Then he’d done the completely unexpected. It had taken her a minute to understand what he was doing, but she’d almost cheered when she realized he was purposely driving his opponent in the direction of the door. When he’d shoved the guy out into the parking lot and then refused to fight, she’d been overcome with a rush of emotion - part stunned amazement, part gratitude, and part sheer unadulterated lust. She always found him ridiculously attractive, but in that moment, he had been almost irresistible. The impulsive kiss in front of an entire bar full of customers was probably a mistake, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it.
He was definitely going to get lucky when she got home.
She hefted the last chair up and turned off the lamp behind the bar, then made her way down the hall past the bathrooms to the back exit. She couldn’t wait to get into her truck and go give Alexei his reward for not wrecking the place again.
As always, she turned around once she was outside to jiggle the old brass doorknob and make sure it was really locked, a habit her father had instilled in her when she was still in her teens. But this time, when she turned back to go to her truck, she saw a silhouette standing under the lone light in the parking lot next to the bar. Before her brain could even process what she was seeing, someone came up behind her and grabbed her, sticking a nasty-smelling cloth over her nose and mouth.
Bethany struggled briefly, her heart stuttering with panic, pulse racing as she struggled not to breathe in. But despite her best attempts, her vision blurred and her knees buckled, and then the world went away.
* * *
Alexei sat at the kitchen table and tried not to worry. After all, Bethany was a grown woman who had been managing for years before he ever came along, and who would undoubtedly manage just fine when he was gone. Still, it was unusual for her not to be back by now. The hands on the old crooked clock pointed at two; she should have been back at least a half an hour ago. He’d been looking forward to collecting his reward when she got home…now he just wanted to know that she was all right. He could almost hear his brothers teasing him about becoming a mother hen, but he couldn’t help it. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones.
He could hear the faint sounds of Calum’s snoring echoing through the house, and thought about taking a quick run to the bar to check and make sure everything was okay. But he’d promised Bethany not to leave her father alone - she worried about things like fire, or medical emergencies, or anything else where Calum wouldn’t be able to manage without help.
Alexei figured the old man would probably be fine for ten minutes on his own, but he’d made a promise, and if he broke it, Bethany would kick his ass. Assuming she was okay.
/> She had to be okay. He was just being paranoid. But if she hadn’t shown up by two thirty, he was going to wake the neighbor and go to the bar and check, even if he got yelled at for his efforts.
He’d even gone so far as to try calling her cell phone, much as he hated the things, but there had been no answer. No doubt there was a perfectly reasonable explanation, and she’d walk in any minute and laugh at him for worrying. That would be okay with him.
A knock at the back door made him jolt up in relief. Finally. But then he realized that Bethany wouldn’t be knocking at her own door, and the relief morphed into a sharp stab of concern. So it was with a mix of pleasure and anxiety that he opened the door to find Beka standing there instead.
“Hey,” he said. “You’re back.” He motioned her into the kitchen and she sank into a chair with a sigh.
“Yeah. Finally. This search took a lot longer than I anticipated. I kept chasing down rumors and finding people who had bits and pieces of ‘Gee, that sounds like something I might have heard a hundred years ago,’ or ‘Have you asked Symon the blacksmith who lives under the enchanted mountain?’” She took the cup of tea he handed her and smiled at him gratefully.
“I know it’s late, but I parked the school bus in the street out front so I could talk to you first thing in the morning, and when I saw the light on, I figured you might still be up.” Beka glanced around the kitchen. “Is Bethany here? I thought you two were probably sitting here gabbing.” She winked at Alexei. “Mind you, I was hoping I wouldn’t be interrupting something else. Like something that involved whipped cream and nakedness on top of the table.”
She thought a second. “Or maybe I hoped I would be. How are you two doing, anyway?”
Alexei ignored her second question to answer the first, more pressing one. “No, Bethany isn’t here. And she should be. I’m starting to get worried.”
Beka raised one blonde eyebrow. “Really? It isn’t like you to worry about other people. Gregori once vanished for six months and you just said, ‘He’s probably staring at his damned navel.’”
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