Lord of the Grrr's (4 page)

Jet

Jet walked out of
KCG
unhappily, not impressed with himself. He hadn't meant to escalate things so quickly with Kailee and now it would appear she was going to avoid him for some time. He had lost control to his bear, succumbing to the euphoric sensation of being so close to his mate. Now that his human side had reasserted control, though, the extent of his error was clear.

He hoped that Kailee hadn’t gone too far, so that he could find her and talk to her. The front of the store was empty and devoid of life except for a slick city sedan, belonging to the gentleman who had entered the shop and interrupted them by accident. Instead of giving up hope, he decided to check the side parking lot. He moved towards the corner but slowed as he heard a voice.

“…clearer than a captain’s sightlass sir.”

Jet froze, his mind clouded with disbelief.

It couldn’t be…

All of a sudden he was back in the murky depths of his past, a younger version of Jet standing across from a middle-aged male shrouded in shadows and darkness. He was being berated for some unimportant detail or another. It had happened so many times in his first few years with the group that they all blended together now. What stood out for Jet, however, was what the man said at the end.

“Now do you hear me, son? Because you better have this as crystal clear as a captain’s sightglass, understood?”

He had made Jet repeat the phrase back to him more than once during his initiation period until it was ingrained upon him. He had not heard that term in a long, long time. It was also one he had hoped to never hear again. The man from his past was not a good man. He was, in fact, pure evil as far as Jet was concerned.

He also wanted to kill Jet.

“…bye father.”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

The situation just got a whole hell of a lot worse for Jet as he realized the connection between Kailee, whose voice he was hearing, and the man on the other end. She was the
daughter
of One Eyed Jack. The nickname didn’t come from his personal appearance, but from where he shot his victims. He was a cold-blooded killer and the one man in his old crew who might know the weakness of a bear shifter.

The real question was what the hell his supposed daughter was doing in Bear Bluff’s? Had they found Jet? Had he really sent his own daughter out as bait? There was no way that Jack could have known that the two of them would hit it off. When Jet still ran with them, he had much preferred the supermodel women who had flocked to his side. It wasn’t until he left the life and came out here to the country to settle down that he had found his tastes changing. Kailee was the first real woman he had ever experienced any serious attraction to, which made the whole thing a coincidence.

Still, he couldn’t write off the fact that they may be working together to find him. One thing that old One Eye had taught Jet was to keep a close eye on friends and enemies alike. It was something he had become adept at over his years on the other side of the law.

Jet had been a conman.

A gifted liar who had used his quick thinking brain and large muscles to ease the burden of many whose wallets had been too heavy for their own good. He had been good at it too, rarely having to resort to using his strength; instead he often would come up with a bogus product and sell people on it until they gave him money. It had been easy money, but over time Jet had found his conscious began to weigh on him, convincing him to get out of the racket.

So, unbeknownst to his crew, he had plotted his escape. It was something he had planned with the utmost care, for people just didn't 'retire' from the game. Jet knew too much for the others to let him walk away, so if they had known about his plans they would have stopped him. Permanently.

Not interested in ending his life prematurely, he had made sure all the loose ends were taken care of before he had disappeared. One day he was there, doing whatever job was sent his way, giving the boss almost three-quarters of any cash he made. The next he was gone, halfway across the country. With a lot of money stolen from his former pals.

It had been the ultimate challenge, bankrupting the organized crime syndicate that had been his home for so long. He snorted to himself, having been surprised at how easy it was to acquire the code to the master safe. The group wasn't large enough or confident enough to use banks without being caught, so they had kept everything in cash. He shook his head at the idiocy of the entire operation now that he could look at it from the outside.

Now, however, the daughter of one of them was here, in town, and he was falling in love with her.

"This is fucking crazy," he whispered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

How was he going to explain all of this to Kailee? Perhaps he wouldn't have to, for if she was in fact working for the old man, then perhaps she had an idea of who he was already. That would explain her standoffish attitude, despite the burgeoning connection between them.

A lot of things began to fall into place as he pondered the fact that Kailee was, in fact, a mole sent here to flush him out. That left the question of how the others had found him, but at the moment he didn't care about the why, simply the fact that they had. It gave him a leg up because they would still be operating under the assumption he was in the dark about it all.

Coming to a decision, he rounded the corner, catching Kailee just before she opened the door to her truck.

"You start tomorrow," he said gruffly, taking a different approach to talking with her.

"I'm sorry, what?” She looked startled at the words, blinking rapidly as she tried to assimilate the information.

"Be there at three."

"Be where, exactly?"

"The Quencher. You're hired, you start tomorrow at three."

He could see that his change in attitude was throwing her off as well. He was falling back into his old habits now, using psychological tactics to get the other party to agree to what he wanted. Jet knew that by adopting her attitude in reverse, she would be too curious to say no to the offer, even if she wasn't working against him.

