Read Online Stripe Search: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Furocious Lust Shorts Book 5) by Milly Taiden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Milly Taiden
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gotten a small check from my mother for groceries. He wanted to go gamble.”
“But you didn’t?” Gabby supplied, seeing the answer in the woman’s face.
“No. I couldn’t say no, or he’d get angry and break everything. So I went with him, and I put some of the money into a machine, let it load, and then pressed the max button by mistake. I won five thousand dollars.” The woman glanced at her with pure disbelief. “I’d never won anything. I don’t even like gambling. Anyway, he didn’t want to leave the machine in case it was hot, according to him, so he told me to take the ticket and go cash it.”
Realization dawned then. “You didn’t cash it. You ran into me!”
She nodded, shame making her pale features crimson. “I didn’t want him to get ahold of that money, so I accidentally dropped it into your coat pocket and told him I lost it all on a different machine.”
“He didn’t believe you, did he?”
“He’d been watching and saw when I bumped you. I think he realized what I’d done, but since I’ve never lied to him for fear of being hurt, he assumed you stole it out of my hands when I wasn’t paying attention.”
Wow. All that time she’d had the paper and had no clue. She’d hung up that coat and hadn’t bothered to check the pockets since. “How did you know to drop it there? What if I’d been a real thief?”
The woman shrugged. “It was a chance I took. I just didn’t expect him to obsess this much. I had hoped that I’d be able to catch up with you and explain and hopefully you’d give it back. Either way, it’s not like I would have been allowed to keep it if I gave it to him.”
“Your husband was hurt tonight,” Gabriella blurted out. “I feel the need to tell you that. I don’t know how badly, but it was bad.”
The woman didn’t even blink. “I needed that money to run away from him. I’m tired of his gambling and his anger. It would be a fresh start.”
Gabby nodded. “If it’s in the pink coat, it’s yours. I’ll go inside and check. I’ve got it hanging in the club. Come with me.”
They went back into the club, and Gabby ran into the section reserved for her costumes and extra clothing changes. She reached into the pocket. Sure enough, she pulled out the piece of paper from the Striped hotel for five thousand dollars and change.
She turned to face the woman and handed her the casino payment voucher. “I wish you luck.”
The woman’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. “Thank you. You’re so kind. I’m getting as far from that man as possible.”
She gave Gabby a hug. Gabby stopped a security guard and asked him to put the woman safely in a cab.
She was walking out the back of the building a second time when she saw Slade. No longer in tiger form, he was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. She ambled toward him slowly, unsure if he still wanted to be alone or what.
Then she saw the insecurity in his eyes. He was afraid of what she might think over what he did. She marched with more power in her step and threw herself in his arms.
“I was so worried about you,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” He held her tight. “When I saw the guy grab you, I lost all control of my tiger. The tiger wanted him dead, and I wasn’t going to stop him.”
She glanced up into his molten-gold eyes and nodded. “I understand. I’m yours to protect.”
“I thought seeing that would have made you disgusted or scared.” He searched her face, looking for something.
She shook her head. “I still love you. Probably more now. No one has ever come to my rescue before. We’ll just have to work on your mauling your way through the Strip.”
A smile broke over his lips. “I’d do anything to protect you. I didn’t want to rush you, Gabriella, but I love you. You’re the one woman I want. The only one.”
She hugged him again. “You’re the man I want, Slade. I’m sure of it.”
He glanced up at the club at her back. “Do you have
“But you didn’t?” Gabby supplied, seeing the answer in the woman’s face.
“No. I couldn’t say no, or he’d get angry and break everything. So I went with him, and I put some of the money into a machine, let it load, and then pressed the max button by mistake. I won five thousand dollars.” The woman glanced at her with pure disbelief. “I’d never won anything. I don’t even like gambling. Anyway, he didn’t want to leave the machine in case it was hot, according to him, so he told me to take the ticket and go cash it.”
Realization dawned then. “You didn’t cash it. You ran into me!”
She nodded, shame making her pale features crimson. “I didn’t want him to get ahold of that money, so I accidentally dropped it into your coat pocket and told him I lost it all on a different machine.”
“He didn’t believe you, did he?”
“He’d been watching and saw when I bumped you. I think he realized what I’d done, but since I’ve never lied to him for fear of being hurt, he assumed you stole it out of my hands when I wasn’t paying attention.”
Wow. All that time she’d had the paper and had no clue. She’d hung up that coat and hadn’t bothered to check the pockets since. “How did you know to drop it there? What if I’d been a real thief?”
The woman shrugged. “It was a chance I took. I just didn’t expect him to obsess this much. I had hoped that I’d be able to catch up with you and explain and hopefully you’d give it back. Either way, it’s not like I would have been allowed to keep it if I gave it to him.”
“Your husband was hurt tonight,” Gabriella blurted out. “I feel the need to tell you that. I don’t know how badly, but it was bad.”
The woman didn’t even blink. “I needed that money to run away from him. I’m tired of his gambling and his anger. It would be a fresh start.”
Gabby nodded. “If it’s in the pink coat, it’s yours. I’ll go inside and check. I’ve got it hanging in the club. Come with me.”
They went back into the club, and Gabby ran into the section reserved for her costumes and extra clothing changes. She reached into the pocket. Sure enough, she pulled out the piece of paper from the Striped hotel for five thousand dollars and change.
She turned to face the woman and handed her the casino payment voucher. “I wish you luck.”
The woman’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. “Thank you. You’re so kind. I’m getting as far from that man as possible.”
She gave Gabby a hug. Gabby stopped a security guard and asked him to put the woman safely in a cab.
She was walking out the back of the building a second time when she saw Slade. No longer in tiger form, he was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. She ambled toward him slowly, unsure if he still wanted to be alone or what.
Then she saw the insecurity in his eyes. He was afraid of what she might think over what he did. She marched with more power in her step and threw herself in his arms.
“I was so worried about you,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” He held her tight. “When I saw the guy grab you, I lost all control of my tiger. The tiger wanted him dead, and I wasn’t going to stop him.”
She glanced up into his molten-gold eyes and nodded. “I understand. I’m yours to protect.”
“I thought seeing that would have made you disgusted or scared.” He searched her face, looking for something.
She shook her head. “I still love you. Probably more now. No one has ever come to my rescue before. We’ll just have to work on your mauling your way through the Strip.”
A smile broke over his lips. “I’d do anything to protect you. I didn’t want to rush you, Gabriella, but I love you. You’re the one woman I want. The only one.”
She hugged him again. “You’re the man I want, Slade. I’m sure of it.”
He glanced up at the club at her back. “Do you have
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