He was treading on thin ice. While he wanted back into her life, he also didn’t want her to be afraid of him.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Looking at caller ID, he saw Dave’s number flashed across the screen. He didn’t feel like talking, but he’d see what his friend wanted, and then he’d make the drive back home.
He placed the phone to his ear. “Hey, what’s up?”
Dave chuckled, a mischievous sound warning Connor there would probably be bad news with this call. “You’ll never believe this…”
Just those words tensed Connor even more. “What?”
The humor in Dave’s voice died over the other end of the line. “Is everything okay?”
“Sorry. I’m beat. I had a hard time sleeping last night. Made work hell today.”
“Does this have something to do with your girlfriend?”
Dave couldn’t have known that Connor was trying to get back together with Angelique. “My girlfriend?”
Dave scoffed. “Yeah, Monica. Hot babe, if you ask me.” He paused and then cleared his throat. “Sorry, you know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t invade your territory there.”
The desire to slam his forehead against the steering wheel never looked so good, but he’d play along. If Monica was causing trouble, he needed to know. “What did she do?”
“Uh…I…” Dave laughed nervously. “Well—”
“Come on, Dave. Just tell me. I won’t drive all the way over to the other side of town to bite your head off.” He let out a breath, frowning. “Unless you don’t tell me what’s going on soon.”
“Well, I know you two had a fight last night at some chick’s place. Monica told Ted, who mentioned you were probably cheating on her with the other woman. Ted said he and Gus were asked to watch the chick to see if you two were meeting up again.” The words tumbled from Dave’s mouth almost faster than Connor could comprehend them. That’s what he got for threatening a more submissive wolf who knew Connor was good on his word.
Connor slammed his fist into the steering wheel. “Fuck!”
Silence filled the line, and Connor couldn’t even hear Dave breathe.
“Did you hear anything else from Ted? Was Monica going to pull something if given the chance?” The threat to his mate angered both Connor and his beast. The wolf lurked just beneath his skin. If he didn’t calm himself, he’d never make it to Angelique’s house.
“N-no. Ted said Monica instructed them only to watch the girl and see what she was doing. Nothing else. Is…is there something wrong?” he asked.
“Monica is not my girlfriend.” He clenched his teeth to hold back the string of vulgarities. Dave wouldn’t want to hear that.
Right now, Connor needed to see if Angelique was okay. If Monica hurt Angelique or worse, he’d make her experience more pain and humiliation than she ever had in her entire life.
“Oh…why did she tell Ted and some of the others you two were a couple again?” Confusion strained Dave’s voice.
“She’s a possessive piece of work.” Connor ran his hand through his hair. “Call me if you hear
anything
from Ted, Gus, or anyone else. I wouldn’t put it past Monica to break one of our laws.”
Dave gulped. “Ri-right. I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you. Let the others know. And if anyone contacts her, I want her made aware that I need to talk with her.” Connor hung up the phone and dialed Angelique’s number.
It rang and rang before he reached her voicemail system. No, it’d be better for him to reach her in person than to leave a message. Especially with the way Monica was behaving. He shoved the key in the ignition and started his car.
Driving the calm streets allowed him time to focus. He had been with Monica for only a few weeks, but her razor-edge, fake personality had really become a problem. Now that he’d started repairing his relationship with Angelique, Monica had gone into overdrive. The latest, claiming that they were together again, was a clear attempt to claim him before the Pack, which meant she considered Angelique a distinct problem in what Monica thought to be their relationship. If the Alpha heard that and agreed, Connor would have even more trouble getting the Pack to accept a non-wolf. While he hoped Lowell wouldn’t believe Monica, he doubted their Alpha would side with him.
Connor reached the distantly familiar street leading to Angelique’s house. He saw Monica sprint to her vehicle in her ridiculously high heels, both hands holding her face. He pulled up behind her then hopped out of his car. Monica paid him little attention until he was at her window. A score of red gashes marred her face, and a steady stream of blood dripped onto her otherwise flawless white dress.
Monica raised her gaze to meet his own. She was pale, distraught, but that didn’t stop a wry smile from spreading across her ruby red lips before she started the engine.
