by Marla Monroe
“Dax and Erik do look pretty intimidating in their dark jeans and T-shirts. I guess Mike and Andy do, too.”
Kay laughed and wrapped an arm around Jeanie’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. I know all about Erik and Dax courting you. I’m looking forward to having another female in the family to talk to. I love my men, but there’s nothing like another woman to talk to sometimes.”
“You know everything?” Jeanie asked carefully.
“Of course. We don’t talk about it down here, though.” She winked at Jeanie.
Jeanie sighed in relief. Knowing Kay was aware of the wolfen made her a little less antsy. She should have realized the other woman would have to know since she was married to two of them.
Mated to them. They call it mating and not marriage. I need to remember that.
Despite it having been four weeks since she’d first started dating the two men, things still felt a little surreal to her. Where her two men were concerned, she forgot they were wolves for the most part, but sometimes, when their eyes changed into the amber lights, she shivered with unease. It usually only happened during sex, but twice when they’d been out and someone had bumped into her or leered at her, their eyes had shifted and a low growl sent goose pimples all up and down her arm.
What would happen if someone didn’t back down when they confronted them? Would they change into wolves and hurt someone? That would get them killed. She didn’t want to worry all the time about that, and with her past, it was a distinct possibility.
“Having any trouble with working the bar?” Kay asked.
“Nope. It’s going smoothly, other than a few men complaining about our limited offers. We might need to get a few top-shelf whiskies to keep them coming. I never realized that some of the men who came here would pay for anything that expensive.”
“Me either. I’ll look into it. Are the girls complaining about anyone getting too handsy with them?” Kay asked.
“No, not so far.”
“Let’s keep our fingers crossed that continues. I won’t tolerate them being abused.”
“They know that. They’ll point it out if it happens.”
“I’m going to go mingle again and see what everyone is saying about the place. Keep up the good work, Jeanie.”
Jeanie beamed at Kay. She loved the job and appreciated Kay’s support of all of them. The praise she handed out so easily meant so much to her and the other women. They’d rarely received anything like that in the past, though Kay had supported them. Somehow she knew that telling what a good job they were doing when they’d been earning their keep on their backs wouldn’t have been well received.
“Whew, it’s a jungle out there.” Casey set her tray on the bar and laughed. “Need two Bud on tap, one Michelob bottle and two shots of tequila. Oh, and a glass of water no ice.”
“Having any trouble?” Jeanie asked.
“Nope. Not really. The men are pretty much behaving. There’s a table from out of town near the dance floor of guys who like to brush in close to me when I’m clearing the table or bringing them their drinks, but they haven’t pinched me or anything. I think they’re just enough tipsy to feel handsome and irresistible.”
“Funny how drinking makes them bulletproof and famous. Let me know if you need help. The guys are around and will make sure they behave.”
Casey smiled so that her eyes lit up as she picked up her now full tray. “All good so far. I’m having fun for a change.”
Jeanie got virtually the same answers from the other three waitresses. Everyone was behaving and having fun. The jukebox played nonstop, and there were plenty of couples on the dance floor. Occasionally when a particularly popular song came on, a group of women would get together and dance, giving the men something to look at while they sat at the table drinking. So far, no fights had broken out, and everyone was having a great time.
“Hey, beautiful. How are you doing?” Erik sauntered up and leaned against the bar.
“Good. We’re busy, but not so much that I can’t catch my breath. I bet you guys are a little bored with no fights to break up or falling down drunks to throw out.” Jeanie winked at him.
“We’re not the least bit bored, honey. Watching you move around with a smile on your face keeps us happy.”
“Hey, Jeanie. Need a refill down here,” one of the men at the bar called out.
“Got to get back to work.” Jeanie smiled at Erik as he nodded and walked into the crowd.
“Here you go, Hank.” She refilled his mug and then turned to a stranger who’d just approached the bar. “What can I get you?”
“I’d like a glass of wine. Do you have any?” he asked in a strangely formal voice.
“We’ve got house red, house white, and house merlot. Do you have a preference?”
The man looked vaguely familiar and was pale as if he didn’t get out in the sun very often, or ever. His nails were well manicured but just as pale as the rest of him. He wore a white button-down shirt with a black coat. She wondered if he wore jeans or slacks but couldn’t tell from behind the bar.
“I’ll take red, please.”
Jeanie grabbed a glass and pulled out a fresh bottle of popular red wine and screwed off the top. He looked to have much better taste than the bottle she was pouring from, but it was all they carried. He took the glass when she handed it to him and sniffed. His lip curled up a bit, but he didn’t say anything before taking a small sip.
“Will that be okay?” she asked.
“Yes, thank you.” He handed her a twenty-dollar bill. Jeanie started to make change, but he held up his hand. “Keep it for now. I’m sure I’ll need a refill.”
She shrugged and made a note on her pad that she owed him sixteen dollars in wine if he asked for more. Something about the man made her a little wary, but he behaved like a gentleman. Maybe it was the paleness of his skin that got to her. His dark eyes and hair only made the rest of him appear almost luminous.
