by Barb Shuler
“I’m not involved. You two can fight it out!”
“You told him! You gave him the ammo, so you are just as responsible for this as he is.”
“Everyone knows about your OCD, that isn’t on me!” I was fighting the urge to crack up laughing. I knew it was only going to piss her off more, but he had seriously better be careful when he comes back to get me later. I hoped she would calm down by then. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I went back to my office. As I unlocked my office, I sent him a text message.
Mia: Please give me a heads up if you decide to mess with the bar so I can make sure all death threats on your life aren’t heard by my delivery guy and the humans you have scared.
I hit send and slid my phone back into my pocket. Putting all the orders out in front of me, I ticked off everything that was the same. The damage wasn’t too bad. Worst case scenario, we could sell the cheaper stuff and just blame the supplier for being out of my top shelf whiskey and bourbon. We should be right for tonight.
Opening up my emails, I sent a new order off to Lou, asking him to bring it in by no later than tomorrow morning. The guys would be here doing security training with Dalton’s guys; they could accept it for me if I didn’t make it in. Before I took over, they had never sold any of the good stuff. I knew what people liked, so I changed that. We also had cocktail hour on Saturdays and Phoenix, my godsend when it came to that shit, made them up. She was quick, which a lot of other places around here weren’t.
We did some research before we brought them in and found that people got sick of waiting forever for drinks to be made and ended up leaving. The staff also made the mistake of not taking the money when they ordered the drinks. I was quite proud of the hard work the girls had put in to help make this place what it is now.
The old owner came in one night and saw how busy we were. It had been peak tourist season, so there were a lot more people in Stark Creek then normal. He got in contact and asked me how much it would take to buy the place back, but I told him no amount of money in the world would be enough. We had all put so much hard work into making it what it is. If I sold it, the staff would all come with me. We were a team. Nothing he or anyone did could break that up.
A few hours later, I heard a knock on my door. I looked up.
“Boss, we have company. We’ve checked their ID’s. They’re Dalton’s men.”
“Thanks, Angus, bring them in.”
He nodded and stepped back, motioning them forward. They stepped through the door, although how, by the size of these guys, I don’t know.
“If you don’t mind showing me your ID, I’ll take you in to Liam. Dalton is still out, but he will be back, so if you have any issues see Liam or myself. Anything you need, my team can get for you.”
I checked for myself, not that I didn’t trust my guys but for my own peace of mind, then shut my door behind me and led them to Liam. Knocking again before opening, he looked up at me with a frown.
“Everything okay, Mia?”
“All good, I just have Dalton’s guys here. He said to bring them in to you once they got here.”
He nodded and stood up, moving past me and out into the hall, to greet the guys. Deciding to leave them to their business, I went to check on Jay to see if she had calmed down any. From the glare that I got when I walked in, I would say no.
“Ladies, we have some extra company with us tonight. Don’t be alarmed if you see some large guys hovering around the bar. They won’t bite.”
“Wow, Mia, when you said you wanted to beef up security, you weren’t kidding!” Melody’s eyes glanced over my shoulder and she laughed.
“Just play nice, please?” I shot a look at Jay, who needed the warning more than the other girls.
“With them, yes. With your pain in the ass man, no.”
“Again, I say take that up with him.”
I left everyone to do the last of the setup preparations and went to check on the music. Last thing I needed was for something to go wrong there. I knew it had all been checked recently, so I didn’t foresee any issues. One last check on the guys on the door and this place would be ready. Let’s just hope that last night didn’t affect my numbers tonight.
I checked my phone, knowing Dalton would be busy; I couldn’t help but wonder what the two of them were up to. I just wanted him back here so I knew that he was okay and could see that with my own eyes. Now that we had both admitted how we felt, our bond felt stronger. I knew that it was more than love. I’d heard stories of what happened when a shifter found his mate. This was something I was ready for.
