The Beast in Him (25 page)

Sabina opened her mouth to say something and Jess nudged her with her knee.

Then Jess answered, “Uh-huh.”

“I think we’ll need to haggle on that a bit more. And a few of these other details.”

“Okay.” Don’t startle the rabid dog, she kept reminding herself. Don’t startle the rabid dog.

“But overall... I think this will work. Hot gaming clubs. It’s great music, hot games—It’s a good idea.”

Jess nodded slowly. “Great.”

She stared at them with those cold brown eyes for several excruciatingly long seconds. “Y’all are dogs, right?”

“Yeah, African Wild Dogs.”

Her gaze moved from May to Jess to Sabina and back to Jess. “African? But you’re the only one who’s black.”

May’s back snapped straight and she opened her mouth to say something. Jess slapped her hand on May’s knee to keep her quiet. Letting her know without words... Don’t startle the rabid dog!

Slowly, Jess explained, “Think of Africa as the cradle of all civilization. So the wild dogs encompass a full range of, uh, races.”

“Huh. Is it true you don’t have dewclaws? You know, when you shift?”

“Right. We don’t.”

“Weird. Do you have thumbs?”

Don’t freak out. No matter how weird this gets, don’t freak out.

“Yes, we have thumbs.”

“Huh.” Long fingers scratched the brutal scar that marred one side of her face. She didn’t seem bothered by it, but Jess had to force herself not to stare. Her natural curiosity made her want to ask all sorts of questions about how she got it, but logic told Jess to keep her damn mouth shut. “You know, I don’t like... well... anybody. Except a select few. But I think we’ll get along ’cause I am a dog person.”

Apparently that was all May could stand. She snorted first, her head immediately dropping. But as soon as Jess and Sabina heard that snort, they couldn’t control themselves. The fear taking an immediate backseat to the hysterical laughter.

Jess had been hearing rumors about the Alpha Female of the Magnus Pack for a couple of years now. She’d taken over after completely wiping out an entire Pride of lions. She’d earned a lot of respect from the canines for doing it, but it soon became apparent she might be a couple dog biscuits short of a full box of Milkbones.

She thought the woman would snap, show that ugly insanity Jess kept hearing about. Instead, Sara Morrighan merely tossed her hair back over her shoulder and drank her beer.

“We’re sorry,” Jess said when she’d finally gotten some control back. “That was rude.”

Sara frowned in confusion. “It was?”

Best not to push it. “So I’ll have our lawyers get in touch about finalizing the contract and agreement.”

“Yeah, sure.” Sara finished off her beer. “One other thing.”

Damn. She’d thought they were out.

“The Wilson Pack. You know ’em?”

The three of them tensed. How much do they let Sara Morrighan know?

“Yes,” May answered. “Their Alpha is my first daughter’s father.”

“Huh.” She jumped off the desk. “Watch your back. Rumors are flying among the wolves.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“Vague shit. But I’ve heard your Pack’s name and theirs mentioned in the same sentence, and not in a fun-loving way. Just watch your back. You don’t want to get caught between the Smiths and their kin. I heard they’re crazy.”

Ooh. Lobbing boulders from that glass house, eh? “Thanks for letting us know.”

“No problem.” She pulled on a leather biker jacket. “Okay. Gotta go. We’re heading to Alaska tonight.”

“That’s nice,” Jess said, standing up. “It’s really beautiful there.”

“That’s what I heard. We’re going bear hunting. Unfortunately, I have to do it as wolf cause it’s out of season for me to use my new Remington rifle. Which really blows.”

Jess couldn’t look at May and Sabina. She’d lose it again. Instead, she said, “I feel your loss.”

“Maybe—and this is just a suggestion, Sissy Mae—but maybe we shouldn’t be egging your cousin on to beat up a supermodel.”

Sissy snorted, enjoying the show way too much to call it off because Ronnie was having one of her attacks of conscience. “Oh, come on. As drunk as she is? She won’t do that much damage.”

Marty, one of the few older wolves who joined Smitty and Sissy in New York, sipped her German beer, and said, “And those supermodels have all that insurance to cover those pretty little faces of theirs.”

“Oh, well, then. I guess that makes it all right.”

Sissy put a hand to her chest. “Ronnie Lee? Is that sarcasm?”

