Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,138

handed it to Jesse. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Not necessary,” Jesse snapped.

But Don was already moving to the open end of the bar—and Scythe moved with him, scanning the area of the saloon where Jesse had been. All these happy humans, and suddenly one who was important to the town was unhappy. In her saloon. Why?

As Don escorted Jesse to the door and Yuri kept watch, Scythe moved through the mass of human bodies who were laughing and singing poorly compared to Yellow Bird—a hunter moving through oblivious prey.

There was a male over there who looked angry, but the look disappeared when Garnet Ravengard walked by and stopped when the man spoke to her.

Perhaps she’d been mistaken. Perhaps he wasn’t angry, just disappointed that he wasn’t talking to a female.

But Jesse Walker. That was a problem someone else needed to fix.

* * *

* * *

“So we’re okay?” Tobias asked.

Jana tightened her hold on the mobile phone as if it were a lifeline. She’d told him enough for him to appreciate how close they had come to disaster today.“We’re okay. Didn’t think of what it must have been like for the cops in Lakeside when the scariest forms of terra indigene declared war on humans and swept through the cities. The cops knew enough to understand what was going to happen—and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Nothing I could have done here to help anyone if things had gone the other way back East. Feels pretty helpless.”

“You weren’t helpless, Jana. You were out there doing your job. Keeping the peace. Providing vigilant protection.”

“I wish you were here.” I wish you were kissing me and helping me forget what could have happened today.

“Have you and your housemate worked out a system for when you need privacy, or is everyone okay with a closed bedroom door?”

“What?” She felt her face heat and wondered if Tobias had somehow sensed her thoughts or was just letting her know he’d like to explore the spark that was between them.

Tobias laughed. “You can give me an answer the next time I’m in town.”

A Wolf howled nearby.

“Have to go,” Jana said. “I’m still officially on duty.”

“Long day.”

“Yeah. But once the saloon closes and we make sure everyone who was celebrating is still sober enough to find their way home, Rusty and I will be heading home too.”

“Goodnight, Deputy.”

“Goodnight, Rancher.”

As she ended the call, Jana wondered why those two words, deputy and rancher, made her feel a little sad.

* * *

* * *

Tolya knocked softly on Jesse Walker’s hotel room door. He heard movement inside the room, but he didn’t hear footsteps approaching the door.

All Scythe could tell him was there was something wrong with Jesse, that she was unhappy and upset when all the other humans seemed excessively happy, and that she had bought a bottle of whiskey to take back to her room. Yuri couldn’t tell him much more than that.

He knocked again, louder this time in case Jesse hadn’t heard the first request to enter.

More sounds in the room. How much had she drunk? Surely not enough in the time between Scythe’s and Yuri’s reports and his standing here to have done herself some harm. Easy enough to shift to smoke and flow under the door and …

The rattle of the security chain before the door opened with a jerk.

They stared at each other. Tolya was surprised at the stiff body and the anger on Jesse’s face. Then the anger faded and the stiffness eased.

“Oh.” Jesse opened the door wider and stepped to one side. “Tolya. Come in.”

He came in and closed the door behind him. Put on the security chain. Then he moved closer, studying her. “You expected someone else.” Not a guess; a certainty. Just as he was certain the other visitor would have been unwelcome.

She poured a double shot of whiskey in a water glass and downed it. “I may not be some fresh young thing anymore, but after waiting through this day to find out if we were going to survive, I just wanted to kick up my heels and have a little adult fun with a like-minded man. And no matter what anyone says, I am not lonely, and by all the gods, I’m not so old and so desperate for male company that I need to accept a pity fuck.” She grabbed the bottle and poured another double shot. As she raised the glass, she looked at him. “You probably don’t know what that means.”

“I know what