Telling Dalton that I loved him was me letting him and his wolf claim me as their own. Hell, in my eyes, they’d done that a long time ago.
11
Dalton
I paced the lot, my boots the only sound outside the building, until Tyson pulled in. Without a word, I climbed into his truck. I let out a long frustrated sigh, my fingers clenching and unclenching before I pulled my seatbelt on. I took a moment to try and settle my beast then pulled my phone out and read him the address that Liam had given me.
“7455 Calder Rd Unit 3.”
I had it memorized, but I needed that moment of focus to keep from shifting. I don’t think my pissed off, snarling wolf would have helped the already tight nerves in this cab.
“You planning on telling me what we’re doing?” he asked as he pulled out of the lot.
I tried to center my inner beast, which was not a simple task at the moment. He was as wound up as I was. He wanted to sink his claws and teeth into flesh, tearing at it, torturing him slowly until he took his last breath. This bastard had lied to my girl, and he’d allowed someone to come into the bar and hurt her. Even if it hadn’t been Mia, he’d come in there with the intent to hurt someone. Real men did not use women like that. You didn’t put your hands on them in anger. The motherfucker was going to die. And when I found his knife-wielding friend, he was going to die too…a lot slower, though.
“We’re going to grab Josh and take him on a little hunt,” I growled.
Ty looked at me, but I kept my gaze out the front of his windshield.
“What’s going on, Dalton? Not that I’m not up for a hunt, but I’d like to know what I’m getting into.”
“He let someone in the bar last night that attacked my mate. He drew first blood. I’m drawing last.”
Tyson’s answering growl made me take a deep breath. My wolf, God help us, was most likely going to take over and kill the fucker on the spot. Feeling my phone buzz, I pulled it from my pocket. I chuckled at Mia’s message.
“Well, the little kitty deserved it,” I chuckled again and shook my head.
“What did you do?”
“I pissed off Mia’s bar manager. She has OCD and likes things in a certain way. I rearranged a few dozen bottles…” I snorted. “She’s a little pissy.”
“Man…”
I shook my head as I pulled up a new text box to reply to her message, but an incoming call stopped me.
“Yeah.”
Liam’s voice rang out through the speaker. “Ludlow has a warrant out for him. I found it in Tennessee. Drunk and disorderly, resisting arrest. He’s got a bit of an attitude when it comes to women.”
“He won’t be a bother after today. Ty and I are going to play a game with him. I’m calling Kody in on this in case my wolf loses control. I’ll message Max and tell him to play look-out from across the street. You stay inside until I get back. If you need to handle anything, do it, just tread lightly and don’t step on Mia’s toes. And—”
“I won’t step on toes. The girls won’t even know I’m here unless it’s life or death.”
“Thank you.”
“Nothing to it, boss.”
I hit the speed dial for Kody next. It went to voicemail. I growled and hit it again.
“Boss, I was pissing. What is it?”
“Hold on, I’m conferencing Max in.”
I hit the icon on my phone and dialed Max. He answered on the first ring.
“Boss, it’s a little early.”
“We have shit to discuss. Hold on.”
I flipped the lines together. “You both hear me?”
“Yeah, boss.”
“Loud and clear.”
“Ty and I are picking up someone. Kody, meet us at the spot. I need a hunt and I’d appreciate you backing up Ty in the event my wolf—”
“Goes crazy? Yeah. I got you. Care to fill me in?”
I heard him shuffling around then a door closing in the background.
“Max, I want you at the bar but not in the bar. Use the office building across the street. The front offices are unoccupied at the moment, so pick a spot and sit there. If you see anything out of the ordinary check with Liam; he’s on the inside looking through Mia’s computer system. You two are not to step foot inside the bar itself unless you have to.”
“Sure thing. I’m with Kody, what’s going on?”
“The short of it is, the one we’re grabbing—he’s responsible for Mia being hurt last night. He dies.”
The line went silent for three beats. “I’m on my way,” was all he said before the line went dead.
