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“Less judging, more pouring,” Bruce mumbled around his open mouth.

Rolling her eyes she poured, her eyes meeting that of Vin who was watching her with a half grin on his face. Once finished she set the glass back down just as Bruce pounded the bar with his paw.

“Hit me again, Billie!” Bruce called out, but Billie Ann was halfway down the bar obviously ignoring Bruce.

Misty’s laugh was cut short when a male voice sounded behind her.

“So, you miss a mandatory meeting to hang out with a mangy cat?” Griffin’s voice had her whole-body tensing. God, how she hated the asshole. He was Jack’s right-hand thug and seemed to enjoy nothing more than harassing her. “You best get your priorities straight and start thinking about your Murder before bad things happen. I can see why your brother got rid of you.”

“Stepbrother,” Misty mumbled as she set her beer down, then turned on the stool to face Griffin. “Extortion.”

“What?” Griffin frowned, his eyes narrowing.

“Too big a word for you?” Misty snorted as she stood. “This mandatory meeting is nothing but extortion of the Crows who don’t have anything to give. I’m not standing up in front of everyone to be shamed because I don’t have money to hand over.”

“The Alpha gave you a home, and yet you continue to throw our generosity in our faces.” Griffin hissed, taking a step toward her, but Misty refused to back down.

“I’m living in a one-room shack with no bathroom.” Misty hissed back, not caring that the bar had gone silent around them. “Not only do I have to use the outhouse out back, but I have to bathe in a pond far enough away that I don’t have one of the damn courting Crows showing up, throwing trinkets and shit at me while I’m naked. So forgive me if I’m not feeling overly grateful.”

Griffin’s face turned a dark shade of red as he glared at her, but he seemed to finally notice everyone in the bar was listening. Leaning closer, his eyes narrowed.

“You’re going to regret this. We do not speak of Crow business outside of the Murder.” he hissed, pointing a finger in her face before turning and storming out of the bar, the other Crows following behind him.

“I owe the Murder nothing!” Misty called after him, then noticed everyone staring at her. Dammit.

Turning back around, Misty grabbed her beer and finished it off. Bruce was staring at her, his whiskers twitching, and she could feel Vin’s eyes on her, but she ignored him. Her anger was still boiling just below the surface, and looking at the most handsome man she’d ever seen probably wasn’t going to help matters.

“Feel better?” Bruce asked.

Misty glanced at his shot glass before looking at Billie Ann, who was watching her with concern. “Give me what he’s having.”

Billie Ann didn’t ask questions, which Misty appreciated. She simply poured a shot of whiskey and slid it across the bar.

Misty picked it up and downed it in one swallow. The whiskey burned all the way down, making her eyes water, but it definitely took the edge off. Setting the empty glass back on the bar, she looked at Bruce.

“I do now,” she finally answered, knowing damn well she’d just made her life a whole lot more complicated. Oh well. Wouldn’t be the first time.

CHAPTER 4

Vin couldn’t take his eyes off Misty. He knew absolutely nothing about her, but for some damn reason, he couldn’t stop watching her. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, but he’d seen plenty of beautiful women in his life. That wasn’t what had him sitting there trying to figure out what the hell was going on with him. It was the strange need he felt to protect her. That was definitely new.

When that fucker had stood over her, talking down to her in that threatening tone, Vin had wanted to break his neck. It had taken everything in him to stay where he was and let Misty handle it herself. And damn if she hadn’t handled it. He had no idea what was going on between her and the Crows, but he knew enough to know he didn’t like it.

And now, to top off all the strange feelings he was having, he was sitting here watching her get drunk with a talking cat.

Yeah, that definitely hadn’t been on his bingo card. Not that he’d ever played bingo in his life.

The bar was finally settling down with only a few customers still hanging around. Rafe was escorting two of the Raccoons out while Billie Ann and Macy wiped down tables.

“What’s her story?” Vin asked when Rafe came back inside.

“Don’t know.” Rafe glanced toward Misty and Bruce, who were laughing hysterically about something in one of the booths.

“Extortion is a pretty big word to throw around.” Vin cocked an eyebrow at Rafe.

“Yeah, it is.” Rafe frowned as he sat down. “Jack Crow has a different set of rules for those under him. Mac doesn’t agree with all of them, but there isn’t much he can do unless it bleeds over and starts affecting other Shifters.”

Vin nodded, understanding Shifter politics well enough to know it wasn’t always as simple as who outranked who. He also knew Mac, King of the Shifters, was a fair man. Vin had met him a few times over the years and had a lot of respect for him.