No, I’m not. I just made a complete fool of myself with a man who will never see me as more than aliability.
“I’m fine, Ange.” She took the soda from the tray, popped the tab, and swallowed some to ease the constriction in herthroat.
The door swung open, and Dagan stalked inside wearing a fresh t-shirt, still looking like a thundercloud about to erupt. She marched around to the opposite side, putting the table between them. His mouthtightened.
Angelus got a drink from the fridge and gave her an encouraging smile before hoofing it out of there and leaving her alone with Daganagain.
Her cell rang. Thankful for the distraction, she pulled out her phone from her jeans pocket and lowered to the chair. When she saw her friend’s name, for some idiotic reason—maybe because she’d never felt so low in her life—a tearful knot formed in her throat. “Hey,Harvey.”
“You didn’t call. I was afraid something hadhappened.”
“I’m fine,really.”
A short silence. Then, “What’s wrong? You sound…upset.”
“No, all’s good…I missyou.”
“Hey, I miss you, too. I don’t get to see your gorgeous face every morning. It’s all gloom and doomhere.”
A shaky smile tugging at her lips, she traced the blue writing on the soda can, finding it hard to keep her gaze off the glowering immortal opposite her. “I’m sure it’s not thatbad—”
“Actually, I’m calling because of your uncle’s biz man, Aza. He’s been on my back aboutyou.”
She stiffened. “Why?”
“He knows we’re friends…” Harvey lowered his voice. “That Fallen wants you real bad. The whisper among my kind is that you belong to him and are to be hismate.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I know. Delusionalass.”
As chilling as that sounded, and God knew she was shaken, a hollow laugh escaped her. One immortal wanted her, and the one she wanted didn’t. The story of herlife.
“Shae, with you suddenly gone AWOL, I’m concerned. No, don’t tell me where you are—I don’t want those bastards crawling around inside my head and getting thetruth.”
“I’m sorry,Harvey.”
“Don’t be. Most fun I’ve had in a long time. Hailing cabs and opening doors gets old real quick,” he drawled, making her smile. “Stay safe. I’ll callyou.”
After he’d rung off, she rose and slipped her phone into herpocket.
“What did hewant?”
At Dagan’s abrupt voice, she looked up. He had to have heard every word, so whyask?
Stiffening her spine, not wanting him to see how she was hurting, she said coolly, “Seems my uncle’s business partner is looking for me. Apparently, I’m his mate. Now there’s a word I’m really starting to hate. Another immortal who wants me. No, correction, just Aza. He has people looking for me, probably so the mating can takeplace.”
Hoping her words struck him in the balls, or wherever the hell his heart lay, she walkedout.
Tears burned her eyes. Well, she didn’t expect a declaration of anything fromhim.
Something crashed in the kitchen, making her jump. Inhaling sharply, she didn’t turn back, but headed straight for thebedroom.
* * *
Dagan slammedhis palms on the table, glaring at the broken shards of what was once a chair, struggling to contain his temper. She’d put her damn life on the line to feed him, and now, she totally cut him out, like he didn’t exist, talking to bloody Harvey—whom she’d missed. And that fucker Aza was still afterher.
Nik walked in through the back door, glanced at the mess on the floor, and arched a dark brow as he stepped over it. “What did the chairdo?”
