by Lana Kole
Now, in her home, with his thumbs massaging the stress from her shoulders and his breath trailing over her neck, he leaned in and teased close to her ear, “I have a lot more I could show you, you know.”
Her breath caught, and Maya didn’t know if it was the ache still brewing from the peep show in the bathroom, or the adrenaline leaving her body making her weak in the moment, but she was this close to grabbing him by the hand and pulling him into her bedroom.
Instead, a throat cleared, jerking Maya from the moment, and she pulled away from August. Cheeks flaming, she went and leaned against wall of cabinets in her tiny kitchen, keeping her eyes on the others and trying to hide how much August affected her. Her nipples strained against the black bra she wore, and for once, Maya was thankful to be wearing it. Under their intense stares, she might as well have been naked.
Suddenly, it felt as if all of the energy left her body, and she sagged, listing to the side before catching herself on the wall to her right.
“Whoa, whoa!”
Warm arms gathered her close, and she blinked her eyes open to find Amir holding her. He peered down at her, concern obvious in his light, golden eyes.
Maya nodded when he asked if she could hear him, but she slammed her eyes closed as all the light in the room decided to pierce her head with a skull-shattering ache. It was as if all of the electric energy she’d had during the fight dissipated.
Movement jostled her before she sat on a soft surface, leaning back against her comfy couch. Cracking open an eye, she noticed the fierce expression on Amir’s face as he regarded her.
His rough voice barked at August, as if the man held all the answers. “What the fuck’s wrong with her?”
Maya’s lips twitched into the smallest smile through the pain in her head at August’s answer. “I don’t know! This has never happened before, at least not from what the book said! It’s probably got something to do with the strength she had during the fight.”
Blindly reaching out, she grabbed the hand nearest hers and squeezed tightly to get their attention. A rough hand squeezed back, and she found the smallest glimmer of energy to pry her eyes open.
It was Asher who held her hand, and she offered him a weak smile. “I think it’s safe to say that the bar should close tonight.” Maya hated to miss out on the business, especially the day after a sucker’s holiday, but she wasn’t in any shape to run a bar, and Theo needed to go home eventually.
The guys must have seen the disappointment on her face, because they shared a glance before Asher spoke, stroking a soft rhythm into her skin. “It doesn’t have to close. We could run it if you’d like.”
Maya shook her head, already denying the offer. “No. You guys have done enough. It’s fine. We could all use a shower and a night to figure all this shit out.”
August scoffed, reminding her, “I’ve watched you do the books, Maya. You need the business.”
Shooting him a scathing look, she cursed the fact he was right. However, Maya hated the thought of losing the night’s patrons even more than turning control of her bar over to the guys. And Maya thrived on control.
Maya shook her head in protest. “No. I don’t have it in me tonight. We need to sit down, figure out where the amulet is, who those fuckers were, and—”
“And keep the bar open. We know how it works.”
She couldn’t help it, she found the energy to laugh. “You guys want to tend my bar?” She eyed the bruised faces, bloody lips, and scraped knuckles, and a smile crossed her lips. Underneath the remnants of the fight that could be washed away with a shower, she studied their beautiful eyes, their strong jawlines, and flawless hair. An idea began to take root.
“Done. I’ll call it ladies’ night.”
Asher’s smile brightened, and he tightened the hold on her hand before bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. “Wait, really? I didn’t think you’d go for that.”
Her dizzy spell subsiding, she sent them a sloppy wink. “You’re right, I need all the help I can get. Why not have three tall, dark, and handsome men tend bar for a night? You’ll be great. Now all we need to do is make you pretty again. Showers are in order.”
They smirked at her comment, but all agreed once they caught a glimpse of how rough they looked. With a nod of her head, Amir carried her to the bathroom. He made her promise she could stand on her own, and she shooed him out with a slam of the door.
The hot water was heaven on her aching muscles, but even with her emotions rampant because of everything that had happened, she couldn’t ignore the fact that only a few walls separated them. It was completely out of character, and uncalled for amongst everything going wrong, but she chalked it up to the connection they seemed to share. As the loofah slid over her skin, leaving a trail of lily-scented bubbles, her thoughts bounced back to her dream from that morning and her peep show of Asher’s own shower.
Maya had only ever been with one man—Alex. But just a few walls away stood three that, according to Amir, were desperate for her. She didn’t know quite how she felt about that—okay fine, that was a lie. The words he spoke between the bookshelves were going to keep her up all night. He’d all but dared her to sleep with him. With any of them.
Or all of them?
Maya could only imagine, with their defined muscles and beautiful tanned skin… she’d already seen them naked, and honestly, she wished that she’d been greedier with her gaze at the time, instead of shocked and in denial.
No! No man-candy for you.
Maya begrudgingly agreed with her inner self. After Alex, she refused to even go down that road, she wasn’t ready. Giving someone that much control over her again was not an option. What happened with Asher couldn’t go any further—with any of them.
Pushing the thoughts aside, she ended her shower quickly to conserve the hot water. After she changed, she opened the door to let one of the others have a turn, and she retreated downstairs. Her cheeks flushed, and she worried they would know what she’d considered for a split second.
