Her smile was unbearably sad. “I figured you would.” The laugh she gave verged on tears. Someone yelled from a nearby table, and she left him standing there.

  What if she didn’t want to come home? What if she didn’t want him? What if he was the reason she wouldn’t go home?

  Defeat threatened to choke him. Keeping his emotions locked down tight, he sat on an empty stool and swiveled around to keep an eye on her. Like a dancer, she moved with poise and grace, sharing a word or a smile with everyone.

  “You do any harm to that girl and I’ll find a way to hurt you.”

  He turned back around but kept one eye on the mirror behind the bar, watching Amy as she worked. He’d been expecting this. Gracie had more than a few years on him but was younger than his parents. She stared him straight in the eyes and didn’t flinch. Not many men could do that. His respect for her ratcheted up a couple of notches.

  “I’d never hurt Amy. And I’d hunt down anyone who did.” He stopped short of saying he’d hunt them down and kill them. No need to get graphic.

  Like his father, Etienne was a protector by nature. Unlike his father, he’d never been able to find a balance to ease some of the intensity that was as much a part of him as his hair color. His father channeled his protective instincts into cooking and feeding everyone.

  Amy deserved better than him, but he wasn’t about to give her up. Without her light to guide him, he feared the darkness inside would swallow him whole.

  “Good.” Surprised by Gracie’s reaction, he gave her his full attention. “What? That girl does not belong here.”

  “Neither do you.”

  She seemed startled but shook her head. “I passed that line long ago, but her? She’s still got a chance at a good life, one that doesn’t include tending a bar and living alone.” Leaving him with his thoughts, she went back to work.

  Life was odd. You started out with plans and ideas. Sometimes they worked, and sometimes they took you to places you never dreamed—good and bad. Look at him. Amy had been his friend his entire life. They’d grown up together, safe in the midst of a loving and protective pack. They’d spent as much time in each other’s homes as their own.

  Then one day, he’d looked at her and seen something more. It was as if a switch had clicked inside him. His entire world had exploded. And when he’d put the pieces back together, nothing was the same.

  He tracked her movements in the mirror, giving the illusion of not watching her, but she felt him, glancing in his direction every few minutes. Every muscle in his body was rigid, his control tenuous. He forced himself to look away, scanning the rest of the patrons. Something he should have done immediately.

  Finally finding Amy had sent him into a tailspin, and he wasn’t fully recovered. That was no excuse. Her safety came first—always. Not that he expected much trouble from a bar full of humans, but it was better to be safe, to leave nothing to chance.

  The two men in the corner caught his attention. Eyes narrowed, he studied them. They were tall and fit, clean-shaven. Somewhere between mid-twenties and early thirties. The one who’d had hold of Amy’s hand earlier was staring at her.

  A low growl escaped before he smothered it. The guy two barstools down from him glanced in Etienne’s direction before grabbing his beer and moving further away. In fact, the stools on either side of him were empty.

  Shit, he had to rein his wolf in. He was making people nervous.

  He straightened, going on alert when she walked over to their table.

  Chapter Four

  “You want anything else?” Don’t look at the bar. Don’t look at the bar. Etienne was really here. It was almost impossible to keep her attention on work. She was torn, half scared he’d make her go home and half scared he wouldn’t. She was riding an emotional rollercoaster that was making her stomach sick from all the ups and downs and sharp turns.

  Unable to help herself, she glanced toward him. Sure enough, those pale blue eyes were turned in her direction, but they weren’t on her. No, they were on the men sitting at the table.

  “Are you okay?” Luc asked.

  “I’m fine.” Not like she was going to share her problems with complete strangers. Her life was complicated enough without adding two unknown wolves to the mix.

  “You sure?” He leaned back and studied Etienne. “If you’re worried about him, we can take you home after work.” He paused. “Or make sure he never bothers you again.”

