The Jaguar's Romance

by Emilia Hartley

  His eyes glanced once over the fuming man before returning to Lucy. “You sure about that?” The man’s lip curled in disgust, confirming the instinct that had already taken over. Dan wouldn’t leave this alley unless Lucy was with him. There was no way in hell he’d leave her with a man as volatile as this guy. He took another cautious step forward. Just a bit further and maybe he could wrestle Lucy from the grip with minimal effort.

  “Like I said,” Lucy repeated hastily, yanking on the grip Dominic still had on her. “Everything’s fine. We’re siblings.”

  “That doesn’t make it okay for him to be an asshole,” Dan quipped with a small smile. He made the mistake of giving Lucy his full attention, and before he could react, the full force of Dominic’s large fist collided directly with his face. It slammed into him like a tire iron to the side of his head, connecting hard enough to make him spin a bit before falling. Stars exploded across his vision as his face met the concrete of the alleyway, and though his bear roared in pain, Dan was too busy being in absolute agony to make a sound.

  He tried to roll into a sitting position, but his vision was spotty and his arms had decided to stop working correctly, and for a moment, all Dan could do was lay in the alley and moan. Everything was spinning and blurry, and he feared he might throw up right where he lay. So rather than trying to move further, he focused on staying as still as possible. He’d made enough of a fool of himself in front of this woman. The last thing he needed was to punctuate it by lying in a puddle of his own vomit.

  He didn’t know if they had completely stopped talking or if Dominic had knocked him deaf, so rather than try to do anything cognitive, Dan closed his eyes and waited for the nausea to pass.

  Today really sucks…

  ***

  “Dominic!” Lucy shouted, shoving him hard again as the man groaned weakly on the ground. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snapped. She watched as the man tried to sit, but his arms seemed to twitch against his will.

  She stepped forward to help him, but Dominic interrupted her. “Leave him,” he growled, grabbing her arm once more. “Let’s go.”

  His grip was tight and unforgiving, but riding on the coattails of her shock and anger of what he’d just done, she wrenched herself from his grip. “For the last time,” she growled back. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Fuck off!”

  Something like fury flashed in Dominic’s eyes as he glared down at her. He was her brother in blood as in pack, but he wasn’t above handling her roughly if it meant he got his way. She was done with him thinking he could just throw his weight around and do whatever he wanted. Hitting strangers carried real life consequences. She didn’t want to be a part of this cycle of violence anymore.

  The stare-down lasted a bit longer before Dominic broke his glare with a derisive snort. “Find your own way home, then,” he sneered, promptly stalking off into the night alone without another word.

  Lucy allowed herself a moment of relief as he rounded the corner before turning back to the man who was still groaning in pain on the concrete.

  “I’m so, so sorry,” Lucy murmured worriedly bending to help the man into a sitting position. His large frame was hard to support at first, but she made it work until he regained enough consciousness to sit freely on his own. “He… I won’t say that he’s never done something like that before, but here… now, I honestly did not expect him to just up and hit you like that. I’m so sorry,” she finished limply. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine, fine,” Dan muttered softly, his eyes still looking a bit unfocused. A lazy kind of smile played along his lips, and for a moment Lucy feared that he might have been knocked senseless. “But that show of heroics I put on, eh? It was pretty amazing, wasn’t it?” He opened his mouth to laugh, but it came out in a painful groan that made Lucy wince.

  She gave him a sympathetic smile. “The best hero I ever did see in all my years,” she answered, affecting a slight southern belle accent to play along. She couldn’t keep up her façade of amusement for too long, her smile giving way to a long sigh as she took in the sight of the fallen man. The side of his face was already beginning to swell with the dark purple hue of a good-sized bruise.

