Vince's Place

by Sandra R Neeley

“It’s not even lunch time,” Maverik said.

  “Yeah, but I’d really love some pizza,” Valerie insisted.

  “Then I’ll get you some, I’ll be back just as soon as I can, baby,” Maverik promised.

  “No, let me. I’ll call and have some made. I’ll run over and pick them up. Won’t take but a little while,” Natalie offered.

  “Naw, you ain’t gotta do that. Besides they ain’t opened yet. I was just gonna go get some frozen ones and pop them in the ovens over at Vince's,” Maverik explained.

  The look on Valerie’s face said ‘eww’ and Vince laughed. “There’s nobody there to fire up the ovens for you, Maverik.”

  “It’s alright, I got this,” Maverik assured them, getting to his feet and checking for his wallet in his back pocket while taking a step back.

  “No, really. It’s not a problem,” Natalie said. “My family owns the pizza place in town.” She looked at her watch. “They should be there now, getting ready for the day. It won’t take but a few minutes, I’ll be back with pizza. Not the frozen kind,” she said, looking at Valerie.

  Valerie grinned and feigned tears. “I think you may be my new best friend, too!”

  Natalie laughed. “How many should I bring?” she asked, looking around the room.

  “Whatever you think normal people eat, triple it,” Vince said, standing from his place beside Valerie. “I’ll come with you and help you carry it all.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Natalie said.

  “No. But I want to,” Vince answered, looking intently at her.

  “Okay, then,” she said softly. “I just need to grab my jacket and my purse from the nurses’ station, and we can be on our way.”

  Everyone had gotten quiet, watching the back and forth. Maverik especially was watching it. “Vince?” Maverik asked.

  Vince, having started to follow Natalie out of the room, paused to look back at Maverik.

  “What’s up?” Maverik asked.

  “Nothing, what’s up with you?” Vince answered.

  Natalie kept walking, unaware that Vince had stopped to speak to Maverik.

  Maverik jutted his chin toward Natalie.

  Vince’s Lion flashed in his eyes.

  “I thought…” Maverik started loudly, but Valerie poked him in the ribs. “Ouch!” he whined.

  Someone knocked on the door, and it opened right before Natalie got to it. “Good morning, everybody,” Brandi greeted pleasantly.

  “Morning,” several people answered.

  Vince froze where he stood, turning slowly to find Natalie standing at the open door waiting for him. Brandi in the doorway, looking right at him. And every single one of the people in Delilah’s hospital room looking at him, like he was the latest best show on television.

  “There!” Maverik said. “That right there is what I thought!” he announced.

  “Will you be quiet?” Valerie hissed at him.

  “I just want to know…” he started.

  “You know, for as smart as you are, sometimes you are really a pain, Maverik,” Valerie announced.

  “Brandi,” Vince said, surprise in his voice.

  “Hi.” She answered. “I wasn’t very good company last night, so I wanted to come by and visit the baby this morning.” She looked at Delilah, then Kaid. “Wanted to congratulate ya’ll. And see if you were free for lunch today. I wanted to make up for last night,” she said, looking right at Vince.

  “Uuh, actually, I was just on my way…” Vince started.

  Natalie read the situation right away. This woman was with Vince. In some capacity, she was with Vince. Which made him off limits. And made him an asshole for indicating his interest in her when he clearly had an understanding with another woman. The fact that all of his family and friends were watching them like the biggest story on the evening news was proof enough. She didn’t need to know more. And honestly, he’d done nothing more than help her with some chairs and offer to help her go pick up pizza. The rest was probably all her imagination anyway. Shifter, she reminded herself. Shifters didn’t settle for humans. “You know what? I got this. It’s quicker if I just run over by myself anyway. My dad will help me load the pizzas in the car.”

  She turned toward the door. Bane, who was standing just to the side of it, stepped out to stop her.

  “Let me at least give you some money for the food,” he offered.

  Natalie didn’t look at him, she kept her eyes on his shirt. “No, it’s okay. My treat. It was great meeting you all. Delilah, if you need anything, call me.”