  Her heart stuttered to a stop before setting off at a gallop. “Stay away from him.” As confused as she was about where she and Etienne’s relationship stood, the last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt.

  “We have a sister.” Colton leaned forward and tapped out a rhythm on the table with his fingers. “Every woman deserves to feel safe.”

  If these two were for real, she’d really stumbled across two handsome and nice wolves. Maybe it was all an act. Her senses were no help in this environment, but she didn’t think they were lying. Not that it mattered.

  “I’m fine, honestly.” Best to get things back to business. “Are you done for the evening?”

  Colton glanced at Luc, who shook his head. “Another round of beers.”

  Her hopes for an easy resolution disappeared. Get two, or in this case three, male wolves together and the testosterone was enough to choke a girl. “Right away,” she muttered.

  There was no way to avoid the bar any longer. She had three tables waiting on drinks. Head forward, she marched up to the far end, keeping a few stools between them as she gave Gracie her orders.

  “You seem tense.” Etienne tilted his head to one side and frowned.

  She bit her lip to keep from falling into hysterical laughter. “You think.” She thought about banging her head against the bar, but that would hurt. Besides, it wouldn’t do anything about her current predicament.

  “What can I do to help?” The concern surprised her. Not that he cared about her—she already knew that—but that he’d actually ask her what she wanted, rather than jumping right in and doing whatever he thought was best. The men in her pack were loving and caring, but they could also be a tad overbearing and even dictatorial at times.

  She rubbed her hand over her face, trying to ignore the knots in her stomach. Why was life so complicated? Everything had been so easy when she was a little girl. She’d believed her daddy could solve any problem, slay any dragon, and he always had, handling all her tiny concerns with great seriousness, never making her feel like a bother. But this was one only she could tackle.

  Sometimes being an adult sucked.

  “I honestly don’t know.” Taking a deep breath, she rallied. “I’m not your problem.”

  “Chère, you’re anything but a problem. You’re a joy and a gift.” The low, intimate tone made her toes curl and her breath catch in her throat. How was she supposed to respond to that? Her wolf pawed, wanting out so she could rub herself against him. The animal part of her had desperately missed her pack. Being alone sucked for a wolf.

  She swallowed heavily but said nothing, grateful for the distraction when Gracie pushed a loaded tray toward her. After distributing all the drinks, she started clearing tables as they emptied. It was only half an hour until closing.

  Fortunately, the Landry brothers didn’t offer their help again. Seemed they’d gotten the message, which was good. It wasn’t smart to make enemies. She had no idea where they were from or how big their pack was.

  Oh, God, were there more of them out there? Was she safe? Was Etienne?

  Don’t panic. The mundane tasks of washing down the tables and ferrying dirty dishes to the kitchen helped her center herself. Don’t borrow trouble. This was the first time any wolves had shown up at Milton’s. It was her sheer bad luck that all of them had shown up on the same night.

  She purposely stayed away from Etienne and the Landry brothers. It wasn’t cowardly. She preferred to see it as prudent. The clock ticked down until there were only ten minutes left. The place had cleared out except for a few stragglers.

  When Luc pushed back his chair and stood, she heaved a sigh of relief. Until he headed in her direction with his brother right behind him.

  “Good night.” Polite, yet firm. She hoped he’d take the hint.

  The corners of his lips twitched. Good thing one of them found this funny. She was tempted to kick him in the shin, but decided it wouldn’t be smart.

  Colton leaned in closer and rattled off a number. She tilted her head to one side in question. “Call us if you need help.”

  The gesture was sweet but pointless. “Thank you.” Telling them it wasn’t necessary would only make them dig their heels in harder, and they might not willingly leave.

  Both men stiffened as an arm slipped around her waist. “Problem?” Etienne’s tone was mild, but she wasn’t fooled one bit. Tension radiated, pulsing through the space. The few remaining customers practically stampeded to the door.

  “No problem.” She waved the brothers away. “They were just leaving.”

