Treasure Tides

Chapter SIX

As Becki crossed the bridge into downtown Charleston, she was reminded, once again, of all the reasons why she loved this City. The water…the breeze…the bridges…the harbor; this was her “happy place”. She had fallen in love with Charleston as a child while vacationing here with her family.

The day was perfect with beautiful blue skies, like a gift from Heaven after the storm had passed. Sleep would not come after Royce had gone this morning. Her mind was all jumbled with thoughts.

Royce had made it clear that he wanted to be the only man in her life. He wanted to be the one to take her out to dinner, walk on the beach, and-- well other things. He had been so sexy this morning, whispering those things in her ear as he had her pressed up against the kitchen counter. Whew! She had better concentrate on her driving.

The first thing on her agenda this morning was a walk through Waterfront Park. Then she would make a quick pass through the Market on her way to pick up candy for the girls from the candy shop on the corner. After that little chore was out of the way, she would squeeze in a quick trip to Victoria’s Secret.

The girls were planning a sleep-over tonight and had given her a list of things they needed from the candy shop. Sugar, of course, was the key element to a successful sleep over. In fact, sugar was the key element to the success of any day. Becki had already decided to treat herself to a caramel apple. Her mouth watered just thinking about a great big granny smith apple smothered with caramel and crushed peanuts. Yummmm! They tasted so wonderful, they should be illegal.

Becki zipped into an open parking space and headed out to enjoy a short walk through Waterfront Park. Children were already splashing in the fountain. She wished she could join them for a minute, but it was impossible today. She and the cousins would have to plan a girlsday-out soon. They could play in the water, hang out on the swings at the pier, and watch the dolphins in the harbor.

Becki enjoyed the sea breeze as she made her way toward Savannah’s Candy Kitchen via the Market, of course. Charleston City Market had changed over the years; initially it had been the domain of vegetable, fish and meat vendors. Now it was filled with unique shops, a must see for tourists. The Market had survived several generations of vendors and was still the best place to buy sweet grass baskets.

Becki loved to watch the weavers scattered throughout the market as they worked on their baskets; many of them personally harvested their grass in the Lowcountry marshes. There was no way she would want that job considering snakes and other critters lurked out in the marsh.

During the past few years, the Market had undergone extensive renovation. Among the many changes, the most notable were the public restrooms and air conditioned areas that had been added. Although it was nice to escape the sometimes oppressive summer heat, a part of her hated to see it modernized to such a degree. In some ways it seemed to over commercialize a historic landmark.

Becki meandered from one section of the market to another browsing through jewelry, glassware, and art. She spotted a framed photograph that would fit perfectly in her living room. The artist had captured the Cooper River Bridge at sunset. The elegant lines of symmetry formed by massive cables as they stood against a background of color were breathtaking. As she moved nearer to the masterpiece, she heard a voice nearby shout a familiar name.

“Royce!” Joanna squealed and as she spotted her big brother, her hero, her larger-than-life champion. Boy, was he in trouble for getting himself captured.

Royce smiled and threw his arms wide open as she ran towards him. He stood watching, waiting for her to jump into his arms the way she had been doing ever since she was a child. There was nothing child-like about the woman running toward him. He wondered where the time had gone. His baby sister had somehow morphed into this beautiful woman.

Becki scanned the crowd and felt her heart drop to her knees. Royce… her Royce! She was unable to tear her eyes away as he threw his arms open wide, only to wrap them tightly around the raven-haired bitch who had launched herself solidly into his arms. Not only did he catch her mid-air, he hugged her tightly spinning her around in circles!

Becki could not believe her eyes. This was the same man who had apologized for being a jerk and had brought her flowers? The kind and considerate man who had stayed with her through the storm and acted like a perfect gentlemen? The one who had cooked her breakfast and told her that he didn’t want her to be with anyone else? The jackass twirling in circles with a death-grip on some big-busted bimbo was the man she had thought was different…trustworthy? Becki wanted to flee from the scene before her, but she seemed to be rooted to the spot.

Maybe she should march right up to the happy couple and introduce herself as the woman Royce had spent the night with! She wondered how the bitch in zebra-print, peep-toe pumps would feel about that little tidbit of information. Clearly, Royce was a far cry from the white knight she had thought him to be.

Becki tried to ignore the burning pain in her heart. She was determined not to shed one more tear- ever again- on white knights that turned out to be nothing but dark lords in disguise.

Dashing a tear from her eye, she concentrated on breathing slow and steady. In and out, keep your head up. In and out, you will survive this. In and out, you should have known better!

Becki kept her distance, ducking behind vendor cases when necessary, and continued to watch Royce with his woman. They were touching each other constantly as if they couldn’t keep their hands off of one another. His girlfriend must have been out of town, which would explain why he had time to spend with her over the last few days. She didn’t dare get close enough to the couple to hear what they were saying, but she couldn’t seem to tear herself away from the scene unfolding in front of her eyes.

“So, have I missed anything, brat?” Royce asked with a grin. He kept an arm wrapped around his little sister as they strolled through the market. It was so good to see her.

“Not much really,” Joanna answered. “But we’re not going to talk about me right now.”

Here it comes. Royce braced himself for Joanna’s wrath.

“What the hell happened out there Royce? I couldn’t believe it when you disappeared! Dad kept insisting you would surface soon. He forbade Mom or me to use our magic to find you. He said it wasn’t worth the risk. He was afraid that we might give away your position and put you in greater danger. Needless to say, Mom wasn’t too happy with that decision.”

“I can imagine,” Royce commiserated.

Joanna’s eyes sparkled with mirth as she added, “He had to buy her a new condo and let her totally redecorate it to keep her occupied.”

Royce laughed, “He’ll probably send me the bill.”

“I’m glad you’re back,” Joanna said, tightening her arm around him.

“Me, too,” Royce said dropping a brotherly kiss on the top of her head. She may be all grown-up, but she would always be his baby sister.

“I’ve been looking into the cloaking spell, and I think I’ve found a way around it. I have to be fairly close to the coin for it to work; and you know I can’t touch the coin after we find it. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but it’s spelled to repel Witches,” she whispered, being careful to keep her voice low. “We can move it mentally if there are enough of us, but no one knows what happens if we actually come into physical contact with it. I don’t want to be the one to find out either,” she shivered. “Merlin was an extremely powerful wizard and sometimes a bit over-the-top. I’m not up for being the guinea pig on this one.”

“You won’t be going anywhere near that coin. I’ll make sure of it,” He whispered softly. “I would never live through the wrath of your mother if I let anything happen to you.”

As Royce whispered to the other woman, Becki felt like throwing up! He had kissed her like that this morning, whispered to her in that sexy voice, and made her fall in lo--. She stopped that train of thought dead in its tracks.