The rest of the night progressed without a problem. The strange man had gotten two more glasses of wine before he’d left, leaving her a rather large tip. She wished she’d gotten his name to ask Kay about him. Still, she had a pretty good memory of what he’d looked like and could ask the other woman if she’d noticed him.
“About ready to close it down?” Kay walked up with one of the other waitresses.
“Absolutely. My feet need a break.” Jeanie laughed.
“Tell me about it. I think I’ve walked over twenty thousand steps tonight,” the other waitress said.
“Stop talking about steps, Kim. You’re beginning to sound like one of those health nuts you hang out with.” Casey teased the other woman mercilessly about her friends.
“Hey, they’re really nice to me. I’ve learned the best foods to eat and what to stay away from. I’ve lost five pounds already.”
“Why would you want to lose weight?” Torin asked, walking over to the bar.
“Because I’m too big. I need to get my figure back. Having a kid puts the pounds on you.” Kim frowned at the man.
“I think you look perfect the way you are,” Torin told her.
She smiled shyly at the two men. “Thanks, but eating better is better for my health, as well.”
“What are you guys doing here?” Kay asked.
“Shade and Cain sent us to escort you home tonight. They got tied up with some, um, business that they couldn’t get away from.”
“Business at two in the morning?” Kim asked. “Who’s up at this hour wanting to do business?”
“Overseas business,” Torin told her.
“Oh. I’ve never met anyone who talked with people from another part of the world. That sounds interesting.”
“More like a pain in the ass than interesting,” Kay told them. “They’re up when you’re supposed to be asleep. Plus, the language barrier is an issue when one of you doesn’t speak English.”
“Hey, Kay, did you notice the really pale guy sitting at the bar earlier? He looked familiar, li
ke I’ve seen him before, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“I did notice him. I’ve seen him before in a past life, but he wasn’t any trouble back then, so I don’t anticipate he’ll be trouble now. Did he bother you?” Kay asked.
“No, not at all. He was very polite and tipped me well. I just thought he was odd. Very formal and all he drank was wine. I could tell it wasn’t wine he was happy with though.”
“Hmm, maybe we should get a good bottle for when he comes in the future. I’ll think about that along with the whiskey.” Kay waved. “I need to finish up the paperwork. You guys go home as soon as the bar’s put to rights. No one goes out alone. Let the guys walk you to your cars, so we know you get home safely.”
Everyone nodded and hurried to finish up the chores so they could go home. With it being the first night, they were all about dead on their feet. They’d be open at four the next afternoon and would need their rest to be ready for a hopefully busy night. Jeanie finished wiping down the bar and counter, and then turned on the dishwasher to run. They’d unload it before opening later that night. She’d worried that only working four nights a week would cut into her finances, but she made good tips, and from the way her legs and feet felt, she’d need the other three days to rest.
“Ready to go, hon?” Dax asked.
“Yeah. Have you walked everyone out already?” she asked.
“Erik’s walking Casey and Lisa out now.”
“I can’t wait to get home and put my feet up,” Jeanie admitted.
“You’ve worked hard tonight. Do you mind the hours?”
“No, not at all. I love bartending. I’m so glad Kay agreed to let me.”
“Did the man you were talking to Kay about bother you?” Dax asked.
“No. He was a perfect gentleman but strange. I guess because he was so pale and the formal way he was dressed and talked.”
“If you feel anything differently about him if he comes back, you wave one of us or the other bouncers over immediately. There are other beings out there that are dangerous. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Other beings?” Jeanie stopped just shy of the door. “What do you mean?”
“The wolfen aren’t the only supernatural creatures in this world, Jeanie. Just leave it at that for now.”
“Fine with me. I don’t think I could handle knowing anything else yet.” She shivered and allowed Dax to wrap his arm around her shoulders as he led her from the bar and then locked the door behind them.
Erik met them at the truck and opened the door for Jeanie. Dax helped her up into the truck and then followed her inside. She was getting used to them fastening her seat belt, though it seemed strange to her. She accepted it as something they liked to do that saw to her safety. They were both very careful to make sure she was safe and comfortable at all times. It was one of the things she liked about them.
“Let’s get you home so your sister won’t worry. We won’t come in. You need to get into bed as soon as you can. You have less than twelve hours until you have to be back at work. We’ll pick you up at a quarter till three.”
“Thanks, guys. I could take the car sometimes so that you didn’t have to pick me up and drop me off all the time.”
Dax shook his head. “No. You need to leave it in case Tilly needs it. Plus, we like taking you to work and bringing you home again. We know you’re safe that way. If you took your car, we’d still follow you to and from work, Jeanie. Your safety is very important to us.”
“I should feel smothered, but for some reason I don’t. You aren’t backing off, are you?” she asked.
“Nope,” Erik said as he turned into her drive. “Not even a little bit. We want you to trust us.”
“I do. Honestly, I do. I’m just not ready to settle down with you guys yet. My mom is finally feeling better, and I want to enjoy that for a while. Can you understand that?”
“We do, but it was hard to deal with men getting so close to you when they were at the bar. Every time one of them leaned over the bar to talk to you, our wolves growled at them being too close to their mate. It eats at us, Jeanie.” Dax squeezed her knee.
