Lucian shook his head.“Hightower will use him against you.I’ll take him.”
“What?”
“He’ll live with us.”
I stood and put my shoes back on.“First of all, your Packmaster would never agree.Second, Henry would never agree.”
Lucian growled as he rose.“I don’t like it when you call him by his first name.”
I collected the sacks and faced him.“Mr.Hightower would never allow his betrothed to visit her father as long as he’s living with a man he considers an obstacle.He’ll usethatagainst me.I can’t shuttle my father somewhere across the country to protect him.He’s not getting any younger, and every second with him is precious.We’ve been through harder times than this, and we got through it.”I growled quietly in frustration when I felt my eyes misting again.
“Does he know you’re a tiger?”
“I don’t think it matters to him.He probably built a cage in his basement to lock her in.”
Lucian’s eyes flashed with malice.
“Anyhow, my tiger would take his head before she let anyone put her in a cage.That’s the trouble.”
“The trouble is you living under the same roof with him, sleeping in the same bed.”
I rubbed my forehead.“Maybe if I get rest, I’ll think of a way out of it.”
“Why did you agree?”
“Because he wouldn’t let me think on it!I couldn’t leave the room until…”
Lucian bent over with his hands on his knees.“I’m gonna flip my switch if you say he put his hands on you.”
“He knows better.You don’t go around pulling a tiger’s tail.But he made his point crystal clear.If I had walked out of that room without giving him an answer, he would’ve taken action against you.”
“SoI’mthe reason you’re mating him?”
“No.He made veiled threats about you, my father, and anyone else who stood between us.”I moved closer to the bars and extended my hand.“Come here, baby.”
Lucian straightened up and drifted toward me.
“Maybe we should’ve stayed chained together.”I smiled wistfully.
“It’s never too late.Have the guard come back in here with the cuffs.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
He put his hand around my side but couldn’t get his entire arm through the bars.“I missed your smell.”
When the door suddenly unlocked, I jolted back.Lucian retracted his arms and watched a heavyset man amble in.
“Is he giving you any trouble?”the guard asked.
“No.The prisoner agreed to eat, so the hunger strike is over.Give him a little extra tomorrow at breakfast.”
“Will do.I’m about to shut off the lights for the night.I’ll be in the next room.”
The guard headed to the secondary room, which was maximum security.
“I better go,” I said.“Don’t cause any trouble.”
“Only if you promise not to marry that jackass while I’m in here.”
