Oh, my God. Now I’d heard it all. Maybe I was more privileged than I thought I was since there was a huge concentration of various shifters in and around Chicago. Once upon a time, the Midwest had been perfect for hunting food, which was why the numbers had grown significantly. We’d had out own bars and other playgrounds for two decades.
Even if humans hadn’t been aware until recently.
“Wow,” I threw out. “How clever.”
The girl was deep in thought, which allowed me to drift my thoughts toward the amazing evening the night before. I’d left Christine sleeping peacefully instead of waking her. It had been best that way instead of being forced to deal with all the awkward shit after fucking someone.
Call or not to call.
Date or not to date.
Coming clean from the lies or not to come clean.
Yeah, I’d chickened out and left.
But images of her luscious body and soft lips played out over and over again in my mind. I could still taste her and even after the quick, very hot shower, her scent lingered on my skin.
“Maybe…” She tapped the pen she held in her hand across her lips.
“What are you thinking?” Bobby asked.
She turned toward the screen, forcing me to watch as she scrolled through the horrific and graphic pictures of debauchery. Jesus. I got it. I did. “Maybe we could use the girl to our advantage.”
“What?” The lovely spell was broken. “What do you meanuseher?”
“Well, having a girlfriend worked for your brother. We could try that and kill the violent tendencies people think you have.” Her eyes opened wide after she realized what she’d just said. “I don’t mean kill as in literally. I mean… To boost your reputation.”
“Not a bad idea,” Bobby threw out.
Was he fucking kidding me?
“We wouldn’t make it nearly as formal as with Saint. Certainly, we won’t try and parade her around as your fiancée. Who is she?”
“Hold on. I’m not my brother and I refuse to pretend to be in a relationship. That’s bullshit and goes against everything my mother taught me.”
“And your brother?” Ansley was genuinely asking as if Saint and I were clones.
“He was finagled into the pretense, which he hated at first.”
“But he’s married.”
Bobby drummed his fingers on his desk. “No. We’re not faking a relationship, Ansley. At least not right now. Steven is a professional and will clean up his act. Correct?”
“Sure,” I muttered. Now I was pissed. I wasn’t going to be paraded around like some prized toy or beast in a circus cage.
“Just so I know,” she continued. “Who is the girl? Someone I should worry about? Is she someone’s daughter that was sent to lure your beast into the open?”
“What? Is that something people do?” I was shocked.
Bobby huffed. “You have no idea. With the number of haters, there are some groups resorting to the lowest of lows to try and obtain proof you’re killers. Including using women.”
“Why women?”
“Because when you decide a person is your mate, you’ll kill anyone who dares touch the woman.” Bobby was almost flippant.
The look on Ansley’s face was anything but. Wow. I had no idea how deep the politics went.
“This girl is not some plant. Okay? She was nice enough to have a drink with me and this moron decided to put his hands all over her. I couldn’t allow that to happen.”