“Come on, let’s get you inside.” Erik jumped out of the driver’s side and walked around. He would walk her to the house this time. Dax had the last time.
Dax helped her out of the truck and then pulled her in for a quick, sensual kiss before turning her over to Erik. She paused at the door of the house and looked up at him.
“Thanks for being patient with me. I know it’s not easy.”
“Don’t worry about it right now. Lock up and get some rest, sweetheart.” He kissed her lightly on the lips and then her forehead. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jeanie nodded and after unlocking the door, closed it behind her and flipped the locks in place before walking through the darkened living room back to her bedroom. She checked in on her mom, who was sleeping soundly, and then Tilly. The bedside light was on, and her sister was sound asleep with a book across her chest.
She smiled at the sight. She gently removed the book and then turned off the light before continuing to her room. Her sister loved her books. Jeanie had to admit to enjoying them, as well, but hadn’t had near as much time to read as Tilly did. Maybe with her days off she could catch up with the other woman on reading.
She took a quick shower and then climbed into bed. It felt wonderful to be off her feet. She snuggled into the covers and fell instantly asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Thunk.
A noise woke Jeanie from a sound sleep. At first, she thought it was time to get up, but it was still dark outside. What had awakened her? She glanced over at the clock to find that it was nearly four thirty. She’d only been in bed a little over an hour.
The sound of something brushing against the chime hanging from the ceiling fan in the living room sent icy fingers down her spine. The only way those would have chimed was if someone’s head bumped them. Neither she, Tilly, or her mom’s head would reach them. Plus, they knew they were there.
Jeanie reached for the cell phone, glad that she had it by the bed, and punched Dax and Erik’s number. She should have called the police, but for some reason, she called them first. Jeanie got up and eased into the closet, shutting the door behind her.
“Jeanie? What’s wrong?”
It was Dax’s voice that answered.
“I think there’s someone in the house,” she whispered.
“Get in the closet. We’ll call the police and we’re on our way. Don’t go outside your room, Jeanie. Do you hear me?”
“I’m scared. What about Mom and Tilly?”
“I know you’re scared, honey. If you go looking for them, you might alert whoever is in the house. They may only want to rob you and won’t attack if you don’t surprise them. Just do what I said and get in the closet.”
“I’m in the closet now. The door’s closed, but I can’t hear anything anymore.”
“That’s fine. You don’t need to hear anything. Just stay where you are. We’re in the truck and driving down the mountain now, sweetheart. Stay on the phone with me.”
Jeanie could hear Erik talking to someone, probably the police, in the background. She prayed they would arrive soon. She didn’t want anything to happen to her mom or sister. The sound of Tilly’s scream poured over her like burning oil. She dropped the cell phone and raced out of the closet and her bedroom down to Tilly’s room. Someone was fighting with her sister on the bed. Jeanie didn’t think at all. She screamed at him to leave Tilly alone, grabbed the lamp off the bedside table, and slammed it against the man’s head.
“Bitch!” The intruder turned and backhanded Jeanie before she could react and duck.
Then Tilly jumped on the man’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jeanie got back to her feet and scratched at the man’s hands that were trying to pry Tilly’s from his throat. That wasn’t working, so she backed up, then ran full force, and used her head to drill him in the stoma
ch. He harrumphed a loud whoosh of air, seeming to struggle to breathe with Tilly still holding her arms around his neck. The big man fell backward, trapping her sister beneath him.
“Tilly. Get out from under him before he gets his breath back.”
“If I let go, he’ll get back up. Did you call the police?”
“I called Erik and Dax. They called the police and are on their way here, as well.”
Jeanie searched the room and found the tie to Tilly’s housecoat and used it to tie the man’s hands before he realized what she was doing. He tried to beat her in the head with them, but Jeanie managed to duck in time to get away.
The sound of sirens in the distance growing closer settled her so that relief washed over her like a warm shower. Help was coming. She needed to check on her mom, but didn’t want to leave Tilly alone with the intruder. He was quickly regaining his ability to breathe and fighting Tilly’s hold again.
“Should I hit him again with the lamp?” she asked.
Tilly shook her head. “The police will be here in a minute. No use having to clean up blood if we don’t have to.”
“When did you get to be so pragmatic?” Jeanie asked as she attempted a watery smile. Tears were just behind her eyes waiting to fall.
“When we nearly lost Mom. I sure hope they hurry. He’s too strong for me to keep holding him.”
“Police. Put your hands up and don’t move.” The harsh voice brought a heady sense of relief. She gladly lifted her hands.
“Tilly, let go of him and put your hands up. They’ll take him now.” Jeanie didn’t want them to mistake Tilly for an intruder. Dumber things had happened.
“He’ll get up,” her sister said.
“Lady, put your hands up. We’ve got this. Until we know what’s going on, everyone keep your hands where we can see them.”
Tilly let go of the intruder and raised her hands, and the man immediately jumped up, yelling about crazy women and stormed toward the officers. They lifted their tazers and told him to stop and put his hands up.
“They tied them up. I can’t put them up.”