by Crissy Smith
“Hey,” Chase paused in the hall, turning to face her. “We’ll figure it out.”
“What?”
“Us.”
Relief flooded through her that Chase’s thoughts were so in line with hers. “Are you sure?”
“I just found you, Kayla. I’m not letting you go without a fight.”
“No fight—not from me, anyway.”
“Good.” He kissed her until she grasped at his shirt ready to drag him back into the bedroom.
“Now let’s fuel up so we can go back to bed.”
“Good idea.”
They started back down the hall when she heard voices coming from behind the closed door.
“What the…?” Chase muttered as he pushed open the entrance.
Taking in the scene in front of her, Kayla wasn’t sure what to do. Alex Wilson had Angel pinned up against one of the walls with a hand around her neck.
Angel didn’t seem to be in fear or even angry as she grinned back at Alex.
“Alex?” Chase said quietly.
The other man didn’t even turn around. “No, I want answers from her and I want them now.”
“We’ll get them but not this way. Let her go,” Chase replied.
When Alex didn’t move, Chase sent Kayla a look of concern. Unsure if she should go get help or what to do, Kayla shook her head.
Chase started forward but Angel held up a hand. “Don’t worry about it, Chase. If I wanted loose, I could do so myself. I’m quite enjoying this reaction from your friend.”
That had Alex responding. He snarled, releasing Angel and stomping away.
Alex stalked to the other side of the kitchen before whirling back on Angel. “You have put my entire family—everyone I care about—in danger. I will not accept that you can’t tell me what is going on. I want to know!” He ended his rant by slamming his hand against the marble countertop.
Angel nodded. Straightening her clothes, she stared at Alex.
The bright, intense look in her eyes worried Kayla. She had a feeling they were going to find out more than they expected—maybe more than they really wanted to know.
“Please have a seat.” Angel waved her hand at the table.
Frowning, Alex opened his mouth but instead of responding, he strolled to a chair and yanked it out. He dropped to the seat, never looking away from Angel.
“I’ll get the coffee,” Chase said, as he placed a hand on Kayla’s lower back, moving her past Alex.
Nodding, Kayla noted the explosive atmosphere. She didn’t want to add to it by saying the wrong thing.
Angel took the seat directly across from Alex, leaving Kayla to scramble around toward the wall. For some reason, she could see the other woman flying across and taking Alex down. Kayla did not want to be in the middle of that battle.
No one spoke as Chase quietly moved around the kitchen until he placed four mugs on the table. He poured coffee from a stainless steel carafe then sat next to Kayla.
“Are you sure you’re ready to hear this, Alex? Once I tell you, there is no turning back.”
Alex snorted. “You mean you’ll actually answer our questions this time?”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
The emphasis on you had Kayla and Chase exchanging a puzzled glance.
“Fine,” Alex said to Angel. “Answer me this… Are you human?”
Talk about going straight for the jugular. Not that Kayla wasn’t dying to ask the same question, but she expected Alex to ease into the conversation. Going off how pissed the man was, she shouldn’t have been surprised.
Angel’s expression didn’t change. She still gazed at Alex with an open look. “No.”
Alex didn’t appear surprised and Kayla wasn’t either. She and Justin were going to have a serious talk soon.
“Is that why you and your brother have no scent?”
“It is.”
Kayla could see the short answers were starting to irritate Alex. “This organization that you work for…is everything you told us the truth?”
“Yes, the Guardians are a good group. We’ve always thrived in protecting others. That is our sole purpose.”
“If it’s such good work that you do, why the secrecy?”
“Unlike the Wolf Council or other shifter leaders, our agency does not discriminate against other paranormal types. Anyone who has the same beliefs is welcome to join.”
“Beliefs?”
Angel’s smiled grew. “The idea that no matter what—or who—you are, we are all equal. Everyone, including humans, should have someone looking out for them.”
“What are you?”
Angel shook her head.
“You said you would answer!” Alex raised his voice.
“You’re not ready!” Angel fired back.
“Damn it, tell me,” Alex shouted, jumping to his feet.
“Alex,” Chase called to his friend.
Alex turned on him. “No, there is something going on. I know she is doing something to me.”
Kayla couldn’t control her gasp of surprise. No one seemed to notice it, though. Chase had frozen beside her.
“I have to understand,” Alex said more calmly. “What are you doing to me?”
“I’m sorry,” Angel said sincerely as she walked closer to Alex.
Kayla wanted to tell her to back off and be careful, that Alex might hurt her, but Kayla didn’t get a chance to say anything when Angel cupped Alex’s face.
“Just…please…”
“They call my kind Day Walkers,” Angel admitted in a whisper.
“I don’t…what does that mean?” Alex questioned just as softly.
“It’s what mythology would compare to a vampire—although our current culture has almost everything wrong about us.”
“V…am…pire?” Alex managed to stutter out. “But…”
“And you, Alex Wilson, are my mate.”
