Page 19

EIGHTEEN

DRACO

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Draco?” Kaden growls. “Why did you say that to her?”

“Because she isn’t one of us,” he says through clenched teeth.

“Who the fuck are you to say she isn’t?”

“Be careful, Kaden,” I warn.

“You said you would keep an eye on her, and this was the perfect opportunity for her to agree to stay with us, and you ruined it.”

“Ruined what?” Dahlia says, sliding into the seat Athena vacated.

“Nothing,” I reply.

As Judy, the server, places Athena’s cup of coffee, muffin, and breakfast sandwich in a to-go bag on the table, her eyes shift to Kaden, hoping for him to say something I don’t want her to know.

“Here you are,” she says, giving me a wink. “I put two just in case.” I slide a hundred-dollar bill across the table to her.

Judy’s smile brightens when she stuffs it in her apron pocket. “Hurry up; she headed west. You might catch up with her.”

I push Kaden so he can slide out of the booth, grab the food and coffee, and rush out of the diner. The clouds start to move away as the sun beams on the hood of my black car.

The engine growls as I turn down the street with the windows down. I catch up to her less than half a mile down the road. She is walking with her bag close to the side of her body as she scrolls on her phone. I can tell she sees me from the corner of her eye because I catch her eye roll.

“I didn’t mean when I said, ‘See you around,’ for it to be this soon.”

I slowly release the brake to keep her pace. “I have your breakfast.”

She pauses. I brake. She approaches my car and bends to look through the open window. “I said to cancel it.”

“I have a problem knowing you haven’t eaten.”

“Why would you care? I’m not part of your circle.” She shoots back. “And like you said, it ends badly.”

She turns around and keeps walking on the sidewalk. I park on the shoulder and get out of the car, but she doesn’t stop and keeps walking. I know I fucked up. Bad. I shouldn’t care, but I gave Kaden my word.

“Would you have breakfast with me?” I call out to her retreating back.

She turns around, and the disinterested look in her eyes should be what I want, but deep down I don’t. “I’m not hungry.”

“Dinner,” I bargain.

“I’m busy working at the club,” she says, turning me down mordantly. “I’m sure you have plenty of women in your circle you could have breakfast and dinner with. Maybe ask one of the girls at the club to keep you company. Hopefully, you’ll find one of them intriguing. I’m sure they would love the offer.”

“But you wouldn’t?” I ask, trying to mask the disappointment in my tone.

“As of ten minutes ago, there’s nothing you could offer me that I would want.” She walks away, and my wounded pride has me walking back to my car.

Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting in my car, trying to figure out what to do. The passenger door opens and Kaden slides in.

“What happened?” he asks when he spots Athena’s uneaten breakfast on the seat.

“You were right; I fucked up.”

“What’d she say?” he asks, his mouth forming a frown.

“To basically fuck off.”

He nods like that wasn’t so bad but then why does my ego fucking sting from the blow and my chest hurt like someone ripped my heart out?

“Maybe you’re right, forget about her,” he says quietly.

“I thought you wanted me to keep an eye on her?”

He pinches his nose. “I think you’re the last person she wants to have around. You basically told her she’s not good enough, and with the way you were eye-fucking her at the table, I think she has a good idea what she is good for. I’m sure she’s had enough of that at the club and doesn’t need to be reminded outside of it.” I hurt her, and it’s killing me. “It’s cool, Draco. “She is not the one,” he asserts, but I can see it in his eyes that he is displeased with me. “It’s not like we know her, and who cares if she lives in a seedy motel where guys go for sex?”

“What’s your point, Kaden?” I snap annoyed that he’s pointing out what an asshole I was to her back there.

“Get your head out of your ass and make it right with her. You can fool everyone else, but I see the way you look at her, Draco. Stop acting like you’re going to let her walk away.”

He’s right. I can still taste her on my tongue. I can still smell the scent of her skin between her thighs. She’s addictive. If she finds out who I really am and what we do, she’ll run. But I’ll catch her and bring her back even if she hates me for it.