CHAPTER 17

LORELEI

Yawning, I head out the back door of the club to walk to my car. My pepper spray is attached to a keychain, and I have that tightly in my hand, with the thumb hovering over the button as I hurry.

I’m exhausted after the long day, and I’m dreading driving home. My feet drag despite the fact that I’m trying to walk quickly. Samael is leaning against the new SUV that he bought, smiling when he sees me.

“Long night?” he asks, taking me in.

“Long everything,” I breathe, feeling every bit of exhaustion begin to crash down on me.

“I’ll drive,” he says immediately, tugging the keys away from me. “First, come give your alpha a hug, Baby Girl.”

I immediately melt into his body, enjoying his strong arms as they wrap around me. We’re the only ones out here at the moment, because I leave an hour before close due to school.

Hailee said that she didn’t mind, and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I also think that things continue to getkinkier the last hour the club is open. I don’t think my libido could take being surrounded by all of that sexual energy.

“Don’t cry,” he whispers. Fuck, I’m so tired, I’ve started leaking everywhere.

“Long day,” I sniff.

“Baby, you don’t have to work this hard,” he reminds me.

“Yes, I do,” I argue.

Unlocking the door, Samael eases it open with me still against him and lifts my ass onto the seat.

“I’m going to firmly disagree, while still understanding that you think differently,” he says.

“Do you know how to drive?” I ask, changing the subject.

Snorting, he tugs on one of my curls.

“Yes, brat, I do. Though I honestly don’t do it often. I understand the mechanics of it and the rules of the road,” he says.

“At least if we crash, you can save us both,” I grumble, letting go of him to pull my legs into the car.

“Fuck, you’re feisty and tired tonight,” he mutters, closing the door as I smirk.

The tears are starting to dry, and I feel a little silly as I swipe one of them away. The exhaustion of doing so much every day is getting to me, but I still need to work so I can have a nest egg for when the shit hits the fan.

It always happens in some way. That’s the way life is. I need to plan for the “what ifs”, even if they never happen. There’s an anxious energy that fills me when there’s not enough money in my dresser drawer. Right now, I have five hundred dollar bundles wrapped in rubber bands hidden in a shoe box in Phenex’s closet.

It’s not a great life plan.

“Home we go,” Samael says, getting comfortable in the driver's seat as he adjusts everything. Our size differences arehysterical really, there’s no way he’ll be able to drive us home otherwise.

Finally, he puts the car into reverse and turns to look over his shoulder as he drives the car back out of the parking spot.

“How was work?” he asks once he’s finished and puts the vehicle into drive.

“Busy,” I admit. “Fridays typically are also theme nights, which brings in more people.”

“What kind of theme does a strip club have?” Samael asks with a surprised laugh.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, so it was a ‘Love Hurts’ type of theme,” I explain with a giggle. “The girls all dressed up in red and black leather.”

“I should have expected that,” he mutters. “You’re off Sunday, right?”