by Lola Kidd
Tyler full-stopped at this. “You should have led with that. A thousand? Is that guaranteed? Who have you spoken with?”
“It is. I’ve talked with Ken.”
“When can we start?”
Randall pumped his fist in the air. “Fuck, yeah! We can start this week. I’m so glad you said yes. You’re not going to regret this.”
“I’ll have to speak with Ken myself, of course.”
“Yeah, fine. This is going to be great.”
Tyler wasn’t sure about that, but he was hopeful. As long as the deal had a clear “out” clause, he would be fine. This was actually a great opportunity. Maybe having friends did have its perks.
*
He was going to kill that rat. Tyler was wearing his furry coat, gloves, and thermal underwear, but he was still cold. It was too early in the year for how cold it was, and he wished he were home under his quilt watching the news. Instead, he was in the middle of the forest waiting for some horny human woman.
Randall had left a few things out when he told Tyler about the deal. He had over-promised to Ken. Tyler had thought he and the rat would be working together, maybe switching the night and day shift. But, no; Tyler would be working every night for the next three weeks. If he did well, then his contract could be extended. Until then, he was on a trial run. He was going to be out here in the cold every single night for the rest of the month. And it was only going to get colder.
If they could bring more men in on the deal, it would be easier, but it was going to be a two-man job for the foreseeable future. Tyler figured he could work with the Ganjis for four or five months and then quit. At that point, he would have more than enough money to get himself comfortably situated in any town. Even with his criminal record, he would have time to find a job or set something up. Hell, maybe he wouldn’t even need to work. He could live off his fabulous wealth. Just this week alone, he was supposed to move fifteen women through to Reno. That was more money than he’d made in the last four years combined. For him to be making that much, he could only imagine how much these women were paying for one night of fun. If he’d known there was a market for that kind of work, he would have started hooking on the side himself.
If it wasn’t for the cold, this wouldn’t have been that bad. He didn’t know anything about the woman he was meeting. She’d refused to give any more information than her name, Red. Whatever, Tyler thought. There couldn’t be that many human women walking through the Wasteland in the middle of the night.
He didn’t start getting nervous until she was fifteen minutes late. This was his first job. He couldn’t mess it up this soon.
There were so many things that could have gone wrong. If she was a no-show, oh well, no big whoop. But if she had been attacked, he’d be in some deep shit. Tyler wasn’t so cold anymore. He unzipped his coat, took off his gloves, and started walking toward Penicalla. The woman was coming from the human town and had to be approaching from the west.
Tyler sniffed the wind and listened hard. He could just barely make out the sound of something struggling. He went toward the noise and was greeted with a very beautiful woman with her foot stuck in a tree root. Shoot, maybe he was on the wrong side of this operation. He couldn’t help but growl as his tiger got a whiff of the damsel in distress. It had to be his lady. She was dressed in a giant red cape.
He cleared his throat and stepped into her sight line. “Red? I’m Tyler. I work with Ken. You got me worried when you didn’t show up. Good thing I came looking for you, huh?”
The woman looked up at him with terrified eyes and didn’t move. The smell of her terror set his tiger on edge. “Relax. I’m a shifter. I’m here to take you to Calico Junction. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She looked at him as he approached slowly. The closer he got, the stronger her scent got… but it changed. The smell of arousal started to overpower the fear. His tiger definitely liked that.
He wondered what she looked like under that cape. She was already a very pretty woman. Her small, heart-shaped face was framed by dark brown hair that made her blue eyes stand out. She didn’t look like the kind of woman who would be meeting a gigolo. She could easily find a shifter who would do her for free.
Tyler wondered what she was paying for. He bent down and worked her boot out of the tree root slowly. His hand touched her ankle briefly and she jumped.
He chuckled. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll get you to the Flats in no time.”
The woman nodded and they were off. It was going to be a very long walk back. He could still smell her, and his tiger was getting very, very worked up. If all the women were this pretty, his job was going to be a little more difficult than he’d anticipated.
