one. Why the hell didn’t she want to talk about her hometown?
As soon as he put the car in park, Alyssa jumped, race-walking for the club’s back door. The late-morning sun glared on the chipped black surface, framing Tyler. The bouncer looked tense. He glared when he caught sight of Luc.
“What’s going on?” she asked him as she approached and tried to brush past him.
Tyler grabbed her arms and pulled her against his body. Then he cupped her face in his hand, his mouth hovering a breath above hers.
Everything inside Luc railed at the sight. His mind screamed an order for Tyler to take his hands off Alyssa. Two facts hit him: First, she wasn’t Luc’s, so he had no say in who touched her. Second, she wasn’t fighting Tyler in the least.
He whispered something Luc couldn’t hear. In return, she nodded anxiously. Tyler hesitated, kissed her forehead, then took hold of her hand and reached for the door.
“What’s going on?” he asked the bouncer.
Tyler glared at him over his shoulder. “I’m responsible for her safety, and I take it very seriously. Go back to your fryalator.”
If he’d had any less control over his temper, Luc would have charged the bastard, despite the fact Tyler outweighed him by thirty pounds of muscle. Luc was sure he would have gotten in at least a few good swipes. But why give the asshole what he wanted?
“You give up your stand-up routine because you sucked?”
Alyssa jumped in between them, anger tightening her face. “Could you two stop it? Luc, someone broke into the club between last night’s close and Tyler’s arrival at ten this morning.”
Luc went dead cold inside. Pure coincidence that someone had stabbed her seat with a knife, then her club had been broken into mere hours—or minutes—later? He’d spent enough time with Jack and Cousin Deke. Coincidences made them uncomfortable, and Luc agreed.
“They barged in through an upstairs window. Remy and the boys came over, but so far it doesn’t look like anything was taken. Tyler is trying to figure out how someone bypassed the security system. I’ll have to call Jack and have him figure it out.”
“Deke told me that Jack and Morgan are visiting her mother in California,” Luc supplied.
Tyler clenched his jaw. “Shit.”
“I’ll call Deke and see when he can do it,” Luc offered.
Her wary blue eyes flitted his way. “Thanks.”
Before he could respond, Tyler dragged her inside. Eerie quiet reigned. No one else was inside. Luc didn’t like the interior’s vibe.
“Maybe someone who came for the anniversary celebration last night hid upstairs and let a buddy in after hours?” Alyssa suggested.
Tyler shook his head. “We always do a thorough sweep before locking up. And even if someone managed to elude us, opening a window from the inside would trip the alarm.”
“Did you find anything out of place?” Luc asked. “Any . . . messages?”
“Luc, I doubt they’re connected.”
“But you don’t know that they aren’t.”
JUST before eleven thirty, Alyssa followed Luc back outside to his SUV and they headed to Bonheur. The cloudy, muggy October day made the interior shadowy and stuffy. She hit the lights and started the overhead fans. Then she turned to Luc expectantly.
“The contractor is coming at two to fix the wall. Says he’ll be done by sixish. What next?” She made her way to the kitchen, flipping on those lights. “You want to talk about opening day’s specials? Tomorrow is coming fast.”
Luc followed. “Why would someone break into the club?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. Sometimes drunk frat boys get out of hand. I can’t afford to put too much energy into thinking about it now. That’s Tyler’s job. Yours is to make opening day successful. What else do I need to do?”
“Take this threat seriously.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around.
Alyssa raised a brow at him. He looked agitated, his breath coming fast. She blinked slowly, getting a
As soon as he put the car in park, Alyssa jumped, race-walking for the club’s back door. The late-morning sun glared on the chipped black surface, framing Tyler. The bouncer looked tense. He glared when he caught sight of Luc.
“What’s going on?” she asked him as she approached and tried to brush past him.
Tyler grabbed her arms and pulled her against his body. Then he cupped her face in his hand, his mouth hovering a breath above hers.
Everything inside Luc railed at the sight. His mind screamed an order for Tyler to take his hands off Alyssa. Two facts hit him: First, she wasn’t Luc’s, so he had no say in who touched her. Second, she wasn’t fighting Tyler in the least.
He whispered something Luc couldn’t hear. In return, she nodded anxiously. Tyler hesitated, kissed her forehead, then took hold of her hand and reached for the door.
“What’s going on?” he asked the bouncer.
Tyler glared at him over his shoulder. “I’m responsible for her safety, and I take it very seriously. Go back to your fryalator.”
If he’d had any less control over his temper, Luc would have charged the bastard, despite the fact Tyler outweighed him by thirty pounds of muscle. Luc was sure he would have gotten in at least a few good swipes. But why give the asshole what he wanted?
“You give up your stand-up routine because you sucked?”
Alyssa jumped in between them, anger tightening her face. “Could you two stop it? Luc, someone broke into the club between last night’s close and Tyler’s arrival at ten this morning.”
Luc went dead cold inside. Pure coincidence that someone had stabbed her seat with a knife, then her club had been broken into mere hours—or minutes—later? He’d spent enough time with Jack and Cousin Deke. Coincidences made them uncomfortable, and Luc agreed.
“They barged in through an upstairs window. Remy and the boys came over, but so far it doesn’t look like anything was taken. Tyler is trying to figure out how someone bypassed the security system. I’ll have to call Jack and have him figure it out.”
“Deke told me that Jack and Morgan are visiting her mother in California,” Luc supplied.
Tyler clenched his jaw. “Shit.”
“I’ll call Deke and see when he can do it,” Luc offered.
Her wary blue eyes flitted his way. “Thanks.”
Before he could respond, Tyler dragged her inside. Eerie quiet reigned. No one else was inside. Luc didn’t like the interior’s vibe.
“Maybe someone who came for the anniversary celebration last night hid upstairs and let a buddy in after hours?” Alyssa suggested.
Tyler shook his head. “We always do a thorough sweep before locking up. And even if someone managed to elude us, opening a window from the inside would trip the alarm.”
“Did you find anything out of place?” Luc asked. “Any . . . messages?”
“Luc, I doubt they’re connected.”
“But you don’t know that they aren’t.”
JUST before eleven thirty, Alyssa followed Luc back outside to his SUV and they headed to Bonheur. The cloudy, muggy October day made the interior shadowy and stuffy. She hit the lights and started the overhead fans. Then she turned to Luc expectantly.
“The contractor is coming at two to fix the wall. Says he’ll be done by sixish. What next?” She made her way to the kitchen, flipping on those lights. “You want to talk about opening day’s specials? Tomorrow is coming fast.”
Luc followed. “Why would someone break into the club?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. Sometimes drunk frat boys get out of hand. I can’t afford to put too much energy into thinking about it now. That’s Tyler’s job. Yours is to make opening day successful. What else do I need to do?”
“Take this threat seriously.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around.
Alyssa raised a brow at him. He looked agitated, his breath coming fast. She blinked slowly, getting a
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