Claimed by my Lycan Boss

Chapter 2 : Hale Rowe

When my eyes fell on him, I realized I would have seen him.

The guy I just met outside the elevator, who thought I seduced him by pretending to fall.

This time I saw his face. Apparently this was the first time I saw him, but I thought I would have recognized him anywhere, though I wasn't sure why. Perhaps, my instinct just knew that he was the reason that I was here today.

I couldn’t deny that he was even better looking than Declan, if that was even possible. Dark hair was cut close to his head, the hair on top long and styled into a handsome swoop across his forehead.

The blue of his eyes was dark, a tumultuous sea. He had a carefully trimmed beard, meticulously kept. His suit was tailored to accentuate his broad shoulders and strong chest.

Something feral and strong pulled in my chest. I willed my feet to keep still on the marble floors.

The devil undoubtedly had the most tempting shell I’d ever seen. If I didn't hate him at his very core, I might have been swooned at the sight of him.

“Hale, leave the ladies be. Judy is handling it. We're going to be late for our meeting, brother.”

Declan chased after Hale, who had a scowl on his face.

I took a deep breath to try to control my fury, hoping the two men could disappear before my anger consumed me.

Yet, I soon realized that instead of leaving, Hale was walking towards our table!

Immediately, I followed Judy’s example and lowered my eyes to the floor. I also clenched my jaw to keep my fury contained.

Patience, I reminded myself. I needed to be patient.

Clipped steps crossed the floor, controlled and threatening.

Hale stopped in front of me, waiting for me to react.

I studied the wingtips of his leather dress shoes as a way to force myself to stay still as stone, as a headstone.

Somewhere outside the city, there was fresh churned earth over an early grave.

The thought brought me a steel resolve. I flicked my eyes around the room. Two other men in black suits, bouncers by the look of them, stood with heads bowed as well. Only Decla

n kept his chin held high.

Collectively, everyone in the room held their breath. The kind of power that resulted in fear like this made me sick to my very core.

Icy dread made my blood run cold, and that only served to fuel my anger. How dare this coward terrify me like this? I refused to give any man that kind of power over me.

I couldn't bring myself to lift my chin to stare him in his eyes though.

He carried a totally different vibe from his brother—based on what Declan said and the similar looks of them, I was quite certain that Hale and Declan were siblings, except, unlike Declan, Hale was cold, arrogant, and intimidating.

"Look up," he commanded, using a bent finger to lift my chin to face him. I expected his fingers to be icy cold. However, as soon as he touched me, I was stunned by a totally different sensation. Something I'd never felt before.

Electricity went down my spine and I was uncontrollably drawn to him. His dark blue eyes fixed on me as if he owned me—like a predator owned his prey.

But what was more upsetting to me, was that my body wanted to be owned by him. How was it possible? He was my enemy!

I held back my flinch and raised my gaze up to where he towered over me, studying him through my long, black lashes.

Up close, his features were even more alluring than I had first glimpsed. Those stormy eyes bored into mine, making me wonder if he could read my mind as he studied me intently.

After slowing down my own breath, I was able to get my racing heartbeat under control again, so I could handle the man in front of me with a rational mind.

Could he sense why I was here?

Did he know who I was?

I resisted the urge to clench my fists. His finger on my chin, that miniscule point of connection, made me wonder if he could feel that magnetic pull too. We were opposite poles on the same magnet. North and South, good and evil, victim and villain. The way he studied me laid me open bare.

Was this the way he murdered people? Did he shred them from the inside out with this piercing glare?

I was petrified. The whole gig could be up here and now if he figured out who I truly was.

I had expected, at some point, to run into him. He owned the nightclub after all. Obviously, he would be in from time to time. I hadn't expected to run into him in my interview though. To lay eyes on this man already, it made me wish I had come armed.

What I came here for was so close, a hair's breadth away, and yet it felt as unattainable as ever.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

It was the beginning of an interrogation. I got the feeling he couldn't care less what my name was. He wanted the truth of it, the core of the matter.

I would play dumb. If he wasn't going to call me on this whole charade here and now, I wasn't going to roll over and give in this easily.

"Amara Evans, sir," I answered, schooling my features into a pleasant smile and my tone into placidity. He wouldn't get a reaction out of me. I would steal control back from this man. Someday, he would regret this moment. He would rue the day he spoke to me in that hateful tone.

But for now, I couldn't let on that anything at all was amiss.

Time seemed frozen. If I'd been wearing a watch, I would have bet all the money on the Vegas Strip that the second hand would have ground to a halt. This moment was eternal, an infinite hell I would suffer in forever.

