“You like him.”
Ronnie took the paper towels Marty handed her. “Yes. I like him. So?”
“Then don’t do anything stupid, Ronnie. He really likes you. I can tell.”
“Leave it alone, Sissy Mae.”
“Tell her, Marty.”
Marty folded her arms over her chest. “I have faith Ronnie will make the right decision without our help.”
Suddenly feeling smug, Ronnie tossed the wet paper towel into the trash can and headed toward the door. “And stop trying to get me to drink tequila tonight.”
“Might get you to loosen up a bit.”
“Do you remember the last time you said that to me?”
“No, but—”
“We were in Prague. ‘Loosen up,’ you said. ‘What can it hurt?’ you said.”
They entered the hallway, pushing past some of the most beautiful humans in the world like they were no more than bums on the street.
“Are you still not over that?” Sissy sighed.
“Do you think a Prague jail is fun? It’s not.”
“That was not my fault. Perhaps you forgot the hyenas that were involved.”
“I forget nothing, Sissy Mae Smith. So unless you want me to shove a glass of tequila up your ass, you’ll stop bugging me.”
Brendon nursed his drink and tried to ignore the make-out session going on next to him at the bar. Eventually, he had to look past the couple at Smitty, who stood on the other side. He raised an eyebrow, and Smitty gave a slow easy grin that must have had females passing out at his feet.
The wolf turned and rested his elbow against the bar, focusing on the couple. Brendon mirrored him and they both watched until Dez’s eyes snapped open and she looked at the two men staring at her.
With an incredibly strong shove for a human, she pushed Mace off her. “Why don’t I go see if I can find a booth or something.” She practically sprinted off, and Mace Llewellyn glared at them. “Bastards.”
He stormed off after his female and Smitty moved to the stool next to Brendon, which kind of surprised the cat. Actually, the whole night had been a surprise. The Packs Brendon had met since owning the hotel had been barely tolerable, and some had been downright violent. But Smitty and his Pack really didn’t seem to give a shit about him and Ronnie. He appreciated that, because the more time he spent around that woman, the more his feelings for her grew. But he only had to take one look at her face to know the thought of anything remotely permanent freaked her the hell out.
It entertained Brendon to watch her constant struggle between wanting to find a nice “wolf” and settle down and wanting to remain that traveling wild child on her own timetable.
It would not be easy to convince Rhonda Lee Reed that he could give her everything she ever wanted. But he’d always been determined, and he had no intention of giving up now.
“So…” Smitty began.
“So…?”
“You and our little Ronnie, huh?”
“Yup.”
“My sister says you like her.”
“Yeah. I like her.” Brendon shrugged. “I like her a lot.”
Smitty gave a surprised chuckle. “Man, you and Mace sure do confuse things.”
“How do we do that?”
“We’re the loyal ones. The ones who love forever. Y’all are the alley cats. Not to be trusted. Y’all are ruining what I’ve been using in my favor for many pleasurable years, and I don’t appreciate it one damn bit.”
Brendon laughed. He could see why Mace liked Smitty. Smart and funny hidden under a veneer of slow-moving Southern male.
“Sorry, but I never saw her coming.”
“Most don’t.” He sipped his beer. “A lot of people think Ronnie just follows Sissy Mae around like a lemming. I think she even thinks it sometimes. But she’s smarter than that. There’s no one else I would have trusted my baby sister with when she went traipsing over to Europe.”
Smitty looked over at him. “Her brothers are probably going to be coming this way soon, Shaw. If you’re not serious about her, I’d suggest you end it right quick.”
“I’m very serious. But she scares easy.”
“So does Sissy. They’re afraid of becoming like some of the Smith females. Trapped in a small town, mated to men they love but can barely stand with five or six more Smith males to raise. The two of them wanted more, and they went out and got it. I admire that myself.”
“Me, too.”
“Then I best warn ya…the Reed boys, they love their sister something fierce. But she uses them and her daddy to keep any male serious about her away. You want that little gal, you’ll have to face them boys head-on. They’re gonna mess that pretty face up some, but I doubt they’ll kill ya…unless they really don’t like you. Which, with the Reed boys, is a definite risk cause they don’t like many.”
Brendon shook his head and faced Smitty. “Why are you telling me this? Warning me, I mean?”
“I don’t know really. You don’t irritate me much. And you’re kinda funny. Plus, I guess, because Ronnie and Sissy are two peas in a pod. The two of them can convince the other of anything and often do. But maybe if Ronnie finds somebody…”
“Then maybe Sissy will stop fighting it?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’d rather take a bowie knife to my eye than think of my baby sister with any male on this planet. But I don’t wanna see her alone and bitter because she’s trying to not be like our momma. Because the harder she tries not to be like our momma, the more like our daddy she becomes. And, hoss, I simply can’t have that.”
Brendon motioned for two more beers from the bartender. “Then I guess I’m on deck to make this thing happen, huh?”
“Better get your cat ass in gear, too, son. Because that Ronnie…she don’t stand still long for any male.”
The four females stepped into the main part of the club. Music pulsated, lights flickered and flashed, and bodies writhed on the dance floor. It surprised Ronnie the little interest this held for her anymore. At one time, she and Sissy would have been right in the middle of all those people dancing their asses off.
Sissy stood beside her. “You wanna dance, darlin’?”
Ronnie looked at her friend. “Do you?”
She scrunched up her face a bit. “Not really.”
“Me neither.”
“Lord, we’re gettin’ old, aren’t we, Ronnie?”
“Nah. Not old. Maturing. Maturing’s a good thing.”
“Who taught you that lie?”
Ronnie started to laugh, but stopped abruptly and stared out over the dancing crowd. A few of them shifters, but most of the writhing bodies were humans. Still, she’d always been good at recognizing scents.
Sissy Mae watched her. “What is it?”
Ronnie sniffed the air and growled. She took several steps forward and her eyes caught sight of one of them. She remembered the scar on his neck, bruises still on his face from his run-in with Shaw, and the persistent smell of gun oil.
She started toward him, watching as he headed to a back door and slipped out. Like most humans, completely oblivious to being tracked.
Not clear why Ronnie went after him. But she knew she didn’t track him alone. Without having to say a word, the She-wolves were right behind her, slipping out of the crowd and following. The best part of being in a Pack—you were never alone. They always had your back. They always protected their own. No matter what internal fighting may go on as each member tried to stay out of the Omega spot, they were always a unit. With a helpful howl, they’d have the males by their side as well. But they didn’t need the males. They rarely did when it came to hunting a full-human.
Ronnie reached the emergency exit the man had slipped through and pushed open the door. Ten feet below, the exit door slammed shut. Ronnie grabbed the railing and leaped over it, landing in a crouch.