Six Months

by Dark, Dannika

  My purse strap bit into my shoulder and I nervously turned a bracelet on my wrist as I glided up the escalator. Once I reached the top, I walked past the pizzeria and hamburger vendors. We needed to complete the exchange in a more private area, so I’d instructed Sanchez to meet me by the barbecue station at the far end. This felt like something out of an espionage movie, except there was no James Bond and my hands were shaking like an epileptic’s.

  My heart skipped like a stone when I saw Sanchez sitting at one of the plastic tables with an empty plate in front of him. I glanced at the clock wondering if I was late, but I was early this time.

  “Take a seat, Vanilla,” he said in a curt tone.

  I bit my tongue for all the things I wanted to say to him about Trevor. “Here’s the deal,” I began as my inner voice sank down in her chair and covered her face. “None of this is legal. I’m sure you have a little leeway from your boss to garner a tip, but Delgado might not be too thrilled with how much extra cash you’re making on the side.”

  Sanchez rubbed the patch of hair on his chin with his middle finger, showing me his bottom teeth.

  I cleared my throat and reached in my purse, pulling out a small box with a bow on it. “Happy birthday. Every penny. And not that you even care, but I had a good reason for not showing up. If you ever touch my friend again, or anyone else I care about, I’ll kill you.” My face hardened like stone, and his eyes sharpened like razors as he watched me deliver my threat.

  I slid the box in front of him and he glimpsed inside.

  “It’s all there,” I assured him. “I’d be foolish to short you, given everything that’s happened. I’m not threatening you, but I’m stating a fact about your boss. You know the guys running the show don’t like to find out they’re losing money. Don’t come by my house. Don’t call me. Don’t accidentally run into me at a music store. You’re getting more than enough, and you’ve already taken more than enough from me. I have nothing left to give you and this has put me in further debt. You’ll get nothing else—money or otherwise. I’m sure you saw an opportunity with me being young and naïve, but I’m not playing that game anymore.”

  I folded my arms and sat back, waiting for him to pull out a butcher knife and put me on the six-o’clock news. There had come a point in my unprepared speech when I’d realized that I could never appease a man like Sanchez. Begging or bartering would only maintain a relationship with him I no longer wanted. The only way out was to be firm and show him my verbal middle finger. Then I could decide how many states I needed to move away.

  He peered in the box again and leaned in tight. “You think you’re one smart bitch, Vanilla. But you know what I see? A loser with cheap nail polish and a bad dye job. You’re nothing but a secondhand girl who’s going to wind up working one shitty job after the next and marrying an alcoholic who uses you for a punching bag. So you’re going to get what you deserve, one way or the other. There’s nothing special about you.” He stood up from his chair and tucked the box beneath his arm. “You’re going to live and die in that trailer.”

  Sanchez tipped his chair over when he walked off with an intentional swing in his step, trying to convey how tough he was.

  He looked more like a man suffering from hemorrhoids.

  I blew out a breath and felt an overwhelming sense of relief. I almost regretted not having someone there to witness how well I’d handled myself.

  “It’s over,” I whispered. Now I just had to pay off Maddox for the rest of my life. My inner voice might have fainted, but I was proud of myself. Trevor would have been proud too.

  ***

  “I’m so glad you came!” Lexi greeted me in a casual pair of black shorts and a cotton shirt with quarter-length sleeves. I was glad it wasn’t formal because all I had on were a pair of jeans and a pretty blouse. She swung the front door wide open and smiled warmly. The Weston house smelled like heaven—a mixture of delicious meat in the oven and potpourri from a small vase on a table by the stairs.

  I noticed a pile of shoes in the hall and kicked my sandals off. I hadn’t heard from Reno all day and I wondered if he would be joining us.

  Lexi led me through the living room and into the kitchen. The cabinets and appliances were straight ahead, and to the right by a wall of windows was a long wooden table with bench seating. Most people these days just grabbed dinner and went to their corners, but it looked as though they made a concerted effort to have family meals. Someone had strung up tiny white lights above the tall windows behind the table. The windows were curtainless and probably brought in an ample amount of sunlight. A clamor of noise made me jump and I glanced at an overflow of pans pouring out of a lower cabinet.

