In a Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2) - Shelly Laurenston Page 0,114

now pacing the room.

“That seems a bit rude.”

“I know you’re just being an asshole.”

“How do you come to that?”

“Because you know we’re not part of this family, but you’re going to try to use us to launder your fucking gangster money. Fuck you and the Erin go bragh you rode in on!”

“That’s Irish, ya little twat!”

“Do I look like I know the difference?”

Will took in a breath, gave himself a moment. Which surprised Charlie. From what she’d heard over the years, he wasn’t one to curb his rage and hatred.

“I know the family hasn’t exactly endeared itself to you and your sisters. And I mostly blame your father for that.”

“So do I,” she admitted.

“But this is an opportunity for us to bridge the gap between the Scots and the Yanks.”

“Then use Bernice. She’s got a lot of daughters.”

“Thieves! Every last one of ’em.”

“That is true.”

“I can’t trust them. But I know I can trust you and your sisters.”

“To launder your money? Forget it. We’re not risking going to prison for you.”

“We don’t need you to launder money. We’ve got that covered, thank you very much.”

“Then what do you want us for?”

Will grinned. “Snakes.”

“Snakes?”

Now he wiggled his eyebrows. “Snakes.”

* * *

Shen pulled hard, attempting to drag Stevie off Creepy Roy’s back. But she wouldn’t let him go. Gripping his shoulder with one hand, she just kept punching him in the back of the neck while Max continued to slam the man’s forehead into the bar.

What annoyed Shen, though, was that no one was helping him. Berg and Dag wanted to, but they wouldn’t get close to Stevie when she was like this. They didn’t want to freak her out. Britta refused to because she’d seen what Roy had done, and the only thing that stopped her from breaking him in two was that Max and Stevie had gotten to him first.

But the honey badgers . . . they weren’t doing anything. Nothing. Roy was family but not one of them stepped in to help. They weren’t cheering either. Or reacting in any way that Shen would consider normal. Just staring. Like an entire group of sociopaths!

“Let him go!” he ordered, but Stevie ignored him.

There was one very good thing, though. Stevie was angry, but she wasn’t panicking. Even though there was a group of grizzlies watching the drama from the corner of the bar. And if Stevie wasn’t panicking, he wasn’t worried she’d shift. And that was a good thing, right?

When he tried to heave Stevie off once again, he saw Charlie exit from the back hallway, her Uncle Will right beside her. They were talking—calmly, he was happy to notice—but as soon as she realized what was happening, Charlie walked away from her uncle and over to Shen.

“What’s going on?”

“Creepy Roy here touched your sister inappropriately.”

“Which one?” she asked, shockingly calm.

“Max. He says he was just joking, though,” Shen added with a disgusted sigh. He hated guys like Roy. Always had.

Charlie gave a short nod. “Okay.”

Shen was so surprised, he almost released Stevie. “Okay? That’s all you have to say?”

“Uh-huh.”

She stepped away, heading back toward her Uncle Will, and Shen wondered what her uncle had to say to her that was so important she would ignore what was going on right in front of her. But then she neared her uncle . . . and passed him, disappearing into the back hallway again.

A minute or two later, she returned. Walking confidently, casually, across the floor. When she stood directly behind Roy, she crouched down and Shen leaned over a bit to get a better look.

Charlie wrapped a cord she’d found somewhere around his ankles. His legs were spread apart, but she looped the cord in such a way that when she stood up and yanked, his legs shut tight. Then she wrenched him off the bar, snatching him away from Max’s grip.

Roy’s head slammed into the end of the bar and onto one of the stools.

Shen snatched Stevie off the badger’s back before he hit the floor. Charlie spun around, placing the length of the cord over her shoulder.

“Max!” Charlie barked. “Door!”

Max ran across the bar top, jumped off, and quickly opened the front door.

“You know what really pisses me off?” Charlie asked as she dragged her yelling cousin behind her. “I mean, besides when assholes such as yourself believe they can put their hands on women without their consent.” Roy unleashed his claws and jammed them into the wood flooring of the bar. It caused Charlie to pause, but