  “Maybe we should stay?” Luc hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets and glared at Etienne. “Amy?”

  “You really should go. We don’t need any trouble.” There were still full-human staff here, all of them watching the confrontation unfold.

  Luc gave a curt nod. “Remember what my brother told you.” He curled his lip at Etienne and gave a low growl. Etienne remained relaxed by her side, not antagonizing. Not that he’d have to. Intensity bled from his pores. It was off-putting to folks who didn’t know him. The Landry brothers would take it as a challenge.

  “That is enough.” She stamped her foot on the floor. “You’re all acting like juvenile pups. What’s next? Are you going to whip out your dicks and pee on the floor to show dominance?”

  Colton chuckled, but the other two weren’t laughing.

  “I mean it. I won’t have trouble in here.” What she could do to stop them, she had no idea, but she was following the example of her momma and the other ladies of her pack. They didn’t put their foot down often, so when they did, the males tended to listen.

  Etienne sighed and nodded.

  Luc sneered until she glared at him and pointed toward the door. Lifting his chin in a gesture of goodbye, he left, taking his brother with him.

  “Who the hell were they?” He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t have to. Etienne was not happy.

  “Luc and Colton Landry.” There was no reason to withhold the truth. And honestly, he’d find out whether she told him or not. If he couldn’t dig out the information on his own, he’d involve the pack, which meant involving her daddy, something she wanted to avoid. “This is the first night they’ve been here. They honestly seemed concerned that I was here on my own.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  She spun around and frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you’re not safe. It means you’re an unmated female, and they’re likely unmated or they wouldn’t have been sniffing around you. They were posturing, trying to show they could protect you.”

  “They were being nice. I’m not having this discussion.” She tried to walk off, but he stepped in front of her.

  “I’m serious.”

  “So am I.” She poked her finger into his chest. It was like hitting stone. “Maybe they did find me attractive. Hell, maybe I found them attractive.”

  A growl so low it didn’t make a sound vibrated through the space. He was angry and letting her know. Well, too bad for him. She wasn’t too happy herself.

  “Maybe they were being nice. They said they had a sister. They left, didn’t they?” Not that she hadn’t had misgivings earlier.

  “Would they have left if I weren’t here?” He didn’t yell or raise his voice. Perversely, his calm, logical question—one she’d asked herself, not that she would admit it to him—had her hackles rising.

  “What does it matter?” She threw up her hands. “They’re gone.” Without a fight or bloodshed, which was all that mattered.

  “I hate to break this up, but we’re closed.” Gracie walked to the door and opened it. “You have to leave.”

  Amy tensed, but she should have known better. Etienne was nothing if not in control. “I’m driving you home.” He was stubborn enough to remain rooted to the spot if she refused. And a part of her wanted to talk to him, longed for news from home.

  “You’ll drive me back to my lodgings.” It was best to clarify with tricky wolves.

  The corners of his mouth twitched. “Wherever you want to go.” Any hint of humor fled. “As long as you understand I’ll be with you. You’re not alone. Not anymore.” He tipped his head at Gracie as he left.

  The older woman slammed the door shut and bolted it. Not that a paltry steel door and two deadbolts would keep out a male wolf, but she didn’t know that.

  “That was one intense discussion. You sure you’re safe? You can sneak out the back and come home with me. I know how to handle a gun, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

  Gracie’s generosity stunned her. That she’d be willing to put herself in such a position said so much about her character. Amy wrapped her arms around her. She was taller than her friend, even if Gracie mothered her.

  “Thank you.” The lump in her throat made it difficult to speak. “Etienne may be a lot of things, but he’d never hurt me. Hell, he’s even fiercer than you when it comes to protecting me.”

  “He implied as much when I gave him a warning earlier. Thought I was right about him but wanted to be sure.”

  Talk about major respect. Not many humans would dare stand up to a male wolf. They gave off a deadly, feral vibe without even trying. “You’re something else, you know that?” After a final squeeze, she released Gracie.

