"You know something you're not telling us," Parker accuses.
"Maybe. Maybe not. Help me, get me intel, and I'll bring you in." I rest my hands on Jordy's shoulders. "You can refuse to help me. But there's more at stake than our pride."
Declan swears.
"All right, Grizz," Parker says. "We've got nothing, so nothing to lose. We'll help you. Finish this errand with the truck and poke around to figure out what we can about the shifter slavers. But watch your back. You go poking around Tucson, Garrett's pack is not gonna like it."
"I'll handle the wolves. Hell, I'll go talk to them right now." I wave a hand at the warehouse at the end of the lot.
"I wouldn't." Declan pulls the cigarette out of his mouth and pretends to blow out smoke. The whole smoking an unlit cigarette is fucking bizarre, but when you work with these three, weird is what you get. "You're persona non gratin right now."
"Persona non grata," Laurie corrects softly from his spot beside the car.
"What?"
"Non grata," Parker says. "You said gratin. Gratin is a cheese sauce."
"I'm hungry, all right." Declan throws up his hands. "Jaysus."
I clear my throat. "As I was saying, the wolves will take me back. I tell them I want to stop human deaths and shifter snatchings that bring our community law enforcement heat, and they'll welcome me with open arms."
"Go on then, make nice." Declan jerks his chin towards the shifter Fight Club building. "I want tae see it." He hops up on the hood of the Camaro, tagging a greasy bag and pulling out a burger. "Dinner an' a show."
"You gonna eat with that cigarette in your mouth?" Parker snipes at him and Declan raises his eyebrows.
"So what if I am? What's it tae ya?"
They settle into their habitual bickering.
"All right," I mutter. As entertaining as the Declan-Parker-Laurie freak show is, I'm not gonna stick around to watch it. It's too long and got no intermission. In fact, it never ends.
I start walking towards the Fight Club building, ushering Jordy with me.
"Keep close, Kit," I tell her, my hand clamped on the back of her neck. It feels right to hold her. "Follow my lead."
She doesn't answer but her body moves and responds to mine, taking cues from me, molding to what I need her to be. Alert, attentive. Completely in tune. Fates, she's fucking perfect.
She stays one step behind me as I stride to the Fight Club door. I used to work here until the Tucson wolf pack found out that I work for the vampires. I didn't mean anything by it. Frangelico just offered me a better deal-a chance at actually completing my mission.
I slow as I approach the Fight Club door. It's new and sturdy looking. The last time I saw it, it had yellow tape over it. Someone's cleaned up the place since I've been here, but it feels familiar. My bear thinks of this place as home. Even if the wolves think I betrayed them, I belong here.
Jordy stays one step behind me as I approach, glancing right and left. A bunch of punk bikers have their rides parked alongside the chain link fence. They're talking and chilling before the bar opens. Cat shifters, from the smell of them. Even if I couldn't smell them, the way they fuss with their colored leather jackets and run combs through their hair constantly would tip me off that they're a bunch of pussies. They don't even ride real bikes, just crotch rockets, which probably makes them cheetahs. Cheetahs live for speed.
They barely glance my way as Jordy and I hit the Fight Club doorstep. Before I can grab the handle, the door opens and a giant shifter looms in front of me. Bright green eyes hit mine. This guy is big, and his animal is bigger-and ready to blow. Direct eye contact with a brawler bear like me is a straight up challenge. Red cape to a bull, gauntlet thrown.
"Hey." I stand my ground but don't offer offense. "Is Jared or Trey in?"
"Nope. Who the hell are you?"
"Someone who wants to talk to a wolf."
"No wolves in here." His feral eyes flick up and down, sizing me up. "At least, not for the likes of you."
Insults, great. "You got a beef with me? Bring it." My bear could use a fight.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a flash of auburn hair. Jordy. Fuck, I don't want her involved in this.
"Ready when you are." The guy folds his arms over his chest and the light in his eyes flares. Lots of muscle mass and a barely contained animal. Not sure what species, but he smells dangerous.
"Or you could just let me pass."
"Got orders. No bears allowed. In fact, the wolves said if you showed and The Bastard wanted a fight, I could take you down."
"The Bastard? Is that what you call your animal?" I shake my head in mock pity. Behind my back, I wave Jordy away. She paces back slowly, not drawing attention to herself. Good girl. "I'm a fighter and I got a booking tomorrow," I tell the bouncer. "You gonna stop me from walking in then? Got a right to be here."
He shakes his head and I get a whiff of his scent. Something fruity-bananas?
"Gorilla," I murmur and the green eyes narrow. "All right, monkey boy, you take dictation?"
"What?"
"Can you read and write? I'm gonna leave a message."
"Fuck off."
"You don't want to know the message?"
The gorilla starts to pull away to shut the door. Before he can, I punch him in the face.
He recovers in a split second and comes roaring after me. I dance backward.
"You want more of this? Sign up to face me in the cage. Animal to animal."
"They told me about you," he spits. "You're in league with the leeches. You fight for them."
"I fight for whoever pays me."
"Species traitor."