Her jaw went slack and she blinked at him. “You broke into my apartment?”
“This was the first place I looked for you,” he said. How could he make her understand the real danger she was in? “Just like this is the first place they’re going to look for you.”
The reminder of the fat greaseballs who might want to kill her made her tense. He could see her eyes go big and far away as she got caught up in her thoughts again. She still struggled with it, enough that she started following directions.
He let it go, since he needed her cooperative, until he’d bundled her into her bed and kicked off his boots so he could lay down on top of the soft comforter next to her. He listened to her breathe and fidget, and pondered how the hell he could get through the night without wanting to snuggle her close so she felt safe. Dodge couldn’t afford to relax, couldn’t afford to let her relax. If she got comfortable, it would be that much harder to get her moving again.
He needed her mad. Persephone muttered under her breath as she wormed around in the sheets, saying something about him behaving himself. Dodge stayed on his side facing the door, glad she couldn’t see him, and said, “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. You’re not my type. Not even close.”
There was silence, followed by an indignant sound that made him want to roll on the floor. She sat up and glared at him, her hair sticking up, and he glanced back while managing to look confused. “What? I’m an ass man. Yours is nice, but... you know.”
Her eyes narrowed.
A hysterical laugh almost escaped as he watched her try to figure out how to be pissed off that he apparently didn’t find her attractive. He couldn’t help himself from poking the bear just a little more. “I’m looking for a ten. Yours is a solid six, maybe a six and a half.”
Persephone’s hands twitched like she wanted to strangle him. “My ass is at least a nine, thank you very much. I do two hundred squats every day, dick.”
She flopped onto her back, making disgruntled noises and kicking her feet around to make it clear how pissed off she was. Dodge just hoped she didn’t notice the mattress shaking from him trying not to laugh. Her ass was a perfect ten. He’d tell her in the morning, if he managed to keep his hands off it all night. But he needed her mad, ready to fight, not wallowing in fear. Hysteria and exhaustion meant making mistakes, and neither of them would survive even one.
The room was quiet, broken only by the even rise-and-fall of their breathing, when she took a deep breath. “Thank you.”
Dodge’s eyebrows arched as he stared at the ceiling in the darkness. That was unexpected. “For what?”
“For saving my life.” She was remarkably still, though it felt like she’d gotten closer to his side. Her feet were like fucking blocks of ice against his calf, that was for damn sure.
“You’re welcome.” Dodge knew he was going to hell. He’d deserve every minute of it. “You can make it up to me by doing some of those squats, and –“
He grunted as she slammed her fist into his side, furious. “You’re such an asshole.”
Persephone rolled over and faced the wall. Dodge had to pinch the bridge of his nose to keep his shit together. Better for her to be mad. Mad was better than sad and helpless.
He was still going to hell, though, and that would be nothing compared to what Deirdre would do to him if she knew half of what he’d said to Persephone. He couldn’t have slept even if he wanted to.
Chapter 13
Percy
Icouldn’t sleep. Despite Dodge’s insistence that we were probably okay for the rest of the night, I didn’t believe him. The clammy feeling of being hunted and chased still lingered, shivering down my back whenever I remembered what had happened in that kitchen. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of something else. Anything else.
It didn’t work.
I moved to my other side, glaring at Dodge’s back. He remained motionless, facing away from me. He had impressive shoulders, even larger than I remembered. I couldn’t believe he was really in my apartment, in my room, in mybed. Right next to me. Fully-dressed, but still. I drew my knees up, wanting a little barrier between me and his ass. I couldn’t believe what the fuck he’d said about my ass and me not being his type. It had to be a lie. The way he’d been looking at me that morning while I spoke with the Evershaws...
My lips pursed and I adjusted the pillow under my head, trying to figure out what to do with my arm. And there was still a shitload of things to worry about withthem. Having someone... chopped up right in front of me kind of distracted me from all the bullshit from that morning. A wolf-man and whatever it was that Deidre did. Crazy shit.
If I went to the police, would they even believe me? What was more dangerous – taking my chances that the body-choppers would chase me, or sticking around to see why Evershaw and his wife sent Dodge to fetch me back?
“Would you settle down?” he grumbled.
“I’m not going to be able to sleep,” I said. He was stupid if he thought I could somehow magically turn off my brain and just drift off to dreamland.
He sighed, sounding totally put-upon... likeIwas the asshole keepinghimawake. I scowled at his back and thought about just pushing him off the bed. “You can go sleep on the couch if you need your peace and quiet.”
“If you had some liquor in this place, we could have a couple of drinks and maybethatwould... help you sleep.” From the pause, it sounded like he’d intended to say ‘shut the hell up’ or something equally offensive.
And then it struck me that he sounded pretty damn certain that I didn’t have booze. Which meant... “You searched my kitchen?”
A long pause answered me, so I figured I’d struck home. It just made me angrier. He’d broken into myhomeand just... riffled through my things, no doubt judging me and making assumptions. I swung a leg over his side so I could clamber off the bed and get the hell away from him. “Fine.I’llsleep on the couch, you can go straight to hell and fuck yourself on the way, and –”