Three
Suzy stuck close to the shifter in front of her. She was too afraid to speak. She had no idea who he thought she was, but she wasn’t about to argue. The last twelve hours had been awful, and she could use any help that was offered.
It was supposed to have been a short walk to Rose Valley. Only a few miles through dense forest, according to Jessica Sheridan. But that was a lie. Maybe Suzy was directionally challenged, but she’d been wandering around the forest for hours and had found nothing.
She’d stopped at a convenience store and had asked around Penicalla at all of Gran’s favorite gambling places before leaving town. She was grateful for the supplies she’d picked up and the information she’d gotten. According to Gran’s favorite bingo caller, Gran had indeed gone to a gambling tournament in the Wasteland. The only problem was, which town was it in? It had to be either Rose Valley or Calico Junction. Suzy had heard terrible things about both towns. Still, she hoped it was Rose Valley. Jessica had gotten help there, and it had turned out to be less violent than what had been reported.
When she’d gotten her foot stuck in the tree root, she’d been sure she was a goner. She’d been ready to break down sobbing when the man, Tyler, had appeared out of nowhere. Now, Suzy realized her mistake. She had a phone, but she had no idea where she was. If she got into trouble again, she wasn’t going to panic. She was going to use her phone to call nine-one-one. There was technology to track her location. Or at least, she’d seen that kind of thing on TV shows. It was probably true, and if not, she would stay put and wait. Someone would have to find her eventually. They could put together search parties or something.
Those two fixes gave her comfort as she followed the shifter. He was very handsome. His very good looks made her trust him more than she thought she should. There were good-looking men in Penicalla, but none like this shifter. He was so tall and muscular. He had deep green eyes and dark black hair. He was wearing a big furry coat that made her think he had to be a wolf shifter or a bear. She wanted to ask but was still too afraid to speak.
It was so bizarre. He had to be waiting for someone he didn’t know. What if he got mad when he found out she’d lied? She was afraid again. Terror clawed up her throat and she was sure she was going to throw up.
Tyler turned to her and pushed his hood away from his face. “Are you okay?”
Suzy nodded.
He slowed and walked next to her. “Ever been to the Wasteland before?”
She shook her head. She hadn’t even left Penicalla in the last four years, let alone travel around the godforsaken shifter lands.
“It isn’t as bad as it sounds. I think the shifters who started the towns like the humans calling our home that. You know why?”
She shook her head again.
“If they knew it wasn’t so bad, humans would be coming here all the time. We had that problem at the turn of the century. Humans couldn’t get enough of the wild shifter men. I’m sure you’ll think the same after your trip.” Tyler winked at her and laughed. “Now, I wouldn’t mind beauties like you coming around, but most humans don’t look like you and aren’t as sweet.”
Suzy smiled. He thought she was beautiful. How funny. No one thought she was beautiful. Sweet and kind, yes, but never beautiful. She’d never had a boyfriend or even held hand
s with a man. She’d never gone on a date. She was pretty sure that this walk with Tyler was the closest to a romantic relationship she was going to get as long as she stayed in Penicalla. If the shifter knew what she was really like, he would change his opinion pretty quickly. No one liked a quiet girl. At least, none of the men she knew did.
The trees started to thin and she saw buildings ahead. This wasn’t a wasteland, really, but the town looked run-down. The buildings were all nondescript and earth-colored. Tans, browns, and forest green for as far as she could see. There was one tall building taller than the rest.
“Is that a church?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
Tyler looked surprised to hear her speak. “Yes, it is. Or it was. There aren’t any preachers in the Wasteland anymore. It’s a school now.”
His phone rang in his pocket and he looked at the screen as they walked into town. This was her chance. They were in Rose Valley. There was a good chance Gran was here in the basements of one of these buildings. Suzy took out her own phone and shot off a text sure to get Gran’s attention.
