Nita's Redemption, page 3
“If you fine ladies are looking for good eats, try Jake’s Barbeque just down the block. They got burnt ends you can’t miss, and some of the best baked mac and cheese I’ve ever tasted. Don’t tell my auntie I said that, though.” Tank spoke in a slower southern drawl than normal, winking at the women before he turned and walked behind the others with an aw shucks air.
“Such nice boys. I wonder which one is her boyfriend. Oh, you think she’s with more than one? You know in this day and age they call it a throuple or something like that. Why, if I was a young thing again, I’d have me a couple of strong young men like them.”
“Lord help us. Chloe, you can’t handle one man. What makes you think you can handle two, let alone three? Wait, what the hell is a throuple?”
“A throuple relationship is a relationship involving three individuals. The word throuple was created from two words. You know, three and a couple. In such a relationship, one person is intimate with the other two, and vice versa. Oh wait, what is it when there’s four people? Would that be a fourple?”
Tank heard what had to be someone slapping another, followed by an exclamation of pain. Abe and Nita turned the corner, with her raising herself up so that she could see behind her. He and Link created a wall, preventing any prying eyes to see beyond them, as well as keeping her from looking at the females they’d left behind. When they hit the corner, he worried she might glimpse the others, but her eyes never left his. What she was looking for, he wasn’t sure, but she gave a slight nod, then relaxed back down. He had an inkling of what she planned, which he should’ve alerted his friend about, but the fool was getting to carry their female, a first for any of them. Payback was a bitch in his mind. So when her little hand hit Abe’s ass in a not so slight swat, Tank’s lips twitched into a full-blown smile.
“Oh, I know you fuckers are back there laughing, and I also know I have a tiny little red handprint on my ass. I’m heading to a tattoo artist to get it inked there forever.” Abe gave her ass another slap that had her jerking over the fool’s shoulder.
“Don’t you dare, Abe Adams,” Nita growled.
Tank knew Abe dared a whole hell of a lot. Their female would learn that... in time.
The feeling of eyes watching them had the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. The females who’d been a little too interested in their Nita were clearly watching them, which wasn’t good for the humans if they had any bad intentions. Tank might be the son of the alpha, but when protecting what was theirs, he was all protector.
‘I think we got us some looky-loos following us, and it’s not our sexy asses they’re interested in,’ he said through their spiral path.
‘I felt that, too. Let’s head on into Jose’s Grill and see if they decide to follow. There’s a back exit we can take. I’ve already reached out to some friends for a pickup.’
Chapter Two
THE IMAGE OF WHO LINK called, popped into Tank’s head, making his gut clench. The males were mated to Jaklyn, Nita’s half-sister. He didn’t doubt that he and his two best friends could handle any situation should anything go down. Hell, Jaklyn used to be their best friend before she’d found herself mated to two Ravens. However, there was a niggling deep in his soul that told him they needed to err on the side of caution when it came to Nita.
“Here you go, love, let’s have a seat. Whatcha want to drink?” Abe asked in his most charming voice, breaking through the loud chatter of the bar and grill.
“I am quite thirsty, dijete,” Nita agreed.
Ah, Tank heard the anger in their female’s tone. Fuck it all, if that didn’t make his dick hard. Actually, his cock had been standing at attention since the moment he sensed Nita outside the gaming store. The hair on the back of his neck had tingled, shooting straight down to his nether regions. He didn’t need to turn and look to know someone was staring at them, or to know that someone was their unclaimed mate.
“Female, you calling me a child? I guess I’ll have to prove to you just how unchildlike I am as soon as we are alone,” Abe growled and tugged Nita closer to his body.
Her eyes flared, probably shocked that Abe would know she was calling him a child in Croatian. She’d learn soon enough that they all spoke several languages fluently. None of them were surprised that she could speak many languages. They’d overheard her yelling at many other pack members, frequently in Spanish, French, plus a couple of African dialects that he vowed to learn, and now Croatian. Their mate was very intelligent.
