Page 30

Harper

“Still smiling?” Sharon shook her head. “You can grin all the way to the dumpster.” She nodded to the full bins. “Off you go, Smiley.”

I didn’t even complain about being on bin duty.

Instead, I grabbed the garbage bag out, tied it off, and then hoisted it out to lug it out.

Apparently, all I needed to get through a work day with a smile on my face was multiple orgasms. It was the memory of them that had me smiling all the way out to the dumpster at the back of the cafe.

After I’d slung the bag in, a series of low buzzes had me reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone.

“Hello?” I said, still grinning, sure I knew who was on the other end of the line.

“Is that my Harper?” Nanna’s creaky tones greeted me instead.

“Oh, hey, Nanna.”

“Don’t hey, Nanna me,” she grumbled. “What’s going on with those animal men of yours?”

“Ahh…”

“Can’t tell your old nan?” She cackled. “So you’re having fun then. Good. I want to meet them. Bring them all around tomorrow for dinner. I’m making my famous lamb roast and apple pie.”

“Hang on, they…” My mind blanked as I realised what she’d said. “Apple pie and lamb roast?”

“You better believe it. If these fellas, men, males are to become part of the family, I need to ensure they’re right for my favourite granddaughter.”

“I’m your only granddaughter,” I said, shaking my head. “Everyone else had boys.”

“Doesn’t matter. Tomorrow, Harper, no excuses. The girls won't stop pestering me for information, so they’re coming too…”

She told me more about her plans, but I didn’t register them, because a big rumbly black car came crawling into the car park.

Seeing a car like this would have me torn between admiration for a beautiful car and rolling my eyes, because the owners were usually dicks, but this…

Something told me it wasn’t the usual goon behind the wheel.

Familiar faces leaned out the open passenger side windows.

I swallowed and then quickly walked towards the back door, the crash and bangs of Geoff in the kitchen a welcome thing for once.

“Right, so Nanna, I’ve gotta go. I’m at work.”

“You should’ve said that!” she said, then rattled off the time and what I needed to bring.

“Just text me,” I said as the car rolled closer. My eyes flicked from side to side, trying to see past the dark tinted windows to the occupants. “I’ll get what you need, but I’ve gotta go.”

As I ended the call, the car’s wheels spun and then it turned left abruptly, the tyres squealing as they exited the car park.

So why was my heart beating as hard as it would if they’d roared straight towards me? I followed the track of the car all the way up the road until it disappeared.

“C’mon, Smiley!” Sharon snapped, not unkindly. “Get your butt inside. The fellas behind the counter might not be ones you wanna kiss, but we need to get them their lunch before there’s a riot.”

Finish my shift, talk to the guys about Nanna’s requests, and oh yeah, survive, those were my priorities, so I kept things moving, walking up to the counter and taking the next order.

“Hey.” I’d finally got to the end of my shift and was wheeling the mop bucket out, when the guys came striding in.

It was Mack who moved forward first, hands going to my face.

Those cool eyes took all of me in, studying me closely, looking for signs of harm I realised.

“You OK? Anything happen to you, Harper? You can tell me if it has.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about the car, but Mr. Grumpy getting all concerned? I didn’t want to ruin this moment. What had actually happened, anyway? My hands covered his.

“I’m fine.” I winced when I realised how greasy my skin must feel. “Kinda grimy from a full day of working with fried food, but I’m fine.”

“She’d be a lot happier if she could get out of here earlier,” Sharon said as she walked past. “Especially if you lot helped her with the floor.”

I was about to protest, but Tor swept in, pressing a kiss to my forehead before grabbing the mop.

“You got it, then we can head to the beach.”

“We are not going to the beach,” Mack growled.

“What’s happening at the beach?” I peered outside. “Bit cloudy for sun baking, though I might be persuaded by the sight of you three shirtless.”

“What about us with shirts on down at the sideshows?” Tor asked, his mop sweeping across the floor.

Sideshow Alley was a bit like the royal show, filled with rides and games, but rather than roll into town every Easter, it was a permanent thing. During the school holidays, it was filled with kids and their parents, but at night it was a date night favourite.

“You want to jump on a rollercoaster with me?” I said, moving closer. “Didn’t think cats liked things like that.”

“My cat likes you.” As Tor shot me an impish smile, his eyes shone a whole lot greener, making me think the tiger within was pushing his way forward.

“So do I get to meet him like I did Kieran’s bear?” I looked over at my lover of last night, and Bear Boy looked pretty chuffed at the mention. “Maybe I could ride your tiger through the alley like Jasmine does her tiger in Aladdin!”

“You can ride me anyway you like.” That sly grin made clear that yes, that was what he meant by that. “Kieran tells me we need to… have a repeat performance of last night to keep the wolves from your door.”

“Which is why we aren’t going anywhere tonight.” Mack stomped over. “Netflix and chill.” His words came out awfully fast, a terrible urgency there. “Your choice of any or all of the offerings of nearby restaurants. We’ll massage your feet, your back, as we watch whatever girly show you pick.”

