Black Market Bear (A BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (Genesis Valley Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

west, and Rickard Street crossed it heading north and south. The woman hadn’t specified which corner, so he examined them all. The northwest, diagonal from him, had a convenience store, with some very thick-looking bars on the windows. The figures slinking around out front of it did nothing to reassure him, though it likely ruled that out as their potential meeting spot.
    On the same corner as him the building was boarded up, and to his left was what looked like a pawn shop, though it was closed for the evening already, cage drawn across the entryway. Which left straight ahead of him, where big windows were lit with the diffuse white glow of older neon lights. The sign in the window read Mel’s Donuts and Coffee.
    Shrugging his shoulders, Ajax crossed the street, eyes searching the sidewalk and the windows above for any signs of trouble. The woman hadn’t seemed like she was leading him into some sort of trap, but he wanted to make sure. Something weird was going on, but he had no idea what just yet.
    Nothing presented itself to him, so as casually as possible he opened the door, entering the coffee shop. An older gentleman was meticulously wiping down the counter. Unlike the bar he had been at earlier, he was using a clean, white towel. Ajax nodded respectfully, his eyes roaming the place. The wallpaper was old and faded, the pattern having gone out of style in the eighties at least, but none of it was peeling. The table and chair he sat at were well worn, but otherwise in good repair. The corners were free of accumulated dirt, and the menu on the tabletop looked to be new.
    All in all, the old man took care of the place. Ajax couldn’t help but notice that his skin was more brown compared to those who he had seen skulking around the neighborhood. Not that it mattered to him, but younger people were often less accepting of those different than them. He wondered just what it was about this man that allowed him to run a clean and obviously well-loved place in a neighborhood such as this one.
    “Evening sir,” the proprietor said at last. “What can I get you?”
    He frowned, wondering how long he might be waiting. “Just a water for the moment please,” he said politely. “I’m meeting someone here, but I’m not sure how long we’re going to be.” He opened the menu to peruse it while he waited, in case they did order food.
    The gentleman nodded and returned moments later with a tall glass of ice water.
    “Thanks,” Ajax said with a nod.
    He studied the menu for a few minutes more, until the diner door opened once again.
    “Evening Mel!”
    “Evening, Miss Jones,” the man said with more joviality than he had greeted Ajax with. He disappeared behind the counter as she all but marched up to his seat.
    “So you found it,” she said, cautiously taking the seat across from him as he gestured to it.
    “Wasn’t that hard. You kind of told me where to go,” he joked.
    Miss Jones smiled, a genuine look that made Ajax’s heart thump an extra time or two as it sought to reestablish its normal rhythm. Licking suddenly dry lips, he allowed himself to be distracted as Mel reemerged from behind the counter with a mug and plate on a tray. He set it down in front of the woman with a flourish.
    “You know me too well Mel,” she said in what was clearly a well-used line.
    “It’s always good to see you,” Mel replied, before bustling back into the kitchen in an obvious attempt to give them privacy.
    “Nice guy,” Ajax said with a nod to the kitchen door.
    “Mel’s great,” she agreed between mouthfuls of the donut on her plate. It disappeared quickly and she took a swig of her coffee. “Okay, I feel alive now.”
    He arched an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.
    “So, Ajax,” she said after a minute. “Why do you want to know about Benjamin?”
    “I told you why. A mutual friend is concerned about his lack of response, and was unable to come check it out himself. I was going on vacation here anyway, so