  “My goodness, I can’t believe this is happening. He promised we’d keep a low profile while in town. He wasn’t supposed to cause any trouble.” She gazed apologetically down at him and hoped silently that he wouldn’t ask too many questions. She rambled when she was upset, and she didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “That’s why I wanted you to stay out of it. I know how to handle my brother, but he can get a bit… volatile around strangers. I appreciate your help, but I really wish it hadn’t come to all this.” Despite the guilt she felt, she couldn’t help the warmth that lingered in her belly at the way he’d stepped forward to help without a moment’s hesitation. It had been a long time since anyone thought to look after her so selflessly like that, especially when it meant going up against the likes of her insane brother.

  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he repeated, touching a hand gingerly to his swelling cheek as he gazed up at her, his brown eyes hazy, but kind. “I could do with some help up though, eh?” He grinned, raising his hand and wincing slightly as the smile tugged at the inflamed tissue of his face. “Can you lend me a hand?”

  Lucy barely bit back the bark of laughter and tickled her throat as she registered her own words from just earlier in the night being used against her. The fact that the roles were so thoroughly reversed was almost too comical to endure. Or maybe it was just her way of fighting back the impending hysterics. Rather than dwell on it, she grasped hold of the man’s large hand and pulled with all her strength. It took some effort, and more than a little pain for him, but he was finally standing once more.

  “How are you feeling?” Lucy asked with a grimace.

  “The side of my face feels pretty gross and probably looks worse by now. I’m also pretty sure one of my eyes is swelling shut,” he replied. “But I’ll live.”

  Lucy shook her head, frustration building up now that she didn’t have to worry about any undue lasting damage on this stranger from the bar. How could she have allowed herself to get in so deep with someone like this? Family or not, the time to sever ties was long ago. She was fully committed to letting their lives go in separate directions from here on out.

  “I’m Lucille Winters, by the way,” she said with a small smile. “I think I might’ve been in too much of a rush to tell you that before, so at least for all of this, I get a second chance to meet you correctly. Call me Lucy.”

  “I know.” The man’s smile grew despite the pain she knew he must be feeling. Suddenly the smile fell as if he’d just realized what he’d said. “I mean… my name’s Dan. Dan Hart,” he corrected hastily, as a redness that had nothing to do with the swelling washed across his cheeks.

  “So, uh, what were you doing with a dog like him anyway?” he continued, eager to change the subject.

  Lucy shrugged, gazing off in the direction her brother had left and already feeling a soft pang of regret for sending him away in anger like she had. Deep down she knew what had happened wasn’t her fault, but she could never stop feeling responsible for her brother’s mistakes. “He’s family.”

  “Could be worse, I guess,” Dan muttered to himself, but not quiet enough to keep it from Lucy.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, a single eyebrow raised inquisitively.

  “I mean, you know, he could be…” Dan’s voice trailed off as he floundered for the right words. Lucy was sure he was alluding to the fact that she’s luckily single, but she didn’t dwell on the hope that warmed inside of her at the thought that he might care about that at all. Sure this man was attractive enough, beaten face notwithstanding; he had strong, muscled arms that boasted just how strong he was, his brown eyes were honest and almost always held a bit of mirth in them, and he always seemed to find a reason to smile. But even still, Lucy wouldn’t fool herself into thinking she had a chance with the likes of h
im. Life was too complicated for things like relationships right now.

  She stepped back slightly and cleared her throat. “It’s fine,” she assured, and the rest of Dan’s excuses promptly died in his throat. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel important, aware, and completely on display. She wasn’t sure if she liked it, but she also didn’t want him to look away.

  “Well, uh,” Dan began after a couple of beats of silence. “I suppose I’d better head home,” he said. “Maybe get a compress on this or something.” He tried to chuckle, but it left his lips as an awkward cough.

  She spotted a bag at the edge of the alley and quickly walked to retrieve it. Returning it to Dan, she said, “I really hope everything clears up nicely. Again, I’m sorry for what happened. There’s no excuse for his actions.”

  Dan shook his head. “Don’t be sorry for something you didn’t do, Lucy.” He grinned. “Besides, I’d gladly take another wallop to the head if it means I’d get to see you again.”

