Stripped (Wolves of Mule Creek #2)

by Katharine Sadler

  “She sure is,” Zane said, smiling. “She's also starving.”

  Iris took a step back. “Of course, she is. Zane told us you're a vegetarian. I don't know any vegetarian recipes, but my Zeke loves to cook and he's excited about the opportunity to learn something new.”

  “Don't put words in my mouth, woman.” A big burly man, who was literally twice Iris' size, walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. “I'm not going to give up cooking meat without a little bit of grumbling.”

  To say I was overwhelmed would be putting it mildly. “Really, you don't have to—”

  “They will anyway,” Zane said. He set a plate with scrambled eggs, toast, and grits on the table. “Eat up while you can. These two will talk all day if you let them.”

  “Zane,” Iris slapped a hand to her chest in mock outrage. “That is no way to talk about your parents.” She looked at me. “But he's right, of course. Sit and eat. We don't want to keep you.”

  I sat and took a bite. “Wow,” I said, when I'd finished chewing. “This is delicious.”

  “Our Zane is a wonderful cook,” Iris said. “Not quite as good as his father, but a close second. He's been cooking since he could reach the stove.”

  I nodded and chewed. Zane sat across from me with his own plate, but didn't offer food to his parents. “Why don't you guys come over for dinner tonight?” Zane asked. “We're going to be pretty busy today.”

  “Of course, dear,” Iris said. She sat at the table next to me. Zane's dad sat next to him. “We won't keep you, but you don't mind if we sit with you while you eat?”

  Zane met my gaze and rolled his eyes, but his smile was tolerant. He either had a ton of patience with his parents or he really, truly liked them. “What are you two doing today?”

  “We're going to visit Lou Ann and see the new baby, bring her a meal.” Iris gave me a pointed look. “I adore babies. I would have loved to have a whole house full of them, but it wasn't meant to be. I'm counting on Zane to make up for it by giving me a wagon-full of grandbabies. I was just telling him—”

  “Okay, Mom,” Zane said, finally looked a bit tweaked. “Don't scare Abby away before she's taken her shoes off. She and I are just friends. There will be no babies here any time soon.”

  I smiled gratefully at Zane. My plans for my future didn't include a house full of babies. They included a corner office in Denver and a passport full of stamps.

  He winked at me.

  “Oh, well,” Iris said. “I wasn't suggesting you and Abigail have babies, I was just talking. You aren't getting any younger, Zane, and—”

  Zeke pushed his chair back and stood, catching his wife's eye and silently communicating something that made her stop pushing. She stood. “We'll just see you two kids for dinner tonight. Have a wonderful day.” They hurried out as quickly as they'd appeared.

  “Are they telepathic?” I asked as I carried my dish to the sink.

  Zane laughed. “No, they've just been together since they were kids. They know what the other one's thinking from forty plus years of experience.”

  He put his plate in the sink and grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the dirty pans on the stove top. “Leave those for later,” he said. “I know you want to see your employees.”

  I didn't need any persuading. He lent me a coat, which fell to my knees and covered my hands, and a hat, and we walked out into the cold together.

  He threw an arm around my shoulders, but I shrugged it off. He stopped walking and faced me. “Did my mom actually scare you off?”

  He was smiling, but I could see the concern in his eyes. “Of course not,” I said, only partly lying. “It's more that we don't want the same things. As soon as I get everything straightened out with my employees and sell my building, I'm moving to Denver. I'm starting my life.”

  His smile didn't slip, but his expression darkened, his eyes clouded. “I like you, Abby. Can't we just have fun and not worry about where it's going or not going?”

  “It's not going anywhere. It can't. I think it's best if we remember that and avoid any more public displays of affection.”

  He stepped close, not touching me, but close enough that his face was all I could see, his scent, of pine needles and dry earth, all I could smell. “How do you feel about private displays of affection?”

