“You’re being ridiculous. He can’t stand me, obviously. Look how fast he left.”
“I know when someone’s trying to hide something. The way he’s so controlled around you isn’t normal.” Julianna glanced at the door. “Don’t be an idiot, please.”
“Excuse me?” she huffed.
“I’m just saying …” Julianna grabbed a couple more folders. “Let’s get through the rest of these applications, then I’ll contact everyone we want to see and set up interviews. I’ll talk to them first and then you and Mama can do the second round.”
She groaned. Who knew becoming Alpha was so tedious? It was worse than running Muccino International. At least at the company, she had an HR department who took care of all the hiring. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”
At least all this Alpha stuff would help distract her. Still, she couldn’t help but ponder on Julianna’s words. Did Darius really have something to hide? She could always rely on her own instincts when it came to business, but it felt like she was fumbling in the dark when it came to him. He was just so unreadable.
Aside from looking over the applications, there were still so many other details they had to take care of. By the time they finished, it was already late. She got up and stretched her arms over her head. “I have an early day tomorrow.” Now that she was living here, her commute would be twice as long, plus she would have to drive herself back and forth.
“Do you suppose the Big Bad Wolf went back to his house of sticks?”
She chuckled. “I think you’re mixing up your fairy tales.”
“Never did believe in them.” Julianna got up and opened the back door. “Jesus Christ on a cracker!” she exclaimed, jumping back. “How long have you been standing there?”
Darius had his back to them, his large frame nearly covering the entire doorway. “I have not left at all.” He nodded to the empty plate on the floor. “Thank you for the meal.”
Julianna waved a hand at him. “Well, we’re headed to bed, so you can go back to where you came from.”
“I cannot.”
“You can’t mean to stay here,” Adrianna interjected. “Why don’t you go back home for the night?”
“The compound where I live is a two-hour drive away,” he stated. “It would seem impractical. But do not worry about me. I will sleep in my car.”
“Your car?”
“I’ve slept in worse places,” he shrugged. “Besides, what if you were attacked in the middle of the night?”
“I can take care of us,” Julianna huffed. “And the house is being protected by magical spells plus a high-end security system on the perimeter. The feed goes directly to the New York Security Team.”
“Still, The Family has been tasked to look after you, and if something were to happen, then we would be responsible,” he said. “Good night, ladies, I will see you in the morning.”
“Stubborn idiot,” Julianna spat. “Are we really going to let him creep outside while we sleep in here?”
“What do you want me to do? Have his car towed away?” Maybe she should have him hauled off the property. Or report him as a prowler. “Let’s just go to bed. I’m tired and I don’t want to deal with this anymore.”
Julianna elected to stay in Uncle Dante’s old room while Adrianna had taken the master bedroom in the house which had been her mother’s when she lived here. It was actually a very comfortable bed, and yet, she couldn’t seem to get to sleep. For one thing, her she-wolf was whining at her, not giving her a moment’s peace.
She punched her pillow in frustration. “What the hell do you want from me?”
The she-wolf let out a pathetic mewl.
She plopped her pillow over her face to muffle her scream. The truth was, it wasn’t just her she-wolf’s complaints that made it hard to relax. The thought of Darius cooped up in his car had her tied up in knots for some reason.
“Argh!” She rolled out of bed, her feet landing on the hardwood floor with a soft thud. I hope I don’t regret this.
Chapter Six
One of the things all enforcers in The Family trained for was the possibility of being captured and tortured for information. Being in such a dangerous line of business, it was a risk. Despite all his rigorous training, Darius never thought he would be faced with this particular type of torment.
He’d managed to stay away from her for a few days, but mostly, that was because Anatoli was running him ragged, sending him on various errands and jobs, and constantly reminding him that his loyalty was to The Family. Finally, yesterday he got the orders from Anatoli that he needed to go back to the Alpha’s home town, as Adrianna had already left New York. He was itching to ask his uncle how he knew this but knew better. However, the thought that Anatoli had eyes on the future Alpha made him unsettled.
When he arrived at the designated address, his instincts were to immediately assess the area for threats and weaknesses. The house was old and quite massive, but it had no walls or fences. He walked right into the front door and followed the sounds of activity coming from one of the other rooms. He didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the future Alpha of New Jersey making dinner.
The sight of Adrianna so natural and domestic mesmerized him, with her skin flushed from the heat of the kitchen, a spot of flour on her delicate nose, and her hair all mussed up like she had just gotten out of bed. The way her mouth parted and her tongue licked at her lips had his cock twitching. Her nipples poking through her shirt after she had reached inside the refrigerator had him as hard as steel. And when she offered him a taste
