“Don’t even think about leaving.”
Ronnie would have argued with him. Told him it was best he and his brother talk alone. Or that he was being an ass and he could go find another fuck somewhere else. But before she could say a word, Shaw’s brother shoved the bigger man to the floor and the two went at it like…well…like two big cats.
It wasn’t pretty.
Although the canine part of her sure did enjoy the show.
Chapter Six
They hadn’t shifted yet, but it had crossed Brendon’s mind. Especially when the little shit sank his fangs into the side of Brendon’s neck. Without his protective mane that shit really hurt!
This wasn’t how he’d planned to talk to Mitch when he finally caught up to him. Brendon had it all worked out. In nice, easy tones, he was going to ask his brother what was going on and whether he was okay.
Unfortunately, he’d been so wound up from making out with the She-wolf and sexually frustrated because of all the things he wanted to do to her but hadn’t been able to yet, he’d unleashed his full fury right on his baby brother’s head. As usual, Mitch dived right into that fight.
Honestly, the boy had no sense at all sometimes. Although he did have a mean right cross, and sometimes it felt like his fangs were extra sharp.
Brendon grabbed his brother around the throat, letting his claws dig into the skin enough to make Mitch nervous. But before he had time to gloat about his brother’s sudden stillness, water, cold and imported directly from Denmark, ploughed into his face.
Both brothers snarled and separated, looking up into the smug face of one gorgeous She-wolf.
“Didn’t have time to bother with the tap.” She held the empty water bottle in her hand. Water that cost him five bucks a pop. “Although why a body would go all the way to Denmark to get water, I’ll never know. Ain’t American water good enough for ya?”
She put the empty plastic bottle on top of a side table. “Anyway, sorry about that, but I figured there had to be a better way for you two to work out whatever it is you’ve gotta work out. And, to be quite honest, you won’t let me go and I haven’t got all night to sit around here waiting for you two to get bored. So”—she held her hands out to both of them—“why don’t you two try talking this out rather than ripping each other’s throats out. I’d hate to have to explain all that blood to those poor maids.”
Not knowing what else to do, Brendon grabbed her hand and Mitch grabbed the other. She pulled and both of them stood up, towering over her.
“I have three older brothers,” she explained with a smile. “If I didn’t stop some of their fights, those boys would have fought all damn day and one of them would have died from blood loss. That would have upset my momma no end, and she would have found a way to blame me.”
Using the tips of her fingers, she turned Brendon’s head a bit so she could look at his neck. She grimaced, sucking the air in between her teeth. “Lord, boy. You really need to learn how to pull back when it’s your own kin.”
Mitch’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And who are you exactly?”
“Be nice,” Brendon growled, his hands clenching into fists.
“Don’t start that shit again.” She stepped back. “Look, I’m right downstairs. Why don’t I—”
“No. You stay here.” Brendon grabbed his brother’s worn leather biker jacket and yanked him toward the door. “Don’t leave. I’ll be back.”
“Where the hell are we going?” Mitch demanded.
“I’m getting you a room and you’re staying the night. And don’t even think about giving me any shit about this.”
Pulling open the door, he shoved Mitch through it and toward the elevator. He glanced back at the She-wolf. “I’ll be back in a little while. Make yourself at home, but promise me you won’t leave.”
She opened her mouth to argue, he could see it on her face, so he added, “Promise me or I’ll start kicking his ass again, right here.”
His brother turned away from the elevator and snarled, “You wish—”
“Shut up.” Brendon snapped at his brother while staring at her. “Promise me.”
Exasperated, she rolled her eyes. “All right. All right. For the sake of family harmony, I’ll stay. But not like for twelve hours or something. My Pack might notice if I’m gone that long.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back.” He started to close the door, but he stepped back and looked at her. “One other thing.”
“Yeah?”
“What is your name?”
She looked torn between being amused, embarrassed, and appalled.
“Rhonda Lee Reed. Everybody calls me Ronnie Lee or Ronnie.”
“Anybody ever call you Ron?”
“Not and live to tell about it.”
Brendon grinned. Yup. He liked her.
“All right, Ronnie Lee. Make yourself at home and I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Yeah. Yeah. But you better have TV,” she mumbled as he closed his front door.
He walked over to his brother and the elevator doors slid open. Grabbing the younger man by the back of the neck, he threw him inside. “And that’s for trying to rip my throat out, you little shit.”
How she could initially miss the fifty-inch, flat-screen plasma TV attached to Shaw’s wall, she had no idea. Then again, his tongue down her throat and his hands on her tits might have had something to do with it.
Settling down onto the man’s butter-soft leather couch and picking up his gargantuan remote to start flipping channels, Ronnie shook her head. He hadn’t even known her name. She almost fucked a man who didn’t even know her name. Lord, she hadn’t done something that trashy in a very long time.
So then why wasn’t she running for the exit instead of sitting on a lion’s couch, reprogramming his inadequately programmed remote?
Because…because she liked him. Stupid idiot that she was, she liked a cat. She liked a male who would never want more from her than a quick, anonymous fuck so he could tell his friends he did a She-wolf.
Even as she thought it, though, she realized that didn’t seem Shaw’s way. He could have anyone he wanted. Human or shifter. Any breed. But he wanted her. He made that clear in front of Bobby Ray’s room. She just couldn’t figure out if this was a mistake or not.
Then again, as long as she kept it simple, maybe it wouldn’t be. Maybe they could have a fun, meaningless fling. Lord knew it wouldn’t be her first.
Of course, if it was all so damn easy, why had her stomach tied itself into knots?
She should go. She should write a little note telling the cat thanks but no thanks. She should. Really.
Ronnie kept thinking that, too, even as she stretched her legs out on his couch and smiled when she realized she’d had the good fortune to catch some CSI reruns.
Brendon scrubbed his face and leaned back, staring at his brother. After three hours and two enormous sandwiches from the kitchen—he knew the kid hadn’t had a decent meal recently—he still didn’t know a damn thing.
“At least tell me why you showed up in my apartment after all this time.”
Mitch paused for a moment, truly contemplating his answer. Brendon knew that expression. Knew Mitch would only tell him enough truth to get Brendon off his back. He’d done it enough times before. Eventually, Mitch shrugged and took another bite. “Marissa left a message on my voice mail,” he grumbled around a mouthful of food.