Riptide [Kismet Cove] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (23 page)

Torin patted her shoulder awkwardly for a few more minutes until Jess felt a little better.

“Clean yourself up and I’ll take you into Breakers and then I’ll buy us both a drink or three. I think we’re going to need it. You’ve got questions, and any minute now Tweedledum and Tweedledummer are going to start calling in a frantic huff because they’ve figured out you’ve left the building.”

“They can call all they want. My phone is staying off for a while,” Jess declared as she slid back over to her side of the truck and put her seat belt back on. Once she was settled in her seat she started rummaging through her purse for a mirror and some makeup to fix some of the worst of the damage. Torin started the engine and pulled back onto the road, heading for town.

“Do you know where your pelt is?” he asked, and his voice was softer now.

“My pelt? You mean I actually have one? I can change into a seal?” Jessica felt like her head was going to explode from all the new information being crammed into it.

“Yes, you have one, somewhere. Or you should. If you don’t remember turning into a seal then your mother must have taken it from you right after you turned for the first time. You’d have been six or so.”

Jess felt her stomach twist and she gripped tightly to her purse as she fought to cope with this new revelation. “So I’m a selkie, even though my dad was human?”

“There’s always a chance that the human side will be dominant, but that’s fairly rare unless the child is several generations removed from their selkie parentage. Your mother was a pure-blooded selkie, so I’d be very surprised if you took after your dad’s side.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “If the boys didn’t know who or what you were, why did they give you that pendant? Did they explain what it means?”

“They said it meant that I was the woman they’d chosen to be with.” She smiled a little. “And they may have suggested that Darius wasn’t going to be very happy when he saw me wearing it. But they promised me that after tonight they’d explain everything. I guess they don’t need to bother now.”

“Don’t you let them off that easy!” Torin snorted and shook his head. “You have an entirely new life ahead of you if you want it, and those two chowder-heads are the best ones to explain it to you. They have a vested interest in making you want this life, so I’d say they should make for absolutely
inspired
guidance counselors.”

Jess giggled and Torin shot her a pleased smile. “That’s better. There’ll be time for tears later on, but for right now, better to laugh and have a drink.”

“Or three,” Jess muttered.

It was only a matter of minutes before they reached the outskirts of town and Jess glanced around, noting a few landmarks so she’d be able to come back here on her own. So far she’d not made it out to experience Tofino’s nightlife, and this Breakers place might just be the way to change that.

They swung into a crowded parking lot and Torin somehow managed to ease his truck between two other jacked up behemoths.

She hopped out and had just enough room to squeeze herself down the side of the truck. She brushed the dirt off her jeans as she waited for Torin to join her, and he gave her a wink before offering her his arm. “Anyone so much as looks sideways at you, little one, you let me know. The boys would have my hide if I let anything happen to you, and this place can be a little…rough.”

“Sounds about perfect for my current mood, then,” Jess retorted and took his arm. “I am in dire need of tequila right now.”

Torin looked down at her and grinned. “Tequila? Oh my dear girl, you’ve just made my day. I was expecting you to order a nice, ladylike wine cooler.”

“Oh, hell no! I passed the wine stage right about the time Evan started high fiving Rory and talking about true mates.”

Torin’s jaw dropped and stopped them both dead in their tracks just outside the main door. “True mate. You’re their true mate? They knew that and they didn’t think to look into your family heritage? I take back what I said about them being inspired guides. They’re too stupid for the job. If they even
suspected
that’s what you were then they should have realized you weren’t human and proceeded accordingly.”

He scrubbed a hand through his red and silver hair and shook his head. “I imagine they were too busy chasing you around the bedroom to think too much at all.”

Jess blushed. “Something like that, yes.”

Torin gave her a brazen grin. “There’s a good reason we selkies are in such demand as lovers, then and now. You best get used to it.” He winked. “We get better with age, too.” Torin pulled open the door before she could answer and a wash of warmth and raucous music poured over them. Nickelback’s “Burn It to the Ground” was blaring out of a number of speakers, and the bar’s small dance floor was completely packed, despite the fact it was still only early evening.

