Page 11 of Semi-Reckless

Haven grinned. “Great. Let’s talk about the?—”

“If,” he interrupted, “you can prove you’re the alpha here.”

Roan’s chin hit his chest.

Well, fuck.

CHAPTER 7

This was not going at all according to plan.

Haven blamed Roan. If she’d come here alone, they would’ve been more willing to talk. Having a hulking demon at her back didn’t exactly invite anyone to cop a squat and chit chat with her. Roan and his dark, broody aura was a serious impediment to her investigation.

And her peace of mind.

She knew logically that Roan wasn’t any more attractive than he’d been before tonight. It hadn’t been that long, after all, that he’d last shown up to teleport her out of danger. But still, there was a tiny part of her that would’ve been overjoyed to find that he’d developed a pot belly, some acne scars, and maybe a receding hairline since they’d last seen each other. Alas, that wasn’t meant to be. Because as soon as he’d opened his door to her, he still looked like a romance novel had vomited up a bad boy hero who’d been built to her specifications. It was, frankly, pretty rude.

His fallen-angel face was annoying enough. But that facial bone structure in combination with his black-as-Satan’s-soul eyes, pillowy, highly kissable lips, messy, wavy black hair, and super lean-but-muscled body, and he was the embodiment of a thousand bad decisions come to life.

She let her gaze travel the length of him for a split second. The jeans he was wearing in combination with that beat-up leather jacket were annoyingly sexy on him, too.

Showy bastard.

But that wasn’t the direction her train of thought should be traveling in at the moment. “What exactly did you have in mind?” she asked Levi.

He gave a lazy one-shouldered shrug. “You’re part of Section 8, and your aunt is the Angel of Death. I’m guessing you’ve been in a few fights.”

You have no idea.

“So, you want me to fight one of you?”

Another shrug and a cocky smirk. “That is how shifters handle things.”

“No fucking way,” Roan growled.

Levi’s eyes hardened as they moved past her to Roan. “I don’t have to answer to anyone who isn’t an alpha.”

“Then fight me,” Roan said, his voice dangerously low.

Levi shifted his gaze between her and Roan. “No offense, pal, but she’s clearly calling the shots here. Even if you can beat me in a fight, I question whether you can—or would— beat her. Which makes her the only one worthy of my time. So, what do you say, little red? You in?”

The “little red” thing gave her pause. Then she remembered that she was wearing her favorite cherry-red cashmere hoodie. Cute.

Well, he’d all but double-dog dared her. And everyone knew only pussies turned down a double-dog dare. But just when she was ready to tell him he should prepare for an ass-whooping of epic proportions, Roan yanked her back so that she was facing him instead of Levi.

“Don’t do it,” he whispered. “It’s not worth it.”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” she whispered back. “I can win.”

“That’s not the point. It’s an unnecessary risk. Besides, you know this is like foreplay to a wolf. He’s challenging you because he wants you.”

Her blood pressure was shooting up. She could actually feel it. He was making her blood pressure shoot up. “You think I’m being reckless again.”

“Yes,” he hissed. “We can figure out what mutilated those cows without his help.”

“You could try,” Levi said. He pointed to his ear when they glared at him. “Shifters have excellent hearing. I figured a Section 8 princess and her demon bodyguard would know that.”

Haven rolled her eyes. “I’m not a princess. And it’s very bold of you to assume he’s the bodyguard in this scenario. Fine. I’ll fight you. But only in your human form.” She gestured to her outfit. “This is my favorite pair of jeans, and I’m not looking to have them shredded by werewolf claws.”

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