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With a nod, I glance at the beauty he stopped in front of, Melody Lynn. She is everything an alpha shouldn’t be. Willowy, tall, and fragile looking. The last part is a facade she wears well. She could match Austin in fierceness without blinking an eye. But her past is a mystery I’d rather not know anything about. Like Austin, I am pretty sure she found her roots in a Mafia family.
It is easy to slip between the partygoers, and I snag three glasses from the nearby table before heading back to Austin. When I reach them, I hold one of the slim drinks out to Melody. She smiles softly and takes the glass from me, her fingers brushing mine. Ignoring her for the moment, I turn to Austin with a smile and give him one, too. Flirting with Melody would be a big no. She would see straight through my bullshit because she knows how to bullshit.
“Melody,” I say with a brief nod. We’ve done some jobs with her in the past, but that doesn’t mean I want to draw her attention now. At the same time, I can’t be rude. Fine line to walk.
“Flea,” she replies.
Rolling my eyes, I look away from them as they talk in low tones again. At least the feeling is mutual.
I stand near them, as if I actually were a bodyguard, and glance around at the growing crowd. All of this would be better if Dean showed up. As it is, I will probably fall asleep if Austin and Melody continue their boring ass talk about business.
As Peter—another alpha, and my mark tonight—approaches, I lift my pierced eyebrow. The chief of police is built like a brick house. When he slaps his palm on Austin’s shoulder in greeting, it almost knocks him over. Not that Austin would admit that.
“Mr. Zade, it is so good to see you at the benefit. Where is Mr. St. Cloud tonight?”
“He is on his way, and I wouldn’t miss this. The city’s improvement means a great deal to me,” Austin replies as he shakes the man’s hand.
“Your generous donation will go to good use, I promise you,” Peter gushes, more like a simping omega than the alpha he is.
“It better,” Austin replies.
Was it just me, or was there a bit of a growl in his tone? Maybe I am just that attuned to his moods.
“You remember Felix, don’t you?” Austin pulls me next to him, and I shake the beefy hand of the police chief. I don’t flinch when he squeezes, but I file it away for later knowledge. Why try to intimidate a beta? Nerves? Fear?
“Police Chief Peter, you are looking fine tonight,” I flirt, allowing my gaze to drop down his large body. Melody rolls her eyes to the ceiling and excuses herself as he puffs out his chest like a strutting peacock. It makes a grin spread over my lips. I moisten them and share a look with Austin before adding, “Would you like a drink?” I hold out my untouched glass to him, and he accepts.
“Felix, it is good to see you. We could use a man like you on the force.”
I hold in an eye roll and suck my lip ring into my mouth. If he had found me in the gutter, he probably would have kicked the shit out of me and left me there.
“For the right terms, I might be swayed.” I wink at him, and he flushes.
“Don’t try to steal my talent away,” Austin warns with a friendly-looking smile.
The chief stutters over his reply, “Oh, no, of course not, Mr. Zade.” But the way he eyes me makes my skin crawl. Still, I flirt some more.
“Is it stealing if I go willingly?” I ask.
“Maybe if the chief didn’t offer first,” Austin replies.
I flip my hair out of my eyes and wink at the man again. “Maybe we should have aprivatechat?”
He sputters, his face now redder than a tomato, if that is even possible. I hold back my laugh, and Austin taps my lower back, giving me the signal that he wants me to do just that.
“I have no fear you’ll leave me, Felix. Peter have thatchatif you’d like,” Austin says. “Oh, I believe Dean just arrived. Please excuse me.”
So not fair. I would love to go with him. Instead, my feet are rooted to the floor in front of the chief of police that we need to be distracted. The man leans into my space, and I hold my breath. He smells like overpowering aftershave, as if he decided that today was the day to take a shower in it.
“Felix, I think we could make you thrilled to be on the police force,” he says, picking up the conversation thread. I’m sure he means ‘he’ could make me very happy. He is wrong, but still.
“What do you have to offer that I don’t have with Mr. Zade and Mr. St. Cloud?”
Nothing. I don’t need to hear him reply to know the answer.
“Job security. A steady future. Although Mr. Zade has been very generous, he is still just amobster.” The way he lowers his voice and leans even closer on the last word has my act slipping for just a moment.
“Mr. Zade is my boss, so you better watch the way you speak about him or—” I narrow my gaze to the man who thinks he holds more power than he does.
