Go Fetch

Chapter Six

Conall washed his hands and thought about Miki naked. That’s pretty much all he did these days. Think about one small woman naked. There had never been a woman before Miki who distracted him this much. He and Zach had burned their way through a lot of strippers, waitresses and bar sluts. Girls who knew how to get you hot and suck you off in no time. Girls who really didn’t expect you to call them the next morning.

Miki wasn’t anything like those girls. She was hot and sexy without even trying. She never wore makeup from what he could tell and she didn’t need any. She wore those same damn Doc Martens every time he saw her and he wasn’t sure she had any other shoes. But she always seemed to pair them with the hottest little miniskirt or shorts. Tonight she wore leather. The woman looked really good in leather.

She was a walking, talking contradiction and he was starting to worry he was falling for her. Still, a more skittish female he didn’t know. No way could she handle him. Not really.

Conall dried his hands and headed toward the bathroom door. Before he could touch the knob, the door opened in and his almost exact replica followed. But his cousin Einarr had hazel eyes and always looked pissed off. The man wasn’t pleasant and, after all these years, Conall still hated his guts.

“Hello, cousin.”

Miki had to walk away from the club and go half a block down to the corner to get decent reception. She speed-dialed Craig back.

“Whatcha want?” she barked into the phone, her eyes scanning the street.

“That’s not friendly.”

Craig could be such a bonehead. “Craig.”

“Okay. Okay. Just kidding. I only wanted to make sure you were going to be here tomorrow night as planned.”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Everybody’s psyched about seeing you. Right, guys?”

Miki laughed when she heard chanting from the other end. “Mi-ki! Mi-ki! Mi-ki!”

“Okay. Okay. I’ll be there. And you’re all idiots.”

“Meet us at Patty’s Pub.”

“When?”

“Anytime after ten. We’ll be there until closing.” Of course they would. Her Seattle friends were the hardest drinkers she knew. “Don’t flake out on us, Queen of Despair and Pain, ruler of the dark underworld known as Texas.” Miki closed her eyes. Her friends were such geeks. Which meant she was a big ol’ geek herself because they often called her their queen.

“I said I’d be there. Don’t pressure me.”

“All right, my lovely. See you then.”

She hung up her phone and hooked it back to the holster on her hip. Then she wrapped her arms around her body. She was freezing. It got cold at night in Northern California. Why couldn’t Sara’s Pack live in Southern California where she heard it was warm all the time?

Miki headed back up the street toward the club. As she passed an alley she stopped. She had to. They’d called her name.

She stared into the deep recesses of the dark alley and Miki heard it again. A female voice. A couple. Calling her name. She faced the alley, but didn’t enter. She wasn’t about to. She wasn’t stupid. Instead, she’d go back to the club and get Sara and Zach.

But a hand suddenly grabbed her arm. “Don’t leave.”

She looked up into the face of a woman…or a man…or a she-male. To be honest, she really didn’t know. Pretty but androgynous. Yet with a grip on her arm that caused Miki some serious discomfort.

“Let me go.”

“Don’t leave, sweetness. We were just ready to get the party started now that you’re here.”

That’s when she tried to drag Miki into the alley. Miki remembered taking a self-defense class once and she never forgot the instructor’s words. “Never let them take you to a secondary location. Never.”

To Miki that alley was a secondary location. No fucking way would she go in there. Reaching up she grabbed the woman’s hair—this was a woman, right?—and yanked so that they both stumbled back slamming into a parked car. The car’s alarm went off while Miki yanked the woman’s hair again. Then she did it again until she ripped hair from the heifer’s head. The woman let out a screech that would have freaked Miki out if she wasn’t busy trying not to get taken to the secondary location. Of course, the returning yelps from the alley just spurred her action.

With hair still gripped in her fist, she punched the woman in the face. Then used her steel-toe Docs to kick her in the groin. Man or woman, she knew that would hurt. As the woman dropped to the ground, Miki snatched her arm away and ran.

“What do you want, Einarr?”

“Can’t a man just come and see his cousin?”

“No. And you know Zach doesn’t want you here.” Especially after what happened last time. Wolf blood still stained the walls from that little get-together.

“A lackey for that Irish Wolfhound. How do you look at yourself in the mirror?”

Conall rolled his eyes. They’d been having this conversation for over ten years. It was a boring conversation just as Einarr was a boring man. Truly, the only thing his cousin had inherited from their Viking ancestors was his name and his viciousness. Other than that, he wasn’t much of a Viking or a wolf. Just a petty little asshole.

“Move, Einarr.”

And to his surprise, Einarr did. Yet Conall never took his eyes off him as he left the bathroom.

Once he made it back to the main bar, he realized they were all over the place. Víga-Feilan wolves. Not good.

Conall walked up to Kelly. “Where’s Zach?”

“The office, maybe. I really don’t know.”

Conall headed off to the office before things spiraled out of control. This was why Zach was Alpha. Left up to Conall, he’d snap his cousin’s neck as human and start a Pack-Pack war just before being shipped off to prison. Probably not a good idea. At least for the moment, it wasn’t a good idea.