  “Sorry about that,” Ivy said.

  I admired the white daisies on the table that were in clear jars filled with water. The room had a restaurant atmosphere with all the casualness of home. The kitchen appeared significantly larger than the dining room, and then I remembered this had once been used as a hotel. Perhaps people had eaten in their rooms.

  “Smells heavenly,” I said, glancing toward the stove on my left. Ivy scooped something onto a plate and turned off a burner.

  “Here, try this,” Lexi said, handing me a glass of wine. “This is the first white wine I’ve ever loved. Tell me what you think.”

  I took a short sip to be polite. “Mmm. It’s more sweet than dry.”

  “Exactly. Austin thinks it tastes like fruit juice and should be served at the kiddie table,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “I do,” he agreed, ambling into the room barefoot with a closed-lipped smile. “I’m afraid the wine doesn’t match the sophistication and complexity of my alpha female.”

  Austin had on a pair of loose jeans and a blue button-up with the top two buttons undone, revealing a medallion he always wore around his neck. He wrapped his arms around Lexi’s waist from the side and kissed her on the neck, brushing her long brown hair away.

  “When’s dessert?” he murmured.

  “Hi, Miss April.”

  I turned around and smiled at Maizy. She had on a pretty blue dress with white flowers. Someone had combed her blond hair back in a ponytail and secured two rainbow-colored hair clips on either side. Maizy also wore a scowl on her face.

  “What’s wrong, hon?”

  “I hate blue.”

  “April! It’s been too long since I’ve seen you,” Lynn said from behind me in the hallway. Lexi’s mom came into the shop every so often to take Lexi out to dinner with Maizy. I envied the relationship she had with her mother—they were a tight family. As it should be. She gave me a brief hug. “How are you, honey?”

  “Hi, Lynn. I’m doing good.” She didn’t like going by Miss Knight and had always insisted that I call her Lynn. Even though I wasn’t a child, it still didn’t feel right calling her that since I’d been brought up to address my elders respectfully. “Have you changed your hair? It looks a little shorter, but I love how you’re styling it.” I reached out and touched the ends of her blond hair.

  “Just a trim,” she said. “The long hair was becoming too much to manage. Did Lexi tell you we’re having pot roast?”

  “Ah, yes. Ivy did, actually. Can I help with anything?”

  A laugh bubbled out and she headed toward the cabinets and began slicing bread. “You’re the guest; of course not! Put your purse on the table by the door and have a seat. We’re almost ready.”

  Austin claimed a spot at the head of the table while I lingered, uncertain of where to sit. I hadn’t grown up in a home where we ate together at a table, but I knew most people had regular spots where they liked to sit, and I didn’t want to impose. He watched with amusement and steepled his fingers in front of his face.

  I carefully walked around the table and finally chose a spot facing the windows that I thought no one would want.

  Austin let out a short “humph” and leaned back. “Lexi told you all the rules, I take it? About our secret.”

  “Yes, she did. It’s a little
hard to swallow,” I admitted. “Just don’t shift in front of me or I might freak out.”

  “We don’t live that way,” he said. “Our animals are a part of us and we let them out when they get an itch to run. But we don’t walk around shifting at will for the hell of it; we have no direct control over our animal, so it’s important not to give them too much power. Just keep in mind that entrusting you with this knowledge is a privilege, so just take care not to—”

  “Austin, we discussed this,” Lexi sang from the kitchen. “Let’s just have a nice dinner.”

  He averted his eyes and dropped the subject.

  The place settings were gorgeous, with mosaic plates and cloth napkins—each person had a different color. I ran my finger along the yellow plate in front of me. Ivy set two bowls, one of mashed potatoes and the other of peas, on the table. The steam rose from the large bowls and my stomach growled.

  Denver waltzed in wearing a shirt with a tie printed on the front and dark pants. “Damn. It smells like heaven down here. I can’t wait to dig in.”