"I never said I wanted the job." It wasn't a protest so much as a statement.

"Didn't have to. You just moved here. You don't have a job. Need to pay the bills. I pay well."

He turned to go, waiting for what he knew was coming.

"Wait, Jet..."  He turned back to face her, carefully concealing the smile that threatened to push its way across his face. He hated the idea of manipulating her, for if she was innocent, then Kailee had no idea what she was getting into. But his mate or not, Jet couldn't do anything about that until he ended any threat from his old gang.

“You don’t even know if I can do this job. Why are you so intent on giving it to me?”

“Can you do it?”

“Well, yes, but –“

“Okay, now I know. Be there tomorrow at three in the afternoon. Wear something appropriate.”

He turned and walked around the corner without giving her a chance to protest any further. There was nothing he wanted more than to run back around the side of the building, taking her into his arms as he furiously pressed his lips to hers. Even the thought of her body pressed up against him caused his cock to harden.

His steps slowed as Jet thought about doing it anyways. It would be easy, just turn around and walk up to her. She wanted it as well, so much that he could practically smell her arousal every time he came near. Being in her presence was intoxicating to him, and he longed to let himself become senseless from it.

With a growl of frustration he shook his head angrily and moved on, heading back to the Quencher for the evening.

That night, after a long, tiring shift working the bar on his own, he finally rolled up to his piece of paradise in the mountain forests. Normally the site of his one-story ranch-style house in the mountains was enough to cheer him up, but today he felt extra irritated. No matter how hard he had tried to concentrate that evening, Kailee had constantly intruded upon his brain.

Walking around in a permanent state of hardness for hours on end had left him agitated and sore. He wished she would magically appear to help him with that issue, but his hopes never materialized into reality, as he knew they wouldn’t. He walked into his shower looking for some sort of relief, but even the scalding hot water couldn’t help calm him down.

As he washed himself down, his arousal grew even more. Every time his throbbing cock was even grazed it sent demands for release racing through his body. No matter how much he growled at himself to behave, Jet was slowly accepting that there was likely only one way he would calm down.

Resting one massive hand on the stone-colored tile wall of his shower he let the other one fall between his legs, wrapping around himself. With the image of Kailee as he had first seen her, in a tight tank top and jeans looking absolutely sexy, Jet stroked himself, his hand moving up and down his long, thick shaft, bringing him swiftly towards an explosive climax.

Her name flowed across his lips as he spilled himself in blissful agony, his hand pressing forcefully into the wall as the moment washed over him. The release didn’t last long, however, for even as he began to towel off moments later, he felt himself hardening again. With a loud growl, he threw himself into bed, trying to figure out what would allow him to relax.

Even the normal comfort of his oversized bed could not contain the pent-up energy and nervousness within him. Finally, with the sun beginning to brighten the sky, he threw the covers off and stalked to his back door, flinging it open as he strode through. The first rays of light splayed across his back as he practically stalked towards the forest, his bare feet padding easily through the undergrowth.

All the anger, frustration, desire and anxiety all combined into one matrix of energy that he needed to set free. He inhaled deeply and reached deep within his mind, opening the door there, letting the animal soul run free. It spread through his brain and into his body, infusing him with an unrivalled sense of power.

The change came over him swiftly, lasting less than a handful of heartbeats. His bear free to roam now, he let loose his pent-up breath and energy in one long, loud roar. It echoed through the early-morning, reverberating through the clearing and into the forest, proclaiming the territory as his. He let loose with another roar, trying to let it calm him down.

It worked wonders for his mental status, but his physical body still sung with unspent energy. It was time to fix that, he thought, taking his bear from a standing start to full blown run in no time flat. He wouldn’t run for long, but it would help to jumpstart his morning and he could then spend the next few hours exploring and marking his territory.

All in all, it sounded like a wonderful morning.

***

Kailee

The Chevy had just ground to a halt when her phone rang. She sighed, picking it up without looking at the number first. Kailee had a sneaking suspicion about who it might be.

"Hello?"

"Hi Daughter, how are you today?"

"I'm okay, father. Thanks for asking. What can I do for you today?"

"I'll be there next Friday, later on in the evening."

"Sounds good. I'm likely to be at work, but you can make yourself at home in the new place. I don't know how late I'll be, so I'll leave some blankets and pillows out on the couch for you in case I'm late."

She hadn't wanted to tell him about the job yet, but he, of course, inquired anyways. When she mentioned her boss' name, he became more intrigued. That seemed odd, but perhaps something in her voice had given away the strange connection she was feeling with Jet.

Thinking about him reminded her that she was supposed to be starting work shortly.

"I gotta go, father, I have my first shift shortly. I'll talk to you later."

