Page 121 of Fangs and Fudge

“Don’t leave me curious for too long,” she said in my ear. “You know I have a curious mind and a cupid’s heart.”

I nodded and waved them off as I started clearing their table. My phone buzzed again, but I knew better than to check it while on the floor, so I waited.

When I returned to the bar with my next drink order, I saw MC cut Shepard off to get to me. The twitch in Shepard’s jaw worried me. I didn’t particularly care for MC, but the way he was pushing Shepard before the challenge made me wonder what kind of beating Shepard was going to dish out and if MC would survive it.

“I’ll get that for you, Everly,” he said with a smile.

I nodded, wondering what his deal was, and slipped my phone out as he started on the first drink. Cross had sent a message just to me.

Cross: Stay close to Shepard, no matter what happens tonight.

Me: I will.

The warning added to the ball of worry building inside of me.

MC made my drinks quickly, only glancing at Vena as she approached Shepard with her drink order.

As soon as my drinks were on the tray, I turned away.

MC continued to snag my orders every time I approached the bar for the rest of the evening. I didn’t mind, even though I started to suspect what he was trying to do. If he thought getting on my good side would help his cause, he was sadly mistaken. At least, it was keeping him away from Vena, who’d definitely reached her stabby limit though.

I had hoped we would get through the night without MC making another move, but at closing, he stopped Vena as she dropped off dirty glasses.

“I know you’re probably anxious about tonight,” he said. “Don’t worry about anything. Everything will be okay.” He was about to place his hand on her shoulder, but the look she gave him had him pulling back slightly.

“The only way everything will be okay is if you lose and go home. You’re not wanted here, MC.” She turned and walked away.

Fists clenched, MC stared at her retreating form for a moment. He caught my gaze, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

“I told you she’ll come out swinging if you corner her,” I said softly.

I was too far away to hear him, but I was pretty sure he said, “So will I.”

He cast a hate-filled glare at Shepard, who was still behind the bar, then whistled low. He and his pack filed out of Blur.

Once they were gone, the tension eased. Shepard came over as I wiped down tables.

“I need to leave too. Doc and Gunther will give you a ride. I’ve already talked to Cross. He’ll be my eyes in D.C. while we’re gone. If there’s a problem, he’ll alert us.”

“Shepard, I’m getting a bad feeling about this. MC looked at you as if he wanted to kill you.”

Shepard took my hand and toyed with my fingers before he looked at me.

“Don’t worry about me, Everly. No matter what he does, he will never win. Do you trust me?”

When I nodded, he smiled. “Then don’t worry about anything.” He placed a kiss on my forehead and then called his goodbyes as he left with Boulder and Tank.

I hurried to get my station clean and my tips counted and distributed. Vena was right there with me.

“Are you both ready?” Doc called as we closed our lockers.

“Ready,” I said.

We headed out to Doc’s electric car. Vena and I sat in the back, and Gunther sat up by Doc. When Doc pulled onto the freeway heading out of town, Vena asked, “Where exactly is the fight happening?”

We’d seen the address on The Howl, but we hadn’t looked it up, assuming it would be somewhere nearby.

“At a farm,” Doc said.

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