Down & Dirty (Bundle) (20 page)

It was too late for a social call, so the
pounding on the front door could mean nothing good.  Thomas’
suspicions were confirmed when a tense voice called out, “Open up,
Crawford!  We’ve got a grievance.”

When Jack had lived in this house,
werewolves had approached with respect and humans not at all. 
No one felt the same awe for Thomas, though, that they afforded the
Alpha.  Sighing, Thomas set aside his book and resolved
himself to another evening spent soothing angry werewolves who
thought that permission to run in the woods behind the house meant
permission to intrude at all hours instead of waiting for him to be
in his office in town.

Tonight’s angry visitors proved to be a trio
of businessmen.  It took him several moments to make the
connection between them, but it clicked into place in his head as
he rested his hand on the edge of the door.  Between them, the
three men owned two brothels in town.  The only proprietor of
liquor and ladies not present and accounted for was Charlotte
Daniel.

This is going nowhere good.

The tallest man cleared his throat. 
“We’re having what you could call a business problem, Crawford, and
we’d like for Jack to check it out.”

It didn’t take a genius to guess what their
problem would be, but Thomas had a job to do -- one that involved
listening to even the most absurd complaints. He pulled the door
open and stepped back, gesturing for the men to step inside. 
“It’s late, but I have a few minutes if you’d like to talk.”

The second man thanked him and fidgeted with
his hat.  “It’s about Miss Lottie over at the Full Moon. 
She’s bribing all the best girls to come over and work for
her.  Plus, she’s brazen about them servicing humans.”

Translation: she’s making
more money than we are.
  Thomas kept
his expression serene even in the face of the irrational protective
anger that rose inside him.  “Do you have any evidence she’s
bribing anyone?” he asked, tackling the easier question
first.

“
Just one girl.  Said
Miss Lottie had offered her something I hadn’t.”  His eyes
darkened.  “I asked her how much, but she wouldn’t
say.”

Probably
security.
  Jack made sure all of the
girls in town were safe -- the one man who’d tried to open a
brothel where the women weren’t protected had ended up in pieces --
but safe didn’t always equal content.

Before Thomas could reply, the third man,
who had remained silent so far, spoke up.  “Nobody really
gives a damn about the bribes.  It’s low, but it ain’t against
the law.  The humans, that’s the real problem.”

Of course it was, because
it involved female werewolves letting human men into their
beds.  Not a one of them got up in arms when male wolves found
a sweet young human to romance. 
Hypocrites.
  “Far as I can
recall, gentlemen, there aren’t any laws about humans and
werewolves keeping their hands to themselves.”

“
There ain’t no
laws
, but it ain’t right,
either.”

The second man held up a hand to quiet his
friend.  “Look, Crawford.  I got nothing against
humans.  Let ’em do whatever they want.  But there’s
rules about what can go on with the girls and what can’t, rules we
all agreed on and follow.  All the wolves know the penalties
for acting a fool when they’re visiting upstairs.  But Jack
ain’t got no jurisdiction over the humans.”

Thomas fought back a snort at the idea of
any human man surviving the sort of wrath Lottie brought down on
anyone who misbehaved in her establishment. Instead he
nodded.  “True, there’s no technical jurisdiction.  But I
think you’re underestimating how much the Mayor and the Sheriff pay
attention to Jack’s opinion on things.”  Which was the nice,
politically correct way of pointing out that Jack might as well run
the damn town.

The tall man shook his head.  “I told
you all this was a waste of time.”

The reasonable one was starting to look a
bit panicked around the eyes, so Thomas cleared his throat. 
“Not saying that.  You brought a complaint, and Jack will look
into it.  What sort of resolution would satisfy you?”

They shifted uncomfortably, none of them
willing to say it.  Finally, the spokesman inclined his
head.  “It might be easier for us to keep our girls if we knew
what Lottie was offering.  And -- And if we could maybe all
come to an agreement about wages…”

Irritation flashed through
Thomas again, more insistent this time.  “You might not want
Jack involved in any agreement you make about wages.  If the
Alpha lays down a law, you can be sure he’ll stay busy making
sure
everyone
follows it.” 
Which I’m sure
none of you plan to.

The man held up his hand.  “We’ll work
it out amongst ourselves, I suppose.  But we still need to
know there’s nothing untoward happening to the girls over
there.”

Which was an insult in and
of itself, and explained why they’d come to him instead of
Jack.  He went out of his way to seem affable and easygoing --
the kind of man you could insult to his face and live to tell about
it. 
And if that weren’t the best way
to protect my pack, I’d kick all of your asses here and
now.

Knowing that his job required a certain
demeanor didn’t make it easier to stay calm.  He felt his
power flare with his temper and could tell by the way they
fidgeted that they had too.  He cursed silently and
forced his power back into its carefully locked box.  “I’ll
look into it, gentlemen.”

“
Thank you,
Crawford.”  The other two men mumbled grudging thanks, as
well, and they disappeared through the door and into the
night.

Thomas considered indulging himself by
slamming the door shut behind them, but he’d slipped enough by
letting his temper off the leash.  He was supposed to be the
polite one.  The civilized one.  His approachability made
it possible for Jack to rule with the sort of brutal strength it
took to keep the wilder werewolves in line.

Few besides Jack had any
inkling that the pack’s beta had that same strength in him. 
Thomas didn’t mind playing second-fiddle to Jack’s tough and manly
routine, but it got considerably less tolerable when people took it
as license to insult him to his face. 
As if we’d let
any
of the women in Lottie’s place be mistreated,
even if she allowed it.

