Midnight Orchids Read online

  Several of the female servers shared glances before one spoke up. “We weren’t sure you’d want to know about it. I mean, this is a business that sells alcohol. It comes with the territory, especially if you’re a woman.”

  “Bullshit. It might be a case of business as usual for some clubs, but not here. No one has a right to put their hands on you, for any reason, without your explicit consent. I don’t care who they are.”

  “Even if it was like some huge Hollywood star or something?”

  “Even then. I don’t care who they are. If they put their hands on you, without your consent, they will be removed and banned from the club. Period. In the future, if there’s a problem, I want to know about it. Are we clear?”

  “You’ve got it, boss. I knew working here was going to be different. The last club I worked at, the owner acted like we should be grateful if some drunk grabbed our ass or tit.”

  Emelise wanted to growl at that. “Some men are pigs. I value each and every one of you as people. Go on now, get out of here.”

  Remy stepped forward as people began leaving. “I can give Kylie a ride back if you and Caine want some time together.”

  Emelise glanced at Kylie. “I think that’s up to Kylie. Caine and I don't have to rush home right away. Hailey is having her first sleepover with Sophie so we can wait for you to be ready to go, Kylie.”

  “You’re safe wit’ me, cher. But if you’d rather ride wit’ Emelise and Caine, den I guess I’ll see you at da compound.”

  Kylie was torn as she watched Remy turn his attention to her. She felt ready to bolt and part of her hated feeling so skittish. On the one hand she was really drawn to him, but on the other hand, who was to say he wasn’t just like Ezra? After a moment of thought she finally made up her mind. “No, it’s fine. I’ll ride with you, Remy.”

  “We’ll see you back at the house, Kylie. The door isn’t locked so you won’t have to wait for us to get home,” Emelise told her. “ I know, I know, any other place we would be asking to be robbed but not at the compound.”

  “Yeah, you would,” Kylie agreed. She bit her lip a moment before she continued. “Okay.” Kylie turned to Remy and tried to control the nervousness she felt.

  “Shall we, den?” Remy offered his arm to her.

  Kylie gave him an odd look. She hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake trusting him. After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she took his arm and let him lead her out of there. This was dangerous. So dangerous. She didn’t know why she trusted him to not hurt her when she knew that a monster could easily be hiding behind his smile.

  Kylie was quiet until they reached the docks at the compound. “Why, exactly, did you step in when that drunk grabbed my wrist? I mean, like I said before, no one else stepped in, so why did you?”

  “He didn’t have any business puttin’ his hands on you, cher. He stepped over a line.”

  “So, that’s it? Because he stepped over a line?” God, it would be so easy to believe he really was a good guy. She pushed the thought away.

  “Why is dat so hard for you to believe?”

  Kylie shrugged. “Experience.” They’d reached Caine and Emelise’s house and she approached the steps. “Thank you for the ride, Remy. And thank you again for stepping in earlier. I might not understand why you did it but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it.”

  “Like I said, no’ting to thank me for, cher. Have a good night,” he told her and headed to his own home.

  Kylie watched him go before she went inside, took a quick shower, and crawled into bed. She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Remy Delacroix. Once the last patron was gone and the doors were closed and locked, clean-up began. The entire staff helped so that it was done quickly.

  It was while they were cleaning that Emelise spoke up. “I need everyone’s attention. Something happened tonight that shouldn’t have. Our newest member, Kylie, had some trouble with a drunk grabbing her wrist. It was brought to my attention that if the Drink Mixologist was grabbed, chances were good some of the servers were, as well. Yet, no one has said one word to me about any problems they’ve had with patrons. That’s not the kind of club I run. If something happens, I want to know about it. If someone is harassing a staff member, in any way, I need to know so that they can be removed from the premises and banned from the club. I will not have any of my staff feeling unsafe while at work.”

  Several of the female servers shared glances before one spoke up. “We weren’t sure you’d want to know about it. I mean, this is a business that sells alcohol. It comes with the territory, especially if you’re a woman.”