“Even romantic tragedies that make me cry?” I asked with a grin, watching his teeth grind together.

“We can have a girly movie marathon if that’s what you want,” he said finally. “So whaddya say, Harper?”

Kieran was remaining conspicuously quiet during all of this, but Tor nodded in encouragement. While Mack’s offer was tantalising, who could give up the opportunity to ruffle the wolf shifter’s fur a bit?

“Sideshow Alley sounds amazing? When do we leave?”

Straight after work, apparently. The guys drove me around to my place and waited for me to have a shower, but as I got changed, Mack made another plea for a night at home.

“Harper…” It was the way his voice trailed away, his eyes taking in the towel wrapped around me, the water sliding down my neck. “We…”

“We?” I prompted.

He shook his head.

“We can go out to the sideshows after this shit has blown over. After I…” That muscle jumped in his jaw. “After I sort this problem out.”

“There’s always other problems. If I had to stay home until the perfect moment came, I’d never leave my apartment,” I said. “You take your pleasure where you find it, because who knows when you’ll have another choice.”

“But…”

He was going to argue, I could see that in his mulish expression, so that’s why I dropped my towel.

If anything was gonna shut a guy up, it was boobs, and sure enough his protest turned into some kind of strangled sound in the back of his throat.

I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he took a step towards me.

“My eyes!” A shrill female voice had me snatching the towel from the floor and hastily holding it up against me. “What did I tell you about having multi-species orgies in the apartment?”

Daria appeared in my doorway with a grin.

“To not let them get too loud and keep you awake all night?” I replied.

“Huh, yeah, that was what I said.” She turned to Mack. “Hey, I’m Daria. Which one are you, Mr. Grumpy?”

“The one that’s waiting in the car for Harper to get ready, trying to work out a way to keep her safe.”

Mack turned on his heel and marched off, something that had the both of us snorting.

“Wolf shifter,” I answered for him.

“Who knew Team Jacob was so damn moody?” She settled against the door frame. “Haven’t seen you for days. I’ve been pulling these late night shifts, so I’ve missed what’s happening with your menagerie.” She looked down the hall. “Seems like things are… progressing.”

“I’ve met parents, won a bear race, had dream sex, and had some creepers sniff me.” Her eyebrows shot up to reach her hairline as I pulled clothes on. “So just another week, I guess.”

“No,” she said as I brushed past her, now dressed. “No, you can’t leave me hanging like that.”

“Come and hang out at the sideshows,” I said. “I’ll fill you in on the details.”

“You’re welcome to join us,” Tor said, tugging me close, the weight of his arm comforting.

“Got another trio of hot single shifters available at the last minute for a blind date?” she asked, but I heard the wobbly edge to her voice.

She’d only just broken up with the dickhead who decided his life would be better without her in it.

“No? Then I’m cool.” Daria went to the fridge.

“I’ll try and make a dent in all this amazing food. ”

“Dar—”

“The next words out of your mouth better be I will catch up with you later and fill me in on all the gossip,” she said in a mock gruff tone. “Or I’ll be forced to kneecap you.”

“You got it,” I replied. “Tomor…” I looked at the guys, remembering what Nanna had made me promise. “The next day? Apparently, my grandmother wants to meet the guys.”

“Meeting the family?” Tor’s purr was unexpected. Personally, the sound of their feet as they ran out of the door would’ve been more in line with my dating history. “Sign me up.”

“She’s making her signature dishes but don’t get lured in by the promise of good food,” I said. “Her friends are gonna grill you on shifter sexual anatomy.”

As Tor spluttered at that, I turned back to Daria.

“So we’ll catch up after work? I’ll come by the bar and we can have a drink when you finish up your shift.”

“You got it, bitch.” She swept in and gave me a hug. “Now, use your bear to go and win you some ridiculously large teddy bear or something.”

“Plush toys and rollercoasters?” Kieran said. “You got it.”

Except when we got into the guys’ car, it was obvious that Mack had not reconciled himself to the plan.

“We can still head back to our place,” he said as he pulled away from the curb. “There’s this amazing steak place?—”

“Nope,” I said.

“A Thai place?—?”

“Nope.”

He let out a long sigh before driving up the end of the street. “But…” He glanced at me. “Maybe you could tell me a bit about the guys who are threatening to make trouble for us? Kieran wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Mack’s fingers tapped the steering wheel as we idled at the lights, then he nodded.

“Wolf shifters…” The lights turned green and he drove through the intersection. “Half of the police force and the local security companies are run by wolf shifters.”

“Ohh-kay…”

“But the other half? The one percenters, the criminal organisations, the gangs…” He dared a look at me.

“They’re wolf shifters too, and my family?

” I was starting to regret my decision when I saw real pain in his eyes.

“They’re some of the worst. My father, my brother…

I’d never want them anywhere near you, Harper.

Not near any woman. My father killed my mother, his own fated mate, and then…

” The sound of the indicator ticking took on a more sinister tone. “Then I killed him.”