Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bennett
H e’s difficult to track down, but I eventually find Maverick in the barn. Instead of setting up the sleigh, however, he’s busy fiddling with one of the snowmobiles, which is great. The snowmobile is far less romantic.
“Little dark for a drive through the woods, huh?” I say as I step closer.
Maverick looks up and smiles, and I want to punch his white teeth until they aren’t so straight anymore. “I’m taking Cat out to practice with the bow. You’re welcome to join.”
“You sure you didn’t want it to be just the two of you?” I raise an eyebrow and wait for his answer.
“No. Why would I want that?” He eases the snowmobile out of the barn until the treads meet the snow. “I know she has a thing for me, but I see her as a?—”
“Little sister. Right.”
“Yeah.” He turns to face me. “But if I saw her as something else, would that be a problem?”
I don’t much care for the tone of voice he’s using with me, and I don’t even know where this sudden hostility is coming from. I fold my arms over my chest and posture to remind him that he’s the pup here.
“No, it wouldn’t be a problem,” I say with a shake of my head. “But if it was a problem, would that be a problem?”
“Would it be a problem if it was a problem that it was a problem?”
I blink. “Okay, enough cryptic shit. Are you making a move on Cat or what?”
“Bennett . . .” Maverick sighs and nudges a clump of snow with the toe of his boot. “Look, I’m just trying to be nice to her because you’re giving her such a hard time. Everyone’s getting sick of running interference between you two. It’s a full-time job at this point.”
My eyes widen, and I can’t believe what the fuck I’m hearing. Interference? Giving her a hard time? Cat and I have been worried people will realize we’re fucking, but we’re so good at hiding it that they think we’re more volatile than ever.
“Wait, so you’re taking her on a pity date?” I ask as my brain registers what else he said. “You’re going to make her think you like her when you don’t? Isn’t that kind of fucked up?”
“That’s what I said, but everyone else seems to think this is a great idea.”
“Everyone else? Are you guys having fucking meetings about us? What the fuck?”
Maverick runs his hands through his hair. “I agree. Everything about this is fucked. But Kindra’s really worried about her, and I am too. She’s been so depressed since the uptick in audition rejections she’s received.”
Depressed? She hasn’t seemed so very depressed. Hell, she hasn’t even mentioned the failed auditions to me. Why does Maverick know about them when I don’t?
More jealousy fills the growing pit in my gut.
“So what happens when you have to destroy her after raising her hopes?” I ask. “Seems like this plan will do more harm than good.”
“Again, that’s what I said.”
“So don’t do it,” I say. “Don’t take her out. Let me do it.”
Maverick starts shaking his head before I can even finish my sentence. “Definitely not. Ezra and Kindra gave everyone strict orders to keep you two away from each other, and I’m not risking Kindra’s wrath. Have you seen her when she’s pissed?”
I shudder, because yes, I have.
But I have to do some thing. If Maverick puts the moves on Cat, she’ll cave, and if she kisses him, I’ll have to kill him. He’s pissing me off right now, but Ezra and I see him as an unofficial little brother, and I really don’t want to kill him.
“Don’t do this, Maverick. I’ll deal with Kindra and Ezra.”
“Eve, Grim, and Ice Pick too? And you can’t forget Jim.”
I scoff, realizing how deep this goes. Cat’s concerns that everyone will hound us to death don’t seem so fabricated now. “What about Rosie? Is she in on this too?”
Maverick shoves his hands into his pockets. “Surprisingly, no. She shook her head the entire time, but she refuses to say why she disagrees with the plan to keep you two away from each other.”
“Refuses to . . . Maverick, she can’t talk.”
“She can, but only Grim understands her. He says she won’t talk about it with him, either.”
“So everyone hates me,” I say. “Is that what you’re telling me?”
Maverick rocks on his heels and looks at the snowy ground. “Hate is a very strong word.”
I nod and turn my head to spit the bitter taste of loneliness out of my mouth. Maybe Cat wasn’t so far off when she said I’m a man on an island. She’s wrong about how I got here, though. I didn’t choose to be alone. The people in my life made that choice for me.
As I turn and walk away, Maverick calls after me. I don’t stop. What’s the point? He’s set on being their lackey and fooling Cat into thinking he’s falling for her. They want to hurt her. Not me. Yet I’m the one she needs protection from?
White-hot rage blinds me as I make my way back to the mansion. I have to stop her before she gets hurt. With all those hearts in her eyes, she won’t be able to see what’s going on.
By the time I reach the front door, I still haven’t seen her. I know I didn’t miss her because there’s only one path to the barn. That means she’s probably still in her room, preparing for her little date.
I have to stop her, but how? If I tell her the truth, that Maverick is pretending to be interested out of pity, it will crush her. For the first time since I met her, I don’t want that. I want her to be happy.
With me, of course.
I power walk through the empty front hall, then take the stairs two at a time. If I can’t convince her to stay behind with me, I could always hold her hostage. I imagine what she’d look like tied up on the bed. Beautiful perfection. But that won’t win any brownie points with everyone else, so I scratch that idea.
As I pass her door, I give the handle a jiggle and find it unlocked. Despite her plans to spend the evening with the golden boy, it seems she hasn’t forgotten about the orchestrated rendezvous with her tarnished lover—me.
Stepping into her room, I spy an outfit sprawled across the bed, but Cat must be in the bathroom, because I don’t see her. A clatter and a curse word come from behind the closed door, confirming my suspicions. Seconds later, a blow-dryer fires up.
Since she’s occupied, I take a look around the room, trying to find a way to sabotage her and ensure she stays here. Talking would be so much easier, but again, I can’t bear the thought of seeing the pain in her eyes. I also don’t want to be the consolation prize. If I tell her the truth, it all but guarantees she’ll run right into my waiting arms, but that isn’t how I want to win.
I want to be chosen.
The bra-and-panty set on the bed catches my attention, and I step closer. I lift the tiny pink thong and run the patch of lace through my fingers. The hard-on is immediate.
I glance back at the bathroom door, wondering if I have enough time to beat my dick and force her to wear come-soaked panties on her little date, but then the cat jumps onto the bed, and I have a better idea.
No, I’m not about to beat off on the cat. I’m not that deranged.
“Hey, Shorty,” I whisper as I step closer. “You’re about to help me make nice with your mommy.”
The humongous black cat just looks at me and flicks his tail. He takes a seat—right on Cat’s pink bra—and begins grooming his paw. His rough tongue flicks out, swipes his paw pads a few times, and darts back into his mouth. When that doesn’t quite satisfy him, he takes to gnawing at whatever is there.
“Something bugging you, buddy?” I sit beside him on the bed and take his paw into my hand. The largest pad is warmer than the rest, and a splinter pokes from the center. “Damn, that looks uncomfortable. Let me help you.”
I pull the cat into my lap, and he purrs as I pluck the splinter from his paw. Despite how disgusting and vile I find these animals, Cat loves them—this one in particular—so I kind of have to help him. Once the sliver of wood has been removed, I can’t even tell it was there in the first place.
“You’re a tough little asshole, hmm?” I scratch under his chin as the blow-dryer cuts off in the bathroom. “Looks like we need to make a move.”
Tucking the cat under my sweater, I hurry back to my room before Cat sees me in hers. Once she realizes he’s missing, she’ll cancel her plans with Maverick so that she can look for Shorty, but only if she doesn’t see me catnapping him. That’s when I’ll swoop in and save the day by “finding” him myself.
It’s one hell of a plan. What could possibly go wrong?