Chapter 5

Kill me. Kill me now. But the fury that rages in Mr. and Mrs. Carrigan-Holland's eyes are well worth the pathetic drivel that I vomited up. It's worth it when Misty is the only one out of the three that jumps up and down giddy with excitement when her parents are trying desperately not to show any emotions.

But I know the truth so does Maverick.

It fucking kills them.

"It was nice bumping into you," Maverick says casually like we didn't just agree to kill each other. "We've got a lot of catching up to do. You know how it is with being newly reconnected and all."

I blush at the implication, but I gently slap his chest and force out a giggle. With that, he steers me away from the fuming couple and their giddy daughter. It doesn't take us long to get on an elevator. The moment those doors close, I shove him away from me.

"Are you insane?" I cry out in disbelief.

"Might be."

The devious little shit then has the audacity to smirk at me. I shake my head while glaring at the werewolf in front of me. This guy has a death wish I swear.

"Why would you tell people that we're back together?" I gasp in frustration. Doesn't he know how screwed up this was? "Didn't you puppify that-that girl you're obsessed with?"

He frowns. "What girl?"

What do you mean what girl! The girl you were hammering into the night you fucking dismissed me like I was just trash you needed to toss out. The night you told me to fuck off and never come back. Was he going to pretend he didn't write all those painful things in that stupid letter that I don’t psychotically read every night? I mean I totally don’t. I just remember it like I just read it last night. I remember all of it and not because it’s fresh in my mind the night before.

I totally read it every night.

"Oh, don't do that," I hiss at him. "Don't pretend I'm a stupid bitch you can pull a fast one over, Maverick. How crystal clear could you have gotten?"

His eyes narrow as he stares at me for a moment. Why isn't anything ringing a bell? Whatever. He can pretend that he didn't break my heart, rip the pieces out, and stomp on my already damaged heart to smash the already shattered pieces into teeny tiny smithereens. I barely made it out of here. I barely picked myself up off the ground to start over again.

"Vixi--" he starts.

No, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear his weak fucking excuses for throwing away three ridiculously incredible but flawlessly flawed years together. Seriously though, why bother getting with me if he knew his heart still belonged and will forever belong his first love?

"First rule," I cut in with a shake of my head and my eyes are probably full of pathetic unshed tears. "Don't ever bring up the past. Do I make myself clear?"

There's anger that fires up in his eyes. It's the spark that I know so well. I think he's going to give into it and lash out at me, but he takes a deep breath before he releases it.

"Crystal," he tosses back at me.

The bitterness and anger cuts into me and I'm confused, but I refuse to return to a past that I barely escaped from. I made something of myself even if it was riding on the coattails of Mr. Moneybags in front of me, but my reputation as a top knotch private investigator that's all me. He can’t take that away. Nobody can. That's my success not his and he can choke on that.

"Are you going to let me explain?" he finally asks as I take deep breaths in and out.

My eyes dart to him. "Explain. Right now."

"It's going to be difficult for you to do your job when they know you're hired to investigate them," he tells me, tilting his head to the side. He crosses his arms over his stupid muscular chest that isn’t at all distracting. "Misty presented the perfect opportunity and cover for you so I went with it. Was I really wrong to jump on it?"

Oh, I hate him. I hate him so much. It's criminal how much I hate him. Of course he'd have the most logical reason. He has to make complete sense, doesn't he?

I want to scream. I want to punch him and everything. I want to pull out my hair. I should be in a straitjacket bouncing off the walls at the looney bin with how angry I truly am. I can't even really be mad at him and that absolutely kills, because he's right. It will be easier to do my job if people aren't thinking I'm investigating them.

I stare in his eyes and there's awareness in his, because he realizes that I realize he's right. That slow smirk that crosses his face tells me everything I need to know.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

I stomp my foot. "I hate you."

"Well aware, love," he growls, grabbing my arm and pulling me forward so there's barely a gap between us. "Hate me all you want, but you know I'm right."

My eyes burn into his and I wish my body wasn't such a whore. My body reacts to his closeness and I can't help the familiar flare of greedy, selfish need that claws its way to the surface. He breathes in and I know he smells my arousal on me. My cheeks warm as his eyes darken and his tongue flicks to swipe out to wet his bottom lip.

That's when the elevator dings and I jump slightly at the sound. Such a sad cliché. Literally saved by the bell and why am I so disappointed? The doors open, revealing an empty hallway. My eyes swing back to his and he bites his bottom lip before he eases away from me.

"Since we're together now," he rasps as he gets out the elevator, grabbing my suitcase before I can stop him. I follow him off. My hand has a deathgrip on the strap of my backpack. "You might as well just move in with me."

I stop short at his words. Oh, for fuck's sake! That's not even... He notices that I've stopped moving. His eyes zero in on me and I forget to breathe. He leaves my suitcase unattended for a moment as he backs me against the wall. One hand grips my hip, securing me in place with the hot touch of his hand.

"Nobody's going to believe we're not fucking if we're together," he tells me. I gulp. It's true. He's a werewolf. It's in their nature to be sexually active and I’m well aware of how much. "All for the sake of your cover, right?"

I can only nod my head. This cover will help me get this assignment done quickly and then I can escape Silver City. But I share a place with him though, there's absolutely no way I won't end up falling in between his sheets or on the sofa or on the kitchen counter or in the shower or any other fucking surface.

I know it.

He knows it, but I can't say no. Something he also knows.

"Fine," I mutter. "Show me the way."

Just like that, my fate is sealed.

The dangerous gleam in his eyes tells me that I'm going to regret it. I'm definitely going to end up in multiple different positions by the end of this colossal fucking mistake. My body heats up at the divine possibility. I hate myself even more for the excitement splintering through me at the thought.