“Why are you in here?” Janie demanded, hiding her smile.

“Heard there’s candy apples.”

“Bubba Smith! We are eatin’ in another hour.”

“So? Trust me, woman. I’ll eat again.”

Shaking her head in disgust, she looked back at Walt. “Do you believe him? Man has the worst sweet tooth. Now, where was I... oh, yes! The girl.”

“My daughter’s not your concern, Miss Janie.”

“Real funny how she’s your daughter now when not six months ago she was that lie some wild dog told on you.”

“A man can’t change his mind about getting to know his own blood?”

“Of course he can. But my cousin, Micah Lewis, did notice how your desire to meet Kristan seemed to coincide with this magazine coming out... What was it called again, Bubba?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Cables or something.”

“Not cables. Wired. That was it! Wired Magazine. They were buried inside, is my understanding, but you saw ’em fast enough, didn’t you? And then suddenly you wanted to know your kin.”

Walt’s nostrils flared the tiniest bit, and that mean streak his daddy always had came out with a vengeance. “Maybe you should mind your own, Miss Janie.”

“You brought it to my table. You did.”

“I wanted to warn you that your idiot boy was—”

She moved so fast, he never saw it coming. He underestimated her because of her age. Foolish boy.

Janie slapped her hand against Walt’s mouth, her fingers sliding in to grip hold of his bottom lip and jaw while staying away from his teeth. Then she shoved him back until she had him pinned to the wall. They both knew all she had to do was twist and she could either tear his bottom lip off or break his jaw, whichever she might be in the mood for this late afternoon.

“Do you really think Bubba Smith only keeps me around ’cause he likes fuckin’ me?”

“Although I do,” Bubba said while downing that caramel apple.

“I am the meanest woman you’ll ever meet, boy, so listen close. You leave. Tonight. You leave this town and you leave that little girl alone. She don’t like you much anyway from what I can reckon. You leave and you never look back.”

Walt twisted his head around until he could get Janie’s fingers from his mouth. “You can’t keep me away from my own daughter,” he snarled. “Not you and not these weak little dogs. I’ll take Maylin to court to get my rights—”

Not liking what she was hearing at all, Janie wrapped her hand around Walt’s neck, pulled him forward, and quickly slammed him back. She knocked the wind right out of the man too.

“You ain’t listening, boy. I’m giving you one chance here. And only one. Youstay away from this Pack; you stay away from that darlin’ little girl or there will be hell to pay.”

“I’m family!” he argued.

Janie tipped her head to the side and slowly unleashed her claws, digging them into Walt’s neck. She avoided major arteries by tearing into scars that looked recently born—seems her Bobby Ray learned well from his momma.

“You’re distant family. You and your scrawny little Pack. But Jessie Ann Ward will be the momma of Smith babies. That means she takes precedence over you idiots. That means she and her Pack are now blood.” Janie stepped closer, her nose right next to Walt’s neck.

“You cross her or my son,” she said in a low whisper, her fangs brushing against his jaw as she spit out the words, “and there won’t be a place in this universe where you’ll be safe from the Smiths. No place where we won’t find you.” She tightened her grip. “We’ll hunt you down. We’ll tear you apart. We will wipe your Pack from the face of the earth. And I won’t miss a moment’s sleep about it. Do you understand me?”

When he didn’t answer in five seconds or less, she dug her claws in and Walt let out a panicked yelp.

“Do. You. Understand?”

“Yes,” he bit out between clenched teeth.

“Good. I want y’all back in Alabama by tomorrow morning or I’m sending Eggie for you. He’s been looking for a good fight, and you know how he is about family. You know, he always did like little Jessie Ann. Said he never knew a dog who could climb trees. Now the Reed boys are going to be kind enough to take you and your Pack to the airport. They’re waitin’ outside for ya right now.” Janie released his neck and Walt let out a breath as she stepped back. “Now you’re gonna leave these dogs alone. No more questions. No more being nosey. Yeah, I heard you were asking around about them. About their past. Well, their past is their business. Not yours. Although I’d wager none of them would ever use their own babies to get money. Right?”

“Damn right they wouldn’t,” Bubba muttered. The Smiths and Kuznetsovs had been trapped in this fancy hotel for nearly three days during the snowstorm and they’d gotten along like a house on fire. Even Bubba, who didn’t like much of anyone but her, had found himself a warm spot for little Maylin and her baby girl. Although Phil wore on Bubba’s nerves pretty fast. Janie herself had grown fond of Sabina. A mean girl after her own heart.

When he didn’t answer in three seconds or less, Janie snapped her fingers right by his ear and Walt jumped.

“I asked you a question, boy.”

“Yes! You’re right. They wouldn’t use their own babies to get money.”