By the time she debriefed Theo, Maya still hadn’t decided if she would regret hiring the cats for the night. They had already started helping customers and taking orders from the other waitress. Maya was pleased to find that one of them had patched up her back door like she’d requested, though she didn’t know whom to thank for the work. When did they even find the time, anyway? Maya had been with them ever since they’d shifted, at least since that morning.
Oh, they’d probably done it while I was sleeping off that whiskey.
Reminding herself to thank them later, she sent Asher a smile across the bar, where he stood stacking clean glasses. August worked alongside him, restocking the coolers with beer. She had tried to help, but between the two of them, they seemed capable of handling everything without her supervision. They had shoved her out of the way so many times, she’d given up trying to offer assistance. Amir had disappeared to who knew where, and Maya could almost say she was thankful. Every time their gazes met, his words would float through her mind like a warm breeze, and it wasn’t just her cheeks that would flush. His every look seemed calculated, challenging her to give him a sign saying, take me now.
Maya would be damned if she said she hadn’t thought about it. Every single one of them was handsome, and August had proven he was sweet and caring, while Asher was more flirty and fun. However, beneath the casual exterior the two of them carried, she suspected they still struggled to adapt to the drastic change they’d gone through—there was more to them than what they showed her.
She was curious, but you know what they said about curiosity and cats…
Still, she was dying to learn more about them. It was almost as if a black cloud followed over their shoulders, especially Asher. She was still curious about the conversation she’d overheard in the library. Maya understood their secret melancholy, she couldn’t imagine what it was like to have your whole life ripped from you, only to be thrown into servitude as a fucking cat for a over a decade, unable to cont
rol a damned thing. She shivered at the mere prospect.
Guilt swam through her like a lazy current, and she approached the bar once more, leaning across it to grab August’s hand, and raised her voice. “Are you sure this is okay? You’ve already done so much for me.” Even against your will. Maya hid a grimace at the thought with a soft smile.
Brunette waves tickled his jawline as he shook his head. “No, no. I promise, this is perfect for us.” He waggled a finger between him and Asher. “We need the human contact. It’s been, what...” Turning to Asher, he redirected the question. “Fifteen years since we’ve spoken to anyone but each other?”
Asher nodded. “Well... that and the bank teller who let me in the box.”
Maya studied them for a long moment, reading the truth in their body language and eyes—they wanted to do this. Running a hand through her blonde hair, she couldn’t help but add, “Okay, if you’re sure. I don’t want you to think I’m—”
“Taking advantage of us?” Asher interrupted with a suggestive smirk and a wink. “Inine, if you wanted to take advantage of us, I can think of plenty of other ways we would happily oblige.”
She flushed, waving off his comment before August clarified, “Besides, we have a job for you.”
An elegant brow rose high in response to his statement. “Is that so?” Cocking her hip to the side, she placed her hand there to accentuate her attitude. “Do tell.”
August grinned at her sass. “You, little seer, are going to take a night off, go upstairs, and weave us some answers.”
“Oh, that’s all?” Disappointment colored her tone before she could mask it. Secretly, she had looked forward to spending the evening with them behind the bar. Their banter was a source of constant amusement, and Maya didn’t necessarily hate the flirting either.
Asher’s lips tilted in a crooked, knowing smile. Setting the glass he’d been polishing down, he vaulted over the bar top with supernatural speed, and landed with an elegance only a cat could achieve. So struck by his fluid movements, Maya couldn’t even move as he placed a finger under her chin and lifted until he stared deep into her eyes. The stares of the patrons around them bored into her tiny frame, and she blushed, even as she was captivated once again by the Mediterranean teal in his almost crystal eyes. “I know you wanted to have fun with us, hayaati, but if you’re patient, maybe we can find a way to entertain you later.”
Maya almost found herself nodding, but she caught and stopped the motion before she could give them the right idea. Wrong. Wrong idea.
Cursing their good looks, velvet voices, and whatever connection they seemed to have, she cleared her throat and stepped away. When disappointment flashed across his face for just a second, she wished she could take it all back. But she forced out her next words anyway. “That’s okay. I do just fine on my own. I’ll update the bar’s website and Facebook page and then get to work upstairs. If you need anything…” Maya trailed off and waved a hand at the bar. “Just come get me.”
Retreating upstairs like a fucking coward, she gritted her teeth, battling the emotions in herself with a fierce determination. When she clipped the chain to block off the top of the stairs from bar access and slammed the door shut, Maya cursed.
“What the fuck is your problem, huh? Why do you have to be such a bitch?” she scolded herself, then mocked, “‘I do just fine on my own.’ Whatever.”
Shaking her head at her own obstinacy, resolute in keeping her hard-won independence, she walked across the small expanse of her living room to the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of water, she returned to her second favorite place, besides behind the bar. Her loom.
Maya's half finished project stretched taut across the beams of her loom, the beautiful colors a mirage of red, black, and gold. Her current project was one that showcased her cat lady status. Or it had... since she was no longer an owner of three cats but three very, very hot men. Wait—owner?
