Page 105 of Dubious Match
We’re all fine, I’m fine…
Maybe if I tell myself this enough, I’ll believe it. Once in my van, I pick up my phone and see the notification to check my bank app. Clicking it immediately, my lips part in surprise as I find that fifteen grand has been deposited into my account.
A small whine of distress escapes as I glance up to find Callum nodding at me. Damn, I don’t even know what to say.
“Thank you,” I say, making sure he can see my lips as I pull up my GPS app to get home.
With the snow, I’m probably going to be redirected on the way home. Putting the van into reverse, I wave at Callum and pull away. I’m in shock. This will let me continue to do repairs on Bertha, and maybe even renovate it so it’ll be more comfortable to live in if I do find the need to leave Minneapolis.
I wish I could stay here, but wishes don’t change the reality of my situation. I’m destined to always be the runaway.
Twenty
HOLLIS
“I love how you kidnapped me from the office today,” I drawl, lifting my coffee to my lips. I swear, I was unlocking my office door when Caleb and Lars jumped out of the car and rushed over to me.
What’s a girl to do but lock back up when they mentioned they’d take me out to breakfast? Work’ll wait for a few hours.
“I was willing to take the gamble that you haven’t eaten yet,” Caleb defends. “You also haven’t been picking up your phone. Looking at your throat, I can see why.”
Blushing, I know that my bite marks are very visible. I’m willing to use them as a little extra armor to keep people away from me today. It’s the first time I’ve left Pack Ledger’s home in two weeks, which means that I’m on edge. Mal dropped me off at my apartment to get my car, and then I drove over. I still have my usual weapons under my clothes, and a ton of work to follow up on to keep me busy.
Thankfully, it’ll be mostly phone calls today. The extra boost of food and caffeine will help.
“I think we knew that my heat would catch up to me at some point,” I say. “At least it didn’t suck this time.”
Caleb gives me a hard look before sipping his coffee. “If that pack sucked in bed, you’d have a big problem.”
Snickering, I shake my head. “We are not going to talk about big things, thank you very much. Now, were you just concerned that I’d decided to slip blissfully into pack life and never emerge, or are you going to tell me about what you’re hiding from me?”
“Now you sound brainwashed, or knotmatized,” Lars mutters.
“I don’t think that last one is a thing,” I say, cheeks hurting from how hard I’m smiling. I’ve been getting teased by these two for so long, it’s as effortless as breathing.
“I’m positive it does,” he rumbles. “Here are our cards on the table, Hollis. We have been keeping something from you, but I don’t have anything to corroborate it with.”
“Continue,” I say, glancing over at the waitress as she comes over.
“Are we ready to order?” she asks. We’re at a cute diner not far from my work, and it’s somewhere I’ve been before with them.
“I’ll have the western omelette and pancakes, please,” I say.
“That’s a lot of food?—”
The waitress doesn’t get another word in as Lars says, “I’ll finish whatever she doesn’t eat. If she wants it, it’s hers.”
My nannies used to try to limit what I could eat, and that’s another reason why I used to run away and stay with the Finnigans. Lars and Caleb both know this, so this is how we deal with my eyes sometimes being bigger than my stomach.
“Of course, sir,” the waitress mumbles. “I just wanted to let her know.”
“You must be new, because this isn’t our first time here,” Lars says with narrowed eyes. Oh shit, she’s pissing him off.
Caleb and Lars place their orders and then ask for another waitress to serve us. We all tip well, it looks like she’s not going to get it. Huffing in annoyance, she all but stomps away.
“I would have already fired her,” Lars mutters angrily.
“Rein it in, big guy,” I murmur.
