“I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you earlier,” I blurted out.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“My pissy mood wasn’t your fault. I had no right to threaten you.”
He just stared at me blankly.
“Are you listening to me?” I asked.
“Yeah. I just didn’t expect to hear Death apologize.”
I smiled. “Call me Lilith.”
“And I didn’t expect her to have a pretty smile.”
He returned my smile and I was amazed at how he could go from menacing to handsome with one simple gesture.
“My name is Mark.” He extended his hand in greeting.
Mark had a firm grip, it said he wasn’t easily intimidated and I liked that. He was the second man I’d met lately who knew how to shake hands with a woman. No soft grip here.
“Nice to meet you, Mark. I really am sorry about how I acted before.”
“That’s all right. It’s not every day I get felt up by a werewolf hunter.”
It took me a second to realize he was joking.
“You liked that huh?”
“Well I would have if I’d known you weren’t planning to cut anything off.”
“Relax. I’m not here to kill you or maim you in any way. And as long as you don’t go ape shit and start killing people, that’s not likely to change.”
“Well that’s a comfort,” he said sarcastically.
“It should be.”
I had sensed something else besides confidence when I’d touched his hand though it took me several minutes to place what I’d felt.
“You’re a member of Marco’s pack,” I made it a question.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Does it have a happy ending?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said. “Look, I should get back to my friends. I just wanted you to know I had no intention of jumping you in the parking lot.”
“That’s a damn shame,” he teased. “Seriously, thank you. I appreciate the gesture. Believe it or not, not that many people find me easy to talk to.”
“I wonder why?” My voice dripped with sarcasm.
Mark laughed and his deep voice was easy on my ears. I watched him turn and walk toward the back before I returned to the bar.
“What was that all about?” Elijah asked.
“Oh, I was just apologizing for something I did earlier.”
He looked shocked. “What did you do to the bouncer? That guy looks like he should be a pro wrestler!”
“I threatened him on my way in,” I said casually.
“You what?!”
“How do you think you and Kat got in so easily after making a scene like that in the parking lot?”
“You did threaten him,” he made it a statement. “What did you say?”
“I threatened to castrate him and told him that you guys were with me.”
Elijah shook his head. About that time I looked over and saw Kat on the mechanical bull. She was just about to lose her grip when the ride stopped.
“We should be going,” I said as I smiled at Elijah.
“Why?”
“Kat is shitfaced, it’s time to go.”
We glanced her way again and both of us laughed.
After we collected Kat from the corral we were almost to the door when Lola stepped in front of us. The look on her face told me without words she didn’t have anything nice to say.
“My goodness, you do work fast Mercury. First that Sam fellow the other day and now back to Mr. Jasper here.” She looked thoughtful for a minute. “Didn’t I see you groping the bouncer on your way in?”
I backhanded her. Before she could wipe that smug look off her face Lola was eating floor. Her nose was gushing blood and a few guys who had been standing off behind her stepped forward.
“You want some too?” I asked.
I held back with Lola. My strength was more than human and even though she’d asked for it, I didn’t want to permanently damage her. But these guys weren’t going to be so lucky. Any man who would jump on a woman half their size deserves what they get.
Fortunately for them, Mark stepped forward.
“Is there a problem?” The question was clearly directed at them.
“No,” one man stammered while the other picked Lola up from the floor.
She just kept staring at me, completely stunned.
Just when I thought we were going to be able to leave without causing a worse scene Lola broke out of her daze.
“You bitch!” she screamed as she lunged at me.
My arm was a blur as I slapped her open-handed back to the ground before she took a step closer. Judging by the look on his face, Mark was impressed. He made no effort to break it up. On the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying the show. Why anyone would keep getting back up is beyond me. You’d think she’d be embarrassed enough the first time. Despite my best effort to restrain myself, I’d hit her harder the second time. When she was helped to her feet that time, she walked away. Maybe Lola wasn’t as dumb as I’d thought.
Chapter Six
Mark escorted us to the truck and was sure to tell me with a smile, “Come back anytime. It’s not often you see a woman who can hold her own in a bar fight.”
Once we were safely on our way out of the parking lot Kat said, “Ooo, I think he likes you.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of.”
“Why? He seemed harmless,” Elijah said sarcastically.
“The last thing I need is another werewolf who likes me.”
Elijah swerved slightly as he and Kat said together, “A what?!”
“Mark, the bouncer, he’s a werewolf.”
I didn’t make eye contact with either of them, but watched the road instead. They were quiet for a minute before Elijah asked, “What do you mean another werewolf liking you?”
“You know, Sam and Marc – OH!”
I jabbed Kat in the ribs to shut her up.
“There’s that Sam guy again. Who is he anyway?”
“Like I said before, he’s a friend. He was visiting from out of town recently. It’s not my fault everyone in town was spying on me and got the wrong idea.”
“Oh,” he said.