Unaware they were being watched, Joanna pushed away from Royce and proceeded to enlighten him that he was not responsible for her actions. Neither would he be responsible for any resulting consequences. “You listen to me, Royce. I do what I do. I go where I go. I make my own choices, take my own chances, and make my own mistakes. If something happens to me, it won’t be because you let it happen. It will be because it was my choice, my decision.”

“You’re wrong about that, Joanna,” Royce argued raising his voice. “I protect my own. You are my responsibility.”

“No! You are wrong. We all know the risks involved, and we choose to keep doing what we do. It’s in our blood, our destiny. Don’t continue to carry that baggage, Royce.” Joanna softened her tone, “Tara knew what she was doing. It wasn’t your fault, and you could not have prevented it.” She touched his face gently forcing him to meet her eyes. “She didn’t want you to prevent it,” she said with tears in her eyes.

Why was that bitch crying? She was the one whose heart had just shattered into a million pieces. Becki stood frozen as she clearly heard Royce proclaim, “I protect my own…” and follow it up with “You are my responsibility.”

Becki had seen quite enough, too much really. She crept toward the exit. There was no need to watch any more or listen any further.

As the woman he was falling in love with ran away, Royce dropped his forehead to meet Joanna’s. “I know Jo, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I’m working on it. I promise.”

“Let me know how I can help you,” she begged, wanting her bigbrother to be happy again.

Her offer to help sent shivers of dread through him; time to divert her attention. He straightened, tucking her arm through his. “Want to hear about a girl I met?” he asked, knowing that would get her nosiness stirred up.

“Spill it,” Joanna prompted with a quick grin.

#

Becki’s trip through the candy shop was a blur. As she shoved her car into reverse, she reevaluated her opinion of this perfect day. It had actually turned out to be a perfectly lousy day. She just hoped she could make it home before she had a complete melt-down.

She would drop the candy off at Kurt’s house, go home and have a good cry, and then get ready for work. Breathe in. Breathe out. Traffic turned out to be a nightmare on the way to Mt. Pleasant. Between construction areas and less-than-competent drivers, it took almost an hour to get to Kurt’s house. Just as she pulled into his driveway, her cell phone beeped with a text message. She stared at the message on her screen; Hope ur day is going well C U soon.

What the hell? She responded with an angry FU but then reconsidered and hit the delete button instead. Flinging the phone angrily into her purse, she snatched the sack of candy and made her way into the house.

As she opened the door, her eyes landed on the vase of flowers. They were still sitting on the table where Royce had placed them last night. She stalked to the table and picked up the offensive reminder of her foolishness. Last night had been a joke, an absolutely ridiculous illusion.

The girls were thoroughly engrossed in a movie. Which worked out perfectly, as it alleviated the need to explain why she was ruining a perfectly beautiful bouquet of flowers down the garbage disposal…one by one.

Becki turned off the garbage disposal… along with her emotions concerning Royce.

“Hi, girls,” she said, pasting on a smile. “I’ve got the goods for you!”

She loved her cousins and loved spending time with them. They always made her feel better.

Mandy had already informed her that they had lunch plans together at school next week. She had given Becki instructions to pick up lunch at the local sandwich shop by 11:30. Lunch period began at 11:50. When Becki asked if she was supposed to stay and eat with her, Mandy responded, “Sure, you are the cool cousin.”

Becki didn’t feel so cool right now. She just felt upset and disappointed.

“Yessss,” Leann said as they all ran toward the sack of candy. She stopped long enough to give Becki a hug. “Thanks,” she added.

“You’re welcome. Where is your dad?” Becki asked, hugging her back.

“He ran to the dive shop to pick up some diving gear so he could go diving with Landon tomorrow,” Clarissa answered as she dug through the sack investigating their candy options.

After making sure all the items on her list had been included, she moved over to hug Becki too, “Thanks. Are you ok? You seem a little sad today,” she said shifting her eyes to the empty spot on the table where the vase of flowers had been. Obviously, she was a little more observant than Becki had given her credit for.

“I’m fine; don’t you worry. I’m fighting a headache. That’s all,” Becki assured her, picking up her purse and sliding her sunglasses on.

“OKay…,” Clarissa answered, clearly not swallowing the lie.

“You girls have fun and take it easy on your dad tonight! I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“K. Bye, Becki. Thanks again,” they all called at once as Becki stepped out the back door.

Becki had heard Kurt’s truck pull into the driveway while she was talking to the girls. He was in the process of unloading regulators-- more regulators than he and Landon would need. Was he having a party that she had not been invited to?

“What ‘cha got there?” Becki asked.

“Oh, just some gear. Landon and I are taking a couple of buddies out exploring tomorrow,” Kurt answered nonchalantly.

“It’s supposed to be beautiful. Where are you diving?” Becki hinted. She loved going out with Kurt and Landon. They knew where all the good places were. Sometimes they would dive an area where the locals believed a ship had sunk in the early 1900’s. They would spend the day burning air and looking for treasure.

“Oh, we don’t have an exact destination in mind. Royce and Sean are going out with us, maybe a couple more. I’m not sure yet.”

Becki stiffened. “I didn’t realize you and Royce were so tight,” she said sarcastically.

Kurt glanced up frowning, “You ok with us going out? I thought you and Royce were kind of dating.”

“Royce and I are not dating…or anything else for that matter,” Becki said shortly.

“Did something happen?” Kurt asked, putting the inventory on hold. He was anxious to help Royce clear up the coin mess, but he had better be treating Becki right.

Becki saw it coming-- a million questions she just didn’t have the energy to answer right now. Uncle Kurt would be all pissed off on her behalf and probably drag Landon in to it, too. She didn’t want to ruin their trip tomorrow. She would keep her troubles to herself this time. She would end up blubbering all over him and making him uncomfortable anyway.

“No,” she forced a laugh, “just PMS.” It wasn’t true, but she knew it was guaranteed to back him off in a hurry.

Sure enough, he back-peddled as if it were contagious. “Ok,” he said, as he added a pair of fins to the rapidly growing pile of gear. “Are you working today?” he asked in a subtle effort to change the subject.

“Yes,” Becki answered with a smile, “and I need to get a move on.”

“Do you have any vacation time you could use next week?” Kurt asked out of the blue.

Becki frowned, “Vacation time? What’s that?” she teased. “No. Actually, I’ve picked up a couple of extra shifts next week. Why? Do you need me to run the girls somewhere?”

“Uh-- no, the girls are going to Indiana for a week or so. I just wondered if you wanted to go with them. I’ll pay for your plane ticket,” Kurt offered, hoping against hope that she would take him up on it.

“I appreciate the offer, and I would love to go. But, we have another server on vacation next week. There is no way I could get off work. I’m sure Mamaw and Papaw will be excited to see the girls though.”

“Yes. I haven’t told them they are going to Indiana yet. I thought I would surprise them at dinner,” he said as he continued to unload the gear and organize it.

