“You’re not coming back, are you?”
Was he? “I honestly don’t know, Divine. Probably not.” He left her and went into the office. Digging through the file cabinets, he found what he was looking for. Picking up a pen, he scribbled across the page. When he was done, he went back into the garage only to find Divine heading for the door. “Wait.”
She turned back. “Is there something else you need?”
“No.” He shook his head. “This is something I want to do for you.” He handed her the papers.
“I don’t understand.” She squinted in the dim light to read them.
“That’s the deed to the garage. I own it free and clear. The apartment upstairs is yours to live in. Feel free to rent out the garage. Check with Otto’s son, Leon. I saw the way he was eyeing the place. He might want to do something different with his life than work in his father’s bakery.”
“I can’t take this, James.” She thrust the papers back at him, but he wouldn’t take them.
“Yes, you can. All I ask is that you close out Alex’s apartment and store all her stuff here for her.” Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a set of keys. “The keys to the garage, the apartment upstairs and Alex’s place are all on here.” He removed several keys from the ring before handing it to her.
“But—”
“No.” He cut her off. “You didn’t have to do what you did today. None of you did. The men watching this place are dangerous and you knew it, but you did it anyway. I can never repay that. Besides.” He propped his hands on his hips and looked down at her. “Don’t you think it’s time to start taking care of yourself?” He softened his tone. “You’re still a relatively young woman, Divine. Beneath that hard shell, there’s a good woman. Give yourself a better life.”
Her lower lip trembled and she threw herself against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He gathered her close for a hug. She stepped back a moment later, swiping at her eye makeup and sniffing self-consciously. “I must look a mess.”
He smiled as she dug a tissue out of her pocket and tried to wipe the smudged mascara from her eyes. “Yeah, you do.” She laughed as he’d intended. “Just do me one favor and wait at least two weeks before you move in. Everything should be taken care of by then and there should be no danger to you or anyone else.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “We’ll just keep an eye on the place. As far as anyone is concerned, you’re on vacation.”
“You okay to get home on your own?”
Divine laughed. “Honey, I’m as safe on the streets as I am in my own bed.” She strutted to the door, papers and key ring clutched tightly in her hands. When she reached the door, she turned. “You take care of yourself, James Riley. And take care of that girl of yours. Alex is special.”
“I will, Divine. You take care of yourself too.”
“You know. For the first time in my life, I think I will.” With those parting words, she was gone, the door closing heavily behind her.
James walked over to the door and eased it open, watching as she strode down the street. In spite of her assurance she was perfectly safe on her own, he kept a close eye on her until she was inside her building at the end of the street. Shutting the garage door, he bolted it and headed upstairs.
Grabbing a duffle bag from the bedroom closet, he tossed in some clothing and the few pictures and mementos that were precious to him before carrying it out to the living room. He pulled open the bookcase and removed the remaining weapons and money, stuffing them in the bag. He had the keys to a car he had stashed in another location for just such an emergency and the key to his safety deposit box in his pocket. The safety deposit box contained bankbooks for every major bank in the city.
James had money. A lot of it. He’d had decades to accumulate it and was good at making more. He had investments all across the country. He supposed it was time he taught Alex how to manage some of this stuff. Most of it was a nest egg for her future. He only hoped there was time to tell her about all of it.
Zipping the bag closed, he pushed the bookcase shut and headed out the door. He never looked back as he descended the stairs, leaving his home of over twenty years behind him. If there was one thing life had taught him, it was there was no use in looking back. It changed nothing and only brought sorrow and regrets.
The future was ahead of him. All that mattered now was Alex’s safety. After that, he’d figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life.
Shoving open the back entrance of the garage, he left the building and his former life behind him.
Chapter Twelve
Dawn hadn’t yet broken when Joshua opened his eyes, although the room was getting lighter as it approached. Sometime during the night, Alex had kicked off the covers and crawled on top of him and was sleeping soundly with her arms and legs sprawled on either side of him.
How she’d managed to do that without waking him was a mystery. He was used to sleeping with one eye open, his senses attuned to anything out of the ordinary. Obviously, his wolf knew and accepted her as his rightful mate. She was intelligent, brave, kind and giving. Everything a man could want, everything he’d given up hoping for. Her place was with him. Now and always.
He groaned as he buried his face in her hair. She smelled of soap and that indefinable womanly scent that was uniquely hers. His cock was already swollen and hard, pressing against the zipper of his jeans. She shifted the smallest bit, her sex rubbing against the large bulge. Joshua gripped her hips with his hands to hold her steady. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he struggled for control. Only Alex had this effect on him.
She settled again, emitting a soft, satisfied sigh. He loosened his grip, becoming suddenly aware of the bare flesh beneath his fingers. Memories of her pink bikini panties hanging to dry in the bathroom made him groan again. There was nothing to stop him from touching her slick folds, from stroking her.
Even as he told himself he shouldn’t, he slid his fingers downward, skimming the edges of the firm globes of her behind. The shirt had ridden up during the night and was bunched around her waist. He kept his touch soft, not wanting her to wake. Light was barely beginning to filter in through the thin drapes. They didn’t have to get out of bed quite yet. Alex needed her rest.
His hands cupped her behind, kneading the pliant flesh. Damn, she had a fine ass. He wanted to mount her from behind, wanted to hear the slap of his stomach against her bottom as he fucked her. His chest was rising and falling rapidly now, his heart thudding heavily. Although he wasn’t wearing a shirt, his torso was damp with perspiration.
He slid his fingers down the dark cleft of her behind to the treasure beyond. She moaned in her sleep, shifting again. Joshua gritted his teeth against the throbbing ache of his erection. He moved his hand lower until he was stroking her warm, moist folds. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. It would be so easy to just undo the button of his jeans and slide the zipper down. Within about five seconds after that, he could be buried deep in her heat.
It would feel so damn good.
Why not? a small voice in the back of his head demanded. He’d all but given his life to the pack, protecting it always against all threats. And the cost had been high. Sometimes, he wondered if he had any humanity left inside him at all. Kill or be killed had been his life for so long.
And then he’d seen Alex.
She’d reawakened something deep inside him, given him hope for the future. His brother’s words echoed in his head and he could hear Isaiah encouraging him to take her, to mark her as his.
No! That wouldn’t be fair to her.
Why not? that insidious voice whispered. No one would take better care of Alex or cherish her as he would. Why shouldn’t he claim her?