Page 8 of Stealing Sloane

Her stomach tied up into knots. “I’m so sorry. For bringing this all on you.”

“No.” Tears welled in Stella’s eyes. “I don’t regret anything. Not now, when you’re here with me. Can I … can I hug you?”

Without hesitation, she nodded. And as Stella’s arms wound around her, she inhaled the scent of lavender and sage, similar to her own. Tension seeped away from her body, and her own wolf let out a growl of happiness.

Sloane didn’t want to let go, wished she could just stay like this for the whole day and hoped this wasn’t a dream that she would wake up from. Stella, too, seemed determined to make the hug last as long as possible. But, they weren’t out of danger yet, and there was still much to be done to keep Stella—and now their brother—safe from Ronan.

“I was kidnapping you to keep you safe,” Sloane said when they let go of each other. “I knew they’d be after you. They just got to you first, after all. I heard about the first kidnap attempt. When that didn’t work out, they tried again at your school.”

“I was right,” Cliff said. “I did smell another Lycan in that building.”

“Garret McCall, Ronan’s Beta and a mean motherfucker,” Sloane spat. “You scared him though, Cliff Forrest.”

“You know who Cliff is?” Stella asked.

It took her a while, but during the car ride, she had managed to take a really good look at his face, and she remembered why he was so familiar. “Aside from the guy hanging around you, preventing me from kidnapping you?” Sloane chuckled. “Sure do. We had sports and MMA playing on the TVs back at the Boston compound all the time. But, now that we’ve sorted this all out, you can come with me.”

Stella blinked. “Come with you?”

“Yeah. After I failed to off Ronan, I went on the run. Turning Lone Wolf made it easy to move around, and I’ve been working odd jobs here and there, saving up enough money to leave the country. I have a place set up somewhere safe and fake IDs, passports, bank accounts, the works. You’ve actually saved me a lot of trouble, being my twin and all, so you can use one of my identities. We can go anytime.”

“She’s not leaving with you.” Cliff’s tone was dead serious. “Over my dead body is she going on the run with you.”

“The fuck she isn’t!” Sloane shot to her feet and slammed her palm on the table. Who did he think he was? “She’s in danger now. I put a target on her back, and so I’m going to protect her from now on.”

“No.” Cliff bared his teeth and planted his hands on the table, then leaned over menacingly at her. “I’mgoing to protect her from now on. Her and?—”

“Aren’t I just a job to you, Cliff?” Stella interjected. “What if I did want to run off with Sloane?”

“Well, you can’t,” he roared.

“And why the heck not?”

“Because you’re having my baby, that’s why!”

Dead silence filled the room.

Sloane’s gaze ping-ponged from her sister to Cliff. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to high-five her sister for banging such a hot specimen or deliver a roundhouse kick to his face for knocking up her sister and ruining her plans.

“E-excuse me?” Stella sputtered. “How can you be sure?”

“Oookay.” Sloane held her hands up.God, this was so awkward.“I’m sensing this isn’t a conversation I should be in the middle of. Hey, Stella, mind if I use your shower and borrow some clothes?”

“Sure, go ahead,” she said, her eyes never leaving Cliff.

“I’ll join you,” Jacob said.

A vision of their naked, wet bodies in the shower appeared in her head.

For fuck’s sake, get a grip, Sloane!

“You’re not showering with me!” she cried.

“Imean, I’ll join you in leaving this conversation.” He rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t asking to shower with you.”

“Good, because I’m not offering.” Snorting at him, she tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, then marched out.

“Give me back my shirt!” Jacob called.

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