Head Hunter (City Shifters the Pack #3) - Layla Nash Page 0,26

room was quiet, broken only by the even rise-and-fall of their breathing, when she took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

Dodge’s eyebrows arched as he stared at the ceiling in the darkness. That was unexpected. “For what?”

“For saving my life.” She was remarkably still, though it felt like she’d gotten closer to his side. Her feet were like fucking blocks of ice against his calf, that was for damn sure.

“You’re welcome.” Dodge knew he was going to hell. He’d deserve every minute of it. “You can make it up to me by doing some of those squats, and –“

He grunted as she slammed her fist into his side, furious. “You’re such an asshole.”

Persephone rolled over and faced the wall. Dodge had to pinch the bridge of his nose to keep his shit together. Better for her to be mad. Mad was better than sad and helpless.

He was still going to hell, though, and that would be nothing compared to what Deirdre would do to him if she knew half of what he’d said to Persephone. He couldn’t have slept even if he wanted to.

Chapter 13

Percy

I couldn’t sleep. Despite Dodge’s insistence that we were probably okay for the rest of the night, I didn’t believe him. The clammy feeling of being hunted and chased still lingered, shivering down my back whenever I remembered what had happened in that kitchen. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of something else. Anything else.

It didn’t work.

I moved to my other side, glaring at Dodge’s back. He remained motionless, facing away from me. He had impressive shoulders, even larger than I remembered. I couldn’t believe he was really in my apartment, in my room, in my bed. Right next to me. Fully-dressed, but still. I drew my knees up, wanting a little barrier between me and his ass. I couldn’t believe what the fuck he’d said about my ass and me not being his type. It had to be a lie. The way he’d been looking at me that morning while I spoke with the Evershaws...

My lips pursed and I adjusted the pillow under my head, trying to figure out what to do with my arm. And there was still a shitload of things to worry about with them. Having someone... chopped up right in front of me kind of distracted me from all the bullshit from that morning. A wolf-man and whatever it was that Deidre did. Crazy shit.

If I went to the police, would they even believe me? What was more dangerous – taking my chances that the body-choppers would chase me, or sticking around to see why Evershaw and his wife sent Dodge to fetch me back?

“Would you settle down?” he grumbled.

“I’m not going to be able to sleep,” I said. He was stupid if he thought I could somehow magically turn off my brain and just drift off to dreamland.

He sighed, sounding totally put-upon... like I was the asshole keeping him awake. I scowled at his back and thought about just pushing him off the bed. “You can go sleep on the couch if you need your peace and quiet.”

“If you had some liquor in this place, we could have a couple of drinks and maybe that would... help you sleep.” From the pause, it sounded like he’d intended to say ‘shut the hell up’ or something equally offensive.

And then it struck me that he sounded pretty damn certain that I didn’t have booze. Which meant... “You searched my kitchen?”

A long pause answered me, so I figured I’d struck home. It just made me angrier. He’d broken into my home and just... riffled through my things, no doubt judging me and making assumptions. I swung a leg over his side so I could clamber off the bed and get the hell away from him. “Fine. I’ll sleep on the couch, you can go straight to hell and fuck yourself on the way, and –”

“Nope,” he said.

Strong hands caught my waist in a firm grip and held me captive, and then suddenly he was laying on his back and I straddled his hips. My heart jumped to my throat as I looked down at him. Dodge gazed up at me with a surprising lack of interest.

So maybe he didn’t find me attractive.

The opposite was definitely not true. My palms rested against the hard planes of his chest, and not even my flannel pajama pants and his jeans were enough to disguise the iron muscles of his thighs. I concentrated on breathing.