Six Months

by Dark, Dannika

  Austin cleared his throat and they backed off the topic.

  “Some men like independent women,” Reno said, giving my leg a light squeeze. “A good woman who raises a family and keeps order in the pack is admirable, but a woman doesn’t need to cook a meal to prove her worth any more than a man needs to kill a spider.”

  Lexi raised her eyebrows and sipped her wine. “I wouldn’t go that far. I’m not touching those creepy-crawlies, so you boys better man up.”

  “I do a little cooking,” I admitted. “I have my signature dishes.” A smile crossed my face when I thought about my famous tuna casserole that always made Trevor gag, but everyone gobbled it up at parties.

  “What dish is that?” Wheeler asked. “Money cake?”

  Reno’s hand vanished from my leg and he slammed his fist on the table in front of Wheeler, causing a few forks to bounce up.

  “I don’t like the way you’ve been eyeballing her tonight,” he ground out through his clenched teeth. “I expect someone like Ben to leer because she’s a pretty girl and he’s an asshole. But the way you’re looking at her isn’t the same,” he said, pointing a heavy finger. “You got something to say?”

  I touched Reno’s arm, not wanting to start any family drama. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve all had a lot of wine. Let’s not fight.”

  His arm didn’t move from pointing at Wheeler, who leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “April stole five thousand dollars from Sweet Treats by transferring funds into her personal account.”

  A veil of silence fell over the room and all eyes settled on me.

  “I put it back!”

  A smile ghosted Wheeler’s lips. “And boom goes the dynamite.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath, realizing my admission. I shouldn’t have had the second glass of wine.

  “You stole from me?” Lexi said in an angry voice, blinking with wide eyes. “Is that true?”

  When Reno leaned away, I teared up. “I put it all back, Lexi. I swear. Every cent of it.”

  She shook her head slowly, rising to her feet. “I can’t believe you did this. You stole from me! I thought I could rely on you, April. Here we are, inviting you over to dinner, and we’re entrusting you with an even bigger secret. Why would you do something like that?”

  My forehead ached from frowning and I refused to give her what she wanted: answers.

  Austin’s chair scraped back as he stood up and dropped his arms to his sides. A dizzying wave swept over me as her eyes glittered with betrayal and anger.

  I lowered my head. “I’m so sorry. I never meant for you to find out.”

  “So you were going to steal my money and cover it up? That’s even worse! You’re not even going to tell me why?” She covered her eyes with her hands. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe this. I gave you all those financial documents and files. You have full access to the account. If Wheeler hadn’t have told us, then what?”

  “Let her explain,” Reno said.

  But I couldn’t. They were all staring at me expectantly and I knew I couldn’t provide a reason that would excuse my behavior—not in their eyes. At this point, nothing I could give them would justify my actions. Their whole lives as a pack revolved around trust, and I had broken it.

  Wheeler shook his head and threw his napkin on the table as he stood up. “Can’t trust anyone around money.”

  Chapter 16

  When I grabbed my keys and fled toward my loaner vehicle, Reno came after me and hauled me by the waist to his truck. He said I’d had too much wine and he’d drive me home.

  I was mortified. What had started out as a lovely evening had ended up as one of the worst moments of my life. What had made me think I could cover up my crime and everything would be okay? Even if they hadn’t found out, the guilt of that secret would have eaten away at my conscience.

  Did I even have one anymore?

  Even worse, Reno was taking me home to a trailer he’d filled up with his own hard-earned money—all for a girl who’d stolen from his family. I hadn’t just embarrassed myself in that room; I’d seen the judgmental stares Reno’s brothers had given him. I gazed out the truck window and suddenly didn’t want to go home. Anywhere but there. The vehicle bounced over a bump and we slowed at a light in a familiar part of town. Just a few blocks away, Trevor was probably crashing on a friend’s sofa. I knew his go-to people and was certain that’s where he was hiding out.

