Free Nic by Jordan Summers

adjusting and hauled himself to his feet with a groan. He looked to be a fit fifty thanks to his shifter genes, but was in all likelihood double that age. Methodical and wise, Bernie considered each word before he spoke. His gaze landed on Nic and his gray brow arched. “What happened to you?”
    “Nothing.” Nic avoided his gaze. “Had a little scuffle last night with some pups who were out to test their claws.”
    Josh laughed. “They aren’t very bright if they decided to tangle with you.”
    Nic laughed. “They weren’t,” he said.
    “Want me to talk to them?” Josh asked.
    Nic shook his head. “They don’t live here on the estate. I’ve never seen them before. Must be out-of- towners in for the full-moon run.”
    Bernie’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
    Nic walked to the truck he’d been working on yesterday and set his coffee down on the floor, then slipped under the vehicle. He reached for a wrench to loosen the bolts. The wrench slipped from his fingers and dropped onto the floor with a loud clang. He picked it up, only to drop it again.
    The third time the wrench hit the concrete, Bernie and Josh quit working on their cars and came to see if he needed a hand.
    “Doing okay?” Bernie asked.
    “Fine,” Nic said through gritted teeth. He twisted the wrench and scraped a layer of skin off his knuckles.
    Josh sniffed. “Ah, Nic, he said. “I don’t mean to pry, but when did you start wearing women’s perfume?”
    Nic banged his head on the undercarriage. He muttered a curse, then slid out from under the truck. He rolled to his feet and walked to the neatly arranged wall of tools on the far side of the garage.
    Bernie followed him. “Want to talk about it?”
    Nic didn’t look at him. Instead, he continued to examine the tools. “Nothing to talk about.”
    Bernie cocked his head. “If it’s nothing, then where’d the perfume come from?”
    Nic shrugged and kept his expression neutral. “Just a girl I picked up at the bar last night.”
    “She have anything to do with the scuffle?” Bernie asked.
    Nic didn’t answer.
    Bernie stared at him for a solid minute.
    Nic fought the urge to squirm.
    “What’s her name?” Bernie asked.
    Nic’s face heated. “Don’t know. Doesn’t matter.”
    “You don’t know her name?” Bernie took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “How long have I known you?”
    Nic looked at him in surprise. “What?”
    “How long have we known each other?” Bernie asked.
    Nic thought about it. “Ten years, give or take.”
    Bernie nodded. “Sounds right,” he said. “In all that time, I can’t recall you ever coming to work smelling like a girl you picked up at a bar.”
    Nic turned away, but Bernie caught his sleeve. He looked down at the hand and snarled.
    Bernie’s brow disappeared into his hairline. “Okay, now that we’ve established that she’s not just some nameless girl you picked up at a bar, it’s time to talk. Take a seat.” He pointed to a stool in the corner of the garage. “Josh, run to the main house and get me a pastry.”
    “Nic, you want anything?” Josh asked.
    “No thanks!”
    The younger man nodded and strode out the door.
    As soon as he was gone, Bernie leveled his gaze on Nic. “Now tell me what happened.”
    “I already told you,” Nic said. “I got into with some pups and hooked up with a girl afterwards.”
    “You aren’t a hookup kind of guy,” Bernie said.
    “Sure I am.”
    “No.” Bernie shook his head. “You’re not,” he said patiently.
    Nic shrugged. “I was last night.”
    “Hmm...interesting.” Bernie got himself a cup of coffee. He made a show of taking a sip, then returned to Nic’s side. “So let me make sure I have this right. You got into a fight—that may or may not involve a woman—then picked up some random bar girl to have sex with and didn’t bother to ask her name.”
    “That about sums it up,” Nic said. His jaw hurt from gritting his teeth so hard.
    “I’m confused,”