He squeezed an oily smile onto hislips.
I crouched to grab the phone and then attempted to fit the battery back inside, but my hands wereshaking.
“Want some help?” He extended hishand.
“No.” After several botched attempts, I jammed the battery back in. While the phone powered up, I said, “I know killing my father was a mistake, that you were aiming for Heath.Why?”
“I had my own vendetta toward him. He took something Iloved.”
I hadn’t considered Aidan Michaels capable of love, but I also hadn’t considered he could be awerewolf.
“The recording came in handy when Heath came to avenge your father’s death. Should’ve seen how astonished he was when I played it back for him.” He flashed me a smile that made my skincrawl.
Aidan Michaels was a monster. Just like Heath Kolane. Where Heath raped women, Aidan shotthem.
“Even though you didn’t mean to kill my father, it was still your finger on thattrigger.”
“Is that a threat, littlegirl?”
“Maybe itis.”
“I’d be very careful doling out threats. You might be an orphan, but there are still people you careabout. . . ”
My stomach curled onto itself at his menace. I backed away from him, clutching the phone to my chest. Keeping one eye on the Creek wolf, I tried to dial Jeb’s number from memory, but an automated message kept telling me I’d entered the wrong number.Ugh.
“Need a ride home, Ness?” Aidanasked.
“Like I’d ever let you drive meanywhere.”
“Oh, I would’ve phoned up my driver. I have better things to do with my evening. Better yet, you could use the bicycle I sent back. Here, let me get you the key to thegarage.”
Footsteps pounded the foyer floor, and then a gruff voice said, “She won’t be needing thatkey.”
45
“You don’t needto take me home, August,” Isaid.
“You’re right. I don’t, but I was leaving. If you don’t want a ride, by all means, make your own way home.” He paused by the entrance of the inn, waiting for me todecide.
I all but flung the phone at Aidan Michaels and raced to the revolving doors As soon as we were outside, I said, “I’ll kill that mansomeday.”
August glanced at me, eyes bathed in shadows, shadows I’d put there. Not all of them, perhaps, but some. We didn’t talk as we walked to his pickup, and we didn’t talk as he drove me back home. When we reached my street, August finallyspoke.
“You’re not serious about leaving Boulder, areyou?”
“Iam.”
“You’re still aminor.”
I stared up at the darkened apartment. Was my uncle alreadysleeping?
“Jeb will understand that I can’t stay in Boulder. He’ll understand that I can’t obey a man I . . . I can’ttrust.”
“You don’t have to leave. Liam won’t harmyou.”
“I know Liam isn’t that spiteful fifteen-year-old boy, but every time I’ll look at him, I’ll remember that he was complicit in killing my father.” I touched the door handle. “Besides, my leaving will benefityou.”
“How?” he asked sharply. “How will it benefitme?”