  “Bullshit. It might be a case of business as usual for some clubs, but not here. No one has a right to put their hands on you, for any reason, without your explicit consent. I don’t care who they are.”

  “Even if it was like some huge Hollywood star or something?”

  “Even then. I don’t care who they are. If they put their hands on you, without your consent, they will be removed and banned from the club. Period. In the future, if there’s a problem, I want to know about it. Are we clear?”

  “You’ve got it, boss. I knew working here was going to be different. The last club I worked at, the owner acted like we should be grateful if some drunk grabbed our ass or tit.”

  Emelise wanted to growl at that. “Some men are pigs. I value each and every one of you as people. Go on now, get out of here.”

  Remy stepped forward as people began leaving. “I can give Kylie a ride back if you and Caine want some time together.”

  Emelise glanced at Kylie. “I think that’s up to Kylie. Caine and I don't have to rush home right away. Hailey is having her first sleepover with Sophie so we can wait for you to be ready to go, Kylie.”

  “You’re safe wit’ me, cher. But if you’d rather ride wit’ Emelise and Caine, den I guess I’ll see you at da compound.”

  Kylie was torn as she watched Remy turn his attention to her. She felt ready to bolt and part of her hated feeling so skittish. On the one hand she was really drawn to him, but on the other hand, who was to say he wasn’t just like Ezra? After a moment of thought she finally made up her mind. “No, it’s fine. I’ll ride with you, Remy.”

  “We’ll see you back at the house, Kylie. The door isn’t locked so you won’t have to wait for us to get home,” Emelise told her. “ I know, I know, any other place we would be asking to be robbed but not at the compound.”

  “Yeah, you would,” Kylie agreed. She bit her lip a moment before she continued. “Okay.” Kylie turned to Remy and tried to control the nervousness she felt.

  “Shall we, den?” Remy offered his arm to her.

  Kylie gave him an odd look. She hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake trusting him. After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she took his arm and let him lead her out of there. This was dangerous. So dangerous. She didn’t know why she trusted him to not hurt her when she knew that a monster could easily be hiding behind his smile.

  Kylie was quiet until they reached the docks at the compound. “Why, exactly, did you step in when that drunk grabbed my wrist? I mean, like I said before, no one else stepped in, so why did you?”

  “He didn’t have any business puttin’ his hands on you, cher. He stepped over a line.”

  “So, that’s it? Because he stepped over a line?” God, it would be so easy to believe he really was a good guy. She pushed the thought away.

  “Why is dat so hard for you to believe?”

  Kylie shrugged. “Experience.” They’d reached Caine and Emelise’s house and she approached the steps. “Thank you for the ride, Remy. And thank you again for stepping in earlier. I might not understand why you did it but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it.”

  “Like I said, no’ting to thank me for, cher. Have a good night,” he told her and headed to his own home.

  Kylie watched him go before she went inside, took a quick shower, and crawled into bed. She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Remy Dela
croix.

  Chapter Four

  Remy

  “Dere’s a story wit’ dat one.” Remy and Gage were discussing the newest member of the Pard, Kylie.

  “How so?”

  “Da other night I went to Scarlet Flux. Some drunk grabbed her wrist to stop her from moving away from him and dere was real fear in her eyes. She brushed it off, said it startled her, but I know fear when I see it.”

  Gage watched his brother for a moment. “Someting tells me your interest in her is more den casual.”

  Remy nodded. “You’d be right. I’m pretty damn sure she’s my mate, but she’s a skittish ting. I’m gonna have to go slow wit’ her.”

  “What do you know about her?”

  Remy snorted. “Not much. But I plan to change dat.”

  Gage patted his shoulder. “Good luck. If she’s a skittish as you say, you got your work cut out for you.”

  Remy flashed a grin. “Why do you tink I’m workin’ at da club as da new bouncer for da VIP Lounge?”