  The shock of Dan’s sudden flattery brought a bright smile to Lucy’s face. Try as she may to quell it, her lips only spread further. It wasn’t often that she encountered a man who knew how to sweet talk. “I’m not worth physical injury, but I’m flattered nonetheless.”

  “I meant every word of it,” Dan guaranteed with a light nod. His face fell somber as he glanced down the dark alley. “So where’s home for you?”

  “I—” Lucy’s voice cut off, unsure how to answer the question. They’d left the only home she’d ever known only a short while ago to come here, and any place they’d have called home since was no longer welcome to her since she decided to cut ties with Dominic. Her brother wasn’t lying when he’d said she had nothing and no one without him. She’d lived in his shadow all her life. He dictated everything that she was allowed to have or do, everyone she was allowed to see, and she’d let it all happen because it meant she wouldn’t be alone. But now she was, for the first time ever, and she wasn’t sure what the next step was supposed to be. “I’m… not sure. To be honest, I don’t actually even know what to do now that…” She let her voice trail off, not wanting to get back into her nasty habit of rambling when upset. And to a stranger, no less.

  “You don’t have anywhere to go?” Dan asked.

  Lucy she could see the complete and honest concern on his face. She shook her head. “Dominic was all I knew. He was my home and decided to move here to help out a family member of ours.” She steeled her gaze. “But I’m tired of helping him do terrible things for terrible people. I’m tired of putting family above my own wellbeing. If it means being homeless the rest of my life, I’ll still be better off because I’ll be away from him. Thanks for helping me see that.”

  She could see the confusion and curiosity coloring his face, and for a moment she thought he might start asking questions, but he only touched a gentle hand to his cheek with resolve in his eyes.

  “Listen,” he began. “The takeout is getting cold and my friends are waiting for me. Why don’t you just hang with us for a while? Just until you can get back on your feet.”

  Lucy tilted her head, not sure if following him was the best idea at all, but definitely still interested. “Where to?”

  “My friends have this cabin on the outskirts of town and I was gonna catch dinner with them,” Dan replied, holding up the takeout in his hands for emphasis. “I always grab a little extra for some guaranteed leftovers, but I’m not above sharing if you’re hungry and aren’t afraid of a little small talk while we all eat.”

  Lucy wasn’t sure how to respond. Surely, it was crazy to run off into the forest to a place she’d never been to with a man she’d just met to meet people she didn’t know and eat food she didn’t buy. However, at the same time, she didn’t feel anything other than safe with Dan. The logical warning bells rang in her mind, but never made it to her heart, and she found herself nodding before she could talk herself out of the decision. “If you don’t think they’ll mind, that is…” her voice trailed off as his hand reached for hers. Their fingers touched in a sizzle of electricity that left her breathless.

  “No, of course they won’t!” Dan promised, completely unfazed by whatever shock she’d felt between them. “I hope you like shrimps; I put it on everything! Good stuff if you like Chinese, I guarantee it!”

  A tiny laugh tumbled playfully from Lucy’s lips as she watched the swollen man speak animatedly about takeout fast food. It was both reassuring and comforting to watch him be so alive before her. “It sounds perfect.” She was glad she’d taken his hand. Hers felt warm and secure, as she secretly hoped he’d never let go.

  “And thanks, Dan.”

  Chapter Six

  “Is something burning?” Lucy asked as they approached the cabin, her small button nose wrinkling in discomfort.

  Dan glanced down at her, mild surprise on his face. “That’s an impressive sense of smell you got there,” he quipped.

  She smiled back up at him, though it appeared to be marred with a bit of confusion. “Well yeah, of course I do,” she replied. “Don’t you?”

  Dan shrugged. Of course he did, but there was no way he’d be able to explain bear senses to her without breaking some pretty serious rules, so he let that part of the conversation end. “Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, that smell is why I have takeout,” he laughed. “Nick was cooking, and from what Jo said, it didn’t go so well, and there was a fire extinguisher, and…” his voice trailed off as he took in her perplexed expression. With a start, he realized that he’d been so distracted trying to regale Lucy with entertaining tales that he hadn’t checked to make sure everything he was saying made complete sense first. She didn’t know a thing about Nick or Jo and why a story about them burning food was hilarious.

