by Mia Carson
“Alec?” August asked slowly as the waitress dropped off two more beers. “What are you going to do?”
“Who said I was going to do anything?” he retorted, but his gaze remained on the woman.
“Don’t be a freaking creeper all night. Just go talk to her,” his brother urged.
“No, I’m spending my evening catching up with you.”
“And we’ve caught up,” August said quickly. “Go talk to the woman before I do it and take her home.”
Alec raised a brow as his brother grinned wolfishly. “You mean take her home to my house. Where you’re staying.”
“I didn’t say it was a solid plan,” August said and laughed. “Go on, or I’m going to do it.” He slid across the booth, ready to stand up, but Alec cursed roughly and beat him to it, taking his beer with him. He strolled through the room, nodding and smiling at the locals, until he reached the bar. He had never been a nervous man, but having his heart ripped out changed him and the words of greeting stuck in his throat. He cleared it loudly, and the woman glanced over her shoulder.
“Oh,” she said and turned further around. “You’re here.”
Alec nodded, taking in the smooth curves of her face framed by auburn hair. “Yeah, I just saw you while I was over there and thought maybe I’d introduce myself this time.”
She gripped her bottle of beer tightly but smiled. “That would be nice—in case you decide to run into me again then I know what name to yell out.”
“You ran into me, remember?” he reminded her, and her face reddened. “Not that it was a problem, I was just… just saying.” He ran a hand through his hair and wanted to kick himself. “I’m Alec Wolf.” He settled on that and held his hand out to her.
She studied it with quizzical eyes for a long moment before reaching out and shaking it. “Iris Newton. Want to sit down or are you going to stand there all night, gawking?” She winked and pulled her hand back, nudging the stool out with her booted foot at the same time. “Hey, Danny? Whiskey if you can.”
As Alec took the stool, a man around his age with short black hair and a towel over his shoulder moved towards Iris. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “No. No more whiskey for you, remember? Just stick with beer tonight.”
“Danny, I love you as the dear friend you are, but please, for the love of God, give me a shot of whiskey,” Iris insisted.
Alec watched the exchange and saw Danny’s arms stiffen as he leaned closer. “No,” he told her firmly. “I’m not going to watch you do that again, so stick to beer or you can go home.”
Iris tapped her nails loudly on the bar top and glared. “What if I had a good reason for it?”
“And that would be what?”
She motioned for Danny to lean closer, and Alec strained to hear as she whispered something in the bartender’s ear. His face darkened and his eyes narrowed with hate, but when he leaned back, he reached for the whiskey bottle and a shot glass, and left them both on the bar.
“You here with her?” Danny asked Alec.
“No, came here with my brother,” he said, motioning over his shoulder.
“Well, tonight, you’re here with her. She’s your responsibility, got it?”
“Danny, don’t do that to the guy,” Iris argued. “I just want one shot, okay? That’s all I need.”
But the bartender’s frown deepened, and he shook his head. “Don’t lie to me, Iris. If that’s what happened today, you and I both know you need more than one shot.” He pointed at Alec. “You make sure she gets her ass home tonight, or you’ll have to deal with me, got it?”
Alec nodded. “I’m sure I can manage that.”
“Good,” he said then plastered a smile on his face. “Welcome to Lundy.”
He walked away down the bar, and Alec watched Iris open the bottle of whiskey, pour herself a healthy shot, and down it. She winced and her shoulders twitched, but she slammed the glass down and poured a second.
“You want one?” she asked him. “Not the most expensive stuff but it does the same job.”
“Are you trying to get yourself wasted?” he asked and reached for the bottle.
“Hey, give that back!” she said after she’d taken her second shot. “You don’t understand, alright, so just hand it over and I won’t smack you upside the head.”
