Austin bent down and struck him hard with the back of his closed hand. “Disrespect my woman again, and this won’t have a happy ending.”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out this guy was a Northerner who had made the mistake of trespassing on our property. With a Vampire on the premises, it led me to believe they were questioning him for information. Not only was it illegal, but if the Council found out, they could disband our pack, especially if Austin had involved everyone. A Packmaster protected his family, and sometimes that meant keeping secrets from them.
“What can I do to help?” I offered.
Prince unrolled the sleeves of his shirt. His forehead glistened with sweat since the heater had been running in a room full of hot-blooded Shifters. “We have what we need. Atticus is going to scrub him.”
“Fuck you,” the man spat.
Lorenzo pinched his bottom lip and slanted his eyes toward Austin. “How is the Vamp going to slip out without raising your pack’s suspicion?”
I looked between the men and offered a solution. “If someone asks, I’ll tell them he had an appointment to speak to Austin about a job at Sweet Treats. He comes in a lot, and Trevor’s seen him.”
Austin’s eyebrows rose high enough to touch his hairline.
Atticus gave me an appreciative nod. “I would enjoy working for you, but I’d have to wear sunglasses. Not very professional.”
I unzipped my jacket. “Well, I actually need a prepper to get everything ready for the next day, and our kitchen doesn’t have windows. You’re more than welcome to wear sunglasses to work; I don’t care about that kind of thing.”
Austin held up his hands. “Wait a minute. We’re just coming up with an alibi.”
Little did he know I was scheming to fit Atticus into my master plan. I’d been hounding Austin for years to hire a Vampire to help out in the shop. They didn’t require sleep and preferred night jobs since sunlight hurt their enlarged pupils. I had no problems with them, but Austin’s days as a bounty hunter had slanted his opinion.
“Just trying to make it believable,” I said, waggling my brows at Austin. “Atticus wouldn’t come all the way out here to speak to you unless I’d already agreed and you were the only obstacle between him and the job.”
Austin snagged my coat sleeve and tugged me into the hall. “Let’s go, smartass.” He glanced over his shoulder at Lorenzo. “When the Vamp’s done, send him out and lock the door.”
I glared at Austin. “I really wish you would quit calling him the Vamp.”
We strolled toward the house. “How are you going to get the rogue out of here without anyone asking questions? You’re just going to set him free?”
He paused near the door. “We found out he’s with a unit of about seventy men who are scoping our property. They’re camped out several miles north of our territory lines. If we don’t return him, that might trigger something early, and I don’t want that. We’re not ready. Atticus is scrubbing his memory from the time we captured him until twenty minutes after we let him go. We need that extra time so he won’t remember the drive or else he might start piecing it together.”
“I don’t get how Vampires do that.”
Austin shook his head, hands in his jean pockets. “Yeah. Strange shit I’ll never understand. He’ll command the rogue not to speak, and if the pack notices us leaving, then we’ll tell them it’s Packmaster business. Let ’em assume he’s from another part of the city; I don’t care. They won’t question me.”
“It’ll look more believable if you hire Atticus.”
Austin leaned against the door. “Will it now?”
“I’m serious. He comes into the shop all the time, and he’s a decent guy. Maybe it can be a trial period. Who brought him here?”
“Prince.”
“Well, that settles it then. If Prince trusts him…”
Austin chortled. “Ladybug, you’re a force to be reckoned with.” He reached out and smoothed his hand over my belly, a reverent look in his eyes.
I placed my hand over his. “If this one inherits our personalities, she’s going to be the force to be reckoned with.”
“Have you been feeling okay?”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his soft mouth. “Feeling good, but I could be feeling a whole lot better.”
He growled, memorizing my hips with his hands.
“Ahem,” Atticus said, clearing his throat. “I’ll just be on my way.” He moved toward us at a swift pace.
Austin patted him on the shoulder as they went through the door. “Congratulations.”
Our Vampire friend gave him a bemused expression. “For?”
“You got the position.”
Atticus looked genuinely pleased. “I mostly earn wages for that kind of work,” he said, nodding at the heat house. “But I’d like to try something normal for a change. Money isn’t a motivator since I have plenty, but if you want to pay a little extra for keeping an eye on your family, then consider me a bodyguard.” His eyes slid down to my belly. “I’m sure it would give you peace of mind to know your mate will never have a moment alone in the shop.”