“Relax, TJ,” Shane murmured without breaking eye contact with Rat. “Your boss needs to hear something, and I need to be absolutely certain he hears it. I wouldn’t want there to be any…miscommunication between us.”
“Jeez, Quesada,” Rat said through a nervous laugh. He put his hands up in surrender, but Shane didn’t release him. “What are you so damn touchy about?”
“Maya will not dance here and remove what little clothing she is wearing. She is here to tend bar and pour drinks.” He lowered his voice to a dangerous level and tightened his grip. “And that’s it. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.” Rat laughed nervously and looked around the club.
The customers and the employees, including Maya, were looking on with obvious concern. Shane glanced at her briefly to see an annoyed look on her face. Then, like a warm summer breeze, her voice drifted into his mind. Let him go, Shane. I really hope whatever is going on over there has nothing to do with me. A gentle, comforting sensation of warmth spread through his chest and radiated down his arms and legs when the sweet sound of her voice filled his head.
“Excellent.” Shane released the lapels of Rat’s jacket and sat casually in his chair as though nothing had happened. “Now, I think it would be best if you tended to your customers and left me to my business. And I’m sure I don’t need to remind you not to alert the wolves to my presence. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” Rat adjusted his jacket and walked toward the VIP table, with TJ close behind. “Enjoy the show, Quesada.”
A new song came blaring through the speakers, and as if on cue, the front door of the club swung open and the pack of werewolves walked through the door.
The one in front was the alpha of the group and had to be Horace. He was short and stocky, probably no more than five foot eight, but he looked to be solid muscle, which was common for their kind. Shane’s body went rigid while he studied each of the pack members carefully. But as intent as he was on the wolves, he didn’t miss Maya’s wide-eyed stare. She watched the six of them stride into the club with awe and, he hoped, a bit of healthy fear.
Rat greeted Horace with a warm, welcoming handshake and pat on the shoulder, like they were old friends. Watching the exchange, Shane’s eyes narrowed, and every alarm bell in his head went off. Rat had said he was getting information through the dancer and had only spoken with Horace tonight. But based on the body language, these two men knew each other and had met before. There was a comfort level between the two that left Shane with a strong sense of wariness.
Rat gestured toward the VIP table, and the pack followed him over. Viola, the redhead who set up the table, ran over and practically jumped on the tallest fellow at the back of the group. He greeted her, but not with the warmth of a lover, and when she hugged him, the man locked eyes with Shane. He released the girl and whispered something to Horace. Knowing he’d been made as a vampire, Shane tilted his head and raised his beer bottle. Horace remained stone-faced and turned his attention back to the group at his table.
A few moments later, the lights flickered, music blared, and a young woman took the stage.
As the evening wore on, the wolves ordered copious amounts of alcohol and were clearly getting wasted. The night was proving to be even more aggravating, because Maya had started coming out from behind the bar and hand-delivering the drinks to the VIP table.
Much to Shane’s chagrin, Horace had begun paying more attention to Maya than the women who were taking off their clothes. He couldn’t really blame the wolf. Maya was beautiful, and every sexy inch of her was accentuated by the miniscule dress and sky-high heels she wore. Her legs seemed to go on forever.
What are you doing? Edged with obvious irritation, Shane’s voice touched Maya’s mind sharply. You are supposed to be tending bar, not catering to this pack of animals.
I’m working, and Rat asked me to do it. Placing a drink in front of Horace, she kept speaking with him. It’s not a big deal. Just relax.
Shane was about to respond, but when he saw Horace’s hand find its way to Maya’s ass, any restraint he’d been showing dissolved in a blink. Rising from the table with a growl rumbling in his chest, he swiftly closed the distance between himself and the wolves. If any humans in the club noticed the blinding speed with which he crossed the room, they gave no indication, and even though Shane knew it was risky, he couldn’t help himself.
The five members of Horace’s pack instantly rose to their feet, and Shane could feel the growls that reverberated in their chests. The sound sent his sonar-like senses off the charts, and though no human could hear it, it sounded to him like freight trains rumbling through the club. Maya must have heard it too, because she looked at the wolves with some of that healthy fear Shane was hoping to see.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.” Shane kept his voice even, his hands at his sides, and his eyes on Horace. “I need to speak with Maya for a moment.”
“She’s busy,” Horace said, leering. He tugged Maya closer and squeezed her backside. “I’m just getting started with this one.”
Shane let his fangs erupt, not caring if a human saw. Just when he thought he’d lose all self-control and start a bloodbath in the middle of the club, Maya’s sweet voice swept between them.
“Now, now,” she sang. Maya placed one hand on Shane’s shoulder and reached around with the other to grasp Horace’s hand and pull it gently but insistently off her butt. “I’m flattered by all this male posturing, but let’s not make a big scene in front of all these nice humans.”
“I would never argue with a lady.” Shane retracted his fangs and glanced at Maya. “I do need to speak with her privately, if you gentlemen don’t mind.”
Bullshit. Maya’s lilting laugh filled his head. I feel like all you do is argue with me.
“Don’t keep her away too long.” Raising Maya’s hand to his lips, Horace kept his gaze locked with Shane and kissed her fingers. “I have a feeling this one is special.”
