Page 57 of The Wild Moon
Aaron looked at me, blue eyes twinkling with laughter. “This is cheaper.”
“You’re such a stereotypical rich dick,” I muttered, falling in step as we walked toward the doors. It was easy to keep up with him, my gazelle legs coming in handy for once.
“You don’t get rich by spending your money,” he replied so easily he must have been sitting on that line. “Besides, your payment won’t cover grocery store prices.”
I goggled at him. “Itwhat? That’s impossible. Though if you wanted it to, you’d probably have to take a lower cut yourself.”
“Not happening.”
“Shocking,” I said. “But tell me, why are wehere?”
“The people inside owe me a favor,” he said.
“Right,” I replied as if that made all the sense in the world.
“They don’t want to pay it,” he elaborated. “So, we’re going to get the supplies I need anyway.”
“I told you, I’m not your hired muscle,” I snarled. “You work for me.”
Aaron smiled at me, the look making my legs wobble slightly. “I know.”
God damn him. So arrogant and sexy. I hate it. I hate him. But I wanted him. It was undeniable. I wasn’t going to be stupid enough to let myself jump into the sack with him. That would ruin a perfectly irritating client-employee relationship. A girl could daydream, though.
I needed to step up my game of being purposefully antagonizing, though. Aaron had me way outclassed on that level, and he deserved to suffer as much as I was.
“Well, shall we?” he asked, gesturing at the man-door set into the wall next to the large roll-up delivery doors. “Time is ticking.”
He was right. I didn’twantto be his muscle, but if we had to fight to get what we needed, then so be it.
My wolf, sensing violence, came nosing to the surface. I called on her senses, her strength, and her speed. Shifting was a no-go around humans, but it wasn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. We were one, the beast and I, and with the Wild Moon drawing nearer, a good fight would hopefully leave her tired, making my life easier in the coming days.
“Fine,” I growled. “Let’s go.”
Aaron nodded once, pulled open the door, and waltzed inside. I followed, trying to focus on the interior of the warehouse and not his fantastic ass. My wolf was ready for physical exertion of any kind, it seemed. Fighting or fucking, it didn’t make a lick of a difference to her just now. For me, on the other hand, it made ahugedifference.
This is not what I need right now. Focus. You could be in danger. Aaron could be in danger.
You wouldn’t know it by the way he strode into the warehouse, acting like he owned the place. Did the man even know what fear was? Respect for your enemy? Whoever was here, they didn’t respect him enough to pay their debts, assuming Aaron was telling the truth. That meant they were confident. I would have to be wary. If these people thought they could take Aaron, it meant they would be some tough customers.
“What’s this?” I asked, staring around in shock at the inside of the warehouse.
“Have you never been inside a storage warehouse before?” Aaron asked dryly.
Grinding my teeth together so that I didn’t clock him one, I looked. The place was…normal. Brightly lit with all sorts of warning signs, clean floors, men walking around with hard hats and caution vests. It looked like, well, a storage warehouse. Huge racks of metal shelving rose into the heights, stacked full of crates and skids of wrapped items.
“What were you expecting? A secret villain hideout with guns, tanks, and an arsenal big enough to take out the East Coast, all just sitting out in the open?” he teased.
I was blushing furiously, and I hated it. “Maybe,” I growled. “You made them out to be bad people.”
Aaron shrugged, stepping back as a forklift went by beeping loudly to warn anyone nearby. “They certainly aren’t nice. Nice people repay favors.”
“You just love messing with me, don’t you?” I asked, relaxing.
“Maybe,” he chuckled under his breath. “Now, let’s get my stuff.”
I followed him through the warehouse. He walked confidently, knowing where he wanted to go without issue.
“Paul Byron!” he called abruptly as we reached the loading docks, the area open of shelving but filled with skids and items ready to go onto trucks for delivery to their next destination. “I know you’re here! Show yourself!”
