Moonlight Run

Seven

Nikolai’s POV

I sat on the back porch chair, feeling I was finally sobering up a bit, holding my hands in my head. Fortunately I knew thanks to our quick healing rate the hangover sensation would fade in the next ten to twenty minutes.

Dimitri and Valric were leaning on the porch talking about Dimitri’s plans to propose. 

“I don’t know why you didn’t do it when you bought this place,” Valric said. “Nothing says forever like a fūckin’ mortgage.”

“Or a student loan payment,” Cyrano added. 

We laughed together when Dimitri said, “Yeah well the downpayment on this place wiped out my savings… I had to work to get it back so I could afford the rock,”

Dimitri pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket, loosened the draw string, and displayed the ring in his hand.

“Fair,” Valric said with a shrug.

“Let me see,” Cyrano leaned over, and took the ring from Dimitri’s hand, holding it under the dim porch light to get a better look.

“Shìt, she’s coming,” Dimitri looked over his shoulder into the house. “C’mon, give it back.”

Cyrano handed him the ring and just as Dimitri was shoving it into his pocket, Phoebe emerged from the house. She didn’t look happy.

“I think it’s time to send everybody home. I’m pretty sure I just found Lena sandwiched between the Handler brothers—”

Cyrano snorted, “You know what they say about those guys, no one “Handles Her” better.”

Dimitri laughed and looked at me, “Your dad is going to shìt.”

Lena was my father’s secretary, and on-again off-again fling.

Phoebe continued, “And then I saw the bathroom light was on in our room, and ran into Petrova. I think she was going to steal one of your hoodies. She was going through the hamper.”

“Wait, Isa’s here?” Dimitri looked puzzled. “Who invited her?”

I sat up, suddenly feeling sobered up.

“She was. When I came downstairs Pipa was freaking out because she left without her.”

Shìt. I thought. This was my fault. I stood up to leave. 

“Where are you going?” Dimitri asked. 

“To check in with Pipa,” I said. “I’ll make sure the Petrova girl got home safe.”

Cyrano called after me as I headed back into the house, “Hey! When do we get to meet Stella?”

***

Isa’s POV

I’d just placed an order for a cocktail at the bar, when a figure took the barstool beside me.

At the same time, I got a message from Pipa. 

Nikolai’s asking about you now. Please tell me where you are!

“If it isn’t the girl with no name,” the man beside me said. 

I looked up from my phone. It was the raven haired man from the party.

“Oh, it’s you again,” I smiled.

“A bar sure is a strange place to come for someone looking for some quiet,” He said.

“You’ve got me there,” I chuckled. “Guess I was just craving a stronger drink.”

“Did you finish that entire six pack?” He laughed. “Those IPA’s are still pretty strong.”

“Most of it,” I said as the bartender slid the highball glass over to me. “But they don’t fūck me up like vodka does.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “Well that makes sense, being a Petrova.”

I raised a brow as I spun my stir stick in my glass. “I thought you didn’t know my name?”

“No, you just didn’t want to give it.” He leaned back in his barstool. “But I know who you are, Isadora.”

“And what’s your name?” I said before I put my stir stick between my lips to sip.

“I didn’t give it,” he grinned. And then he laughed as he watched me empty the drink in one go.

“I think it’s fair, since you know mine…” I put my hand on his knee and gripped it hard, not sure what had come over me. 

His eyes widened and he groaned. He put his hand over mine and moved them back to the counter. “I don’t want to give you the wrong idea…” He said quietly.

“Good thing I was just asking for your name then,” I said with a giggle. In my laughter, I almost fell off the barstool. But the man was quick to extend his arm to steady me. I snorted.

“Take it easy, vodka queen,” he said with a laugh. 

He looked across to the bartender, and ordered me a water. At the same time, another highball glass was set in front of me. “From the boys down there,” he motioned down the bar. “They said thanks for the beers,”

I looked down the length of the bar, and two of the men I’d pawned the last of my beer onto were sitting at the corner of the bar. I waved to them, before turning my attention back to the man beside me.

