Page 76 of Soulmates
I raise one eyelid, equal parts relieved by the distraction and scared by what they might say next.
“No she won’t. She works at a damned sex club. We’re not her first threesome.”
I’m not sure Connor and Trajan are talking about the same thing, but Trajan’s tone clearly communicates that it’s time to drop the subject already.
Still, Connor waves him away. “Don’t be obtuse,moshiorghrá. You’re her closest friend, and she’s an Amazon. You think she’ll give me another chance to hurt you?”
This time, I laugh, quick and bitter, becausedamn, way to cut to the chase.
Trajan shifts in his seat. “I’ll explain how things are.”
“How are they?” Connor leans into the aisle in our direction. I can guess why he’s pushing. I mean, if Sheena had a hate-on for me, I’d be scared shitless.
At the same time, I don’t know what to say. If I’m subtracted from the picture, they’re just two guys who used to have a thing and who now have a second chance. It might take time, but Sheena would get used to the idea.
But subtract me from this picture, and I’ll curl up in a ball and die.Literally.It’s not enough that we all sorta liked each other to begin with. I need to give them something, some reason we should stay together that doesn’t amount to emotional blackmail. I mean, we don’t need to sleep in the same bed. It just feels really good when we do.
Vowing that as soon as I figure out where pack ends and relationship begins, or vice versa, I’ll share. For now, I curl up against the window and shut my eyes, hoping sleep will blot out the shame I feel for dragging Tray and Connor into something so damned complicated. I must do more than pretend to sleep, vampire-time be damned, because when the pilot asks us to put our seatbacks in the upright position, I’m ready to go.In more ways than one.
Somewhere between Kansas City and Colorado, me and my wolf started to figure things out. Yes, I’m lost without my pack and who knows if I can shift andblah blah blah, but I’m still alive. The fuckers stopped short of killing me.
Critical error.
And I might not have the pack around me, but I’m not without allies. Trajan’s literally sitting at my right hand, cool and still and strong, and across the aisle I have a representative of the freakin’ Securitas. I don’t know what it’s going to look like or how much it’s going to cost, but my uncle Brendan and his crew of chickenshit backstabbers will regret what they’ve done. Gripping that thought with both hands, I play through various scenarios as the plane begins its descent.
I’ve never been what you would call religious—from what I hear, God doesn’t love queers—but I did utter a gratefulthank Christwhen the plane touched down at LAX and we were still a couple of hours before dawn.
We had enough to get jacked up over without frying our vampire.
We end up at Trajan’s condo high over Santa Monica. It’s a bird’s nest of stone and glass, as unlike a vampire’s lair as I could imagine. Funny thing…we walk in and he finds a note on the countertop. His cleaning person is charging Trajan extra because the place was such a mess.
Connor leans close to Trajan, reading over his shoulder. “I told you Brendan Collins sent some idiots up here.”
Brendan Collins. Uncle Brendan.I hover right outside their circle. “How much do you owe him? I can reimburse you.” Although, since I’m no longer pack, will my bank card still work?Jesus. Add that to the list of things I’m pissed about.
“Whatever it is, we can deal with it later.” Trajan pivots and heads into the living room, stopping in front of an incongruous old computer printer that’s tucked on a shelf in the corner. He squats and lifts the thing’s top. “Damn.”
“What is it?” Connor asks.
Trajan fiddles with something and comes up smiling broadly. “They didn’t find it.” Waving his left hand, he shows off that gargantuan ring he’d worn when we first met.
“You got your pimp ring.” I laugh because he’s so damned pleased with himself.
“More than that.” He pulls out a packet of papers. “A penny saved will buy a damned big house one day.”
“A house?” Connor’s expression is hard to read.
Trajan drops onto his oversized sofa, still holding his bank notes or whatever they are. “I mean, we can stay here for a while, but…”
How cute. They want to play house. I sink down in the chair across from him. The windows behind Trajan show the sun is almost ready to climb out from behind the San Gabriel mountains. “So here’s what I think.”
Connor takes a seat on the other end of the sofa, his posture relaxed but his gaze guarded. I feel like I’m taking some kind of oral exam with my professors watching my every word.
“You two are kind and generous and sexy as hell, and I’ll be forever grateful to you for stepping up and standing with me the way you have.” I catch my bottom lip in my teeth, not quite sure how to get across what I mean. “But I want to reassure you both that you won’t be stuck with me forever.”
There’s a pause where I think we’re all unsure of what to say next.
“Stuck?” Connor glances at Trajan, who gives a slight shake of his head. “I don’t think anyone here is stuck unless it’s you.”
