He suddenly pulled off the interstate onto the shoulder, skidding in the loose gravel, and threw it into park once they stopped.He hit the emergency flashers and turned to look at her.“You can’t just flippantly try to wrap this up and put a bow on it.”
“I’m not.You’re trying to get me to admit that I was wrong to take this course of action when we both know I wasn’t.Should I have told Ken the full truth?Yes.Would you have stopped me?Yes.And you and I would be having this same fight, and I’d still be going to Mexico, except there would’ve been a fuck-ton of angst for Ken on the front end, you would’ve insisted on going with me while also dragging in a bunch more people as backup, and that would have exponentially increased the risk and exposure for all of us.Tell me I’m wrong.”
He let out a roar but she didn’t flinch, her mental and physical exhaustion insulating her from his rage like a dank woolen cloak from a musty old trunk.
Not great, or even preferable, but ultimately useful.
Only the sound of the blinkers clicking and of cars rushing by filled the cabin.
“What am I supposed to do with you?”he finally asked.
She shrugged.“Let’s get real.Despite not really wanting it, we both know I’ll end up Pack Alpha one day.Hopefully one day looong in the future.Would you rather hand the pack over to someone you have no clue if they can make hard decisions, or would you rather the pack be handed to someone with a proven track record and who knows that, sometimes, the shittiest decisions have to be made for the well-being and survival of the pack?You were thrown into this.That sucked.You dealt with losing Mom and Dad, and raising me, and then trying to run the pack.All of that while younger than I am now.Inthisinstance?I have the advantage, and instead of fighting me on it, you should be thanking the Goddess that I’m resigned to my fate and doing my best not to be a narcissistic asshole about how much power I have.”
Peyton dropped his head to the steering wheel and groaned.“This is all my fault.I should’ve let Badger train you but never appointed you as Head Enforcer.”
“Why?Because I’m good at my job?You don’t think I recognize my people skills can sometime be seen as lacking?If I was a guy instead of a woman, no one would be questioning my decisions, least of all you.You wouldn’t be chewing me a new one; you’d be patting me on the back with ‘attaboys’ and buying me a beer, Peyton.I’m not that toddler in the hospital.I’m not the little girl who never smiled.I’m a fucking grown-ass woman with the second most important job in this pack.Instead of worrying about my work-life balance, maybe you should be looking in the mirror.”
He didn’t move, his head on the steering wheel.“I’m not smoothing this over between you and Ken?”
“Not asking you to.I’m going to get my ass chewed out, and I deserve it.I’d really hoped for it to not come out to him, but that’s my fuck-up, too, and I own it.I did this; I have to be the one to clean it up.”
He finally lifted his head.“If he asks me to fire you--”
“He won’t.”She stared out the windshield.“Because as much as all this sucks, and as much as we all hate it, he damned well knows I’m right.And there’s no ass-chewing you can give me that outweighs the guilt I feel over having dragged him into this life in the first place instead of just doing my job and leaving that night, even knowing it would have completely broken my heart.”
She met his gaze.“And don’t think that doesn’t eat at me every bit as much as you appointing me as Head Enforcer eats at you.”
When Peyton pulledup in front of the house, Dewi moved to get out but Peyton laid a hand on her arm.
“I love you, kiddo.”
“I know.I love you, too.”
He stared at the house.“And yes.You’re right.If you were a guy, we’d probably be having a beer right now.”
“I know.”
He studied her for a long moment.“Please make this right with him.And please don’t ever do anything like this again.”
“Hopefully it won’t be necessary.”
“I mean the verbal gymnastics.Just tell him.And…” He blew out a frustrated breath.“If it’s a legit work thing, I’ll overrule him as Pack Alpha.”
“No.I won’t put you in the middle of my marriage.”She smirked.“Because if I’m not mistaken, you promised him whatever he wanted, all he had to do was ask.”
“Shit.Well, I can break a promise to him.”
“No, you can’t.I don’t want you to, either.”She leaned in and kissed his cheek.“Please tell Gillian I’m sorry I interrupted your vacay.”
He finally smiled.“I think she was getting ready to strangle me anyway.We don’t usually get this much uninterrupted time together.I think she needed a few hours without me.”
She got out, grabbed her bags, and headed inside.
Ken rushed up as she was closing the front door behind her.
Okay.We’re doing this.
“What happened, Dewi?”Ken yelled.