Maya didn't own them. Though she couldn't deny the way her heart skipped a beat when she thought about it. Not owning them like property... but holding a claim over them. For all three of them to be hers, and hers alone. The heady thought left her breathless.
Focus Maya, dammit!
With a deep sigh, she reined in her inappropriate thoughts, and as the bar music began downstairs, she unfolded the back beam, stretching it to its full length so she could begin working. As she looked down at her design, holding the wooden boat in her hand, she couldn't help but laugh. It's like something was pressing her to pay closer attention to her cats all along.
Black intertwined with the gold threads to depict the tails of three cat statues—Egyptian style, in homage to her heritage. The week she had decided to start this particular pattern, she’d been feeling rather melancholy, and her parents had been on her mind. The idea had popped into her head when she’d tapped the cat statue that day. She'd ordered the required threads online during a slow hour and started almost immediately. That had been weeks ago.
Maya refamiliarized herself with the treadles, the pedals on the floor that pulled each shaft into position to lift the connected threads. From there, she would slide the boat through the shed, or the opening between layers, throwing the thread across. Then she would pull the reed forward, which compacted the thread into the pattern. And back and forth she went.
Older looms could be very noisy, the smack of the treadles loud against the stacco crank of the reed. However, Maya had dropped a pretty penny on the one she used. Only a few years old, it was much quieter, but the thumping music from below also helped mask the sounds of her work.
Hopefully, in the end, the three black cat statues she envisioned would be displayed on a golden cloth background, with red embellishments in each corner. Those, she had to hand sew herself while the tapestry was still on the loom. Those took the most time. Thankfully, she'd completed the top two a few weeks ago, so now it was just the monotonous work of throwing the boat, pulling the reed, and switching pedals.
Maya planned for this one to hang behind the bar. She did have a theme after all, and it matched Pharaoh perfectly.
Not too long after getting back to work on her project, she fell into a smooth pattern of repetitive effort. It was relaxing watching the piece come together one line of thread at a time. She’d gone through the motions often enough, she barely had to think about what she was doing. Seeing the black color morph thread by thread into a cute cat brought a smile to her face.
Maya had only been weaving for a half hour before she fell into a vision.
It was an odd sensation—almost like dreaming, but she was still aware of her surroundings. The warm wood of the carved boat still fit smooth against her palm as she threw it through the shed, the reed still made the slightest creaking sound when she cranked it forward to compact the threads together.
But in her head, she saw something totally different, like a movie playing just for her. And just like in a theater, she could do nothing to stop the characters from making a mistake, nor could they see her. She just was.
Believe her when she said she'd tried. When she watched her parents get killed all over again, she'd tried to tackle the bad guys in her older, more experienced form rather than hide in the pantry, but she just fell right through them, like a ghost. So, she learned her lesson. Instead, Maya now sat and watched a story unfold.
She was in ancient Egypt, but the opulent surroundings seemed to fade away as she stared at the woman before her. Long, dark hair framed a gorgeous face, eyes outlined in kohl. The woman paced as angry, snarled words fell from her lips. Even though the woman spoke in ancient Egyptian, Maya understood every word.
Her lilting accent was beautiful, the cadence similar to that of Amir, Asher, and August. She paced the room, all while raging, cursing, and plotting. Maya gulped as she realized why—she was pissed at the humans. They were disobeying the gods and goddesses, and refusing to take them seriously, indifferent to their existence.
“After all we've done for them. They go and ignore us li
ke this? Ungrateful…” Cue more cursing, and Maya winced at her vicious tone. This lady was not playing around.
A man entered the room where the woman raged, and her tirade on worthless creatures paused as they greeted each other.
“Ra.”
“Sekhmet.”
The names were familiar to Maya, and not only because of the recent research she'd been exploring with the guys. Ra was the sun god, the most important of the ancient Egyptians, though it seemed Sekhmet was pretty full of herself too.
Observations.
She chuckled when Ra spouted off a rather sassy line. “Sekhmet, calm down! You're just mad because for some time now libations have been tapering off for you. Your followers grow lazy, those lushes.”
Of course, that sent her over the edge, and even Maya rolled her eyes. Every man should know, one never told a woman to calm down. It was like throwing a lit match on kerosene soaked kindling.
Ra crossed his arms and patiently waited until Sekhmet was done raging, and she ended her one sided discussion with a flip of her shiny black hair.
“Well, if you're so pissed off, why don't you do something about it?” He sarcastically bowed. “I give you my blessing.”
Sekhmet narrowed her eyes and seemed to think on his words. Maya saw his instant regret at the flippant words.
“You know what, Ra? That's a damned good idea. I might just do that.”
Ra held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Now, hold on a second, Sekhmet, we need to talk this out. You can't just go off half-cocked and start killing people. Let me get you a drink.”
Sekhmet brushed his hands away in a flurry of movement, her bloodred dress sleeves flapping with her motions. “Oh, I can't, hmm? Watch me.”
Storming from the room, she waved pettily over her shoulder. “Good talk, Ra.”
From there, the vision shifted, and like one of those View Master toys from her childhood, the scenery changed to one of an ancient city. Bodies lay strewn upon the ground, sand congealing in crimson rivers of a graphic nightmare.