Seconds later, a bevy of half-naked dancers showed up at the table, obviously sent there by Rat, and each one draped herself over a pack member. Two women, one vamp and one of the human familiars, pushed Maya aside and crawled into Horace’s lap. With the girls distracting Horace and his gang, Maya grabbed Shane by the hand and pulled him to the back of the club. She pushed open the door that said “Dancers Only,” and without a word, she dragged him through the girls’ dressing room and out another door that led them into a dark, narrow hallway.
There was barely enough space for the two of them to stand side by side, and the only light was from the bright-red exit sign above the door to the alley. Shane couldn’t help but notice it cast a glow over Maya, making her hair look like it was on fire. In that tiny, red leather dress and with the tinges of fire in her hair, she looked like the little devil that she was.
“Are you crazy?” Maya asked with her hands on her hips.
“I was going to ask you the same question.”
“Me?” Maya scoffed. “I’m just doing my job.”
Shane leaned closer so that their faces were only a few inches apart. “So am I.”
“No, you’re not.” She poked him in the chest with one finger and met his challenge. “You practically started a big, fat fight with Horace in the middle of the bar, which is not like you. You’re acting like some kind of overprotective boyfriend or something.”
Shane’s mouth set in a grim line and shame washed over him because Maya was right. He showed a remarkable lack of self-control and almost broke the truce with the wolves. His gaze skittered over Maya’s face and he realized how much trouble he was actually in. This woman had managed to turn his entire existence upside down, and for the first time in centuries, Shane was unsure of himself.
“He should not have touched you like that.” Shane’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone.
“Oh please, it’s not the first time some guy in the bar has grabbed m
y ass, and in case you suffer from short-term memory loss,” she said in a quivering voice, “I’ve had worse.” Her chin jutted forward defiantly. “I can handle myself now. I’m not some stupid, sniveling human girl who doesn’t know any better.”
“I have no doubt of that.” Shane placed both hands on the wall, one on either side of Maya, caging her in. “But I can assure you that no man, vampire or human, will be touching you that way ever again.” He inched closer, his lips a breath away from hers. “Except for me. Whether you are willing to acknowledge it or not, I’m your bloodmate, Maya, and the meaning of that goes far beyond ‘boyfriend.’”
“I’m well aware of what that would mean, Shane.” Her voice shook, but her expression remained resolute. “It means you own me for the rest of my immortal existence.”
Shane blinked as though she’d slapped him in the face.
“Is that what you think?” he whispered. “No, youngling. That is nowhere near what it means to be bloodmates.”
“Then what does it mean?” Maya folded her arms over her breasts defensively.
“This.” Shane placed a gentle kiss at the corner of her mouth. “And this,” he murmured, brushing his lips over hers briefly. He remained there, his lips achingly close to hers, and the need to touch her clawed at his gut with brutal insistence. “My one priority for the rest of my existence will be to see to your happiness…and pleasure.”
“I don’t know which end is up with you,” Maya whispered. Desire bloomed between them. Maya’s lips parted and her hands slipped inside his jacket, settling on his waist. “One minute I want to slap you…and the next…” Maya tugged his hips against hers and moaned softly when his growing erection pressed enticingly against her. “I can’t get close enough.”
“I am familiar with the feeling, and all I can think about is the taste of you—”
“Shane?” she murmured against his lips, her blue eyes glazed with desire. “Stop talking.”
“Gladly,” he growled before covering her mouth with his.
Shane dove deep, tasting and teasing her tongue with his as though he’d never get enough. Her lips melded with his and a fire burned in his gut, shattering his restraint. Kissing her deeply, he reached down and grabbed her firm, round ass with both hands, pressing her to him, but it simply wasn’t sufficient. She fumbled with his shirt and pulled it from the waist of his jeans before raking her fingers along the bare skin of his lower back.
She smiled against his mouth when he growled with pleasure. Her flesh brushed over his exquisitely while he blazed a trail of kisses down her long, lovely throat. It didn’t matter that someone might walk in and see the two of them together. All he cared about was getting closer and tasting every beautiful inch of her porcelain skin.
He nudged the heavy pendant out of the way before pulling down the top of her dress to reveal her full breasts. Cupping one soft mound in his hand, he bent his head and flicked her nipple with his tongue. Maya wrapped one leg around him, writhing against him as she threaded her fingers through his hair and held him to her, urging him on.
“Never stop touching me that way,” Maya rasped.
His fangs hummed, begging to be freed so they could pierce that perfect flesh and taste her, but Maya tugged his hair and pulled his mouth to hers. He let her take the lead, allowing her full control in teasing and suckling his tongue. She slowed the pace and kissed him with long, languid strokes before finally suckling his lower lip and breaking the kiss.
A knock at the door made them both freeze. Shane blinked. What the hell was he doing mauling Maya in the back hall of a strip club with a pack of werewolves out there? He’d lost his damn mind.
“Whatever you two are doing in there, finish it up, would ya?” Rat shouted. “I’ve got a pack of wolves out here that are requesting Maya serve their drinks, and they won’t buy another one unless she brings it to them.”
