Chapter 3 THREE

No, damn it. The bitches had asked for trouble and as much as told Lisa that someone had murdered Lena for being a red.

She opened the restroom door and slammed it behind her, shutting out the women’s curses. The men who were sitting with the women looked from Lisa to the ladies’ room. Sorry, boys, the girls need to tidy up a bit.

Lisa retook her seat and when the women still didn’t emerge from the restroom, Sam motioned for Silva to check it out.

Maybe now would be a good time for Lisa to go in search of her rogue brother and uncle. Forget that Lena had run away and gotten herself killed, leaving Lisa to deal with Bruin’s pack alone. Or, she could stay and face the wrath of a bunch of angry grays.

As a matter of pride and a good deal of stubbornness, she stayed. All eyes remained on the restroom while Lisa coolly drank her second margarita. No one spoke. No doubt the whole lot of them would murder Lisa in her sleep tonight. She hoped her time here wasn’t totally wasted. But she wasn’t giving up.

Silva came out of the restroom, her lips turned up, her eyes sparkling with amusement, head shaking. She raised her brows at the guys who were with the women and strolled past. Her attention turned to Kiran, waiting for a report. Her smile broadened, then she spoke to Sam.

“Next margarita’s on me, Silva, for the young lady.” Tom offered Lisa a grin and a wink.

Lisa shook her head. “Water will be fine.”

The three women crowded out of the bathroom, Ritka scowling, her swollen right eye already turning black and blue. Angelina was still clutching her stomach, and Hosstene’s face was dark with anger—Lisa was pretty sure her jab to the gray’s throat would preclude her talking much for a while.

Everyone looked the women over, then Lisa. No, she wasn’t fighting to be the pack leader’s new bitch.

She guessed it was time to come up with a new plan. This one damn sure wasn’t working.

Kiran Silver watched the defiant young lady who had to be his mate’s twin. Had to be. The voice clinched it. At first, he thought she was some ditsy human sitting in his chair at his table, and he couldn’t understand why Sam hadn’t thrown her out of the place. At least he’d thought she was human. Lupus garous had exceptional visual acuity. Only humans wore glasses. And the pierced earrings. No lupus garou would get caught dead with pierced earlobes in their wolf form. Or wear a watch, for that matter. The straight black hair looked nothing like his dead mate’s, and the blue eyes had stopped him cold. The perfume she’d drowned herself in, he figured, was some ploy to get all the guys in the tavern hot and bothered, but for lupus garous, the smell was overwhelming, burned their eyes, and had the opposite effect.

Her voice was all it took to send shivers exploding across his skin.

He swore he was seeing his late wife sipping margaritas, which she never would have done. A wine lady was what she was. And the way this woman had handled the ladies from his pack? His mate would never have managed.

Taking a steadying breath, he reminded himself the woman wasn’t his mate. She only looked like her when he scrutinized her closely, her small face dominated by the oversized Stetson and the bug-eyed, rose-colored glasses, but personality-wise she couldn’t be more different from his beloved Lisa. Except his people already seemed to make up their minds. Lisa had returned, and he would have a go at her again.

Not in a million years. She’d killed herself, unstable, unable to deal with the stress of being a pack leader’s mate, and not being one of them in the first place… Nope, wouldn’t happen again. Next one would be a gray, except not from his pack. Except for Silva, the eligible women had resented Lisa, and he couldn’t forgive them.

He finished his third beer and set his glass aside. He tried to watch his people to take his mind off his dead mate, but the woman sitting at his table distracted him something fierce. What the hell was she doing here anyway? Come to claim her sister’s body? Scream at him for pushing her sister over the edge? Condemning himself enough for her death for the past three weeks, he didn’t need anyone else’s help. Not enough beers in the world could make him forget the look on Lisa’s face, at peace finally in death.

He shook his head. Although he usually stayed until closing, tonight he wanted to get away. How would it look if the pack leader couldn’t deal with the image of his late wife sitting at the next table?