“Friends of yours?” He asked with a raised brow.

“I think they’d like to be. I’m a friendly girl.”

His mouth drew into a flat line. “Hmm.” he said. 

“You must think so,” I laughed as I sipped on the new cocktail. “Here you are.”

He inched the water glass towards me. “Why don’t you try water in between sips?”

“Dear Diary,” I began with a laugh. “I made a new friend today. He cares so much he reminds me to drink my water and take my vitamins.”

“Vitamins?” He raised a brow.

“I’m all about the Vitamin D.” I snorted. He let out an annoyed breath and I said, “Oh come on, that was fūcking funny.”

“I think the only thing you’re getting is Vitamin D, wherein the D is for drunk,” He said. “Why don’t you finish that off and I’ll make sure you get home safe?”

“And what if I don’t want to go home?” I whined.

“I really should insist…”

Just as he was pulling out his wallet and keys from his pockets, my friends from down the bar approached. “Hey,” the first one said. “You wanna dance?”

“She can barely sit up fellas, I don’t think she’ll be dancing tonight,” the stranger at the bar said to them, standing up.

“We didn’t ask you, we asked her,” the second man said.

“Do I know you guys?” I asked, thinking they looked familiar. “I feel like I’ve seen you around. Training maybe?”

“I’m Micah,” the second one spoke. “This is Jonah,”

The first one took my hand and helped me off the stool. I straightened up in my heels and stepped forward to follow him, when the second one grunted. The stranger had put an arm on his shoulder to stop him from walking away. 

“I’m going to need you to let her go, buddy,” He said to Jonah, who still held my hand. “She needs to go home and sober up.”

“What are you?” the one named Micah asked, pushing the stranger’s arm off his shoulder. “Her Daddy?” Then he looked at me. “You’re the old Alpha’s girl, aren’t you? That’s right.” 

He nodded, turning back to the stranger at the bar. “Pretty sure her Daddy’s dead pal. So fūck right off.”

And then my new friend socked Micah right in the face, his face contorted with rage. Jonah let go of my arm, and I stepped back from the three of them as a fight broke out. The bartender yelled that he was calling the patrol if they didn’t break it up.

The olive skinned man seemed to be doing a pretty good job of handling himself, but the other two men were larger in size. I gasped when Jonah managed to pin the stranger’s arms behind his back, “Get him Mikey!” he said. Micah drew back and punched the man in the face, his nose instantly began to bleed. 

“Stop!” I cried. But Micah readied his fist again, and as he was about to commit the blow a voice boomed out from the door and he stumbled over, missing contact.

“THAT’S ENOUGH.” 

Everyone looked to the door where Nikolai now stood, with Valric at his side. Micah and Jonah turned to face him, nodding their heads. Nikolai may not have been Alpha yet, but the respect was often given just the same. 

“Micah, Jonah,” he nodded to each of them. “Seems you have a problem with keeping your hands to yourselves this evening.”

The brothers exchanged concerned looks and Nikolai spoke, “We found Lena,”

I gasped, and took a step back with realization, remembering the door I had briefly opened back at the house… the girl in the bedroom... I knew now that it was Lena that I saw.

I looked past the brothers to where the stranger stood, hoping to thank him. But he was gone. I looked around in confusion, and met eyes with the bartender, who nodded his head to the door behind the bar, which was still swinging. It appeared he had left out the back.

Nikolai was still busy with the brothers, so I stepped behind the bar and through the door. After I made my way out the kitchen I found myself on a small concrete patio. A dumpster sat to my right, and a gravel parking lot to the back. It was quiet. It seemed the stranger had left.

Rather than go back inside and risk having to face Nikolai after the night I’d had, I decided to resume my walk home.

As I turned the corner at the next block, a white truck pulled up beside me. “I am not in the mood to be hit on again,” I muttered under my breath as the window rolled down. But I was relieved to see the familiar face.

