Part 6 (1/2)

”Glad to hear he's learned a thing to two,” he said, starting on the second half of his sandwich.

”Where did Zane go?”

”I'm guessing to see his father.”

”His father?”

”That's where I'd start.”

”I don't know his father's story.”

”Well, let me ask you this, how much do you know about Zane's story?”

I shook my head. ”Don't start on the s.h.i.+fter bulls.h.i.+t.”

He c.o.c.ked his head to the side, opened his mouth wide, and stuffed his sandwich inside, giving me what I'd call a wolfish grin under any other circ.u.mstances.

”I'm not buying it,” I said, walking past him and into the bar to the sound of his laughter behind me. I started to take the chairs down from the tables. Fly had cleaned the floors earlier. I figured making myself useful would help pa.s.s the time. Fly continued to work behind the bar, and my mind wandered to what I'd seen the other night in the parking lot, trying to connect the dots. By late afternoon, people started coming in, and I took a seat at the bar, watching them, trying to figure things out until Fly called me over.

”I have a delivery I need to unload. Can you cover the bar?”

”Sure, but I don't know how to mix drinks...”

”Shots and beer. It's pretty straightforward.”

”Okay.”

Although I'd waited tables before, I'd never worked behind a bar but figured shots and beers couldn't be that hard.

First thing most people did when they came in was ask where Fly was. Once they made sure he'd put me behind the bar, they'd order, pay, and move on. I studied their faces, their mannerisms, feeling silly doing it. After an hour, Fly came back in, but I stayed behind the bar.

”That took a long time,” I commented. I a.s.sumed he'd received an inventory of alcohol.

”Special order,” he said, that wide grin back on his face. He poured himself a gla.s.s of water and drank.

”Where'd you get that scar anyway?” I noted the three lines that looked like they'd once been deep cuts.

”Beard not covering it up?” he asked, touching his face.

”Nope, sorry.”

He shrugged. ”Z gave it to me. First day we met. Motherf.u.c.ker.”

My shocked expression had him laughing out loud.

”I told you he needed a bouncer in the early days. It's how I got my job.”

I opened my mouth to ask what he was talking about, but the guy from last night, Jake, suddenly stepped up to the bar, surprising me.

”Well, well, well, look who's back.” He came right up to me.

”Long walk here, Jake?” Fly asked, leaning against the bar.

Jake's expression changed, his gaze momentarily hesitant, almost cautious. If I wasn't paying attention, I wouldn't have noticed the slight difference.

”You got my keys, man?”

”Sure do. Hate to see you go so quickly.” Fly slid the car keys Zane had taken last night down the bar. Jake's reflexes must have been right on because he slapped his hand over them so fast, I barely saw him move.

”I'll have a beer first,” he said, turning to me. ”Five miles leaves you thirsty.”

”I guess.” Fly poured a beer.

”I'm going to get some fresh air, Fly.” I walked around to Zane's office and out the door there. The cigarette smoke in the bar was stifling, and seeing Jake in there bothered me.

Dusk had fallen, and, recalling Zane's story, the howls in the distance made me s.h.i.+ver. My car sat just where I'd parked it. Shards of gla.s.s stood ready to tear skin in the driver's side window, and the roof had been torn to shreds. Rather than going back inside, I figured I could at least get the gla.s.s cleaned up. I went in to grab the trash can from under Zane's desk and headed to my car, wis.h.i.+ng now I'd parked closer to the building. I told myself to relax, that I was just on edge from Zane's stupid story, the break-in, and that d.a.m.ned black rose.

More cries came from the mountains, but I forced myself to keep my attention on the task at hand, focusing on my car. I reached in to unlock the door, careful not to cut myself on the gla.s.s, p.i.s.sed that someone had done this. I opened the door and squatted down alongside the car, picking up the big pieces before brus.h.i.+ng the smaller ones into the bin.

More motorcycles pulled up, but no one paid much attention to me. A few shards cut into my hand but once I had most of it cleaned up, I stood to go back inside. That was when I saw the dogs on the other side of the road.

Dogs. That's what they were. Stray dogs. Nothing else.

There were three of them in the not-far-enough distance, seeming to watch me. A car pa.s.sed, lighting up their eyes with an eerie sort of glow. Without taking my eyes off them, I moved back toward the bar. They moved, too, coming to the edge of the road, waiting while another car drove past. I walked faster toward the door, but, as I reached the building, they broke into a run across the street. But before I could twist the handle to open the door, another sound, one coming from around the other side of the building, sent a chill down my spine. It was low and quiet, but I felt the threat it carried and stood locked in place as a very large wolf, his coat a dirty gray-black, came around the building. He stalked slowly, his strange blue eyes on me. But he wasn't coming for me. The other three, the ones who had crossed the street, the ones I'd thought were large dogs but weren't, not really, he was here for them. And they knew it because there was a momentary standoff. I considered between them, the three vs. the one, and if I had to place a bet on who would win if this came to a fight, it was the lone wolf.

He gave a low growl before taking two more steps, closing the distance between himself and the three. The rumbling from their chests made the earth beneath my feet quake, and when the lone wolf made one sudden lunge toward them, the three scattered, running fast across the street and into the woods there, accompanied only by the sound of a quick scream which I recognized was my own.

The lone wolf turned back to me, meeting my eye before loping slowly back the way he had come. As soon as I was capable of moving, I pulled the office door open and screamed again when I ran directly into Zane's naked chest.

”What the fu...” Zane's hands closed over my arms.

The trash can crashed to the ground, the gla.s.s I'd picked up littering the floor around our feet.

”Aria. What the h.e.l.l are you doing?” He shook me hard forcing me to look up at him.

My breathing was ragged, but having him back, having him here helped. I took a step away and looked at him, at his bare chest. His olive skin was dark, his body sculpted with muscle, decorated with tattoos. That last part had come sometime in the last six years because there hadn't been so much ink before.

He released me but remained where he was. He did remember the night we'd been together years before. It was in the way he watched me, in his black eyes. I returned my attention to his body, to his naked, hard chest. His shoulders and arms were thick with muscle, his abs chiseled, a trail of dark hair disappearing beneath jeans hanging low on his hips.

He stood still while I studied him, the power harnessed by flesh making my belly flutter. Did he know that he was making my insides melt? I thought he might because, for a moment, there was a change, a burning behind his eyes that allowed me to see what I'd been searching for: the Zane who'd finally given in to me that night. I wanted that Zane to stay. To want me again. Even if he was a little darker now.

Curious to see more of the ink decorating him, I took a step to move behind him, but he stopped me, coming closer, taking hold of my arms. He brought his forehead to mine, our eyes locking.

”What were you doing outside?”

”I was...I thought I'd clean up the gla.s.s. Jake came into the bar, and I needed fresh air.”