Page 23 of Broken Chains

I looked to Peyton to answer that. "To go," she said.

I was disappointed but understood. Neither of us wanted to be late for work.

I insisted on paying for both our shakes, just to piss off Trish even further. We took them and headed for the door.

Peyton stopped and turned back to Trish. "Guess you don’t know, he has full custody of Eve and he's doing a hell of a good job with that baby on his own. If you're going to stoop low enough to spread rumors in a public area, you should probably have your facts straight first. Have a good day."

I stood there speechless as she walked past me and out of the ice cream parlor. Trish was in shock, and I got out of there before she started fuming. Trish wasn't used to people talking to her like that. She was one of the biggest bitches I knew, and she didn't stand a chance against Peyton, I thought proudly.

“I’m really sorry about that back there,” Peyton apologized. “People like that just piss me off.”

“Hey,” I said, stopping her from getting into the van and inadvertently pinning her against it. “You have nothing to apologize for. Seriously, thank you. No one has ever stood up for me like that before.”

I saw her soften and sigh. “Well, more people should, because that was bullshit and you didn’t deserve that.”

I wanted to kiss her right there for the entire world to see. It would be so easy to just close the gap between us, but this was Peyton, and I couldn’t drag her down to my Pack status. She was a Collier, a princess, and she deserved better.

I sobered my desires and opened the door to let her in. It was best this way.

Peyton

Chapter 9

Six hours later, I got a break at work. My feet were aching, and I sat down to rub out a cramp in my calf. I’d been on my feet all night, and I was tense from my last encounter with Oliver. For a minute I could have sworn he was going to kiss me. It was like I could feel he wanted to, and it wasn’t just wishful thinking this time. I watched as the turmoil played out in his beautiful eyes, and then he went cold and pulled away from me.

I was still fuming with frustration over it, as well as that bitch, Trish. I had half a mind to call Graham and let him know what happened, but I had made my point on my own, and I wasn’t big on pulling my connections to fight my battles for me. Name dropping, I had no issues with, and it had served its purpose—plus I’d had a reason to get physically close to Oliver.

His arms were just as strong and warm as I remembered when he’d held me the first time after I’d fainted from swooning over him. I could feel his pectoral muscles, hard and defined, beneath my hand. I wanted to explore his body and memorize every plane and ridge. I had never had these desires or feelings for anyone else. They were reserved only for Oliver.

“Long day, huh?” Kate said as she collapsed in the booth across from me.

“Busy, even for a Friday night,” I admitted.

“Yeah, it was, but that’s good, right?”

“Definitely,” I agreed.

“Wyatt’s here working on that leaky faucet again and I’m having Eddie stick around for closing. Why don’t you head on home?” Kate said.

Normally I would decline and insist on closing myself, but I was exhausted, and I was ready to go home.Home,I thought. I had the keys to my very own home. The thought alone reenergized me.

“If you’re sure, I think I will take you up on that, thanks,” I said as I stretched and got up to leave.

I didn’t even wait for confirmation and practically skipped out of the restaurant.

I had a brand-new air mattress and battery powered pump waiting for me. New sheets, a blanket, and pillows, too. With keys in hand, I drove to the house and let myself in.

I had been told by the lawyers that I couldn’t put the house in Oliver’s name without his knowledge and that he had to sign the paperwork himself. It had been sheer luck that I’d stumbled across him in Powell’s, and even though I’d lied and told him he was only witnessing for me, I was thankful he didn’t question or read the document closely.

I knew he would think I was crazy. He’d say it was too much and he couldn’t accept it. When he saw the place, he was probably going to freak out. I knew it was a shithole, but I also knew with a little elbow grease and some hard work, we were going to turn it into a magnificent home for all of us.

I pulled up in front of the house. To some, it probably looked creepy and rundown, but not to me. I had always seen it for what it could be, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I got out of the car and unloaded the things I’d bought. The power wouldn’t be turned on until Monday, but my wolf provided me with excellent night vision so there were no concerns for me.

Thomas hadn’t been happy when I told him my plans, because even though it was the original Collier house, it had been sold off long before we were born and no longer considered Collier territory. I hadn’t known that before. I had assumed it had stayed with the Pack, but that wasn’t the case. He tried to say he couldn’t protect me out here, but I was ready. I’d been training hard and I was a lethal wolf shifter. Nothing about the place scared me.

After setting up my new temporary bed in the middle of the foyer, I fell fast asleep and dreamed of Oliver and the life we’d someday share here. I hadn’t slept so well in months.

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