30. Chapter 30 - Regina
Chapter 30 - Regina
I t’s been a week since Chayce and I mated. It is still taking me a while to get used to that term. He and the alphas have been working tirelessly to find whoever this person is prowling around town and breaking into businesses. From the little he has told me, the thefts have continued, possibly increasing, in addition to an increase in the number of tracks in various sections of town. He gets up early and comes home late. Chayce keeps promising me that he will take me out for a nice dinner as soon as things settle down. By the time he gets home, he is just too exhausted to do anything but eat, shower, and go to bed.
We have fallen into an easy routine. We enjoy dinner every night, making conversation and getting to know each other.
The insurance company finally made it out and looked at my car, approving the repairs. Kyle, through Chayce, has let me know that as soon as the parts arrive, which should be about another two weeks, he will get my car fixed. Chayce never mentioned if they found any trackers Jaygon might have put on my vehicle. Afraid of what the answer might be, I never asked.
Rafferty has most of my apartment packed up. Telling my landlord a little white lie that I got transferred for work got me out of my lease with no penalties. Raff updates me every few days and has informed me that Jaygon is still missing. Rafferty also said there has been no activity on his bank accounts, credit cards, or cellphone. They aren’t sure if he might be using a burner phone or what, but he is in the wind, practically disappearing off the face of the Earth.
Because of this, Chayce won’t let me go anywhere alone. Just a trip to the grocery store requires a guard. Brady and Adyr have been working nights, alternating between them. Usually, if I need to go anywhere, one of them takes me.
My ringing cell phone snaps me out of my daydream. A smile crosses my face when I see it’s Emmalee.
“Where are you?” I ask, a smile spreading broadly across my face.
She laughs as she answers, “Looking at a gazebo in the middle of some nowhere town.”
“You’re here!” I screech, jumping to my feet. No doubt I just broke her eardrum.
“Yes, just pulled into town,” Emma says, a bit of awe in her voice. “Where are you?”
“I am at home,” I tell her, a little disappointed that I can’t give her a guided tour around Padston. “If you stay on Main Street, on the second block, on the right-hand side, is the Whiskey Genie. Park the car—I will be there as soon as I can get a ride,” I tell her, my mind scrambling on who I can call. I start to rush around, pulling out some fresh clothes. Since I wasn’t sure she would make it in today, I didn’t bother to fix myself up after my shower.
“Okay, see you soon,” she says, disconnecting the call.
Hanging up with Em and dialing Brady’s number, I start primping myself.
“What’s up, sister?” Brady asks cheerily. All of the guys have taken to calling me sister since Chayce officially announced our mating.
“Can you please come and get me?” I ask in my most persuasive voice. “I need to go to the Whiskey Genie.”
Brady hesitates, “Uhm, why?” he questions, drawing out the word why.
“Emma just pulled into town. She is going to be using the apartment upstairs. I need to say hello and help her get settled,” I explain. “I also need to get my stuff from her car,” I add on for good measure. “ And have some girl time ,” I say to myself, but not out loud, knowing that if he knows we are going into the Genie for drinks, his answer would be no.
“Have you told Chayce?” Brady asks, pissing me off now.
My movement halts, my anger getting the better of me.
“He is my mate, not my keeper,” I seethe. “I am an adult and am not required to report to him at all hours of the day.” My chest heaves by the time my tirade ends. Calming down a little, I add, “Besides, I don’t want to bother him while they are still looking for the prowler.”
“Fuck!” Brady exclaims, and I know that I have won this argument. “I will be there in ten.”
He hangs up with no more comment. Flitting around our bedroom and bathroom, I scramble to get ready, excited to see my best friend.
Stepping inside the Whiskey Genie, it isn’t a surprise to find that Em has attracted the attention of the few people there. Gypsy has her head tipped back in laughter at something she has said. Approaching the duo with Brady following as my shadow, I know the moment Emmalee spots me. Em jumps from her chair, meeting me halfway, wrapping her arms tightly around my body. We sway back and forth as we hug. Tears pool in my eyes as it occurs to me how alone I have really felt until now.
We separate, each climbing into a bar stool. Emma’s eyes pop out of her head, letting me know she has spotted Brady. Her gaze is locked on him, and she takes him in from head to toe.
“Emmalee, this is Brady, one of Chayce’s brothers. Brady, this is my best friend, Emmalee Martin,” I wave my hand back and forth between the pair as I do introductions.
“Hell-o,” she says in a sultry voice as she continues to gawk at Brady. Gypsy laughs at Emma’s antics, shaking her head back and forth as she pours us drinks.
“I thought you were bad,” Gypsy says, addressing me. “Your girl here is going to start a lot of fights around here,” she continues with a smile. Gypsy reaches under the bar, pulling out a clipboard with a chart of some kind on it. At my questioning look, she holds her hand out. “It’s a pool,” she explains. “We don’t have much to do around here, so we gamble on anything and everything we can. If you have a guy in mind, you can bet on that person. If you want to wager on the type of shifter, you can do that. Other things you can bet on—time of the first fight, who will be in the fight, the winner…you get my point,” Gypsy says, her voice trailing off, letting me fill in the gaps.