I wasn't alone in my damnation. The whole room watched with bated breath as the two of us danced this delicate tango of words and expressions. It was the moment that the hero of a movie meets their arch nemesis for the first time. It was a terrible dance of manners and power grabs, all played out in a matter of seconds.

He remained silent, unimpressed by my introduction. I could stay silent as well, though if I were going to play dumb, I couldn't force his hand just yet.

"I'm applying for the bartending position at your club. I'd be honored to work for you," I groveled. It made the pit of anger in my stomach yawn open and threaten to swallow me whole, but I kept a tight grip on my emotions. I would not give in.

He grunted, a meaningless response, but I had forced a reaction out of him. I would count it as a victory.

"I made an old fashioned, in my own special style. Mr. Rowe seemed to enjoy it," I continued, gesturing to where the glass sat forgotten on the mirrored bar.

Hale turned to look at it, disdain painted clearly across his face.

I had been so confident only moments ago. I was positive that I would get the job, but now, I wasn't so sure. Hale turned to face his brother.

Declan was watching the entire interaction carefully and he seemed to be quite used to his brother’s reaction to this kind of situation.

“Brother,” Declan chuckled, and the entire room sucked in a breath, waiting to see what he would say. “If you continue to treat beautiful girls so coarsely, we would lose a perfect candidate for the position," Declan reprimanded, a sly smile tossed in my direction.

Hale didn’t say anything, but the warning look he tossed at Declan was clear enough to me. And, apparently, to Declan as well.

Declan picked up the drink Hale refused to touch, downing the rest of it in one sip before beaming at his brother.

"You've made us late for the meeting. Let’s not keep people waiting. Since you're already in such a lovely mood, I suggest we get a move on. You have to admit though, our patrons would certainly appreciate a lovely young lady to serve them drinks. She's got a much nicer smile than Dimitri ever did."

One of the bouncers stifled a laugh. I could only assume Dimitri was the bartender I would be replacing.

Declan sat the empty glass on the bar. He turned to face Hale again, theatrically and captivating.

"Can we go now?" Declan gestured to the elevator as if telling Hale to take the lead.

His own brother couldn't deny Declan's charms. Hale's cold, frowning face softened into some sort of defeat at the show of his brother. He remained silent, but did as he was suggested, walking towards the door. The rest of the people followed him, except for Judy and me.   

Declan smiled at his successful attempt to draw his brother out of the room and turned to look at us. "Sorry for the interruption, ladies. You can carry on with your business. We won’t keep you any longer."

Judy and I stayed frozen as he exited the club, and we waited for them to disappear from our sight before taking a sigh of relief in unison.

"As I was saying," Judy took a pause, as if she had only taken a moment to gather her thoughts. She gestured to the chair, indicating that I might sit down again.

I took the seat and waited for her to continue.

“Mr. Declan was quite pleased with your skills, and now it seemed that Mr. Hale was also on board with the hiring. We definitely need another bartender as soon as possible, so would you be able to start tonight, if you were offered the position?" she asked.

"Of course."

"Wonderful. You shall receive your offer letter via email shortly.”

I got the job!

My interaction with Hale really rattled my nerves. I swallowed thickly and reassured myself. I survived. I survived the interaction, and it seemed I just might secure this job. To Hale’s distaste.

Only until this moment, I was able to breathe in freely. After letting out a silent breath of relief, I realized that my palm was slightly damp with sweat.  

“Thank you so much,” I replied to her with a bright smile.

Judy smiled back and continued, as if she was worried that I would change my mind. “I can assure you that our package is amongst the most competitive in the city. We take pride in making sure our employees are compensated fairly for their work. If you work hard and prove yourself, advancement in the company comes fairly easily. We admire when experience and loyalty are important to our employees. We reward that kind of performance and behavior here."

I nodded my head quickly at Judy. “Thank you for the advice, I’ll keep that in mind. Truly appreciate you taking the time to speak with me."

This part of the interview came easy to me. The banal small talk was practically second nature after a certain amount of time in business school. People liked to be appreciated and like others to make them feel important. Human nature.

So, I made Miss Judy Hayes feel like the most important person in the world.

"I'm sure you must have been so busy today. Really, I'm honored just for the opportunity to interview with you," I continued, laying it on thick.

"When you start tonight, I'll remind you that our dress code is featured in the employee handbook that comes attached to your offer letter. Congratulations, Amara, I look forward to working with you.” Judy stood up and extended her hand.

Something about the interaction with Hale had humbled the woman. She was no longer sneering and unkind, she genuinely seemed to mean her congratulations. I shook her hand firmly.

"Thank you so much again, Judy. I can’t wait to get started."

The sweltering desert heat of Las Vegas nearly stole my breath as I stepped outside of the building.

Hale Rowe had no idea what was coming for him. Vengeance had a name, and that name was Amara Evans.