“You need a ride?” He asked.

I hesitated for a moment. He did just save me from the hands of those two thugs, and my feet felt like they were on fire from walking in these heels. I nodded. He hopped out of the driver seat and came around to my side of the truck to open the door for me. 

I climbed up into the truck and we sat in silence for a bit.

“My name’s Jay,” he finally said.

“Jay?” I thought it over. “How have I never seen you around, Jay? Everyone knows everyone in this town.”

He chuckled. “I came into town to visit a friend. He mentioned the party… But that’s not really my scene.”

After a pause he said, “Looks like it wasn’t really yours?”

“It can be,” I admitted. “Just not tonight, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess bars really weren’t in the cards for you either,” he chuckled.

“Or yours,” I pointed to his busted brow.

He looked at his face in his rearview mirror and laughed. “It’ll be gone by the morning.” 

A few minutes later we were at the packhouse gates. I was surprised to find they were open. Usually by this time of night, one would need a code to open the gate upon arrival. 

But when Jay pulled up to the parking area on the right of the building, towards the side entrance, I realized why. Pipa was just stepping out of her car. She must have arrived right before we did. She went to the right side porch, waving to someone. I looked out the truck window and realized my mother, Marisol, was there on the porch swing. She was having a glass of wine. 

I sighed and jiggled the handle of the door. “Oh. I think I’m locked in?”

He frowned. “Damn thing likes to get stuck, only opens from the outside half the time.” And he slid once more out of the driver seat to come around and open the door for me. 

My mother called out as Jay shut the door. 

“Isa? Is that you?”

“Yeah, mom. I’ll be up in a minute.” I turned to face Jay. “Well, thank you for saving my skin tonight, stranger Jay.”

“Twice,” he nodded with a laugh.

“Three if you count finding me a bathroom,”

“Ah,” he grinned. “Yes, three. Are you always in need of a babysitter?”

I sighed and said quietly, “Or a big brother, I guess.”

He seemed to wince for a moment, but his expression changed up to a smile. “Well, I’m happy I could be here, for tonight anyways. Heading back out of town before morning, but… maybe I’ll see you again?”

I shook my head. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “What’s your number?”

I listed off the digits and a moment later heard my phone ding in my purse. 

“That’s me, then.” He said. “I’m gonna head out. But I’m sure I will see you again, Isadora.”

I backed away towards the porch with a wave. “Yeah, thanks again, Jay.”

He nodded at me with a small wave and went around to get back in his truck. After he turned around in the drive and headed back down, his tail lights disappeared into the black.

I sighed as I walked back up onto the porch, where I slumped into the porch swing on the other side of my mother. She was quiet, and when I finally looked up at her, she looked troubled.

“Mom?” I sat up. “Are you alright?”

“Uh,” She shook her head. “Yes, um… Isa, who was that boy?”

I shrugged, “His name’s Jay… he’s from out of town. Mom, you look pale. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

My mother’s hands were trembling as she took the wine glass and dumped it into the flowerbeds in front of us. “I think I’ve just had enough tonight, honey.” She glanced at me, placing her free hand on the back of my head. She leaned in to kiss my forehead. “I’m going to go to bed. You should get some rest.”

And then she stepped into the side door, leaving me alone on the swing. I pulled my phone out again to check the time, and realized that in addition to the message I had from Jay, there were at least two more— another from Pipa, and three from the number I had not yet saved into my contacts… Nikolai’s number. 

I opened it.

The first said, Sorry I was a bit of a tool. I’m mostly sober now. Can we talk?

I looked at the timestamp. He would’ve sent it while I was walking to the bar.

The second was sent a few minutes later. Hey, Pipa’s looking for you. Are you alright?

The last message had just come through a few minutes earlier.

I’ve been looking for you since the bar. I’m not trying to bother you. Just tell me you’re safe.

I sighed, and typed up my short response, and hit send before I made my way into the house and up to my bed.