Page 99 of Big Bad Bully
“Oh my God. That must’ve been so hard. I wish you had come to me.” It breaks my heart that she couldn’t talk to me about it.
“I wanted to. So badly. I felt so alone. But part of being in the pack is following the strict secrecy rules.”
I think about it. “That makes sense.” If word got out there were men who could change into wolves, they’d be hunted or experimented on. They’d lose their freedom forever.
“Anyway, they finally came around after I proved myself.”
“And you think I might be Billy’s fated mate?”
“He’s been fascinated with you from the start. I should’ve seen it earlier, but I just didn’t trust him. Now it seems obvious. He got into a brawl with the local Monaco pack when their alpha said something derogatory about you on the yacht. And protecting you was all he cared about yesterday. He would’ve died for you. Considering the fact that Billy is pretty self-serving, I would say you mean far more to him than a duty to please his alpha.”
I chew on that.
“But more importantly, how do you feel about him?”
How do I feel? I told myself this was just a fling. Billy wasn’t relationship material for me. We’re just too different. I have a set of ideals and a self-image that don’t include flying on jets across the ocean for parties or living in a penthouse on Billionaire Row.
But Billy’s shown me there’s a depth beneath the dollars. He does care about climate change and protecting the environment. I thought he was selfish and standoffish, but I learned he’d do anything for the people he cares about, and the hard protective outer shell stems from deep wounds.
I take a deep breath. “Honestly? I’m falling for him, Madi. Hard. I tried not to. I told myself it was just about the sex because he’s everything I normally despise in a man, but I can’t help how I feel with him.”
“Safe?” Madi asks.
“Yes! Is that how you feel with Brick?”
“Yes.”
“I feel seen by him. Protected. He takes care of me like my dad takes care of my mom. Yesterday he bought me jewelry–and not some dumb tennis bracelet. He somehow found a lab-grown pink diamond nose ring and matching navel ring.”
“He really thought about what you would like.”
“Exactly!”
“Yeah, he pays close attention to people even though he pretends to not give a crap. Probably a result of his childhood abuse.”
My chest squeezes. I’ve judged him way too harshly.
Now, after all my delight in tormenting him, I just want to make his life easier. I want to be there for him the way he was there for me yesterday. To get him to open up and share himself with me.
I want to be his mate.
“Yeah, I’m falling hard, Mads. I hope he is, too.”
I step out of the shower. Billy was still asleep after my convo with Madi, so I decided to get cleaned up and start packing.
As I towel dry, I hear the deep baritone of Brick’s voice in my suite.
Oh! Billy must have woken and let him in.
Awkward. I don’t want to walk out there in just a towel. I put on my moisturizer.
Their voices are low, and I can’t make out what they’re saying until the A/C stops blowing, and it suddenly gets clear. “I need to know your intentions. Today. The more memories she accumulates, the harder it is to wipe them.”
I freeze. Wipe. Memories? Excuse me?
My heart starts pounding hard.
Is he talking about my memories out there?
