Chapter 8
Heading back to Roxy’s was the last thing Malcolm wanted to do right now. At least, that was what he was telling himself. The very short period of time with Clare in the kitchen had left him confused and, quite frankly, a little fucked up. For a speck of a moment, he felt like a normal man, not the piece of shit coward he knew he was. Jamie walking in was a gut punch of reality that had him cursing all the way back to the shop.
Now, he was once again heading over to the one place he didn’t want to be because Dell called a meeting. Another fucking meeting. Damn, how in the hell did anyone here get anything done with all the meetings. The first transmission went smoothly, but this one was being a bitch, and it was pissing him off.
Walking inside, he spotted Dell standing toward the back with Hunter, Marcus, Devon, and Garrett. A few other customers were inside drinking coffee. The garage wasn’t big, and Dell didn’t like having meetings at his home, so Roxy’s was usually where they met up. The door opened; he glanced over his shoulder to see Taz coming in behind him.
“You’re late.” Hunter grinned as Malcolm walked up and leaned against the wall beside him.
“Yeah, well, I was on time at the last fifty meetings we had this week,” Malcolm grumbled, his eyes searching the room. A few people were drinking coffee, totally ignoring them as if this was an everyday occurrence, which it was starting to be.
“Who shit on your parade?” Hunter snorted, giving him a sideways glance.
“I have a feeling you’re about to,” Malcolm mumbled, and he was right. Hunter never let a chance go by when he could shit on someone’s parade.
“The reason we have so many meetings, as you’ve pointed out, is to keep the chaos in our town down.” Hunter supplied him with an explanation Malcolm never asked for.
“Chaos?” Malcolm couldn’t help but give a sarcastic laugh. “I have not seen one ounce of chaos in this town.” Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Did the chaos he himself brought into town when he first arrived count?
“Hence the meetings,” Hunter replied with a roll of his eyes, but then he frowned. “Though you do have a point. We have been having a lot of fucking meetings lately.”
The kitchen door opened, and he watched as Clare came out with a tray full of food. It took everything he had not to push away from the wall and take the tray from her, knowing that her fingers had to be on fire from the weight. He searched her face, but instead of pain, she wore a smile as she walked toward the table and began passing out the customer’s food. She talked and laughed as she did so. Once all the food was off the tray, he watched as she clenched her hand a few times, indicating that she was, in fact, in pain and hiding it.
“The meeting started.” Hunter leaned over, gaining his attention with a smirk as he looked at Clare, then back at him, raising his eyebrows up and down.
“You trying to piss me off?” Malcolm glared.
“Is it working?” Hunter asked, then laughed.
“If you two ladies are finished, I’ll continue.” Dell’s irritated voice drew their attention.
“Heard every word, boss.” Hunter looked away from Malcolm with a huge grin.
“I seriously doubt that,” Dell said, then held up his hand before Hunter tried to repeat what was said, but of course, that didn’t work.
“You said, and I quote, Taz found evidence that someone is snooping around on the outskirts of town…end quote,” Hunter said, looking damn proud of himself. “Doubt me, I think not. I am multi-hearing.”
“What in the fuck are you talking about?” Marcus sighed, shaking his head.
“I can talk and hear a conversation at the same time.” Hunter looked at Marcus like he was the dumbest asshole on the planet. “Multi-hearing.”
“Will you two shut the fuck up.” Garrett sighed, rubbed his forehead, and then looked at Dell. “Damn, glad you’re in charge of these assholes now.”
Dell grunted at that and proceeded. “As I was saying,” Dell gave Hunter a glare.
“Which I heard every word,” Hunter mumbled under his breath.
“Taz found evidence of someone circling the town. I want everyone to be aware of anything suspicious at all times, including any new people who don’t seem to belong. These are the normal things we look for, but I want it at a higher level. I also want to extend the patrols further out. It may be nothing, but our job is to ensure everyone under our protection is safe.”
“How did you find tracks if it’s not our regular patrolling area?” Malcolm asked, intrigued. He had heard of Taz’s skills and would love to learn more from him on tracking.
“Taz could find a single rabbit turd in an open field,” Hunter added, looking at Malcolm straight-faced. “He’s that talented.”
“Thanks,” Taz said with a half grin. “I think.”
“A rabbit turd?” Devon chuckled, shaking his head. “Where in the fuck do you come up with this shit?”
“What can I say?” Hunter cranked his neck back and forth like a prize fighter. “I’m gifted in many things.”
“Like multi-hearing?” Marcus rolled his eyes with a snort. “You’re full of shit.”
“Shut the hell up and listen,” Dell ordered with a growl. He then looked toward Garrett, who leaned against the wall, looking relaxed with a smirk on his face. “You want your job back?”
“No, I’m good,” Garrett said with the same smirk. “You’re doing a fine job. Beat the shit out of the one talking so much, and that will quiet the others down.”
“Yeah, right.” Marcus snorted with a rolling of his eyes. “Hunter talks during an ass beating.”
“And that is called multi-talking,” Hunter replied with confidence. “Very gifted.”
Malcolm couldn’t helpbut grin. These meetings were definitely different from the meetings he had in the past. There was no blood…yet, and no one was getting shot point-blank in the face. Yeah, definitely a change.”
