Chapter 178
Chapter 178
That arrogant jerk still believes he holds some kind of power here. Maybe he’s grown too comfortable within the walls of his own home, or perhaps I’ve simply been far too lenient with him. Ever since we made our pact, long ago, I have felt bound by honor to uphold it. But clearly, he doesn’t share that same respect and acts as if he’s been granted a free pass. This situation has dragged on far too long.
“I think it’s time we lighten his load a bit,” I say with quiet determination.
Josh looks at me, a sly grin spreading across his face. “What should I grab, Boss?” “Anything well-used, something they’re holding onto. And if you think Kennedy might be interested, snag it. She loves adding to her library p>
His smile widens. As much as we enjoy a good, direct confrontation, sometimes these subtle, passive-aggressive moves are the most satisfying. Together, we step into the cluttered, chaotic office. I reach for the book Claude has been pretending to read the entire time, while Josh pulls one from Rick’s hands, who looks like he’s about to lose his nerve. I have no clue how Rick ever managed to be Claude’s beta -he’s a total coward. Both men just gape at us, mouths agape, stunned by our boldness as we each gather armfuls of books. They receive nothing but stoic silence in return as we calmly walk out, leaving them speechless. Fınd the newest release on
“Grant, bring us a car. We’ve got a gift for Kennedy, and I’m not carrying this around any longer p>
“On it, Boss,” Grant replies promptly.
Once everything is loaded, we head over to check on my dad, who seems to have everything under control. Apparently, Claude made some last-minute changes and spread conflicting information to various people, all under the guise of my instructions. Thankfully, they were smart enough to halt the operation once they noticed the errors Claude introduced, but some parts need to be torn down and rebuilt to the right specifications.
I invite my dad back to the packhouse so he can finally meet Kennedy. My tendency to bury myself in work must run in the family-he’s always home every night, chatting with my mom all day, but I sometimes think he works so hard just to prove that his injury hasn’t rendered him useless. I can’t argue with him when he’s genuinely handling important business matters. He’s also spent some time in Silver Crescent with Rayna and Jeremiah. Still, I get the sense he’s avoiding Kennedy for some reason, and I can’t quite figure out why.
He’s been nothing but supportive of her, though. After I shared her capture story, he even got her a gift. I know she told parts of her story to my mom and Greta but left out the more brutal details for their sake. It’s too late for me to argue with him now- I just want to get home to her. I hope she’s awake, but knowing my mother, she’s probably exhausted from whatever mischief they got up to today.
“Josh, can you put those books in Kennedy’s office? Let her go through them and see if there’s anything she wants or can use p>
“You got it, Boss. See you in the morning. Are you actually going to make it to training this time p>
“I’ll have to see what my Luna wants to do,” I say with a soft smile.
“That’s weird, you know that, right p>
“What? Me letting my mate decide the schedule p>
“No, jackass. You smiling about it.” He laughs and dodges away, struggling to carry his armful of books.
“Well, you’re just as uncharacteristically cheerful yourself p>
“So, what you’re saying is, as long as the Luna’s happy, everyone’s happy p>
“Something like that.” I turn and head upstairs to my floor, feeling the magnetic pull growing stronger the closer I get.
When I open the door, the room is dim except for the soft glow from the lamp on my bedside table. I spot her tangled blonde hair spread across the pillows. Her face is turned toward my side, away from the door, so I can’t see her expression. One hand clutches my pillow tightly, and I move toward her immediately, concerned she might be having a nightmare without me nearby.
I settle onto the bed beside her. Her brows are furrowed, though she makes no sound. I gently trace my finger along her brow, trying to smooth away the tension, and feel a warmth spread through her skin—and mine. She inhales deeply, like she’s just surfaced from underwater, then grabs my wrist as her eyes snap open. “Ryker? You’re here?” Her voice is groggy, confused.
I pull off my shirt and slide under the covers with her. “I’m here, Lamb. Go back to sleep p>
As I draw her closer, my fingers brush her bare thigh just beneath the hem of a t- shirt. I move my hand up to her waist, needing to touch every inch of her, but find nothing beneath the fabric.
“Lamb, are you naked under this t-shirt p>
She nuzzles her nose into my chest without opening her eyes again. “You told me I could only wear your shirt to bed p>
“You really are trying to kill me, aren’t you p>