  I also knew that I could run remarkably fast—walking to work had built up my endurance. While Reno fumbled with texting a message on his phone, I quietly unbuckled my seatbelt and threw open the door, flying down the street at a breakneck speed before he could put the truck in park. My lungs were about to burst as I gasped for oxygen. It felt so good to run that hard, and maybe if I ran fast enough, I’d leave my problems behind and they’d never catch up with me.

  I turned down an alley and scaled a chain-link fence. My face heated as I cut through a stretch of land behind an auto repair shop. I no longer heard Reno’s footsteps behind me and when I reached the apartment complex, I pounded my fist on one of the doors, gasping for breath.

  An overweight guy with a mustache answered.

  “John, is Trevor here?” I panted.

  “Jesus. Did you run here from the hood?” he said with a hard laugh. “Get inside. Trevor’s takin’ a piss. Been a long time since I seen you, Apricot.”

  “Don’t call me that, Long Johns,” I said with a smile in my voice. But no smile crossed my face as I entered his living room and set my purse on his musty leather sofa. John used to work with Trevor in a landscaping business and they’d remained friends over the years. He’d always had connections in getting Trevor good tickets to rock concerts. I think he knew a DJ at one of the radio stations.

  I wiped my face, still breathing heavily. John plopped down indifferently in the recliner propped in front of the TV and turned up the volume.

  Trevor appeared in the doorway to my right, surrounded by a halo of light from the hall behind him. His face hardened and he crossed the room with a menacing stride.

  “Trevor, please don’t kick me out. I—”

  He cradled my head in his hands and something dark flickered in his eyes. “What’s wrong, April? Did that man come after you?”

  I blinked a few times and couldn’t speak.

  “Trevor, I thought you were dead.” Then I couldn’t see him anymore because tears flooded my eyes and all I could see was the misshapen blur of his face.

  He kissed my forehead. “Shhh, I’m fine. Looked worse than it really was because I’d been drinking and passed out. I’m sorry for what I said, babe. I didn’t mean a word of it. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

  John leaned around. “Can you two take that shit elsewhere? I’m trying to watch—”

  “Shut up, John,” Trevor said in a voice so thick that it cut through the room like steel. John turned back around and Trevor led me upstairs where the bedrooms were.

  After giving me a glass of water, he sat me down on a computer chair and knelt before me. “What’s going on with you? What kind of trouble are you in?”

  “None.”

  His eyes narrowed skeptically and he leaned on my knees. “You’re an expert bullshitter, April. You should have gotten a degree in it.”

  “It’s not bullshit. You won’t have to worry about that guy who beat you up, because I took care of him.”

  His mouth wrinkled. “What do you mean… took care of?”

  I rubbed my face and sighed. “He’s a loan shark. Not the one who attacked you—that guy works for him and picks up the collections. My grandma ran up a bunch of debt and I thought I’d paid it all off years ago. But he came back and said I didn’t pay the interest, so I had to come up with the money. I paid him off, so he won’t be coming back.”

  He shot up to his feet and stared down his nose at me. “Your grandma was a real piece of work. Holy hell. That bitch—”

  “Trevor, don’t. She’s dead, and—”


  “And you could have been lying in the cemetery beside her. That asshole was going to do something a hell of a lot worse to you if I wasn’t there. He kept asking where you were, but I didn’t tell him jack. He looked like a stalker, but now I see the big picture. Do you know what guys like him do to girls like you?”

  “Cut off our pinkies.”

  He blanched and gave me a puzzled look. Trevor’s bruises were faded and not nearly as serious as I remembered.

  “Is your arm okay?” I asked.

  “Is my arm okay? You show up here looking like the Terminator is hunting you down and then tell me all this business about a loan shark,” he shouted. “And you want to know about my arm?”

  I sprang to my feet.

  And lost my mind.

  I grabbed a lamp and launched it across the room. It crashed against the wall and then I blindly reached for a box of junk beside the bed and threw that too. Tiny guitar picks and CDs went flying like shrapnel. After that, I threw everything on that skanky bed onto the floor. My arms were flailing in violent motions as I pulled open a drawer and tossed out all the stuff inside—including a box of condoms and pack of cheap cigarettes. Then I tried pulling out the drawer.

