“Alexis.” He gripped her shoulders gently and pushed her away.
His eyes swam with emotion, the greenish-gold irises almost molten, the brown flecks seeming to shimmer as he blinked. He looked at her with desire, but his mouth pressed into a hard line. “As much as I enjoyed that. I need answers before it happens again.”
She slumped her shoulders. Of course he needed answers. He deserved them. He deserved so much more than she could give him.
He released his hold and leaned back on the couch. “This Eric guy. He your boyfriend?”
She stared at her hands folded in her lap. “I used to date him a long time ago, before I met you. I guess he still thinks there’s something between us, but there isn’t. I swear.” She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. “It’s kinda like you and that red-headed nurse.”
“Not even close.” His jaw clenched, the tendons in his neck tightening like wires. “Is he the reason you climbed that tower? Was he trying to hurt you?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“Why did you lie to the police?” He stared at her, his silence willing her to continue.
She held her breath as a hundred different lies flitted through her mind. There were a thousand ways she could spin this story, but in her heart, she didn’t want to lie to Bryce. “I did a job for him.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“Not like that. I do construction work. I fix things. It’s how I make a living. I soundproofed a room for him, so he could start a heavy metal band and not disturb the neighbors.” That wasn’t a lie. She never would’ve done the job if she’d known the real reason he needed the room.
He let out a dry laugh. “That sounds about right for a guy like that.”
“When things didn’t work out between us the first time, I left him. Then he called me a few months ago to do the job, and I needed the money so I agreed, but he never paid me. He gets an allowance from his dad, and he said he was late on the deposit, so I waited. When I went back to collect, he still didn’t want to pay, but he did want me to stay.”
Bryce’s hands balled into fists. “And he hurt you.”
Her gazed drifted to the floor, and she forced the word over the lump in her throat. “Yes.”
His eyes softened. “Why won’t you press charges?”
This was the hard part. She couldn’t tell him the real reason, but he could obviously spot a lie. She’d talked to Eric’s dad and done all she could to stop his idiotic plan.
“I want it to be over. I don’t want to deal with all that, and I never want to see him again. Please.” She reached for his hand, and his fist relaxed under her touch. “Can we let it go?”
The sound of his teeth grinding told her the answer. “He’s the ‘wrong kind of guy’ you always go for?”
She clutched her hands in her lap. “I guess so.”
He leaned away from her. “And that’s what you think I’m like?”
“No. I…I don’t know.”
He rose and shuffled behind the couch. “Well, you’re not doing a very good job of keeping your distance if I’m the wrong kind of guy.”
She twisted around to face him. “I’m trying to figure out what kind of guy you are. You’re cocky one minute, and then you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met the next. You care about people, but you act like nothing bothers you. I can’t stop thinking about you, though I honestly don’t know who you are.”
“Who do you want me to be?”
“I want you to pick one. Either be the sweetheart or be the jerk, but don’t keep me guessing which one is real.”
He crossed his arms and studied her. His gaze narrowed as he chewed his bottom lip and drummed his fingers against his forearm. “You want to know who I really am?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll show you the real me, but you’re not going to like him.” He hesitated then slowly moved around the sofa and took the remote from the coffee table. “You wanted to know what I was watching? Here you go.”
He pressed a button, and the TV flickered on. A bald man in a futuristic red and black shirt filled the screen. “Star Trek. I was watching Star Trek.” He picked up the book from the end table. “I’ve read The War of the Worlds eight times. You accused me of being a sci-fi nerd, remember?” He lowered his gaze to the book and sighed. “Well, you were right.”
Why didn’t he want her to know he’d been watching Star Trek? “Just because you like science fiction, it doesn’t make you a nerd.” She grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “Eric likes Star Wars. You can still be a jerk.”
He sucked in a breath like he planned to say more, but then he clenched his jaw shut. He tossed the book onto the table and dropped into the chair. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m a jerk.”
“That’s what I thought.” Not even close. She stood and paced around the couch.
Bryce stared at the TV screen. “Get me a beer while you’re up.” Though he’d tried to make it sound like an order, the inflection on the final word lifted, turning his attempted command into a request.
She stifled a laugh and continued to the front door. “Nice try.” He was too sweet to bark orders. Turning the knob, she pulled it open.
Bryce shot to his feet, a hint of panic tightening his eyes. “Hold on, now. You don’t have to leave.”
She straightened. “Maybe I want to.”
He let out a defeated sigh. “It’s too cold to sleep in your car. Stay here. Please?”
“That’s not a very jerk thing to say.” She suppressed a grin.
“Even an asshole wouldn’t want you to freeze to death.”
He had no idea. “All right. I’ll stay. I’m going to get some clothes from my car.” She stepped through the threshold before he could respond and slammed the door to keep in character.
Crossing her arms over her chest to ward off the cold biting at her skin, she trotted to her Ford she’d parked on the curb. Opening the back door, she glanced at Bryce’s apartment and found him peering through a slit in the curtains.
