Etti scowled. “Jesus, Marc! I’m not dying. I’m just pregnant.”
“I didn’t say you had to get a minivan, but dude, you could play it a little safer. Besides, I don’t think they make car seats for motorcycles.”
Grey could feel his mate’s wolf pacing. He placed a hand on her back again, rubbing slow strokes down her spine. Poor Marc had already been through Wes’s temper tantrum today. He didn’t need to endure a hormonal shifter too.
“Babe, how ‘bout we go get some dinner. Marc, can we bring you anything?”
“Yeah, that’d be great. Wes flaked out on me so it looks like I’m pulling a double here.” He reached for his wallet but Grey held up his hand.
“My treat,” Grey said.
“Oh you don’t have to—”
“I want to, Marc. I haven’t forgotten your help with the hunt.”
Chapter 13
Etti
Etti brooded over her pasta at her favorite Italian restaurant. Grey was watching her quietly from his side of their booth.
“He’s right you know?” Etti finally said, stabbing at her dinner. “I can’t ride my motorcycle once I have the baby.”
“Etti . . .” Grey started.
“I know, okay. I can’t ride it now either. But how am I supposed to get to work?”
“Maybe you don’t have to work if I can get a job?” Grey offered.
“What? I’m not giving up the Painted Wolf! It’s not just a job! That place has been my life! I built it. I own it!”
Grey raised his hands in surrender. “Babe, I’m not suggesting you give up the shop. But maybe for the next few weeks you let Marc and Wes pitch in a little more.”
Etti snorted. “I can’t count on Wes when he’s being like this. And it’s not fair to Marc. Besides it takes more than two people to run the place.”
“Then let’s hire someone.”
“Yeah, because tattoo artists willing to work on shifters just grow on trees!”
Grey sighed and took a large gulp of his beer.
“Grey, I know you’re trying to help, but the Painted Wolf isn’t in the financial situation to take on anymore employees. I can barely afford Wes and Marc as it is. Plus, that shop is my baby.”
Grey’s eyebrows shot up. “What about the baby you’re having now, Etti? She has to come first or this isn’t going to work.”
“I know that!” Etti squeaked, tears already burning the back of her eyes.
Grey slid into her side of the booth and put his arms around her. “Babe, I’m sorry. We’ll figure it out. I don’t want you to have to give anything up. We just might have to compromise on a few things. Like maybe a car instead of a motorcycle.”
“How are we going to afford a car, an apartment and a baby?”
“Maybe we can find an apartment close to the Painted Wolf?”
A light flickered in Etti’s mind. When she’d signed the lease for the Painted Wolf, she met with the building owner in his offices directly above the shop. He’d since moved to a better part of town—probably because he was charging Etti entirely too much rent for her shop—but that meant the unit upstairs might be vacant. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before. The space wasn’t large, but it had a kitchen, bathroom and if she remembered correctly two offices and a meeting room.
“I think I might now the perfect place,” Etti said grabbing her cell phone.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Hold on, I need to make a phone call.”
Etti was beaming when she came back inside the restaurant after making a call to her landlord. She threw her arms around Grey and squealed. “You are a genius!”
“I am?”
“Yes. I’d totally forgotten about the office space above the Painted Wolf until you suggested living nearby. I called my landlord and it’s available. He agreed to lease it to me for half price since I already have the space below it. Apparently no one wanted to lease it after the crime scene the hunt created in my shop.”
“Well at least the hunt was good for something,” Grey joked. “That’s fantastic, babe. When can we move in?”
“Now! The keys are in the lock box. He gave me the code.”
“See, look at us, solving problems.”
“Don’t get too excited. It’s not the Ritz or anything.”
“It’s above your shop and it’s ours,” Grey said. “That’s all that matters. Plus, I like the idea of having Wes and Marc around to watch out for you.”
“Please. I love those boys, but Wes acts like a child and Marc can’t even beat me at arm wrestling.”
Grey laughed. “I know you can take care of yourself, babe. I remember how fearless you were with Derik and the hunt. You could probably kick my ass now that you’re a shifter.”
“And don’t you forget it!” she teased.
“I won’t. I just like the idea of having them around. They love my girls almost as much as I do.”
Etti raised her eyebrows. “And you’re okay with other males loving your mate as much as you do?”
“I said almost.” Grey replied. “And you know what I mean.”
“Maybe we should go check out our new place and you can show me what you mean.”
Grey pulled Etti closer in the booth and slid a hand up her thigh. “I’ll show you exactly what I mean.”
Her throat dried up at his words and she wiggled her ass impatiently on the squeaky leather booth as desire pooled quickly at her core.
“Finish your dinner first,” he whispered. “You’re gonna need your strength for what I have planned.”
Etti scarfed down her meal with renewed appetite. Today she’d seen her baby for the first time, gotten properly engaged and solved their living situation—which she couldn’t wait to go christen with her sexy mate. Maybe she could handle this engaged/motherhood thing after all.
Chapter 14
Wes
Wes waltzed back into the Painted Wolf and felt instantly dejected as he took in the happy scene of people in the lobby.