“Sissy Mae,” Ronnie said, nudging her and pointing toward the club entrance, “do my eyes deceive me or is that the little gal who slapped you around like a dime-store hooker?”

It was her! That heifer! “She did not slap me around. She caught me off guard is all.”

Ronnie’s eyes narrowed, trying desperately to focus. “Who she with?”

“No one either of you wanna mess with.” Marty took another sip of her beer. “That She-wolf makes y’all seem downright normal and rational.”

“Who is she?”

“Sara Morrighan. Alpha Female of the Magnus Pack.”

“The crazy one?” Ronnie asked.

“No, y’all are crazy. You know, fun lovin’ and crazy.” Marty pointed at the frightening Amazon with her beer. “That bitch is insane.”

“Can someone explain to me,” Sissy demanded, “why Jessie Ann Ward is hanging out with the head She-bitch of the Magnus Pack? She is a dog, isn’t she?”

Ronnie grinned. “She was when she slapped the shit out of you.”

“She did not slap the shit out of me. But I’m this close with you.”

Marty nudged Sissy’s arm. “And here she comes.”

Sissy watched as Jessie Ann walked toward her, one of her She-dogs behind her.

“Hi, Sissy.”

“Jessie Ann.”

“Hi, Jessie Ann.” Ronnie pointed at herself. “Remember me? Ronnie Lee Reed.”

Jessie’s expression turned horrified. “Good God, you two still hang out together?”

The She-dog leaned over Jessie’s shoulder. “Perhaps they are lesbians.”

Jessie’s expression went from horrified to panicked. “Sabina.”

“Perhaps they are dirty, dirty lesbian whores.”

“Sabina!”

“I’m just saying.”

“May.”

“Got her.”

One She-dog dragged the other away and Jessie Ann forced a smile. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry... about the other day. When I... uh... ”

“Slapped the shit out of her?” Ronnie volunteered.

“Made her cry like a girl?” Marty asked while popping another beer, using her claws to rip off the cap.

“Made her rethink her existence on this planet?”

“Made her find the Lord?”

Jessie Ann let out a sigh. “Well... as always it’s been fun to talk to you guys. So if you ladies will excuse me.” She turned around and walked right into the Amazon.

“Sara? Uh—”

The Alpha Female stared directly at Sissy. “Sabina says this bitch used to beat you up.”

“Sara, that was a long time ago. I can assure you I can take care of myself now.”

Over the years, Sissy had found there were several types of wolves. There were the wolves like Smitty, who lived to hunt, fuck, and sleep—the typical wolf existence. There were the ones like the Reed boys, who were more junkyard dogs than wolves, always looking for the next fuck or fight. And then there were the few like Sara Morrighan—silent but deadly attackers who went for the throat first and probably didn’t even bother to ask questions later.

And that’s exactly what the crazed She-wolf did. She pushed Jessie Ann out of her way and went right for Sissy with claws and fangs unleashed.

Sissy never took her eyes off her and braced herself for the hit. She hated fighting crazy people, but she would.

The She-bitch never even got near her, though. What Sissy assumed to be the Alpha Male of the Magnus Pack was there, catching hold of his mate in midair before her claws could dig into Sissy’s face. Sissy had heard about this guy but never had the pleasure of meeting him.

Zach Sheridan lifted Sara up with one arm while holding his cell phone in his free hand. Even better, he kept a running conversation going with whoever was on the other end of that phone without missing a beat. He simply caught hold of his mate and carried her away. Sissy would bet cold, hard cash that this was not the first time he’d had to do this.

Hanging over her mate’s shoulder, Sara Morrighan waved at Jess and grinned. “Bye, Jess! Call me!” she said, while making the universal sign for “call me” with her fingers in the shape of a phone.

“Friend of yours?” Sissy asked Jessie after Sheridan tossed his female into the back of a limo and drove off.

The She-dog cleared her throat. “Business partner.”

She headed back to her friends, and Sissy asked her, “Did you ever get a chance to talk to my brother, Jessie Ann? You were looking to talk to him the other day, right?”

Jessie stopped walking, her entire body one rigid line. “Yeah,” she said without turning around. “I did. Thanks.”

Sissy watched the She-dog head off with her friends. “What don’t I know?” she asked anyone who’d listen.

“A lot,” Ronnie Lee answered, “based on your old report cards.”