  He cleared his throat awkwardly as they made it to the steps of the cabin’s porch. “Well, here we are,” he smiled, taking the steps two at a time and knocking on the front door. “They’ll be friendly, don’t worry,” he added, though she didn’t really look worried at all. Maybe he was the one who was worried?

  She smiled as if she were the one reassuring him, and she probably was. Dan knew at least one of his pack members was terrible with change, but the poor girl had nowhere to go, and far be it from him to deny her a place to hang out while she got all her ducks in a row. Surely, Tom would understand, right? Probably not, but he had to try. She was putting her faith in him; for once tonight he’d try to not let her down.

  The door opened and Jo stood framed in the doorway. “Dan!” she exclaimed, eyes zeroing in eagerly on the bag of takeout he held in his hand. “Thank heavens you’re here, I’m starving!” She lifted the bag from his hands, and departed into the cabin without a second look his way.

  “Um, Jo?” Dan began tossing an apologetic look back at Lucy.

  Jo turned back to Dan, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at him. “What happened to your face?” she gasped.

  Dan shook his head impatiently. “Nothing, don’t worry about it. That’s not what I meant.” He motioned back to Lucy before any more tangents could be made. “I’d like to introduce you to someone.”

  “Oh?” Jo’s eyes followed Dan’s presenting hand, her gaze confused as it shifted slightly to the left. Clarity brightened her eyes as she took in Lucy for the first time. “Oh! I’m sorry.” She was gracious enough to look embarrassed at her oversight. “I was so distracted, I must’ve looked right over you!”

  Lucy gave Jo a kind smile. “Oh, it’s no big. It’s pretty dark out and I was standing back. Totally understandable.” She took a step forward so that she was bathed in the soft cabin lighting. “I’m Lucille. Call me Lucy.”

  Jo placed the takeout on a nearby table, holding out a hand in greeting as she made her way back to where Dan and Lucy stood. “I’m Jo, nice to meet you.” She smiled. “I didn’t know Dan had friends in town.”

  “Oh, we only just met tonight,” Lucy replied, grasping Jo’s hand with a smile of her own. “He helped me out
of a tough situation and offered me dinner to boot!”

  “Hey, uh,” Dan began, looking past Jo as she and Lucy made their way inside. “Is Nick around? I need to talk to him about something.”

  “About what?” came a voice from the nearby tree line behind Dan. He turned to see Nick, Tom, and Savannah all exit the forest, Tom and Savannah chattering idly about something as they came into view on the front lawn.

  All at once, the three bears seemed to lock onto Lucy, and all talk ceased. In the taut silence of the night, Dan awkwardly cleared his throat, eyes passing from one bear to the next in the hope that this wasn’t all about to blow up in his face. “Um. I wanted to introduce you guys to Lucy.”

  They remained mute. Slowly, Lucy raised a single hand, eyes clear and confident as she grinned out at them. “That’s me.” Still no one spoke.

  Dan caught the helpless looks she threw at him before stepping into action. “Her brother kinda dropped her here. She had nowhere left to go,” he babbled, eager to give some kind of explanation before everything exploded right in front of him. “I didn’t think it would be too big a deal to bring her along with me here, just to eat some dinner and figure out what her next step was, you know?”

  “I really don’t mean you guys any trouble,” Lucy added, the first hint of concern tainting her words. “I’ll leave right away, if you wish.”

  “You didn’t cause any trouble at all,” Dan assured her with a light smile. “If anyone screwed up, it’s me.” He tossed a pleading look at Nick, hoping he’d understand or at least say something at all.

  Nick shared a serious look with Dan that promised a talk later, then another with Tom before he turned to Lucy with a kind smile on his face. “Like Dan said, it’s no trouble at all. You’re welcome to stay for dinner,” he welcomed as Tom groaned, his head falling to his hands forlornly.