“I’m not only extending out the perimeter, but I’m adding another patrol time,” Dell announced, giving Hunter a warning glare as if saying not to interrupt him. “You guys stay on your patrols but extend them a half-mile from Peterman’s old place, cut down the back end of Clare’s house where the creek runs, and then head back up around the town a half-mile wide. Roslyn and I will take the extra patrol with some of the recruits.”
“I talked to Jonah earlier this morning,” Garrett commented, looking at Dell. “About five new guys are coming in with him sometime tomorrow or the next day.”
“Fresh meat.” Hunter rubbed his hands together just as Clare walked up with a tray of steaming cups of coffee.
Once again, Malcolm had to fight not to take the heavy-looking tray from Clare. He looked around for Jamie, wondering why she wasn’t carrying the tray, but she was nowhere in sight. Glancing back at Clare, he saw her wince. Fuck it. Pushing off the wall, he took the tray out of her hand.
“Where is Jamie?” He asked, setting the tray on the table. “Make her carry these trays.”
“I think Clare can handle a tray, man,” Hunter said, but Malcolm ignored him as he stared at Clare, whose cheeks reddened slightly.
“I’m fine,” Clare whispered, then cleared her throat. “It doesn’t really hurt that much.”
“Don’t lie,” Malcolm whispered back cocking his eyebrow and ignoring the stares they were getting. “I saw you wince more than once.”
Clare looked up at him, a frown on her lips. “I don’t lie.” She said, and then the frown started to reverse into a small smile at his disbelieving glare. “Fib a little, but I don’t lie.”
“Same thing.” Malcolm retorted as a smile began to break through his scowl. “Thanks for the coffee. Where does this tray go?”
“You’re welcome.” She replied with a nod, then looked confused. “And what?”
“I’m taking the tray back for you,” Malcolm said, still holding it. “Where does it go?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Clare sighed, grabbing for the tray, but he moved it out of her reach. He cocked his eyebrow again, waiting for her answer. “In the kitchen.”
With a nod, he walked past her toward the kitchen, leaving his cup of coffee on one of the tables. Stepping past the door, he saw Jamie pulling something out of the oven. Heading to the counter, he placed the tray down. “Clare shouldn’t be carrying those trays.”
Jamie glanced over her shoulder in surprise. “She said she was fine.”
“She lied,” Malcolm grunted, heading back out the door, almost running into Clare, who was coming in.
“Fibbed.” Clare frowned, then sidestepped at the same time Malcolm did.
“Same thing.” He repeated his response from earlier. He stepped to the other side just as she did.
“I just burnt my fingers.” They did the dance again, trying to get past each other. “I didn’t chop them off.”
“You almost did the other day,” Jamie added with a tsked. “Came damn close. She’s a little reckless in the kitchen.”
“I did not, and I am not.” Clare stepped one more time and was quicker than Malcolm passing by him.
Jamie chuckled with a genuine smile. “Fibber,” she said to Clare, then looked at Malcolm, as did Clare.
Realizing he was just standing there like an idiot when both women stood there as if waiting for him to say something, Malcolm narrowed his eyes at Jamie. “Switch with her.” He said, then turned and left.
Walking back to the meeting, he grabbed his coffee and took a long drink, quenching his dry throat. Dropping the coffee cup from his lips, he noticed everyone staring at him. “She burnt her fingers and shouldn’t be carrying anything heavy.”
“It’s not like she lost a fucking finger,” Hunter said, eyeing Malcolm closely. “I mean, she’s pretty tough, dude.”
Ignoring Hunter, who constantly had something to say about every fucking thing, Malcolm finished off his coffee and sat it down on the table. He then looked at Dell. “We finished here?”
“Pretty much,” Dell replied, looking at him a little strange.
Malcolm nodded, then turned but caught Devon giving him that fucking smirk. “You got something to say?”
Devon shook his head slowly, the smirk still on his lips. “Nope.”
“Then wipe that fucking smirk off your face before I upset Jamie by punching those perfect white ass teeth down your throat,” Malcolm warned before turning away and walking toward the exit.
Before the door shut, he heard Hunter asking if Devon was going to let that threat go. He didn’t hear Devon’s answer. Didn’t really give a shit. He knew where to find him if Devon wanted an ass-kicking. Honestly, he would be in full agreement because he wanted to punch something so badly that he could taste it. His feelings for Clare were getting stranger by the minute and a little out of control. They were all correct. Clare only had burnt fingers but seeing her in pain caused him to lose his shit and act like some fucking moron in love.
That last word stopped him dead in his tracks. No! Malcolm even shook his head at that thought. Love was not for him. Everyone he had ever loved was either dead or he fucked over in some way. It never failed.
“No!” He cursed this time out loud as he walked quickly toward the woods. He needed to run, get out of his skin, and shift. Letting his wolf free was the one true way to get out of his own head and away from the past. The quicker he accepted the fact that happiness, family, and a normal life were not in his future, the better off he would be.
Clare’s smiling face floated through his memory just as he jumped and shifted midair. His wolf howled as he hit the forest floor and then took off, not looking back.