That man couldn’t pull off asshole if he tried. The more time she spent with Bryce, the more she saw through his smartass exterior, and that conversation proved it. There was a lot more to Bryce than met the eye, and now she was determined to know the man beneath the mask.
She shoved some clothes and toiletries into a backpack and shut the door. As she turned toward the window, the curtains fell shut, and when she returned to the living room, she found Bryce sitting in the chair, beer in hand, staring at the television.
If he wanted to pretend he was a jerk, she’d let him. If he’d admitted to being the sweetheart she knew he was, she might not have been able to resist him tonight. She had no clue what she was going to do about her blossoming emotions for the man, but sleeping with him wouldn’t be the best place to start. First, she needed to get to know him. The mask would have to come off sometime.
“Mind if I use your shower?”
He didn’t look at her. “Whatever you want to do.”
“Okay then.” She shuffled to the hall and glanced at him.
He flicked his gaze toward her, and his eyes held so much confliction, she almost apologized for calling him a jerk. Instead, she turned and headed for the shower.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom to find Bryce sprawled out in his bed, his arm draped over his eyes. Lamplight seeped into the hall from the living room, but all the other lights were off.
She stood in his doorway. “I’m not climbing into bed with you.” No matter how tempted she was.
“I didn’t invite you.” He folded his hands on his chest and met her gaze. “There’s a pillow and blanket on the couch.”
“What happened to you gladly giving up your bed if it meant I was safe and warm?”
“You can be safe and warm in the living room. I’m a jerk, remember?”
She rested a hand on the door jamb. “You’re not a jerk, and your couch is actually pretty comfortable. I’ve been treated a lot worse.”
<
br /> He rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand, and her chest tightened. Her wolf wanted her to climb into bed with him and end this ridiculous charade, but pride kept her feet glued to the floor.
“If you want to talk about it, I’m happy to listen.” He paused, pinning her with a heavy gaze as he waited for her to respond. When she didn’t, he rolled onto his back.
Would it be so wrong to talk to the man? In her heart, she trusted him. In her soul, she wanted to share everything with him. And that was the problem, wasn’t it? If she allowed herself to fall for Bryce, she’d want to stay. Rogues never stayed, and people never changed. “Goodnight, Bryce.”
Chapter Nine
Eric squinted against the bright headlights streaming through the windshield. His asshole of a father had made him spend two nights in that damn cell before bailing him out. He’d remember that when he became alpha of his own pack.
Neither man spoke on the drive from the jail to Eric’s house. He stomped inside and tried to slam the door behind him, but his old man caught it with his meaty hand.
“I drove an hour to bail your sorry ass out of jail. The least you can do is thank me.” David stepped through the threshold and let the door shut behind him.
“Thanks.” Eric plopped onto the couch and rested his feet on the coffee table. “Now leave.”
“You assaulted a police officer. What the hell were you thinking, son?”
“I caught him making out with my girl. What was I supposed to do?” His insides burned as the image of his woman pressing her lips to the pig’s face flashed in his mind. They were both going to pay for that little display of affection. Alexis would learn not to cheat, and Sergeant Samuels would learn to stay away from his property.
David shook his head like he was disappointed. The man was always disappointed. “Alexis hasn’t been your girl since you beat the shit out of her for denting your car.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stood over him. Trying to intimidate him.
It wouldn’t work this time. Eric put his feet on the floor and sat up straight. “How’d you know I was talking about Alexis?”
“She called me. If she’s your girl, why’d you try to kill her?”
“I didn’t mean…Wait. Why’d she call you?”
David narrowed his eyes as a reptilian smile curved his thin lips. “How do you think she ended up in this God-forsaken town? I paid her to keep tabs on you.”
Eric tried to take a breath, but it got caught in his throat. “You…paid her?”
His old man shrugged it off. “She got into some trouble with the pack in Biloxi. I got her out of it and sent her here to watch you.”
Eric fumed with anger. No wonder she’d turned down his offer to be mates. She was nothing more than a prostitute, and his own father was her pimp. “I didn’t try to kill her. It’s not my fault she fell off the electrical tower. She tried to kill herself.”
“But she survived, even though you left her for dead.”
“I thought she was dead.” He should’ve known she’d survive. He’d seen her healing powers first-hand, and they obviously worked on herself too.
“Come on, son. You wanted her dead. She told me about your cockamamie plan to build your own pack out of humans. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
He crossed his arms, tucking his fists beneath them to stop himself from punching the bastard. He hated the old man with a passion, but he needed his money. He had to play it cool. “Build my own pack?” He forced a laugh. “Alexis told you that? She was probably trying to squeeze more money out of you. She seemed destitute when she came here. She practically got on her knees begging me for some cash.” He rose to his feet. “She’s good on her knees, if you know what I mean, but I didn’t give her the money.”
His dad cocked an eyebrow. “Who knows what you’ve been up to? She hasn’t worked for me since she left you.”
“Exactly, Dad.” He put a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “She’s broke. She’ll do anything for a few bucks.”
His dad eyed him warily. “Let me see your music room.”