Giving my friend a sidelong glance, a wicked smile comes over my face. Pulling a twenty from my pocket and handing it to Gypsy, I place my bet.
“Fight, one hour… Madox and Hoyt…” Emma’s mouth is gaping open at me. “Mate, Jorden,” I say with a smirk in Emma’s direction. She gives me a raised eyebrow in response.
Gypsy writes it all down, laughing as she takes my money.
“Who is Jorden? Em asks because that is the most important part of the conversation.
Opening my mouth to answer, Gypsy beats me to it. “You’ll see,” she says to Emmalee, giving her a quick wink before moving down the bar to refill someone’s glass.
Emmalee narrows her eyes at me, and I stick my tongue out at her in retaliation. Both of us end in a fit of laughs.
We have one drink before deciding that it’s best to unload her car; if not, get Emma unpacked before we do anything else. Brady, bless him, helps with a lot of stuff. The handful of boxes that are mine he transferred into his truck to be taken home later.
Emma takes a quick shower, washing the road off herself. Putting the lid down, I sit on the toilet so we can talk as she gets ready. Nostalgia hits me, and I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I try to reign in my feelings. Heading back downstairs, Brady opens his mouth, but seeing my expression, he snaps it closed again without saying a word. Smart man. If Emmalee notices the exchange between the two of us, she doesn’t comment.
Walking back into the Whiskey Genie, a lot of heads swing in our direction. It’s more crowded inside the bar than it was just a little while ago. The hair on the back of my neck rises as a sense of unease washes over me. Trying to be covert, I only use my eyes to look around the room. Unfortunately, my presence in town has been too short for me to really see anything, or anyone, out of the ordinary. Maybe I can convince Chayce to have a party so I can meet more people.
“I know that look,” Emmalee whispers. “What are you up to?” she asks, pausing to take a drink as she sits with her glass halfway to her mouth. Gypsy had our drinks waiting for us as we returned to the chairs we were in earlier.
“Something seems off, but I can’t put my finger on it,” I whisper. Emmalee starts to look around the room, but after a quick bump to her knee, with my own, she stops. “By the way, they all have enhanced hearing around here, so watch what you say and how loud you say it,” I caution.
Emmalee’s lips tip up on one side, letting me know she is saving that little tidbit for later. Despite not intending to, my words are like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Raising her glass in my direction in a silent salute, my head tilts back when I laugh.
“That sound is something a man could get used to hearing,” a deep voice chimes in from behind me. My head whips to the side, finding Chayce standing there. Stepping closer, he wraps an arm around my shoulder while kissing the side of my head.
“Awwww, you guys are too cute,” Emma says a little too loudly as she makes kissy faces and us.
Several people around us snicker at her words.
“Emmalee Monroe, this is Chayce Galloway, my mate. Chayce, this is my best friend in the universe, Emmalee.”
The two of them exchange pleasantries as Gypsy hands Chayce a beer.
“Is it safe to assume that Brady told you we were here?” I ask Chayce as I shoot a glare at an unapologetic-looking Brady standing behind him. Chayce nods as he takes a pull off his beer.
“Yes,” he answers, pausing before continuing to speak. “How long are you planning on staying?”
For some reason, his question, while innocent enough, has my dander up. My words are sharper than necessary, especially in a crowded bar full of people with advanced hearing.
“Until I am ready to leave,” I bite out in response.
Gypsy breaks the tension building between us as she passes by us, dropping off beers and cocktails as she goes.
“You don’t win the bet if you start the fight.”
Both Emma and I break out into fits of laughter as Chayce’s brown furrow. My shoulder sags, realizing what happened, making me feel like shit. Pulling the front of his shirt down, forcing our faces together, I whisper in his ear.
“I am sorry. Brady gave me a lecture earlier, making it sound as if I wasn’t allowed to leave the house,” I explain. “You hit a nerve.”
Instead of responding with words, Chayce spins the barstool so I am facing him. Cradling my face with both hands, he leans in, giving me a sultry kiss that makes my cheeks heat and my panties wet. In true best friend fashion, Em starts clapping and cheering, causing the entire bar to get in on the act. When Chayce breaks the kiss, my forehead hits the middle of his chest, trying to hide my embarrassment.
“You are a troublemaker, aren’t you?” Chayce asks Emmalee.
“What can I say?” she quips with a shrug. “I play to my strengths.”
Now it’s Chayce’s turn to toss his head back in laughter. Gypsy approaches us, clipboard in hand. Waving it in the air, she taunts Chayce.
“Sheriff, do you want to place a bet?” she asks him, waving the clipboard in the air as she gives me a wink.