“The lady asked you to drink elsewhere,” Alexei said, folding his arms over his chest. “I suggest you do as she says.”
The man stood up, making a low growling sound of mixed frustration and anger. His eyes seemed to glow red in the reflection from the neon beer signs in The Hook and Anchor’s window. “Fight me,” he said. “Come back inside and fight me like a man.”
Alexei shrugged. “No thanks. I seem to have lost my taste for brawling. Besides, I promised not to bust up the bar again. So I’m afraid you’ll have to find your entertainment elsewhere.”
“I could keep striking you,” the man hissed. “You would have to fight me then.”
“Sure. If you insist.” Alexei shrugged again and gestured around them. “If you feel like rolling around in the dirt in a parking lot. I suspect all these cars and trucks are insured. But I will beat you to a pulp eventually, and what would be the point?”
The stranger scowled. “What would be the point indeed?” He glanced back at the doorway, where Bethany stood looking out at them. “Very well. But this is not over.”
“I think it is,” Alexei said mildly. “Go home.”
“Soon,” the man said. “But not soon enough.” He turned and stalked away into the night.
A small crowd spilled out of the bar and applauded. Alexei just grinned and waved them off. He couldn’t believe he was being hailed for not fighting. His life was getting odder and odder. The Baba Yagas would never believe it.
But then Bethany ran over and jumped up into his arms, kissing him soundly before sliding back down to the ground. “You were amazing!” she said. “You purposely moved him out of the bar so it wouldn’t get wrecked. And then you chose not to fight.” Tears seemed to glimmer in her eyes. “You crazy, wonderful, amazing man.”
She kissed him again, to more applause from the regulars, and suddenly Alexei didn’t care how odd his life had become. If not fighting got him this kind of reward, he might just give it up forever.
Once it was clear the excitement was over, everyone went back inside and got back to their drinking, although not without a heightened buzz of conversation as the entire fight was recapped and discussed from every angle. Bethany and Alexei followed the pack, but she surprised him by grabbing his hand and steering him toward the storeroom instead of the bar.
“Hey!” he protested. “I thought I’d at least get a free beer for not wrecking the place.”
Bethany closed the door behind them and shoved him up against a stack of wine crates. The bottles clinked cheerfully as she stood on her toes to whisper against his lips, “I thought I’d give you a different kind of reward,” and kissed him with so much passion, it made him tingle down to his fingertips.
“Just so you know, you have never been sexier to me than you are right at this moment,” she said in a husky voice.
Naturally, he kissed her back. He liked drinking, but the buzz that came from having his body pressed up against Bethany’s was better than the most expensive champagne.
“Not that I’m complaining,” he said hoarsely a few minutes later when they both came up for air. “But there is an entire bar full of thirsty sailors out there waiting for their drinks. And I’d rather not have that big a cheering section for this kind of activity.” He’d been holding her up with both hands on her bottom and set her down reluctantly until her feet touched the floor again.
Bethany sighed, but took a step backward. “You’re probably right,” she said. “But you’d better believe you’re going to get lucky when I get home tonight.”
“I’ll be counting the minutes,” Alexei said. “And possibly the seconds.” That was, if he got enough blood flow back in his brain to count anything.
*
That had not gone as planned. Not at all. Hayreddin could not believe that the Black Rider of all people had refused to fight him. Had the man completely lost his nerve when the wicked Brenna tortured him and his brothers? Or had he lost his mind over that silly, flame-haired Human? Either way, yet another brilliant plan had failed miserably.
Hayreddin had had enough. It was time for more drastic measures. If a direct attack could not achieve his goal of getting the former Rider out of his hair, then something more underhanded would be required. Fortunately, Red excelled at devious and malicious schemes. With the help of Len and the two remaining pirates, he would do something that would force Alexei to do as he was told. Or else.
Chapter 16
Bethany hummed to herself as she put the chairs up on top of the tables for the night and shut down all the lights. The bar closed at one AM at this time of year, and the last customer had left ten minutes ago. As usual, Alexei had gone back to the house around eleven thirty to help Calum into bed, and as usual, the place had seemed quiet and a bit empty without his overly large presence. She didn’t even want to think about how it would feel when he was gone for good.
Alexei. She couldn’t believe what he’d done tonight. She would have bet a substantial amount of money that nothing he could do would surprise her, but it turned out she would have been wrong.
When that creep had started in with her, then kept pushing and pushing, she was certain Alexei was going to flip out and go into what she privately thought of as “Hulk mode.” She’d seen it coming, and could already visualize the damage the two huge men would wreak as they battled back and forth across the bar.
When Alexei stood up, she knew she was doomed. She’d have to ban him from The Hook and Anchor for good, get everything repaired again, and maybe even kick him out of the guest house, even though she still hadn’t found a new aide for her dad. Her stomach had clenched so hard, she was afraid she was going to throw up.
Then he’d done the completely unexpected. It had taken her a minute to understand what he was doing, but she’d almost cheered when she realized he was purposely driving his opponent in the direction of the door. When he’d shoved the guy out into the parking lot and then refused to fight, she’d been overcome with a rush of emotion - part stunned amazement, part gratitude, and part sheer unadulterated lust. She always found him ridiculously attractive, but in that moment, he had been almost irresistible. The impulsive kiss in front of an entire bar full of customers was probably a mistake, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it.
He was definitely going to get lucky when she got home.