Elinor makes a cawing sound of dismay. “Crap, those two are assholes,” she mutters. “Meredith usually gets rid of them.”
“Ladies.” Both guys clump to the bar, plonk their elbows and upper bodies down on the counter and survey the beer taps.
The taller one leers at Elinor. “What’s up, Skinny Minnie?”
“I told you not to call me that,” she snaps.
He gives her a slow smile, full of insolence. “And who’s your sexy friend?”
I’m touched when Elinor steps in front of me. She’s no match for two bears, but I admire her fierceness.
“She’s not here to be spoken to like that.” She plants her hands on her bony hips. “Now, either you order a drink or you get the hell out of here!”
The other one sucks his teeth. “No need to be so snippy, Skinny Minnie.”
I pray for them to leave. Something weird is going on inside me. Their presence is making me all riled up and shaky, and my skin won’t quit burning.
But they order a couple of beers. And when they’ve paid, they don’t take a table, but continue to hang over the bar.
“It’s seating in here, only,” Elinor says. She’s chopping up limes so fast her knife is a blur.
“Is that right?” The taller of the two guys continues to gawk at me.
I want to untie my shirt, so it hangs loose on me, but I can’t bring myself to undo Beau’s handiwork.
“Tell me your name, hot stuff.”
“Not relevant,” I snap.
He slides his meaty hands across the bar top so they’re dangling over my side. “Oh, nothing could be more relevant right now, baby. Aren’t you a juicy little treat?”
There’s strange growling sound at the back of my throat, which I swear I didn’t make myself.
Unfortunately, meathead number one pricks up his ears. “Oh, Feisty. Love a bit of a fight in a chick.” He snaps his teeth together.
Elinor slinks up behind me. “Meredith should be back any time now,” she mutters.
Then her voice turns ear-splitting as she yells, “You need to leave, right now!”
“Fuck!” Meathead number one jams his fingers in his ears. “You could deafen a person, you know that?” He raises his beer glass and chugs the whole thing down. “I’ll leave when I’m done, birdbrain.” He slams the empty glass down on the counter. “Gimme another.”
“You’re barred. Get the hell out of here!” Elinor jabs a skinny arm toward the door. I glance at this tiny, brave girl in admiration. This beast could snap her with his little finger, but she’s not backing down.
“Or what?” His eyes are small and mean, whites turned pink. He’s already drunk; I smell the alcohol coming off him in waves.
Instinctively, I gather Elinor up behind me, and I back away, toward the door that leads to the kitchen.
He lifts his head and sniffs hard, and a look of delight crosses his face. “Aw, don’t run away, little wolf. You know how much a big old bear loves a chase.”
He steps back, gathers himself, and leaps. His huge bulk crash-lands on top of the bar. He lands clumsily, hunched up on all fours, scattering glasses and napkins in all directions.
Another low growl bursts from my throat, and my skin burns. It feels like all my hairs are standing on end, and they’re prickly, as if they’re made from tiny quills. Something is happening inside me. Something that’s scaring the hell out of me. I gasp for breath as my insides start to crunch and twist excruciatingly.
“Come here, little wolf. Come to daddy,” he croons.
I back away some more, wondering what the hell I’ll do if he grabs me now.
The front door bursts open.