“Because—” The word caught in her throat. Damn it. She needed to pull herself together. Her life depended on it. She glanced up at the bartender. “Because I was told he might be able to help me.”
The bartender’s brows pulled together. It was the most menacing glower Paige ever seen. “What kind of idiot comes here looking for help?”
Paige’s lips trembled. Hot tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
Not that it mattered. Even if she had been able to talk, she was too overwhelmed to think of anything to say.
Too much had happened. Murder, heartbreak, the wholesale destruction of her life, and now the prospect of being ripped apart by a goddamned monster. It was amazing she was standing upright.
“Leave her alone, Ty.”
The voice—little more than a growl—came from the far end of the bar. Deep in the shadows of the corner, a hulking silhouette shifted on his stool. Somehow Paige had missed that one.
“The woman isn’t a threat. The stench of her fear is thick.”
Paige swallowed down. “Y-You can smell me?”
Of course, she knew the answer was yes. Everyone knew that was one of the traits that made alphas special, but knowing something intellectually was different than experiencing it firsthand.
“Every alpha in this room can,” he answered without looking up at her. “You reek of panic and desperation.”
Paige was pretty sure you didn’t need a good nose to figure that out. Her shaking hands and trembling voice were dead giveaways.
The bartender let out a loud harrumph. Instinctively, Paige recoiled from the sound.
“You want Kian? You got him.” The bartender shook his head slowly before walking away.
Wait. That hulking shadow at the end of the bar was Kian? The one who said she reeked of desperation?
Paige drew in the deepest breath she could manage and slowly shuffled toward him. The closer she got, the more warning bells sounded in her head. She shouldn’t be doing this. This man—this beast—was too big. Too primal and unpredictable. If she had any sense left, she’d turn tail and run.
Where? Straight into the barrel of Craig’s Glock?
This was it. Her only hope. There was nowhere else to run. All she could do now was pray.
Paige stopped two stools away from the giant. She knew the buffer zone was only an illusion. There wasn’t any distance that was safe when near an alpha. It wasn’t as if she’d be able to outrun or outfight him. Still, Paige couldn’t force herself to move any closer.
“Can I talk to you?” she asked.
He didn’t look up from his beer. The glass mug seemed comically small in his massive hand. She knew he could crush it into shards with a twitch. “What would you do if I said no?”
The truth slipped out before she could stop it. “I have no idea.”
“No, you don’t have a clue, do you?” He gave a short derisive laugh before lifting his drink and downing the whole thing in one swallow.
“I know that I can buy you another beer.” She pulled a bill out from her purse and laid it on the bar.
He paused for a second before slamming the empty glass down.
“That’s a good start.” He raised his hand, motioning the bartender back over. “You can keep talking until your money runs out.”
“I don’t want to bother you,” Paige said. “I really don’t want to be here.”
“That’s pretty obvious, lady,” he growled. “Get to the point.”
“My name is Paige Byrne,” she said. “Officer Wilcox in Sacramento gave me your name, and—”
“Denise sent you?” He gave another laugh, this one even darker than before. “You must be in trouble.”
“I am.” Paige blinked at his casual tone. She dropped her voice down to a whisper. “Someone is trying to kill me.”
“Figures,” Kian said. He shot the bartender a pointed look as he grabbed his next beer. “Denise has always had a soft spot for charity cases.”
“I’m not looking for charity,” Paige said, feeling strangely defensive. “I can pay if that’s what you want.”
“So, now my little sister’s pimping me out,” he muttered.
Little sister? Paige narrowed her eyes and leaned in closer, trying to spot a family resemblance, but it didn’t do much good. She could barely see anything in the low light. “You’re Officer Wilcox’s brother?”
“Of course. How else would I know her?” he said. “Who else in Sacramento, of all places, would know where to find me on a Sunday night?”
It made sense. After all, nearly all alphas were born into regular families just like everyone else. But for some reason, Paige was having a hard time trying to make a genetic link between the very normal cop who had saved her this morning and the beast sitting in front of her now.
Kian, though, didn’t seem to appreciate the extra attention. He gave a low growl of warning, and Paige immediately straightened up.
“Sorry,” she rushed to say.
The alpha lifted his beer and downed it as fast as the last. “Who wants you dead?”
“My fiancé,” she said, then caught herself. “I mean my ex-fiancé.”
“Why?”
“Because I witnessed him murder a man.”
“And you really think he’s going to follow you here?”
“You don’t know Craig.” Then again, it turned out neither did she. Not really. All she knew was that the stress of this back and forth was killing her. “He prides himself on always getting what he wants. If he’s set his mind on killing me and you don’t help me, then I’m as good as dead.”
Kian’s spine straightened. His shoulders pulled back. Paige’s breath caught in her throat, fearing that she’d pushed him too far with her upset tone. She held her hands out in front of her as she slid back a step.
“I’m sorry,” she rushed to say. “I don’t mean to offend you. I was just—”
Her words died as Kian rose from his stool and turned toward the door. For the first time, Paige got a good look at him as he stepped into the light.
