Were She Belongs (2 page)

He nodded his head for the first three men to cover his brother Valco and his mate, Sierra, while the other three followed him inside.

To his surprise, the security was creditable, and he immediately sensed the presence of allied pack members. Apparently, Sierra’s cousin wanted them to feel safe and comfortable.

“Hey, handsome, buy me a drink, and I’ll make it worth your while,” an older blonde in her late thirties or so stated as she touched his arm.

He eyed her up and down, not finding her the least bit attractive.

His wolf was pissing him off.

“Maybe later, doll,” he replied, then continued to follow Valco and Sierra further into the club.

* * * *

Lexi sat in the chair behind the computer surveillance center along with Frank and Eddie.

“Look at this moron. The guy is drunk off his ass, and Andy is trying to escort him into the cab,” Eddie stated.

Both Lexi and Frank took a look at the monitor.

Lexi smirked. “I guess he’s gonna have a few words for me later?”

Eddie and Frank cringed. “Don’t let him push you around, Lexi.

You did the right thing. The boss would be happy to know you were coving his back. Even if shit-for-brains takes all the credit,” Eddie stated.

“Yeah, he has a point. My cousin works at a place in the Village, and last week some freaking drunk left the bar and drove his car onto the sidewalk. Luckily, no one was injured. He hit the corner of the
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building and fucked up his car good. A few days later, the bar was served papers. The asshole is suing them for letting him leave their bar drunk.”

“Un-freaking-believable. Whatever happened to taking responsibility for your own actions?” Lexi asked.

“Hey, look at this crew that just showed up.” Eddie pointed toward the camera that covered the front entrance and sidewalk. The camera spanned out to view a full 360-degree radius.

VALERIE’S was one of the hottest clubs in New York City. It was why Lexi liked this job. She could remain behind closed doors in the security booth, or when it was necessary she could get lost in the club, remain undetected and still do her job.

Lexi felt the instant shock to her system. She stared at the screen in awe at what was transpiring in front of her.
Sierra…oh my God.

“That has to be Jacob’s cousin. She is gorgeous,” Eddie commented, making some kind of growling noise, staring at Sierra and her entourage of men following suit.

Lexi watched the screen and tried to maintain her emotions. Sierra had been her best friend all through college until the attack. Lexi never got a chance to say goodbye to her best friend, but she had needed to disappear in order to keep Sierra safe.

“She is also
very
taken. See that huge guy? His name is Valco, and he is one badass wer—” Frank stopped speaking, and Eddie gave him a punch before looking at Lexi.

They had no idea that she knew they weren’t all human. It was Sierra who had educated her on the werewolf existence even though Lexi was human. It was a big risk, but Sierra trusted Lexi with her life. That’s exactly why she left without saying goodbye. Neither of them would have made it out of the city alive if they were together that night. That’s how close they were. They were so much alike that the guys in college would refer to them as twins. They had done everything together.

14

Dixie Lynn Dwyer

Lexi tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She wasn’t one to cry or get emotional. What good would it do to ponder over her messed up life? She missed Sierra so much. It had been three years since the attacks. She couldn’t take the chance of contacting Sierra to let her know she was all right. The people who were after Lexi wanted her for something. She didn’t know what, but it seemed they would take her dead or alive. Lexi wasn’t willing to take the chance. She sure as hell wasn’t going to put her best friend in harm’s way.

Being on her own had kept her alive. Always ready for an attack, on guard, and untrusting of anyone. She had no other choice. Being in survival mode for so long had become second nature to her. Avoiding uncomfortable situations and staying alive. Lexi wouldn’t put Sierra in danger no matter how lonely she felt.

She stared at the monitor and felt tears fill her eyes. She felt the tug at her heart, but knew she needed to hide her emotions.

Suddenly, a thousand questions ran through her mind about her best friend. They were questions she denied herself to wonder or think about because of her situation. She didn’t live a “normal” life. She lived in hiding and had snagged this security job on a whim, along with some major pleading. Luckily, Jacob seemed to buy her act, and soon, by showing him her honesty and her expertise, she was safely supporting herself. Getting paid cash made things a lot easier. She didn’t use credit cards, no paper trail, and no questions asked. That’s why she didn’t inform the others that she knew what they really were.