“That’s great. I know they will be excited. Well, I need to hurry, so I have enough time to get ready for work. Have fun with the girls tonight-- all ten of them!” She laughed, knowing he had forgotten all about the slumber party.

He groaned and hung his head in mock defeat, “I forgot,” he admitted. He looked up at her hopefully, “Sure you can’t call in sick?”

Becki laughed, “No way, you are on your own. I did my part; I provided the sugar,” she said as she climbed into her car and then waved joyfully as she drove away.

Another text message from Royce flashed on her phone. She pressed delete without ever reading it.

#

“The bar is packed tonight,” Tabby, her friend and fellow waitress, warned as Becki clocked in.

“I noticed,” she shot back. “Is everything going ok?”

“Yes, it’s all under control with the exception of Ted-- he burnt his hand caramelizing the crème brûlée,” She laughed.

“No! Is he ok?” Becki asked, her eyes opening as wide as silver dollars. Ted reminded Becki of a short-order cook from an old TV sitcom. He was as sweet as he could be, but his bulb didn’t burn the brightest.

“He’s fine,” Tabby reassured her. “But, I think you need to cover blow-torch safety with him one more time before he burns this place down around us!”

Becki laughed, “I’ll take care of it.”

She grabbed an ink pen and jabbed it through the messy bun on the back of her head. She always had pens sticking out of her hair. She had sent several pens through the washer and dryer and ruined countless articles of clothing before she decided to stop sticking ink pens in her pockets.

Tabby reached around Becki to grab her tray of drinks the bartender had just finished making. As she nodded to a big round table currently filling with women, Tabby teased, “I’ll let you take the party. They just came in. Have fun!” Then she headed for the rowdy table of frat boys in the back corner of the bar.

“Ohhh, thanks sooo much,” Becki threw over her shoulder as she went to get started with drink orders. Groups of women were notoriously hard to keep happy, and the crowd was already a little more boisterous than usual. That always happened around a full moon; it seemed to bring out the nut-jobs.

As she placed the first round of drinks on their table, one of the women handed Becki a stack of twenty dollar bills and a list of addresses. She explained that their husbands were on kid duty, and the girls were kicking up their heels. She asked Becki to keep the drinks flowing and to call cabs for each of them at the end of the night. Girl’s night out was about to begin. Oh, my.

The girls dined, danced, and drank their way into a stupor. Surprisingly, they had remained polite and had turned out to be the most fun group Becki had served in a long time. They were now being poured into their respective cabs to be driven home. Once there, Becki hoped they were prepared for the hangovers that would surely linger for the next day or two.

As Becki gathered the empty glasses and wiped down the recently vacated table, Trevor entered the Pub and immediately began making his way toward “his” table. He preferred to sit where he had a clear view of the front door and easy access to the back door on the off-chance he needed to make a hasty exit.

He spotted Becki clearing a large table and quickly changed his route to bring him close enough to playfully grab her back-side as he passed.

Becki spun around with fire in her eyes preparing to way-lay whoever dared to touch her in such a familiar way.

Trevor merely winked at her and continued walking.

“I’ll take care of you later, you Lecher,” Becki threated, flipping her towel at him.

He quickly side-stepped successfully avoiding the stinging pop of her wet towel.

“Promises, promises…” he taunted looking back at her over his shoulder.

Becki was glad to see Trevor; he was exactly what she needed tonight. A little crazy in the company of a sexy bad-boy should fix her right up. She might have a hangover herself in the morning. She knew Trevor would see that she got home safely. She might even let him do that belly-shot he had mentioned earlier.

Becki finished cleaning up, clocked out, and headed over to join Trevor.

“Hey bad boy, are you up for showing a girl a good time tonight?” she teased running a playful finger down his cheek.

“You’re talking to the right man, doll,” Trevor said as he stood to slide his arm around her for a quick hug. “I’m all about a good time,” he promised as he guided her into the chair next to the one he had been occupying.

“I’ve had a rough day,” Becki said dropping into the chair like a sack of potatoes. Dropping her head into her hands, she expounded, “Really, really rough.”

Trevor’s hands immediately descended on her shoulders and began massaging away the tension.

“Mmmm,” she purred, “your fingers are magic.”

Trevor smiled. If you only knew...

“That feels soooo good. If you keep that up for the next twenty minutes, I’ll be your slave for a day,” Becki bargained, feeling her muscles practically melt at his touch.

“Oh, sugar,” Trevor leaned down to whisper in her ear, “you don’t know what I expect of my slaves.”

Becki’s shoulders shook with laughter, “Whatever, Trev, you are all talk.”

He gently squeezed her shoulders one more time and then moved into his seat.

“I have you figured out,” she bragged as he sat down pulling his chair closer to hers.

Becki picked up the shot glass she had carried with her from the bar and tossed it back like a pro. Her cell phone rang as she finished the shot. Her lips tightened as she glanced at the screen and then turned it off completely. She was not thinking about anything tonight. The only thing on her agenda was consuming enough alcohol to guarantee a good night’s sleep.

“Trev, there are a hundred girls who would love to be sitting here with you tonight. Why is it that you’re here by yourself?” Becki asked, signaling the waitress to bring her another shot.

“In case it has escaped your attention, I’m not by myself, doll,” he said with a playful leer. “I’m with a sinfully--” Trevor began only to be interrupted as their server appeared.

“Thanks,” Becki said as the drink was deposited in front of her. “Keep ‘em coming, Mel. It’s been a rough day,” Becki said. She downed the second shot and proudly deposited the empty shot glass on Mel’s serving tray. “Hon, could you bring me another -- a double this time, and a beer too.” Becki pulled a stack of bills out of her bra and slapped them on Mel’s tray before adding, “Please, and thank you, darling.”

“Becki, are you ok?” Mel asked with frown wrinkling her brow.

Becki knew Mel would call Landon if she suspected something was wrong.

“I’m fine, Mel,” Becki promised with a bright smile. “Can’t a girl let go and get drunk once in a while?”

“I’ll take care of her, Mel. I’ll make sure she gets home safely,” Trevor promised.

“Ok, then. One double shot, coming right up,” Mel said with a wink.

With that settled, Becki turned her attention back to Trevor. Batting her eyes playfully, she prompted, “You were saying?”

Taking a drink of his own beer, he shook his head and said, “I was saying that I’m not alone. I’m with a sinfully sexy woman who, if I’m lucky, will take a moonlight stroll on the beach with me tonight. But judging by what I’m seeing, I guess I’ll just wait around to take advantage of you in that drunken state you seem to be headed for.” He gave her a sexy wink and saluted her with his beer bottle before taking another long swallow.

“I know you better than that,” Becki countered, flashing a quick smile at Mel as she placed a new shot of Crown the table.

As soon as Mel moved away, Becki continued, “You’ve had numerous opportunities to take advantage of me, Trev. But, you’ve never crossed the line… never.” She lifted her shot glass and saluted him in return before killing the double-shot with a large gulp.

