Page 89 of Cruel Games

She liked someone? Someone human?

Impossible.

“Tanner, it’s been what, a million years?” Her eyes slid down his body appreciatively, and I heard Coyote growl as Tanner rolled his eyes. “Still sexy as ever, I see.”

Tanner’s hand shoved her back across the bar, but the smile on the corner of his lips gave him away. “You too, bitch.” His eyes found the three of us standing practically on top of her, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed his apparent fear and discomfort. “Who’d you bring with you? Bodyguards?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Pets, more like it. They left their leashes at home.” Her tits practically bounced out of her top as she leaned forward again and smiled conspiratorially, whisper-shouting behind her hand as if we couldn’t hear her. “They bite, so don’t get too close.”

“Fuck outta here with that shit, Ivy. No way these fine men bite.” His eyes traveled over Coyote specifically, then met mine briefly before moving to Dingo, whose muscles were on displayin a juicy manner that clearly appealed to him. “Okay, so maybe theydobite, but damn, they almost look pretty enough to make a man want to be bitten.”

“Sorry, pal, but we don’t swing your way.” Dingo threw an arm over Ivy’s shoulder and nuzzled her ear, brave as fuck in a room full of people. “We like our current owner just fine, thanks.”

“Such a good boy,” Ivy teased him, ruffling his hair like he was a dog who’d just performed an unspoken new trick. “Now, why don’t you tell my friend here what you’d like, and I’ll find us a spot to post up.”

She disappeared with a wink, and before any of us could react, Tanner was already leaning over the bar to grab some glasses, looking expectantly at us with a sly smile and a twinkle in his eye.

“So, tall, dark, and broody,” he started, glancing at Coyote first. “What’ll it be?”

I shoved in closer and grabbed Tanner by his fancy tie, yanking him nose to nose with me. “Let’s clear a few things up, buddy.” His eyes widened as I let my lips part to reveal the rows of perfectly sharpened teeth in my mouth. “We’re not the kind of guys you play around with. The only person who can talk to us like that is her, got it?”

He nodded quickly, his hair bouncing around his face with the jerky movements. “Yeah, sure, anything you say.”

“She is off-limits, too. So if your door swings both directions, it sure as hell doesn’t anymore, does it?”

“Oh, it never has, don’t worry,” he chuckled, glancing around for rescue.

“And lastly?—”

“Jackal, let him go.”

I froze as her voice clawed down my back like razor blades dipped in dry ice. My hand released Tanner’s tie, and he fell backward, catching himself on the liquor rail behind him. Ivyshoved me to the side, her eyes flashing with a barely-banked fire I didn’t like. When she turned to the bartender, she morphed into an apologetic, sweet woman I’d never fucking met before.

“Sorry about that one. He’s not really house-trained. Should honestly be wearing a muzzle out in public, but they don’t make them big enough to fit his mouth.”

Tanner looked like he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “Haha, good one,” he tried, though his voice fell flat. It was obvious we scared him, but it was a toss-up if he was more afraid of us, or her.

Did he maybe know what she was? What things she did in her spare time? The kind of men she associated with?

And then I followed his eyes to where she’d tucked her hair behind her ear, the Guild pin hung from an ear lobe, fashioned as a dangling earring.

Fucking smart woman.

Which also meant that he knewexactlywhat we were.

“Okay, boys, what are you drinking? I’m ready to get off the main floor and into a less crowded spot.” Her eyes traveled over us one by one, then she shrugged, rolling her eyes with a huff. “Okay, just give me a bottle of your top-shelf imported tequila and a bucket of beers on ice. Domestic, I think, but not cheap.” Her eyes narrowed as she waited for one of us to protest. “I think we’re table ten in the VIP room.”

“I’ll have one of the servers bring it right up,” Tanner said, his hands already flying over the various bottles on a top shelf. “Silver or gold?”

“Clear, please,” she returned, taking Dingo and Coyote’s hands. “Someone better hold on to Jackal so he doesn’t get lost in here.”

Me? Get lost?

She fucken wished.

In a place like this, I planned to stick to her like fuckingglue.

THIRTY-FOUR

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