Read Online When Lust Rules by Virginia Cavanaugh - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Virginia Cavanaugh
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It’s
the really, really bad man in charge of a bunch of really bad men.”
“Julie. I’m not only a werewolf, I’m an alpha. Do you know
what that means?”
She shook her head and pressed her cheek tighter against his
chest.
“I am in charge of a lot of other wolves. A small army if
you will.”
She lifted her head to look up at him. “Really?”
“Yep. So when I said I’d keep you safe I wasn’t just pushing
pretty words your way. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We don’t know for
sure this is Arik we’re dealing with. But I need to know why you would think
that.”
She bit into her lower lip. Would he think her awful for
taking the money? Did she really even have a choice to not accept his help? If
Arik was indeed after her, then she didn’t have a chance on her own. But could
she really put him in that position? “Are you sure you want in on this? I have
a lot of baggage and I wouldn’t blame you for walking out the door now.”
He leaned forward and kissed her lips. The tenderness of the
act made her chest clench. A warm tear tracked down her cheek.
He whispered above her lips. “I’m not going anywhere.” He
brushed away the tear with his thumb. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
She let him lead her to the bed and took a seat next to him,
dropping the duffle at their feet. Where to start? She sucked in a breath and
let it whoosh back out between her pursed lips. “I did something stupid.”
She waited for him to interrupt, but he didn’t. He waited,
giving her as much time as she needed to stumble through this confession. His
patience only endeared him to her more. “When Ivan was arrested, Arik wanted
the money that was stashed in our home. I took it to him. Most of it.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm. Is that all you have to say?”
“Did Arik not realize there was some missing?”
“Yeah, but I told him I had to use it to pay for Ivan’s
defense attorneys. Attorney fees are really high these days. I took a hundred
thousand. I needed it to restart my life. I had nothing. That was a year ago
and he let me leave, so I figured whether he believed me or not he was good
with it.”
“I tend to agree somewhat. Drug dealers are really picky
about their money, so if it’s been a year since you left then I am inclined to
think he brushed it off. Unless he believed you and found out different. Has
Ivan gone to trial yet?”
“I’m not sure. I refused to testify and they couldn’t hold
me. I didn’t want to be the next missing person.”
“That may be the reason Arik let you go with the money. What
I don’t like is that we’re basing a lot of our conclusions on assumption.”
“So what do we do?”
“We need to do some research. What state did you come from?
We need to look for news related to Ivan. Surely this is a high-enough profile
case that at least the local media should be on this, right?”
“Yes. At least they were before I left town. When I left, I
cut ties. I didn’t follow the case or stay in contact with old friends. Well,
honestly, none of the people I associated with at that time were my true
friends. Most of the women I was around were nothing but trophies to decorate
the arm of whatever man they were with.”
He took her hand into his and she turned to face him. “We
need to be careful. And we can’t rule out someone local with some crazy
infatuation. It could be just a coincidence that your past lends to the
thoughts of something coming back to haunt you. But I won’t brush it aside
either.”
Her gaze fell to her lap. “I don’t understand why you would
want to help me. Most guys would be running in the other direction.”
Luken tipped her chin upward with his knuckle, bringing her
gaze back to his. “I’m not most guys. There’s something about you, Julie.
Something very special. And I want to keep you around. So what if you have
baggage? So do I. Hello. Werewolf here.”
She laughed.
“Stop worrying. We’ll get through this. But I was
the really, really bad man in charge of a bunch of really bad men.”
“Julie. I’m not only a werewolf, I’m an alpha. Do you know
what that means?”
She shook her head and pressed her cheek tighter against his
chest.
“I am in charge of a lot of other wolves. A small army if
you will.”
She lifted her head to look up at him. “Really?”
“Yep. So when I said I’d keep you safe I wasn’t just pushing
pretty words your way. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We don’t know for
sure this is Arik we’re dealing with. But I need to know why you would think
that.”
She bit into her lower lip. Would he think her awful for
taking the money? Did she really even have a choice to not accept his help? If
Arik was indeed after her, then she didn’t have a chance on her own. But could
she really put him in that position? “Are you sure you want in on this? I have
a lot of baggage and I wouldn’t blame you for walking out the door now.”
He leaned forward and kissed her lips. The tenderness of the
act made her chest clench. A warm tear tracked down her cheek.
He whispered above her lips. “I’m not going anywhere.” He
brushed away the tear with his thumb. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
She let him lead her to the bed and took a seat next to him,
dropping the duffle at their feet. Where to start? She sucked in a breath and
let it whoosh back out between her pursed lips. “I did something stupid.”
She waited for him to interrupt, but he didn’t. He waited,
giving her as much time as she needed to stumble through this confession. His
patience only endeared him to her more. “When Ivan was arrested, Arik wanted
the money that was stashed in our home. I took it to him. Most of it.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm. Is that all you have to say?”
“Did Arik not realize there was some missing?”
“Yeah, but I told him I had to use it to pay for Ivan’s
defense attorneys. Attorney fees are really high these days. I took a hundred
thousand. I needed it to restart my life. I had nothing. That was a year ago
and he let me leave, so I figured whether he believed me or not he was good
with it.”
“I tend to agree somewhat. Drug dealers are really picky
about their money, so if it’s been a year since you left then I am inclined to
think he brushed it off. Unless he believed you and found out different. Has
Ivan gone to trial yet?”
“I’m not sure. I refused to testify and they couldn’t hold
me. I didn’t want to be the next missing person.”
“That may be the reason Arik let you go with the money. What
I don’t like is that we’re basing a lot of our conclusions on assumption.”
“So what do we do?”
“We need to do some research. What state did you come from?
We need to look for news related to Ivan. Surely this is a high-enough profile
case that at least the local media should be on this, right?”
“Yes. At least they were before I left town. When I left, I
cut ties. I didn’t follow the case or stay in contact with old friends. Well,
honestly, none of the people I associated with at that time were my true
friends. Most of the women I was around were nothing but trophies to decorate
the arm of whatever man they were with.”
He took her hand into his and she turned to face him. “We
need to be careful. And we can’t rule out someone local with some crazy
infatuation. It could be just a coincidence that your past lends to the
thoughts of something coming back to haunt you. But I won’t brush it aside
either.”
Her gaze fell to her lap. “I don’t understand why you would
want to help me. Most guys would be running in the other direction.”
Luken tipped her chin upward with his knuckle, bringing her
gaze back to his. “I’m not most guys. There’s something about you, Julie.
Something very special. And I want to keep you around. So what if you have
baggage? So do I. Hello. Werewolf here.”
She laughed.
“Stop worrying. We’ll get through this. But I was
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