  She went to walk through the door, and Bane stepped in front of her again. She looked up at him.

  “It’s not what you think,” he said quietly.

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” she answered steadily, knowing exactly what he referred to.

  He kinda tilted his head toward Vince and Brandi who’d gone to stand beside him.

  “I’m sorry, I still don’t understand.” She looked at her watch and then at Bane. “Gotta get going so I can get all that pizza ready before my folks open for lunch.” She stepped around Bane. “Excuse me.” Natalie paused beside him and placed her hand on his arm. She looked up into Bane’s eyes and smiled sadly. “Thank you, though. I appreciate the effort.”

  Then she was gone. She left the hospital room, hurried down the hallway to the nurses’ station, grabbed her things, and left through the back entrance before anyone had a chance to go after her.

  An hour later, two dozen pizzas of varying toppings arrived, delivered by a pizza boy, not by Natalie. There was a handwritten note taped to the top box.

  “Congratulations, Delilah and Kaid. Enjoy the pizza. Delilah, maybe we can have lunch once you’re ready to be out and about again. It’s been a pleasure meeting you — Natalie.”

  As her family talked, ate pizza, visited and tried to be quiet so they wouldn’t wake a sleeping Barron, Delilah gently pulled the note from the top of the pizza box. She folded it and reached for the card Natalie had left at her bedside that had Natalie’s phone number written on it. She folded them again while she watched Vince with a predator’s eye, and spoke to Avaleigh without looking at her. “Could you hand me my purse out of that locker right there?”

  Avaleigh stood and got Delilah’s purse for her, handing it to her. Delilah tucked the note and the business card inside and handed it back to Avaleigh.

  Avaleigh put it back in the storage locker and retook her seat.

  The entire time Delilah watched Vince, and Vince watched Delilah. Vince leaned against the wall, a paper plate of pizza held in his hand. He’d not taken one bite. Brandi stood beside him, making small talk with Janie and Maia while they all enjoyed their pizza.

  Delilah shifted her eyes to Brandi, then back to Vince, but she didn’t say a word.

  Vince was torn. He was an honest male. A trustworthy male. And he’d truly thought Brandi was his mate. He’d promised her he would take care of her — protect her. He’d given his word, and he’d not take it back. But his heart, his soul cried out for Natalie. He didn’t understand. How could you have two mates?

  “Bam?” Delilah suddenly said.

  “Yeah?” Bam said, rising from the floor where he sat beside Everly. “You need something, Delilah?” he asked walking over to her.

  When he was right beside her, she looked up at him and motioned that he should lean closer. “Vince is confused. He’s lost. You know what is happening, don’t you?” she said so quietly, the humans in the room weren’t sure if she was speaking or not.

  Bam straightened up, then he looked over at Vince and Brandi. “Yeah. But only he can make it right.”

  “He has questions,” Delilah said.

  Bam looked at her for a moment more, then he grinned. “You gonna go back to being you now that you had Barron, or you gonna keep knowing what people are thinking?”

  “I’m not sure,” Delilah answered. “Does it bother you?” she asked.

  “Nah. I’m just thinking we could be a
good team,” Bam answered, chuckling. “I see colors, emotions, and you see thoughts. We could fix everybody!” he said aloud, laughing.

  “They probably need fixing,” Delilah added, smiling. She picked up a slice of pizza from her plate, taking a bite.

  “Some definitely do,” Bam agreed. He went back over to Everly, taking his plate of pizza from her. He kissed her and whispered in her ear, then he started walking toward the door, strolling really, while taking another bite of his pizza. “Vince!” he called.

  “Yo,” Vince answered.

  “Walk with me. I need to stretch my legs,” Bam said, stepping through the door.

  Vince looked down at Brandi. “I’ll be back,” he said, heading toward the door to follow Bam.

  “Take your time,” Brandi said, watching Vince go. She didn’t know what was going on, but something was weird. It was like she’d walked into a secret club members only get-together, and she didn’t belong there, but no one would tell her, and everyone was trying to keep it from her. Something was up, that much she was sure of.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Vince jogged a few paces to catch up with Bam. Bam headed straight for the waiting room where they’d waited for Delilah to give birth and took a seat. Vince sat across from him.