Alec smirked behind his beard and held the bottle tightly in his hands. “I’ll trade it back to you if you tell me why you’re trying to drown yourself in whiskey.” The fire roaring to life in her eyes caught him off-guard, and her face turned even redder, though not from the whiskey. “Iris, I’m new to this town. I don’t know anything about you, but I do know that if someone is drinking this heavily alone, then something’s pretty fucked up in their lives.”
Her hand was halfway to the bottle, but at his words, it fell limply to the bar and she cradled her beer, her eyes staring straight ahead. “You’re a stranger,” she muttered. “I’m not just going to dump my problems on you.”
“You didn’t, to be fair,” he argued. “The bartender did. Come on, life can’t be that bad. You’re an attractive woman with a don’t-fuck-around attitude.”
She laughed harshly. “You’ve known me five minutes at most and you can tell that?”
“I’m good at reading people, or I used to be,” he said sourly and sighed, reaching for her shot glass. “Maybe I will join you.” He poured one and shot it back, sucking in a breath as it burned going down. “Now we’re both going to be tipsy later. Tell me, Iris. What did you tell Danny to change his mind?”
She tore up the napkin under her beer, her foot kicking the front of the bar. “I—uh, I have lots of problems and they involve all aspects of my life falling in around me and burying me alive. Can that suffice for now?”
He thought it over and was about to say no when a cheer went up around the bar. Alec glanced at the door to see a man wearing a sheriff’s badge on his leather jacket stroll in with two young men behind him. The sheriff waved at everyone, but Iris cursed and swung around so her back was to them, ducking low.
“Do we need to leave?” he whispered, but the sheriff called out her name and she groaned.
“Too damn late.” She lifted her head and swiveled around as the sheriff reached them at the bar. One of the men behind him glared at Alec with open hatred, his hands planted firmly on his hips. “Sheriff Pueller, what brings you to Danny’s dive on a Friday night? Don’t you have anything better to do than hang out with the lowlifes of Lundy?”
The older man chuckled and shook her hand. “We’re out celebrating, but I wanted to tell you I heard the news about Sam. It’s great, really. Doc said you both are in high spirits once again.”
Alec’s smile stayed on his face, not reacting to their conversation.
“Yeah. Yeah, we are. He comes home Sunday, so it’ll be good for him. I’m sorry, Sheriff, you said you’re out celebrating?”
“Yes, we are. Exciting news, though of course the old man can’t drink tonight. Sadly, still on the clock,” he said laughing as he backed away and planted a hand on the man glaring at Alec. “Jenson Drayer is my new deputy!”
The bar broke out in applause and cheering, whistling and stomping of feet, but when Alec looked at her, Iris’s face had paled and she sank even lower onto her stool. Alec’s first instinct was to move between her and Jenson, but the second he stood up, Jenson moved first, reaching for Iris’s hand. She moved it just out of his reach.
“Iris, aren’t you excited for me?” he asked as the room quieted.
“Yeah, freaking thrilled, can’t you tell?” she snapped though her hard smile stayed on her face. “I’m even going to take another shot just for you.”
Jenson’s hand reached out as if to hold Iris’s, and Alec reacted before he could stop himself. He reached for her hand and held it tightly as he stood and blocked Jenson from getting any closer to her. “Hey, man, I’m Alec, the new guy in town. Congrats on the deputizing.”
Jenson glared at him and d
own at his outstretched hand. “Are you here with my girl?”
“I’m not your girl,” Iris snapped from behind Alec.
“Just having a friendly night out,” he corrected, smiling. He had a good four inches on Jenson and a hell of a lot more muscle. “Why don’t I buy you your first round?”
“I think I’ll pass, thanks,” he muttered as the sheriff waltzed back over.
“Jenson, your public awaits,” Pueller said happily. “Let’s go meet them and you can enjoy a few drinks before you start in the morning.” He pulled Jenson away, and Alec heard Iris breathe a sigh of relief behind him. When he turned, she poured another shot of whiskey and drank it down.
“Mind telling me who that guy was?” he asked.
