Page 28 of House of Wolves
“Lie.”
“Ugh! How do I make my pupils not dilate?”
“The trick is, when you lie, it needs to be as close to the truth as possible. It’ll make you less nervous.” I’d be less nervous if he left the room. I’m also under intense scrutiny—making me even more readable than usual.
“Okay.” I think for a moment. “I don’t brush my teeth in the morning.”
“Um, truth?” He cringes.
“Ha! Well, technically, I wait until after I eat breakfast. It’s still the morning, but it’s not the first thing I do.”
Kilo nods and claps his hands. “Okay, okay. We’re getting somewhere! Keep going!”
“I only eat steak medium rare.”
“Truth?”
“Nope! I mean, I will, but I’ll eat it other ways too.”
I’m so thrilled by my improving abilities that I don’t think clearly before opening my mouth and spewing the first thing that pops into my head. “I’m not attracted to you.”
The air thickens, and the fucks I want to yell rest inside of my mouth. I study Kilo as his eyes widen, and he takes me in. “Lie,” he replies, his eyes focused on my lips.
“Well, technically…”
“Technically?” How did he get so close to me? His breath whispers across my lips, his heat warming the small space between us.
My eyes close as he leans in, anticipating his lips on mine. “Please tell me you just mastered the skill of lying.” His eyes close, the tension relying on my next action.
“Maybe,” I whisper, my mind washing of reason.
“I guess I’ll just have to test for myself.” He removes the small distance, pressing his lips against mine and grabbing the back of my neck to hold me to him. I open, the breath I’d been holding leaving my mouth and filling his. Once he senses my willingness for the embrace, the kiss intensifies, and his other hand crawls up my back and pulls me toward him, directing me onto his lap. I crawl on, not breaking our kiss, my hands running over the expanse of his muscular back.
It’s a good kiss. The slickness between my legs demands attention, but something is missing. His smell doesn’t drive me wild, a crucial component for Weres. He could fuck me here on the couch, and it would be decent enough, but it would leave me wanting more. I need a distraction, though. A simple make-out session would be good for my head, but as his hands crawl up my front to grab my breasts, I freeze. He notices the hesitance, immediately pulling back and examining me before I crawl off his lap.
I deflate, kicking myself for ruining what could have been a simple relief. I’m assuming he’s returning to his Nordic home one of these days. This could be uncomplicated and fun, but I’ve already ruined the moment by displaying discomfort. He smiles at me, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “So, can I assume you’ve gotten better at lying?”
I smile with a nod. “What can I say? I had a great teacher.” I don’t tell him the truth, hoping he doesn’t notice my aversion to the question. Yes, I think Kilo is attractive, but the truth my mind settled on to deliver the convincing lie had everything to do with my overpowering, devastatingly annoying attraction to Brick.
13
Phone Hog
Myattendanceattheoffice has been limited ever since Red’s been on bed rest. Other people work at the Dayton Daily besides the two of us. We have an office manager, a bookkeeper, and an intern, but I’m not necessarily friends with them. They’re all nice enough, but they're just coworkers, not people I’d want to chit-chat with. With Red absent, there’s no pressing need to sit in my cubicle. I can work at home just as well.
It’s Friday. Two days have passed since I last saw Brick. I’m itching to do more to help the pack now that my position is solidified. All I can do is wait for Brick to schedule another date. After how we left things, I’m nervous he’ll prolong our next meeting. After all, he ran out of my house as fast as he could. I could easily text him, but it wouldn’t be believable. My hatred toward him wasn’t a secret. If I play too desperate too early, I’ll blow everything. But then again, it’s obvious he’s also using me. He hated me, too. There’s no reason for him to go on dates with me other than extracting information, and he clearly thinks he’s doing it.
I wonder if he’s suspicious of me since the Hunters were caught at Josie’s house. Multiple women have gone missing or have been murdered, so it isn’t surprising that we’d have Weres patrolling the area. Maybe he does know I set him up. I just have to hope he’s willing to allow it again at the chance of snagging useful information from me. We’re both playing a very complicated game.
I can’t let myself stew in the uncertainty of all of this. Instead, I throw myself into my work, writing my big expose article revealing all of the Hunters' evil doings. When it’s done, it will be riddled with evidence—police reports, pictures of their secret hideouts, mugshots of the guilty men. Obviously I don’t have this information right now, but I write around it, making up what I think will be the ending. I type out a paragraph on Brick, naming him as a double agent for the Hunters, using his position to gain wealth and power promised by the evil group. It doesn’t feel as good as I thought, calling him out for his shit. Maybe once I have the evidence, it will feel better.
As if the thought of Brick summons the demon himself, my phone lights up. It’s a text from an unknown number.Date this weekend?
At first, I assume it’s Brick, but then I remember I don’t have Kilo’s number. God, fooling around with two men on the same day sure has its consequences. It’s a Dayton area code, but maybe Kilo’s using a different number while he’s here. I know shit about how international phone service works. If I texted Kilo under the impression he was Brick, he wouldn’t be upset; this is what he trained me for, but I have to think of a clever way to respond. A thought pops into my mind.Should we watch The Godfather?
He’s as quick a texter as he is at emailing.What? The Godfather? No. Hate that movie.Okay, so we’ve got Brick on the line. It was kind of an odd request, so I must recover.Okay, just checking. I also hate that movie. I mean, I probably would.
I have something else planned. No movie,he responds.