“Apparently I missed my invitation,” he said, the muscles feathering in his tight jaw as he watched his so-called friends turn to stare at him.
Etti, Marc and Cali were all gathered around the counter pouring over cartons of takeout. Of course Grey was there too—right at Etti’s side, his paws all over her. There was even a bottle of champagne on the counter.
“What are we celebrating?” Wes asked condescendingly.
“Etti and Grey’s new apartment,” Marc said merrily, holding up the bottle of champagne.
Wes stopped dead, ice crackling in his veins. The words took all the fight out of him. This was it. Game over. Etti and Grey were having a baby, getting married and moving in together. What the hell had Wes expected? He couldn’t even be mad. It was his own fault—he’d waited too long to tell Etti how he felt, and now it was too late.
His face fell as his scowl vanished. Wes stared at Etti—his beautiful Etti.
No, not his.
Not anymore.
“Oh,” Wes said, his voice flat and quiet. “Where is it?” Grey was probably taking her far away so Wes could never see her again.
“Upstairs,” Marc sang.
Wes glared at his friend. How much champagne had Marc had? This was why Wes never drank with Marc. He was a lightweight.
Wes ignored Marc’s blubbering and caught Cali’s sympathetic eyes watching him from across the room. He hadn’t expected to see her tonight, but now that she was here, he was glad. He needed the distraction. He knew it was wrong, but he wanted to take her out back and have his way with her. He wanted her to make the pain stop, like she had last night. He wanted her to take care of him, because if he didn’t get out of here soon, he was going to lose it. And he couldn’t do that. Not in front of Grey. The bastard had won, but Wes wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing it.
Wes glanced at the clock. It was still an hour before closing. “I came back to finish my shift, but it looks like you’re closing early t
onight.”
“How nice of you to grace us with your presence, Wes.” Etti’s voice was venomous. “I’m fairly certain you were supposed to be here hours ago, but I can’t check the schedule since someone trashed my laptop.”
Wes flinched at the coldness of Etti’s voice. “I’m sorry about your laptop. I’ll replace it.”
“Damn right you will,” she shot back.
Wes met Etti’s glare. He’d seen that look before. She was pissed. He hadn’t survived twenty years of friendship with her without a few arguments. And he knew from experience the best thing he could do was give her time to cool off before either of them said something they didn’t really mean. Especially since Marc seemed too drunk to run interference like he usually did during their feuds.
“I’ll just grab my jacket and get out of your way then,” Wes said breezing past the group to grab it from the back room.
Cali touched his arm when he came back out to the lobby. “Why don’t you stay and have dinner? I brought you some since you said you had to work late tonight.”
His heart caught for a moment as Cali smiled up at him. This fucking woman was too good for him. He needed to leave her out of this mess. “I’m sorry, Cali. I . . . I don’t think me sticking around here is good for anybody.”
Etti snorted and Wes whirled on her. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her everything that was stuck in his chest. But he couldn’t. Not with Grey there, pulling her behind him like some overgrown bouncer.
“What?” Etti taunted. “If you have something to say to me, just say it, Wes!”
“Why bother?” Wes muttered, trying to hold his tongue.
“Why bother! Why bother?” Etti’s voice was near supersonic. “I’ve known you for twenty years and you’ve never once kept your stupid opinions to yourself. We may not always agree, but we always talk to each other.”
“Babe, calm down” Grey said softly, trying to lay a hand on Etti’s shoulder, but she shrugged him off.
Good. At least he hadn’t completely corrupted her. She was still the fireball Wes knew and loved, and he hoped that would never change.
“You don’t want to hear what I have to say,” Wes countered.
“Try me!” Etti snapped.
“I have, Etti. I’ve tried for twenty years but it doesn’t matter what I say. You never hear me!”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re my best friend, Wes. You’re the only person I listen to.”
“Well you’re not very good at it,” Wes scoffed.
Hurt spread across Etti’s pretty face and her voice softened. “I’m listening now.”
Marc took a few cautious steps away from them, but Cali didn’t move. She looked like she’d stopped breathing as she stared intently at Wes.
Twenty years of longing raced to Wes’s tongue but all he could bring himself to say in the room full of people was a half-truth. “I think you’re making the wrong choice. And that’s all I’m going to say.”
Etti erupted and Grey pulled her back. “Why? Because I’m having a baby?” Tears cascaded down her crumbling features. “Why can’t you just be happy for me? You’re supposed to be my friend.”
Wes only stared at the floor and shook his head.
“Fine!” Etti screamed. “Fine! If you’re going to be like this then I don’t want you here! Do you hear me, Wes? I don’t need you!”
Wes didn’t need to be told twice. He stormed out of the Painted Wolf, the bell on the door doing nothing to drown out Etti’s shouting. Her words echoed through his head over and over. I don’t want you. I don’t need you. It was his biggest fears come true. It was why he’d never told Etti how he felt. He’d rather have a lifetime as her friend than risk losing her because she didn’t feel the same.
