Page 107 of The Thief

When I turned to watch her leave, my heart did a quickstep. Hamish Macgregor waltzed in with four other men as if he owned the place. He’d known our pack would be here.

Rising from my chair, I said, “Y’all keep enjoying your food. I gotta get back to work.”

Tak chewed on his cucumber salad and watched the other alpha choose a table by the front. He kept a poker face, which was a good thing. Tak didn’t show any interest the way the rest of the pack did, and I liked that about him. Always cool and in charge.

I rushed over to Hamish’s table and whipped out my pencil and order pad. “Welcome to lunch hour at the Rabbit Lounge. What can I get for y’all?”

Hamish pulled a cigarette case out of his inside jacket pocket. I waited impatiently while he casually took out a cigarette, lit the tip, and enjoyed his smoke.

“Have you ever tried vaping?” I asked, trying not to sound sarcastic. “They don’t stink up your clothes, and they come in different flavors. Not to mention you don’t have to deal with lighters or ashes.”

He flicked his eyes up to me, and I stared at a tiny ash that had landed on his curly mustache. He reminded me of a villain from an old Western. Not the typical brute in the black hat, just the rich a-hole who thought he owned the whole town.

“If you want a brisket plate, I’d recommend ordering it now instead of waiting. We’re almost out.”

With his free hand, he played with one of the curls on the end of his mustache. “One plate. I’ll try it. And a bottle of your finest whiskey.”

“Anything for your packmates?”

One of them was eyeing the barbecue on a customer’s plate, but like the others, he looked to Hamish before shaking his head.

“I’ll be right back.” As I started toward the kitchen, Bear rose. “Don’t bother. I’ve got this. Put your feet up for another minute before the second wave.” I reached the end of the bar and grabbed Calvin’s attention. “What’s the most expensive whiskey you own?”

Calvin gave me a crooked smile before selecting a bottle from a lower cabinet. “Three hundred seventy-five a shot. Who wants it?”

“Table three wants the entire bottle of your finest.”

“That’s six thousand. I want cash up front.”

“I’ll handle it. Be right back.”

I hustled into the kitchen and made Hamish a plate. Then I found a to-go container and filled it with brisket. If he was going to pay that much for whiskey, the least I could do was throw in some free meat. Hamish might be an arrogant jerk, but I had nothing against his pack. Maybe in time, they would forge friendships with my packmates.

I set his plate on a large tray, then grabbed the whiskey and a glass on my way back to his table.

“Here you are.” I set his plate in front of him along with the silverware, which was rolled up in a linen napkin. “And here’s an extra container of brisket I thought your friends might enjoy. Or you can take it home.” Then I displayed the whiskey to let him see the label. “This is our finest whiskey. It’s six thousand for the bottle or three seventy-five a shot. Would you like to see our other selections? We have a Scotch that’s hugely popular.”

I didn’t want to insult the Packmaster in front of his pack if he hadn’t prepared for a price tag that high.

With his eyes on his plate, he crooked his fingers, gesturing for me to set it on the table.

“Would you prefer the entire bottle or just a few shots? I brought the whiskey glass in case you wanted the bottle, but if you’d rather do shots, I’ll get the glasses and line them up.”

“Put the damn bottle on the table.”

“Sure thing. You’ll first need to settle the bill for your whiskey.”

His flinty gaze shot up, and the air chilled five degrees. “Are you suggesting I can’t afford it?”

“I have no doubt you can afford it, but Calvin sets the rules and I follow them.”

Hamish pulled out his phone and sent a message before putting it back in his pocket. About ten seconds later, Calvin’s landline rang. I glanced over my shoulder and watched him talking to someone while staring at us. Then he gave me an affirmative nod before hanging up the phone.

I smiled cordially. “Would you like ice?”

Hamish shook his head.

I set the bottle on the table, opened it, and slowly filled the glass. Hamish obviously wasn’t sharing this pricy bottle with his buddies. “I hope it’s to your liking. Let me know if you need anything else. And if you boys are thirsty for Shifter-brewed ale, let me know. Enjoy your meal.”

---