But it wasn’t about that, and they all knew
it.  Lottie made money hand over fist with her smart business
practices and her careful treatment of the people in her employ,
and it drove the men crazy.  They wanted that income, and
they’d do anything to get it.

And their complaint tonight
had been a trap.  He remembered the muttered words of the
angriest man:
I told you all this was a
waste of time.
  His interest in
Charlotte was hardly a secret.  If he didn’t make a lot of
fuss in investigating their allegations, the people who hated
Lottie would take it as proof that she got to do whatever she
wanted because she had the beta tucked in her pocket.  They’d
assume the only way to get to her would be outside the
law.

People making that same assumption about
Virginia Howard had led to bloodshed and death a few short months
ago.  Jack had been forced to kill a member of the pack, and
resentment still seethed under the surface.  Add in the
possessive distaste most male wolves had for the idea of humans
touching their women, and Thomas was sitting on a powder keg that
could explode at any minute.

Which meant paying Lottie a
visit tomorrow.  And not the kind he’d hoped to, where he
asked her on a walk and tried to ascertain if he was wasting his
time with his careful courtship.  The kind that would pretty
much ensure she’d never think kindly of him again.

Sometimes I hate my job.

Chapter Two

Lottie heard the quiet squeak of the door
hinges even over the music from the piano and the Friday afternoon
chatter around the main hall.  She looked up from the papers
laid out on her corner table out of habit.

Her heart seized when
Thomas Crawford stepped through the swinging doors.  The
obvious strength in his tall, solid frame stole her breath, and she
chided herself for acting like a young girl with a
crush. 
He’s just a man, and you’ve
had your share of those,
she told
herself.
Calm down.

Shorty, the quiet man who’d taken over
tending bar part-time since Hazel’s departure, raised a hand in
greeting.  “’Afternoon, Thomas.”

“
Shorty.”  Thomas
paused by the bar and smiled.  “How’re things this
afternoon?”

“
Not bad. 
Gettin’ busy, though.”  Shorty raised an empty glass. 
“Drink?”

Lottie tensed.  He had to want a drink.
If he wasn’t there to drink, then he was either there to see her…
or to go upstairs, which was something he’d never done, not in
the three years she’d been open for business.

Thomas flashed her a
regretful look that answered
that
question even before he shook his head at the
bartender.  “Here on business.  Maybe later.”

She relaxed as she began to gather the
invoices from the table, but only a little.  “Business” could
mean almost anything, and his look hadn’t been particularly
encouraging.  “Why don’t you accompany me into my office, Mr.
Crawford?  Shorty, ring if you need anything, all right?”

Shorty nodded and went back to wiping the
bar.

Lottie stood and tucked the sheaf of papers
into the crook of her arm.  Thomas knew the way to her office,
but she gestured toward the narrow hallway at the back of the main
room anyway.  “How have you been?”

He fell into step next to her and smiled a
little.  “Whenever you call me Mr. Crawford it makes me feel
old.”

She willed her heart not to pound as she
pushed open the door and held it for him.  “Well, I wouldn’t
want that, Thomas.”  She held her breath as he walked past,
then bit her lip as she closed the door behind them.  “Is it
pack business that brings you here?”

“
A little pack business, a
little of the more… mundane sort.”  He cleared his
throat.  “Can I sit down?”

“
Make yourself at home,”
she told him, gesturing to a plush chair.  She stowed the
paperwork and leaned her hip against the edge of her walnut desk.
“What is it?”

“
I want to say first,
Charlotte… I’m only here because of the state of the pack. 
Because of what happened when the men tried to cause trouble for
Virginia.”

Though the mention of the threat to Ginny
made her want to growl and bare her teeth, Lottie only sighed and
offered him a small smile.  “Which one complained about
me?”  It had to be one of the other brothel owners. 
They’d always hated her.  Lately, everyone’s business had been
flagging except for hers.  “Or did they finally wise up and
come to you as a cohesive group?”

He shifted, looking uncomfortable. 
“You have to understand that I don’t for a minute believe any of
the things they’ve said, but if I don’t follow up, it could cause
trouble.”

She had to laugh at
his nervous expression.  “I know that, honey.  It’s
your job.” 
Honey?  That’s very
businesslike, Charlotte.  Good job.
“Is it about Sarabeth?  Ira Braswell has been trying to
find out for the last two weeks why she left his place and came to
work for me.”

“
They brought it up,” he
admitted.  “But their main complaint -- and the one they could
cause the most mischief with -- is the fact that the humans are
going upstairs.”

“
Mmm.”  She walked
around her desk and sank into her leather office chair.  After
a moment, she folded her arms on the desk.  “Not all of
the women care to entertain human men.  There are also those
who don’t care one way or the other, and even a few who prefer
them.”  She arched an eyebrow.  “Is that any different
from the werewolves who come here to avail themselves of Melinda’s
very human services?”

Thomas held up both hands.  “You won’t
get any arguments from me, Lottie. I’m not saying it’s right. 
I’m not even saying most of the men around here would know why it
bothered them.  But you know how the males get when women are
scarce.  The strong overpower the weak, and no werewolf is
weaker than a human.  It’s instinct.”

The scarcity of available women was exactly
why she’d opened the Full Moon in the first place.  She
studied Thomas’ face while she tried to formulate a reply.  “I
appreciate the position you’re in, but I’m not going to refuse
service to humans.  I don’t really see that as any
different than Gerald Watson refusing to seat me in his restaurant
or Bonnie Kim telling me she won’t sell me a dress because I’m a
wolf.  And I’m not all right with that, not in the
least.  I’m sorry.”