His crew eased into the semi-circular booth near the back, taking the one closest to the exit. He always ensured no matter where they went, he could see the entrances and exits before he took his seat. Although he wanted to engage in easy banter like his two best friends seemed able to do, his focus was split between checking out the others in the bar and watching to see if they had followers, taking stock of their surroundings for any sign of danger.
It didn’t take long for his intuition to pay off, like he’d expected. His gaze tracked the door opening. The scents of chicory and earth he associated with the older females wafted through the air. Most of the patrons in the establishment wouldn’t have noticed the sudden shift in the atmosphere. None would recognize the unique smell of the group of women, but Tank had memorized everything about them.
The women weren’t completely human. At least he didn’t think so. He also didn’t miss the fact that all the women looked very similar to Nita. Like their female, they all had luxurious brown skin in varying shades. One would have to look very close to see any wrinkles among the smooth, unblemished skin. Although he figured the youngest of the bunch was in their late forties. It was in their eyes. His father had taught him how to gage a person’s worth by looking into their eyes, yet that didn’t always mean they were worthy. No, you could learn a lot by studying another body language and meeting their stare.
While Nita’s skin was a smooth copper tone with a very slight hint of a reddish burgundy that made his mouth water, each of the other female’s coloring was a slightly different shade of brown. From dark russet to a lighter shade of brown, all the way through to rich onyx. His gaze didn’t miss the way the female with the rich dark skin tried to hide amongst the others. Silly female, didn’t she understand that by trying to hide she stood out even more? By his guess, he’d say she was probably the youngest of the group of females, but what startled Tank was her resemblance to Nita. The females had to all be related. Possibly to their mate as well. His own tan skin stood out amongst their much richer colors.
Their similarities weren’t in looks, but hair as well. Two of the women wore their curly hair shorter, while Nita’s beautiful hair was a lot longer. Her curls had him fantasizing about wrapping them around his fingers and other body parts. While the oldest wore a scarf that matched her outfit over her head, he’d bet she too had dark, curly hair as well. The two others wore their long locks in gorgeous braids, and then there was the one who tried to hide. Her hair was a lighter shade than the rest of them, which made her stand out all the more. It too was long and left down in spiraling curls, yet none of them made his palms itch to touch the way he craved to caress Nita’s. Maybe it was the predatory way they stared at him and the others that set him on edge?
Their little female stiffened beside him, making his wolf rise slightly.
“Stay calm, Nita. We are with you. I promise we will ensure nobody can harm a single lustrous hair on your gorgeous little body.” Tank grinned as Nita glared at him. For whatever reason, he’s always enjoyed getting a rise out of their dominant little mate. “Don’t give me that look. Everyone in the pack knows that you’re a badass. Hell, I have a feeling they’re taking bets on whose ass you kick first. However, right now, the last thing we want you to do is expose yourself if you don’t have to.” Tank tried to speak calmly and concisely in a tone too low for anyone other than the four of them to hear once he realized Nita was on edge more than usual.
Hell, he wanted to pat himself on the back for being able to speak in full sentences when his wolf was trying to rip its way out of him as their mate felt threatened.
“You are so full of shit, Tank Bennett,” Nita said, sighing loudly.
“Tank might be full of shit, but he’s also correct. Now what would you like to drink?” Link asked, breaking the tension rising within him.
Tank sent him a thank you through their spiral path, knowing he was near to shifting without full provocation.
The waitress came over, blocking the others from seeing them. He recognized she was a shifter from their pack. “Hey, Bailey. How’s it going?”
With half an ear, he listened to the conversation flowing around them while keeping his senses open. The unmistakable aura of the Ravens arriving had him twitching to jerk Nita out of the booth.
“Are y’all ready or do you need more time?” Bailey asked.
Keeping his voice too low for anyone other than a shifter or someone next to them to hear, Abe told Bailey they were going to slip out the back but would like to do it unnoticed, if possible. She gave a brief nod, giving no indication they had said anything about leaving, smiling cheerily. “I’ll give you a few more minutes.”