She hung up the phone and hopped out of the truck, making a beeline for the front door. Although she wasn't late yet, Kailee had wanted to be somewhat early so that she could make a good impression with Jet in the role of him as her employer. Despite whatever was going on personally between them, she was determined to treat this as a proper work relationship.

When she bounced off the locked door, Kailee couldn't help but flush red with embarrassment and look around to ensure nobody else had seen her blunder. Jet hadn't said anything about using a back door or anything, so she simply knocked politely and waited. It didn't take long for him to open the door for her.

She inhaled deeply as she walked in past him, his muscles clearly visible through the form fitting brown t-shirt. They bulged wonderfully as he flexed to close the door, twisting the lock behind her. His scent wafted through the air, infusing her nose with its heady aroma as she pushed past him, trying to put some distance between them.

"So, what's the first step?"

"The best one of all, of course. Paperwork." He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"What's wrong with paperwork? I always found it soothing to be able to see such direct process. You finish with a piece of paper, and it gets filed or recycled. You have a perfect visual of how much work you've accomplished."

Jet looked at her strangely for a moment before replying.

"Well, except for the part where it's never ending, there's always more of it piling up, until it becomes this ridiculous mountain of shit."

"Wow, you really have a hatred going on," she commented dryly as he led her towards his office in the back. She made a mental note to ask about picking up some extra hours to help with the paperwork. The money would help, and if it kept her boss less stressed, he would be easier to work with, she hoped.

They filled out the myriad tax forms and hired employee forms that went along with any legitimate business. Although she would have been perfectly within her rights to expect a bar in the middle of nowhere to be a cash-only enterprise, Kailee had never suspected that of Jet. If the truth were to be told, she was even a little relieved to find out that she was correct. To her, it proved that he was a straight shooter, someone who wasn't going to be in trouble with the law.

Kailee had always looked upon those who broke the law with disgust. She didn't want anything to do with criminals or their ilk, for they did not contribute to a greater society as a whole. While she was not an activist in any way, shape, or form, she still considered the best way for humanity to advance itself was for people to work together. Those who worked outside of the rules to help serve themselves at the expense of the rest of mankind were despicable in her eyes.

"I try to keep this place in order as best I can, and I expect that from anyone who works for me as well," Jet was saying, as if to solidify her earlier thoughts.

As he showed her around, indicating how to keep things up to the health codes and his own personal standards, she began to develop a deeper respect and admiration for the man. He took his job seriously instead of slacking like many people who lived in small towns seemed to.

Jet was a great teacher too. He explained something the first time, and would gladly help her out on it a second time. If she needed to be explained something a third time, that was when he got upset. Thankfully that only happened to her once that first day. She thanked her lucky stars that she had waited tables in a bar for six months in university. It made learning the ropes at the Quencher infinitely easier.

"Now, I expect you to always be polite to our patrons," he began during a pause in the training. She looked at him askance, wondering if he realized how silly that sounded. Of course she would be polite to them, that was her job. Now Kailee began to rack her brain, trying to figure out if she had said or done something to indicate she would do otherwise.

"That being said," he continued as she stopped scrambling to come up with an explanation for something she hadn't realized she'd done. "If anyone gives you any undue guff, you give it straight back. Understood?"

"Um, not really. I mean, I get it not to take any of their crap, but I thought that was a given, so why are you telling me this?"

He frowned, searching for the right words before he spoke again.

"Well Kailee, the thing is, that out here in the country, some of the normal rules of society tend to fall by the wayside." He stopped, looking at her expectantly, hoping she would get it. Unfortunately for him, she still wasn't entirely sure what he was referring to, so she simply raised an eyebrow in return.

He sighed. "Many of the non-shifter men that frequent here are of the opinion, that you," he said with a gesture, "are simply property, there's to command as they please."

"So," he rushed on before she could speak up, "I highly recommend you make it clear you're a bear shifter ahead of time. That should end anything really quick, but don't be surprised if you feel the odd pinch or receive a rude comment. I'm not authorizing you to snap their arms off, but feel free to get the point across, without breaking anything of mine, either, that you aren't to be toyed with."

"Understood," she said dryly, wondering what the hell he was talking about. Men weren't interested in a woman like her. She would have nothing to fear from them, she was sure. Even if one of them did fancy her, she was a bear shifter. There were very few humans out there with the strength to harm her. All in all, she expected it to be very uneventful.

That thought sailed out the door about an hour into her shift when the door flung open. In strutted Tom, followed a half pace later by Sandra, who was already staring daggers at Kailee, though she stayed on the other side of the bar, not coming close. She snorted at the diminutive woman, rolling her eyes without caring if the tiny blonde saw or not.

This should end well...

"Really Jet? Really?
This
is what you got to replace me? Christ, you always were a dumbass, now you went and hired this cow to serve tables?" She had barely been there for thirty seconds before the tirade started. Kailee's nostrils flared at that comment, but Sandra had already switched her target, berating Jet next.