  That made Gage laugh. “Sneaky bastard.” He slapped his brother on the shoulder. “Looks like I’m gonna have to hire some help at da shop. If you’re gonna be puttin’ so much time in at Scarlet Flux, I’m gonna need da help.” When Remy started to speak he waved it off. “You just worry about your girl, I got dis.”

  “Thanks, Gage. So how’s my nephew doin?”

  “Growin’ like a weed. He’s definitely a Delacroix wit’ da way he eats.” They both laughed at that. Their mama always joked and said they tried to eat them out of house and home growing up.

  “I’ll stop by later to see him. Fatherhood looks good on you, Gage.”

  “You just wait til it’s your turn, Remy. Dere’s no’ting like it.” With that, Gage headed home to his mate and Remy headed into New Orleans.

  Kylie

  “What’s Remy really like?” Kylie asked the question while she, Emelise, and Lily sat in the food court at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

  Emelise and Lily shared a look. “What do you mean?” Eme finally asked.

  “Exactly what I said. What is he really like? When he’s not trying to impress someone?”

  “Why do you think he’s trying to impress someone?” Lily asked when Emelise didn’t.

  Kylie laughed but it wasn’t a happy sound. No, it was more bitter. “He’s a male. That’s what they do. They put on an act to impress you while keeping their real personalities hidden until it’s too late.”

  When Lily started to pry, Emelise shook her head. She reached over and gently squeezed Kylie’s hand. “Remy isn’t putting on an act. Sure, I’ve only known him a few months but Lily’s known him for four years. She’ll back me up when I say Remy Delacroix is a good, honest man who protects the people he cares about.”

  “Eme’s right. When I first moved here, I had no idea I was in Pard territory. I met Remy and Gage a week after I got here and they took me to meet Caine. As soon as Caine said I could stay, Remy and Gage took it upon themselves to look out for me. At least once a week they came into the shop where I work, under the guise of getting coffee, but I know it was to make sure I was doing okay. They weren’t the only members of the Pard to stop in, they were just the most frequent. Remy can be a bit of a flirt but he’s a good guy.”

  Kylie sighed softly. “You don’t understand. Neither of you do.”

  Eme arched a brow. “Kylie, Remy isn’t Ezra. Not all men are like him. You have to know that.”

  “Maybe they aren’t, but there’s no way to know who is and who isn’t until you’re already sucked in and can’t get out.”

  Kylie watched as Lily gave her a puzzled look before the look cleared and her eyes widened as if she’d figured out what Kylie meant by her comment.

  “Oh, honey. No. That’s not something you’d ever have to worry about with Remy. He’s more likely to cut his own arm off than hurt a woman.”

  Kylie waved her words away. “Doesn’t matter. Like I told Emelise, I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone.” She’d just gotten out of a bad relationship; she had no desire to get mixed up in another one.

  “Good luck with that, Kylie.” Lily took a sip of the tea she was drinking before she continued. “Believe me, I know firsthand how damn hard it is to fight the attraction of a mate. I was in a committed relationship when Declan came to New Orleans, on my father’s orders, to convince me to return to Slatefall, Montana. I knew the instant we met what I was feeling but I was determined to fight it. I wasn’t going to let my baser instincts control me. I told myself, and Declan, that I am more than just my wolf and I wasn’t letting animal instincts get the upper hand.

  “The night I took Emelise and Declan to meet with Caine, Mia went into labor and the Pard celebrated the baby’s birth with a party. That was the first time I let instinct guide me. I’d been drinking, my inhibitions were lowered, and I ended up cheating on my boyfriend of two years. He was actually going to propose to me. He’d been away on business and when he came back, he had a ring with him. We broke up and it hurt because I’d cared about him. A lot. I thought I loved him. Maybe I did, in a way, but I couldn’t share this huge part of my life with him. He didn’t even know I was a shifter until that day. Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is, when it comes to being mates, you can fight it all you want, but eventually the need to be with your mate will be too strong to resist.”