Connor opened his mouth to say something, but she shoved the stick into gear and sped off. He stood there, watching her drive away before the scent of blood hit home.
He snapped his gaze to Angelique’s house, and his heart lurched in his chest as he thought the worst. Yet the smell didn’t belong to Angelique.
She wouldn’t be able to hold off Monica.
Fear gripped his heart, and he jogged up the walkway to the front door. The lock had been broken, and the door was wide open. Walking inside, he saw what remained of Angelique’s once neatly organized household. Furniture knocked over and in pieces, shredded paper, and cotton stuffing lay everywhere. He snatched his cell phone from his pocket.
Dialing the number from memory, he waited for Dave to pick up. A familiar voice came on the line, one of the younger wolves, maybe Justin. “Put Dave on.” His tone sounded grim even to his own ears.
“Yes, Connor?” Dave’s slightly shaky voice came through the line, obviously nervous about what he’d say.
“I just saw Monica. Her face is bloodied, and she completely trashed someone’s house.” His gaze swept over the wreckage. Seemed Monica had targeted anything that might hold value to Angelique. Sadness tightened his chest. “We need to get an enforcer on her. She is a liability.” He closed his eyes, checking his emotions.
“Yes, sir. I will tell Ted what happened. I trust him.” Dave paused. “What if she’s brought in front of the Pack? She’ll freak out.”
“So?” He couldn’t care less if she threw herself on the floor and had a temper tantrum before Lowell. She had no excuse for what she’d done. Besides, from what he’d seen, she had already freaked. This house was damn good evidence of that.
“I only mean that if she is as far gone as you say—”
“She is,” he snapped.
“Then this will push her to the edge. If you leave her and turn the Pack against her, you’ve left her with nothing.”
Connor hung up. He should have some sympathy for Monica, but what she’d done enraged him. He couldn’t take Dave’s pity for the woman. His beast wanted to rip something, or someone, apart.
An uneasy feeling drifted over Connor, and he took a deep breath. He cut his eyes toward the broken door. Sirens blared in the distance, and he cursed. Of course, the neighbors had called the police. With his short patience, he needed to get out of here. Fast.
Chapter Six
Angelique walked along the narrow alley running behind the houses on her street. Her hands still shook from the adrenaline rampaging through her. Kira had taken to licking her paws low on Angelique’s stomach for the walk. Her cat was quite proud of herself. Angelique wished she had half of her calm.
She cut through her backyard and slowed. Coming back here was risky as hell, but she didn’t have any money. If she had any chance of escaping Monica’s reach again, then she needed her purse to hightail it out of town.
Pausing, she saw a broad shouldered man in a suit jogging down the front sidewalk away from her house. He didn’t look like the person from earlier. She pressed herself to the side of the building waiting for him to leave.
He smacked his hand against the roof of the Camaro before climbing inside.
Realization slammed into her gut. She knew that car. The man turned his face a little. Connor. Her heart thumped against her chest joyously. Maybe he could help her. He knew Monica, and he could make sure Angelique wouldn’t have her back against the wall alone. The swish of a furry tail across her stomach proved Kira didn’t like that thought. Okay, she wasn’t alone, but Connor could help.
She squeezed her hands into fists, reluctance muddying her thoughts. What had he been doing here? Could she really trust him, especially now that he knew of her gift? She cursed herself. Only one way to find out. The faint sound of police sirens shattered her thoughts.
Connor peeled away from the curb and sped down the street.
Damn it!
She ran toward the road waving her arms. “Stop. Connor!” His car was already turning the corner. She shoved her fists against her forehead and took a couple deep breaths.
Turning on her heel, she sprinted onto the porch and stopped. Her crushed doorknob stood out against the splintered wood near the hinges. Connor wouldn’t have done this. Inside, most of her furniture lay smashed and tossed over. Clumps of cotton stuffing, glass shards, and smashed lampshades littered the room. Her mementos were in pieces across the floor.
Angelique couldn’t suppress a gasp. Tears leapt to her eyes, and she shook with anger. She wanted to grab a broom, pick everything up, and make it all right, but she didn’t have time. And she couldn’t make this right. Most of her living room would probably have to go to the dump.
