Chapter 16 #3
Esperanza helped me load the unconscious Yarnells into the back seat of the Chrysler. We rolled down the windows so they wouldn’t die of heatstroke, and I dropped the keys on Buster’s gut.
I did that two-finger, point-to-my-eyes, I’m-watching-you thing I’d seen tough guys do in movies. “No more shooting arrows at people, understand?”
“Yes, Alpha.” Buster did an all-over body shiver. “But that wasn’t me. Honest.”
Esperanza’s eyes widened. “I felt that.”
“What the hell?” Buster gaped at me. “You gave me a command. H-How did you command me? You’re not a wolf.”
“Mason Hartman asked me the same thing when I did it to him. Best answer I have is the shifter gods decided to gift me all the bells and whistles that go along with being Alpha.” I shrugged, dusted off my shoulders. “See you around, Buster.”
“Brock. It’s Brock, godsdamn it.”
Esperanza tucked the gun back into her purse and walked me back to the Jade Dragon.
“Let’s go have lunch with Beau. Then we’ll drive over to Tex’s to take a look at that trailer. Some of my tenants have gotten bad deals on mobile homes at Tex’s. Ida says he’s as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, and I have no reason to doubt her.”
“Thanks. It did seem a little overpriced.”
We picked up the food, adding in a shrimp dish for Esperanza, and began the gritty walk to Beau’s shop.
“What was that about an arrow?”
“Pretty straightforward,” I replied. “Someone shot me in the shoulder with an arrow last week. Apparently, that someone was not Buster.”
Esperanza appeared horrified. “How did that happen? Who was on guard duty that night?”
I thought about telling her it was Ronan, but it wasn’t his fault I’d been shot. Could’ve happened no matter who was watching me, because I hadn’t been being careful. Kind of like today.
“Eh, let’s just say that’s when I started to get a little more serious about making sure Mason knows where I am at all times,” I said. “Speaking of, did he give you that gun?”
“It’s Dylan’s. He was worried about me.”
“Nice of him.”
“He’s a good guy,” she said shyly.
We reached the shop, and I held open the door, taking a moment to truly appreciate the astonishing disregard Beau had for his power bill.
“Shut the door,” Beau yelled, “you’re letting all the cold out!”
“Impossible. You could hang a side of beef in here.”
After lunch, I threatened a slimy mobile home salesman with writing a letter to the “County Consumer Concerns” editor at Smokethorn Valley Press about his business practices and got not only a better deal for Esperanza but a better trailer.
“Three bedroom single-wide and cheaper? That means I don’t have to share a room with Antonio,” she said, her grin wide and happy, as we exited the sales lot. “He’s going to be so excited. He’s never had his own room before.”
“Tell me about him,” I said.
“He’s smart and funny and adorable,” she said, and showed me a slideshow of photos that I awwed at. Antonio was a cute kid.
“His dad left when he found out I was pregnant. Showed up nine months later with a new girlfriend and signed over his parental rights.” She started her car, and we drove back to Beau’s, where I’d left mine. “Best case scenario. We haven’t missed him for a minute.”
Five minutes later, she pulled into the space next to my Mini. Her car rattled, coughed, and made some pretty disturbing squeaking sounds.
I’d have to help her get a new car—and soon. This hunk of junk needed a one-way trip to the dump. I shuddered to think of her and Antonio broken down on the road in this heat.
“Alpha.” She turned in the seat and smiled at me through tears. “You don’t know what you’ve done for me … how much it means. You even made it so that Dylan doesn’t need to move in to help me with rent. I bet he’ll be thrilled to keep his apartment. Antonio and I would’ve wrecked his social life.”
Uh oh. I had a feeling I’d just ruined Dylan’s plans to get closer to Esperanza. He was so not going to be happy with me.
I sighed. “You know he likes you, right?”
“Dylan? Of course I know. He’s my best friend.”
“Esperanza.” I hesitated. “I don’t think it’s a just friends sort of like.”
“I know.” The way she said it, in a nearly inaudible voice and with a slight lift of her shoulder, told me everything. “Dylan never lies to me.”
Obviously, there was more to whatever was going on between the two of them, but it was absolutely none of my business and gods knew I had enough on my plate without worrying about the love lives of my wolves.
“But you don’t want that.”
I really had a bad habit of not leaving well enough alone.
“Dylan’s the best.” She swiped at her eyes. “It’s just … complicated.”
That was as good a place as any to reverse my way out of the conversation. I could almost hear my mother saying, Don’t be a metiche, Betty. Mind your business.
“Hey, thanks for shooting Buster Gobble today. I appreciate it.”
She giggled, and the sound was light and bubbly, like champagne. “You’re welcome.”
I opened the door and stepped out.
“Betty?” Esperanza shoved her sunglasses up on her head and grinned at me, eyes sparkling. “I just want you to know, I’m really glad you’re my Alpha.”