She poured a fourth, slamming the shot glass down on the bar. “Nah, it’s a small damn town. I’m sure someone will fill you in soon enough.” She stood up from her stool, wobbling on her feet, and spun around. “I really need to pee.”
Alec laughed quietly. “Want me to walk you there?”
“Nope, I’m a big girl. I can make it,” she said with a giggle. “Be right back.”
He wanted to ask her more about Jenson and the Sam the sheriff mentioned. He sat back down and poured himself a shot as his brother sauntered over and took the empty stool beside him.
“Well, you went from flirting to nearly starting a fight,” August said. “Good job.”
“I was not about to start a fight,” he grumbled and drank the whiskey, “but I’m going to have to cut our night short.”
“She coming home with you or vice versa?” he asked and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Neither. I’ve been appointed her guardian for the night.”
“By who?” August asked as the bartender reached them.
“By me. Who are you?”
“This is my brother, August, and that is Danny, the man who made me responsible for the woman who has quickly gotten herself drunk,” Alec announced. “Can you tell me what she told you? And who’s the jackass?”
Danny leered. “Our new deputy? Yeah, he’s a right piece of work, but I’m not saying anything about it. That’s up to Iris.”
Alec figured as much. “Fine, what about Sam? Who’s he?”
“Sam is her younger brother,” Danny said quietly. “He’s got cancer, but from what I hear, he’s finally in remission. He’s her sole responsibility.”
“Where are their parents?”
Danny’s lips pursed, and he shook his head. “You ask a hell of a lot of questions, man.”
“They’re dead, aren’t they?” he said, and Danny nodded once. “Damn.”
“Just don’t mention anything to her unless she brings it up first, alright? That woman’s been through hell more than once, and I’m pretty sure she’s still trapped there,” Danny said, his eyes darting towards the bathrooms. “And so help me God, if you hurt that woman, I’ll break every single finger you have. Got it?” He stormed away before Alec could reply, and August slapped him hard on the back.
“You do know how to pick ’em,” he said. “I guess I’ll see you at home.”
Alec dug his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to his brother. “Here, get your ass home. I think I’m going to be a while, and don’t dent up my truck.”
“You’re kidding, right? That piece of shit is ancient. When are you going to upgrade?”
“Get out of here,” Alec said and gave August a shove. His brother left, but not before he stopped at a table with a few pretty blondes, and from their high-pitched laughter, flirted until one of them walked out with her arm around his waist. “Typical.”
A few more minutes passed before he spotted Iris making her way back to the bar, her steps slow and measured until she reached her stool, climbed up onto it, and held her head in her hands. Alec slid the whiskey bottle towards her, and she cringed, holding up her hand.
“Think I hit my limit for the night,” she mumbled.
“Did you walk or drive?” Alec asked.
She nodded, and he sighed, watching her fumble in her purse for her wallet. He stopped her with a touch to her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Paying for our impromptu date,” he said and laid a hundred on the counter. “Danny?”
The bartender hustled over. “That’s too much, man,” he said, picking up the bill.
“Keep the change. Where does Iris live? I think she’s had enough for one night.”
Danny tucked the bill away with a firm nod and rattled off Iris’s address. Alec thanked him and picked up Iris’s purse in one hand, helping her stand with the other wrapped around her waist.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I’m going to escort you home before you have to deal with that guy again,” he growled. They stepped out of the bar, and Iris leaned against his side, all heat and soft curves. If only she were sober. He could really have made both their nights, but her random outburst of laughter as they meandered down the sidewalk told him all he needed to know.
Whoever that guy was to her, he messed her up pretty bad, just as Nikki had Alec, but there was more to it than that. He sensed it in the charged emotions still coming off the woman beside him. With her head resting against his shoulder, Alec couldn’t see her face but had a feeling the burning hatred still flared in her eyes.
“I hate him,” she whispered when they’d crossed one of the major intersections and turned down a street lined with old houses.
