Page 33 of The Broken Wolf's Redemption

“Can we just pretend for a minute that I’m a normal person?”

Resolve strengthened.

A normal person? He had to be fucking kidding. “You’re an asshole, Rome. You’re not a normal person. You’re a wolf and a blackmailer and you’re also kind of my sex boss, so it’s just not going to happen.”

“I’m not a blackmailer.” That’s what he was offended about?

She grasped a strand of her hair and twisted her finger into it. When she leaned back into her chair, her hair was no longer a cloak around her face. “So what do you call making someone do something with threats if they don’t? Okay, arch manipulator, whatever…”

“I feel… funny. Something’s happening to me.”

There. That edge. She wasn’t imagining it. She held the phone away for a second so he couldn’t hear her heavy breathing. She shut her eyes and raked her composure back into place.

“Chances are you’ve been poisoned. Better get yourself to the emergency room, but this time, decline the morphine.”

“This is hard for me. I’m here, aren’t I?”

She said nothing, so stunned at hearing the desperation in his tone. He’d said that out loud. Given her that confession. He was standing just outside. Why? He was far from broken. He was never going to change. There was incredible hostility and darkness in those words. What did he think? That he could be a little bit uncomfortable and let her know it and she’d just forgive everything that happened? That she’d make it easy on him?

“To my great displeasure,” she drawled like she was bored.

“If you’re not going to let me in, at least come up front so I can see you when I talk to you.”

That was the last thing she was going to let him do. It was safer back here, where he couldn’t see her face and all the emotions she’d never be able to keep off of it. She couldn’t see his either and she could be reading this totally wrong, but even looking at him was no guarantee she’d ever be able to figure him out.

“No dice. You don’t get to command me today.”

“Today is my day.”

“Not since you let me off the hook. And anyway, it’s Waverly’s day. Is she with you?” Of course she wasn’t, but she had to goad him anyway.

“With my sister. She and her mate showed up.”

“Which one? You only have two mated sisters.”

“Jesus,” he hissed in exasperation. “You know all my family now?”

“I have a very good memory. It’s either Briar May and Castor or it’s Prairie Rose and Agnar.”

“Briar May and the barely passable male that will never be good enough for her.”

Okay, then. Wow. Waverly’s prospects were clearly terrible when she grew up. No one would be good enough for Rome. That was maddeningly heartwarming. Rome didn’t fit the dad mold, but he was still protective of Waverly. In his own way, he loved her, even if he didn’t understand what the word meant.

“Why are you here instead of with your family? They probably don’t get a chance to visit often.”

“I don’t… know,” he barked.

She should go up front. She needed a front row seat to the show of him finally losing it a little. That’s what was happening, wasn’t it? She didn’t truly know. She was confused.

She heard him take a deep breath like regular people did in order to steady themselves. She found herself leaning closer to the edge of her seat. She dug her feet into her boots, curling her toes to keep them locked to the floor. She was not going to get up. She was not going to the front.

“Describe it to me. Out of the two of us, I’m far more emotionally intelligent.”

“It’s… I can’t focus. I’ve been off all week.” Not just confused. Men like Rome didn’t have fears. They conquered all of them. They were the things people were scared of. Was it even possible that he was worried? Afraid? Of her? “I nearly dropped a car on myself. Twice. It’s pretty much impossible to do that. I don’t make mistakes. Ever. I don’t—there’s—I’m not sleeping. I’m not hungry. Shifters don’t get sick often, but this feels like something in my blood.”

That explained a lot.

This wasn’t Rome changing. It wasn’t him coming to repent for all the evil he’d done, the way he’d tortured her, frightened her with his blackness, for the way he made her crave him,which was the worst thing he could ever have done.

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