Miki slammed her way back into the club, to the backstairs, and right into the arms of one of the wolves guarding the door.

“Hey. Hey. Are you okay?”

Miki looked behind her. She didn’t see anyone following her. She took in huge gulps of air and tried to calm herself down.

“I better get Sara.”

Miki grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare!”

She had enough problems. Involve Sara and all hell would break loose. “I’m fine. Really.”

“You’re bleeding, honey.”

Miki glanced down at her forearm. There were four deep gashes across it. Great. Paw marks.

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll be fine.” She headed up the stairs, stopping at the bar to get her leather jacket from behind it. She slipped it on and headed to the bathroom. Thankfully, she didn’t see Conall or Sara. She could only imagine how the two of them would blow this out of proportion.

She went in search of the women’s bathroom, finding it pretty easily. How could she miss it? It was actually marked “Bitches”. She went in as some females came out. She went to the sink and caught her reflection in the mirror. Except for being a little sweaty, she still looked in control. Good. She slid the jacket off one arm and ran her forearm under the cold water, wincing from the pain, but thankful the cuts weren’t too deep.

She took paper towels and carefully wiped the damaged area. So intent on what she was doing, it took her several minutes to realize that a woman stood behind her—and stared.

Watching her reflection in the mirror, Miki marveled at how much the woman seriously resembled Conall. Funny, he never mentioned a sister. But she kept staring and smirking without saying anything. And Miki was in a considerably foul mood.

“What?” Miki snapped.

“Just trying to figure out what my cousin’s doing with a little midget like you.”

“Maybe you should ask him that. And calling someone a ‘little midget’ is redundant. Midget implies little.” The woman stared at her and Miki couldn’t resist. “I’m sorry, should I speak slower? Perhaps sound words out for you?”

The woman growled as Miki slipped her jacket back on. And, being Miki, she simply couldn’t leave it alone. “You know there’s no shame in having special needs.” She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “The short bus can be fun.”

With that last shot, she walked out the door, but the woman clamped her hand around her already wounded arm. Miki let out a pained bark, but it only lasted a second. Because suddenly Conall was there, lifting the woman up and slamming her against the far wall.

“I should tear your throat out.”

“You don’t have the guts, cousin.”

Conall growled, his canines extending to deadly points.

Then he heard a snarl and felt hands slide under his arms and loop around the back of his neck. “Let her go or I’ll snap your neck.”

Einarr. But Conall was too pissed to let his cousin go. She’d hurt Miki. That was all the wolf in him knew. That was all he needed to know.

“Fuck you.”

Einarr’s grip tightened as Conall distantly heard glass breaking. Then he felt Einarr stiffen.

“Let him go or I cut ‘em off.”

The three Víga-Feilans looked down. Miki crouched low behind Einarr, a broken bottle shoved between his legs and up against his groin.

“What the fuck?” Einarr wasn’t used to women facing off against him. He was big and imposing and used that to his advantage. Clearly, however, Miki didn’t care.

“Let him go.”

“Get the fuck away from me…hey! Cut that shit out!” Conall would have laughed at his cousin’s obvious discomfort if the man hadn’t tightened his grip on his throat.

“Miki. Go,” Conall ordered.

“No way.” She looked around Einarr’s legs at Conall. “I’m having way too much fun.” She glanced up at Einarr. “You ever seen a horse castrated? I have.”

He could smell Einarr’s fear and panic. And he loved it. But he wanted Miki safe.

“Hey, Conall. What’s going on?” His Alphas. He loved how Sara always seemed so calm. So in control. Seconds before she started to really hurt someone.

“Just a little disagreement.”

“Really?” Sara crouched down next to Miki. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Playing let’s turn the stallion into a gelding. Of course, in his case I guess it’s really turning a dog into a bitch.” Conall heard Einarr grunt and knew Miki was having way too much fun with that broken bottle.

“You know, Mik. We can take it from here.”

“He’s not your Pack, right?”

“Nope.”

“Then as a Texan I have no choice but to help out in thanks for your kind hospitality. So until he gets his hands off Conall…his balls are mine.”

Sara stood up. “You heard her.” She leaned in. “And if I were you, I’d do it. She helped on a ranch for two years when she was twelve. The girl is not afraid to get bloody.”

Einarr’s hands released Conall.

“Good boy.” He could hear the condescension in Miki’s voice. “Now sit pretty!”

Sara slapped her hand over Miki’s mouth and shoved her back with the rest of the Pack. It amazed him Miki had lived this long.

Sara’s hand rested on his shoulder. Heard her cool, calm voice in his ear. “Who’s this?”

He tried to rein in the beast. If he let it loose now, he’d kill the bitch in front of him. Sara probably smelled that. She knew her Pack well.

“This is my cousin.” He released her. “Gudrun Víga-Feilan.” That was all he could manage at the moment. Not a problem, though. Sara pushed him back and the two females squared off while he and Einarr continued to glower at each other.

