Maddox pointed his finger. “Boy, you—”
“Don’t,” I pleaded, gripping his wrist. “Please,” I whispered. “Take me home.”
Maddox’s eyes softened and he tapped my nose with his finger before wrapping his arm around me.
I wanted to glance over my shoulder and get one last look at Reno. I’d never thought I would run into him again, and this was the worst way it could have possibly happened.
Seeing his explosive reaction made me realize he still cared about me. Or did. Reno would never respect me after this incident, not that I expected we’d get back together. But this solidified it.
Permanently.
Chapter 28
Two weeks before Christmas, my life had returned to normal after the brawl at Howlers. I hadn’t heard from Reno, and Maddox didn’t bring it up. He’d brought me home, cleaned me up, and sent me to bed. He’d also apologized for having left me alone in a Breed bar, which wasn’t always a safe place for a human to be in alone. Shifters were aggressive, but the vast majority of them would never put their hands on a woman. He said it wasn’t my fault—that no woman could do anything that deserved that kind of treatment.
I still slept in the front bedroom and nothing had changed in regards to our relationship. I kept him company and he put a roof over my head.
It wasn’t all bad. We laughed at old sitcoms and Maddox enjoyed reading me articles from the paper, making comments about human politics. Sometimes he’d tell stories about his younger days, and I began to see a gentler side of him. Deep down, Maddox was a gem, and I truly enjoyed his company.
One evening after sunset, Maddox led me into the kitchen and sat me down. The lights were off and only a pine-scented candle illuminated the room from the center of the table. Sometimes he liked to eat by candlelight. He often showed off his culinary skills by cooking stew, even though I didn’t care for the gamey meat he often used in it.
“What’s for dinner?”
He removed an object from the kitchen drawer and circled around behind me. “We’re skipping the meal unless you change your mind. Although, I’m hoping you change your mind. Do me a favor and close your eyes.”
I nervously shut my eyes, feeling his hand brush my hair away from the back of my neck.
“You should dye it the way it was. I liked it that way,” he murmured.
Something cold and hard touched the nape of my neck and I swallowed thickly.
“Hold still.”
Snip.
My collar fell free and landed on my lap.
I clutched it in my hand and looked up. “What’s going on?”
He tugged at his beard and patted my head. “You’re a doll, but this isn’t going to work out. You’re too young for an old dog like me, and I got needs you’re clearly not going to be filling anytime soon.”
“Can we talk about the payment plan? I need time to find a job, Maddox. And a place to live. We have a contract and you can’t let me go.” I started to panic. “I’ve already cleared two thousand off my debt from the odd jobs you’ve given me—but I still can’t afford the rest.”
Maddox strolled around the chair and sat to my right. He laced his fingers together and blew out a short puff of breath, causing the candle to flicker. “We’re square.”
“Um, no we’re not.”
“April, there’s no way in hell you’ll ever be able to pay what you owe. My interest rates are too damn high for a human like you. It would take too long, and after spending time with you, I’d rather cut my ties. It’s just not going to feel right seeing you on any kind of level.”
“So that’s it? All this time I thought everything was fine.” Suddenly for some reason, I felt insulted. “Just because I won’t sleep with you? Are you really that shallow?”
“Are you really that na?ve? How many Shifters do you think keep pets that don’t service them in the bedroom?”
“I’m not a service. I’m a person.”
“Yeah,” he murmured, resting his chin in his hand and staring at the candle. “This was just a business transaction, honey. I made a promise that it wouldn’t go that route, but it’s not easy. When you wear those little black shorts around the house before bed… hell. Sex with other women means I have to rent out a hotel room, and that’s not my scene. How do you expect me to sleep in my bed knowing you’re just a few doors down the hall? I toss at night, April. It’s hard on a man. You’re too damn ripe for the pickin’ and I can’t go on playing house anymore. I thought companionship was all I needed, but I was wrong. I need the whole package.”
“So you’re just going to throw me out on the street?”
“As far as I’m concerned, you don’t owe me a dime. You’re free.”