Chapter Twenty-One
“How’s your mother?” Cassie, the girl Sierra was relieving at work, was always kind enough to ask this.
“She had a seizure. They’re keeping her longer than expected,” Sierra said plainly, clocking in and straightening out her work attire.
“I’m so sorry. What is this, her second?”
“Third.”
“My prayers go out to you, too,” Cassie said as she clocked out. Sierra found herself jealous of Cassie for getting to go home. Sierra would have traded anything for another minute at her mother’s side at that point. Instead, she had to serve drinks and food to strangers and hope they didn’t try to talk to her about anything personal.
At least she had Anthony to look forward to.
It was a slow night to start, only older folk who seemed to flock out the moment they woke up. Sierra tried to picture her mother as one of them. Would her mother play slots? Keno? Would she be one of those who ordered booze at eight in the morning, or one who stuck to just orange juice or pop?
An older man hit the jackpot, and his machine lit up garishly as it started pouring out chips at him.
At least she’d be tipped well.
Halfway through her shift, the younger crowd finally came in.
She kept an eye out for Anthony, even though she knew he’d probably be trying to keep a low profile. As incredible as their evening together was the night before, she knew he was on eggshells with the locals.
Sierra kept a smile on and put her all into getting her work done to distract herself, but she couldn’t battle down the sense of disappointment she felt when the door opened and it wasn’t him.
What was this?
Was he done with her now that they’d done it a couple times? Did he have his fill?
Sierra shot him a text on her break, saying she was on shift and was dying to see a friendly face.
As her shift drew to an end, there was still no reply.
Usually, she would have gone home.
She would have started the healing process of it. Called it over to herself and told herself to move on. Usually, she’d press forward and put this in the dust before it even had a proper conclusion.
Not with Anthony.
He deserved better.
She did, too.
Room 233.
Sierra banged on his hotel door just loud enough so that she could be sure he’d heard. His car was in the parking lot, so she knew he was there. Whatever was going on had to be more than just him being done with her. She had to believe that.
“Anthony?” she asked as she banged on the door again.
There was a noise inside, some kind of movement, and she stilled to listen. Footsteps. She could hear footsteps. They headed to the door, and when it opened before her, a yelp caught in her throat.
“Anthony?” she asked, horrified.
He looked awful. His jaw and face were bruised, his left eye was swollen, and he moved like he was standing on needles.
“Anthony, are you okay?” she asked, pressing past him into his room and to the sink. There was blood on the faucet, like he’d tried to clean himself up and failed.
“I’m fine,” his voice was hoarse. “I needed you to see this,” he added, which confused Sierra further.
“Then why didn’t you come to the Casino tonight? I’ve been there all night,” she said, wetting one of the hotel’s washcloths to wipe his face of any crusted blood.
“I don’t want you to be at risk for being seen with me,” he said, his voice sounded put out and aggravated.
“Did local people do this, then? They don’t like you, so they beat you up?”
“They don’t like that I’m in a relationship with someone who’s not a shifter,” he graveled out.
Sierra’s heart beat faster at him calling it a relationship.
He wasn’t ditching her.
“That’s messed up. You can’t help who you’re interested in,” Sierra sympathized, sitting on the bed and patting the covers beside her for him. Anthony sat down as well. The bed creaked beneath him like it was complaining, and Sierra began to wipe his face off.
“I know. That doesn’t change how they feel, though,” Anthony said, shaking his head.
“What would it take for them to come around and see that it’s not some messed up thing?” Sierra asked, pausing as he winced in pain at her touch.
“I’m not sure anything could do it,” he admitted, taking her hand.
“So…what? Do you still want to be part of them?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to stop seeing me…for them?”
“No, I couldn’t do that.”
Sierra sighed. She didn’t understand.
She wasn’t sure that she wanted to understand, but she needed him to be happy.
“We should just leave together,” she said softly, holding his hands tight.
She knew what it meant.
What saying that implied about her mother.
She wasn’t sure how serious she was, but she was tired of having to hide herself. She had only known Anthony an embarrassingly short time. With anyone else, she’d still consider them a stranger, but with Anthony, she felt like she was at home whenever she was around him. Every inch and atom that made him was perfect for her, tailor-made in ways that fairytales only ever talked about.
Sierra wasn’t going to give this up just because some people were judgmental jerks.
“Sierra, I don’t want to hurt you with any of this,” Anthony said gently.
“You act like I’m not part of this, like I don’t actively want to be in your life,” she answered, smiling sadly. “I’m here for all of this, even if I don’t entirely understand it. I’m here for all of it,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” she nodded. Holding his hand in hers, she ran her fingers over and against his. “I’m here for the long haul,” she added.
“Those are dangerous words.”
“They’re honest ones.”
“Then in the morning, I want you to meet my wolf,” he said, sounding firm in the idea.
A few days ago, she would have been scared at the idea. Hell, she was scared a few days ago, but now she knew nothing mattered except getting him in her arms and keeping him there.
“I can’t wait,” she admitted, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Whatever shit he was in, she was happy to be in it with him.