I’m in Rose Valley. Are you here? That was sure to get her texting back.
“It’s getting really cold,” Tyler said. “Would it be okay to go to the bar before we head to the Flats? I could use a little pick-me-up before we keep going.”
Suzy shrugged. Fine by her. She’d never been inside a bar before, but she had taken a few sips of Gran’s margaritas. This trip was certainly taking a fun turn. She felt horrible, but she was excited. She was going to a bar with a hot guy. How sad was she? She was supposed to be focused on finding Gran and staying out of trouble, and all she could think about was what Tyler looked like under his furry coat.
He led her down a side street and they went into a building with an old-school wooden sign. Everything here was very cute. It looked more like something out of a Renaissance fair than a dangerous shifter town. At this late hour, she was surprised the bar was still open. It had to be after two in the morning by now.
Tyler nodded to the bartender when they got inside. “Two beers, please.”
“I don’t drink,” Suzy said.
“Okay, one bottle and one soda pop for the lady.”
“Coke okay?” the bartender asked her.
She nodded. She didn’t drink pop either, but she didn’t want to be a bother. Tyler sat at a table near one of the windows. He took off his coat but kept on his gloves. He was even better looking without the coat. He was wearing a thermal long-sleeved shirt under a black t-shirt. She could see every muscle in his arms and the faint outline of a six-pack too. He was almost showing off. But looking at the bartender, she realized it was probably just natural.
The bartender was very handsome too, and likely a shifter. He wasn’t as intriguing as Tyler, but still very easy on the eyes. He was also wearing a long-sleeved shirt and she could see tattoos peeking out from under the collar of it. He smiled when he saw her staring and she looked away quickly. Maybe he would help her once Tyler had dropped her like a hot potato. This was the perfect time to tell Tyler that she wasn’t the girl he had been waiting for.
Before she could speak, his phone buzzed again. He looked at it and frowned. “Will you excuse me for a second?”
He took his phone and went to the bathroom. Suzy used the time alone to check her phone and call her mom.
Cindy picked up before the first ring even finished. “Have you found Gran?”
“I haven’t,” Suzy said. “But I have a lead. I’m confident I’ll have her before the sun goes down today.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Rose Valley, but I’m fine.” Suzy could hear her mom starting to cry. “Don’t worry. I’m really okay, Mom. This place isn’t bad at all. Jessica was right. I haven’t even seen a shifter in animal form yet. There’s nothing dangerous at all. Trust me. I’ll be home safe and sound with Gran before you know it.”
She was babbling, but she wanted to make Cindy feel better. She felt terrible for making her mother cry. She would make it up to her when she got home, she decided. They would have a whole mother-daughter week, and Suzy wouldn’t badmouth Roger Sheridan for a whole month. It would be better this time. She’d get Gran in on it, too, and by the end of it, Cindy wouldn’t want to stay inside anymore. Maybe they’d even go ice skating or caroling.
“I trust you. You’re my brave girl,” Cindy sniffled. “I just worry about you when you’re gone.”
But I never go anywhere, Suzy thought, then noticed that Tyler was coming back from the bathroom. “I have to go, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Tyler’s mood had changed. His whole body was tense. Even though his face was a blank mask, she could see something was very wrong. “Are you okay?” she asked.
He looked around the empty bar. “We need to wait here for my friend. Sorry for the delay. You’re my first client, and we’re still working out the kinks. I hope this doesn’t ruin your trip. I mean, I’ll get you to Calico Junction. It’s just going to take me an extra hour.”
Suzy looked down at her bottle of pop. “About that. You see…”
The door to the bar opened and a slight man with beady eyes entered. He nodded at the bartender and then came to sit next to Tyler.
“We have a big problem,” he hissed.
Tyler scowled at the man. “Randall, this is Red. Red, this is my friend Randall. Please excuse him. He’s very dramatic.”
