Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
Nolan wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans, sitting on the barstool and watching the bar in the mirror behind Quin’s back. He was freaking out, no doubt about it, but this was going to work. It had to work because he needed to be out from under the cloud that hung over his head.
Ryder sat next to him, appearing for all the world like he didn’t want to be there, and he was bored out of his skull. Nolan knew better. He could feel the tension pouring off Ryder in waves. He knew Warrick, Con, and Race were sprinkled around the room too, waiting to kick some asshole ass.
I’m not very good at this, am I?
Nonsense. Ryder chuffed silently. You’re doing great. You’re supposed to be nervous, remember? We’re giving you back.
Right. Which was the most ridiculous thing ever. Why on earth would you give me back now that you have me?
I know! I think, though, that you have me. Ryder’s chuckle was warm and soothed him, and it sort of hit him all of a sudden — Nothing bad was going to happen here.
Nothing.
Ryder picked up his beer. That’s right. Well, something’s going to happen, but it’s not going to be to you, and it’s going to be kind of fun.
Wicked bear.
The bar door opened, and Herschel strutted in with a couple of his friends, all leather and chains and bluster, and Nolan didn’t fight his urge to tense up.
He was supposed to be scared. That would make Herschel more confident.
That’s him, Nolan told Rye.
Excellent. Who are the other two?
Friends of his. Sycophants. They think they’re tough.
Ryder didn’t hide his grin. Do they now? That’s adorable.
Herschel didn’t waste any time, muscled right up to him, growling low. “You thought you’d run away, did you?”
Nolan’s nose wrinkled. Goddess, the stench of ugliness poured off him. “I just wanted you to leave me alone. I told you that.”
“You’re mine, and I’m not giving you up, you little bitch.” Herschel reached for him, and Nolan pulled away, brushing the man’s hand off him. “You listen to me. I will not be embarrassed.”
“You’re sort of pre-embarrassed for your own convenience, aren’t you?” Suddenly Nolan didn’t feel the need to do this, to pretend he was going back. He was tired of running, tired of being worried, and tired of being scared.
He stood, his bear right there below the surface, strong and sure. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Last time I checked, I wasn’t fucking chattel. I can get up and go and do and be whoever the fuck I want to, and you can stick that up your ass, sit on it, and spin.”
Oh, damn. That felt so good.
After his speech, couple of things happened all at once. Or at least that was how it felt, as if he’d started a chain reaction and things moved around him like crazy.
Herschel went to slap him, Ryder caught the slap in one huge hand, one of the other men with Herschel raised a knife, and the wolf from behind the bar pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and leveled it at Herschel’s head.
It was like a wonderfully choreographed dance that Nolan was seeing in slow motion.
Then everyone in the bar seemed to move as one — like white blood cells recognizing a germ and surrounding and extracting it to protect the body.
“I said no.” He stood there, and he knew he sounded strong as he felt. “I said no!”
His bear came out of him in a wild rush, and his paws came up as he shoved Herschel.
Hard.
Herschel roared as he staggered back, and he had the nerve to try to shift but it was like some sort of movie scene.
Giant men who were half bear at that moment just piled on top of him and his friends, taking them all down, removing any weapons they brandished and holding them against the floor.
Herschel and his buddies didn’t even have time to get their muzzles out all the way.
Holy shit, Ryder and his brothers could move fast.
“If you don’t want Quin to shoot you, I suggest you stay down, you motherfucker.” Ryder shoved Herschel’s head down against the floor, face first. The voice had been deadly calm, but everyone could tell he was anything but placid at this moment.
Herschel struggled for a few seconds but, like always, when face to face with direct opposition, he folded. The bluster burnt itself out eventually, and he just laid there.
His friends cursed a lot, kind of a blue streak actually, but Quin came around to casually kick one of them in the ribs.
“Shut up. I don’t put up with that kind of bullshit in my bar.
Take them away guys. In fact take him to our friends in the police department.
The ones who deal with sexual predators.
I’m sure there are plenty of people who will come forward to call these guys abusers.
” Quin bared his teeth, his growl truly impressive.
A bunch of the bikers who had helped subdue the guys put zip ties around their wrists and hauled them to their feet, including Herschel, who was spitting foul nonsense at him.
“You’re fucking mine, you little fuck. I’m never gonna let you go. I’m always coming back for you.”
“You’re gonna be lucky if they ever let you out of a jail cell.
You’re not going to end up having a trial, you know that, right?
” Ryder grinned, his bear receding enough so his human face showed a sneering expression.