Growling deep inside, he poured himself another beer.

“Twin sister, don’t you think, Kiran?” Tom, his youngest triplet asked, his brows raised.

“Yeah. Lisa said she didn’t have any family left. Apparently she lied.” Which didn’t set well with Kiran, but it was too late to be angered about it.

“What do you think she’s doing here?” Tom rubbed his hand over the sweating glass.

“Something to do with her sister, no doubt.”

“Think the woman suspects Lisa was murdered?” Jake asked.

Kiran looked sharply at him. “What the hell makes you say that?”

Jake shrugged. “Why wouldn’t she meet with you and state what her business is here? Why try to conceal her identity? The only conclusion I can come up with is she doesn’t think Lisa’s death was an accident. And she’s looking into it herself.”

“Hell.” Kiran glowered at the red, wondering what her hair would look like if it wasn’t that hideous black color, way too harsh for her light creamy skin.

“Looks like she gave the ladies hell who meant to mess with her.” Tom grinned.

“Which means there’ll be more trouble.” Jake’s voice was as dark as Kiran felt.

Kiran turned to Tom. “I want you to—”

Jake interrupted, “She’s leaving.”

All conversation in the tavern instantly died.

Her boots clicked on the wood floor as she walked toward the door, her back stiff, her hands clenched in fists—her whole body language saying, Don’t mess with me.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he craved chasing after her and laying claim to her, just like he’d done with her sister. He felt an overwhelming urge to kiss those pursed lips, feel her soft skin naked beneath his, make love to her like he’d made love to her sister. He was definitely losing it.

With the utmost restraint, he remained seated and observed her open the door. “Follow her, Tom. Watch where she goes, and… hell, stick to her for the night.”

“You sure? You really mean it?” Tom asked, his voice too hopeful.

“Just don’t let anyone get to her, all right?”

“He means,” Jake interjected, “don’t let anyone screw with her and that includes you.”

Tom looked at Kiran for confirmation. If his brother wanted her and the woman was agreeable, who was he to say no? Their kind wasn’t into casual sex, so if she wanted a mate and Tom was interested, fine. Kiran wasn’t about to go down that road again. “Do whatever it takes to make sure none of our people bother her.”

Tom gave Jake a look like he had him there. “Thanks, Kiran. I’ll take care of her.” He hurried after Lisa’s sister as the door slammed behind her.

Sending Tom after the woman signaled to the rest of his people in the tavern, and the word would quickly spread to the others, Kiran wanted her left alone. If any stepped over the line, he’d hold them accountable.

Jake moved his glass over the wooden table, scraping it back and forth.

Kiran glowered at him. “What, Jake?”

“Don’t you think you should talk with the woman? Find out what she’s doing here?”

“Why do you think Lisa was murdered?”

“You’ve buried your head in the sand on this one, brother. Several believe someone murdered her, but when they spy me, the talking stops. No one will tell me or Tom what they suspect.”

“A conspiracy?”

“No. At least I don’t think so. Unless they’re protecting someone, or are afraid you’d be too mad if you learned the truth.”

“Most of the pack believes I’d be happier thinking she committed suicide?”

Jake twisted his head to the side. “Yeah. If we have a murderer in our midst, it could shake up the whole pack. If she committed suicide, everything would be a lot cleaner.”

“She left a suicide note in her own handwriting. She killed herself. End of story.” Kiran took another swig of his beer, but this time it tasted sour.

“Then why don’t you tell her sister the truth? Why send Tom, who’s bound to botch the whole thing?” Jake’s mouth curved up, the first truly evil smile Kiran had seen him offer in a while. “If he gets fresh, he’s liable to look like Ritka with a colorful new eye.”

Kiran ignored his comment. “If a twin sister is looking into what happened, Lisa must not have had any brothers.”

“We didn’t know she had any family, period.”