“Incoming!” someone yelled and the three women stepped apart seconds before Sissy’s cousin Gemma rammed headfirst into the car they’d been leaning against.

Staring down at her cousin, Sissy made a tsking sound. “You’re going to let a supermodel beat the shit out of you? Have you no pride?”

Gemma dragged herself to her feet and went after the supermodel again.

“You’re going to hell,” Ronnie said for the millionth time.

“Don’t worry. I’ve picked up a lovely property overlooking the lake of fire. We’re set.”

CHAPTER 21

Halfway through a bottle of tequila, Smitty had a nice “wallow” going on. His dinner with Mace had gone fine and chances were high they’d make a fortune off this Kenshin guy. But so what? None of this fixed his problem with Jessie Ann.

He should have gone home, but he still couldn’t face that bed alone, so he ended up here. At the Kingston Arms. It didn’t surprise him either when his baby sister tracked him down in the back bar the Pack favored. Like him, she had a good nose. It ran in the family.

Laughing, Ronnie and Marty with her, Sissy Mae dropped into a chair across from him and put her feet up on the table.

“Well, you missed a fun time had by all.”

“Doubt I missed much of anything.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Marty motioned to one of the waiters with a mere tilt of her head and a shot of vodka appeared before her in seconds. “Your sister almost got mauled by a rabid animal.”

A lot less interested than he should be, Smitty still asked, “What?”

“The Alpha Female of the Magnus Pack tried to take a chunk out of me.”

Smitty shook his head in disgust. Only his baby sister. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

Letting out a tired sigh, Smitty tilted his head to the side and looked at her.

“I didn’t! Tell ’em, Marty. ’Cause he’ll never believe you, Ronnie Lee.”

“It’s true. She didn’t do anything.”

“You didn’t say something? Do something? Start something?”

“Just hanging outside a club, minding my own business.”

“That’s a first. So what set her off?”

“Got me. But she was with Jessie Ann Ward at the time.”

Using every bit of control he had, Smitty kept his face completely neutral and simply replied, “Is that right?”

His sister stared at him for so long he almost started to squirm. He hadn’t felt like that since his momma found that still he’d built when he was fourteen.

“Oh, my Lord,” Sissy finally said. “You’re fucking her!”

Ronnie grimaced. “Sissy Mae! You know Shaw hates when you yell stuff like that in the hotel.”

Suddenly, his sister laughed. “I always knew you had a thing for her,” Sissy accused good-naturedly. “Barely ninety pounds soaking wet, all that acne, and weird, but I knew those big dumb dog eyes of hers would get ya.”

“Let it go, Sissy Mae.”

“Now I’ll have to be an aunt to wolfdogs. And aren’t they a fun hybrid?”

“I said let it go.”

“And I hope this doesn’t mean we have to start hanging around that little yipping Pack of hers. That might be asking—”

His hand slamming down on the table silenced his sister. Actually, it silenced the whole room. Ronnie looked down at her hands, and Marty merely glanced away.

His sister, however, only glared at him.

“What is wrong with you? I was just jokin’.”

“I said—let it go.”

Sissy tapped her forefinger against the table, her gaze never leaving his face. Finally, she said, “Could y’all excuse us?”

“Yup.”

“See ya.”

Then they were gone.

Grabbing the bottle, Sissy poured them both another shot of tequila. “All right, big brother. Talk to me.”

Johnny knew the only way to get some alone time with Jess was to wait for her on the stairs leading to her apartment on the top floor of the Pack den. He read while he waited, having grabbed another Tolkien book from Jess’s personal bookshelf.

When Jess finally headed up the stairs toward him, she walked slow, her head down—obviously exhausted. But when she saw him, her eyes lit up, her energy jumped. She seemed so happy to see him. He didn’t know how to handle that. Since his mother died all those years ago, he’d never had anyone happy to see him.

“Hey!”

“Hi.”

Jess sat down next to him and visibly cringed when he marked off his place in the Tolkien book by folding the edge of the page. He could almost hear her internal scream of “Sacrilege!”

“What’s up, Boo?”

She always called him that when they were alone. Her personal nickname for him. He should find it annoying, but it had been so long since anyone had mothered him.

“I think there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Then tell me.”

He stared at her. This is when it could get awkward. But before he could say a word, Jess grabbed his arm and demanded, “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with Kristan.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that what you’re afraid to tell me?”