Jess followed Torin through the crowd and they found themselves a pair of stools tucked up against the back corner of the bar. The nearest speaker was far enough away that conversation was difficult but not impossible, and Jess hopped up on her seat with a nod of approval.

It didn’t take long for a bartender to spot them, and Jess couldn’t help but notice he was mouthwateringly gorgeous. He gave her a friendly grin and leaned in close enough for her to hear him clearly.

“What can I get you, sweet thing?”

Torin snorted with laughter. “You can save your breath, Byron. This one’s spoken for. Byron, this is Jess.” Torin turned to Jess. “Jess, this is Byron Triggs, he and Tucker own Breakers.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Jess beamed at Byron. His gaze dropped to the pendant at her throat and he whistled low in his throat. “It’s the end of the world as we know it. Rory and Evan have fallen.”

Jess touched the pendant and nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

“Then for you, milady, the drinks are on the house. What are you having?”

“Tequila shots, plural. Please.”

Byron arched a blond brow. “Tequila shooters and you’re here without either of your men in attendance. I smell a story.”

Torin leaned forward slightly. “Before you forget to ask me, pup, I’ll have a Guinness.”

“Tequila and a Guinness, coming up.” Byron grabbed a mug and stepped down the bar to the beer taps, leaving the two of them alone for a minute.

“So Byron’s one of you?” Jess asked the moment she confirmed they were alone. “Just how many of you are there?”

There’s an entire colony of us, living here in secret.” Torin touched his finger to his lips to remind her to be discrete. “Byron and Tucker are a bonded pair, just the same as Rory and Evan.”

“What?” Jess groaned as she realized there was even more information she was missing.

“Rory and Evan are bonded?” She frowned. “What exactly does that mean? They told me they weren’t into each other…uh…that way.”

Torin threw back his head and brayed with laughter loud enough several other people turned to stare. When he finally regained his composure he grinned at Jess. “Please be sure to ask for clarification about that when they get around to that part of the explanation. They deserve it for the way they messed this up. Some bond pairs are bi, some aren’t, different folks and different strokes and all that. As for what bonding means, it means that those two are linked by a bit of magical weirdness that I don’t rightly understand, just like Darius and I are linked to each other as well as to Emma. Torin lifted his hand, palm up to show Jess a thin white scar that crossed his palm. We’re blood-brothers, literally. The boys will explain it, but you make sure they answer all your questions to your satisfaction, or you can call Emma or me and ask us.”

Jess snickered. “Oh, don’t worry. I will.”

“I think you’re going to be exactly what those boys need in their life,” Torin told her as Byron returned with their drinks. He set the dark ale down in front of Torin and then placed two shooter glasses on the bar for Jess along with a bowl of limes and shaker of salt. “I figured you’d be needing at least two drinks before you’re going to feel like telling me where your lesser halves are tonight.”

“Don’t you have a bar to tend?” Torin waved Byron off with a laugh. “Shoo, pup, this may be the last chance I have to get to know this lovely girl before her men come and whisk her away on me.”

“All right, I’m going!” Byron threw up his hands in mock surrender and backed away. “Just wave when you’re ready for a refill.”

“Thanks.” Jess waved and reached for her drink. She didn’t bother with the salt before she downed the first shot, though she did bite into the lime wedge once it was gone.

“So, is there anything else I should know before I let Tweedledum and Tweedledummer take over as my tour guides on this bizarre adventure I’m on?”

“You mean anything critical? Not really. Though I can tell you that now that your lineage is known, Darius is not going to have any issue with the fact the boys chose you for their mate. There’s an old law on the books that states that colony leaders are only supposed to bond with mates from the oldest bloodlines. Needless to say, if you’d been human there was going to be one hell of a fight between Darius and his son. As it turns out, you’re from one of the right bloodlines.”

“Wait a second. Darius is the colony leader, so what does it matter if Rory…mates with me or not?” Jess stumbled over the odd wording.

