He groaned and rolled onto his side. “Just pay Monty the difference, La. Stop acting like this is a real job. We paid him to hide us. What’s he going to do? Kick us out?”
She dropped into a dreadful olive-green armchair and worked her shoes off her feet, rubbing the arch of her right foot with both thumbs. “Ogres are ruthless. Not only will Monty evict us, he’ll wait to do it until both packs are here and ready to shift. Besides, we can’t let on that we have money. He’ll figure out a way to weasel every last penny out of us. Trust me, you don’t want Monty as an enemy. He’s too powerful.”
“I’m not saying you should piss him off. I’m saying you should pay him off.” Jason scrubbed his face with his hands. “We’re rich and we’re royalty. We shouldn’t have to do manual labor.”
“I hate to break it to you, but the money we paid Monty was for the privilege of his protection and silence. He expects us to work to pay for this apartment. Even if I gave him more, he’d find a way to expect more. We need his cooperation, and the pack is relying on access to his land. You can’t jeopardize that, Jason. We’re responsible for keeping Monty happy for as long as we need him, and I can’t do it myself.”
He rubbed his eye with his knuckle. “I hate this. Silas is a shit.”
Laina stopped massaging her foot long enough to agree. “Who was the girl anyway? I know all the women in this town, and, no offense, you’ve already blown through every one of appropriate age.”
“No offense taken. She wasn’t from here. Just passing through. A model from Chicago interviewing for a job at a new place they’re opening across town.”
“What kind of place hires models in Sable Creek?”
“I think it’s some sort of club.”
“You mean like a strip club?” What other type of club would hire models in a small town in Wisconsin?
He shrugged. “I assume. She didn’t tell me the name of the place, just that they were offering top dollar for models with experience modeling nude. She was planning to leave town this afternoon if they didn’t make an offer.”
With a disapproving scowl, Laina stood. “Good. You should get plenty of rest tonight, then. You can open for me in the morning.”
He growled.
“Don’t force me to alpha you into submission, brother. I’ll make it so you can’t even look at a woman.”
“Ugh. I can’t believe Silas made you temporary alpha.” Jason rolled onto his back, dragged a pillow over his head, and huffed. “Fine. You can be a real bitch sometimes.”
“I certainly hope so. Bitches make the world go round.”
She stormed toward the tiny bedroom at the back of the apartment and stripped out of her clothes, climbing between the dollar store sheets. They were rough as sandpaper against her skin, but she was too tired to care.
As she spiraled toward sleep, she was surprised when her last thoughts were of Kyle. The way he’d come looking for her at Four Paws when she’d so rudely stood him up. It was silly to think about. Hopeless. Kyle represented something that had never been and would never be.
But the man had ignited a passion in her she hadn’t thought possible. Even her wolf had been interested. And that tiny spark had made her wonder about the thing she wanted but could never have. Love. Real love. The type that couldn’t be forced or manipulated. A love that wasn’t arranged for the purposes of bearing children or pack politics. It was a silly thing to think about so late at night. Forcing it from her mind, she spilled into unconsciousness, thankful for the respite of sleep.
* * *
“Son of Hades!”Monty bellowed, tossing the mail down on the bar. “This will be the end of me.”
Anyone who worked for Monty became accustomed to his frequent temper tantrums, but this one was different. The ogre paced behind the bar in the early afternoon light, gripping a flyer in his meathooks. A vein in his temple pulsed like the steam valve on a pressure cooker.
Even Jason showed concern. He stopped bussing tables and sidled up next to her with his bin of dirty dishes, tapping his elbow against hers. “What’s going on?”
Laina shrugged.
“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Monty said. Laina made a mental note that the ogre had exceptional hearing. “They’re opening up a Hunt Club in Sable Creek.”
“Another hunting lodge?” Laina asked.
“Not a hunting club.” The ogre looked at her like she was stupid. “A Hunt Club.”
Laina shook her head.
“It’s a lifestyle club,” Jason said. “There’s an e-mag and a calendar…an online membership. Hunt Club is like an in-person Tinder on steroids. Men and women join to, uh…hunt one another, you might say.” He grinned broadly and smiled up at the ceiling as if he had fond memories of his time at Hunt Club.
“Is this the strip club you were talking about?” Laina asked.