  Austin locked his fingers behind his head. “Word is you’ve been digging in all day. Stay out of the kitchen when they’re cooking and wait like everyone else.”

  Denver stood with his arms folded and glanced at Maizy, who was sitting at the tiny white table to my right. “C’mon, Peanut. You eat with us tonight.”

  “Can I sit next to you?”

  Denver sat on the edge of his bench and left about an inch of space to his right. “Can you fit right there?”

  Maizy giggled and he scooted over, allowing her to sit beside him. When the twins walked in, Ben changed direction and grabbed a beer from the fridge, delivering a toothy grin as he strolled around the table and sat across from me.

  Wheeler, the one who’d given me the stink eye earlier, sat to his left. Ben wore a white polo shirt with red sleeves and a collar, while Wheeler was in his usual cutoff black shirt. I didn’t like the way he kept staring at me, so I sipped my wine and turned away to watch Lexi in the kitchen.

  “Are you sure I can’t help?” I offered.

  Two strong hands gripped my shoulders and I stiffened as a deep voice barked, “Someone’s in my seat.” My heart raced and I glanced up at Reno.

  Holy smokes, he looked amazing.

  The room was a little warm for a long-sleeve cotton shirt, but if he was aiming for sexy, he nailed it. Reno’s charcoal shirt was tight all over, showing off his impressive physique. I glanced down at his dark jeans and the leather belt with a square silver buckle. It seemed strange that only Austin could lead the pack when Reno was an alpha male in every way. Even his dark hair was styled as neat as a pin. I took a deep breath, flooding my senses with his cologne, which I loved so much.

  “Is this your seat? I’ll move.”

  But he held my shoulders firmly and stepped over the bench to my right. I wondered if anyone in that room knew about Reno hanging around my house. Did he talk about me with them? Had he told them that he’d slept naked in my bed and kissed me?

  Just sitting beside him and remembering the feel of his body against mine gave me goose bumps. Especially when his arm brushed against mine and I began to feel the heat from his nearness.

  “Jericho’s not coming,” Lexi said, setting two baskets of bread on the table. Austin immediately snatched the end piece and buttered it. “He’s still in the doghouse.”

  “He also has a gig tonight,” Denver added. “Jericho showed up at Howlers and we talked for a little while. I think you need to sit down with him, Aus. You know how Jericho is, always playing jokes and trying to liven up the party. He does stupid shit, but it’s not with bad intentions.”

  “Do you have to work tonight?” Lynn asked Denver, sitting to Austin’s right.

  Denver plucked a pea between his fingers and set it in the center of Maizy’s plate.

  “Eww,” she said with a giggle.

  “I go in later,” Denver replied, elbows on the table. “Jake moved me to a later shift so I can earn higher tips. He seems satisfied with how I keep the alcohol moving and the customers happy. Our peak time extends after midnight, so that works for me.”

  “You should go full time,” Lynn suggested, her tone laced with judgment.

  Denver huffed out a breath and scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes on his plate. “I make a shitload of money just working four nights a week, Lynn. We don’t give cheap tips like humans. Most of these rich immortals have money to burn and Packmasters pay well when they get good service.”

  “Watch your language around Maizy.”

  “Shitload,” Maizy sang, and Denver quickly snaked his arm around her head and covered her mouth with his hand, smiling sheepishly.

  Lynn turned to watch Ivy carry in the pot roast.

  “Do you guys always eat together?” I asked Reno in a quiet voice.

  He nodded and leaned in close. “When our pack gets bigger, we’ll eat in shifts to make sure no one eats alone. That’s how a family maintains a good foundation. You look pretty tonight.” He spoke quietly and no one heard him over all the chatter. His bedroom voice made my belly flutter.

  I smiled and put my hands in my lap, turning my ring around my finger. It suddenly popped off and rolled beneath the table. Nice job, my inner voice said. You managed to walk in the room successfully without tripping, so you decided to throw your jewelry underneath the table? Smooth.