“And for the record, Nolan belongs to himself and no one else. But he’s my mate, and if you come near him again I will kill you. ”
Herschel actually went pale because Ryder was fucking huge and intimidating and a real alpha, not a fake one. God, that was the hottest thing Nolan had ever seen.
Nolan just tucked himself under Ryder’s arm, and he put an arm around his mate’s waist, loving how solid and protective he was, even though Nolan felt like he’d held his own today. Like a princess who saved herself in a movie.
As soon as Herschel and his asshole friends were dragged out of the bar by a big group of bikers, Ryder turned and shook Quin’s hand—the one not holding the sawed-off shotgun— “The drinks are on me, guys.”
The cheer went up, and the bar area got really, really crowded all of a sudden, shifters and humans shouting drink orders. Warrick and Connal sidled over to them, grinning, both of them brushing the invisible dust off themselves.
“That was some asshole stank,” Con said.
“No shit.” War clapped Ryder on the back, then kissed Nolan’s cheek. “Good job Nolan.”
Nolan ducked his head, struggling to let go of his bear, which was receding as they spoke. “Thanks.” His clothes had stayed mostly intact despite the fact that he’d sort of beared out. It was a good thing he’d worn oversized shit to the bar. “What happens now?”
“The omega rescue pipeline will handle those assholes.” That was Quin, who handed the shotgun back across the bar to one of his busy bartenders. “Right, Race?”
To his shame, Nolan had forgotten Race was even there. He looked at his brother, his eyebrows going up. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine. I’m proud of you. You really stood up for yourself. I was waiting in the wings to see if they needed a sneak attack from me. I figured if he saw me it would just make it worse.”
Nolan nodded. Sometimes he forgot how patient and covert Race could be, but it was a good thing because it had gotten them both out of more trouble than he could remember. “You’ll help get rid of them?”
“I won’t have to with those three, but now is the time to hit his organization to make sure he doesn’t have anybody else like you were trapped there.”
Race headed for the door, and Nolan did get the idea that he was kind of pissed off, but he didn’t want to interfere. Race was an island sometimes.
“Hey, wait a minute.” Con reached out and grabbed Race’s arm as he went by. “What the fuck does that mean? You’re leaving?”
“That’s exactly what it means. I need to get out there before word gets back to the den that he runs.” Race spat the words out, yanking away from Con’s grip. “And I don’t need your help.”
Con blinked, and Nolan thought he saw hurt for a second on the sweet face before it disappeared under a wide grin. “Too bad. You’re getting some. Let’s go.” Connal hopped down from his barstool.
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Race backed off, hands in the air.
“I’m coming with you, and you can’t tell me no. I mean, I’ll just follow you if you do.”
This is going to be a tremendous amount of fun. Ryder grinned at him when Nolan glanced over, and he had to admit it was probably true.
His brother wasn’t going to know what hit him.
He put his hand in to Rye’s, gripping tightly. And you and I are going to have all the fun as well.
Oh baby, you have no idea. We’re going to be amazing together.
I believe you. I love you so much already, it scares me.
They got lost in staring at each other, and it wasn’t until Warrick cleared his throat they realized that Race and Con were gone.
“You want me to take you guys home, or you got this, bro?”
“If you want to stay here and make sure things are going okay and just have a beer, I can get Nolan home.” Ryder’s expression said he wanted to take Nolan by himself, and Nolan was down with that.
Completely.
Ryder all but picked him up, carrying him with one arm around his waist out toward the parking lot. Nolan got it. He understood the urgency because right now he needed Ryder so badly he could barely stand it.
He needed to touch, to connect, to prove that he was still there with Ryder, and that he was safe, but also that Ry wanted him after seeing what Herschel did, what the asshole said about him.
“I could never think less of you because of him,” Ryder told him. “This bullshit is all on him. It’s not on you.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t wonder why he chose me, what it is about me that caused him to be so awful.” He clung to Ryder’s ribs, wanting to be warm and safe with his mate. He was shaking with reaction now that it was over.
“He chose you because you’re amazing and magical, and he knew it and wanted to hurt a beautiful thing. It’s in his nature to want to destroy that, baby. But you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“It may also have been because of my brothers, but I can’t blame them for it. They both got out, and I’m glad.” Long complicated history there, and Ryder would learn it because they were family now, but some of it wasn’t his story to tell.
“I’m sure that will all work itself out, baby. It doesn’t matter to me right now. What matters is you, and I love you.”
They climbed onto Ryder’s bike, and he put on the helmet Ryder handed him before leaning against his mate and putting his cheek between Ryder’s shoulder blades. “Take me home, bear.”
“Anything, love, anything you need.”
And as they zoomed off into the night, he could believe that statement because Ryder’s voice rang with truth.