  I felt that I wanted him to grip my hips in those strong hands of his and pull me close, but I wanted to keep things simple. I wanted him, god I wanted him, but I was in no place to get mired down in a relationship, no matter how casual he claimed it would be. “It's better if we keep things platonic. It'll help us remember this can't go anywhere.”

  He took a step back, his smile fading. He ran his gaze over me and there was such hunger, such unrestrained longing, in his expression that my core throbbed with echoing want. “Okay, I can do platonic, as long as you're sure that's what you want.” The way he said it, he sounded certain I'd give in. His words sounded very much like a challenge and I never backed down from a challenge. Never.

  “I'm positive.”

  ***

  “This doesn't look like a barn,” I said as Zane led me into a cinder-block building.

  “It's not,” he said. “This is our version of a prison. We're keeping Alice and Carly here for their own good. I thought you'd like to see them first.”

  I stepped inside and into a single room containing cells, cages, and kennels of various sizes. Alice and Carly were in a cell together, watching something on a small screen, but they stood as soon as we walked in.

  “Abby,” Carly said, her voice pleading. She was gripping the bars and pressing her face between them like she could squeeze herself out. “You have to let us go. Leopold needs us. He didn't force us to do anything. We need to be with him.”

  I marched over to the cell, sick that I could have been them if Leopold had chosen to use his vampy magic on me. “You two were fighting over a hairbrush last week, and you want me to believe you'd willingly share a man?”

  “It wouldn't be our first choice,” Alice said. She looked calmer than Carly, her gaze more focused and sober. Maybe she was closer to coming out of the compulsion. “But Leopold loves us both and we love him. We'll learn to share if it's the only way we can have him.”

  There was no point in arguing with them. It would be like trying to convince a toddler on a sugar high to give up her lollipop. “I can't let you out. I'm sorry. Is there anything I can get you to make you more comfortable?”

  “We just want Leopold,” Carly said, tears in her eyes.

  “Could we get a shower?” Alice asked, another sign she was closer to being free of the compulsion.

  I looked at Zane, who looked at a woman behind a small desk. I'd been so focused on Carly and Alice when we walked in, I hadn't even noticed her. “Whaddya say, Millie?” Zane asked, flashing a charming smile.

  The woman, who was tall, curvy, and gorgeous, seemed to melt under Zane's attention. Her cheeks pinked and her smile was huge, like she'd just gained the attention of the supermodel she'd been lusting after. “I can't take them into someone's house for a shower, but I could get them a bucket of warm water, some washcloths, and soap.”

  “That'd be great,” Zane said, his smile nearly as big as hers.

  I turned to Alice and Carly. “I'll be by to see you in a bit.”

  “Please, Abby,” Carly said, actual pain in her voice. “I need him.”

  I gave her hand a squeeze. “I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you want him. I'll figure out a way to make it better, okay?”

  She nodded, hope in her eyes. “I just love him so much.”

  After telling them both goodbye, I walked out with Zane. As we passed Millie's desk, I grabbed Zane's hand and laced my fingers through his. It was an impulsive, stupid move.

  Zane just chuckled and walked me back out into the bright sunlight. He looked down at our linked hands. “I thought we agreed to no public displays.”

  I tried to take m
y hand from his, but he held on tighter, his smile growing. “The poor woman clearly has a crush on you. I was protecting her.”

  He pulled me flush against him and grinned down at me. “And what if I'm interested in her? You and I are just friends, right? I'd be free to date her.”

  The very thought of Zane with Millie, with any other woman, had anger warming me. An anger followed almost instantly by gut-sinking fear. What the hell was wrong with me? The last thing I needed was to get attached. Especially to an unemployed, ex-yoga instructor who'd never leave his pack or Mule Creek. And yet I'd felt jealous, so jealous that I'd behaved like a lovesick teenager again. I jerked my hand from his and he let me. “You're right,” I said, my teeth gritted. “I'm sorry. You're free to date whoever you want.”

  He turned and started down the main street. “I'm not interested in Millie, Abby. I'm only interested in one woman and she's not from Mule Creek, she's not part of my pack.”