My guys knew what Mia meant to me. They all loved her—we were family, after all. We fought for each other. We praised each other and we kicked each other in the ass when needed; that’s what family did.
The trip to Calder Road didn’t take long. It seemed to be a quiet neighborhood, not many cars in the drives, no one wandering in the streets. That meant no witnesses.
I had Ty drive the block a couple of times, just to make sure. The two small houses that matched the address, both divided into duplexes, sat back off the road. There was an alleyway behind it which I planned to exploit. This was going to be a piece of cake. Ty stopped his truck directly behind the house and we climbed out.
“How are we doing this?” he asked.
“The easy way,” I replied.
I wasted no time checking out our surroundings before I made my way up the stairs and to the back door. I could hear someone moving around inside. I peered into the window and saw it was a kitchen. The man in question was there, only feet away from me now. I listened to make sure he was alone. There was only one heartbeat.
I waited, listening for a bit longer. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I did what anyone else would have done; I kicked in the door.
Josh stood at his cabinet, mouth agape as I strode in.
“What the fuck?! Who are you?!”
I watched as he got a good look at me. A look of recognition, then fear, crossed his features. Of course he knew who I was. I’d been in the bar many times now. He knew who I was to Mia. He knew his ass was dead. I saw it in his eyes.
I said nothing as I moved toward him. He snapped out of his stupor and tried to run, but I stopped him with a booted kick to the knee. His head slammed into the wall as he fell forward, which knocked him out cold.
Ty cursed from the doorway and I looked back at him. He scowled at the broken door and frame. I shrugged and moved to Josh. I needed to get him out of here before someone decided to step outside. Bending down, I grabbed his arms and flung him over my shoulder. I made it past Ty and walked the unconscious sack of shit out of the house, down the steps, and through the back gate. I unceremoniously dumped him in the back of Ty’s truck, not caring one bit if I broke or bruised something. I opened the toolbox, pulled out the tarp, and draped it over him. I dropped a heavy wrench on one side of the flap and a pair of Ty’s boots on the other. That would keep it from blowing off as we went down the road.
“That was subtle,” Ty muttered as we climbed back into the cab of the truck.
I was in no mood for subtlety. Not when he—Josh—was responsible for getting my girl hurt. He was going to regret that choice.
The trip to the pack’s land would be short in comparison to us leaving from home to get there, but it wasn’t fast enough for me. I was ready to shed my skin. My muscles vibrated with the need to shift and run, but our prey had some explaining to do first. I had to try and hold my wolf in check. If not, I knew Ty and Kody would make sure the hunt went without any witnesses or issues.
Kody’s truck was already on site when Ty pulled into the small parking area. A grin pulled at my lips. Time to get this thing started.
“Get him out of the truck for me, please,” I requested. Ty nodded and got out of the truck, leaving me in the cab. I needed a minute to calm the wolf. My fingertips tingled as I fought back the change. I needed to make this hunt worth the effort. I wanted answers, but I knew once my wolf was set free, the asshole’s time would be up.
“So…you’re the dickhead that got the boss’s girl hurt. I hope you can run fast.” Kody’s booming laugh had me shaking my head as I stepped out of the truck and followed them silently up the path and into the woods. I didn’t want the chance anyone could just come by. We had a policy. No witnesses.
“Get off of me! What the fuck are you doing?!” Josh screamed as Ty dragged him up the path. When he stopped, I stalked closer. Ty had Josh’s arms pinned behind him. He was trying to jerk himself free, not that it was really an option. Ty wouldn’t let him go until I gave that order. All Josh would do is end up dislocating something. Not that I cared.
“Why did you allow someone into the bar without doing your job?”
“Fuck you!”
I took his jaw in my hand and squeezed. My fingers bit into his skin until my nails, which were starting to extend, drew blood.
“She deserves it. Mouthy bitch.”
“Ty,” I said, stepping back. He released Josh and with a shove, he pushed him up the path.