“Who are we hating now?” Alec asked, readjusting his grip on her body when she stumbled.
Iris giggled and staggered into him. “I’m sorry, I keep running into you. You don’t have to do this, you know. I can make it from here.”
“I highly doubt that,” he replied with a grin.
“No, really, I can. You shouldn’t have to do this. You almost took a hit for me tonight, so just leave me here. I can make it,” she insisted and stopped walking.
Alec let her go slowly and handed over her purse. He glanced down the street, shaking his head. “Iris, just let me walk you.”
“Nope, I got this.” She took one step, then another, but then her legs wobbled and she threw out both arms to the side to steady herself. Alec cursed and rushed to hold her up, then decided it’d be easier just to carry her. He scooped her up in his arms and continued down the sidewalk. “Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly, nestled in his arms. “You just met me, and I’m clearly not worth the trouble.”
“Says who?” he asked, having a feeling he already knew.
“Lots of people, lots and lots of people… and that bastard,” she spat.
He chewed on the inside of his cheek to stop the questions from tumbling out. She was drunk, and it wasn’t fair to pry for answers.
“I thought I loved him,” she mumbled, and he looked down at her. She did not have sadness in her eyes, but a fire growing within her as every muscle in her body tensed. “Now, I want to smash a bottle over his head.”
“I don’t think your sheriff would appreciate that,” Alec warned.
“He would if he knew what happened,” she mumbled, and Alec’s feet stopped immediately.
“What do you mean?” he asked sternly, heart thundering in his chest.
Her eyes glazed over and her face paled. “Nothing… never mind. That’s my house,” she said and pointed to a small green house with a broken picket fence and a gutter barely hanging on by a screw. “You can set me down here.”
“Danny made me promise to get you home safely, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he stated as he walked up the path. “Got your keys?”
Gently, he set her on her feet, her body sliding perfectly against his as he did so. Her breathing caught, and when she sucked in a breath, her breasts pushed against his chest and her head tilted back until their eyes met again. “You’re new in town, and on your first night, you get wrangled into taking the town drunk home. You either have really shitty luck or you’re just like me.”
Alec smiled and reached up to
brush her hair from her face. His fingers lingered on her cheek, and she melted into his hand. When she licked her lips, Alec’s gut twisted. He bent to meet her lips, a soft caress of skin on skin, but he didn’t let it go further. As he straightened, clearing his throat, Iris smiled for a brief moment before she dug in her purse and pulled her keys out. She squinted in the darkness, trying to find the right one, and let out a cry of triumph when she did. The door unlocked and swung inside.
“You can come in for a few if you like,” she said. “Ignore the mess.”
Alec knew he shouldn’t, but he wanted to make sure she made it into bed without any problems. The house was tiny but felt homier than any house he had ever lived in before. Photographs lined the walls from the living room to the kitchen and down a hall to the left. “This your family?” he asked, looking at a photo of Iris standing with who he assumed were her parents and a young boy.
Iris stepped up beside him. “Yeah, that’s them, or was them… They, uh… they died four years ago… my parents. Car accident.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said, but she waved his words away.
“No, really, it’s fine, you know. I was left with taking care of my sick brother—no job, no money, no prospects for getting out of this damn town. Lost my friends because my boyfriend was a jackass, then lost him, and now I’m swimming in debt I’ll never get out of and… and…” She grimaced for a second and darted down the hall. A second later, Alec heard heaving and rushed after her. A light pouring onto the floor pointed him in the right direction, and he found her hugging the toilet.
He knelt beside her and pulled her hair from her face.
“What… what are you doing?” she asked. “This is horrible. Go away.”
“I’m not leaving you hugging a toilet,” he said firmly. “I’ve seen far worse from my brother.”
She shot him a look before she cursed and heaved again. Alec searched for a washcloth and handed it to her when she flushed the toilet and rested her head on the seat. “This is mortifying. Really, please, just go away.”