“They don’t have cocktails or wine here.”
“No, but they have those things. What the fuck are they called?” I ask, lookin’ at Cash.
“Seltzers?” he asks, lookin’ at me like I’m fuckin’ stupid.
“That’s okay. I don’t really like those either. Plus, it’s only two more days until my birthday,” she points out.
“Anything you were hopin’ for on your birthday?” I ask. Her face falls a little, but she shakes her head.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick,” she says.
“I’ll go with you.”
She points at the bathroom, which is less than forty feet away. “It’s right there. I think I can manage,” she says with a smile. She leans down and kisses my cheek before kissing Cash’s.
“I didn’t realize her birthday was in two days,” he comments like I was the one keeping this big secret from him.
“Yeah, twenty-one,” I tell him, and he winces at the number. “I guess you’re robbin’ the cradle pretty fuckin’ hard,” I taunt, and he gives me the finger.
“I’m thirty-two.”
“Practically ancient,” I joke.
He sips his beer and tilts his head at me. “Do you mind if I have a moment with her before we go home?” He asks the question in such a pleasant tone that it lets me know that I’ve kinda taken over the date.
I have a tendency to do that shit. As much as this idea of sharing eats away at me, sometimes I put it on the back burner for her.
This man has all but said he would bond and bite her if she wanted it to keep her here. I needed something like that to turn the tides, giving me at least some hope that we can stay with the Dead Palms and get the girl.
“Yeah, man. I can hang here, or meet you back at the compound,” I suggest.
“Appreciate it.”
We sit in silence until Lily comes back, but she isn’t as happy as she was when she first left us. Her face is downtrodden, and she’s holding her arm.
“Everythin’ okay?” I ask her.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go,” she deflects, looking down at the ground.
“Let me see your arm,” I demand.
Her big brown eyes search mine as she bites on her lip.
“Axel, it’s not a big deal. I just want to go,” she begs.
“Show me your arm and we can leave.”
She removes her hand, and I see a red splotchy mark on her arm. It won’t leave a bruise, but clearly, someone grabbed her hard enough to disturb her skin.
“Who touched you?” Cash asks her in a tone that’s so nearing on an Alpha bark, that it even has me going quiet for a moment.
“The guy in the red polo,” she sighs.
“And what did he say?” I ask as calmly as possible.
“He said it was a misunderstanding, and he asked me not to come back here with you two,” she blurts out.
I give her a smile and rub down her arm. “Cash is gonna take you home on his bike. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”