  Trevor’s arms wrapped around me from behind. I struggled, screamed, kicked, and made feral sounds like an animal caught in a trap.

  “Shhhh. It’s okay. I got you. I love you, babe, and no one is coming after you. We’re going to work it out because we’re family. I’m not going anywhere, do you understand? I’m a jackass for running off and leaving you like that.”

  My fingernails dug into his arms and I kicked, but the energy deflated like air from a balloon. I slumped in his arms. “Oh, Trevor. I’m so sorry he did that to you,” I said, heavy with guilt. “Please don’t hate me. I had no idea he would come after you and I wanted to die when I saw you lying there with no life in your eyes.”

  “It’s not your damn fault. You got that?” Trevor spun me around and lifted me up in his arms—my feet dangling off the ground. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would sweep a woman off her feet.

  I rested my head on his shoulder, tears wetting his neck. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Babe, if you say that one more time, I’m throwing you out the window into the dumpster below. People make mistakes in life and sometimes shit happens. Share some of that burden with me, April. You can’t control everything, but I admire the hell out of you for trying. Now stop wiping your snot all over me and let’s go home.”

  ***

  Trevor was back for good and I had someone to lean on. Explaining my refurnished trailer didn’t go over well, and he especially didn’t like Reno’s involvement.

  “We’re taking all this shit back,” he declared.

  It saddened me, but he was right. Keeping Reno’s money would be selfish and insensitive. I could only imagine what it looked like to him—secretly stealing from his family and then relaxing on my brand-new bedspread like a princess, all while he filled my house with expensive things and fixed my leaks. I felt sickened by the whole thing, and worst of all, I’d lost him.

  Trevor neatly folded up every last item and placed them in the living room. “You don’t want a guy like that thinking you owe him something,” he said, preparing to take a shower.

  He grabbed his guitar from the sofa and propped it against the kitchen counter where some of his model airplanes were sitting. Trevor had brought over most of his belongings and used a few available cabinets and corners as storage. I smiled when I heard him in the bathroom cussing, maneuvering around as he tried to figure out the shower.

  I was draping a thick blanket over the sofa when a light knock sounded at the door. Trevor enjoyed long showers with the music on, so he didn’t hear it.

  I lifted the corner of the curtain and peered outside. Maddox stood away from the door, holding his hat in his hand and scratching his beard.

  I opened the door just a crack.

  “Got a minute?” he asked in a gentle voice.

  Maddox took several steps back and looked off toward the road as I went outside and stood in front of the door.

  “Have you had time to figure things out on how you’re going to pay?” he asked.

  Without a word, I shook my head.

  He wiped his hand over his mouth and stroked his facial hair. “You know about Shifters, and no sense in denying it because I know it to be a fact,” he said, slanting his eyes inside the trailer. “Your grandma didn’t know what I was because I deal with everyone, including humans. I’m not exclusive like some morons are. Money is money. But it’s not always about the money,” he said, his voice softening. “We’re partial to favor-trading.”

  I crossed my arms while Maddox scanned the property.

  “Your grandma was always good about her payments, even if it took her a while. She started doing business with me exclusively in the end, although I knew she was having trouble with a few other sharks who were trying to take a bite. Are they bothering you?”

  I bit my lip and he scrunched his mouth as if he’d gotten the answer he wanted.

  “I can offer you protection.”

  “For how much?” I said with disgust.

  “I’ll clear you of every last penny you owe with me and anyone else. Free and clear—I’m good on my word. I can offer you the safety of going to bed at night with both eyes closed.”

  My shoulders felt lighter. “How?”

  His brow quirked and he smiled bashfully. “Well, being my pet.”

  “Pet?” I didn’t like the sound of that.

