Chapter 2

It’s not every day you get to waltz back into the same breathing room as your ex, but guess what? Life sucks. Lady luck is a bitch.

Darius is a piece of shit. He really is.

But not as much as I hate Maverick.

Darius may be a walking sin, but Maverick is the devil. He’s wrapped up in sin with both silk restraints and handcuffs with whips, breathes sin, tastes like sin… and heaven help me, why was I walking into the lion’s den?

I barely made it out the last time. I barely survived it. Here I am, his dark green pinning me in place across the bus station like I am the dart board and he’s the damn darts. Damn it all. Could the ground just open up and swallow me whole?

Maverick walks up to me, still looking like that. It’s so unfair, because how can he look like so delicious and fuckable! It messes with my brain because that equally strong urge to punch him rallies against my hormones firing on all cylinders.

“Hello stranger,” he drawls, stopping in front of me.

I breathe in his still obnoxiously yummy scent and I want o punch him. I want to punch him, because even after everything, my body still thinks he’s home. Somehow, I manage not to give into my baser instincts. Pity. It might be worth just doing it anyway.

See, that is my problem right there. Whenever it comes to Maverick, all logic goes down the drain. It had always been like that. He disarmed all my alarms, broke down my walls… and for what?

“I’m only here because Darius refused to let me suck his dick to drop this case,” I drone in nonchalance, pretending that his presence isn’t fucking with me.

His eyebrows raise at my oddball statement. His mouth opens to question to me, but nothing comes out… yet. Did he expect me to ecstatic to see him? Did he think it wouldn’t hurt to see that he was surviving entirely too well without me? Because I’m trying to be cool as cucumber and act like a cool cat that’s way too good for him now.

I sigh, rolling my eyes for good measure. “I probably should’ve tried harder. He was about to cave. At least then I wouldn’t be here… with you.”

“Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine?” he chuckles. I catch the dangerous twinkle in his eyes. My poor heart races in my chest as he shakes his head at my antics. I hate him! I hate him! How can he still have this effect on me? “You would rather suck Darius’ dick instead of being here with me?” I nod my head. “Wow, Vixi, glad to know you think so highly of me.”

I just shrug my shoulders. Trying not to be affected by how he says my nickname like he has a right to. “Stop that. Stop calling me Vixi. She died two fucking years ago.”

His eyes darken at that, narrowing in on me as he tries to figure out how to proceed from here. Good luck buddy because the awkwardness isn’t lost on me. Once upon a time, we were thick as thieves, two peas in a pod, partners in crime… the cliche — soul mates. At least, I thought we were.

He didn’t. He obviously didn’t.

And I hate that I was right all along.

About her. About them.

This is just a means to an end. That was all. That was all this would be.

“I get it,” he growls out. His wolf too close to the surface. “You’re obviously not here to enjoy my company… so it’s safe to say that you came for the perks.”

I smirk. “You got it. I always knew you were somewhat smart.” I shrug. “I certainly didn’t come for your dick.”

Nice one, Tempest. That’s totally believable. Tell him exactly what you’re thinking about right now, but you shouldn’t be thinking about. I didn’t come to get back between the sheets with my good for nothing ex even though my body is singing ‘Liar, liar, pants on fire!’. Well, he don’t got to know what’s going on in my stupid mind. He crosses his arms, eyeing me like all my lies were being broadcasted on a bulletin board right smack dab on my forehead.

His wolf seems to claw its way to the surface, because he prowls towards me like I’m his prey. He leans forward so his mouth is next to my ear. I feel his breath ghosting over my skin. My body shivers at the light contact. He isn’t even touching me and my body is silently begging for it.

“You keep telling yourself that,” he growls into my ear, calling me out my bullshit. “Vixi.”

I swallow. Hate him. Hate him with a passion. I hate how quickly I soak my panties. I hate my body reacting to him. He could ruin me. He has ruined me. He could make me eat my words and he knows it. He knows how easily he could make me bend. It was never hard for him to get what he wanted from me.

Is that why it was so easy for him to move on from me? I was just too easy. I wasn’t a challenge. My thighs always too eager to spread for him. I always wanted it every chance I could get. Any position he wanted.

Do not humiliate yourself Vixen Tempest! You’re not here to suck your ex’s dick like a popsicle and ride him like a bitch in heat. You’re not here to have sex with him in any way shape or form. Nope, not here for any of that.

My body is a traitor, ready to make a liar out of me, because she wants to be sampled like his own personal buffet to feast on. The sirens are going off in my head. The red flags are being waved. I’m screwed. I’m so screwed. Probably by him but still screwed.

When he pulls back, his eyes are dark burning with possessiveness and lust. They promise that we have unfinished business. Unfinished business I have no fucking intention of hashing out.

I have no desire to admit that I saw him fucking his… whatever she is now. Is she his mate now? Are they together? Probably. They probably are. Why wouldn’t they be?

I step back. Distance, Vixen.

“This is a paid job,” I remind myself and him. “I’m only here to get the free room, get paid, and get your recommendation.”

Does he have pups now? Do they look like him or her? I didn’t want kids. Even if Maverick plays the part of a lone wolf, he’s indeed a pack animal. He’s a werewolf and I was well aware of our differences.

I’m a fox shifter. Proud of it too. I’m totally one hundred percent satisfied with me, myself, and I. Except I’m not. I’m totally not. It’s a bunch of bullshit, but he doesn’t have to know that. I don’t need him. I don’t.

Lies are only lies, but I rather build a foundation of lies to hold me up than face the painful truth. What good is it to face that? It wouldn’t make a difference anyway. He’s still hers. Not mine. Never mine. I’ll still end up alone. There’s still nothing left for me here. End of story.

Stop it. Stop that. Stop letting your feelings fuck you up. Suck it up, buttercup. It’s going to be a long bumpy ride and you need to lift your chin up. Remember he left you high and dry. Shattered you to pieces. You can’t trust him.

He tilts his head to side. That slash of his smirking mouth lifts up. I know nothing good would come out. “Look at you, Vixi, you actually graduated to planning your life goals.”

I always have a plan. You were in every single of one of them… until you weren’t and I had to adapt. I had to survive without him by my side to weather this shitstorm. He’s the only one that I let in and he obviously traded up a dysfunctional model for ‘the one’. I mean who wouldn’t. I can’t fault him for his wolfiness. She’s obviously his fate mate. A detail he never cared to share until he was balls deep in her.

They always said he would. A werewolf would always eventually want to put down roots even a lone wolf. Pack animal. He’s a fucking pack animal and I’m not. It’s a no brainer. Apples and oranges. Literally wolves and foxes if we’re being fucking technical.

“Nobody’s going to look after me but me,” I snap, annoyed by his snark. Shit. I don’t mean for it to come out so touchy.

The humor in his eyes changes to something serious. I don’t do serious. We aren’t going to talk about it. We aren’t going there. I’ll talk to myself about it, but I’ll never talk to him about it.

“You hired me,” I blurt out before the past I want to stay in the past catches up. “You got me out here. Tell me what I need to investigate.”