  “So my daddy told me a long time ago.” On a laugh, she patted Amy’s arm. “Get your things and go. I’ll finish cleaning up here. You have a man waiting for you.”

  “You sure?”

  “Go.”

  The inevitable couldn’t be put off any longer. Amy grabbed her belongings and briefly thought about ducking out the back way, but in the end, she went through the front door. A familiar green truck was parked off to the side, giving him a vantage point to both the front and back of the building.

  He hadn’t taken any chances.

  Taking a deep breath, she strode across the lot.

  ****

  Etienne gripped the steering wheel with both hands, only letting up on the pressure when it began to crack. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. It was a deliberate action on his part to bring his tension down a notch before Amy got here.

  He’d prowled the area, circling the bar before getting into his truck, not convinced the Landry brothers had really left. Colton was easygoing. Not his brother. The way Luc had watched Amy, the glint in his eyes, bothered him.

  No matter what the other male said, no matter that he’d left, he wanted Amy. Why she couldn’t see it, he didn’t know. It was as plain to him as if the other wolf had proclaimed it to the world.

  They were gone. For now. But they’d be back as long as Amy was here. An already volatile situation had gotten worse because she wasn’t ready to go home. Whatever she was searching for, she hadn’t found. It was up to him to see that she did so they could leave this place behind forever.

  When the door opened, he tensed, only relaxing when Amy stepped outside. He climbed out, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door. She didn’t say anything as she got in.

  He scanned the lot and the woods beyond, sensing only a rabbit and a fox. An owl hooted from behind him. The fine hairs on the back of his neck rose. One or both of them had circled around. If he was a betting man, one of them would try to follow in the truck. The other would track them in wolf form. He’d bet it was Luc watching him.

  Etienne climbed in, cranked the key, and put the truck in gear.

  “Do you need directions?”

  “No.” He made a right-hand turn.

  “Ah, you’re going the wrong way.”

  “Put on your seat belt.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?” She twisted around, looking out the back window.

  “There was someone watching from the woods.” He reached across her and grabbed the belt. “Put it on.”

  “Not someone.” She snapped on the safety harness. “It’s Luc, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, chère. It’s him.” He hated to worry her, but she needed to be on her guard.

  She leaned her head back, thumping it on the seat rest. “You gonna tell me you were right and I was wrong?”

  “Right now, I’m going to try to lose them. I’ll say ‘I told you so’ when you’re safe.”

  “You had to go there, didn’t you?” Underneath her sassy retort was a thread of worry that he hated.

  “How could I not?” he teased, trying to distract her. He’d driven these roads earlier. There was a country road ahead that circled back around. “Hang on.” He killed the lights, made a sharp turn, and hit the gas. The bed of the truck fishtailed before the heavy tires dug into the gravel.

  He didn’t need light to see, but neither did the men trying to track them. A howl ripped through the night. No fucking way was he leading them to Amy’s place.

  Her face was pale, but she was steady as he swerved off the dirt road onto an ATV track. Branches scraped against the doors. They went airborne when he hit a bump, landing with a jolt. He bounced but braced himself, staying focused.

  Another sharp turn and they flew across a meadow and onto the main road, now heading in the right direction. He flicked the headlights back on in case they ran into the cops.

  “How you doing?”

  “Fine. Glad I didn’t eat anything earlier. Is this really necessary?”

  “Yes. Keep a watch for any vehicle following us.” She had a keen, artistic eye and saw details that many missed.

  “On it.”

  Luc really had done him a favor. This little hunt and chase had put Amy in the position of working with him. It was a subtle reminder of how well they’d always done together.

  When they got close to her rental, he killed the lights and turned into the parking lot. “Stay in the truck.” He turned off the engine, but kept the keys in the ignition. “Switch places with me.” Rather than get out, he undid her seat belt and lifted her, shifting her into the driver’s seat.