Trevor had never seen her throw back shots one right after the other. He watched her intently, waiting until she was numb enough to tell him what was bothering her.

“Do you know what I love about you, Trev?” Becki asked, turning to signal Mel for another shot. “I can trust you- really trust you-- and I can count on you not to hurt me.”

“I would never hurt you,” Trevor agreed. And…I’ll make sure no one else does either. He vowed not to let Becki get hurt. He would make sure she came out of this unharmed, even if it meant his own life in exchange for hers.

The fact that such a thought would enter his mind surprised him somewhat. He had never in his entire life considered anyone else’s welfare before his own.

“You don’t make any secret of the fact that you’re just out to get laid, right?” Becki asked bluntly.

“What?” Trevor croaked, dumfounded. Her question had certainly caught him off guard.

“With other girls,” she explained. “You don’t make girls think you want anything other than sex, right? Well, maybe a whole lot of sex,” she added with a giggle, “but you make it known that it’s all about sex and only sex.”

Oh shit, it’s going to be a long night and not in a good way. Trevor shifted uncomfortably. All this talk of sex was hard on a guy. He almost grinned at the unintended pun. Regardless, he would not take advantage of Becki. Since he had agreed to be her safety net tonight, he might as well get over it.

“You don’t lie to them, right?” she asked, her eyes shining a bit. “Never,” he answered solemnly. Were those tears gathering in her eyes?

“You don’t make them feel special…like they’re special to you. You just tell them up front that you want to fu--”

“Becki!” Trevor interrupted before the conversation could digress further. “Darlin’, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing,” she assured him. “Nothing at all is wrong, Trev.”

He watched as a glint of determination replaced the sheen of tears in her eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that she had come to a resolution of sorts. Perhaps she had even found closure to whatever had been bothering her.

“I think we should have sex tonight, Trev,” Becki suggested without warning.

Trevor almost fell out of his chair as she dropped this verbal bombshell. Whatever he had expected, that was not it. “Dollface, as much as I--”

“Take me to the beach. You promised me a walk on the beach with moonlight and stars. Take me to the beach, Trev. Take me to the beach, and let’s do it right there on the sand under the stars,” she begged.

As another shot appeared, Trevor caught Mel’s attention. He mouthed the words, “Water it down.”

Mel nodded in agreement. She studied Becki for a moment, as if reconsidering her decision not to call Landon.

“I’ve got this, Mel,” Trevor reassured Becki’s friend.

Becki didn’t even notice their exchange, as she drained the shot glass a little more slowly this time.

Mel snatched one of the ink pens still protruding from Becki’s hairbun and wrote her phone number on a napkin and stuffed it in Trevor’s hand.

Trevor looked at her, his eyebrows shooting skyward. Mel made no secret of the fact that she was madly in love with her husband of fifteen years.

Mel chuckled, “Not for you, Casanova. For her,” she nodded toward Becki. “Call me if you need my help. My shift will be ending soon.”

Trevor grinned wickedly, “You’ve broken my heart.”

“Sorry,” Mel grinned. She wasn’t really sorry at all, “mine’s spoken for. Seriously, Trev; call me if you need me.”

“Thanks, Mel.”

“Whew,” Becki said, slamming the empty shot glass on the table. “That is goooood shit. Now, back to what I was saying, you give me bullshit all the time, lllots of bullshit. I don’t want bullshit tonight, Trev. I just want you to show me a good time,” she said leaning into him. “I can show you a good time. Think about it. Sex on the beach. Hot, intense, grinding, dirty sex…with me. Kiss me, Trev.”

“Doll, you need to take it easy. What is going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he murmured as he gently cupped her face in one hand. Giving into temptation momentarily, he slid his thumb across her full lower lip and then quickly released her.

“I’m not going to do anything that you and I both know you would regret in the morning,” he gently refused.

“I’m tired of White Knights,” Becki complained. “White Knights who then turn out to be Dark Lords,” she pouted.

“Kiss me, Trevvv. Be my White Knight, just for tonight,” Becki pleaded.

Trevor sighed regretfully. There is no way this Dark Lord could ever be your White Knight, Doll.

“Come on, Trev. Be my White Knight-- or maybe my Dark Lord,” she said, suddenly changing her mind. “Dark Lords are probably better in the sack right?”

His life was full of danger; he had done things that no man could be proud of. He had never cared about anyone he used or hurt-- never cared until he met Becki. Still, he could only be what he was, and that was a Dark Lord-- a Dark Lord with a job to do.

The coin collector in Savanna had gotten in their way and had to be eliminated. While he didn’t soil his hands with that murder, he didn’t stop it either. Trevor knew the coin would surface again soon. There were too many ART members in town including their team leader Royce St. John and his Witchy sister for it to be much longer.

Trevor’s reinforcements should be arriving soon. More Vamps had been called in, even a few shifters. He felt a slight shiver down the back of his spine. He was in charge of this operation, but some of those idiots were hard to keep reined in.

“Kiss me, Trev. Please, just kiss me,” Becki whispered softly with tears shimmering in her eyes.

As Trevor leaned forward, Becki closed her eyes.

“Doll,” she felt him whisper at her temple, “if there was anyone who could turn me into a White Knight, it would be you.”

He closed his eyes absorbing her goodness for just a moment. Then he stood and pulled her toward the dance floor.

As they approached the dance floor, the song ended to be replaced by a slow ballad. Becki snuggled as close to Trevor as she could without being intimately joined. She wrapped her arms around him and dropped her head on his shoulder. She was currently breathing into the hollow of his neck.

Trevor suddenly realized this might not have been one of his better ideas. He was trying to do the right thing for once in his life, and she was not making it easy.

#

Royce checked his cell phone again. Why the hell wasn’t Becki responding? He had been trying to reach her since early this afternoon.

Sean and Joanna were busy at their respective computers and had been for hours. The clicking keyboards echoing throughout the living room were about to drive Royce up the wall.

“Boss, you are going to want to see this,” Sean said. His computer had begun emitting an incessant beep.

“What?” Royce responded absently. He was trying to figure out why a strange chirp was coming from his phone.

“Trevor Simmons just walked into the pub,” Sean said more urgently.

“What pub?” Royce asked, pressing random buttons on his phone. How do you turn this damn thing off?

“Becki’s pub…and she’s still at work.”

Royce vaulted over the back of the couch where he had been lounging. As he tucked a weapon into the waistband of his pants near his lower back, he yelled, “Keys!”

“Shit! The Vamps are moving too,” Sean declared.

“Turn this damn noise off,” Royce bellowed, “I can’t think!”

Typing furiously Sean questioned, “Joanna, do you have a reading on their direction yet?”

“Working on it!” Joanna responded, pounding the keys on her own computer.

