Ripper (Hunter #1)(45)

“Do I know you?” The man stopped in front of me. He was a little taller than me, but the heels did give me a few inches. He was built on lean lines for a wolf, but I wouldn’t underestimate his strength. “What pack are you from? Are you from Nevada?”

I shook my head. No extra suitors here, just a big case of mistaken identity. “I’ve never been to Nevada. Sorry. I’m not from any pack. I’m not a wolf. I’m a witch.”

I kept to my cover story, but he didn’t look like he was buying it. What was keeping Gray? He was going to be pissed all right. He was going to be pissed I was drawing attention to myself. I noticed several people watched us. The bar seemed abuzz with people talking behind their hands as they took in our little scene.

“No, you’re not a witch.” His hand came out quickly, grasping my wrist, and then his nose ran along my bare arm up to my shoulder. I tried to pull away, but he held me tight. “You’re not a wolf, but you smell like someone I knew. Are you sure you’ve never been to Vegas? What was your father’s name? Was he a drifter?”

I pulled back firmly, unwilling to answer his questions. I had been in the place for exactly ten minutes and I was already confronted with my father. The bastard never let me be. “Let me go.”

“Hey, she’s from Texas.” Liv tried to get between us and I bet she was ready to give that wolf a taste of an actual witch. “Her dad was from Arkansas and he was a mechanic. Let her go or I’ll call security.”

The werewolf let go, but he didn’t back away. “I’m sorry to be so pushy, but this is important. My nose doesn’t lie.”

“Hey, Zack, I need your help. Have you seen the munchkins? I’m supposed to be watching them, but the little suckers got away from me. Z will kill me if they burn down the club,” a new voice said, and I found myself staring at another werewolf.

The place was thick with them tonight.

“Good, I can use your help, too. Smell her,” the guy named Zack demanded.

“I don’t want to be smelled.” I tried to back up. The bar stopped me. I ran flat up against it.

“Leave her alone.” Liv pushed at the wolf with brown hair. The new wolf was taking a whiff.

“Hey, Zack, she smells like…”

“You!” I shouted, not caring who was looking because the new wolf was startlingly familiar. Much of the night before might still be foggy, but I recognized that platinum blond hair. Familiar light-blue eyes looked at me. I’d stared at them as he’d stalked me and thought about how icy cold they were. Tonight they weren’t as arctic, but I knew them all the same.

The blond wolf gave me a huge smile and a wink. “Yes? Do you recognize me from my career as a male model? Or did I break your heart in a past life because you loved me and I love boys?”

I wasn’t about to joke with the little f*cker. I poked him right on his hard chest. “I remember you from the time you tried to kill me.”

The wolf went completely pale and Zack stepped in, trying to protect his friend. “You must be mistaken. Neil wouldn’t try to kill a girl.”

Neil frowned. “I wouldn’t put anything past me, but I don’t remember trying to kill this one. I’ve never seen you before, honey.”

I growled because when surrounded by wolves, it seemed like the right thing to do. “It wasn’t really you. It was an illusion. Obviously that damn witch knows you because he has you down. You look exactly like he projected.”

“I’m sorry. There’s some mistake. We don’t hang out with witches,” Zack said patiently. “We’re wolves. We don’t do the whole magic thing so I’m afraid we wouldn’t know anyone who could do that.”

“Umm, hello, what about Chad?” Neil said, looking at Zack like he was a dumbass.

Now Zack was the one growling and Neil took that pretty damn seriously. Those baby-blue eyes got wide and they appeared to have a silent argument. It was obvious who won. Neil looked like he wanted to tuck his tail between his legs and run.

“Who’s Chad?” I asked in my most threatening voice. It didn’t help that I kind of tottered on my heels.

“No idea.” Zack had all the smooth confidence of a born liar. He used his thumb to indicate his cohort. “And I wouldn’t listen to him. He’s slow, if you know what I mean.”

I focused every bit of my intimidation powers on the weak link. “I’ll ask again; who’s Chad?”

“Uhm, I really…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the blond wolf said and there was something a little desperate in his eyes.

“He’s lying,” Liv said as though it was a hard fought and won revelation.

“You think?” I shot back because blondie was starting to sweat. I decided to test a theory. Goth boy had known this wolf and given the fact that his illusion had been the brightest, most real of the bunch, I had drawn a conclusion. “You’re telling me you don’t know a man, probably twenty-five or so, stringy black hair, Goth black nail polish. He was kind of fat.”

“There isn’t an ounce of fat on his body,” Neil said righteously. “And his hair isn’t stringy. It’s perfect.”

Zack sighed and shook his head. “You’re such a dumbass, Neil.”

I pounced quickly. “You tell me where I can find him. We have a few things to work out. Tell him he sure as hell better bring more than tranquilizer darts if he wants to take my ass down. I fully intend to beat the shit out of him once I figure out what he wanted from me.”