Page 22 of The Lab: Rigg

"Another new boyfriend, Niles?" Katie said as she passed behind me with a tray of bottles. She gossiped like a grandma at church, but the way she kept glancing in Rigg’s direction, I thought she was jealous of the attention I was getting from different guys every night.

Of course, she had no idea it was the same guy every night. My guy.

"Just keeping my options open." I winked and flipped a glass in my hand, showing off the skills I’d been practicing all week.

I focused on the customers in front of me and told myself that as soon as I got a free minute, I'd go give Rigg a few minutes of my time to really get Katie questioning my lack of morals.

Everything was going well until a drunk alpha dropped onto a stool at the end of the bar, closest to where Rigg was seated. In a voice that was not even close to quiet, he asked, "Who’s the slut working the bar tonight?"

I kept my head down and pretended not to notice, but I could sense Rigg working his way to the seat next to the drunk guy. When I looked up, Rigg was emanating hostility, and I just hoped the guy would keep his mouth shut.

“Joe?” The man grabbed Rigg’s arm and turned him so he spun to face the guy. “How are you alive?”

A few people glanced in their direction, but most of the late-night drinkers shrugged off the outburst. The only people on edge in the bar were me and Rigg.

“Oh, hey, man. I think you’ve had a few too many.” Rigg raised his glass and took a drink, hoping the guy would take the hint, but he didn’t.

He doubled down. “Oh, are you in some kind of protection program? Fuck, man. We thought the lab got you.” He waved me over and asked for drinks for himself and his buddy. “Those kids you ran off with? They were supposed to be destroyed.” He thought he was whispering, but his voice carried several feet in every direction. “Your buddy, the one who helped you get out, I’m pretty sure he’s dead. I just can’t believe you got out.”

Rigg glanced at me and subtly shook his head to signal that I didn’t need to intervene. “Nah, I’m just passing through town. But sorry to hear about your friend.”

“Yeah, I get it. You probably have a new name, right?” The man nodded and leaned closer to Rigg. If not for my wolf hearing, I might not have caught their full conversation. “You know, we still have a bounty out on those kids. A boy and girl, right? They’ve put up a hundred G’s each. If you know where they are, we can split it.”

My heart was racing as I realized he was probably talking about Connor and Lily. Our kids.

Rigg took a deep breath, and I could see he was working hard to keep his composure. “Why would anyone want to spend that kind of money on a couple kids? What’s so special about them?”

I grabbed a glass and a polishing rag and moved closer to them so I didn’t miss a word.

“You probably know more than I do. The only thing I’ve heard is they’re the first to meet the standard. Everything those sick-ass scientists have been working on all these years. Isn’t that why you got them out of there?”

Rigg just shrugged, not confirming or denying what the man was saying. “So, what’s going on these days? Anything interesting?”

The guy threw back the last of his drink and pointed at me for another.

Fine by me. The drunker he was, the more likely he was to give us more information. I slid another drink toward him and grinned. “Here ya go.”

“Well, you didn’t hear this from me.” He leaned back and took a look around the room before coming back toward Rigg. “There’s a roundup planned a few days from now. That’s why I’m back in town. They’re calling in all the guards for training on some new tech they’ve developed. After that, we’re being paid ten G’s per person we bring in.” He gleefully laughed, making my stomach roil in disgust. “Dude, we’re gonna be rich. I can find ten or twenty a day.”

Rigg nodded, and his eyes locked with mine. “You’re all training here in town?"

“Nah, at the convention center in the city.” The guy swayed on his stool, and I started to worry that maybe he was confused and not giving us credible information. “I’m staying here because I’ve got a little side piece I see when I’m in River’s Edge. But Friday, we’ve got the entire building reserved all day because all the big wigs will be there. It’s a whole shindig.” The guy pulled out his wallet but fumbled it, and it fell to the ground.

“Allow me.” Rigg slipped off his stool and bent down to grab the guy’s wallet.

I took the opportunity to offer myself as a distraction. “Is there anything else I can get for you or do you want to close out your tab?”

He leaned forward with both elbows on the counter.

I leaned forward too, laying on the charm a bit thick. “Don’t tell me you’re looking for something else?”

He grinned as if he thought he had a chance with me. “I don’t gotta meet up with my friend for another hour. How about you take a break and we head to the back room?”

“Here’s your wallet.” Rigg shoved the wallet in front of the guy.

I decided to give my mate a break and get rid of the guy. “That’s sweet, but I have a very sexy mate at home.” I placed my hand on my belly and pushed my shirt down so it was clear I had a small bump growing. “And since he knocked me up, he’s been pretty possessive. But thanks anyway.”

I winked at Rigg, and he finally relaxed. “We should let you get back to work.”

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