Free Tameka's Smile by Zena Wynn Page A

vibe he was sending.
    She unconsciously looked at Lulu, appealing for help, only to find Lulu gazing at her with speculation and a hint of amusement in her expression. No help there .
    “Chad,” she hissed, “you can let go.”
    He dropped her arm and placed his arm around her shoulder, tucking her close. This must be what a football feels like. At his action, some of the men wandered off. Others gave her the once over, then met Chad’s look, stare for stare. Tired of the foolishness, she elbowed him in the side, jerked loose, and reached inside of the car for her things.
    One of the men let loose with a piercing wolf whistle.
    “Damn, look at that ass,” someone commented.
    Tameka snapped upright, almost hitting her head on the roof of the car. She searched the men, eyes narrowed. “Who said that? Who did that?” she snapped.
    She couldn’t tell which of the men made the comment, but the culprit who whistled still had his fingers to his lips. She marched right up to the big, burly fellow with the overgrown, sandy blond hair and got right in his face. “Do I look like a dog to you?”
    “No, but you damn sure can be my bitch,” someone in the crowd said.
    Tameka’s gasp was drowned out by the vicious snarling coming from behind her. The man she’d confronted paled.
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    Distracted and just a bit concerned, Tameka turned to see what he was looking at. She thought she would have noticed a dog in their midst, and from the sound of it, a rather large one.
    Mona suddenly appeared on her right and Lulu on her left.
    “Let’s go inside and get out of this heat.” They took hold of her arms and all but dragged her to the door.
    “Wait! I need my stuff. And what’s going on? Why is that man taking off his shirt? Ow, Lulu. Watch the arm. You’re stronger than you look.”
    The last was said as Lulu lifted her off her feet and carried her into the shop, calling out orders as she went. “Betty, call Alex and tell him to get down here, NOW!”
    “Kiesha’s closer,” Mona said.
    “But she’s pregnant. Call Alex,” Betty said.
    In the background, Tameka could hear snarling and growling, mixed in with meaty thuds. Sounded like a pack of dogs fighting. She never got the chance to see if her supposition was correct. Lulu dragged her to the storeroom door and opened it.
    “Don’t you worry about a thing. Here, check and make sure I have all you need for tomorrow. There’s a long line of men wanting haircuts and you wouldn’t want to run out.” She thrust Tameka inside and slammed the door shut.
    Once she caught her balance, Tameka spun around and immediately tried to turn the knob. It wouldn’t budge. “Lulu, open this door! What’s going on out there?” Bam! Bam! Bam !
    She pounded on the door. Finally, she gave it a good, hard kick.

She laid her forehead against the door and gave it a couple of thumps. “Why did I come here? These people are crazy!
    Check the supplies . Hmph! All I need to cut hair is a pair of clippers. She knows that.”
    Not one to continue to bang her head against a stone wall, she realized she wasn’t getting out of this room until Lulu got good and ready. She rubbed her throbbing arm.
    Dang, that woman was strong.

    * * * *
Chad was in the midst of a three-on-one fight when a surge 57
    TAMEKA’S SMILE
    of metaphysical power forced him to his belly. Two of the shifters he’d been fighting with shifted back to their human form and laid there panting. The third one was paralyzed like him.
    “What the hell is going on here? Fighting in the street like animals, in broad daylight were anyone can see. HAVE YOU
    LOST YOUR MINDS ?” The last was said in a roar.
    Chad had only been a part of the Raven pack for two years, but he’d never seen the Alpha this pissed. Alex Wolfe looked close to changing himself. His short black hair stood up on end and his normally black eyes glowed gold with power.
    He looked around. He wasn’t the only one watching the Alpha closely. In