Chapter Two #2
“I’ll ask her,” Law says, pulling out his phone. Even though Bane and I have known Rylee longer, it didn’t take long for Law to develop a soft spot for her. It’s difficult not to like being around her.
“You know Heath wouldn’t let anyone near her who isn’t thoroughly investigated,” I say.
“But he didn’t ask you to do it,” Law says as he messages her.
“He is capable of finding out on his own.” I have developed a skill with computers, and usually, Heath relies on me to find any information he needs. But if they were someone Rylee had known for a while, he would have made sure he approved.
“She’s not answering,” he mutters.
“If we need to step in tomorrow night, we will,” Bane says.
All of us will be at the fight, and Bane and I will run security.
Heath has a variety of fighters, and not all of them are shifters.
He's careful with how they are paired and will never allow a shifter to fight a human.
Bets will be placed, and anytime violence and money are involved, problems arise.
I'll be splitting my attention between my job and watching Law. He has enough scars on his body; he doesn’t need more.
We're all slightly broken, and we deal with it as best we can.
“Whoever it is, can’t be her mate,” Law grumbles.
“I don’t want to think about her mated,” Bane growls.
“None of us do,” I mumble.
We thrive on affection and can have multiple mates.
The universe decides your perfect match, who you will be with forever.
The mating bond shouldn’t be denied, and once you meet the one for you, it’s almost impossible to be without them.
Until the bond is completed and bites are exchanged, a yearning will develop that's hard to ignore. It doesn’t matter if you just met; our animals recognize our mate by scent, and a knowing begins.
Having a mate has been a fleeting thought occasionally, but I don’t dwell on how it would feel.
Making a safe life for my brothers and me has been my constant worry and goal.
We have been apart for much of our lives, fighting to get back to each other.
I would hate to be separated once again if I were to meet the one meant to be mine.
Many of the female shifters here have multiple mates, and I secretly hope that if it does happen, we can share her.
She would have to be someone very special to take on four feral jaguar shifters.
As we approach the restaurant, I feel Law’s tension return. He finds it difficult to be around so many strangers. The only thing I can do is stay close to him and lend my support. I pull into the spot beside Remy’s car and notice Heath is parked on the other side.
“Did you know Heath was coming?” Law asks as he opens his door.
“No.” I follow my brothers and lock the car.
I lead the way, holding the door open for them to enter the busy room.
There isn’t an empty table in sight. Law walks close to my back, and Bane stays within reach behind him.
I nod at the hostess, and she grabs some menus and motions for us to follow.
We have been here too many times to count, and Remy has instructed all his staff that we're family.
I glance around as we walk through the tables, watching for any threats.
The safety measure has been ingrained in me since I was a child.
She leads us to a room that's been blocked off, positioned slightly back from the rest of the space.
An archway separates the tables, giving an illusion of privacy, yet we're still able to see the other diners.
Heath sits at the table, his mate close to his side, watching our approach.
“It’s done,” he states, staring at me.
“Yes.” I sit opposite him, Bane to my right, and Law to my left, closest to the wall.
“Smoothly?” he asks.
“No problems,” Bane says, smiling at Jules.
“Juliana.” I nod.
“Hey, guys.” She smiles at us and leans against Heath. “Remy said he will be out soon.”
“Good, I’m starving,” Law mumbles, picking up his menu.
“Rylee is having a guest, as I’m sure you heard,” Heath says, tilting his head.
“What do we know about him?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“First, it’s a her,” he says, playing with Jules' fingers on the table. “I'll send you what I know about her. Rylee has known her for years. She told me about her quite a while ago, so I looked into her. She isn’t a threat.”
“Are you sure?” Bane asks.
“Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean shit,” Law grumbles. “Some of the most dangerous creatures are women.”
“That’s very true,” Jules says, grinning. “She has a friend, and she won’t like it if she's interrogated the moment you meet her.”
“We wouldn’t do that,” I say.
“Liar.” She laughs.
“We would,” Bane says, waving toward Heath. “He would too if he didn’t already have the information.”
“True,” Heath drawls.
“I expect all of you to be on your best behavior,” Jules says, narrowing her eyes.
“Best behavior for what?” Remy asks as he comes around the corner. He’s wearing a black suit and a red tie, not a hair out of place. “You're asking the wrong men to be civilized.” He smirks and stops beside Bane, resting his hand on his shoulder.
“Rylee is having a friend visit,” Law says. Remy moves around us, touching my back before stopping behind Law, gripping his shoulders. “We don’t like it.”
“That’s not surprising,” Remy says dryly, and releases Law.
“You all act like the woman is going to kidnap her,” Jules says.
“We like to be prepared for anything.” I watch Law’s lips twitch. He likes Juliana and respects Heath. He's slowly opening up and becoming more comfortable around them.
“Put the menu down, Law,” Remy says, squeezing his neck before walking back the way he came. “I know what you like.” He disappears into the back.
I finally relax as the conversation flows around the table.
Jules is good for all of us. She isn’t scared of us, and why would she be?
Her mate is deadly. She charms Law into a discussion about all his favorite foods.
Bane asks Heath about the details of tomorrow’s fights.
There will be three different matches, and he likes to be prepared.
Heath pays us to make sure everything goes smoothly, and we take our jobs seriously.
There will be blood, anger, and a roaring crowd to control.
The bar will be busy, and the drinks will be consumed.
When you mix gorgeous women, alcohol, and money, there is bound to be some asshole who gets out of line.
My jaguar is prowling inside me, humming with energy, and I wonder why. He must sense something.
I’ll have to be ready for anything.