But it seemed playing it safe didn’t work either, because now here he was, on the outside looking in on the world he’d built. Etti was his world and without her, Wes had no one.
Wes was halfway down the block heading to the dive bar on the corner when Cali caught up to him.
“Wes! Wait up.”
He didn’t wait. He walked faster. His emotions balanced on the blade of a knife and if he slid off the edge he didn’t want Cali to be collateral damage. But she was relentless. He felt her hand slip under his arm and before he could shake her, she dragged him to an abrupt stop. He gaped at her, startled by her strength. He knew she was a shifter, but she’d never flaunted her superior strength before. He stared at her—a powerhouse in tiny blonde packaging.
“What do you want, Cali?”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Nowhere good.”
“You’re going to another bar? Looking for another fight?” she challenged.
“So.”
“Wes, what’s that going to accomplish?”
“Getting me drunk, maybe laid.”
“You have to stop this,” she said softly.
“Stop what?”
“Hurting yourself.”
“I’m not your problem, Cali. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“But I do!” Her blue eyes watered as she stared up at him.
Shit! He hated when he made girls cry. It was if fucking kryptonite. Wes exhaled loudly and slumped against the nearest building. “Listen, Cali. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m just . . .” He ran his hands through his thick black hair in frustration. “I’m not gonna be good company right now.”
“Please don’t go to another bar tonight. Just come home with me.”
“Cali . . .” he warned.
“Not like that. Just to talk.”
“You don’t wanna hear the shit I need to get off my chest, trust me.”
Cali leaned on the wall next to Wes, their shoulders touching. “I know how you feel about Etti.”
Wes looked down at Cali. She was staring at her shoes. “You do?”
She nodded. “And if you need to talk about it, you can.”
Wes loosed a breath in defeat. “Everything’s just so fucked up. And I can’t even explain it. I just-I feel . . . broken.”
Cali linked her fingers with his good hand and squeezed. She still didn’t look at him but she said, “Trust me, I know how you feel.”
And for some reason, Wes truly believed her. He didn’t understand the strange calmness he felt when he was in Cali’s company, but he was presently too tired to fight it. He sighed and pulled her arm around his waist, slinking his massive arm over Cali’s tiny shoulders. “Does your offer for dinner still stand?”
“I left it at the Painted Wolf.”
“Come on, I have food at my place. You cook, I’ll clean.”
Cali smiled up at him. “Deal.”
Chapter 15
Etti
The next few weeks flew by. Etti and Grey spent their days settling in at their new place, which Grey had turned into an adorable little studio apartment. He was ridiculously handy and Etti couldn’t resist him when he walked around in nothing but jeans and a tool belt. Her sexual appetite was growing faster than her belly and Grey was only too happy to satisfy her.
He was just finishing putting up a ceiling fan in the nursery when Etti walked in to find him sweaty and shirtless. She gave a low whistle. “I didn’t know I was marrying an HGTV star.”
Grey grinned. “Hey, babe. You’re home early.” He climbed down the ladder and pulled Etti into a hug. He kissed her, then her belly.
She loved how affectionate he was with her lately.
Etti was finally starting to trust that their relationship was on solid ground. It was amazing how far they’d come now that no one was trying to kill them or keep them apart. She never thought she could find this kind of happiness, and now that she had, she never wanted to let go. Etti pulled Grey back to her and kissed him again. “I love you,” she murmured onto his lips.
“I love you too, babe.” He pulled back to look at her. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you.”
Grey’s smile threatened to crack Etti’s heart wide open. She was an emotional train wreck these days—her hormones always a moment away from pushing tears to the surface for no reason.
“I wanted to surprise you and have the nursery done before you got home today,” Grey added. “What do ya think?”
Etti looked around the room in wonder. She’d been so fixated on her mate’s sexy body that she didn’t even look at the room they were in. When Etti left for work that morning, there’d been nothing. Now, there was a white crib, changing table and rocking chair set up.
“Where did all of this come from?” she asked.
“My mom,” Wes replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “She may have gone a bit overboard, but—”
“Are you kidding? This is awesome! Everything matches and it’s all brand new,” Etti said looking at the tags.
“So you like it? I left all the tags on so we could exchange it if you want something different.”
“Grey, I love it!”
Grey sighed, his shoulders relaxing. “Oh, thank God.”
Etti frowned. “I’ve been acting like a hormonal she-bitch, haven’t I?”
Grey bit his lip and held his fingers up indicating a tincy-wincy bit.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to, but wedding details and work have been exhausting me. Not to mention this little one doesn’t let me get any sleep,” Etti said patting her round belly. “Just call me out on it when I’m being moody.”
“Yeah right! I’m rather attached to my balls, babe.”
“I’m not gonna take your balls off!”
“Really? Has Wes found his since you told him off?”
“You are not Wes!”
“I’ll take that as a no. Is that why you’re home early?”
Etti nodded. She purposely made the schedule so she and Wes weren’t on at the same time. Marc said their tension was making the customers feel awkward. But business had really picked up lately so Wes had been coming in early this week to help out.
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