Chapter 5 New & Old Home

• Paris POV
• I wrapped my hair into a bun and slipped on my pink headband. I had the afternoon shift. Tess was supposed to be in town today which meant there would be a crowd. Tess was sort of a town celebrity. She came from money and ran dozens of charity events at the restaurant and elsewhere.
• She’d been nothing but loving and welcoming since I moved to town, though, neither she nor my friends knew I lived out in the forest near a lake in a house that could cave on me while I slept.
• “Time to fish,” I said, grabbing my bucket of bait from the porch.
• Wearing my boots, I trotted to the lake.
• I liked the privacy out here and added to being hidden from my past. An animal could attack me or a tree could fall and give me an issue but that felt better than what would happen if Caleb found me.
• Caleb is my twin brother. He took care of me when our Dad passed. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out so good. My sister was lost to the system. He wasn’t abusive to me, but as a minor, he used me to get away with petty theft and dealings. We were twins but Caleb was forced to grow up faster.
• I attached the bait flung the rode into the lake and waited for a bite.
• As I got older things got worse. He was my brother I couldn’t abandon him even when he turned into a gang-banger.
• Until one day he’d been beaten up badly. Said he owed money. He was my twin brother. He protected me and made sure I was okay. I felt like I owed him. Right now I felt stupid about helping him.
• I was going to use my tuition money to save him and he promised he was done with illegal activity.
• I shuddered recalling how my body froze when I learned the cash in my coat wasn’t the payment Rafael wanted it was me. Rafael was Caleb’s friend and he made a deal to have sex with me.
• Unknown to me!
• A tug on the rope snapped me out of the memories. I reeled in the fish. Smaller than the one I caught two days ago but it would do. I barely escaped Rafael with my life. I left him bleeding on the ground with a blow to the head.
• Caleb was furious when I told him I thought Rafael was dead. I could still hear his voice.
• “You’ve ruined my life. You don’t know what you’ve done.”
• “He tried to rape me!” I insisted.
• He stood and paced my living room.
• “You don’t know what you’ve done you, little slut. I’m not going to let them kill me for your mistake.”
• I wiped the rogue tear. He sent me to the emergency room with the beating that broke three ribs, my nose and bruises. After that, I had a target on my back for attacking a mafia member. My life changed forever but I was determined not to lose it to anyone.
• ***
• “Paris! There you are, take that section, can you believe Trina quit on me to join a band with the local high school janitor?” Tess puffed.
• I had to hold in the laugh. Trina is the spontaneous type.
• I took the menus and scurried to Trina’s previous section. I spotted Selma, Noah and his friend sitting both in the corner.
• “Finally, some service,” Anton, Noah’s friend said.
• “Doesn’t hurt that it’s gorgeous service,” he winked.
• Selma groaned. “Stop, my ears are dying.”
• I giggled and dug my notepad from my apron.
• Before Noah could make an order Selma gasped and her eyes turned to saucers.
• “Smells like trouble.”
• My heart made a giant leap forward. I rubbed my chest and stared at the tall, domineering men who strolled into the restaurant as if they owned the place. Draped in leather and diamonds and lathered in expensive cologne they might as well roll out the red carpet. At the forefront was him—the man with firm broad shoulders and a chiselled jawline.
• Just like the first time he had his sleeves rolled up and his chest peeking out of his shirt. He didn’t carry a bored expression this time instead he had pride, arrogance and dominance on his face.
• Selma yanked me onto the booth causing me to drop my napkins.
• “Marcel, what the hell is the meaning of this?” Tess threw her arms up and yelled.
• Marcel… so that’s his name.
• Suddenly the room was dead quiet.
• “You’ve been gone quite a while now, Tess,” Marcel said.
• “Am I not allowed to travel? Hell, who do you think you are?”
• “What the fuck is she doing?” Anton hissed.
• My thoughts precisely were that this man smelled like danger. Tess was ballsy but this man came with a whole crew.
• “She’s standing up to a dick,” Noah muttered.
• “I don’t need to show you but I won’t let you make a fool of me. I know you’ve been in Dale,” Marcel spat.
• “Is that illegal? You’re going to come back here after years and expect everyone to go along with you? I’ve lived in this town since before you were born boy. I ain’t scared of you.”
• Marcel clapped and circled her. He moved to the counter and leaned against it his eyes scanning the customers.
• “Your cook’s a spy and you’re making constant visits to the pack that poses as the biggest threat. I can cut your head off in one second and there’s nothing anyone in this room would do about it.” He moved swiftly and was in front of her face.
• A gasp erupted from the crowd at once. Despite the furious faces, no one moved a muscle.
• “That’s it,” Noah said, starting to rise.
• “What are you going to do, fight the Alpha? You’re insane.”
• “He’s not my Alpha. He’ll never be.”
• “Noah, please don’t do anything stupid,” I said clutching his hand.
• He stared at our joined hands and settled down.
• “You’re going to come with me to the Packhouse and answer a few questions willingly or not.”
• My heart dropped. Would he drag Tess out of here kicking and screaming?
• “Marcel, your Father wouldn’t want this,” she said.
• Even from the corner of the room, I saw the veins pop out of his neck and his skin turn red.
• “Out. All of you! Service is over!” He barked.
• I jumped.
• “Get the fuck out of here!” Marcel shouted.
• Selma shoved me out of the seat. We rushed out of the restaurant. I caught Tessa’s eye she simply nodded at me. Marcel kept his back towards me and everyone else.
• Marcel’s goons made sure no one lingered by the door. Selma snatched my hand and dragged me to the side of the building. Even if we wanted to eavesdrop we couldn’t there were no windows.
• “What the hell is going on?” I asked.
• My hands shook and my heart raced a marathon.
• “Careful Selma,” Noah said from behind us.
• “I—” Selma closed her mouth.
• “Alpha? Pack? Spies?”
• Noah ran a hand down his face and sighed.
• “Can we forget this?” Noah asked, offering me a smile.
• Was he shitting me?
• “Noah…” Selma sighed.
• “I knew this would get fucking complicated!”
• “What?” I asked.
• “Getting close to you,” Noah blurted out.
• I placed my hand over my heart and stepped back. “Oh.”
• “Fuck.” Noah squeezed his eyes shut. “I didn’t mean that Paris.”
• He’d already said it.
• “I understand.”
• “No, Paris, Noah’s a meathead,” Selma said.
• “It… It’s been a long day. I’m going to go now.”
• Elvira Falls was turning out not to be as safe as I hoped.