“Lexi, are you okay?” Eddie asked, the sound of his voice bringing her back to the present. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Grabbing the water bottle off of the table, she took a slug and felt Eddie staring at her.

They had become close over the years. They always worked the same shift and always tried to get Lexi to hang out after work or on days off. Of course, she refused. When she wasn’t working, she was alone in a small apartment in a shitty neighborhood blending in. It worked, and it totally sucked.

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“Yeah…fine,” she replied, scanning the other computer screens to be sure they hadn’t missed anything throughout the club.

But her eyes went back to the screen where Sierra stood along with a large group of men. One in particular caught her full attention, and the crowd parting as he entered indicated he was a powerful man.

The thought occurred to Sierra that perhaps he was a powerful wolf, considering he was with Sierra.

He was a big guy, tall, at least six foot three or so, and man, did he dress fine. He looked like the cover model for a story on perfect men.

She bet he was were, just like the others and Sierra. But man was he hot. Her stomach had instant butterflies inside, and her core quivered.

What was up with that?

“You know, you’re even hotter than she is,” Frank stated, drawing Lexi’s attention away from the screen.

Lexi looked up and caught their gazes. These two weres were always trying to hit on her. Hadn’t they learned after a year and a half that no was the final answer?

Frank locked gazes with her. “I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed,” he whispered, moving his chair closer. Lexi stared into his eyes.

“Lexi is all woman, Frank, and something tells me she’s hard to please in the bedroom,” Eddie added, holding her gaze as well.

Lexi swallowed hard. She apparently made quite the impression on these two. Now what? These types of conversations made her palms sweat and her head ache.

“Will you two cut it out and stop staring at me like that?”

“Like what, Legs?” Frank asked.

“Like your next meal,” she blurted out before realizing what she had just said.

Eddie growled low in his throat.

She shook her head and started laughing just as the intercom buzzed.

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Dixie Lynn Dwyer

“Lex! I’m sending Charlie up to replace you. The boss has special guests tonight, and he wants you running front security in the club.”

Lexi cringed, but replied, “No problem, Andy. See you downstairs.”

“Don’t keep me waiting, doll!”

As soon as the intercom went off, Lexi stood up from her chair.

She was relieved to leave the room now that Eddie and Frank not only had her hot and bothered, but thinking ménage, which was insane. But then it hit her that she was going to see Sierra. There was no way to avoid it. Her hands began to shake, and nausea filled her belly. How was she going to do this? She controlled her breathing in an attempt to not have a panic attack. Lexi felt an odd sensation inside and realized deep down she wanted to see Sierra. It wasn’t planned, and she hadn’t been the one to seek her out. She was her only friend, and she considered her family. If there had been a way to contact Sierra sooner without jeopardizing her identity or location, Lexi would have found her.

Suddenly, she thought about running. Maybe she should leave the club, avoid seeing Sierra, and remain dead to her. It wasn’t a bad idea, but skipping out on Jacob, an alpha were to his pack, wasn’t one of her smarter choices. She wouldn’t get far, and the consequences would be detrimental to her health. No way. She needed money, and she needed to maintain the façade.

Straightening out her black dress, Lexi walked toward the small mirror to check her lipstick. She needed to be able to mix into the crowd if necessary, and tonight was turning into one of those nights.

She wished she could come clean and live a normal life, but it wasn’t safe. They were out there somewhere, and knowing that any moment she could have to initiate her emergency escape plan set her mind straight. Seeing that Sierra was somehow connected to her boss, Jacob, made Lexi nervous. The thought that tonight could mean the end of her job at VALERIE’S made her sick with fear. She couldn’t risk being found. She had money saved, and she had a backup plan,
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but she didn’t want to use it. She liked it here and could at least pretend she was normal while working. Jacob and Troy would hate her if she just left.

