Page 70 of My UnTrue Love
Clementine flinched in sympathy for Stew’s injury, because it looked super-painful. Sure enough, the human gave an agonized, panicked scream, trying to yank free of theimplacable hold. Bill helped him escape the punishing grip, by shoving him backwards.
Stew hit the table behind him, upsetting a pitcher of beer and drenching the patrons sitting there. The four men at the table immediately began shouting curses and insults. Within seconds, half the bar was involved. And the ones who weren’t fighting were running.
Chaos descended.
Clementine lifted her arms and then let them drop in dismay. Thisneverwould have happened at The Kitchen. Dinah wouldn’t tolerate it. But the Lone Prairie was a dive, and dives always seemed to breed bar fights. She’d grown used to brawls, back when Johnny had played in a variety of sketchy places. However, Johnny had never been in the middle of the war zone, like Bill was. That made things harder. She needed to keep him safe.
Although, he was doing a credible job of taking care of himself.
Bill’s eyes glowed electric blue, matching the transformative mist that circled his body. His animal-side was taking control. Through the eerie fog coating his skin, she could see a creature of massive strength and relentless focus. Bipedal, somewhere between a man and a monster, and all of its feral focus centered on its prey.
His coyote was magnificent.
“You’re a no Goodsnake!” Stew screamed at him. “You gave those vengeful railroad bitches all that evidence about me and the boys slacking off on the job. You got us fired!”
Yes, that definitely sounded like Bill’s type of mischief. His ex-coworkers weren’t his favorite people. And really, if they were doing poor-quality work, theyshouldbe fired. Substandard railroad construction could endanger innocent bystanders. Bill was always looking out for the community.
“My whole life is ruined, you coyote bastard!” Stew seethed, refusing to take any personal responsibility. “You and your muse slut deserve each other!”
Clementine couldn’t agree more with that analysis. She and Bill were a perfect match. Bill’s snarl indicated that he took offense at the remark, though. Probably the “slut” part. Bill wouldn’t appreciate name-calling.
Sure enough, he grabbed for Stew with his huge, mist-covered hands. That was very worrying. Even a hangnail could impact his guitar playing.
“Bill, try and calm down! Think about your fingers!”
“Run!” Someone shouted. “Before the coyote eats us all!”
Now, that was just silly. Bill was still Bill. He was just… bigger.
“You alright?” Bill asked her, his voice darker than usual. More gravel-y and deep and wild. It soundedincredible.
“I’m fine.” Clem breathed, awed by him.
Bill’s body moved in a controlled, graceful prowl that was so stimulating to behold. He’d been more than justpretendingto be a hardass with Woody. She could see that now. His deep reservoir of passion sometimes revealed itself in physical ways. Bill was fully capable of beating the shit out of people and moving like a dancer while he did it.
He was such a diverse artist.
She had approximately two-tenths of a second to register that Bill looked just as hot in his hardass coyote-form as he did in his sensitive human-form. Then, he threw Stew over the bar. Literally threw him!
Harry barely had time to duck out of the way, as the shouting human sailed through the air. Stew hit the neat shelves of liquor bottles and then the floor. A waterfall of booze and glass and wood poured onto his prone body.
Holy moly!
That was the quickest saloon fight in history.
“Cops are coming!” A woman’s voice screamed. “Everybody clear out!”
Clementine wrinkled her nose, as people stampeded for the door. Damn it. Hank was going to be pissed.
Chapter Fifteen
“Never again, will your kind possess,
What you seek to throw away,”
Her voice was hard and six eyes assessed,
The coyote’s avarice ways.
