barking at the woman who answered the phone wasn’t fair, but no one hung up on him, damn it.
“Yes, Mr. MacManus. What may I assist you with this evening?” Her voice was sweet and congenial, polite even. That for some reason made him madder.
“You will not hang—son of a bitch!”
She’d done it again. Damn her. He started to throw the phone across the room but Kyle walked in instead. Okay, he thought play fire with fire.
“Do you have any idea where your mate is right this moment?”
Chapter Fourteen
“Oh baby, you should see what just walked in. Not one, not two, not even three, but four of the most drop dead, well hung, tight assed men I have ever seen. And you know what else…”
Shelly paused for effect. And before someone got up to hit her, she said, “They’re asking for the Mad Hatter.”
“Well fuck, he brought the whole fucking gang down, didn’t he.”
Maddy figured he’d do something. But thought he’d just yell at her tomorrow, and maybe, just maybe tell Kyle, not that she’d given much thought to what he might think, but still…
All the girls went to stand behind the bar to watch the men walk toward the bar. Maddy stayed where she was, and finished her burger. She didn’t get a meal with meat often, so she was going to enjoy it. When she walked out they each had a draft in front of them and a bowl of the bars only claim to fame, pepper corn.
It was popcorn with so much pepper on it that it was black and so hot that anyone who ate even one handful needed several drinks to quince their throat. Maddy thought that it tasted nasty and marveled that anyone would even think about putting any in their mouth.
“Beers? Popcorn? What are you trying to do, blend. I got news for you, it’s not working.
Men like you do not frequent bars like Puss n’ Boots. What do you want? I’m working.” She walked to the other end of the bar when they didn’t answer and pulled two drafts and made two other drinks.
“I want to talk to you. Right now.” She didn’t even see Kyle move. One minute he was sitting with the other three men then he was dragging her through the bar like she was an errant child and he was going to punish her. They were almost to the door when Paul was in front of them.
“Let her go. You let her go, or I use this bat on your head. You have a choice. Well, not really ‘cause that one was the only one I was giving you. Nobody drags the Hatter around. Paul stood there with one of his wooden bats in his hand pounding it into the other one.” Paul didn’t get involved in any violence, but paid people to do it for him. Maddy was both pleased and afraid for him.
“This isn’t any of your concern. Madison and I need to have a few words.” Kyle pushed her behind him. When she tried to step around him, he pushed her back.
“When you walked into my bar and grabbed my bartender, you made it my business.
Now, I ain’t gonna tell you again, let her go.” Paul began to pound the bat in his hand harder.
“Madison, you need to tell this man that its fine.” He turned his back to the man and looked at her, and opened his mouth. His fangs were dropped and his eyes were a deep red. “I don’t want to hurt him, and you know that I can. Tell him to go back inside and no one will get hurt.”
Without looking away from Kyle she assured Paul that everything was fine, she’d only be a few minutes. Turning on her heel and not even waiting for him to follow, she walked out into the night.
“What the fuck was that all about? What, were you gonna bite him, maybe drain him?
And for what? To prove a point? If so, then you need to explain to me what the point might have been, because you just threatened my friend. And he was—”
He jerked her to him and kissed her. The kiss was quick. And when he moved his mouth down along her throat, her knees began to tremble. When he pulled away to explain to her what he’d been doing, she started snapping again.
“No, I won’t have
“Yes, Mr. MacManus. What may I assist you with this evening?” Her voice was sweet and congenial, polite even. That for some reason made him madder.
“You will not hang—son of a bitch!”
She’d done it again. Damn her. He started to throw the phone across the room but Kyle walked in instead. Okay, he thought play fire with fire.
“Do you have any idea where your mate is right this moment?”
Chapter Fourteen
“Oh baby, you should see what just walked in. Not one, not two, not even three, but four of the most drop dead, well hung, tight assed men I have ever seen. And you know what else…”
Shelly paused for effect. And before someone got up to hit her, she said, “They’re asking for the Mad Hatter.”
“Well fuck, he brought the whole fucking gang down, didn’t he.”
Maddy figured he’d do something. But thought he’d just yell at her tomorrow, and maybe, just maybe tell Kyle, not that she’d given much thought to what he might think, but still…
All the girls went to stand behind the bar to watch the men walk toward the bar. Maddy stayed where she was, and finished her burger. She didn’t get a meal with meat often, so she was going to enjoy it. When she walked out they each had a draft in front of them and a bowl of the bars only claim to fame, pepper corn.
It was popcorn with so much pepper on it that it was black and so hot that anyone who ate even one handful needed several drinks to quince their throat. Maddy thought that it tasted nasty and marveled that anyone would even think about putting any in their mouth.
“Beers? Popcorn? What are you trying to do, blend. I got news for you, it’s not working.
Men like you do not frequent bars like Puss n’ Boots. What do you want? I’m working.” She walked to the other end of the bar when they didn’t answer and pulled two drafts and made two other drinks.
“I want to talk to you. Right now.” She didn’t even see Kyle move. One minute he was sitting with the other three men then he was dragging her through the bar like she was an errant child and he was going to punish her. They were almost to the door when Paul was in front of them.
“Let her go. You let her go, or I use this bat on your head. You have a choice. Well, not really ‘cause that one was the only one I was giving you. Nobody drags the Hatter around. Paul stood there with one of his wooden bats in his hand pounding it into the other one.” Paul didn’t get involved in any violence, but paid people to do it for him. Maddy was both pleased and afraid for him.
“This isn’t any of your concern. Madison and I need to have a few words.” Kyle pushed her behind him. When she tried to step around him, he pushed her back.
“When you walked into my bar and grabbed my bartender, you made it my business.
Now, I ain’t gonna tell you again, let her go.” Paul began to pound the bat in his hand harder.
“Madison, you need to tell this man that its fine.” He turned his back to the man and looked at her, and opened his mouth. His fangs were dropped and his eyes were a deep red. “I don’t want to hurt him, and you know that I can. Tell him to go back inside and no one will get hurt.”
Without looking away from Kyle she assured Paul that everything was fine, she’d only be a few minutes. Turning on her heel and not even waiting for him to follow, she walked out into the night.
“What the fuck was that all about? What, were you gonna bite him, maybe drain him?
And for what? To prove a point? If so, then you need to explain to me what the point might have been, because you just threatened my friend. And he was—”
He jerked her to him and kissed her. The kiss was quick. And when he moved his mouth down along her throat, her knees began to tremble. When he pulled away to explain to her what he’d been doing, she started snapping again.
“No, I won’t have
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