Page 12 of Blood of Vengeance

“I should be asking you that.”

“I’m fine.” My stomach chose that moment to growl, the fact that I hadn’t eaten all day making itself known. Thankfully, Zella didn’t seem to notice.

“You’re always fine. I don’t think you even know what that means.”

“I’m fine—as in I’m about to go grab a snack, have a beer, and go to bed. Is that a good enough definition for you?”

“Depends. You going to bed alone?”

“I already told you I was.”

“Then yeah, that’s fine. Get some sleep.”

“I will. Don’t work too hard.” I ended the call and slipped out of bed, completely focused on the snack I needed. Flinch had mentioned food, so he wouldn’t mind. At least, I hoped not. The man certainly had a presence that could scare the paint off a car, but there was something about him that seemed… Okay, it seemed dangerous and deadly. But I hadn’t felt the energy focused in my direction, which made me think grabbing an apple or a piece of bread wouldn’t be too big of a deal.

I crept through the silent house, finding the kitchen in the back. I didn’t bother looking for a light switch because enough light was pouring in from the string lights outside. Flinch sat in a hammock at the edge of a deep, covered porch, an in-ground pool with lights glowing just beyond the awning, swinging back and forth with a bottle in his hand. He looked to be watching something on his phone, a totally normal thing to do. And yet somehow, the relaxed nature of the moment didn’t fit him. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about him belonged in the wild. Not in a hammock with string lights hanging overhead and a damn pool. An in-ground one, at that.

“Snack and bed, Locklyn. Snack and bed.” I caught sight of a fruit bowl on the counter, eyeing what looked like green apples. A box of crackers sat on a shelf above it, a perfect combination for me. I grabbed an apple, a sleeve of crackers, and opened the refrigerator to find the beers he’d mentioned. What caught my eye instead was a row of flavored sparkling waters, bougie brand ones. The kind that cost more than a sandwich at the corner store. My mouth watered at the thought, so I grabbed one of them—coconut-lime flavored—and hurried back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. My heart raced, fear of getting caught making me want to hide. Why, I had no idea, but Flinch made me nervous, and there likely would be no changing that.

I settled onto the floor next to the bed, opened the fancy water, and took a sip. “Tastes like money.”

A fact that didn’t quite fit the reclusive wolf shifter in the hammock outside. Who was Flinch, and why had he been so adamant I stay with him?

Flinch

It didn’t surprise me when Cutter showed up to my house that night. What did surprise me were the number of grocery bags he carried with him.

“What’s all this?” I asked, not moving out of the hammock I had found myself taking up residence in.

“She’ll be hungry, and you probably have no food. So, this is food.” He huffed and set them down by the back door before turning and looking me over. His brow furrowed deep, and his scowl grew. “What the fuck is all this?”

All this likely meaning the hammock and the string lights hanging overhead. “It’s my oasis.”

He didn’t look convinced. “Christmas lights mean oasis to you?”

“No, fucker. They’re string lights. See the big bulbs hanging? String lights, not Christmas lights.”

“So you’re telling me you like big…bulbs.” The silence weighed heavy between us for a good five seconds before he broke into a laugh. “I’m just fucking with you.”

“Yeah, I figured that out.” I turned as a noise from inside caught my attention, dropping my voice into something quiet and hiss-like. “Step back. She’s moving around inside.”

Cutter slipped around the side of the house, keeping an eye on the back door as if afraid Locklyn would bust right through it. I lay back in the hammock, knowing she’d be able to see me through the kitchen window. I kept my phone in my hand and scrolled a social media feed for a minute or two, listening to her move around. To her opening the refrigerator. My mate was hungry. I had to fight the urge to rush inside with all the groceries Cutter had brought and make her something for dinner. Had to fight to stay still in that hammock. She’d just gotten here, and she didn’t know me yet. I didn’t want to invade the space she seemed to need, even though I hated not being in there to help her.

“We good?” Cutter whispered after the snick of the bedroom door closing reached our ears.

I nodded and sat up, tossing my phone toward where my feet had been. “Sounds like she’s gone to bed.”

“You only have the one bedroom.”

His low growl incited my own, though I fought to keep it quiet as I replied, “And it’s hers for now.”

A single nod from the VP and the growl cut off. He and his wolf were satisfied with that response. “So what’s the plan?”

“Regarding?”

“The fact that your fated mate just came strolling into your life. What is your plan with Locklyn?”

I sighed and ran a hand over my face as my thoughts swirled. My plans involved a lot of getting to know her with my dick—fingers and tongue, too—but I had a feeling that wasn’t the sort of answer he was looking for.

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