Page 42 of Maverick

I take another step back, looking between Cadence and her grandma. It's worse than I fucking thought. So much worse.

Cadence looks at her grandma, then me. Her head drops and she sighs. "Nan, everything's under control. Can you head back in?"

She scowls at me, then nods at Cadence. As she enters, I get a glimpse of a cot with a quilted blanket on it, obviously freshly slept in, and on the floor, a sleeping bag with a thin mat under it.

My brain explodes. This is not a one time thing. "Your grandma is sleeping here too?" I ask very softly. If I don't stay soft, I'm going to yell.

Cadence nods, looking deflated. "I —"

The dogs start up their barking, and she glances toward the kennels. "I need to get dressed and take the dogs out."

"And then we talk."

She looks like she's going to argue, but gets a good look at my face, and clamps her mouth shut. Smart woman. She nods, and carefully opens the door, trying to slip in without me getting a look.

Parking myself across the hall, I run through everything that just happened, and come up with the same answer every time. Cadence and her grandma are sleeping here. More than that. They're living here. Little things I didn't think anything of before, like the rack full of dishes, and the pantry stuff on the counter near the sink start looking very different to me. I just assumed it was because she's making lunches at work, but clearly there's so much more going on.

We'resilent as we take the dogs out, not for full walks this time, just for a little exercise in the enclosed yard. Thankfully, I don't have to actually touch the poop, just use a little rake and scoop to gather it up. The only time Cadence actually looks at me is the smirk she sends me when she takes the scoop from me.

I gagged a few times. So what.

We're back in the kennels, chores done, but she keeps puttering around, acting like she's busy.

"Cadence," I say warningly. "explain."

Her expression turns mulish. "I don't owe you an explanation, Maverick. I'm a grown woman. I don't answer to you in here. This is my place, my life."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" So much for my legendary control. My patience is gone. "You expect me to just ignore that shit?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

I actually stagger back a step. "Who the fuck do you think I am? You expect me to just be okay with knowing you and your grandmother are sleeping here? It's the middle of the industrial area. This isn't safe Cadence, you have to know that."

"I have an alarm system. It's fine."

"You're delusional!"

She plants her hands on her hips, eyes flashing. "I'm handling it! You don't think I wish things were different? It's not like I woke up one morning and thought, 'You know what? We should go live in my office at the rescue. It'll be great.'" She heaves out a breath. "Life happened. So, like I said, I'm handling it."

"You're not handling it very well. You have a seventy year old woman sleeping on a fucking cot. She should be in a home surrounded by her things. She should be safe."

Devastation washes across her face, followed by anger. "I know that goddammit!"

We're in a standoff, hands propped on hips, mirroring each other's poses, neither one willing to back down. But I'm in the right here. I have no fucking doubts. She can not sleep on a fucking floor.

“What’s happening? Is everything okay?” Abby asks from the doorway. John is standing beside her, looking wary. I didn't hear them come in.

Maybe they can talk some sense into her. “No! It’s not fucking okay. She’s sleeping here.” I hold up a hand, wantingto be damned clear on what's actually happening here. “Scratch that. She and her grandmother are fucking living here. She’s sleeping on the floor.”

Cadence sighs, giving them a guilty look. “You’re making a big deal over nothing. It’s fine. We’re fine.”

Oh, I am so done. Snarling, I stalk her until I have her pressed up against the wall. This discussion is going nowhere fast, and I just hit my limit. I'm using my size to loom over her, but I want to make damned sure my point is made. I lean down until our noses are almost touching. “It’s far from fine, Cady. Now you’re going to turn around, march your ass back into that room, and pack your shit. You and your grandma are coming home with me.”

14

CADENCE

You and your grandma are coming home with me.I have to be hallucinating, except the large, muscled body pressed up against me, the waves of heat coming off him, and his spectacular glare, feel all too real.

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