A silence fell so quickly that Kayla actually had to look at the three other people to see if they’d heard the same thing she had. Surely, she was mistaken and Angel hadn’t just confessed to being a vampire. Vampires didn’t exist.
Chase was the first one who seemed to snap out of the shock. “I didn’t expect that. Alex?”
Just noticing how pale Alex was, Kayla found herself taking a step toward him.
Chase’s strong hand on her arm stopped her movement. He shook his head. “Alex?” Chase called to his friend again.
They watched as Alex raised a shaking hand to Angel. As Alex laid his palm softly against Angel’s cheek, Kayla found herself pressing against Chase’s back and gripping his shirt.
“Amazing,” Alex murmured.
Angel’s eyes widened but a smile ghosted across her lips. “That’s what I thought the first time I saw you.”
Shocked and confused, Kayla stared at the scene in front of her. Chase drew her attention as he pulled on her arm to lead her away from Alex and Angel. She dragged her feet, not wanting to leave the kitchen. Vampires? Real vampires? Wow, what else am I going to find out?
When Chase actually lifted her off her feet and carried her from the kitchen, she peered down at him.
“Let’s give them some privacy,” Chase said.
“Okay,” she relented.
They traveled through the swinging door before Chase set her on her feet. Leaning against the wall, he swept one hand roughly over his face. “Did you know?”
“What? How would I?” She was still reeling from the new information. After everything that the shifters had been through in the past year with going public, there had been no sign, no talk of vampires.
Just another secret that had been kept from her, because there was no way her father had worked next to vampires and not know about them. She had half a mind to track her dad down and demand that he tell her everything he knew. However, the look of doubt on Chase’s face kept her rooted to the spot.
“Chase? What’s going on?”
“Just trying to put everything together. The ev
ents from the last couple of days,” he explained. “We went up against something that I have no idea how to handle. And even though no one was injured, they could have been, because we didn’t know what we are up against. Now these are your friends—people you knew before me—so I’m asking if you knew about…what they are?”
The coldness in Chase’s voice surprised her. For some reason, he truly believed she was hiding something.
“I don’t know any more than you do,” she said, stepping up against him.
He sighed, dropping his head back. Relief flooded her as he grasped her waist and pulled her into his chest.
“I’m sorry. I’m being an ass. I just… I don’t know what to do.”
His admission, spoken in a hushed tone, pulled at her heartstrings. She could see by the lines of stress on Chase’s face just how hard he was taking this new information.
“I want to help you,” Kayla said. “I just don’t how.”
“I have an idea where to start,” he replied, turning his head.
Following his gaze, she saw Justin hovering in the hall. It hit her why Chase thought she had more information—her best friend.
She pushed away from Chase and whirled on the other man. “You have some explaining to do.” Kayla pointed her finger at Justin.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Justin replied with a shake of his head. “It’s against all the rules.”
“You’re going to tell us now,” Chase said from behind her.
Justin visibly tensed but after a moment, nodded. “We wouldn’t have let anyone get hurt. We were doing our best to protect you all.”
“What we need now is to know what you do. If I’m going to protect my Pack, you have to tell me everything,” Chase said firmly.
“Okay, but just so you know that once this is over, you can’t let anyone know you are aware of us. Our life will be forfeited if our people knew we’d told.”
Kayla glanced back at the bathroom door. Somehow, she didn’t think the Pack keeping a secret was going to be a big deal. They’d been keeping plenty, and if Alex and Angel were mated—that made them Pack and part of the family.
Kayla glanced over her shoulder at Chase. They were all family. She wouldn’t go anywhere until she knew they were safe. And yes, she was sure she was falling in love with Chase.
“There you are.” Her dad turned the corner and stopped close to Justin. “I just got off the phone with my old employer and it seems they’ve caught all but three of the Guardians who left the company.”
Alex brought his hand down on Angel’s shoulder. “The three who went after Kayla and Randy?”
“We think so. But with the Guardians after them, they won’t get away. I’m about to call the Alpha but I think we’re safe enough for now.”
Kayla turned to face Chase. He looked doubtful, mirroring how she felt. It wasn’t over yet. She could feel it in her bones.
“It’s going to be okay,” her dad said to her.
Slipping her hand up to cover Chase’s, she nodded. “I know.”
The kitchen door opened as Alex and Angel stepped to join them. It was getting crowded in the narrow hallway.
“Maybe we should all go into the den?” Kayla suggested.
“Good idea,” Justin agreed. “Angel and I will tell you what we can.”
Twining her fingers with Chase’s, she tugged him to follow the others. After they learned what they could, she would drag Chase back to bed. If there were no immediate danger to the Pack, she would enjoy her man while she could.
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
What’s her Secret?: Last Call
Crissy Smith
Excerpt
Chapter One
“Last call! Last call!” Piper Maxwell shouted.
Jace Anderson heard the familiar words from his place at the cash register behind the bar and his blood started to pump in anticipation. His body was alive with awareness of what was to come. He turned his head to the woman who’d made the announcement. His bar manager Piper Maxwell nodded to the two bartenders while smiling at his patrons. This was the best part of the evening for him. Jace and Piper, alone, the opportunity he craved night after night.
