“Pet?” I didn’t like the sound of that.
“It’s just a loose term for some of the humans who are… friendly with Shifters.” He chuckled warmly and fidgeted with his hat. “It doesn’t have to be sexual if you don’t want it to be. I get lonely at the house sometimes and would enjoy the company. Someone to talk to, cook up a meal, and occasionally work a jigsaw with me. You like those? I’ve got an addiction and spend hours at the table. But a man gets lonely and craves companionship. I’m not askin’ for you to be my woman—not unless you want to. But there are rules. You’d have to live with me, wear a collar, and not bring any men to your bed.”
My eyes turned into razor-thin slivers. “You want me to put on a collar?”
“Necklace,” he quickly corrected. “Fashionable-looking thing the ladies wear now that looks like a choker. Only it has my name on it. It’s just a way to show my claim so that no one will mess around with you. It’s a form of protection more than ownership. Look,” he said, putting his foot on the lower step and leaning on his knee. “I’m not a bad guy. I’ve never done this before, but I’ve seen a few women take a shine to it. I don’t live in a mansion, but I sure as hell don’t live in a trailer. You’ll be taken care of and if you want to go to school, I can help with that too. You see where I’m going with this? Whatever you want.”
“Feels like prostitution.”
“If you were giving me sex in exchange against your will, it might be. Except this isn’t a one-time transaction. I’m not asking for sex, but you’re free to give it should you take a liking to me. I treat ladies the way they should be, and I don’t raise a hand or bully them around. This is a second chance I’m giving you—one that won’t come around again,” he said, leaving the thought out there.
“And if I say no?”
“If you decline my offer, you’ll owe me full payment. I’m not showing up at your door with a crowbar, but you’ll probably be in debt for a long time unless you find yourself a rich fellow. You’ve got my number and I want you to call me in a few days and let me know how you decide. If I haven’t heard from you by Sunday, I’ll assume we’re still on track for payment. I’ll tell you how much for the first installment, but my interest rates are high and I don’t see how you’re going to clear this.”
I rubbed my face in frustration. “You just want me to live with you? No sex?”
“I’m a man. I’d love sex to be part of the deal if you’re okay with it, but it’s not expected. I’m not forcing myself on you and you’re free to leave at any time, but that debt will travel with you like a shadow. As long as you stay with me, it’s clear. Think it over, and stay dry.”
Maddox walked across the yard and disappeared through the trees.
I went back inside, dumbfounded. How had I managed to run into so many of these Shifters? How many had I known my entire life without having realized it? Lexi said the Breed population was high in some cities. She also said there were some Breeds that wanted to exterminate Shifters because they felt threatened by their numbers.
Trevor finally emerged from the bathroom with damp hair and an irritated look on his face. He opened up one of the cabinets and found a bag of sour-cream chips. “When is the last time you had a bubble bath?”
“Maybe the time we had a blow-up pool and Rose put dishwashing suds in the water and ran the hose.”
He sat beside me on the sofa and kissed the back of my hand before ripping the bag of chips open with his teeth.
“Do you want to see me living better than this?” I asked.
“Hell yeah. Nothing wrong with living in a trailer, April. But this thing is run-down and the neighborhood is one of the worst in the city. Especially with that a-hole on the loose,” he said, crunching on a chip. “You may have paid him off, but guys like that don’t surrender. Men have a weakness called pride, and they don’t get over it easily when someone bruises it.”
A motor cut off outside and a door slammed.
Gravel crunched outside as footsteps approached the trailer and Trevor launched to his feet—hands balled into tight fists and ropes of muscle on his arms tightening.
The tiny door shook when a fist pounded against it. “April, open up this door or I’m breaking it down.”
Trevor glanced at me. “The big bad wolf?” Then he pushed the door open and shoved a giant trash bag into Reno’s arms. “Take your shit. You’re not welcome here anymore.”
Reno tried throwing down the bag, but Trevor kept grabbing stuff by the door and thrusting it into his arms. “Think you can buy her like a golden retriever and that’ll make her loyal? She doesn’t know what you’re doing, but I do. April’s na?ve to these kind of intentions because she’s young, but you’re a real piece of work for taking advantage of that,” he said, tossing a box of mirrors at him.