We took Kat home first with Elijah promising to give her a ride to pick up her car at my house the following day. Kat lived a good thirty minutes away from my house. Once Elijah and I were alone together I didn’t bother to move to the other side, but stayed in the middle.
“I’m sorry about tonight,” he said softly.
“It’s all right.” I rested my head against his shoulder. “You can’t control other people.”
“No, but I can control me, and I was an ass.”
“Yeah, you were.” I laughed. “But, I got into a fight, so I really can’t cast stones.”
I lifted my head and smiled at him. “After you and Kat stopped arguing, and before I slapped Lola, I had a really nice time.”
Elijah’s smile lit up his eyes and I couldn’t resist kissing him again. Since we were at a stop sign, I didn’t have to worry about running him off the road. Elijah was a good kisser and I thought that might be my last opportunity to kiss him, so I took advantage.
“What was that for?” he asked.
I couldn’t speak. I didn’t want to tell him that I wanted to kiss him before Alfred came back. How stupid would that sound, even if it was the truth? Once Alfred was back, I planned to pick up where we’d left off. That wasn’t fair to Elijah, but he’d known my plans from the beginning.
After I didn’t answer for a few minutes he whispered, “It’s all right. I understand.”
“No, you don’t,” I interrupted. “I never meant to hurt you I just—”
“You haven’t,” he said softly. “I knew what I was getting myself into.”
I started to get misty eyed and turned back to face the road. We drove for several more minutes before Elijah tried to lighten the
mood by asking about what happened with the bouncer. I recounted for him the whole discussion, including the part where I pressed my claw against the front of his pants.
“Ah, that’s where she got the idea that you were groping him,” he said.
“Yeah.”
“Lilith, this is off the subject, but I want you to know that I didn’t look that night we were kidnapped,” he blurted out.
“What do you mean, you didn’t look?”
“When Bade ripped up your clothes, I didn’t look,” he said.
During the struggle between Bade and I that night my leather catsuit had been ripped completely from my torso, revealing my breasts, and eventually winding up around my ankles during my attempt to escape Bade’s clutches.
“Then how do you know what happened?” I was half teasing, but Elijah was serious.
“I was getting my ass kicked pretty bad for one thing. By the time I realized all of my body parts were still attached, Alfred had taken off his shirt and covered you with it. Before that, I could hear you still fighting, so I knew you were alive, I just couldn’t get free to help. I felt so helpless. I couldn’t even save myself and I thought I could help you. Of course by the time I got loose, Alfred showed up and shot everybody, so what did it matter?”
He was so serious that I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“What exactly are you getting at?” I asked carefully.
“I’m just saying it’s no wonder you would rather date somebody like him.” He sighed. “I can’t even save myself.”
“Elijah I—”
“Don’t know what to say,” he interrupted. “I know. That’s because I put you on the spot and I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know how I feel.”
“You wanted me to know that you’re overly morose about something that was out of your control? Or was it you wanted me to know you felt worthless for not being able to single-handedly take on a pack of werewolves?”
He just stared at the road.
“Elijah, don’t feel bad,” I said as I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Most people would not have survived the night. You didn’t embarrass yourself.”
He sighed again. “I felt like I could have done more.”
“Well, you couldn’t. Alfred has a lot of years of experience. You couldn’t possibly have been expected to live up to killing a pack of werewolves. First, it’s not your job and second, you’re only human. Even Alfred is used to working with a partner. Don’t beat yourself up.”
When he didn’t argue the point further I asked, “Would seeing me naked make you feel better?”
He burst out laughing. “That was not the reason I mentioned this. I just wanted you to know I didn’t try to take advantage. I didn’t want you to feel awkward thinking I’d sneaked a peek.”
“Sneaked a peek? You come up with that one all by yourself?”
“Shut up,” he chuckled.
It was nice of him to mention it, but I honestly hadn’t given any thought to whether or not he might have seen anything that night. I was more concerned with my life than any modesty I might still possess.
Later, when Elijah walked me to the door, I hugged him tightly, but couldn’t bring myself to say goodnight. It felt more like goodbye, and I didn’t want to say goodbye. Finally, I pulled back and he said, “Goodnight.”
I just smiled. I couldn’t bring myself to repeat the farewell. Elijah kissed me softly and I let him. I was excited about Alfred coming back, but I was going to miss Elijah. Of course, I would still see him, but not like this. Why was nothing ever easy?
When he pulled back from me he smiled and I felt better just to see it. That smile reassured me without words that everything was all right.
*****
After I watched Elijah drive away, I went into the kitchen before making my way upstairs. Smacking Lola around had given me an appetite. Even though it was the middle of the night, I knew better than to let myself go hungry. I did not want to be sick a few hours later because I didn’t take the time to eat.
As I walked into the kitchen, I pressed the button to get my messages. I had one call of obscene noises immediately followed by a shrill laugh I knew belonged to Kat. She was one of the very few people I liked to watch get drunk. Maybe I found it so entertaining because alcohol didn’t affect me the same way. The next message was Kat apologizing for the first message and saying she needed Elijah’s number because, “I don’t want him here at the butt crack of dawn or anything.”