  Since I couldn’t scoot the bench back, I squeezed between the gap and crouched underneath the table. The ring had rolled by Wheeler’s foot and he must have noticed, because he appeared under the table with me.

  Everyone chattered at the table and I froze as Wheeler held the ring between his fingers. “I know what you did,” he whispered. “I have access to the account, and I don’t know what the hell you’re up to, but Lexi is going to know about it.”

  “Please don’t,” I begged.

  “You okay down there, April?” Lexi asked. “Or do we need to call a search party?”

  A few laughs overlapped and someone started coughing.

  “Sorry, just a second. My ring fell off,” I explained in a loud voice. “It’s not what you think,” I whispered back to Wheeler. “Please don’t say anything.”

  His eyes narrowed and he handed me the ring, holding it between his fingers until he finished serving his warning. “You tell her the truth or I will. It’s her business and livelihood—not your Monopoly money to play around with.”

  When I climbed through the gap and sat in my seat, I was certain my face was the color of a tomato.

  “Is something wrong?” Reno said in a low voice.

  “No, I’m fine. It’s hot under there.”

  I smiled mechanically and slipped the ring on my shaky middle finger, afraid to make eye contact with anyone.

  Wheeler knew I had stolen from Lexi. Wheeler knew I was a thief.

  The roast came out delicious. Spirits were high as we drank, laughed, and shared wild stories of childhood. It seemed like an ordinary get-together and I could hardly believe that these people were Shifters. Since Maizy and Lynn were comfortable with these guys, it made it easier for me to trust them.

  After two glasses of wine, I had forgotten about Wheeler’s threat. He kept his eyes on his plate while explaining to Denver how to replace a part in his truck.

  “Are you dating anyone special?” Lynn asked me, leaning around Ivy who sat to my left.

  I had no idea how to answer that in front of Reno, so I held my wine glass in front of my mouth and bit on the rim.

  “Mom…” Lexi chastised her in that voice that implied she was getting too nosy.

  “What? I’m only asking what her situation is,” she said conversationally. “It’s a perfectly legitimate question to ask a single girl her age. We’re not getting any younger.”

  Denver laughed and pushed his plate forward.

  “Can I be excused?” Maizy asked, standing up from the table. “I want to read my new book about Peter Pan.”

  “Sk
edaddle!” Denver barked out. Maizy giggled and disappeared around the corner.

  “Well, April? Who are you seeing these days?” Lynn folded her napkin and placed it on her plate.

  Lexi cleared her throat and shook her head at her mom.

  Time froze when I felt Reno’s heavy hand rest on my right thigh. He gripped it firmly and our elbows touched. Something about being in his presence felt electric, and the warm sensation of his hand on my body almost made me spill my wine. I set the glass down and touched my hot cheek.

  “There’s someone,” I finally answered to end the bickering between mother and daughter.

  “Is it serious?” Lynn pressed.

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  Lexi’s brows popped up in surprise and she smirked at Austin. He frowned and rubbed his jaw as I’d seen him do before when in a contemplative mood.

  Reno slid his hand up and tucked his fingers between my inner thighs. I quietly gasped and began tugging the ends of my hair, noticing my bangs were longer than the length of my nose. It was time for a trim.

  My frantic attempt at distracting myself was in vain. All I could think about was the private touch of Reno’s hand beneath the table. His body leaned against mine in such a way that no one could see what he was doing. It felt as if he were privately claiming me in front of his pack.

  Lynn didn’t relent from probing further and exposing my dating situation in front of everyone. “Do you know your way around the kitchen? I taught my girls well and Lexi will make a good wife someday if the right man ever asks for her hand,” she said with a pointed look. Apparently the woman didn’t consider mating to be an official union. “Learn how to cook, April. You can still have it all with a family and career, but a man wants a woman who knows her way around the kitchen—one who can take care of him.”

  “True that,” Denver agreed.

  “That’s because you’re a lazy bastard,” Wheeler grumbled at him.

  “At least I’m an employed bastard,” he retorted, leaning forward with a look that dared Wheeler to keep riding him.