With a stoic expression, Jericho backed up against the wall and slid to the floor, draping his arms over his bent knees.
I knelt in front of him and searched his eyes. “I’ve missed you.”
When his eyes lifted, they were remorseful. I felt the pain of decades within them—years of being lost.
“Are you mated?” he asked.
I sat back on my legs. “We just met. I’m not mated, but I’m in a relationship. We’ve been living together for a month. You know me—I’m as monogamous as they come. So the touching thing isn’t working for me. I don’t know how serious it is with Hawk after the stunt he pulled, but until we’re officially broken up, I’m off-limits. Thanks for taking care of those guys at the bar. Sometimes customers get touchy-feely, and I always put them in their place, but it doesn’t erase the humiliation I feel when I’m seeing a man.”
“You didn’t initiate it,” he said in my defense.
“You’re right. I also didn’t initiate it in this hall when you touched me a minute ago, and you know that was more than a friendly gesture.” I gave him a look of reproach and sighed.
“I won’t put my hands on you again,” he promised, his voice edged with anger. “Do you want to tell me why you let your boyfriend wrap his fingers around your throat?”
“We had a fight, but it’s not what you think.”
“What he did was unconscionable. A real man never puts his mark on a woman.” He paused for a beat and sharpened his gaze. “Has he ever handled you like that before?”
I averted my eyes. Hawk wasn’t an abusive man, but he could be a little rough. He knew I didn’t like to have my ass slapped in the morning but did it anyway because he thought it was funny. Sometimes he jerked me around by the arm, but there was never any hitting or violent behavior between us, not like there was in the house I grew up in. That was the level of violence I compared everything against, so anything less was manageable.
Jericho nodded with an intolerant glare, as if I’d given him the answer he wanted. “Did the fight with your boyfriend have to do with the jerk-off who threw you against the bar and knocked you out?” He leaned forward.
“Someone’s after Hawk, and they think they can find him through me. Hawk’s lying low until the dust settles. I have no idea where he is, but it doesn’t seem to matter to these guys.”
Jericho rose to his feet and walked around me. “So you have someone after you and no place to stay.”#p#分页标题#e#
I got up and squeezed the ends of my wet hair. “You summed it up very nicely, Jericho.”
“This isn’t funny, Isabelle. You’re staying here.”
“No,” I said, moving past him. “That would be a disaster waiting to happen.” I jogged down the stairs with him close behind.
“You can’t wander around in a city full of Shifters.”
“Sure I can!”
“Isabelle…”
I grabbed my flip-flops and keys before flying out the front door. Jericho tried to grab my shirt, but I picked up speed and jogged across the yard. Oh God, I needed to get away from all this drama.
“You don’t really want me here,” I yelled out. “And we might end up killing each other. I told Hawk if he doesn’t pay this guy back, then it’s over between us. I’ve given him an ultimatum, and I’m not really a fan of those.”
When I unlocked the car door, he pressed his arm against the frame and squinted in the bright afternoon sun.
A butterfly briefly landed on his shoulder before fluttering off. I put my hands on my hips and softened my voice. “Why are you trying to stop me?”
“I can’t help it, Isabelle. I have a strong instinct to protect you, and damn if I can’t suppress it. You’ve always deserved a good man. I just don’t think I can stand aside while you settle for some sonofabitch who thinks he can put bruises on you. Let’s get one thing straight: if any man ever puts his hands on you again, I’ll end his life. I don’t care if you’re mated to him.”
I smiled and touched his cheek, feeling his smooth shave and searching his haunted eyes. “Maybe the old Jericho’s still in there after all—the one who cares about people and doesn’t shut them out of his life. I’m not expecting us to be friends again. But there are no other waitress jobs on the Breed side of town, and I need a paycheck. I’m tired of drifting. I’ve been moving around for years, and I want to get rooted somewhere and…”
“Find a pack?”
I blinked and tugged at the door.
“You’re a wolf, Isabelle. It’s natural to feel the need to join up with a pack. Stop living in denial… Stop fighting what comes natural.”