Sara took a protective stance in front of Conall. Kind of funny, since he towered over her. But he’d seen this woman in action. Gudrun, however, had not.

“Pretty scar,” his cousin sneered.

He would have launched himself at her again, but Zach grabbed his arm and held him back. He realized Zach didn’t want him involved. Not because it was two females fighting, but because the man loved watching Sara do damage. It made him hard.

“Wow. That was witty. I’ve never heard that one before.”

Gudrun’s eyes narrowed. Conall could smell his cousin’s annoyance that her insults weren’t bothering Sara. And they really weren’t. The girl had lived with worse for years. Hell, she’d lived with her grandmother for years. That alone made her tough.

So, seeing that Sara wasn’t an easy target, Gudrun looked back at him. “That little midget.” She glanced in Miki’s direction. “So weak. So vulnerable.”

Sara snorted. “She almost took your brother’s balls off and wore them as ear muffs. And ‘little midget’ is redundant. Midget implies little, dumb ass.”

“I told her that,” Miki announced from behind Jake.

Gudrun couldn’t stand being made fun of and that weakness seemed to make her irrational or just plain stupid. She punched Sara in the face.

A long stretch of silence followed as Sara stared at Gudrun, her hand rubbing her jaw. Yet leave it to Miki to solidify the moment. “She is going to kick your fat ass.”

That’s when Sara moved. She grabbed Gudrun and slammed her head first into the wall. Then she brought her back and down while bringing her knee up. He heard his cousin’s nose break. Smelled Gudrun’s blood. Then Sara wrapped her hand in the woman’s short blond hair and dragged her past them all.

“Time for you to go, sunshine. You and your Pack are no longer welcome.” Gudrun’s Pack followed closely behind and the Magnus Pack followed the Víga-Feilans. Miki was right next to him as Sara dragged his cousin down the stairs, making sure she hit a few walls and the banister with the woman’s head along the way. They went out the side door and spilled into the alley beside the club. That’s when Sara lifted the woman up and threw her out on the sidewalk.

She looked at Einarr. “Get this bitch off my territory. I see any of you back here again, I’ll kill you. Not them.” She motioned to the rest of the Víga-Feilans. “You. Now get the fuck out of my sight.” Einarr stared at her. He tried to stare her down, but Sara didn’t flinch. She didn’t look away. Conall was pretty sure she didn’t blink. They could all feel it. That moment when Sara would lose it and tear the man’s throat out. No one stared at Sara too long for just that reason. Well, no one but Zach.

Einarr backed away, still staring at Sara. At this point, it was his only way to save face with his Pack.

Carrying Gudrun, the Pack went to their vehicles parked across the street, and disappeared.

Conall closed his eyes. He couldn’t look at Sara or Miki. His family never failed to embarrass the living hell out of him.

He felt Sara’s cool hand on his cheek. “Hey, stretch. It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry, Sara.”

“I’m the one person you never have to apologize about family to. Remember that.”

He smiled at her. How could Zach not have fallen in love with her? And, apparently, Zach felt that way, too. He slid his arms around his mate’s waist and nuzzled her neck. Then he grabbed her left thigh and just like that tough, fearless Sara freaked.

First she squealed. A real girly squeal. Then she backed away from her mate. “Don’t you dare, Zacharias Sheridan!”

“Come here, baby.”

She burst out laughing and ran back to the club, Zach following slowly behind her. He didn’t have to run. He knew he’d catch her and then he’d drag her back to their office. Probably so he could fuck her brains out.

The Pack looked at each other, then headed back to the club. They’d never understand their Alphas, but in the end they really didn’t have to.

Miki looked up at him. “What the hell was that?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Miki went quiet for a second, then shook her head. “Probably not.”

“Look, Mik. I’m sorry about my cousins. And thanks for threatening Einarr’s balls for me.”

Miki shrugged as if she hadn’t challenged a man who could have literally ripped her apart. “No problem.”

“You know you were protecting me.”

“See. There’s that Viking grin. And that really unnerves me.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do. And what I did in the club doesn’t mean anything.” He moved toward her and she backed away. He was really starting to enjoy this little dance of theirs.

“It means everything to me.”

She took another step back, tripped over her own two feet and fell back. Conall caught her before she hit the ground. Both arms around her, holding her. And that’s when he smelled it.

He leaned in and sniffed her again. “Where the hell have you been?”

“No where.” She tried to pull away, but he gripped her tighter. “I smell something…and blood. Are you bleeding?”

“It’s that time of the month, is all.”

He stared down at her. “Miki. We know the difference between open wounds and menstrual blood. Don’t bullshit me.”

“Mind your own business, Viking. Now let me go.”

She pulled out of his arms and turned to walk away. With a growl, he grabbed her jacket and snatched it off her back. When she spun around to yell at him, he saw the bleeding wounds on her forearm. Something had pawed her. Whatever owned that scent had touched her. Hurt her. And that something wasn’t his cousin.

He grabbed Miki around the waist, ignoring her “You asshole! Get your hands off me!” And carried her back into the club.