from experience. Until then, well, things were just going to suck while my body dealt with the damage. That’s all there was to it.
Once I’d dosed myself back up, I slid back out of the bathroom and found Damon standing just outside the doorway.
Those gray eyes dropped to linger on my throat. I turned away.
“I’m calling it a day,” I told him.
“About time.”
It had been five hours since we’d left the rec club. The contrite Damon from outside the club had disappeared, and his asshole side had returned, leaving me to deal with it all afternoon. I’d been able to think more clearly when he was quiet, but I was on more even ground when he was being an asshole. Didn’t know which was the better option yet.
“I’m starving,” he said, trailing after me and watching as I slid my sword into the sheath slung around my hips. “Wherever we go to eat, are they going to let you take that in?”
In the middle of slinging my bag onto my shoulder, I paused. “We?” Then I shook my head. “Sorry. You’re on your own.”
I headed to the door.
A long arm barred my way.
“You seem to forget, kitten…the job and me, we’re a package deal.” He dipped his head and whispered against my hair, “You’re stuck with me, around the clock, until we find the boy.”
No. Hell. No .
Clenching my jaw, I backed away from him. “No. I have to tolerate you at my back during the day, that’s fine. But I’m not putting up with you around the clock.” Each word was like forcing glass out, but there was no way I was doing this.
Damon shrugged. “You don’t have a choice. If you leave without me, I’ll just follow, and I warn you, I’ll be mad enough to do something nasty to that car of yours. If you try to lock me out of the house, I’ll bust the door down.”
While rage sounded an alarm in my ears, I flexed my hand. I didn’t need this job that badly. Did I? Shit. I needed this like I needed a damned hole in the head. “I’ll call the cops. Tell them you’re hassling me,” I said. “What then?”
“You can’t.” He winked at me.
The asshole winked at me.
“You see, you accepted the money. Remember that part where that’s pretty much just like signing a contract? You agreed to the terms…including the part where I’m a package deal. You call the cops, I’ll just explain that I was concerned for your safety and I was doing what I had to do to make sure you stayed under my direct supervision. Face it, kitten. You’re stuck with me.”
“Cyanide sounds so very appealing right now.”
“You can’t poison me with cyanide.” He shrugged. “Would take a tankload.”
“Not for you. For me. Probably the easiest way out of this mess.”
If he thought I was going to actually sit down in a fucking restaurant with him, he was out of his mind. As long as I was driving, he’d get what I damned well felt like feeding him. And it turned out to be Arby’s.
I sat in the drive-thru while he glared at me. “I’m fucking hungry,” he snarled. “You did fast food earlier and you didn’t eat a damn thing. We need a real meal.”
The Motrin had actually helped this time. I could speak a little easier.
“You want to eat, you get it here. I’m tired and I want to go home,” I said, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.
“I need real food, damn it.”
“Then you’re going to have to figure out some other way to get it. This is the only place I’m stopping.”
“And if I decide to haul you elsewhere?”
“Try it.” I smiled. “Please, try it. The only way you’ll get me into a restaurant with you is if you drag me in there kicking and screaming.”
I cracked one eye to look over at him. “I’m pretty sure your beloved Alpha frowns on that.”
I’d heard a couple of her cats had gotten a little tanked a year ago. Shifters couldn’t get drunk–they just burned through the alcohol. But they get high. The drugs had to be made specifically for their bloodline; do it right,
Once I’d dosed myself back up, I slid back out of the bathroom and found Damon standing just outside the doorway.
Those gray eyes dropped to linger on my throat. I turned away.
“I’m calling it a day,” I told him.
“About time.”
It had been five hours since we’d left the rec club. The contrite Damon from outside the club had disappeared, and his asshole side had returned, leaving me to deal with it all afternoon. I’d been able to think more clearly when he was quiet, but I was on more even ground when he was being an asshole. Didn’t know which was the better option yet.
“I’m starving,” he said, trailing after me and watching as I slid my sword into the sheath slung around my hips. “Wherever we go to eat, are they going to let you take that in?”
In the middle of slinging my bag onto my shoulder, I paused. “We?” Then I shook my head. “Sorry. You’re on your own.”
I headed to the door.
A long arm barred my way.
“You seem to forget, kitten…the job and me, we’re a package deal.” He dipped his head and whispered against my hair, “You’re stuck with me, around the clock, until we find the boy.”
No. Hell. No .
Clenching my jaw, I backed away from him. “No. I have to tolerate you at my back during the day, that’s fine. But I’m not putting up with you around the clock.” Each word was like forcing glass out, but there was no way I was doing this.
Damon shrugged. “You don’t have a choice. If you leave without me, I’ll just follow, and I warn you, I’ll be mad enough to do something nasty to that car of yours. If you try to lock me out of the house, I’ll bust the door down.”
While rage sounded an alarm in my ears, I flexed my hand. I didn’t need this job that badly. Did I? Shit. I needed this like I needed a damned hole in the head. “I’ll call the cops. Tell them you’re hassling me,” I said. “What then?”
“You can’t.” He winked at me.
The asshole winked at me.
“You see, you accepted the money. Remember that part where that’s pretty much just like signing a contract? You agreed to the terms…including the part where I’m a package deal. You call the cops, I’ll just explain that I was concerned for your safety and I was doing what I had to do to make sure you stayed under my direct supervision. Face it, kitten. You’re stuck with me.”
“Cyanide sounds so very appealing right now.”
“You can’t poison me with cyanide.” He shrugged. “Would take a tankload.”
“Not for you. For me. Probably the easiest way out of this mess.”
If he thought I was going to actually sit down in a fucking restaurant with him, he was out of his mind. As long as I was driving, he’d get what I damned well felt like feeding him. And it turned out to be Arby’s.
I sat in the drive-thru while he glared at me. “I’m fucking hungry,” he snarled. “You did fast food earlier and you didn’t eat a damn thing. We need a real meal.”
The Motrin had actually helped this time. I could speak a little easier.
“You want to eat, you get it here. I’m tired and I want to go home,” I said, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.
“I need real food, damn it.”
“Then you’re going to have to figure out some other way to get it. This is the only place I’m stopping.”
“And if I decide to haul you elsewhere?”
“Try it.” I smiled. “Please, try it. The only way you’ll get me into a restaurant with you is if you drag me in there kicking and screaming.”
I cracked one eye to look over at him. “I’m pretty sure your beloved Alpha frowns on that.”
I’d heard a couple of her cats had gotten a little tanked a year ago. Shifters couldn’t get drunk–they just burned through the alcohol. But they get high. The drugs had to be made specifically for their bloodline; do it right,
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