The third message was from Richard. He wanted to thank me for listening. He also said things at work had progressed to the point he felt he needed to seek legal advice on how to handle the situation. I felt bad for him, but there was really nothing I could do.
I looked into the fridge and thought how wonderful it would be to have Alfred back to do the grocery shopping. I’d made the effort to keep fresh fruit in the house since that’s my preference for breakfast, but I hated grocery shopping. Actually, I hated shopping of most any kind which made me really weird according to Kat. Occasionally, I did enjoy shopping to redecorate the house, or something along those lines, but that was about it.
I took out a bowl of fresh cherries and called Kat while I ate. After I’d eaten nearly half the bowl of cherries and hung up with Kat, I felt like I should call Richard. I looked at the clock and thought he might be asleep. Well, any normal person would be asleep, but not Richard. He was probably up watching some sort of sci-fi marathon. I should have called, but I was tired.
I put away the remaining cherries and made my way upstairs. The boots got kicked off as soon as I was in the door and I peeled off the tight leather pants on my way to the bed. Before going into the bathroom, I flung the balcony doors open wide to let in the breeze. The rain we had enjoyed recently had left the evenings cooler and the breeze that night was fairly strong. I turned my back on the balcony and snatched off my right sock. After taking a few more steps, I removed my left sock and let it stay where it fell. I left the bathroom door open while I hung the black hat on the end of the hook where my robe was and took a look in the full-length mirror.
I laughed when I realized every article of clothing I’d worn that night had matched, right down to my panties. As I stood there barefoot, in my black lacy panties and matching shirt I struck a dramatic pose and pointed my finger at the mirror.
“This is a stick up,” I said with a laugh.
“You have no idea,” a rough and recognizable voice drifted in through the open window.
I turned sharply, but didn’t see anyone. Quickly I walked out onto the balcony and looked over, but he wasn’t there either.
“Look up,” the voice called again.
There in the trees directly in front of my balcony sat Marco, perched on a limb. He was slightly higher up than I was, so I had to look up a bit to speak to him. There was very little distance separating that particular group of trees from the side of the house where my balcony was located. A werewolf would have no problem jumping that distance.
“Hello, Red,” he purred.
“What are you doing here?” I tried to sound stern, but I was glad to see him.
“I heard you had a little rumble this evening at The Oasis.”
At that point, it had been several hours since we’d left the club, so it was entirely possible he could have heard about it, but I still asked, “How could you possibly know that already?”
“When someone has the balls to threaten a six-foot-ten werewolf, people tend to take notice.” He smiled and my pulse raced. “The minute I heard about it, I knew it had to be you.”
“So, Mark didn’t tell you personally then?”
“No, the drummer from the band.”
“If he told you the story then you knew I wasn’t hurt, so why did you come?”
“You’re voice says you’re tired, but your eyes say you’re glad to see me,” he said softly.
The wind caressed my skin as it carried Marco’s deep sultry voice to my ears. I shivered as I recalled what he’d s
aid about being able to hear my heartbeat. He stretched out over the branch on his belly, facing me. Marco moved with the grace of a big cat. It was both fascinating and unnerving to watch him.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“And you didn’t deny you’re glad to see me.”
The smile I gave him was lazy and involuntary as I replied, “We have to stop meeting like this.”
“Would you prefer to be meeting the cop?” He either couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice, or didn’t bother to try.
“I’m not dating him.”
“Really? Well, according to the band, you were kissing him tonight.”
My temper finally flared. “I am sick to death of people spying on me. Did they tell you I groped the bouncer too? Yeah, that was fun.”
I turned on my heel and walked back through the doors as he called, “Red, wait!”
I slammed the balcony doors and locked them behind me. To hell with Marco, and to hell with everybody else. Couldn’t I just have a life anymore without everyone having to poke their nose in things?
I was already naked and about to step in the shower when I heard a loud thump and a tap at the glass on the balcony doors. How dare Marco jump onto my balcony?! As I stomped angrily back toward the door, I wrapped myself in a large black towel.
I flipped the latch and threw the doors open as I growled, “Exactly what part of piss off did you not comprehend?”
He looked really good. It was painful for me to be deliberately cruel to him. Talking to Marco like that brought me to tears. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him, but that’s exactly what I had to do if I wanted him to leave. The problem was it hurt my feelings to say things like that to him. I ached to reach out to him, but knew that I had to turn him away. I was shaking. Hot tears slid down my cheeks as I continued. “How dare you spy on me?” My voice was a whisper.
“I’m sorry, Red.” He reached for me and I backed away.
“Not this time. You can’t show up here and apologize for this anymore. I’m not going to tolerate it. If I catch one more of your people spying on me, I’ll kill them. Do you understand me? I’ll kill them, Marco and it won’t be pretty.”
Lilith Mercury, Werewolf Hunter Series (Boxed Set, Books 1-3) Page 39