  Kylie listened to her but she kept shaking her head. “I’m not going to give in like that. I won’t. I can’t.” The thought of being touched, intimately, actually made her shudder. No, there was no way she was letting Remy in. She doubted she would ever want to be touched again. She didn’t tell Emelise everything. It had been hard enough talking about the physical abuse. The thought of telling anyone about all the times Ezra forced himself on her made her feel sick to her stomach.

  “You know what? Let’s just drop this conversation. It’s obviously making you uncomfortable, Kylie, and that wasn’t my intention. I’m sorry,” Lily said gently.

  “Lil’s right. We’re here to have fun and shop. No more depressing discussion. I say we get rid of our trash and get back to it because there was some lingerie in Victoria’s Secrets I wanted to pick up to surprise Caine with.”

  All three women laughed and the mood was suddenly much lighter. By the time they finally headed home, the tension that arose during lunch was long gone.

  “Declan and I are planning on swinging by the club tonight, so see you two later,” Lily said when Emelise dropped her off in front of her house.

  “See you later, girl,” Eme replied.

  “I look forward to meeting him,” Kylie told her from the front passenger seat.

  Kylie was making sure the bar was completely stocked, prior to the club opening for the night, when Remy slid onto one of the bar stools. She felt her leopard’s reaction to him and pushed it down. “Can I help you with something?”

  Remy shook his head. “Just watchin’ you work, cher. Did you have fun shoppin’?”

  Kylie froze for a moment, before she covered it, by turning her back to him so she could organize the liquor bottles she’d just set up behind her. “It was fine.” She knew he didn’t mean anything by the comment but it brought up some ugly memories. The rare times Ezra let her go shopping by herself he would grill her the instant she got home.

  “Just fine? You did go wit’ Emelise and Lily, right? I know dose two, dere’s no way dey didn’t make it a fun day.”

  “Like I said, it was fine. I told Emelise I would pay her back the money she spent today just as soon as possible.” Kylie saw his frown in the mirror. “She told me not to worry about it but I’m not a charity case. I pay my debts.”

  Remy

  When he’d gotten to Scarlet Flux, he’d nodded at Emelise and headed for the stairs leading to the VIP lounge. He was anxious to see his mate again. He’d stood there for a moment just watching Kylie before he’d finally gone to the bar and slid onto one of the stools. He’d seen her stiffen, just a l
ittle, and had cocked a brow. His skittish little mate was pulling on his protective instincts, hard core, without even knowing it.

  “What kind of Pard did you come from dat you feel you need to repay Emelise for takin’ you shoppin’? Didn’t she tell you we take care of our own?” He watched her closely. He’d seen the way she froze up when he asked if she’d had fun shopping earlier. Her reactions made him want to go to her old Pard and knock some sense into the Alpha. Clearly the man wasn’t worthy of his position if he made his Pard members feel obligated when receiving aid.

  “It has nothing to do with my old Pard.”

  He could hear the defensiveness in her voice and decided to not push. Something told him if he did that it would only make her more withdrawn. “All right, cher. You look busy, I’ll let you get back to it.” He moved away from her but kept her in his sights. He loved the way the lights brought out the golden highlights in her red hair. Combined with her chocolate-brown eyes and her fair skin, she was a stunning beauty.

  All too soon, the doors opened, customers came in, and Remy had to stop watching Kylie and focus on the job. Yeah, he would have much rather preferred to spend hours watching her, but duty called. Still, he couldn’t help glancing at her every now and then just to watch her put on a show while she poured drinks.

  An hour after the doors opened, Remy was moving through the VIP lounge, checking on the staff, when movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He was at the far end of the lounge, as far from the bar as he could get, and was just turning to make his way back toward it when he stopped. Tucked in the farthest corner was a small group: three men and a woman. Something about them got his hackles up and he moved closer. It was then he noticed the woman’s eyes. They looked panicked. What the fuck was going on? One of the men was a small-time celebrity from some reality TV show. “Is dere a problem here?” he asked as he stepped up to the table.