Page 75 of Slay Ride

Maverick stops. “Is someone under your bed?”

My eyes widen, and I freeze. “No. Why would you think that?”

I turn to see if he’s spotted a boot or some dark hair, but I don’t see any sign of Bennett. Then, I hear it. The slight creak of the bed at regular intervals . . . like when someone breathes.

“Well, that’s probably Shorty. Mystery solved!” I push Maverick toward the door. “I’ll be down to the barn soon. Thanks for your help.”

He braces himself in the doorway, and I’m nowhere near strong enough to push him through. As he spins and rushes pastme, I nearly fall into the hallway. I can only stand and watch as he rounds the side of the bed and stops, his eyes wide, but when he reaches down, I’m forced to act.

“Don’t hurt him!” I shout as I rush toward the bed.

But as he stands upright again, he isn’t gripping Bennett’s shirt collar in his hand. He’s holding the lamp cord and shaking his head.

“You have to be more careful. This could have started a fire.” He holds up the cord. Copper wire peeks through the places where Shorty has chewed.

I smile and bite my bottom lip to hold back the scream. “Well, now that you’ve saved us from a fiery death, I’ll see you down at the barn.”

As he goes to turn, I spot Bennett’s boot peeking from under the bed. Maverick will trip on it as soon as he turns around, so I halt his progress.

“On second thought, have you seen how comfy my bed is?” I yank him forward, and he falls onto the mattress. “Really soft, huh?”

He tries to stand, but I pull him down again.

“No, you really have to lie on it to get the full effect. Come on.” I coax him onto the bed, and he reluctantly agrees. “Man, they really spent a lot on these luxury mattresses, didn’t they?”

He lies back and folds his hands over his chest, like he’s in a coffin. Meanwhile, I wish for death more with each passing second.

“Yeah . . . the bed is great.” He sits up. “Who were you worried about me hurting?”

“Huh?”

“When I went to the side of the bed, you said, ‘Don’t hurt him.’ Who were you worried I would hurt?”

“Oh, the . . . the cat. I was worried you’d want to hurt him once you noticed that cord.”

“Do I strike you as the kind of guy who would hurt a defenseless animal?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

He holds out his hands, silently asking the question.

Then why?

I don’t have a convincing answer.

“Cat, everyone’s really worried about you. Could you just tell me what’s going on? Maybe if we understood, we could help you.”

“Why is everyone worried? I’m fine.”

“For starters, you’ve spent most of your time here holed up in your room. We understand why, since Bennett is always sniffing around, but we’re trying to keep him away.”

“Is that what tonight was about?” I ask, realizing how deep this conspiracy goes. “Are you trying to cheer me up by taking me on a pity date?”

Maverick drops back and sighs. “Don’t be pissed. Rosie and I thought it was a bad idea. And for once, Bennett was looking out for you, too.”

“Bennett knew about it?”

He nods his head and covers his face. “It was so stupid. I never should have gone along with it.”

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