  “What’s up?” Vince asked.

  Bam looked at Vince. His smile was gone, lines of stress were across his face. His eyes weren’t shining any more like they were when Natalie had been there. This was a different Vince.

  “I don’t know. What’s up with you?” Bam countered.

  “You’re the one that asked me to come with you,” Vince said, not understanding.

  “Anything you want to know?” Bam asked.

  “Not necessarily,” Vince said. He was stressed. He needed to get back to Delilah’s hospital room, get Brandi and take her out of there. They needed to talk. There was so much that was unanswered. And then for her to just show up this morning, like she’d wanted to be a part of it all last night, after she’d confided that it had upset her. He didn’t understand her actions. And then Natalie left, clearly thinking he and Brandi were a thing. And they were, weren’t they? Or were they? He didn’t fucking know anymore. All he knew was he didn’t break his promises, and his Lion wanted Natalie. Hell, he wanted Natalie, but also knew he was pulled toward Brandi when he first met her. “Look, I gotta go,” Vince said, standing to leave.

  He got only two steps away before Bam spoke.

  “Delilah said you have questions.”

  Vince stopped walking and turned to face Bam. “About what?”

  Bam shrugged. “She didn’t say. But I’m guessing it’s about Brandi and Natalie both being your Mate.”

  Vince just stood there, looking at Bam, with a dumbfounded expression.

  Bam remained silent, waiting for Vince to say something.

  “Is that even possible?” he finally said in an anguished whisper.

  “Sure. Look at Maverik and his first Mate, then finding Valerie.”

  “Yes, but that’s different,” Vince said.

  “Not really. Mates come in different ways. Only the real One has the mate to your soul inside them,” Bam said.

  Vince thought about it. “I really thought Brandi was it,” he said, walking back over to take a seat next to Bam.

  “And now?” Bam asked.

  “Now I’m thinking if she really was, I shouldn’t have to work so hard at it. I wouldn’t have to be enticing her to stay. She’d just want to be here with me.”

  “And…” Bam asked.

  “And Natalie… she just feels right. She fits. There’s no effort needed, she’s just the perfect fit.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” Bam asked.

  Chapter 7

  Vince reached out, putting his plate of pizza on the table. Then he raised his eyes to Bam’s. “I promised Brandi that I’d take care of her. That I’d always protect her. And I won’t go back on my word to her. It’s not her fault I was confused by the pull I felt toward her. Me thinking she was my Mate is not her fault. I was wrong, not her.”

  “You’re not wrong. She could be your Mate. But like I said, there are different levels of Mate. What you need to decide is, is she your One? The true One, the only One?”

  Vince took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “I know who my One is,” he said quietly.

  “Then you should be with her, whoever she is,” Bam said.

  Vince thought about it for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “Not if I’ve already promised another.” He got to his feet and stood there for a minute. He looked down at Bam still sitting there. “Thank you, Bam.” Then he walked slowly back down the hallway toward Delilah’s room.

  Bam called his name when he was about 15 feet away. Vince stopped walking and looked back at Bam.

  “Natalie’s gold. Brandi’s more of a copper, but Natalie’s gold. The same gold as you.”

  Vince met Bam’s eyes for only a second longer before turning down the hallway leading to Delilah’s room. He opened the door and stuck his head inside. All eyes turned to him.

  “Brandi? You ready, hon?” he asked, his voice subdued.

  “Sure,” she answered, grabbing her purse and getting to her feet. “It was good to see ya’ll again. Congrats on the baby,” she said, looking toward Kaid and Delilah.

  “Thank you. You take care, ya hear?” Kaid said.

  “Thank you,” Delilah said, watching quietly as Brandi left the room and closed the door after herself.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Vince waited for Brandi to meet him in the hallway, then started walking toward the exit with her at his side. “You got everything?” he asked.

