Luscious - Lexi Blake Page 0,72

closed his eyes again. “I don’t care what you do. If you don’t leave, then I will.”

Tears threatened again. “All right then.”

He huffed and the steel was back in his eyes when he looked at her. “So what? You standing around waiting to help the cripple up?”

She was thinking about kicking him in the ribs. “Nope. I’m sure you’ll manage fine all on your own. Good-bye, Macon. I’ll be out of the house tonight.”

“Tell me how much the down payment is.”

If he was going to be an ass, she definitely wasn’t taking a dime from him. She was sure it would reassure him she was some kind of gold digger. “Nothing. I’ll manage.”

“I don’t want you sleeping in that car again, Allyson,” he called out.

“I guess what you want doesn’t matter anymore.” She walked away, her soul sagging. She watched him through the window. Eventually he managed to struggle to his feet and go back inside.

He didn’t need her help and she was beginning to believe she didn’t need him.

* * * *

Macon strode into Chef Taggart’s office with his gut in a knot. It was Friday night after dinner service. He had to catch his boss before he disappeared to go to whoever’s house was hosting Sanctum this week. Friday nights were a standing playdate between Sean and Grace Taggart.

He needed to get this shit over with. He couldn’t take too much more of watching Ally with her sad eyes and luscious body.

Not that she’d been too sad earlier in the afternoon. She’d stood over him and told him off. Like she had a right to do that. Like two weeks was too much time to ask for. Not that he’d asked for time. He didn’t care. He didn’t care that she’d been so beautiful telling him she believed in herself, that she’d made plans to stand behind him, to be his partner, but if he was an idiot, she’d move on.

Nope. He didn’t care. He wanted her to move on. He was going to do the same. What she’d done was unforgivable. In his family, you didn’t get a second chance. You got it right or you were done.

Was he really hearing his father’s voice in his head? Was that what he wanted his life to come to?

“You wanted to see me?” Sean Taggart sat behind his desk, going over the nightly reports. “Make it quick. We’re due at Ian’s in an hour.”

“I’ll pass tonight.”

“Oh, okay. I guess you heard Ally’s there. You know just because you’re not together doesn’t mean you should stop going to the club.”

He stopped, his heart clenching. “What do you mean Ally’s going?”

Sean sat back. “She’s asked Ian if she can be accepted as a trainee. Smart girl. She showed up at Ian’s office with a lemon icebox pie about a week ago and negotiated so she doesn’t have to pay fees. She’s taking care of the kids for three months twice a week and then training on Saturday nights. Tomorrow is her first training night. I think Ian’s going to put her with Ten.”

He felt his eyes widen. “With Ten? With cold as ice, probably killed someone five minutes ago Ten? I know everyone is claiming that guy is just a friend of Ian’s but I swear if he wasn’t Special Forces I’ll eat my C-leg.”

Sean’s lips curled up in an enigmatic grin. “I’ll get you some sauce to go with that. He’s not Special Forces.”

“Then he’s worse. He’s Agency or something. He’s not a fucking civilian and he’ll hurt her.” Ten was also gorgeous and had every sub panting after him. He was ice cold. So cold that the subs were calling him Master No because that was what he said almost all the time. No. He would be so negative around Ally, and that wasn’t what she needed. She needed an indulgent Master.

“It doesn’t matter what he used to do. Now he’s a Dom in training and Ian takes that serious, as you know.”

Jake was Macon’s mentor. Jake had been disappointed he’d started missing sessions. If he didn’t watch it, he would lose his rights in Sanctum altogether, but it didn’t really matter. Did it? “Well, I hope that works out for her. I need to hand in my two weeks’ notice. I know I’m leaving you in the lurch, but I’m going to move back to New York.”

Sean’s eyes closed but not before Macon saw a wave of disappointment there. His boss sat back and sighed. “Are you really