He took the rag out of his back pocket and stepped around the bar into the seating section. He started to wipe down the empty tables to help clean up for the night. The dark wood table tops gleamed in the bar light. Smooth, quiet jazz flowed through air and comforted those within. The stained but clean oak floors had been battered but continued to hold strong.
From any seat in the house, the windowed front offered the patrons a spectacular view of the beach yards away.
Jace had opened the bar only a year ago but it was now home. Everything he had ever wanted in his life wrapped into one place. The people who worked for him were his family. The woman currently ringing up the last of the patrons’ tabs… He shook his head. Piper was one of a kind.
The closing procedures only took half an hour. He had a very efficient staff—they were well trained and all took care and helped one another. The kitchen had been shut down two hours ago so the small staff in the back had already cleaned up their stations and gone for the night. The four remaining employees, his two bartenders and two waitresses, finished up and happily waved good night.
It had been a busy shift. Steady business. He couldn’t ask for much more. Even in a struggling economy he still managed to make money.
Lifting the last stool onto the table top, he glanced out the front window and saw the moon shining bright over the water. The astounding sight always made his breath catch.
He’d moved to Blue Cove, California after his last tour of duty. Almost fourteen months ago. He’d read about the small coastal town when he had been overseas and always promised himself he would visit. Once he’d set foot on the soft sand and watched the crystal-clear waves roll, he’d known he was home.
He’d gotten a business loan and opened Anderson’s Lounge. Anderson’s was the only bar located directly on the beach that he loved so much. He was able to serve the locals like himself as well as the few tourists who came to town.
“That’s it,” Piper told him, switching off the back lights.
Jace tore his attention from outside to glance over at Piper pulling a bottle from behind the bar. The light of the bar was the only illumination and the sight of the beautiful woman made his breath catch. It had become their nightly ritual to share a toast to another night accomplished.
Jace always looked forward to this time. To this drink. One cocktail shared where Piper was relaxed and things tipped more personal. Or as close to personal as Piper ever allowed.
She had her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore the same uniform as the other women—black shorts and Anderson Lounge T-shirt. But it was her eyes that always drew him in. What was the old saying? The eyes were the window to the soul. With Piper that was so true.
He wouldn’t describe the color as green or brown. Hazel seemed too tame a word. The perfect combination of brown, green and yellow. Cat’s eyes, one of the employees had said before.
Guarded also. Piper kept everyone at arm’s length while still managing to take care of them all. She was always the first person to help, but never let anyone return the favor. Jace had been working on getting her comfortable with all of them but it was in rare moments that she opened to him and only him. But after a brief glimpse she would shut back down.
He’d hired her six months ago to manage the bar and staff. Her resume was packed full of experience and she had delivered with her organization and business smarts.
Over the last several months he’d grown very fond of her. Hell, who was he kidding, he was falling for her. But she still held back. He knew she felt the same connection but very rarely did she let the longing slip.
She was careful, so very cautious around everyone, but late at night as they clinked glasses she would look at him and he could see her inner struggle to remain that way.
He worried ab
out her habit of picking up and moving on. He knew the time was fast approaching and he’d have to deal with that soon.
Because he wasn’t going to let her go.
He was already starting to see the signs. She was backing away from him and the staff. Her gaze would wander around the room and a look of great sadness would settle in her eyes. It was like she was memorizing everything and everyone. Trying to keep the picture fresh in her mind.
At first he’d pushed to get her to open up to him. When that hadn’t worked, he had backed off and just let his constant presence drive home the fact that she belonged there, with him.
He took a seat and watched as the two short glasses were placed on the bar. Ice cubes clinked against the sides as they were dropped in, then she raised the bottle of Southern Comfort hundred-proof. With the skill of an experienced bartender—without the need of a measuring glass—she poured in one and a half ounces, half an ounce of sparkling water, half a teaspoon of sugar and a dash of bitters and stirred both glasses. She dropped in the lemon peels before she slid the glass to him and picked up her own SoCo hundred-proof old-fashioned.
She moved around the bar and took her seat next to him. He tilted his glass toward hers and she grinned as the glasses touched.
“To another successful night,” she said.
“To another night together,” he corrected.
Heat spread over her cheeks and she looked away. He kept his eyes on her, knowing she could feel his attention.
She sipped the strong spirit. “Jace.” She said his name softly.
Just his name on her lips sent little vibrations down his spine. “Yes, baby?”
She shook her head and raised her face. “I can’t…”
He didn’t believe her any longer. Knew that she wanted him. Watched him when she didn’t think she would get caught. No, this attraction was not one-sided. The chemistry between the two of them flared hot and bright.
He reached over and placed his hand around her wrist. Her pulse jumped and the glass tilted. He guided her hand to the bar so she could set her cocktail down. Then he drew her closer, entwining their fingers.
“Tell me why not,” he requested. “I see you, baby, I want you. Tell me why we should resist anymore.”