Prowler interrupted with the most important point with a voice that was too hopeful.
“When’s the wedding?” The sooner the bitch got married, the sooner he could stop paying her blood money.
Allie looked over her shoulder before stepping into his body, turning her face back to kiss him on the mouth. He was so shocked he didn’t pull away first, and something told him that would come back to haunt him later. Instead, her words, spoken practically against his lips, were the icing on a shit sundae.
“Oh, lover, that’ll never happen. No matter who we fuck, we’ll always belong to each other.” Her voice was a purr as her hand trailed down his chest before she spun on her heels and strutted back to her car.
All he could do was watch her walk away with his jaw slack. He’d never be free of that harpy, even with Hunter and Sleeper’s sacrifice.
Right before she opened her door, she blew a kiss and waved across the street. He looked up to see Taylor still standing there, hands on her garbage can and frozen in place, kinda like him. Only she looked hurt while he was simply defeated.
“Fuck,” he growled.
He and Taylor had nothing more between them than sex. Convenient, no-strings-attached sex. The only caveat they’d agreed upon was that when they decided to scratch that itch elsewhere, they’d end their arrangement and go back to normal.
They’d still be neighbors, and she’d still watch Cass, but there would be no animosity because it wasn’t a relationship. That didn’t mean he wanted to hurt her.
Thanks to his enhanced vision, even when he had not shifted, he could see the pain in her peridot eyes. Even if he couldn’t see her eyes, her posture and body language gave it away.
Exactly as Allie had intended.
Bitch.
He raised his hand to beckon her over, but she just crossed her arms.
Fuck, he didn’t want to try to clear this up by shouting across the street, especially in front of half of his club. They were already giving him shit. He didn’t need to give them more fuel for the fire, but fuck if he could leave it as a misunderstanding.
As much as he told himself it was just sex, he did have some fond feelings toward Taylor. Who wouldn’t?
“Come over a few minutes early?” he yelled across the street.
“No can do.” She spoke a little too casually, but the undertone said it all. Her voice was unsteady. Why did he feel so twisted up over it? They were casual. It was the beauty of their arrangement. But her pain irritated him and his wolf. Which made zero fucking sense because he and his wolf weren’t as meshed as those who were born to it were.
His wolf didn’t even choose him. He was just the only vessel there when his previous companion died. Their relationship was different. They didn’t blend. Instead, they came to a tense but acceptable cohabitation situation. His wolf didn’t speak to him the way natural wolves did. They merely existed in the same body. So, yeah, no mate-drive like in the books.
“I’ve already ordered the pizza and queued up the movie. Send Cass over whenever she’s ready.”
The smile and wave that followed were too fake for his liking. Watching her turn and walk toward her door twisted a knife in his gut.
They had a good thing, and he hated that Allie could fuck that up for him. He was so over her and her bullshit. Thirteengoddamn years was too fucking long for her to still be fucking his life to hell and back.
Raking his hand through his hair for what felt like the millionth time, he cursed again.
“Fuck.”
Prowler was seconds away from marching across the street and setting Taylor’s fine ass straight. She was his for now. Only his daughter’s voice from behind stopped him.
“Thanks, Dad. I love it.” She wrapped her arms around him from behind. She had the portable pink gaming system he’d gotten her in one hand, while a backpack hung from her other shoulder.
“You bet, Jellybean. Anything you want—it’s yours, you know that.”
“Maybe this weekend we can cook dinner together?” Of course he would agree, but before he could, she added, “And invite Taylor?” He knew a setup when he smelled one, but again, he was powerless when it came to his daughter.
He also liked the idea. Maybe he could smooth things over, and Taylor could stay after Cass went to bed. The more he thought about it, the more he liked it. Taylor was mush for his daughter, and he was not above exploiting that.
“Sure, kiddo.” The smile she gifted him was life.
“I can’t wait to tell her. See ya.” She bounded down the drive and across the street.
