rock.
“It’s pretty hot out here,” she said.
A lone drop of sweat rolled down his cheek and agreed with her assessment.
“Alexia, I really need to go. Can I have the keys?”
April—who could sell a condom to a nun—couldn’t talk to a man. I’d seen her work her magic in the shop buttering up customers, but it was always business related. She never had personal conversations with male customers, so I guess I just didn’t notice how uncomfortable she really was around them. But why? Something else was going on with her, but I decided to let her off the hook and tossed her the keys.
“Thanks for driving me home,” I said. “I’ll call you later when I get a chance to look over the documents.”
“Sounds good.” Her eyes skidded to Reno for a second before she walked backward and stumbled, almost falling on her ass. “I’ll talk to you later.”
April jogged back to the car and Reno didn’t stop staring.
“Could you look a little bit less intimidating?” I asked him. “You’re traumatizing my friend with your scowl.”
The engine revved and then April made a half-assed attempt to back up and circle around, but she wasn’t masterful with the clutch. She backed into a deep pothole and the rear tire got stuck.
That’s when Reno stalked forward with his heavy arms swinging at his side and I could see April inside the car, gripping the wheel and watching him with wide eyes. He moved to the rear of the car, bent over, and lifted it.
Actually
Austin emerged from the house with Maizy holding his hand. It warmed my heart to see that image, and then she sleepily waved at me.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
Reno lifted a shovel from the side of the house and was stalking toward the hole when something in the dirt snagged his attention. He bent over to pick it up and looked at the object in his hand.
“April’s in on the plan. She just dropped me off, but she agreed to take the promotion without a raise increase—for now. We’re going to work out the details later on.”
“That’s good news,” he said, looking down at Maizy. She was swinging their hands a little bit and her eyelids kept drooping.
“Has she had her nap?”
Austin glanced down. “No, should she?”
I walked toward him and smiled. She napped in school and it was hard to break the habit over the summer because she’d get cranky and drive Mom nuts. But our family was always big on naps; it gave everyone a chance to go to their respective corners and relax for a little while. “Yeah. Afternoon naps are a must.”
Without hesitation, Austin bent down and picked her up. She wrapped her tired arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder—eyes closed. Seeing that image of Austin being so paternal really did a number on me, and I swear my ovaries sighed. I followed him inside as he carried her to his bedroom and tucked her in. After closing the drapes, he turned the window unit on low.
“Are your brothers at the new house?” I whispered as he closed the door.
We stood in the narrow hallway and he nodded. “Reno stayed behind to watch over your family. I can’t give you a personal guard like Lorenzo, but I don’t think that’s what you really want—to be followed around by someone for the rest of your life. That’s not how I run my pack. I trust you, and yeah, shit happens. But everyone in the territory will know you and your family are protected by my pack, and nobody fucks with my pack,” he warned. That was the dark moment when I could see a flicker of the dangerous man Austin truly was.
Austin folded his arms and pushed out his biceps, temporarily distracting me. “I want you to make a decision before we move, which is soon. Shifters live alone all the time, but it’s too dangerous for a female wolf to turn rogue. Your mom is human and if she wants to go back to her old life, fine. But if she wants to stay here with us, then they’re part of our pack and we treat them the same.” He lowered his chin and looked serious. “That’s an open invitation, Lexi. I mean it. I’ve brought it up with Lynn and she’s thinking it over. Raising a child alone is stressful on her.”
I leaned against the wall and cupped my elbows. “How permanent is this? It sounds like a big decision and I just want to be sure.” I turned my head, listening to Ivy and my mom in the kitchen humming a song. Well, mom was humming and Ivy was singing. Couldn’t make out the song, but it sounded like an oldie. A few pots clamored and the fridge door opened and closed.
“You’re not signing your life away in blood. There’s always a choice to switch packs if your needs aren’t filled or you’re unhappy.”
Deep down, I knew my mom would only stay if I did. Being alone was wearing on her, which is why I visited so much. Having a houseful of men and women gave her people to look out for who, in turn, would offer her protection. I hadn’t seen her look so energized in years.
“Just give me a little time to think about it, Austin. It’s a lot to take in.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Is it him? Church? Are you thinking about going to his pack? He’s got a lot to offer a woman like you.”
I sighed, unable to look him in the eye. I didn’t really want to go with Church, but I wanted to know more about my real parents. Would moving in with Austin be a good idea? How would it change our relationship? Maybe he felt an obligation to Wes to look after his family; Austin was loyal like that. He would have jumped in front of a train for Wes. But did he see us as a burden on his pack?
“I just need to think about what’s best for everyone,” I finally said. “There are just way too many decisions being dumped on me at once and I need a little time to think them through. I’ve got this thing with the business, and then I’ve been contemplating calling the cops about my dad. Of course, I don’t know how to explain that one, but I feel like someone should be looking for him.”
“Someone is.”
His statement rattled me. “Who? Ivan? I don’t want you owing a man like him.”
He took a deep breath through his nose and spoke on the exhale. “No, it’s not Ivan.”
“Then who?”
“Prince.”
“Huh?”
He leaned against the wall across from me, planting his feet beside mine. “Prince called me up; I don’t think the idea of what happened to Maizy, her being left on the side of the road, sat with him too well. He’s a man who looks after his own, and while he doesn’t have a mate or any kids I’m aware of, I guess it hit a sore spot with him. Prince is doing it on his own, no strings attached.”
“He isn’t going to hurt my father, is he?”
Austin tilted his head. “That man is
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t know what your rules are, but he’s still Maizy’s father. I’m more concerned about the man who’s after him.”
Austin scratched his chin, deep in thought. “I’ll have a talk with Prince and see where his head is. Why don’t you go in there and help your mom? Rumor has it she’s making prime rib, and Denver is coming out of his skin waiting for dinner. I’ve caught that idiot in there three times stealing bites of what they’re cooking on the stove.”
I smiled. “Maybe you need to put him outside in the doghouse.”
Chapter 26
