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Hiding my pride in my mate, I feign irritation and go back to eating my dinner. Lucia stares at me, but I don’t look up, pretending I’m oblivious to her scrutiny as I finish my meal. She hums, unconvinced, but doesn’t say anything else.
Hopefully the fact that I didn’t deny anything will convince her she can trust me. If not, I may as well give up and go home. But then, all this will have been for nothing.
38
BELLE
Up until now, I thought I had lived a pretty adventurous life. I’ve travelled. I’ve dated. I’m a warrior for the head alpha.
This bar, though, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Wiping tables where I’m no longer sure that the fluids spilt aren’t bodily, I groan when another argument breaks out in a far corner. The two handsome men, twins, each hold the arm of a tiny brunette. And she does not look happy about it.
“For fucks sake.”
While the men continue to get in each other’s faces, Billy vaults over the counter and hurries toward them. He’s too late. With a bellow that vibrates through my entire body, the woman shifts, and, suddenly, there’s a bear in the bar. As she swipes her paws angrily at anyone close, I press my back to the wall and stare wide-eyed. She’s huge.
“Now look at what you did,” Billy snarls, cuffing the twins around the ears as they laugh at the carnage they’ve caused. “Alice, shift back or get out!”
The bear bats a chair out of the way as she roars at the laughing men, who must be Lennoxes. The dark hair, the brown eyes, the jaw that could cut glass: it all screams that these are more Lennox brothers. Cracking wood echoes loudly as the chair falls to pieces, bits scattering across the floor.
“That’s it. Out! You guys, too!” Billy points at his brothers, and the bear, gesturing toward the door currently held open by Dave. Dave, who looks completely unfazed by the crazy situation. Maybe this is just a normal night in the Lennox clan? The floors shake as the gigantic animal barges past, crashing through the door and out into the night. Followed, at a leisurely pace, by the twins.
“You owe us a new chair,” Billy grumbles at them, just as the door swings shut. Stooping to help him pick up the broken shards of wood, I watch in shock as the patrons, who had momentarily stopped drinking to enjoy the show, resume their conversations, laughing easily. Like it’s no big deal to see a bear shift and destroy the furniture.
Leon emerges from the back room with a thunderous expression on his face and glances around. “What the hell’s going on out here?”
Everyone falls silent.
It’s amazing that a few harsh words from Leon have more effect than a bear wrecking the place. I can’t help wondering what else goes on that has everyone so afraid.
“The twins pissed off Alice.” With a shrug, Billy carries the remnants of the seat out the back entrance. “They have too much time on their hands.”
Leon grunts, but his expression has become amused, rather than angry, and the relief in the air is palpable. Everyone can breathe again. “I’ll find something, other than Alice, to keep them occupied.”
He starts to duck back into the room but hesitates. With a click of his fingers, I think he’s beckoning to me, and I take a step in his direction; Billy shakes his head, jaw tight. From around the bar, scantily-clad girls climb to their feet and strut toward Leon, drinks in hand, giggling, and with hips swaying as they move. They’re acting like they’ve won the lottery. They should be horrified at being summoned like that.
Leon slaps one girl's ass, giving it a painfully hard squeeze as she passes, but she just laughs and runs her fingers down his chest, gazing up at him adoringly. The men inside cheer and glasses clink together as the girls disappear inside.
As the door begins to close, I catch a glimpse of the same girl lying back on the table. Skirt already hitched up around her waist, bottle of beer still in hand, Leon edging closer as he opens his belt buckle. It’s not just the bedrooms here that see some action. I gasp and twirl away just as Leon catches my eye. With a taunting laugh, he slams the door shut, a wicked grin on his face.
I turn to Billy, my jaw hanging open in shock. He raises his eyebrows, as if to say I know, and shakes his head.
Don’t say anything. Don’t comment. It’s none of your business.
“I am not cleaning that up.” No fucking way.
Billy makes a fake gagging noise and laughs, and his face turns serious.
“Do you think you could hold the fort for a while?”
“Me?!” That was the sleaziest chaotic five minutes I might have ever experienced. Anything could happen next?
“They’re going to be busy for a while, and there’s something I need to do.” Billy looks desperate. In all reality, if Leon emerges having decided I’m lying, Billy wouldn’t be able to help me anyhow. His absence from the boardroom earlier suggests he’s not in Leon’s inner circle.
Looking around the bar, I groan. There are still too many people here for me to feel comfortable by myself. But maybe if it was empty, it would be even worse? It’s hard to tell with this lot.
“Go. Have fun.” Billy throws me a wink and smiles far too quickly to be genuine. A sudden departure when he knows his father won’t be looking for him anytime soon? Billy is up to something he doesn’t want Leon to know about.
