The Beast in Him
Page 8

So hows the business? Adelle Van Holtz asked as she handed a waiter two plates of food.
Its okay. Were getting more clients. Had a big job last night that worked out well.
Good. Good. I told my brother about you guys. He may have some work for you. She reached around him and grabbed a bottle of water. As you know, the Van Holtz Pack doesnt like to sully our fingers with common wolf activities.
The Smiths are all about the common wolf activities. And being sullied. So were more than happy to help. Especially if it involves my favorite restaurant, he finished with a wink.
The Van Holtz Steakhouse restaurant chain had been neutral ground for shifters for years, although cats didnt come by very often. Yet every breed of wolf or canine could come and indulge their need for rare steak and hang with the other wolves. Only problem, the Van Holtz Steakhouse was in no way cheap. So Smiths didnt come very often since they didnt exactly roll in money like the Van Holtz and Magnus Packs did.
Ill keep that in mind, Adelle said with a smile. Now tell me whats wrong, baby boy?
Smitty liked Adelle a lot, the two of them becoming impossibly tight after shed hired Smitty to beef up her restaurants security and figure out which of her staff had been stealing from her. It turned out to be the arctic fox busboy.
At least twenty years older than him, Adelle wasnt as snobby as most Van Holtzs, and she really knew how to cook up a steak. She had a mothering streak a mile long, and she loved to baby Smitty. With his momma in Tennessee and his sister a pain in the ass, he sometimes needed that.
What makes you think somethings wrong?
She reached up and stroked his cheek. You know you cant hide anything from me. Is it a She-wolf problem?
Nah. He kind of wished it was. She-wolves were real simple to understand if you followed three simple rules: Dont irritate them, dont stare them down unless youve got a death wish or youre sure you can take them, and dont irritate them. You followed that simple logic, youd do just fine. But Jessie Ann wasnt a She-wolf, and there was nothing simple about that woman. Not a damn thing. Just met an old friend last night and she acted like she didnt even know me.
Well
And how could she not? he continued. Im amazing.
Adelle patted his chest. That you are.
After the job and breakfast with Mace, Smitty didnt get back to his apartment until well after six A.M. Hed stripped and dropped into bed, expecting to be asleep within seconds. Instead, hed stared up at his ceiling for a good hour wondering how Jessie could so easily forget him. True, it wasnt like they spent every hour of every daytogether when they both lived in Smithtown, but he was closer to her than he was to most anybody else except his sister. Hed even listened to her when shed go on and on about some book she read. The fact that hed endure conversations about elves and dragons and guys with swords still amazed him. But hed done it for Jessie Ann.
Hell, maybe she was still mad. He knew females could hold a grudge like no other. Especially predators. Maybe she hadnt forgiven him for walking away, for leaving her alone in Smithtown. But what else could he do? Its not like the Navy would have let him bring a sixteen-year-old girl with him because my sister and her friends use her like a chew toy.
What annoyed Smitty even more? That he cared. He cared whether Jessie remembered him. He cared that she might have been hurt when he left. Why the hell should he? But dammit he did, and he could hear his daddy as if the man were standing right next to him: You always were a big pussy, boy.
A waiter stopped in front of Adelle and she quickly examined the tray full of food. She nodded and sent him on his way. So you hot for this little chickie?
Rearing back, Smitty shook his head. Lord, no. Shes just a friend. Someone I used to be close to, but I could never... we could never... He shook his head. No way.
Huh. Flustered. Ive never seen you flustered before.
I am not flustered. You took me by surprise is all.
Of course. That must be it. Adelle patted his shoulder. You want another steak? Itll make you feel better. Hed already had two.
I could eat again.
She smiled and grabbed a plate off the tray of a passing waiter.
The waiter stopped. Thats for table ten.
So?
Theyve been waiting for forty-five minutes. Saturday nights were the busiest nights for the Van Holtz restaurants, yet Adelle didnt move any faster or do any more than she did on the slowest night of the year.
Are they important?
Now Smitty laughed. Adelle.
What? Its a valid question.
The waiter leaned close to Adelle and whispered, Its Jessica Ward, boss.
Smitty blinked in surprise. Jessica Ann Ward?
Yeah. The waiter grinned. Another one of her first dates if Im guessing right.
Pushing past the two females, Smitty opened the door and glared across the restaurant.
I really dont know why the woman bothers, Adelle sighed behind him. She has to be the pickiest canine on the planet. Shes had some hottie-hots in here and she leaves em standing at the corneraloneevery time.