“Darius is the colony leader
now
, yes. But one day that job will fall to Rory.” Torin sighed and moved the second shot glass closer to her. “You’re going to want to drink that, girl. Your Rory is the local equivalent to a prince, and that makes you a soon-to-be princess. Congratulations, you’re selkie royalty.”

“Fucking hell.” Jess groaned and downed the second glass without hesitation. “I’m going to have to work on the guys’ communication skills. They skipped over a lot of very important information.”

“I can drink to that.” Torin tapped his mug to her empty shot glass before downing a measure of the contents.

The second shot burned a lot less than the first one, and Jess knew she was already heading toward a pleasant buzz. Not surprising considering she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast at the hotel. She’d been too nervous about making a good impression tonight to eat anything else.
So much for first impressions.

A mountain of muscle moved into her field of vision and Jess looked up, and then up some more until she finally found a face. Holy shit, this guy’s huge! was the first thought to cross her mind, followed by the realization he looked a little familiar.

“So you’re the one?”

“I’m the one…what?” Jess asked, puzzled.

The stranger reached out one massive arm and gestured to the pendant around her neck. “Byron said Rory and Evan’s doom was at the end of the bar, doing tequila shots.” His stern features softened as he smiled slightly and a dimple appeared in his right cheek.

“Oh! Uh…I guess so. You must be Tucker.” Jess managed to focus her attention on Tucker’s face and not on the broad expanse of muscle and sinew moving beneath his dark-blue shirt. He had slate-gray eyes, an unshaven jaw and jet black hair cut short, but what drew Jess’s attention was the eyebrow ring that sat over his left eye. Her first thought was that he was the kind of man you never wanted to bump into in a dark alley. As she noticed the tribal style tattoo that ran down his neck and vanished beneath his shirt, Jess’s second thought was to wonder if the tattoos showed up when he was in seal form.

“Jess, this is Tucker Pine, Rory’s cousin.” Torin made the introduction. “Tucker, this is Jess Silk.”

“Silk?” Tucker’s brow shot up in surprise. “Any relation to Martin Silk?”

“She’s Mara’s little girl.” Torin’s voice was barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

Tucker nodded to Torin and set another shot glass of tequila in front of Jess. “Welcome home, Jess. I hear you had a bad day. Byron says he’ll be back for the details after you finish this.”

“Thank you, and tell Byron thanks, too,” Jess said smiled up at Tucker. He just nodded and headed down the bar to another waiting customer. As he turned she caught his face in profile and realized that was why he looked familiar. He looked a bit like Rory and Darius, only a whole lot bigger. She tossed back the shot he’d left and then turned on her stool to face Torin.

“So, is he a seal, or a sea lion? He’s huge!” She threw her arms out wide and it dawned on her that the tequila had finally kicked in.

Torin sniggered into his ale. “I see you’re feeling better.”

“Much, thank you.” Jess reached out and patted his arm. “This was exactly what I needed. A little more time here and I’ll be ready to deal with everything.” She turned back toward the bar and glanced down at her purse, wondering if her voicemail was full of messages yet. She was betting it was, but she just wasn’t quite ready to turn her phone back on and face reality. Fifteen more minutes, then I’ll call them, she promised herself.

Torin finished his ale and stood. “I just need to visit the facilities, you stay put. If you need anything, just wave Tucker or Byron over, they’ll keep an eye on you while I’m gone.”

Jess nodded and he stepped into the crowd, vanishing from her sight within seconds. She would bet her next royalty check that while he was gone, Torin was going to call Rory and let him know she was okay. She was more than fine with that idea, because if Torin called them, then she wouldn’t have to. She was already feeling a bit guilty for running away, even though she knew it was the smart thing to do. She had needed a bit of time and space, and Torin had given her both.

She waved to Byron and mouthed a request for him to bring her a glass of water. He grinned, gave her a thumbs-up, and then finished filling the line of empty beer mugs he had sitting on the counter. Jess knew he’d bring her the water once he was done with the order he was working on.

“What the hell do you have that I don’t?” A woman’s voice snarled from behind Jess and she spun around too quickly for the amount of tequila she’d just consumed. Her brain took a second to catch up to her body, and the sensation was far from pleasant.