his spike. She started making noises about him coming home and he hated the idea. He was terrified of her. She’s his monster under the bed.”
“Gee. Imagine that.”
A short sigh burst out of him. “Why do you have to keep doing that? Are you trying to piss me off?”
“Do I have to try?” I groaned as his fingers hit a tight spot on my neck. “I’m almost tempted to just shut up. I’m afraid you might stop doing that.”
He laughed. “Your neck is a mess.”
“I’m a mess,” I pointed out.
“You also didn’t answer me.”
“Shit. What do you want me to say? You work for and obey a cruel, insane bitch who doesn’t have the soul to care for her own nephew. You’re her enforcer and from what it sounds like to me, she points you in a direction and says kill and you do it. She’s a crazy, murderous bitch and you’re her yes boy.”
I closed my eyes and wondered if maybe that wasn’t a dumb thing to say, considering he already had his hand gripping my neck.
“Would you stop looking like you expect me to break your neck or slit your throat or something?” he snapped.
I clenched my right hand, frowning a little. It itched. But not much. “Well, if I really felt like you were going to do that, I’d have my sword in hand. If I’m certain I’m that close to death, I plan on going down fighting.”
Silence fell.
After a few minutes, he murmured, “I guess that’s a start.”
A start to what?
“She’ll want to kill you just because she said would and it will look better in her eyes to do what she said, despite the fact that it doesn’t make any sense,” he said finally. He stroked a hand down my shoulder, my arm, then rested his elbow on the console. His hand curled into a loose fist as he drummed it on the molded plastic. “Everything is about appearances, power and what pleases her. So the way to work it is to make it unpleasant, work against her power, and cast an air of impropriety—that’s all it takes to make her decide it’s not worth following through. She doesn’t give a damn about keeping her word if it doesn’t suit her. So if it’s more trouble to kill you than not, then she won’t lay a hand on you.”
“Okay…and you’re telling me this…why?”
“Several reasons.” That dark, glowering look, the one that spoke of storms and anger, rolled across his face. “Pay attention, kitten. You’re learning shit about the Alpha that some people have tried for years to learn.”
“And you’re telling me why?”
“Knowledge is power. Haven’t you heard how important is it to know your enemy?”
“Sure.” I smiled at him serenely. “So…what’s your sign?”
“Cute.” He folded his hand over mine and twined our fingers. “You need to know this shit.”
“I never considered her my enemy. She’s an obstacle at the moment,” I muttered.
“She wants you dead.”
“No. She’ll want me dead if I don’t succeed.” I looked out the window and saw the sign for the small town near the entrance of the park coming up. “That doesn’t make her an enemy yet. I know my enemies.”
Brooding, I fought not to fall back into those memories.
Useless waste—
“Your grandmother.”
Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “Please don’t.”
“Your demons,” he said, shrugging. “They’re not the problem right now. Neither is the Alpha. You need to focus on your allies. Who wants you alive…and I guess your family isn’t among them?”
“Nope. They’d send chocolate, raw chunks of meat or fresh blood to whichever entity was to rid the world of the problem of my existence.”
His hand tightened. “I think I dislike them already.”
I jerked a shoulder in a shrug. It was a fact of my life. One I was used to.
“So…allies?” He stroked his thumb across my skin. Nothing so simple should feel that good. “Is safe to say that witch back in Orlando is one?”
I clenched my jaw.
“Yes. But I don’t want to draw the Orlando House into this.”
“You may have no choice.” He ran his tongue over his teeth and then added, “Although I’m reluctant to consider it, it seems that big bastard in Wolf Haven was fond of you. Can you count on them? Goliath and…”
“Her name is TJ.” I stared out the window. “She won’t leave Wolf Haven. No matter what. Goliath?” I shrugged. “He might do some damage in my name, but he’ll always go back to her.”