I almost laugh. “The clubhouse?” I ask. “Not likely.”
He wears a confused expression on his face as his gaze searches mine for a long moment in silence, then he clears his throat. “But you’re Piggy’s old lady, claimed and everything.”
I can feel the color drain from my face.
Claimed?
What the fuck?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MILLIE
I’ve never drivenhome from work so fast in my entire life. Not Vegas and especially not here. I’ve been so cautious since moving here that I’ve taken different routes home every other night, ensuring that nobody was following me, or at least that Dante wasn’t behind me. I always knew when Axton was behind me, even if I didn’t know for sure it was him. But this is different.
When I pull into my spot in the parking garage, I don’t even bother grabbing my duffel bag. That is the last thing on my mind right now. All I can think about is that word.
Claimed.
I know what it means, and ten years ago, I would have thought all my dreams were coming true if this man had claimed me. But he told me he never would. That I would be wasting my time if I stayed with him, hoping to get the title of old lady.
It was the main driving force behind my leaving Thunder Rock. Now I’m back, and all of a sudden, he’s claimed me,without even talking to me about it. I’m not the starry-eyed eighteen-year-old I once was.
How dare he make a decision like that for me?
I lock my car and run up to my apartment. I’m on a mission to tell Axton exactly how I feel about what he’s done. Shoving my key in the door, I yank it open and step inside, slamming it behind me.
It’s well past three in the morning, and I’m sure I’m not being a good neighbor running down the hallway, slamming a door, but right now, I’m so fuming angry that I don’t give a shit. My eyes find him immediately, not that I could even look anywhere else.
Axton is standing in the living room, his back to me, wearing nothing except his boxer briefs.
God, but he’s got a great back.
I start to melt into a puddle of goo at the sight of him, but then remember that word—claimed.
Anger courses through my veins all over again. I’m not sure if Axton senses it or not, but he finally turns around, a smile curving up on his lips as his eyes find mine. I wait for his smile to die, but it doesn’t.
The cocky bastard.
“I bet you’re exhausted, Mill. Let’s go take a shower, then get to bed.”
“Fuck your shower,” I grind out.
He finally has the good sense to appear surprised. “What?” he asks.
“Youclaimedme?” I ask, emphasizing the wordclaimed.
“Yeah, I did,” he simply states.
I blink once, twice, three times as I try to take in the fact that he just admitted it and acts as if I’m the one being overly dramatic. I mean, I might be a bit dramatic, but I feel like this is a good thing to be dramatic about.
This is only my life.
“Yeah, you did?” I say sarcastically. “What the hell for?” I demand.
“Because you’re mine, Millie. You were mine when you were eighteen, and you’ve never stopped being mine.”
I shake my head slowly from side to side. I’m ready to beat the absolute shit out of him, and if I thought I could, I probably would. Instead of physically assaulting him, I cross my arms over my chest, jerking my chin toward him, and let out a snort.