Through their pack private path she reached out, asking if there was anything they needed from her. Nita’s slight growl was low but not undetected. Oh yeah, their little female was feeling possessive. Progress.
‘See that table of females that came in after us?’ Tank asked through the link. Once Bailey walked away, keeping his focus on the menu in front of him.
‘Yep, they just asked if we had good Nawlins Coffee. I said we had regular ole Folgers which made them gasp. Um, they smell funny.’
‘We noticed that too. They’re a little too interested in us. We think they can sense others, so they probably know you’re not human. Try not to get too close to them if you can avoid it. In fact, I think you’re sick and need to leave. The Ravens are out back waiting for us. Head out the kitchen, and we’ll make sure all is fine here.’
‘What if I get fired?’ Bailey’s voice sounded scared. The young female couldn’t be more than eighteen, dammit.
‘Bailey, I promise you won’t get fired, and if you do, I’ll make sure you have a better job come this time next week.’ Nita growled through the pack link. The alpha female giving the young female no choice but to agree.
“I’ve watched her around the trailer park. She’s got three little brothers she’s helping her mama raise. Trust me when I say she will be fine if it’s the last thing I do,” Nita said through gritted teeth.
Bailey’s slim figure disappeared through the door leading to the kitchen. The smell of cooked meat and grease increased the moment the door opened. Tank’s stomach gave a rumble at the sweet smells, but he squashed his needs for now.
A long moment passed, and then two large men entered the front door with a tiny pixie red-headed female between them. All eyes went to them, like it always did. This time the two big males didn’t growl or dare anyone to fuck with them. They actually appeared—friendly.
‘We are very friendly, just ask our mate. Now you four get your happy reverse-harem-to-be asses up and mosey on out the back. We’ll distract the humeys with our gorgeousness.’
‘Humeys?’ Tank was sure he’d regret it, but he had to ask what the fuck Colt was talking about.
‘Don’t ask. Trust me, just don’t. Get out and don’t look back.’ This came from Gray, Jaklyn’s other mate.
Jaklyn made a huge production of sitting down on one of the males’ laps. Tank didn’t pay attention to who was whom as he used the large bodies of the Ravens strategically placed between their table and the females to ease out of their booth. Nita and his two best friends followed suit, placing Nita between them while he took up the rear. It didn’t go unnoticed the feel of power washing over them.
‘We got you covered, but these females are something other than what they’re pretending, or they’ve stolen powers from something other worldly. I don’t like it.’ Colt’s tone was low and reserved.
Tank didn’t need the other male to tell him that.
ABE LED THE WAY OUT of the restaurant, making sure Nita was directly behind him. His instinct told him to kill the females and say fuck the humans and consequences, but his rational side kept him moving, reminding him the females weren’t what they seemed.
Nita’s small hand brushed along his spine, burning him in the best way. Fuck, his female was a balm to his soul or maybe a match to his flame for he was surely ready to go up in flames.
The huge SUV parked close to the exit had blacked-out windows, hiding who it held, except he sensed the two males in the front. Dimitri and Silis. At one time, he’d been weary of the males and their obvious obsession with Nita. Alright, maybe they weren’t obsessed, but they’d been there for her when she’d been a child, offering her protection and support. That protection was something he, Abe, and Link felt was their place now, not the two Ravens.
The back door opened, semi-darkness greeting them. Abe entered first, sliding into the third row. Nita followed, taking the spot in the middle next to him with Link sliding next to Nita, while Tank pushed the captain’s seat back down before he got in. Bailey was already in the other seat across from Tank while the Ravens were up front. Behind them was another black on black SUV that would take Jaklyn and her men back when they left.
Silence filled the interior for long minutes while Dimitri, who was behind the wheel, expertly maneuvered them down the alley. Abe looked backward, expecting to see at least one female from the group following them step out and do what he didn’t know. His wolf had been raking at him for the past half hour, which was completely out of the ordinary. The inner beast that lived in him was usually completely chill, except when it came to Nita.