  “It’s just a loose term for some of the humans who are… friendly with Shifters.” He chuckled warmly and fidgeted with his hat. “It doesn’t have to be sexual if you don’t want it to be. I get lonely at the house sometimes and would enjoy the company. Someone to talk to, cook up a meal, and occasionally work a jigsaw with me. You like those? I’ve got an addiction and spend hours at the table. But a man gets lonely and craves companionship. I’m not askin’ for you to be my woman—not unless you want to. But there are rules. You’d have to live with me, wear a collar, and not bring any men to your bed.”

  My eyes turned into razor-thin slivers. “You want me to put on a collar?”

  “Necklace,” he quickly corrected. “Fashionable-looking thing the ladies wear now that looks like a choker. Only it has my name on it. It’s just a way to show my claim so that no one will mess around with you. It’s a form of protection more than ownership. Look,” he said, putting his foot on the lower step and leaning on his knee. “I’m not a bad guy. I’ve never done this before, but I’ve seen a few women take a shine to it. I don’t live in a mansion, but I sure as hell don’t live in a trailer. You’ll be taken care of and if you want to go to school, I can help with that too. You see where I’m going with this? Whatever you want.”

  “Feels like prostitution.”

  “If you were giving me sex in exchange against your will, it might be. Except this isn’t a one-time transaction. I’m not asking for sex, but you’re free to give it should you take a liking to me. I treat ladies the way they should be, and I don’t raise a hand or bully them around. This is a second chance I’m giving you—one that won’t come around again,” he said, leaving the thought out there.

  “And if I say no?”

  “If you decline my offer, you’ll owe me full payment. I’m not showing up at your door with a crowbar, but you’ll probably be in debt for a long time unless you find yourself a rich fellow. You’ve got my number and I want you to call me in a few days and let me know how you decide. If I haven’t heard from you by Sunday, I’ll assume we’re still on track for payment. I’ll tell you how much for the first installment, but my interest rates are high and I don’t see how you’re going to clear this.”

  I rubbed my face in frustration. “You just want me to live with you? No sex?”

  “I’m a man. I’d love sex to be part of the deal if you’re okay with it, but it’s not expected. I’m not forcing myself on you
and you’re free to leave at any time, but that debt will travel with you like a shadow. As long as you stay with me, it’s clear. Think it over, and stay dry.”

  Maddox walked across the yard and disappeared through the trees.

  I went back inside, dumbfounded. How had I managed to run into so many of these Shifters? How many had I known my entire life without having realized it? Lexi said the Breed population was high in some cities. She also said there were some Breeds that wanted to exterminate Shifters because they felt threatened by their numbers.

  Trevor finally emerged from the bathroom with damp hair and an irritated look on his face. He opened up one of the cabinets and found a bag of sour-cream chips. “When is the last time you had a bubble bath?”

  “Maybe the time we had a blow-up pool and Rose put dishwashing suds in the water and ran the hose.”

  He sat beside me on the sofa and kissed the back of my hand before ripping the bag of chips open with his teeth.

  “Do you want to see me living better than this?” I asked.

  “Hell yeah. Nothing wrong with living in a trailer, April. But this thing is run-down and the neighborhood is one of the worst in the city. Especially with that a-hole on the loose,” he said, crunching on a chip. “You may have paid him off, but guys like that don’t surrender. Men have a weakness called pride, and they don’t get over it easily when someone bruises it.”

  A motor cut off outside and a door slammed.

  Gravel crunched outside as footsteps approached the trailer and Trevor launched to his feet—hands balled into tight fists and ropes of muscle on his arms tightening.

  The tiny door shook when a fist pounded against it. “April, open up this door or I’m breaking it down.”

  Trevor glanced at me. “The big bad wolf?” Then he pushed the door open and shoved a giant trash bag into Reno’s arms. “Take your shit. You’re not welcome here anymore.”

  Reno tried throwing down the bag, but Trevor kept grabbing stuff by the door and thrusting it into his arms. “Think you can buy her like a golden retriever and that’ll make her loyal? She doesn’t know what you’re doing, but I do. April’s naïve to these kind of intentions because she’s young, but you’re a real piece of work for taking advantage of that,” he said, tossing a box of mirrors at him.