Ronnie sighed, big and long. “No. She failed to mention that.”
“Probably wanted it to be a surprise.” Probably. Ronnie could tell from their tense phone call her mother knew something was going on. Most likely hoped her brothers would ferret out the information and get back to her. Then she could really shove it down Ronnie’s throat.
Once her brothers got here, the party with Shaw would be over. She didn’t have to see them tonight, but they’d track her ass down by morning. In her estimation, she had one more good night with her lion, then she’d have to walk away. It gave her the perfect excuse. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.
“Did she tell you you’re hopeless and no good?”
“No. This time I didn’t care enough to call on Christmas and how could I be so mean to my daddy. Oh. And there was lots of sighing.”
“There’s always lots of sighing where your momma is concerned. Didn’t you know? The weight of the universe rests on those shoulders.” Sissy Mae nudged Ronnie’s shoulder with her own. “She does love you, Rhonda Lee. In her own special, mean-as-a-snake, everyone-is-against-her way.”
“Yeah. I guess she does.”
“What are you going to tell her about Shaw?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“What do you mean why? You gotta tell your momma something. The boy’s so in love with you, he can’t see straight.”
Ronnie had always been the rational one. The one who, unless seriously drunk, always said, “Are we sure we want to do this?” But clearly all that wonderful rationality went flying out the window when she swung her fist at Sissy’s face.
Sissy Mae caught that fist, too. In an instant, her eyes shifted from friendly human to Alpha Wolf as she shoved Ronnie back against the wall. Becoming Alpha Female wasn’t any easier than becoming Alpha Male. You needed your wits and the ability to make split-second decisions. You also needed to be able to scare the bejesus out of people. When Sissy leaned in close to Ronnie and bared those pearly white fangs, brutally snarling, Ronnie knew she’d stepped over the line.
Turning her head away, she pressed back against the wall, cowering as Sissy came a hair’s breath from her face, snarling and snapping. Making it clear who was Alpha Female and who was just a Beta.
Ronnie kept her eyes down and her body submissive. If she had her tail, it would be tucked up between her legs. When Sissy Mae felt she’d cowered enough, she released Ronnie’s hand and stepped back.
“Someday you’ll have to tell your momma about Shaw. One, because your brothers will notice a big cat rubbing against you and purring. Second, the boy is not walking away from you anytime soon, Ronnie Lee. And you might as well get used to it.”
Ronnie didn’t know if she momentarily hated her friend more for making her cower…or for being right.
After five full hours of their arguing, Brendon lost his patience and stormed out of the suite. Mitch and Marissa didn’t even notice.
Sleep. A few hours of sleep and he knew he’d feel so much better and a damn sight less mean. Because after refereeing between those two, he felt really mean.
He stepped into his apartment and headed toward the kitchen. Pushing open the swinging door, Brendon froze.
She sat at his counter, a magazine open in front of her, a pile of M&M’s next to that. What he found most disturbing was how she’d separated the colors out. Black and reds in one small pile, in little pairs. Greens in another. Yellows and oranges in another. No blues, which made him think she’d put those back in the bag or ate them. Nothing like the slightly obsessive-compulsive wolf to make life interesting.
“You’re here.” Christ. Is that the best you can do, you idiot?
She didn’t even look up from her magazine. “Yup. Looks that way, now don’t it?” She turned a page. “If you want me to go, all you have to say is go. We both know it don’t take much to get me to leave.”
“Stay if you want to. Go if you want to.”
What the hell was wrong with him? Why the hell was he goading her? He didn’t want Ronnie to leave. Ever. Isn’t that what he just spent five hours shoving down his twin’s throat? So why push her out the door now?
Ronnie looked up from her magazine. “You gonna be an asshole the rest of the night?” she asked calmly.
“You know,” he responded sarcastically, “I think I might. So feel free not to be here for it.”
There. He’d given her an out. Now she could go and he could be even more miserable. Good plan, Bren.
Ronnie closed the magazine and slid off the stool. She’d put on another pair of ratty cutoffs and a Coors Beer T-shirt. The woman really knew how to wear clothes most women wouldn’t be caught dead in.
A few steps and she stood in front of him. He looked into her beautiful eyes and didn’t see tears or even pain. She didn’t look hurt. More amused. But before he could figure that out, her fist slammed into his jaw, knocking his head to one side.
“Motherfuck—”
Leaning in close to his ear as he massaged his sore face and cursed up a blue streak, “Talk to me like that again and lose one of those lion balls you’re so proud of, hoss.” Her forehead brushed against his wounded jaw. “And now you’re going to have to convince me to stay. Think you got the balls to make me stay, Brendon Shaw?”
Without another word, she pushed past him and headed out of his kitchen. Maybe out of his life.
And there was no way in hell he was ever letting her go.
Typical shifter male. They handled stress in the worst ways. Especially when it involved their kin. Her daddy only got real crabby when he and Momma had a fight. Something about her pushed all his cranky buttons. Still, after a good fight, her brothers often had to drag Ronnie out of the house to a movie—or two—until they all felt it was safe enough to head back home.
Ronnie made it to the door before Shaw caught up with her. His big body stepped in front of her, blocking her way out of the apartment.
She barely stopped her smile in time.
“You gonna move?” she asked.
“Nope.”
Ronnie stepped away from him, claws unleashing. “This won’t be pretty, Shaw. I got in a little tussle with Sissy Mae tonight and I’m not my usual fun-loving self.”
“Kick your ass, did she?” he murmured, ignoring her annoyed growl and tossing his leather jacket aside. “Sorry I missed that. Especially if you guys were naked and there was oil or mud involved. Now come here.”
“Like I’d ever make it that easy.” She took several long steps back. “You want me, hoss, you better come and get me.”
Forgetting—again—lions had quite the leap in them, she almost didn’t move in time.
She took off across his living room, clearing furniture easily, and headed down the hallway. He made no sounds as he moved up on her, but the one thing Ronnie knew about lions—the females did most of the hunting. The males came in for the kill bite and to feed. Otherwise you could find their lazy asses sleeping in the shade while the females did all the work.
Shaw reached for her, and she ducked under him, heading back the other way.
“You little…”
She laughed, loving the chase. Needing their ridiculous frolicking to take her mind off everything else.
He caught up with her, and she felt the air move as his arms swung for her. She dropped to her knees and Shaw tumbled right over her, landing with a painful thud. She stopped long enough to look him in the eye. He gazed at her, clearly stunned.
Licking her lips, she whispered, “Gotta be faster than that, pretty kitty.” Then she popped to her feet and jumped over him, heading down the opposite end of his ridiculously enormous apartment. His roar shook the walls, and Ronnie moved faster, knowing he was right behind her. Knowing he’d get her.