“You’re about to die; I hope you burn in hell.”
“I did what I was paid to do! I didn’t hurt anyone.”
His heart was racing. The loud thumping spurred my wolf on. As he stood there pleading, I let the change take me. Both Ty and Kody flanked me.
Josh, the fucking pansy, pissed himself before he ran up the path. Ty’s hand in the scruff of my neck held me back. My paws clawed at the earth and I waited. We could hear him clumsily crashing through the woods. A growl escaped me and Ty let go.
My body propelled forward. I knew he and Kody would be right behind me. Their silent footfalls were something I was used to.
I snarled when I saw Josh, who was trying to get through the underbrush to reach the river. My body extended as I leapt, tackling him to the ground. We rolled, his body slamming into the ground. I stood over him, my nails digging into the flesh of his chest, my saliva falling on him as I lowered my head.
“If you have answers, you better tell him now. He might kill you faster if you do. Then again, he might wear your insides like he did the last time. Blood makes good war paint.” Kody smirked.
I leaned in closer, my lips pulling back from my teeth.
“I got an envelope! I swear, that’s all. It said to let him in.”
“An envelope?” Ty questioned. “Boy, you can do better than that.”
“I swear! It’s in my locker! I took the cash and let him in…that’s…that’s all…” His words broke off in a sob. I leaned in until my nose touched the juncture of his neck. My growl reverberated against his skin and he pissed himself again.
“So you just let someone in to cause trouble? Fucking piece of shit. If he did it, who's to say someone else won’t.”
I shook my head. I knew the others wouldn’t, but who was to say they'd not send another asshole in to start trouble.
Josh tried to say something, but I didn’t give him a chance. I sunk my teeth into his throat and yanked. The fighting lasted seconds before his body went limp. My wolf wasn’t happy with that. He died too fast. Claws raked through his chest, digging his heart out. With one bite, it was in two pieces. We didn’t stop there. I snarled, pulling his insides out, carving his body up into nothing but a bloody mess.
“Come on, man, I have to clean this shit up, ya know.”
I looked at Kody and snarled. My body vibrated as I let the few
feet of intestines between my teeth fall to the ground.
“Kody, shut up,” Ty said in a calm voice. He knew it wasn’t me in control; the wolf was in charge. Kody held his hands up and dropped his gaze.
Satisfied, I moved off the path and down to the river. I needed to get us cleaned up and back to the club. I needed to see that my girl was okay. I needed to kiss her, claim her in any way I could.
“Mine!” my wolf growled.
Fucker, she was ours.
12
Mia
True to his word, Dalton met me back at the bar to drive me home. He was kinda quiet on the trip back to our house, so I didn’t push him to talk. He had checked in with Liam on how the night went and was satisfied that the guys did well. They would all be in bright and early for more training; I, however, was staying in bed and wanted him to as well. If he needed to go, though, I wouldn’t guilt trip him into staying. We pulled up in the driveway and went inside. After a shower, Dalton and I crawled into bed. I must have been more tired than I thought because I fell asleep in his arms not long after.
Surprisingly, I woke up there the next morning. With a kiss to my lips, I smiled as I sensed that my Dalton was back. The previous night, the asshole must not have left him completely so it made sense that he was quiet. In really bad cases, if his wolf still had a hold on him, he was an asshole and it resulted in arguments. It only took one time for me to warn him that if he ever came home like that again, he would be in for a world of pain he’d never encountered before.
We went and got breakfast, neither of us wanting to cook, before going to check on the guys. I sipped my coffee as I sat in my office. A knock came on my door and Liam stuck his head in.
“Mia, can I have a word with you?”
“Sure, come in.” He entered and shut the door behind him. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just have some questions about the old owner of this place. Do you know much about him?”
“Not a lot. I tried to have very little to do with him. I let my lawyers handle the sale of the club because I’d heard that he was shady.”
