I leaned in closer. “What do you mean? You can’t remove emotions without someone knowing.” She’d have to place her hands on Denver’s chest in order to complete an emotional transaction—whether it was giving or taking.
“Just between you and me, he won’t know a thing. He looks like the kind of man who might pay for a little action, if you know what I mean. I’ve got a whole drawer full of erotica,” she said, tapping a finger on her temple. “People pay good money, but maybe I’ll offer him a free session. During the transaction, I’ll bring you up conversationally and remove all that hostility without him even realizing it. If he starts to guess I’m pulling the emotion, I’ll slip him some kinky sex that’ll make him soon forget.”
Sensors were sneaky beings. They worked hard for their money and established reputations in many clubs.
“No, thanks. I’d rather him hate me to my face.”
She took a slow drink. “Your call. But it’s a harmless exchange and everybody walks away happy. I’ll be here if you change your mind, dearie.”
Encounters like that made me skittish about non-Shifters. I didn’t know who I could trust.
Hours passed, and a steady flow of customers kept me busy. I spotted April at a table on the far end of the room and decided to say hello.
“Mind if I join you for a minute?” I asked, holding the empty chair on the left next to Reno, my motorcycle hero. April touched his right arm and smiled proudly.
“You look beat,” she said. “I don’t know how you do it. I’m scrambling with a bunch of kids in my store, but this is chaos.”
I smiled and an awkward moment passed as I waited to be introduced to her pack—Jericho’s pack.
“Everyone, this is Izzy. We ran into each other shopping. Izzy, that’s Wheeler, Trevor, and this is my Reno,” she said, leaning against his shoulder. He quickly wrapped his arm around her and gave me a brisk nod.
Wheeler was the kind of guy I’d be wary to have in my section. His arms were covered with tattoos, and he wore a sleeveless shirt to show them off. All Breeds had healing abilities to some degree, so the body absorbed the ink, and the tattoo would disappear. The only way to seal the design was to use a salve called liquid fire—a painful process that made any tattoo or scar permanent. Laser removal didn’t apply. No smile touched his face behind the facial hair that surrounded his mouth but didn’t extend up to his ears in a full beard. His scruffy brown hair was styled shorter on the sides and fell all over the place on top. He had a morose expression as he leaned on the table and sipped his whiskey, sliding his bright eyes up to mine without saying a word.
Trevor seemed like a laid-back young man. I loved the way he styled his hair over his forehead. Not many men his age wore button-up shirts and nice watches. He had the kind of celebrity charisma that made girls bashful.
“Nice meeting you,” Trevor said with a friendly wink.
I got butterflies when Reno turned to face me. He had a compelling appearance—handsome, but in a rough and dangerous “don’t fuck with me” kind of way. Maybe it was the canvas of muscle that pressed against his tight-fitted shirt, or the sharp cut of his jaw, or the concealed weapon beneath his shirt. But it was definitely the stony expression on his face.
His musky cologne filled my nose, and I waited impatiently for him to speak. I wasn’t sure what Denver had told them or what they knew about Jericho and me. “I just wanted to thank you for saving my butt yesterday. My boyfriend is mixed up in some trouble I didn’t know about. I’m really glad you showed up when you did; I don’t want to imagine what could have happened if my animal had come out in broad daylight and killed a human. You only grazed his leg, by the way.”
“I never miss my intended target,” Reno replied. “He’s human, and I couldn’t take the risk. Your boyfriend needs to sort his shit out.”
“Yeah, he does,” I agreed in a disgusted tone. “Anyhow, I hope you guys ordered something good to eat because it’s on me, so don’t be cheap. It’s the least I can do. I really appreciate that you stepped forward for a stranger. You didn’t have to do that and—”
“And yeah, I did. I don’t turn a blind eye to a man handling a woman that way. There’s a line you don’t cross with me, and it wouldn’t have mattered if you were a human or another Breed. You treat a woman right,” he said, kissing April’s forehead in a possessive way that clearly showed his devotion to that human.
I smiled at both of them and touched his broad shoulder. “We need more good men like you. Anyhow, hope you guys enjoy your evening. April, I’d love to swing by your store this week. Hopefully you have some of the old-fashioned candy I love so much.”
“We sure do. I usually work the afternoon and evening shift,” she said. “I’ll make you up a special bag for your first visit.”
As I left the table, contentment filled me up. I’d always thought it was important to show respect when someone stretched out their neck for you. It’s what Jericho had taught me during our years on the road.