Shane opened his mouth to respond, but Maya pressed her finger to his lips and shook her head.
“I’ll be right out, Rat.”
Shane kissed her finger before brushing her lips gently with his. Helping her put her top back in place, he fought the urge to take it off again. She giggled and playfully pushed his hands away so she could do it herself, and though he’d enjoyed removing the garment, it was almost as sexy to watch her put it back on.
“Tuck in your shirt and keep your hands to yourself, mister.”
“As you wish for now, but I make no promises about later.” Shane made quick work of putting himself back together, but he was relatively certain his raging hard-on would need time to die down. “We wouldn’t want to keep Horace waiting, now would we?”
Maya rolled her eyes and pushed past him, but Shane took her hand in his, stopping her before she opened the door. She glanced over her shoulder, her blond hair flowing in silken waves down her back, and met his stern stare with her own.
“Watch yourself, Maya.” He squeezed her hand. “Horace is not a wolf you want to toy with. He’s aggressive, and according to Olivia, he came here without his father’s blessing. I suspect he’s here to cause trouble. I can’t imagine you want to be a part of that.”
“You sure know how to ruin a moment, don’t you?”
“I have your best interests in mind.” His jaw set. “But I also have a job to do.”
“You know what? I changed my mind.” Maya pulled her hand from his. “I don’t need a babysitter or a bodyguard.”
Then without another word, she disappeared through the door. Shane swore under his breath and followed her into the club. He took a seat at the bar this time and spent the next three hours watching Maya flit back and forth between the bar and the wolves. To her credit, she managed to stay out of Horace’s reach, but no matter where she went, that wolf had his dark, shifty gaze glued to her. Every warning bell Shane had was going off in his head. Whatever Horace’s plans were, he clearly wanted Maya to be a part of them.
Chapter 6
Maya couldn’t believe how quickly her first night of work at The Dollhouse went, and while she was cleaning up behind the bar, a smile played at her lips. Even with Shane lurking in the club all night doing his broody, staring thing, Maya felt freer than she had in a long time. She got on well with the other girls at The Dollhouse, and Rat let her do her thing behind the bar.
All in all, aside from the one tense moment when Shane overreacted, it was a good night.
I will escort you home when you are finished. Maya’s breasts tingled the instant Shane’s deep, seductive voice touched her mind, and the unexpected contact almost made her trip over her own feet. It was intimate, erotic, and oddly familiar to have him speak with her like this, but at the same time, the sudden inability to hear her siblings was unsettling. Her world was changing at a breakneck pace, which made her feel unsteady and unsure and gave her an overall feeling of unease. The sun will rise in just a couple of hours, but we could fly for a while, if you’d like.
Maya shut her mind without responding and her smile faded. So much for feeling like she had freedom. Snagging a wet rag from the bar sink, she started wiping down her work area and glanced up to see Horace give her a wave. She smiled back and studied him for a moment before looking away. He was handsome—not in the tall, dark, and sexy way that Shane was but in a ruggedly handsome way. There was a wildness about him that she found appealing, and after that one grab-ass moment at the start of the night, he’d been a perfect gentleman.
Maya was wondering what all the fuss was about.
All of the men in his pack behaved while they were at the club. They might have been a little loud, but they weren’t acting like the crazy animals everyone warned her about. Horace was actually nice, and there was something about him and all the wolves that intrigued her. Maybe it was because she’d never met any before, but for whatever reason, she was drawn to them.
The rest of the club had cleared out, and the only custome
rs who remained were the wolves. A few of the dancers were obviously leaving with them, and that girl Viola looked so excited, Maya thought she was going to bust. Smiling, Maya grabbed a couple of stray glasses and made quick work of cleaning them before slipping them back in the racks. When she looked up, she came face-to-face with Horace.
“It’s about time for us to head out, beautiful.” Horace lit a cigarette, even though he wasn’t supposed to smoke inside. His gaze wandered over her face and drifted down to her cleavage, lingering on that or her necklace, Maya wasn’t sure which. He took a long drag, slipped the stainless-steel lighter back in the pocket of his blazer, and nodded toward his pack, who were all waiting by the door of the club. “I was hoping I could talk you into coming out with us for a little after-party back at our hotel. I promise I’ll have you home before sunrise.”
Maya opened her mouth to tell him no, but before she could utter a sound, Shane appeared behind Horace and took it upon himself to answer for her.
“Maya will not be able to attend your…festivities.” When Shane shifted his gaze to Horace, he had to look down a bit because Horace was so much shorter. “Perhaps another time.”
“What are you, her brother?” Horace blew a huge puff of smoke directly into Shane’s face, but the sentry didn’t flinch.
“Definitely not, and I’m sure if I actually breathed, that smoke would bother me,” Shane said evenly, leveling a deadly glare at Horace. “However, your meaning is clear. I do hope you’ll show better manners when you visit with the czars.”
“Yeah, I’ll be sure to do that.” Horace took another drag. Waving over his shoulder at Maya, he started to leave. “I’m staying at the Plaza, and you can join us if your boy over here ever lets you off the leash.”
Vampire Trouble Page 8