The Beast in Him
Page 27

You gotta problem, bitch, Marissa growled, baring enormous fangs. You can bring it to me.
So says Jane of the Ghetto.
Jess winced. That was a dumb thing to say. Marissa wasnt exactly ashamed of her humble upbringing, but she didnt take it well when some rich heifer mocked her about it either.
Marissa grabbed Madeline around the throat and shoved her. Madeline stumbled back. Jess tried to move out of the way, but she didnt move fast enough and the hyena slammed into her, sending Jess flying out the back exit door. She hit the opposite wall, a surprised grunt exploding out of her as the exit door slammed shut.
Jessica? Are you all right? her client asked with genuine concern.
She took a calming breath. Uh... yes. Sorry about that. I, uh, stubbed my toe on my desk.
Oooh. I hate when I do that.
Her client went on, now much calmer. Letting her ramble, Jess walked to the door and pulled. It didnt budge. She pulled on the handle again. Nothing. Shed locked herself out.
Dammit!
I feel so much better now that Ive spoken to you, Jessica. Thank you.
No problem. Anytime, you know that. She did her best to control her chattering teeth. Well contact you in the morning, okay?
Yes, thanks again. The client disconnected the call and Jess wrapped her arms around her body.
Okay, she muttered to herself. This dress. Bad idea in winter. As were the goddamn shoes. Trying not to fall on her ass in the disgusting alley, Jess started to walk toward the opening leading to the street. As she reached the end, she saw two females standing by a piece of shit Buick. They seemed to be in quite an agitated discussion. Normally Jess wouldnt notice or care, but she scented they were wolves. Wolves she didnt recognize. She recognized all the local wolves and now the Smiths, but new wolves on an already small island asked for trouble.
As she approached the mouth of the alley, the two women stopped talking and those cold wolf eyes focused on her.
Uh-oh.
Smitty grabbed hold of Madeline Stark while Mitch grabbed his sister. Not easy since both females had decided to shift. In the middle of a full-human party no less. Has everyone lost their goddamn mind?
He shook Stark. Shift back. Now! She did and suddenly he had a naked hyena in his arms. Man, he could find much better ways to spend a Tuesday evening. He shoved her toward the bathroom. Get dressed. He threw clothes at her, but he had no idea if they belonged to her, her sisters, Marissa, or Maces sisters Serita and Allie, whod delighted in joining the fray.
Mitch pushed his still-shifted sister into the mens bathroom across the tiny hallway since he knew better than to put her in an enclosedspace with the Starks. The other two lionesses followed Marissa in, and as soon as the door closed Mitch had to walk away, laughing before he even got five feet.
Smitty glanced around. The reason he found this little fight before it got truly ugly was because he saw Jessie Ann head down this hallway to the bathroom and the Starks follow her. Now he had no idea where shed gone.
He knocked on the mens bathroom door. Yall seen Jessie Ann?
Who? a trio of voices answered back.
He rolled his eyes. Jessica Ward?
She was here a few minutes ago, Marissa answered.
Dammit. Where did she go? He needed to find her. Now.
He simply couldnt get that vision out of his mind of that runt dog practically salivating all over her. At least the males in Jessies Pack had some wiry strength to them. Landry could get his ass kicked by one of Smittys three-year-old nephews.
Well, she couldnt have gone far.
He stroked his chin and glanced around until his gaze finally settled on the back exit door. The one that locked automatically.
Smitty grinned. He sure did love his job.
Jess stood at the end of the alley, her gaze locked on the two females. One of them with a horrible red dye job snarled and advanced. Jess snarled back, unleashing her claws and bracing her stance. If this got ugly, shed kick off the shoes. If it got really ugly, shed shift. That was always a last resort, though, when out in the open like this.
But before the female could get close, the other She-wolf grabbed her arm and yanked her back, shoving her toward the car.
Not yet and not her, she heard her whisper. Jess had wild-dog hearing. She could hear a pin drop a mile away if she needed to. Get in, the She-wolf ordered. The redhead started to argue, but the other one slapped her and pushed her toward the car.
Gee, as difficult as her Pack could be, Jess never had to bitch slap one to get her way. Even the Smith females didnt slap. You either complied or they mauled. There was no in between in the Smith universe.
The two females got in the car and pulled away from the curb; Jess let out a relieved breath.
Jessie Ann?
Jess screamed and turned swinging. Unfortunately, it was much more of a flailing than any kind of actual fighting moves and Smitty easily caught her arms.
What are you doing? he demanded calmly.
Beating you senseless?
He let out that annoyed sigh she remembered so well. The same one he gave her when she fell out of a tree after Sissy and her She-wolves chased Jess up there in the first place.
She glanced down at the big hands gripping her biceps to hold her steady. Do you mind letting me go?