Sweet Mercy - Lynn Hagen Page 0,4
But Mercy knew no matter how far he ran he would never escape his past.
Chapter Two
“Why?” Mercy spun and glared at Ford. “So you can play hero twice in one day?”
Ford shook his head. “I’m no hero, Mercy.”
Far from it. Ford wasn’t even a real ranch hand. He’d been hired by the Ultionem to make sure the hellhound infestation was truly gone from Fever’s Edge and to also track down a rogue vampire who’d been attacking humans, more specifically the family that Ford had been trying to save. Vladimir had attacked them, and Ford had nearly gotten them killed.
Ford didn’t want to think of those memories. He had done his best to keep them in the back of his mind, and that was where they would stay.
He had a job to do, even though Ford knew he was nothing more than paid muscle. His orders were to kill any hellhounds he might see there, as well as Vladimir. The last time Vladimir had been seen, he’d been heading toward this town, hence Ford’s assignment in Fever’s Edge. It was on the down low, so he’d gotten the only job available to him. Working on a ranch.
Already it sucked, but it wasn’t as though it was a permanent job. He just hadn’t expected to find his mate in this Podunk town.
“If that diner isn’t to your liking, we can go there.” Ford waved at the restaurant up ahead. Cresting Moon. “I’m starving and need a bite to eat.”
He had no clue what was going on between Mercy and that waiter, but Ford wanted to go back to the diner and choke the shit out of the stranger for talking to Mercy that way.
“We have an hour to kill,” he reminded his mate.
What struck Ford as odd was the fact that Lincoln was a Bengal tiger shifter. The foreman, Brett, had said that Mercy was Lincoln’s stepbrother, had been adopted, and Mercy was human.
How had that happened? Ford didn’t know too many shifter females that would adopt a human. Whatever the reason, he was glad he’d found Mercy.
Although finding his mate complicated Ford’s job.
Mercy bit his bottom lip and looked toward the diner behind Ford. “Just as long as we don’t talk about what just happened.”
“What just happened?” Ford grinned and guided Mercy to the open-air restaurant. “I say we stuff our faces with good food and forget the diner was unfit for us to eat in.”
“No it wasn’t.” Mercy looked up at him. Was his mate that thickheaded?
“Can you smell that?” Ford rubbed his stomach. “Greasy burgers. I’m already in love with this joint.”
Mercy gave him a tentative smile. “It does have good food, although it’s a bit pricier than Bent Spoon.”
“I told you this was my treat.” After the incident at the diner, Ford felt territorial. He glided his hand down Mercy’s back as they walked inside, only to have his mate jerk away from his touch.
If Mercy lived with shifters, then he knew about them and more than likely knew about mates. Ford wasn’t sure he wanted to reveal what they were to each other. Not yet. Maybe not ever. That would mean staying stuck in this town, of giving up his work with the Ultionem. That was all Ford had ever known. Chasing down criminals wanted by the leaders of the nonhuman world had also garnered him a lot of enemies.
Enemies he didn’t want coming after him if he stayed in one place for too long.
“Do you want seating inside or outside?” the guy behind the bar hollered as he poured a glass of beer from the tap.
Ford looked down at Mercy. God, he was fucking handsome. Dark hair and pretty blue eyes, slim, compact. “Your choice.”
Mercy looked toward the door. “Inside.”
He didn’t like the fact that his mate seemed scared. Ford’s bear snarled at the thought of anyone putting fear into the human. He wanted to probe, to find out what the scene in the diner had been all about, but he was wise enough to keep his trap shut.
He didn’t want to ruin their lunch.
Once they were seated and their drink orders taken, Ford crossed his arms on the table. “So, why all the new hires today? I’m being totally nosy, by the way.”
Ford wanted to find out what was going on with the ranch. Hellhounds? Vampires? Why had Brett hired three new workers in one day? Ford knew crap about ranching, but that seemed odd to him.
“It’s complicated,” Mercy said. “Besides, I don’t know you,