and if it wasn’t for Damon, I doubt they’d tolerate having me in here if I wasn’t on business.
Still, that was definitely a smile on her face.
Okay.
I was about ready to smile back at her when Damon appeared at my side and stroked a hand down my back. “Food will be ready in another five minutes.”
“That’s quick,” I said, looking away from the girl.
Forget the confusion of her smile.
I had the pleasure of his now.
He flicked one of my earrings. “Were you here long?”
“Nope. Not very. Five, maybe ten minutes.”
He glanced over to where Chang was sitting. “And Chang was here.”
I sighed. “We can talk about this later, right?”
“Nothing to talk about, Kit,” he said.
But he wasn’t being entirely truthful.
I knew it as well as he did.
One of the shifter cats—I think his name was Grayson—approached and I was glad. I didn’t have to find something else to talk about, or try and act like I wasn’t aggravated with him if he suggested that I should have let his good buddy Chang handle things.
“Alpha.”
I squeezed Damon’s hand. “I’ll wait at the bar.”
He didn’t let go. “I’m rather engaged at the moment.” He was staring at Grayson, an unyielding look in his eyes.
“It won’t take long,” Grayson said quietly, ducking his head respectfully. “I could buy the girl a drink and—”
“The girl has a name.” Damon’s eyes were gleaming now, and I knew that gleam meant dangerous things.
I tried to tug my hand away again, discreetly. When he didn’t let go this time, I gave up.
“I came here to have dinner and couple hours away with my lady,” Damon said, not bothering to keep his voice low or even polite. He awarded the entire bar a dark look. “It’s kind of been shot to hell, as you all can see, but that doesn’t mean I don’t plan on salvaging it. If anybody has business with me, they can see to it in the normal way. Not when I’m trying to have a fucking meal.”
He paused and looked back at Grayson.
The man had gone pale, the skin around his eyes all tight and he was twisted a ragged old baseball cap in his hands in a way that made me think he was going to shred it if he wasn’t careful.
“Is that understood?” Damon asked, this time directing the question at the man in front of us.
“Yes, Alpha.” He nodded, the gesture jerky, nervous. I started to feel bad for him but as Damon went to guide me away, I caught the look he sent me from under his lashes.
Yeah, the resentment I saw simmering in his eyes was enough to smash any sympathy I might have had. I would have been fine giving him a few damn minutes. If he wanted to get his tail in a twist, he could get mad at Damon.
Like that would happen.
“Got your food ready, Alpha,” Drake said from behind the bar.
As the two of us crossed the floor, I noticed that hardly anybody was looking at him, at either of us, really.
“Does anybody call you by your name anymore, Damon?” I asked as he pulled some money from his pocket and tossed it on the bar.
“Sure. Smart-assed little hired killers do.” He slid me a sidelong smile as he grabbed the bags from the counter. “Thanks, Drake.”
“Well, I’m not going to call you Alpha.”
“Yeah. Hell would freeze over. I’m aware.” He glanced around and caught Chang’s gaze, nodded shortly.
Chang inclined his head.
It seemed the two of them could carry on entire conversations with just a look. Sometimes it weirded me out. Like now. And when I was already nervous and edgy from what had happened earlier.
When I was nervous, I tended to run my mouth.
Falling into step alongside Damon, I glanced over at him. “By the way, I’ll have you know, I hardly ever take on contract killings.”
He paused in his tracks and then looked at me. “Contract killings. Shit.” Then he shook his head. “I don’t want to think about that.”
“Hell, how did you think a hired killer did it?” I shrugged. “It’s not like I can just stand on
Still, that was definitely a smile on her face.
Okay.
I was about ready to smile back at her when Damon appeared at my side and stroked a hand down my back. “Food will be ready in another five minutes.”
“That’s quick,” I said, looking away from the girl.
Forget the confusion of her smile.
I had the pleasure of his now.
He flicked one of my earrings. “Were you here long?”
“Nope. Not very. Five, maybe ten minutes.”
He glanced over to where Chang was sitting. “And Chang was here.”
I sighed. “We can talk about this later, right?”
“Nothing to talk about, Kit,” he said.
But he wasn’t being entirely truthful.
I knew it as well as he did.
One of the shifter cats—I think his name was Grayson—approached and I was glad. I didn’t have to find something else to talk about, or try and act like I wasn’t aggravated with him if he suggested that I should have let his good buddy Chang handle things.
“Alpha.”
I squeezed Damon’s hand. “I’ll wait at the bar.”
He didn’t let go. “I’m rather engaged at the moment.” He was staring at Grayson, an unyielding look in his eyes.
“It won’t take long,” Grayson said quietly, ducking his head respectfully. “I could buy the girl a drink and—”
“The girl has a name.” Damon’s eyes were gleaming now, and I knew that gleam meant dangerous things.
I tried to tug my hand away again, discreetly. When he didn’t let go this time, I gave up.
“I came here to have dinner and couple hours away with my lady,” Damon said, not bothering to keep his voice low or even polite. He awarded the entire bar a dark look. “It’s kind of been shot to hell, as you all can see, but that doesn’t mean I don’t plan on salvaging it. If anybody has business with me, they can see to it in the normal way. Not when I’m trying to have a fucking meal.”
He paused and looked back at Grayson.
The man had gone pale, the skin around his eyes all tight and he was twisted a ragged old baseball cap in his hands in a way that made me think he was going to shred it if he wasn’t careful.
“Is that understood?” Damon asked, this time directing the question at the man in front of us.
“Yes, Alpha.” He nodded, the gesture jerky, nervous. I started to feel bad for him but as Damon went to guide me away, I caught the look he sent me from under his lashes.
Yeah, the resentment I saw simmering in his eyes was enough to smash any sympathy I might have had. I would have been fine giving him a few damn minutes. If he wanted to get his tail in a twist, he could get mad at Damon.
Like that would happen.
“Got your food ready, Alpha,” Drake said from behind the bar.
As the two of us crossed the floor, I noticed that hardly anybody was looking at him, at either of us, really.
“Does anybody call you by your name anymore, Damon?” I asked as he pulled some money from his pocket and tossed it on the bar.
“Sure. Smart-assed little hired killers do.” He slid me a sidelong smile as he grabbed the bags from the counter. “Thanks, Drake.”
“Well, I’m not going to call you Alpha.”
“Yeah. Hell would freeze over. I’m aware.” He glanced around and caught Chang’s gaze, nodded shortly.
Chang inclined his head.
It seemed the two of them could carry on entire conversations with just a look. Sometimes it weirded me out. Like now. And when I was already nervous and edgy from what had happened earlier.
When I was nervous, I tended to run my mouth.
Falling into step alongside Damon, I glanced over at him. “By the way, I’ll have you know, I hardly ever take on contract killings.”
He paused in his tracks and then looked at me. “Contract killings. Shit.” Then he shook his head. “I don’t want to think about that.”
“Hell, how did you think a hired killer did it?” I shrugged. “It’s not like I can just stand on
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