  I ignored the ridiculous flutter of my heart, and followed him down the street. He led me to the edge of town, up a forest trail, and stopped in front of a huge warehouse-like building that looked nothing like the big, red barn I'd been picturing. I could hear music playing and loud voices before we even walked in. “Are they having a party?”

  Zane shrugged. “You said to get their kids, some of 'em wanted to bring their boyfriends or girlfriends, and one woman brought her grandmother. There's a lot of people in there.”

  Huh. I'd kind of forgotten about that. I stopped at the door to the 'barn' suddenly feeling nervous. “What am I going to tell them? What can I do to keep them away from Leopold?”

  Zane ran a hand through his hair and winced. “You have to explain to them what he is and what he can do. I'm pretty sure Leopold will leave them alone once you're out of town, but… Shit, Abby, I don't know. At some point, you've got to accept that they're adults and let them fight their own battles.”

  I glared at him. “This isn't their battle. It's mine. If any of them are hurt by Leopold, it will be my fault.”

  He put his hands on my shoulders and dropped his forehead to mine. “I'm on your side, Abby. I will support whatever you decide. If I have to guard all of them, I'll figure out a way to do it, okay?”

  It felt good to have him there, his hands on me, his support. “Okay. I just… They're good people. I don't want to see them hurt.”

  He stepped back. “Then we'll do everything we can to make sure they aren't.”

  He reached for my hand, laced his fingers through mine, and we stepped into the building together. I should have yanked my hand from his, but I appreciated his support, the comfort of his hand in mine too much to let go. Inside, the building was vast and looked like the interior of an airplane hangar, maybe two or three airplane hangars shoved together. Throughout the large space were sleeping areas with air mattresses and sleeping bags. It looked like everyone had split up into groups. Some with just two or three people, some with more.

  “Abby,” Lizzie shouted. She raced to my side and threw her arms around me. “Thank goodness you're okay. We were so worried about you.”

  My nerves eased. These were women I'd known for a long time. We'd figure this out, together.

  I hugged Lizzie back and moved into the middle of the area where the most people seemed to be hanging out, eating and chatting and listening to music. More women stood and joined us, hugging me and seeming happy to see me, as I made my way over. “Hey, everyone,” I said. Someone turned off the music and the room quieted. “I need to talk to you about what happened last night and, hopefully, figure out a way to fix it.”

  Everyone found seats around the spot where I stood and I told them everything I knew about Leopold, about what he'd done to Alice and Carly and what he'd done to me. Some of the women paled, others shook their heads in disgust, but some of them straightened their shoulders and stuck out their chins. They thought they could take him, they thought they were strong enough to resist his charms and they saw money in a strip club frequented by vamps. Those would be the women who'd break my heart, because they wouldn't listen to me, no matter what I said, and their chances against the vamps weren't very good.

  I wanted to suggest to Zane that he lock up those women, that he keep them in Mule Creek until… And that was the problem, because there'd always be vamps in Aspens Whiten. If these women chose to work for Leopold, there was nothing I could do to stop them, just as I hadn't been able to save Emily from her blood-sharing addiction.

  “I can't stress strongly enough the threat of the vampires,” I said. “They can control you and force you to do whatever they want you to do, they will own you. I will do everything I can to help you find another option, to find a way out. I know that the options and the ways out will be individual to each of you so, if you want, I'll talk to you separately and figure out a way forward that works specifically for you.”

  The women murmured amongst themselves and many of them, the women who hadn't worked for me in months or longer, packed up and left without speaking to me. Zane helped them find rides back to Aspens Whiten. The first three women who sat down to chat with me about their options all had day jobs and were willing to give up stripping. I told them what to watch out for with the vamps, but they assured me they weren't worried about Leopold coming after them.