"I can't believe you just went out and hired the first person to come along. You have no idea how much shit I did around here to help you out Jet. There is no way she's going to be able to do the job."

"So?" Jet's reply came out deep, a low growl that echoed from corner to corner. Most of the patrons understood that she had said something to make him very, very mad. Even Tom, standing at the bar, winced and backed up a step to ensure that he had a bit more room between him and the large bear shifter.

That was when he seemed to notice Kailee for the first time and began to walk over. She looked past him and saw that Sandra and Jet had dropped to a more hushed tone. She was still speaking animatedly while he grunted out a word here or there, but for the most part things had subsided. She was glad, for her man didn't deserve to be treated like that.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

Her man? He was most definitely not
her
man, and she was most definitely not
his
woman. Kailee tried to purge the thought from her head, but it was too late, the idea was percolating around, gaining strength from her bear half as it started to clue in to the meaning behind the words. She heard it give a gentle roar of approval, urging her to blow past the slowly approaching Tom and go to her mate.

She was stuck with two bad choices. Go over to Jet and do something she would likely regret in a calmer environment, or stand still and let Tom try his nasty flirtation routine on her again. With the two halves of her soul urging her to go in separate directions, she was having an impossible time deciding.

In the end, her indecision doomed her, for she stood stock still as Tom approached, leaning in across the bar, getting much closer to her than she would have preferred. She gave a barely audible growl, hoping he would get the point and move on, but he seemed oblivious.

"So we meet again," he said by way of introduction, pushing his hand across the bar to rest on top of hers.

She tried to pull back gently while keeping her attention focused on the man who was quickly becoming a focal point of her life. But when Tom tightened his grip, preventing her from removing her hand, she was forced to concentrate on him instead. She let her anger at the interruption flow through into the glare she gave him, a look that should have made him wilt and run away with his tail between his legs.

"Oh come now, don't look so flustered. You're a beautiful woman, deserving of any man's attraction. So don't be shocked when someone as good looking as myself comes along and fancies you."

She started at him in shock, uncertain of whether she was more surprised or furious with him. Kailee knew she was a larger woman with curves, but while not every man would find her attractive, especially good looking men like Jet, she wasn't an idiot. There were men out there who found her attractive, and would continue to. But for Tom to suggest that he was a good looking man and that she should open herself up to him just because of that.

Well, that was just a total load of bullshit, and she opened her mouth to say so. Before the words could come out of her mouth, the confrontation between Jet and Sandra boiled over. She heard shouting erupt and instantly swivelled her attention back to them.

"You're useless Jet! That's why I quit. You're content with doing nothing with your life. Tom is driven. He has goals in life, and he is going to go places. Why can't you be more like him?" Sandra was backing away from him, shaking her head in his direction as if she was disappointed in him.  That, combined with her various comments throughout the night was too much for Kailee.

She stormed towards the tiny woman. Jet had explicitly told her that she should make her mark here, and not to let anyone run over her as long as she didn't break them or anything of his. It wouldn't be too hard to take care of the miniscule blonde.

"What the hell do
you
want?" she sneered as Kailee came closer.

"I want you the hell out of this bar, leech," she growled, picking Sandra up by her shoulders and bulldozing her way towards the door. "You speak about being driven, but all you do is follow in the footsteps of others, hoping to ride the coattails of their success. You'll never amount to anything you useless, snivelling, spoiled brat."

With that, she tossed Sandra out the door, watching in the fading sunlight as she landing sharply on her rear in the gravel parking lot. She cried out in pain and then began to whimper, but there was enough venom left in her glare that Kailee knew she wasn't permanently injured. Unfortunately, if the words she uttered next were anything to go by, it would seem that Kailee and Jet hadn't seen the last of her.

"You better watch your back cow. Just because you're a shifter doesn't mean you're invincible."

Kailee snorted, flexing her arms and reaching out to her side. Just to the left of the door was a bench made for four. Without any apparent effort, she reached down and lifted the one end clean off the floor. It was an impressive feat of strength, suitable enough to leave Sandra without any more ridiculous threats. She rolled her eyes once more at the ridiculousness of it all, set the bench down and turned to go back inside to finish her shift.

As it turned out, that was the most excitement for her night. After Sandra was unceremoniously shown the door, several things happened. First, Tom left, though he promised to come see her again so that they could continue their lovely chat. She hadn't even acknowledged that, simply ignoring him and focusing on her job.

The second thing that had happened was that word got out that she wasn't to be trifled with. The men, despite becoming rowdy and boisterous, never once gave her any trouble. If anything, they respected her and tried to include her in on their games, instead of using her as the target or butt of their jokes.

Several times throughout the evening as she interacted with the regulars she caught Jet looking at her, a little smile of satisfaction visible, a look that never seemed to go away the entire night. Kailee did have to admit, that if this was her first night working there, it boded well for the future.