The sirens closed in, urging her to action. She ran to her bedroom for her purse. Kira’s intense agitation radiated through Angelique, making her tense and jumpy. Beneath the unhappiness, Angelique sensed Kira’s deep hostility that their home had been trespassed and disturbed. She sent soothing thoughts to Kira. Her familiar was distracting, and it wouldn’t be safe to drive with her mind in such turmoil and Kira this upset.
The big cat settled down a little, but that didn’t stop her from twitching her tail in displeasure. Angelique could deal with that. Right now, her only thought was getting out of here before she had to explain the fight with a she-wolf.
The loud sirens drew closer. Angelique hurried out to her car. She drove away as the first police car arrived. Keeping her gaze on the road, she didn’t want to know what was happening behind her. She needed to find somewhere out of town.
She took a few harsh breaths, and she tried to remain calm. It didn’t work. While she didn’t have the most stable life, and she moved around a lot even without Connor in the picture, the belongings she had meant a lot to her. Most of them had been passed along from family no longer on this earth. Now some woman hell-bent on being with Connor—the only man she’d ever loved—was set on making Angelique’s life hell. At least, that’s what she thought the crazy woman wanted. After the alley earlier, it wouldn’t surprise her if that weren’t entirely the case.
At a stoplight, she dug through her purse with one hand, trying to find her phone. She needed to call Connor, but her cell wasn’t there. Shit! She must’ve left it on the charger. Then again, she hadn’t imagined she’d need to run at a moment’s notice when she woke up this morning.
Once she got far enough away, she’d stop and call him. Glancing up at the rearview mirror, she saw a couple cars, but none of them she recognized as Monica’s. She returned her attention to the road and tilted her chin up, feeling a bit better. This would all blow over. Things wouldn’t be this way forever.
Around the outskirts of town, she took an exit off the highway and pulled into the nearest supermarket’s parking lot. Supermarkets always had a payphone. Besides, she hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch, and she was starving. She’d be able to pick up some food here and take it to whatever hotel she could find on such short notice.
Angelique walked inside the store. Plenty of people milled around. This place offered her protection against crazy Monica, unless the woman was certifiable.
She grabbed a cart and headed for the produce department. The store was way too warm for a jacket, yet she hated the idea of someone spotting her familiar. After rushing through several aisles, she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“I’m taking off my jacket. You need to behave,” she muttered under her breath to Kira.
Kira rubbed up against her shoulder in response, softly purring. Typical cat, trying to be sly when she knew she’d been warned. Normally Kira wasn’t awake this much, especially while Angelique was in public, but she didn’t dare force Kira to sleep after what had happened earlier. Kira’s claws had been enough to make Monica back off.
She walked around the produce section. Kira settled down, but it wasn’t long before she became restless again. After placing the apples in the cart, Angelique turned to head for the deli. A firm, calloused grip on her wrist forced a scream from her lips. The man who grabbed her ran his gaze up and down her body, looking at her intently.
“Terribly sorry. Thought you were someone else,” he muttered in an accent she couldn’t quite place. His stare fixed on her shoulder and then he met her eyes.
“It’s okay.” She pulled her wrist away until he relented. Exotic power pulsed through his palm. Something strange struck her about the man. She’d never before seen him in her life, yet she felt such a sense of déjà vu.
“If you don’t mind me asking, where did you get that tattoo? The colors look so vivid, so alive.” While his finger pointed to her shoulder where Kira’s tail had moved to, his eyes were locked on hers.
Angelique shrugged, trying her best to act casual. “I’ve had it for many years. A friend of my family had a shop. She gave it to me on my eighteenth birthday.” She’d answered that question so many times, but she never really felt comfortable about people acknowledging Kira. Fear that someday someone would find out about her haunted her. She didn’t know exactly why people hunted those like her, but she figured it might be that they were different. She had no idea there were others out there with powers too, like Connor.
The man nodded, and a smile curved his lips. “Your family friend has a lot of skill. I’m jealous.” His eyes tensed a second, and she could tell he really was. Then just like that, his face went back to cool and calm, and he nodded his head at her. “Take care now,” he said, walking toward the fruit without a backward glance.