Jacob’s brother Troy was also alpha of their pack. If they found out Lexi was in trouble or caused one of their own to get hurt, then she was as good as dead anyway. And dying by the hands—well, the claws—of a werewolf was not something she cared to think about.

Charlie walked into the room.

“Hey, gorgeous! Guess the boss wants to show you off to his family,” Charlie stated with a wink, immediately taking a seat in the vacated chair Lexi had been in a few minutes ago.

Family? Somehow Sierra is related to Jacob?
Her worst nightmares were coming true.

“More like he wants better security than what you’ve been providing tonight,” she stated sarcastically with a wink, not missing a beat as Eddie and Frank roared with “oohs” and “ahhs” on her dis to him.

“Yeah, right, legs. Like you’ll be able to fight anyone off in that skimpy black dress of yours.”

“What’s wrong with my dress?” she asked as Eddie and Frank added some chauvinistic comments.

“It’s open down the back and has a slit up the thigh. What kind of fighting could you do in that?”

She slowly walked toward Charlie and placed her fingers gently under his chin so he could look up into her eyes from the chair he sat in. Then with a slow, sexy voice, she whispered, “Hidden underneath this dress are weapons of mass destruction…unlike that little blonde number you were secretly making out with down in stairwell two.”

She smirked, then walked out the door as Frank and Eddie were laughing and yelling out, “Busted!”

* * * *

18

Dixie Lynn Dwyer

Lexi took a deep breath as she made her way down the hall past her boss’s office. She had surprised herself by speaking to the guys that way back there in the control room, but she felt confident that she had pulled off “experienced” even though she was the farthest thing from it. Men made her nervous, and men as good-looking as the ones she had to work with on a nightly basis made her crazy with desire.

They were hot. Beyond hot, and Sierra had warned her that werewolves were usually very attractive. She remembered Sierra saying, “that’s why they call them alpha males.”

She smiled to herself as she thought about Sierra. Lexi missed her immensely. She wondered if she would even want to talk to her if she recognized her at all. Maybe they could get together if all went well?

She thought about it, then dismissed the possibility. Lexi would have to avoid that. She couldn’t take a chance. Having her best friend back in her life was definitely not a possibility.

Feeling the sadness again, Lexi pressed the down button on the panel next to the elevator door and entered. In thirty seconds she would see Sierra.

* * * *

“This is amazing, Jacob! I love it,” Sierra stated as she took the glass of wine Valco offered her.

“I don’t know why you didn’t bring your mate to visit earlier. I’ve missed you both,” Jacob said with a smile before glancing around them.

“Oh look, here comes Paul.” Sierra nodded in his direction, looking toward her future brother-in-law. She absorbed the fact that every woman in the club seemed to look his way. He was gorgeous with jet-black hair, crystal blue eyes, and a body of pure muscle. His looks were different to her fiancé Valco’s. Valco had light brown hair, brown eyes, and was leaner and a few inches taller. Sierra stood on
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the tall side at five foot seven, so being around men over six feet five inches, she wasn’t too uncomfortable.

“Paul, I would like you to meet my cousin, Jacob.”

“Nice to meet you. This is a great place you have here.” Paul motioned with his hand.

“Thank you, Paul. Why don’t we all head over to my personal table?” Jacob led the way to a line of three separate large tables with privacy walls and pull curtains.

“This is nice, Jacob,” Sierra complimented as Valco held her hand and assisted her with the one-step platform that a table for eight sat upon.

“These are reserved for very special guests. There are soundproof walls surrounding the table, and when you pull the curtain closed, there’s a special material that absorbs the sound as well. It can be as private as a customer needs,” he added with a wink as they all gathered around.

“You see those two switches and red button on the wall?” He pointed, and Sierra looked at the display before nodding her head.

“Those control the curtains and also let the waitress know when it’s safe to come over and get an order for drinks or food. That way the customer has total control over their privacy.”

“That is so cool. You take security very seriously here, don’t you, Jacob?” Sierra asked.