  “Yep. Just my purse,” she said, patting her purse.

  “How’d you get here?” he asked.

  “My car,” she answered, jingling her keys at him.

  “I’ll see you at home, then. I’ll follow you.”

  “Okay,” she said. “You alright?”

  “Yeah. I’m just tired, didn’t sleep much last night.”

  “I told you you could sleep in your own bed; there was no reason to sleep on the cot in the storage room,” Brandi chided him.

  “I didn’t. I slept in my sister’s apartment,” Vince said absently, his mind already moving back to Natalie and the look in her eyes when she realized that Brandi was there for him, not just coming to visit Kaid and Delilah. Lion wanted him to go find her, make things right. And he wanted to, so badly. But he’d given his word, and pursuing Natalie, when he had Brandi expecting him to follow through was not the right way to do things. He’d given his word, and to him, there was nothing more valuable than a male’s word. It defined him. And if a male broke his word, in Vince’s eyes, he wasn’t much of a male.

  “Oh, I see,” Brandi said, watching him closely.

  “See what?” Vince asked, coming to a stop beside Brandi’s car to wait while she got in and fired it up.

  Brandi hit her key fob to unlock her doors, then opened the driver’s side door before turning to face Vince. “I see that you went to your sister’s apartment to sleep rather than come in to your own — because I was there. I don’t want to drive you from your own home, Vince.”

  “You didn’t. You said you wanted some alone time, Valerie’s place has been empty since Everly moved in with Bam, so I took advantage of it. Not a big deal, Brandi,” he answered a bit testily.

  “I’m not questioning you, Vince. I just feel bad you couldn’t sleep in your own bed.”

  Vince smiled tightly at her, he lifted his hand and rubbed at his eyes. “I know. I’m sorry, I’m just really under a lot of pressure right now. And I’m tired.” He sighed, dropped his hand from his eyes and looked at her with a less-stressed smile on his face. “Let’s go by Joanne’s and grab a coffee and some pastries. Talk a little bit.”

  “I’d like that,” Brandi answered.

  “Then it’s a date. I’ll follow you there,” he said, closing the door after Brandi had slid int
o the driver’s seat of her car.

  He walked over to his truck and got in, then, waited for Brandi to pull out, so he could follow her. He’d asked her to have some coffee and talk. He had no idea what he wanted to talk about. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, his heart dull and aching, his Lion flat out ignoring him. He’d gone from no Mate — not even wanting one, to one that he was drawn to and believed was the right one, to two of them, and only one of them was the One. The One female who held part of his soul inside her. The One female who would stand beside him without question, fitting just like the piece of a puzzle, the same way he’d fit right beside her. Only he’d already promised the first that he’d take care of her, that he’d be there for her.

  Stupid, Lion whispered.

  Hey, you thought she was our Mate, too, Vince shot back at Lion.

  Lion glared at him and went back to ignoring him.

  Brandi pulled into a parking place in front of Joanne’s Books and Goodies. She got out of her car and went inside.

  Vince pulled in next to her and parked his truck. He could see her through the window, standing at the counter speaking with Joanne. He watched for a moment, smiling as she and Joanne had a good laugh over something they were talking about.

  She’s not bad, he thought at Lion. She’s pretty, and funny, and strong and independent. And she’s honest as the day is long. She’ll be a good Mate.

  Lion sat up and looked at her through Vince’s eyes. He evaluated her as a prospective Mate would. Would. He answered. But not our One. One is better.

  But Brandi could make us happy, Vince thought at Lion.

  No, Lion answered without hesitation.

  What if we’d mated her already?! Then would you be telling me no? Vince insisted.

  Lion looked at Brandi once more. Didn’t, he said simply. Want soul Mate. Then he retreated again, tuning out any additional effort Vince made to find a way to deal with the mess he’d made of things.

  Vince opened his door and got out, slamming the door closed behind him before heading into the shop. “Hey, Joanne,” he greeted.

  “Vincent. How are you?,” Joanne welcomed warmly as she always did.

  “I’m good. How about you and Amos?” he asked.