The noise stopped as a set of keys magically sailed through the air. Royce snagged the set of keys, shoved his blessedly silent phone into his pocket, and flew out the door.

As he exited the parking garage, his cell phone began to ring. Since his car’s built in Bluetooth was set to auto-answer, the call connected immediately.

“The pub, Royce,” Sean announced urgently. “They’re headed to the pub!”

“Find Landon! Find him and tell him to meet me there,” Royce directed Sean.

The Moultrie Werewolf Pack-- Landon’s pack-had claimed Charleston as their territory centuries ago. A treaty between Moultrie Pack and Vampire Nation protected Charleston from actively feeding Vampires. The treaty specifically forbade the consumption of human blood within Moultrie Pack Territory. The terms extended to prohibit feeding from “donors” as well.

V-Scan, a high tech, infrared type device, could pick up even the smallest traces of fresh human blood in a Vampire’s system. Sean had placed V-Scan transmitters strategically throughout the City. So far, the Vamps were still abiding by the terms of the treaty.

However, the treaty was tenuous at best. Royce’s gut told him the Vamps were getting hungry. If they were indeed headed to a rendezvous with Trevor Simmons, Royce needed to make damn sure Becki was not within a mile of that warlock.

He was glad he had dumped the SUV for something with a little more power under the hood. Joanna worked the traffic lights to ensure a clear shot as he blew past anything in his way. She had also cloaked him temporarily, making both he and the car invisible for the journey.

His phone sounded again.

“Vamps are en-route to the pub, Royce. Landon is on his way with some friends to help keep things in check,” Sean reported.

“Son-of -a-bitch!” Royce felt sweat bead on his forehead. “Slow them down!”

“Who do you think you’re dealing with, big brother?” Joanna interjected sarcastically.

“They’ve already run into a little traffic problem along the way,” Sean assured him quickly. “You should be able to get Becki out of there before they arrive.”

Royce smiled. “Good work, Brat,” he said as he affectionately acknowledged Joanna’s brilliance prior to disconnecting.

Neon lights greeted him in the distance announcing “Jim’s Pub.”

“Lifting the cloak now,” Joanna’s voice moved through him. Telepathy-- one of the ‘perks’ associated with having a Witch in the family…NOT!

“If Landon is not there soon,” she added, “I’m joining the party myself.”

“The hell you are,” Royce responded verbally as he whipped into the parking lot at top speed. He and Joanna could communicate without actually speaking, but it freaked him out a little. If he spoke the words, it was more like a phone call.

“You will stay put--I mean it. This is non-negotiable. I don’t want you near those blood suckers. Do you hear me, Jo?” Witches’ blood used to be extremely poisonous to Vampires. Thanks to another not-sopleasing-advancement in technology, the blood suckers could now be vaccinated against the previously ill-effects of Witches’ blood.

“I hear, but that doesn’t mean I agree,” Joanna argued.

“I don’t need to worry about you, too. Landon will be here soon and we’ll handle it. One more thing…stay out of my head. It’s distracting.”

The vehicle had hardly come to rest before Royce was on the move. He assumed that Becki was still working and quickly moved in the direction of the bar. Automatically, Royce scanned the crowd as he walked looking for signs of danger. His gaze briefly touched each table and then skimmed those sitting at the bar. Satisfied that everything was safe for the time being, he turned to take in the dancers entwined on the dance floor.

What he saw there caused him to stop mid-stride. “What the fu--”

Royce felt something slam into his back. As glass shattered and patrons nearby gasped in surprise, Royce reached for the weapon still tucked at his waist. He quickly spun around prepared for the worst. Thankfully, he stopped short of actually drawing his weapon as he took in the scene before him. A waitress in a low-cut blouse was soaked to the skin and surrounded by broken glass. To make matters worse, she was pulling pieces of ice from her more-than-ample cleavage.

“What the hell were you thinking?” she screeched in a high tone of voice. “You can’t just stop all of a sudden!”

He guessed that she had been following him, carrying a full tray of drinks. When he had stopped so abruptly, she must have run into him with the tray. She had spilled the entire tray of drinks all over herself and the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Royce mumbled. After grabbing a stack of napkins from a nearby table, he stood helplessly staring at her wet cleavage. He was unsure how he could help her without touching her inappropriately.

Fortunately, the dance floor was far enough away that Becki had not witnessed the incident. That would have escalated the situation from slightly funny but embarrassing to downright humiliating.

“What’s going on Becki?” Trevor had started pressing for answers the moment they hit the dance floor. “Come on-- you can talk to me, doll.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Becki refused belligerently.

“How can I fix it, if I don’t know what’s wrong?” he prodded softly.

Becki sniffed and blinked several times. Despite her best efforts, those darn tears just would not be contained any longer.

“I thought he was different,” she whispered brokenly. “I thought he seemed like a truly nice guy-- the White Knight kind of guy.” A fat tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

“It turns out he is just like the rest. One girl isn’t enough. At least, I’m not enough!”

She lifted her head looking straight into Trevor’s eyes, “That’s it-- it’s me! I’m the problem. I’m just not lovable, Trev.”

He shook his head, cupping her cheek to thumb the tears away. “Not a chance, doll,” he said with a half-smile. “Everyone I know loves you.”

“Seriously, maybe I’m defffectivve,” she slurred slightly feeling the effects of numerous shots.

“Doll, I promise there’s nothing ‘defective’ about you. And for the record…I’ve never met anyone more lovable than you,” Trevor said as he rubbed his cheek softly against hers.

“Helllloooo!! Vamps closing in,” Joanna reminded Royce sarcastically.

Royce gritted his teeth. Joanna’s ability to insert herself into his thoughts was quite irritating.

Royce reached for his wallet and peeled off several large bills. He grabbed the soaked waitress’s hand and closed her fingers around the money as well as the napkins. “I’m really sorry,” he apologized again and turned his attention back to the dance floor.

Trevor Simmons was like a ticking time bomb-dangerous to everyone around him. Typical Becki…did she stay away from danger? No! She was holding on to him like a damn life line.

“You have about two seconds to get your shit straight, and then I’m on my way,” Joanna threatened, intruding into Royce’s thoughts once again.

“Back off,” Royce snapped. He made his way toward the couple whose fascination with each other had caused him to stop so abruptly to begin with. Becki, still wrapped tightly in Trevor’s arms, was now gazing into his eyes while they danced and whispered to each other. This shit was going to stop!

“You’ve never met anyone more lovable than me?” Becki questioned, looking at him with wide-eyes.

“Never,” he whispered.

She smiled crookedly, and another tear rolled silently down her face.

“You’re killing me here,” Trevor groaned. “Why not-- I’m going to hell anyway,” he murmured as he lowered his lips slowly toward hers.

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” Royce roared as he ripped Becki out of Trevor’s arms.

Becki wiggled in his grasp, “God! Why do youuu have to k-keep bothering me? Would you just go away and lllleave me alone?” Becki protested as she yanked her arm away from Royce.

