Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(18)

Heath popped open a beer. "I'm still broke from the last time I played you two months ago. Tracy will kill me if I lose my check again, then the cop here will have to lock her up for murder. I can't have my kids grow up without a mother. I'm sure you understand."

"Below the belt, *. Get me a beer for that and I won't punch you in the nuts." Roel turned, and the stick pointed to Katie. He groaned when she smiled. "Go easy on me, shark. I'm sensitive."

"Horseshit! I'm breaking." She took hold of the end of the pool stick and jerked it away from him. "Get your wallet out. No ones this time, tightwad."





V''''V





Alex could barely hear the whispered argument between Mena and Daryn outside the billiards room. The music was just loud enough so he couldn't really make out what was being said, but the others in the room with him kept giving each other nervous glances, so he sensed that they knew more about what was going on between Mena and her cousin than he did.

He stood from the stool and crossed to the other side of the room, so he couldn't be accused of eavesdropping. That was family business, and the business was none of his.

"Ha, ha! Three in a row, sucka!" Katie said as she grabbed the folded pair of fives on the edge of the pool table.

Alex smiled. "You're really good."

She turned and gave him an appreciative grin. "Oh, yeah? Would you like to play? I'll let you win."

Brad snorted. "He doesn't want to play for clothes, Katie. You can keep yours on—"

"Jerk!" She slapped him in the back of the head, but was still smiling as she turned back to Alex, holding out a pool stick at arm's length. "C'mon, it's easy. Roel is just really bad at it."


Alex glanced at the stick momentarily, and then gave a huff as he stood and took it from her.

"Hell yeah! I finally get to legally beat a cop's ass."

Smirking as he ran blue chalk over the tip, Alex said, "I thought you looked familiar."

"He shouldn't have pointed that stick at me if he didn't want the opportunity to use it." She shrugged. "I wasn't about to pass up a good time."

Alex chuckled. "No, I can't imagine a girl like you wouldn't. You want to break or would you like me to?"

She slapped a five down on the side of the pool table. "Let's see your green first, cop."

Alex reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. After opening it, he frowned. "Anybody have change for a hundred?"

Heads shook all around the room, but Katie only smiled and tossed a hundred dollar bill on top of the five. "You aren't chicken, are you?"

Alex's eyes grew wide in shock. "That's a steep bet!"

She shrugged. "I like to keep it interesting. I'll leave the five there and, if you win, you can keep that as a tip."

"I don't know—"

"Katie—" Heath started, but she shot him a dirty look.

"Let the cop bail his own ass out of this. If he can't handle a game of pool, he damn sure can't handle Mena," she spat.

Alex tossed two one-hundred dollar bills by hers. "If you win, you can keep it as a tip."

"Holy shit!" Brad said, and spilt his beer.

Katie looked at the money and a grin crept across her face. "You're on."





Chapter 12



The Wolf





"You can't be serious, Mena! What do you plan to do with him? Keep him as a pet? He's human!"

"Lower your voice," she snapped, and grabbed his arm, jerking him hard into another room so they wouldn't be overheard by Alex. After shutting the door of the study, she turned silver eyes on Daryn.

He took a step back. "Mena, please. I'm sorry—"

"I don't think you are, Daryn. It seems you think I am too incompetent to make my own decisions, so you take it upon yourself to try to make them for me or argue with me in the hope that I will see things your way. Allow me to inform you of something, wolf cub, I'm neither incompetent nor vague about the choices I make. I am a big girl and fully capable of handling problems that arise on my own. If I want to keep Alex as a pet," she said, putting heavy emphasis on the t, "or bite him and make him my second in command, I will do so without asking permission from you first. I am pack leader, am I not? If you don't agree, I'm up for the challenge whenever you get ready."

He dropped to his knees, his gaze immediately falling to the floor to keep her from seeing the horror and shock in his eyes. "I would never dream of challenging you, Mena. The pack will be stronger with you as our leader than it has ever been before. I won't question you again. I beg your forgiveness."

She glared down at him another moment. Her eyes returned to pale green then she turned and left the room, leaving him there, kneeling on the carpet.





V''''V





Alex





With the exception of Alex, everyone in the room held their breath as the cue ball cracked against the eight ball, sending it soaring into the called pocket.

There was a stunned moment of silence, and then laughter and shouts echoed off the walls.