Chapter 17 #3
“The time for discussion is past.”
“And when exactly was that?” Joey challenged.
“You made your case this afternoon. I have considered it and found it lacking.” His tone made it clear that he found Joey lacking as well. A sentiment that Alyssa cheered. “You may go now.”
Joey took a step back, but he was shaking his head as he moved. “You’re not in Hicksville anymore,” he sneered. “This is a mistake.”
“Then it is mine to make.” Simon glared down at the smaller man. “I expect a progress report by eight a.m. tomorrow.”
“Which you won’t be able to read.”
Simon arched a brow, but he didn’t argue. He didn’t have to. He was acting as a military commander and expected obedience. Problem was, Joey wasn’t a recruit. And he sure as hell hadn’t been taught when to keep his mouth shut.
“You’re making a mistake,” he repeated as he took a step toward the door. “And she,” he added, gesturing to at her with a dismissive wave, “is a disaster waiting to happen.” Then he curled his lip. “Just hope you’re not around when it all goes boom.”
And with that, he stepped outside and disappeared.
“Fucking poser,” Alyssa muttered when he was far enough away not to hear. “Are you sure you need him?”
“Yes. And he is not wrong. The cannabis is dangerous.”
“What?” Her voice was sharp and angry. She’d noted that he hadn’t claimed her as his girlfriend.
Hell, he’d all but said they were nothing to each other and that had hurt so bad it had temporarily stolen her breath.
So she’d buried it under a tide of righteous indignation.
“Don’t you dare lecture me on the evils of marijuana, you asshole.
Set aside the real medical benefits, I’ve never had a problem with someone who was high.
Drunks, on the other hand? They get into bar fights, beat their wives, and drive into minivans of kids.
” She made a wild gesture out the window.
“Besides, I don’t sell it. I just don’t criminalize those who do. ”
He listened to her tirade with that infuriatingly flat expression. And when she paused to take a breath, he spoke.
“With the tensions out there, the cannabis dealer is a target.”
“So are grocery stores. In fact, they’re worse. Do you know how many shootings there were today? Seven. Do you hear me? Seven.”
His mouth flattened. “Then you are in even greater danger.” He looked out the window at Mrs. Garcia’s house. “Her business will threaten yours.”
She took a breath to rip into him. Part of her knew that he was right, but she was still smarting from the way he’d dismissed her before.
From the fact that he was taking the poser’s side instead of hers.
From any lack of softness from him at all when she’d been tied in knots waiting to see him again.
But before she could let any of it fly, he held up his hand.
“This is your choice. You will do with it what you will. I am tired, though. May I rest on your couch?”
He was tired? She was practically falling over from the work she’d done in the last two days.
And good God, what was wrong with her? She’d turned into a screeching adolescent shrew.
Except she wasn’t screeching, thank God.
She was holding her words and her thoughts inside.
And when he stared at her calmly, clearly waiting for an answer, she had the wherewithal to nod once.
Then she dug her house keys out of her pocket and tossed them to him.
It wasn’t until he had left the room for her apartment that she realized Nanook’s apartment was furnished again. She’d gotten the basics in there—all new—and he’d said yesterday that he would stay there. As alpha, that was his home and he needed to stay there until his position was established.
So why was he here?
The teenage girl inside her was spouting all sorts of romantic nonsense as an answer, but she was an adult woman.
She knew that if she’d been more than a hot screw, then there’d be more of a connection between them.
More tenderness or communication or something that wasn’t issuing orders and a polite request to sleep on her couch.
And yet, she didn’t want to believe she was nothing to him. She couldn’t.
So she abruptly walked to her desk and wrote up a sign that she taped to the door.
Closed until further notice.
Don’t drink the water. It’s tainted.
It likely wouldn’t help, but at least she’d made an effort. Then she locked the door and turned to her brother.
“Can you finish in here?”
Vic nodded, but he sighed as he looked at her. “Don’t push Simon. He doesn’t work like normal people.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that he hates drama. And girlfriend drama is the worst kind.”
“Didn’t you hear him? I’m not his girlfriend.”
“I heard.” Vic started pushing the mop again. “But I don’t think you did.”
She wanted to curse her brother out for that. She wanted to tell him that he didn’t know shit about what was happening between her and Simon. But she held back her words. Because obviously she didn’t know shit, either. And it was past time for her to find out.