He stood for a moment evaluating his options. Option A--beat the shit out of Trevor for touching Becki. Option B--toss her ass over his shoulder and get the hell out of there before trouble arrived.

“Option B, Royce. Option B,” Joanna advised.

You are starting to piss me off! Royce mentally pushed the words at Joanna, knowing she would get the message.

“Go awayyy,” Becki said as she looked around in search of Trevor.

Royce spun Becki around to face him and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “What’s this about Becki? I’ve tried to reach you all afternoon. I thought we were together, a couple. And then I walk in here tonight to find you drunk and hanging all over a war--”

“Royce!” Joanna interjected before he could mess things up even further. Honestly, men in love were so damn stupid!

Royce closed his eyes in frustration and then continued, “We need to go, Becki. We’ll talk on the way home; or maybe tomorrow after you’ve sobered up.”

Trevor stood silently listening intently to the exchange. He would not hesitate to jump to Becki’s defense the moment she needed him. However, it appeared St. John was as tied up in as many knots as Becki was.

“RRRoyce. Leave me alone! I don’t lllike you anymore. Besides, Trevor and I were daancing,” she insisted as she struggled to escape his embrace.

“Actually, we were getting ready to make out,” Trevor taunted pushing the envelope a little… testing St. Johns’ reaction.

“Over my dead and decaying body,” Royce snarled as he weighed those options one more time.

“You will have company in a few minutes. You need to get the hell out of there!” Joanna insisted.

Royce tightened his arms around Becki, “You’re going to feel like shit in the morning. We are going home, Becki. The easy way, or the hard way, it’s up to you,” he said softly in her ear.

‘Home’ Royce had said. Becki stopped struggling immediately.

Finally! Royce breathed a sigh of relief. Royce loosed his grip around her waist and grabbed her hand to tug her toward the door.

Becki stopped suddenly and jerked her hand away from him. He looked at her for the first time since she had stopped struggling to escape him a few moments ago. He was shocked to see tears streaming down her face as she cried silently.

“You listen ttto-- lllisten to m-me--,” she began in a drunken, yet heart-broken growl, “and lllisten good-- you--you-- ttwo-timing, piece of-of shhhit scum-bag. I- I’mmm-- not going h-hoome with youu. I’mm not g-going annnywhhere with y-you.” She was sobbing now, big gulping sobs in between bouts of swearing at him. Tears were streaming nonstop down her face. Fortunately, the loud music helped to prevent her speech from being overheard by most of the patrons. But Royce heard it loud and clear.

“That’s it!” His patience was at an end. They would have to sort this out later.

Suddenly, Becki was lifted off her feet and hanging up-side-down over Royce’s shoulder. She began to scream as she kicked her feet and pounded him on the back with her fists.

Trevor suddenly appeared in front of Royce, blocking his exit.

Cocky son-of-a-bitch. “Stay out of this,” Royce cautioned.

Trevor merely raised one eyebrow, “If you hurt her St. John, you’ll answer to me,” he promised.

After a moment, he stepped aside to let them pass.

Royce hesitated. He wanted nothing more than to kick Trevor’s pompous ass. This was not the time, nor the place. With a sigh, he began moving again. They were almost at the back door. Becki had been mysteriously quiet during the exchange with Trevor. Maybe she had passed out.

As they passed Trevor, Becki suddenly realized Royce was actually going to walk out the back door with her slung over his shoulder. Even in her drunkest state, that was not going to happen! She had started to lose her buzz anyway.

Becki spied Trevor and decided to enlist his help, “Trevor, make him stop. Trev-- tell him I’m not g-going with himm.” Ok, so maybe she was still buzzed, but she was not leaving with that two-timing slug, especially not hoisted over his shoulder! It was making her diiiizzzzyy.

“Put me downnn. We are dancing! And, and then--” she paused before continuing in what she thought was a whisper, “then we’re going to have dirty-- rough sex on the beach.”

Time stopped. Royce froze mid-stride. Change of plan...he was going to kill this piece of shit after all.

Royce placed Becki gently on her feet, banking the rage pouring through his body. He pushed her into the closest chair and bent to look her in the eye as he said quietly, “Don’t move. Not one inch.”

The moment he grabbed Trevor by the shirt collar and drew his fist back, Royce realized that he had forgotten one small, but important, detail. Trevor Simmons was pure warlock.

Royce struggled against Trevor’s magic. “Fight me like a man, you cowardly son-of-a-bitch,” Royce demanded.

Trevor used magic to keep Royce in place while he said, “What Becki just said is not true. Not that she didn’t offer, and not that I wouldn’t love to; but she’s a little drunk right now, and I wouldn’t take advantage of her that way.”

“Joanna! Even things out for me,” Royce gritted, rage and hatred pouring through him.

“You don’t want to do that, Joanna,” Trevor cautioned narrowing his eyes at Royce. “I’m telling you, St. John, don’t bring her into this. It’s not what you think, and things could go very wrong, very quickly.”

“No, I’m telling you,” Royce returned quietly. “Don’t forget. I know how to deal with your kind.”

“If you want to go at it, I’ll be more-than-happy to oblige. I have a feeling you need a good ass whipping, and I can do it with or without magic. Whatever it is she’s hurting about, I’m not responsible for it. However, I’m betting you can’t say the same. Just so you know, I love and respect that girl, or I would be on the beach with her tonight…making her forget all about you.”

As they stood contemplating battle, Trevor felt a tingle run through his body. Vamps were near.

“Go! Now, Royce! Time is up!” Joanna all but screamed.

Trevor spotted Rouel strolling into the bar with Eric. They were visually scanning the crowd, looking for him. They only had a moment before the Vamps spotted him.

Trevor released Royce and stepped left, placing his body between Becki and the two Vampires. He spoke to Royce in a whisper, “If you care about her, and I think you do, you will get her the hell out of here. Now!”

As Royce started to move toward Becki, Trevor suddenly realized that Becki’s scent was all over him, and his covered her. “Get my scent off her.”

With those words, he grabbed a bar fly who had been shimmying her way past them, and proceeded to grind all over her as he continued to watch the Vamps.

Royce knew immediately what Trevor was doing; he was trying to dilute Becki’s sent with that of the other girl, so the Vamps wouldn’t connect Becki to him. Royce grabbed Becki, who surprisingly had stayed where he put her and began trying to rid her of Trevor’s scent.

“What the hell,” she muttered as she tried to pull out of Royce’s grasp. “Oh! I don’t want to dance with you, Mr. Dark Lord himself.”

Becki was sick of this he-man routine. She had been jerked, pulled, and flung around just about as much as she was going to stand.

“Go away! Go play with your new toy,” she said as she attempted to walk off the dance floor and leave Royce standing alone.

He refused to let her leave. He kept groping her, and she was starting to get a headache.