Randall shook his head. “I’m not being dramatic. Nice to meet you, Red, but—and I’m really sorry about this—you’re going to have to go back to Penicalla. This is over. Unless you’re looking for a tumble with a tiger tonight, you ain’t getting a shifter lay.”
Tyler slammed his hand down on the table and stood up fast enough to cause his chair to rock back on its legs. “Could you step outside with me, please? We’ll be right back, Red. Disregard his last statement. I told you, he’s excitable.”
Suzy could only watch in shock as Tyler dragged his friend outside. The bartender looked at her questioningly after the men had gone. She smiled and shrugged. She didn’t have any idea what was going on, either.
Four
“What the hell is your problem?” Tyler roared. He was so angry he hadn’t even grabbed his coat before they left the bar.
“This is done,” Randall said. “The Thieves are onto the whole thing and they’re pissed. We might already be in danger since the bartender saw us with a human girl.”
“How could they have found out so fast?”
Randall shrugged. “They probably saw an ad or heard it from one of their sources in the Flats.”
Tyler shook his head. “I can’t believe this. Am I at least going to get paid for Red?”
Randall shook his head sadly. “Sorry, man.”
Tyler punched the wall next to him. “I sat out in the cold for hours waiting for her. I took a risk just meeting her and bringing her here. This is bullshit.”
“I’m really sorry. The Ganjis said they’d make it up to us. We can still be runners for other towns. It’s just the Rose Valley branch they’re dropping.”
“Okay. We can work with that.” Tyler looked at the sky as he thought quickly. There was no way he was going to let this go. He had already started making plans in his head for that money. He knew the women weren’t going to just take no for an answer, either. There had to be a solution here. “What if we still bring the Penicalla women to Calico Junction? What if we pick the women up in Penicalla and then bring them in through Wayside?”
Randall looked doubtful. “Wayside is a bad town. I don’t know, man.”
“Don’t be a pussy. We’ll do it together instead of separately and split the take.”
“What if the guys from Burns take issue? The east is their territory.”
“Let them talk with the Ganjis about that. If they want to try to come down and take women from the south, our territory, and smuggle them east, we’ll take issue.”
Randall’s n
ose twitched as he considered the proposal. He nodded. “Okay. I’ll pitch it to Ken. What are we going to do with Red?”
“Will they still take her? We’re halfway there already. Tell them we’ll do it free of charge as a test run. Show them how we work under pressure.”
“I’ll try. I’ll pitch it to him right now and get back to you as soon as I know.”
“Good. I’ll take Red to my place and lie low until I hear from you again.”
“Okay. You know, I’m surprised she even showed up.”
“Why’s that?” Tyler was getting impatient. Now that his anger had dissipated he was cold again. He was ready to get back inside and finish his beer.
“Ken told me she wasn’t going to show up. He already told her to stay home. She must be really horny to come out still.”
“Yeah, but I’ve heard crazier things. You never know what a woman is thinking,” Tyler said. He patted Randall on the back. “Get going, man. I want to get back inside.”
“Right. Talk to you later.”
Tyler went back inside and put his coat back on before sitting down. Red didn’t say anything when he got back to the table, and her pop was still untouched. “Aren’t you thirsty?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“I can get you water if you want something else. Well, I can give you water at my place.” He gulped down the last of his beer. “There’s been a change of plans, as you might have already guessed. If you still want to do this, you’re going to have to come with me to my place for a little while.”
She looked terrified again and shook her head vehemently. “No!”
“Look, this isn’t some kind of trick. I’m not going to murder you or something. And it’s not a bait-and-switch either. The guy you paid for is still waiting for you in Calico Junction. I know you want this or you wouldn’t have still come even after they canceled on you.”
She crossed her hands over her chest and shook her head again. “I’m not going home with you.”
This woman was going to get on his last nerve tonight. “Look, I don’t have to take you at all. I could leave you here all alone to find your way home. I know they canceled. You’re lucky I’m helping you at all.”