Hope.
He heard her name from the big man’s lips. Though he was across the room, the music in the tavern wasn’t loud, and Christian could make out a little. Alexei had obviously come from somewhere, and he’d seen Hope. Lucy was worried about her.
Well, that wasn’t surprising. His Hope had made friends so easily. She was smart and soft mannered, truly the perfect mate for a man of his stature.
Of course, she’d taken his stature down when she’d left him, but she was the one who could bring it all back, too.
Lucy walked back, her shoulders relaxed. There was a flush on her face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t get your order. Do you want a beer?”
He never drank. He would never allow himself to be out of control. No alcohol and no drugs, though he found drugs very useful when it came to dealing with weaker minds. Drugs were a lovely way to keep his minions in line. “No. I’d like some hot tea if you have it.”
She nodded. “All kinds. Earl Grey. Jasmine. Oolong. Pretty much you name it and we got it. It’s an odd crowd. We have to be ready.”
He smiled, giving her his smoothest grin. “I’ll take green tea, please.”
He was patient as she nodded and turned. No need to push her. He was supremely confident in his ability to charm a woman into giving him the information he needed. He watched the slow roll of people as they came in and out of the establishment. He would almost bet his life on which ones were the locals and which were coming into town for the festival. The ones in the cowboy hats and sensible clothes were almost certainly locals. The ones who appeared to have watched far too much science-fiction television were the tourists. He bet he could manipulate both. It was all about figuring out what a person needed and giving it to them.
He ordered off the menu. A salad and a bowl of soup. Too much meat wasn’t good for his digestion. He sipped his tea and contemplated just how to handle Hope.
He’d known what she’d needed once. She’d wanted a lover and a father figure all rolled into one. Her own father had left at an early age, and she’d had a rough time with her mother. He’d found her at the tender age of seventeen, so lovely and malleable that he was sure he’d found his perfect match. He was strong. She was sweet.
She’d played her part beautifully for eighteen months. She’d been his perfect angel, fully buying into everything he was selling. She was the embodiment of the “light” he’d preached.
Too bad she’d figured out that the whole religion thing was a front for selling drugs and women and other various sordid things. He’d never intended for her to discover the actual paying side of the business. It was a shame since it had worked beautifully up until the moment his lovely bride had decided to light him on fire.
“Here you go.” Lucy set the soup and salad in front of him.
He had to admit it smelled halfway decent, and given the fact that he’d spent the last several years in various shit holes trying to hide from the mob boss he owed money to, halfway decent was right up his alley. “Thanks. I really appreciate it. You seemed very upset when I first walked in. I’m glad you’re better now.”
She flushed under his words. She really was a lovely girl and obviously in desperate need of attention. “I was just worried about a friend. I heard a whole bunch of crazy stuff about her today, but it turns out she’s just a little under the weather. You never can tell around here. You know we’re like the murder capital of the world, right?”
This nothing town? “Seriously?”
“Oh, yeah, per capita, we’re terrible. Time Magazine did an article a while back, and then the serial killer came through and that assassin who tried to kill my shift manager. Alexei came out okay, but now we have this guy named Michael who lives in a cabin on the mountain and scares everyone. That’s a long story, but a good one. You see Michael was in love with his partner, and Holly had to kill her because she was trying to kill one of Holly’s lovers…”
If he let her go on, she wouldn’t talk about Hope for an hour. “I would rather hear about your friend.”
“Hope? Oh, she’s just overworked according to our doc. She needs rest, though I wonder if she’s going to get it out at the Circle G. She’s got a crazy crush on the rancher who owns it, but maybe it will finally work out for her. I’m just happy she didn’t get eaten by Sasquatch or the sand monster, and she’s not pregnant. She really shouldn’t be pregnant since she hasn’t had sex, you know.”
Oh, Lucy was a little sweet ball of snark. She had a saucy smile on her face that bespoke an intelligence he actually really liked. He appreciated smarts and innocence. It was what he’d found in Hope. And he was damn happy to discover she wasn’t sleeping around.
It meant he had less people to kill.
“I think it’s sweet you care about your friend.”
Her mouth widened. “Hope is the best. She’s such a sweetheart. I came into town about a month ago, and she was my first friend. You have no idea how much I need her. I hate the fact that I can’t go out there and see her, but my boss’s wife is the other waitress, and she just pumped out twins. I’m taking doubles to make up for her absence. Alexei is working overtime, too. We’re supposed to get some relief, but the new waitress isn’t coming until next week. I was supposed to have dinner with Hope, but now she’s stuck out on the G, and I just hope she gets well soon. She’s been acting a little weird.”
He bet she had. He knew she’d seen him standing there before. He’d stood under a big evergreen and watched as she talked to some overblown woman with plastic breasts. Hope had been shocked when she saw him. He’d slinked away, but he wouldn’t soon. Soon he would approach her, and she would be his again. She would fall into his arms because they were meant to be together. She couldn’t let a little thing like bourgeoisie morality keep them apart. Surely in the years that they had been alone, she’d been able to see what a mistake she’d made.
That dumb bitch Elaine couldn’t be the thing that broke up two soul mates.
“She sounds like a great friend.” He looked at Lucy’s chest. Her breasts were large and round. Pretty and perfect. Rather like his Hope’s. She might be a nice way to keep track of his girl. “She’s lucky to have you.”
Little Lucy blushed again. “I don’t know about that.” She sighed, her chest moving up and down. “Can I get you anything else?”
Your best friend on a silver platter? “I’m great. Thank you. But I’m alone in this town. I would appreciate it if you could point me the way to a guide.”
She hesitated only for a second. “I could show you around.”
He was in. She would lead him straight to Hope. “I would appreciate that.”
They made plans to meet later in the evening, but his mind was already on Hope. He would get her back. Or bury her.
Chapter Six
Noah noticed that his brother managed to look everywhere but his direction. He had to hand it to James. He hadn’t thrown a punch yet, and that was kind of what Noah had expected after he stole Hope right out from under his nose.
But he couldn’t help it. He wanted her. It felt so damn good to want someone after all these years that he was willing to risk his brother’s wrath. Of course, another thought played at the edges of his consciousness as he watch Hope laugh at something the sweet-faced brunette named Beth said. Share her. Sharing her would bring James back into his life. Sharing her would set his own life back on track. It was what had gone wrong with Ally. He should never have tried it alone. It had been a compromise, and he didn’t want to compromise his future anymore.