“Get your hands off me, you jerk. Seriously Roy--,”

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and smothered her protest with his mouth firmly on hers. They could talk later; right now he needed to get Becki out of here, as soon as he got Trevor’s scent off her. He ran his hands all over her body; making sure he touched every square inch that Trevor could have possibly touched. Although, if Trevor had dared to touch some of the areas where Royce’s hands were roaming right now, there would be a fight between the two of them after all.

During their kiss, he steadily backed Becki to the rear exit of the building. As soon as they cleared the doorway, he ripped his mouth from hers, threw her over his shoulder for the second time that night, and ran for the car.

What the hell? One minute he was feeling her up and was kissing her like she had dreamed about. The next minute he was hoisting her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes? She started pounding on his back with her fists.

“Put me down, you imbecile. You Dark Lord! I’m staying with Trev. He’s going to do a belly shot, and then we’re going to the beach,” she yelled hoping to goad him into putting her down.

She got more than she bargained for when she felt a stinging swat land firmly on her ass.

Becki gasped in shock.

“I’ve heard enough of that shit so drop it,” Royce advised. “You are not-- I repeat not-- going to have sex with Trevor Simmons. Not tonight…not tomorrow night…not any night. Do you understand me?”

“Oh- My God,” Becki sputtered in shock. “You just struck me! I can’t believe you did that! Nobody hits me, you two-timing jackass. I’m going to kill you Royce St. John,” Becki threatened. “Just as soon as things stop spinning,” she said more quietly.

He dumped a still-protesting Becki into the passenger’s seat of his vehicle.

“Stay put,” he warned before starting to walk around the car toward the drivers’ side. He changed his mind about the time he reached the front bumper, and walked back to her side of the car. He wrenched the door open, and bent low to put himself at eye-level with Becki. When she looked at him with wide eyes, he spoke to her slowly and quite clearly, “For the record, I did not strike you. I swatted your ass because you deserved it. And, if I ever hear you utter that bullshit again, that won’t be the last time I swat your ass. Hear me when I say-- you will never have sex with that bastard.” He slammed the door firmly closing the subject.

Royce saw Landon pulling into the parking lot as he stalked around the car, once again. Unfortunately, Becki saw him, too.

“Landon is here!” she exclaimed, fumbling with the seatbelt as she tried to unbuckle it. Problem solved! She would ask Landon to give her a ride home.

Trevor had been dancing with a blond the last time she saw him, so evidently leaving with him was no longer an option. Whatever the case may be, she was not spending one more second with this bossy, pushy, lying, two-timing ass.

“Help me get out of this car,” she demanded, “I’m staying with Landon.”

“No,” Royce corrected, “you’re going home with me.”

“I don’t want to go with you! I don’t want to see you, ever again, please,” she whispered brokenly as her eyes filled with tears and spilled over for the third time that night.

“Becki, I don’t understand what’s wrong,” Royce said in frustration. “That cocky jackass in there thinks I’ve done something to upset you. I’ve wracked my brain to figure what it could be. I have to tell you, I’ve come up with nothing. I think there has been some sort of mix-up--”

“Humph, I’ll just bet you do…the only mix-up was yours,” Becki hissed at him viciously.

“Sweetheart, I’m not following you,” Royce insisted.

“Don’t sweetheart me! Of course, you didn’t follow me. You were too busy! I followed you!

“You followed me? When did you follow me?” He would know if he were being followed. He’d been trained for that sort of thing.

“You didn’t think I would be downtown, did you? Guess what? I was downtown, and I saw you!”

“You saw me downtown?” Royce repeated as he struggled to wrap his head around what she was trying to say.

“Yes!”

“Why didn’t you say something to me?”

“What-- so you could introduce me to that bitch you were--” she couldn’t bring herself to put it into words.

“What bitch? I wasn’t with any--?”

“That bitch was me, you idiot,” Joanna interjected.

Royce was speechless. All this? Over his sister?

“She doesn’t know I’m your sister,” Joanna reminded him drearily.

As tears continued to run down her cheeks, all Becki could say was, “Damn it!”

She couldn’t get the seat belt off. She pulled and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. She had to get the seat belt off! She had to get away from him! She couldn’t breathe. She kept trying to suck air into her lungs, but she couldn’t. Her heart was about to explode!

“Becki,” Royce spoke calmly trying to stop her panic attack. She was gasping for breath, and he could see that she was terrified.

“Get this thing off me! Royce! Get it off!” She was sobbing again, beating on the seat-belt fastener with her fist.

If she got that seat belt off, God knew what she would do next. Actually, Royce knew exactly what she would do next. She would huff right back into the bar where a battle between Vampires and Werewolves could erupt at any moment.

“Joanna,” Royce conceded defeat. “I could use some help here.”

No sooner were the words were uttered, than Becki stopped fighting and started snoring.

Landon had noticed that Royce and Becki seemed to be in a heated discussion when he parked his vehicle. He had intended to take care of the Vampire problem, and then check on Becki. His Wolf had other ideas, however, and had insisted that they check on Becki first. Landon had argued that she was with Royce and would be safe until they had their business taken care of. realized that it would be impossible to deal with peacefully if his Wolf was pacified. He stationed his three buddies at the bar to keep an eye on things and promised to return as quickly as possible.

Royce sighed and rubbed his temples. Becki must have been serious about getting drunk tonight. He hoped he never had to deal with her in that state again.

Landon scented high levels of adrenalin as he approached Royce’s vehicle. He knocked on the hood, to alert Royce of his presence as he made his way to Royce’s side of the vehicle.

“Everything ok here?” Landon asked as Royce lowered his window.

Royce didn’t bother to deny the tension radiating from his body. He knew Landon had already scented Becki’s distress. And, truthfully, he was too mentally exhausted to be anything but honest. Landon soon the Vampires

“Not now, but it will be,” Royce assured him. “As soon as she is sober enough to understand that the ‘bitch’ she saw me with downtown was not another woman I’m involved with, but my sister.”

“Ah,” Landon nodded, “that explains it. She’s pissed?”

“Crazy pissed,” Royce answered. “The fact that she tried to drown her sorrows in a gallon of Crown didn’t help the situation.”

Landon patted the hood of Royce’s car, “You better get her out of here. I’m not sure how things will go down in there.”

“She will be at the condo with me, if anyone is looking for her,” he said with a look in his eyes that dared Landon to protest.

London stared intently for a moment, nodded once, and turned toward the bar. Before he had taken more than a few steps, he turned back with a warning for Royce, “Make sure you know what you are doing. She is very precious to me.”

Royce acknowledged Landon’s words with a nod, “Understood. Just so you know… she’s very precious to me as well.”

Landon spun on his heel and disappeared into the Pub.

Royce heard a soft Witchy chuckle. “Jo, when I get back to the condo, we are going to have a talk about respecting each other’s privacy,” he threatened. Like that would work. She really needed some kids of her own so she could meddle in their lives and leave his alone.

