“Wheeler helping you sort things out?” he asked.
“He seems reluctant to get involved, but he’s helped me out with a few things. Maybe I won’t be so bad running a business after all; I’m learning a lot.”
Once the initial shock had worn off, April totally stepped up to the challenge. I bought a cell phone so she could call me at any time, and we had live meetings on the Internet. The first order of business was that she lost her cherry earring, and that segued into a discussion about our work gear, which I didn’t want to change.
April seemed to be going through some personal problems. I wasn’t sure if it was family or money, but I could hear it in her voice. I wished she’d open up to me, but some people had a harder shell to crack. She revealed she had been riding the city bus to work because her car had crapped out. I didn’t much care for that because April closed the shop late at night. She also had a fear of the dark, which is why she always went in the back room and turned on the main lights. I offered her my car, but she wouldn’t accept. April was like that—never accepted help from others. You can’t force your help on someone; you just have to trust they know what they’re doing. We went over the current state of affairs with the shop and I couldn’t help but start mentally planning the future of Sweet Treats.
“Okay, that’s it. Where are you taking me, Austin?”
He grinned fiercely with pressed lips, giving me the impression he had a secret. Austin had a very subtle cleft in his chin that was always more prominent when he did the lip-press thing.
The car rolled up to a rest stop just off the highway. The kind with dilapidated picnic tables and foul-smelling restrooms.
“Need to go to the little boy’s room?” I teased.
The engine purred to a stop and butterflies fluttered in my belly when I saw a group of men standing beneath a Texas live oak tree, watching us. Austin walked around the car to open my door and I realized he was taking me to them. I pulled the visor down to fix my lipstick.
“You look fine,” he said with a soft laugh, tugging my arm.
Tiny pebbles on the concrete scattered as I dragged my sandals across the sidewalk. Then Lorenzo turned around and a golden shower of sunlight melted across his shoulders, illuminating his dramatic features. Skin taut around his chiseled cheekbones—high and proud—and straight brown hair that touched the top of his skull and crossbones tattoo on his upper arm. He wasn’t smiling.
Austin squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry, they don’t bite.”
Only Austin could make me laugh in the face of danger.
“Cole, we didn’t know if you changed your mind,” the older man said, staring at his watch. “She’s a fine-looking bitch.”
Austin’s arm stiffened, but he made no attempt to correct the man. That’s when I knew this guy held a higher rank. Perhaps there was a pecking order among the Packmasters.
Including Lorenzo, there was a total of four men. One was a tall, handsome black man with swoon-worthy eyes and freckles across his cheeks. The other guy looked like someone had picked him up at a truck stop—scruffy beard, shaggy hair, and sloppy clothes. The older man who’d spoke to Austin was a Sean Connery body double; I was certain of it.
“I’ve brought the Packmasters from neighboring territories here to be witness,” Sean Connery said.
“Uh, wait a second,” I interrupted, getting cold feet all of a sudden as to what exactly was about to go down. “Witness to what?”
“She doesn’t even know why she’s here?” Lorenzo said through clenched teeth.
And with one subtle gesture, Austin put Lorenzo in his place. He lifted our clasped hands and slowly kissed the back of my fingers, keeping his eyes locked on Lorenzo. A gesture that sent an unequivocal message to everyone present—I was his.
“What’s your name?” The older man looked me over and arched a brow.
“Alexia Knight.”
“Full name.”
I flicked a glance at Lorenzo. “Alexia Talulah Knight.”
He scribbled something in a small booklet and handed it to me with the pen. “I’ll need your signature to show that you’re entering this pack of your own free will until such time as you see fit to leave. If any Shifter commits a crime against you, then your pack has full rights to seek justice on your behalf.”
I signed my name and handed it back to him. He gave it to Austin. “By signing your name, you agree to watch over this young Shifter as a member of your pack, look after her well-being, and protect her with your life.”
On that note, Austin signed the paper, tapped the pen against it, and flipped it back around to the man. Didn’t even blink.