“Yeah, sure. No problem.” He led his father down the hall and pushed open the door. A drum set sat on a raised platform in the corner, and several guitars hung from a rack on the wall. The tile floor had been hosed down and cleaned with bleach after his last unsuccessful attempt at turning a human, and thankfully the bodies were in a freezer at Trevor’s place. David wouldn’t find a lick of evidence in this house. After Alexis had shown up unannounced, Eric had made sure he wouldn’t be caught off-guard again.
His father may have thought him a stupid loser, but he took plenty of precautions. He’d even taken care of the Jane that Alexis had set free. Now, he had to take care of Alexis.
David scanned the room, running his hand along the wall and fingering the strings of the bass guitar. Eric held his breath, hoping the old man wouldn’t ask him to play it. He hadn’t touched the instrument since he hung it up. His dad opened the closet door and peeked inside. It was empty. He stepped in front of Eric and stared him hard in the eyes. “Where are the bodies?”
Eric let out an exasperated breath. “There are no bodies. I told you she was lying. She’s desperate, Dad, and she’s just a rogue. Believe me.”
“Why do I smell bleach?”
Shit. Would he ever let up? “I got a little crazy on a guitar solo and knocked a six-pack off the table. It shattered on the tile. You smell floor cleaner. That’s all.”
David sighed and walked to the front door. “I don’t understand why she’d make this up, but your story checks out, son. If there is something unethical going on here, I will find out.”
“There’s not. Everything’s legit. I swear. And I’m sorry about getting in a fight with that cop. When I saw him with Alexis…you know how I feel about her. Jealousy got the better of me. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re damn right it won’t. You’ve embarrassed the family name enough. I’d like you to come back to Biloxi one day, but not until you’ve gotten your act together. The pack won’t tolerate miscreants.”
“I understand, Pops. I’m trying.” No way in hell would he step foot in Biloxi again. He’d go completely rogue before he’d be under his old man’s thumb.
His dad stepped through the door, and the new motion-sensor camera he’d installed on the doorbell made his phone chime. “All right. I’ll see what I can do about getting you out of this assault mess if you promise me you’ll stay out of trouble.”
“You have my word.” He closed the door and marched into the living room.
That bitch. He rammed his fist through the sheet rock. White powder rained onto the floor as he jerked his hand from the wall. Alexis could fix the hole. She could fix everything. He hadn’t been successful in turning a human into a werewolf a single time. The bodies were piling up, he was no closer to having his own pack, and now he had his dad on his back.
At least she’d run to a human for help and not her sister’s pack. Cops he could handle. His old man he could handle. Starting a war between Biloxi and New Orleans he could not. Luckily, Alexis didn’t catch on to the hollowness of his threat to harm her sister. If he could hang that over her head, he had leverage.
Her sister was a cop. He had enough bodies in the freezer to easily pull her in without getting the pack involved. Trevor had already dumped the first one in the river, and there were plenty more to keep her busy. Samuels would be easy to find too. Alexis was bound to turn up on one of their doorsteps sooner or later, and then she’d be his for the taking. She’d come back to him on her own once he was done.
Chapter Ten
Bryce rolled out of bed and stood still for a moment, listening for a sound that Alexis might have actually stayed the whole night. Sam’s soft snoring filled the otherwise silent house. He fought the urge to tiptoe into the living room to see if she was there and shuffled to the shower instead.
After the way he’d treated her last night, he’d be surprised if she stayed. Assh
ole. What had he been thinking?
She’d convinced herself he was just like her dipshit ex-boyfriend, and instead of proving her wrong, he’d given her exactly what she wanted—a dickhead.
He groaned as he shut off the water and toweled off. Jabbing the toothbrush into his mouth, he scrubbed his teeth, and then he stomped to the bedroom to get dressed. He shoved his legs into his pants and struggled with the buttons on his shirt.
Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, hoping to calm the anger making his heart pound like a hammer. If her opinion of him mattered so much, why the hell had he acted like an asshole?
After fumbling with his belt for half a minute, he finally got the damn thing buckled and pulled on his shoes. He’d make it up to her—if she ever spoke to him again.
He shuffled to the living room and found Alexis curled up on the couch next to Sam, stroking his fur as he snored away happily. Her boots sat next to her backpack by the front door, and she’d folded the blanket and stacked it with the pillow on the chair.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he nodded. “Hey.”
She looked at him, and her green eyes sparkled in the early-morning sunlight streaming through window. “Hey.”
“I…didn’t think you’d be here.”
She glanced at her stuff by the door. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No.” He sauntered into the room and sat on the arm of the couch. “I’m glad you’re here. I want to apologize for the way I acted last night.”
She narrowed her eyes and studied him, the seconds stretching into an eternity. “Why did you act like that last night?”
He let out his breath in a huff. “I was childish. There’s no excuse for my behavior, but…”
Sam raised his head and peered at Bryce sleepily before sliding off the couch and walking to the back door.
“Hold on.” He shuffled to the door and opened it, and Sam scrambled outside and down the steps. Bryce left the door cracked and turned to find Alexis on her feet, leaning against the back of the couch.
Bound by Blood (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 3) Page 10