Black Hills Desperado (Black Hills Wolves, #3)(13)

“That’s not helping.”

“Sorry. I’ve never met this guy before. I don’t have a clue what to expect and I don’t like walking into a situation not knowing if I’m going to have to kill someone to protect you. I’ve heard stories about Magnum. Sons can be a lot like their fathers.”

“Drew isn’t his father. I haven’t seen him in years, but when I did know him, he wasn’t a bad guy.”

“Honey, you’ve done a lot to make him less than welcoming. He might not have a choice. His pack might not want us here. Your being here will put them at risk.”

“Relax. If he’s the Drew I knew as a kid, he won’t be that bad.”

“How have you been, Xio?” A man stood in the door to the office, staring at her. She looked down, breaking eye contact, careful not to challenge the man who held her future in the palm of his hand.

“I’ve been better.”

“So I hear.” He shifted his attention to Marcus. “And you’ve brought a mate home with you.”

“Yes.” She looked up, avoiding his eyes. “I really didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

Drew laughed and stepped to the side. “None of us do when it comes to mating. We are slaves to our natures.” He gestured toward a couple of chairs inside. “Please come in and have a seat. We have a lot to discuss.”

Xio picked the chair closest to the door and sank into the cushy seat. Marcus dropped into the one next to her and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.

“So, you left as Beta of the Cazador pack to join us in the Black Hills.”

“Yes. I go where Xio goes.”

“I understand; no explanation is needed.” Drew laced his fingers together and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and his chin on the brace he’d created with his hands. “I, above all others, understand why you left, Xio. What I need to understand is why you want to come back.”

“I have nowhere else to go. The pack and my brother are the only family I’ve got. And Marcus.”

“I’m not going to tell you I’m thrilled with what you’ve been doing the last few years, but I will tell you if you can look me in the eyes now, tell me that you are leaving that life behind and won’t return to it, I’ll welcome you back with open arms and offer you the pack’s protection.”

“I won’t so much as jaywalk anymore. I’m not proud of what I’ve done, and I won’t make excuses for any of it.”

“Good, because I don’t want to hear them. I only want to hear that you won’t do any of that again, that you will obey the law of the land, and the pack. Can you do that?”

Xio looked up and held Drew’s gaze. “I can.”

“If you have any secrets, you need to come clean now.”

“Nothing I can think of.” Except for the massive pile of money I have in the bank as Sarah. That was something to fall back on—her exit plan, if things got too rough in the Black Hills. Foolish not to have one, so she wasn’t about to disclose what she had. Alpha or not. Doubtful she’d ever need to use it anyway.

“Excellent. You now have a clean slate.” Drew sat up, opened his desk, and pulled out a piece of paper. He scrawled something across the surface. “You can start by getting a job in town. You’re interview is with Gee, a were-bear, tomorrow at eleven sharp at The Den. You’ll be washing dishes and waiting tables for him. Once you prove yourself, you can tend bar or do whatever it is he wants you to do. Don’t be late. He’s expecting you.”

“Just like that, I get a job.”

“Idle hands are never a good thing. I’m going to keep you busy, and you’re going to need some money for rent.” Drew tossed a set of keys to Marcus. “Two blocks from The Den, 1020 First Street. I took the liberty of furnishing it. Nothing fancy, but it’s clean and cozy. Perfect for starting a family.”

Drew turned toward Marcus. “I’d like to talk to you about what you did for your brother’s pack. I already have a Beta, but I am looking for knowledgeable enforcers and you fit the bill. The pack has been without a leader for a long time. A lot of our numbers are starting to come back, trickle in one at a time. Those who don’t want to see us back in good form have been eyeballing our territory. I expect some aggression from neighboring packs and the occasional lone wolf who thinks he might like to stake a claim. Come by and see me tomorrow, after you drop Xio off at work.”





Chapter Five


Xio lifted dishes into the rubber tote and hauled them toward the kitchen. She actually liked busing tables and washing dishes. She could listen to her language lessons and didn’t have to interact with anyone, explain who she was, or talk about her past. That couldn’t be more perfect.

She shoved through the saloon doors that separated the bar from the kitchen. Caught up in repeating a line in Chinese about ordering a beer, she ran head-on into Gee, her new employer and a bigger enigma than she.

He reached up and plucked one of the headphones from her ears. “You’d like to order two beers?”

Xio blushed and shut the MP3 player off. Gee speaks Chinese? And it had been the most he’d said to her all week. Her mouth dropped open.

“Yeah, I know. What’s a big old bear like me doing in the midst of a wolf pack speaking Chinese?”