  That left me with Zara, Roxy, and Lizzie, all of whom needed stripping to achieve a necessary life goal they'd been working hard to achieve. I spoke to them as a group. “Are any of you in a position to give up stripping?” I asked, but no one raised her hand. None of them had won the lottery in the past twenty-four hours. “Then I'll help you figure out a way to get what you need, so you won't have to work for Leopold. Zara, why don't you talk to me first?” With her mother and her daughter depending on her, I knew she'd want to stay away from the vampires, but I also knew how badly she wanted to provide a better life for them all. She walked over and sat next to me.

  “If you didn't strip,” I said. “You could get a job at one of the restaurants in town.”

  She sighed and bounced her daughter on her lap. The little girl had her thumb in her mouth and looked sleepy. I suspected neither of them had gotten much sleep the night before. “The tips are miserable in the winter, but it would be something, I guess.”

  “I know you want to get that new house sooner, but Lila's happy with your mom. She's doing well in school, right?”

  Zara smiled down at her daughter. “Yeah. I just wanted to be able to do more for her.”

  “Just be there for her,” I said. “Once I find a job in Denver, I'll send what money I can.”

  She paled. “No. I don't need charity.”

  I patted her shoulder. She was wearing an over-sized sweatshirt she'd gotten from one of the pack members. “It's not charity, Zara. It's the money I would have owed you if I'd closed the club the way I should have. A severance.”

  “Abby, really…” She held up her hands. “I don't need it.”

  “It's my fault,” I said. “I pissed off Leopold. Let me do this.”

  She hesitated, but her daughter sighed and snuggled deeper against her and, when Zara looked up at me, she nodded, tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  I hugged her and she left with her daughter and her mother. I gestured Roxy over next. She'd been saving to move to Denver herself. “How much longer were you planning to save before the move?” I asked.

  “Six weeks,” she said. “I need every penny I can get before I go.”

  “I know you have a lot saved already.” I also knew she was a worrier and an overachiever. She'd want to have a six-month emergency fund and three back-up plans before she left. All of which hinted to me that she was terrified of leaving Aspens Whiten and setting out on her own, but I wasn't going to say that to her.

  “I do,” she said. “I've already got enough for rent for three months, I'd just hoped to have more.”

  I put a hand over hers. “I understand your need to be sure you're covered financially.” Like me, Roxy had grown
-up in a financially insecure home. “But I promise I'll be here for you. If you ever need anything, you call me and I'll figure out a way to get it for you.”

  “I can't do that,” she said, twisting her fingers in her lap. “You're my boss. And you have your own problems. I can't—”

  “Have I ever let you down before?” I asked. “When you needed extra shifts at the club, I always found them for you and when you needed cash for—”

  She nodded. “Okay, I'll call you if I need anything.” She clearly didn't want to be reminded of the time she'd dated that jerk who'd stolen her on-hand emergency cash. She hadn't really needed the money, but it'd made her feel better and she'd paid me back almost immediately. “I'll just work at the drive-in until—”

  “Why don't you move now? You said you have a cousin there, maybe you could crash with her until you can move into your own place and get a local job.”

  She nodded, her eyes wide. “She's a distant cousin. She's actually fifteen years older than me and I don't think—”

  “You won't know until you ask. If you stay here, you might be tempted to work for Leopold and I'm afraid, if you did, you'd never get away from him.”

  “I don't know.”

  “If your cousin won't let you stay with her, get your own place right away and take whatever job you can to hold you over until you get something more permanent. You'll be so much safer in the city, and you don't want to be like me, do you? Always saying you're going to move and never doing it.”

  “I'd be lucky to be like you,” she said. “But I'll go, I promise.”

  I hugged her. “Call me when you're settled. Let me know you're okay.”

  She hugged me back and went to the other end of the hangar to wait for a ride to town with the others.

  Lizzie had a situation that wasn't in any way as simple. She'd been dancing at my club for three years, but she'd had a drug problem for the first year. She was clean and wanted to be a personal trainer, but I was worried that a major change, losing her job and the income she needed to reach her goal of becoming a personal trainer would send her back to using again.