#

Landon strolled casually back into the bar. Chance, Bradley, and Devon were leaning against the bar seemingly uninterested in the Vamps at a nearby table. They were in deep conversation with the guy Sean had described as Trevor Simmons.

He casually grabbed the beer waiting for him and headed over to join the party at Trevor’s table. As Landon and his friends approached, the Vampires rose swiftly to their feet, fangs flashing.

“Sit down,” Landon warned quietly. “We aren’t looking for trouble here tonight. This is a public place. We just want to talk.”

Because he was flanked by three massive bodies with yellow eyes and fangs of their own, the Vamps heeded his advice and sank warily into their seats.

Trevor inclined his head toward the remaining chair at their table, indicating that Landon should join them.

Borrowing chairs from nearby tables, his three companions created a protective semi-circle behind Landon.

“Why are you in town?” Landon asked the Vampires directly.

“Doing a little treasure hunt--” Rouel began.

“These are friends of mine,” Trevor interrupted, shooting a meaningful glance to Rouel. “Eric and Rouel are just passing through. Don’t worry. They aren’t here to sample the local flavor, right guys?”

“Right,” they agreed. Eric’s response was a little more convincing than Rouel’s.

Leaning forward, Landon made eye contact first with Eric and finally Rouel. “You do realize this is Moultrie Pack territory?” At their nod, Landon continued, “Make no mistake; treaty notwithstanding, we will be watching both of you closely. If you make one wrong move, heads will roll… literally,” Landon promised.

With that being said, he rose to his feet, swung his gaze to Trevor, and advised, “You really should be choosier when it comes to picking friends. These guys could be seriously hazardous to your health.”

As the group took their leave of the Vampire’s table, Landon called over his shoulder, “Watch your step gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, because we will be.”

Since they were already at a bar, Landon decided they might as well blow off some steam. He chose a corner table because he preferred to sit with his back to the wall.

“What do you anticipate their life expectancy to be?” Chance asked nodding to the table they had just abandoned.

“Pretty damn short,” Bradley responded with a snort.

“Can I bring you boys something? Anything at all?” a scantily clad waitress asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Landon had caught her scent as soon as he crossed the threshold of the bar. His hand snaked out to encircle her wrist. He gave a slight tug and she plopped into his lap.

“Hi, Rach,” Landon greeted her by nuzzling her neck and resting his hand on her slightly protruding stomach.

“I’m headed to the dance floor,” Chance announced as he stood. “I need to find me some action.”

Two more chairs were vacated as Bradley and Devon followed.

“An alpha in the making,” Rachel observed with a grin.

“Yes, but there is still some work to do first,” Landon added.

Landon gave Rachel a smacking kiss on the cheek before helping her to her feet.

“You boys stay out of trouble tonight. I’m heading home in another ten minutes. Do you need anything before I go?”

Landon shook his head but flashed a grin as he said, “Just tell your old man, that I kissed his wife and felt his baby kick tonight.”

Rachel laughed and said, “You’re a foolish man Landon Smith to risk the wrath of my Jay. But rest assured, I’ll be sure and tell him.” She turned and blew him a kiss as she walked away.

Landon chuckled. Jay was like a brother to him. They had been raised together as pups. Jay and Rach had been married forever, and she was expecting their third child. She was still as beautiful as ever and still thought the sun rose and set in her husband. They both knew Jay would take a bullet for Landon, but it tended to stir his Wolf if Rach bore even the slightest scent of another man. Landon knew the next time he saw Jay, he would have to listen to him bitch about the sleepless night he would have tonight.

There were times when Landon envied Jay. And other times, like when he was talking to him on the phone and the kids were screaming, he wondered if he would ever be ready for a commitment like that.

Shaking off the seriousness of his thoughts, Landon stood to join the party currently in progress on the dance floor.

Women had started crawling all over the boys within a matter of minutes. Their bulky bodies were like magnets to all females in the vicinity. Soon the dance floor was rowdy and full. The drinks and the women just kept showing up. Due to their metabolism and body mass, alcohol had little effect on Were. In Landon’s experience, that had proved to be a handy advantage when it came to womanizing and pool tournaments.

Rouel watched the Were with distain. His hatred overruled his fear, but tonight he kept both restrained. He would bide his time until the coin was found. Trevor slid another drink in front of him, his favorite-Bloody Mary. As Trevor reached across him, he picked up an underlying scent. He leaned toward Trevor, inhaling deeply.

“Mmmm, delicious. Who is she?”

Trevor, struggling for nonchalance, responded, “Who knows, I’ve been trying to score all evening.” He had hoped to cover Becki’s scent with that of the blond, but he had not had enough time to do an adequate job.

Sniffing again, Rouel said, “Yes, but one is stronger than the others.” With an evil leer, and flash of fang, he taunted Trevor, “Do you smell that Eric? Isn’t it divine?”

Trevor forced a grin and said to Rouel, “Sure wish I knew which one she was.”

“Eric? Are you ready for a refill?” Trevor asked, signaling the waitress to stop by their table when she had a moment. Vamps were less susceptible to the effects of alcohol than humans but not immune to it. Trevor, with a small bit of magic, could simply nullify the alcohol content in his own drinks. It was not exactly fair, but only a fool concerns himself with ‘fairness’ when working with Vamps.

Trevor, Rouel, and Eric left shortly before midnight. As the three left, Rouel leaned close to Trevor and inhaled deeply one more time.

“Back the hell off me, Vamp,” Trevor warned as anger began to sizzle beneath the surface of his skin.

Rouel smiled sardonically, “Backing off.”

Trevor didn’t trust the slimy blood-sucker any further than he could throw him. He realized that he would have to stay away from Becki from here on out. He mourned the loss of his only true friend.

Landon and his band of ‘Werey’ men left soon after Trevor and his Vamps cleared out.

“Chance and Devon, you’re on watch tonight,” Landon said as they pulled in the driveway. “I scented Becki all over Trevor, so I’m sure his friends did too. That classifies her as a high-risk probability in this mess. Unfortunately, she is closely linked to Kurt and the girls, so they are now high-risk as well.” Vamps made Landon edgy. Vamps with an agenda made him downright paranoid. Obviously, they were here for the coin, but why?

The Were/Vamp treaty specifically prohibited running the Vamps out of town unless their behavior became problematic. Without a doubt, problematic was fast approaching. Chance and Devon would patrol tonight, and he would have a talk with Royce and Kurt first thing in the morning.

Tomorrow promised to be a long day on the water, and Landon needed to be ready for trouble. With Vamps in town, trouble was sure to follow.

Stifling a yawn, he closed his bedroom door and stripped before climbing into bed. The body temperature of Were increased substantially at night. The least amount of clothes they had to wear after dark, the more comfortable they were.

* * * *