“Yo, Bailey. How’s it going?” Vasilis asked the young girl next to Tank.
Abe stifled his chuckle at the way she nearly jumped out of her skin. Vasilis and Dimitri were both ancient warriors who didn’t normally speak to anyone except Nita and Jaklyn’s mates. Yet they deigned to talk to the young female as if it were normal, which clearly freaked her the fuck out.
“Um, it’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. Oh Goddess, I’m sorry. Whenever anyone says fine like that, it’s obvious shit’s not... fine. I mean it is in this case but—I’m shutting up now,” Bailey said.
“Cool.” Vasilis said nothing else.
“Bruh, that was so uncool. Bailey, ignore the two males in front. They don’t get out much,” Tank offered the young female. “In case we forget to tell you, we really appreciate you running interference for us with those females back there. I don’t think they locked onto you, but one of the Ravens should be able to scan you or something.”
“Dimi done did and said she had a scent latched onto her when she walked out. He washed her clean before she got into the rig. We recognized the magic.” Vasilis stared at Tank through the mirror, then met Abe’s stare.
Whatever the male sensed, Abe was sure none of them were going to like it. And to make matters worse, they’d have to wait until they got back home before the stubborn males told them what the fuck was up.
A gnawing sensation in his gut warned him he wouldn’t like whatever it was they told them. Nita’s slender hand settled over his, soothing some of his frayed nerves. Damn, did she have the slightest clue what she did to him, his brother, and Tank? The power she wielded had nothing to do with the inner magic she controlled with her slight frame. Although they were aware she was one of the most powerful beings in their pack thanks to her ability to turn the three of them into piles of mush with one touch, one look. Some might disagree until they were to bear witness to the phenomenon, and then they agreed how remarkable, if not laughable her powers were when it came to the trio of alphas.
“If you don’t quit grinding your teeth, you’ll be the first toothless wolf shifter in history,” Nita whispered.
“You offering something else I can chew on?” he asked, bringing his face close to her ear, inhaling her sweet scent.
“Not in the backseat of my rig,” Dimitri grumbled.
Abe ignored the male’s words, too focused on the feel of her warm breath wafting over him while he nuzzled her neck. Goddamn, he and the others had taken great care at giving her time and distance, ensuring they were never too close or alone with her. Not that they would’ve ever done anything when she was too young or unwilling once she was of age. But fuck, the wait was brutal on the three of them.
“I ain’t fucking with you, boy, I will flash back there and rip your lips right off your face.”
The growl that broke from Abe made the entire vehicle shake and had the glass vibrating almost to the point he wasn’t sure the glass wouldn’t shatter. Pulling back from the haven of Nita, Abe met the Raven’s stare with a pointed warning. “Last I checked, I ain’t been a boy in a very long time, ancient. You want to square up with me, have your friend pull the fuck over, and let’s go.”
Nita’s fingers tightened around his. Her entire body went rigid. His brother Link growled while Tank unbuckled, placing Bailey into the backseat on Link’s lap.
“Alright, that’s enough. Last I checked there weren’t any boys or girls in this vehicle. Dimi, tell Abe you’re sorry for being a dick, and Abe, chill the fuck out. You keep rattling the rig like that we’re not gonna make it back to the homestead.” Vasilis glared at his brother then at the back of the SUV.
Nita gave a snarl toward the other female.
“Can I please go back to my seat up there? Nita looks like she’s ready to shred me from the inside out and honestly, I think she can do it without blinking,” Bailey mumbled.
Nita snorted, then laughed as she reached for Bailey’s hands. “Sorry, girlie. I was feeling a bit bitey. Go on, you can take your seat back. The two fools up front are gonna turn around and continue onward, while these two are gonna keep their hands and noses to themselves. And that one next to you, well, he’s gonna sit there and be bossy ’cause that’s what he does.”
