Page 44 of The Fated Mate Bandit

I nod.

He throws back his head and laughs.

“Tell you what, Silver. That’s your name, right? I will gladly sign over my parental rights the second my bond with Lucas is over, and I can stick my dick in somebody else. That sounds like a fair trade to me. In the meantime, I need money to pay the rent. So go get him already.”

Daryll is probably drunk. He may not be willing to follow through on any of these promises when or if Lucas is ready to bond to me. But maybe it’s worth it to placate him, at least until then.

“How much money do you need?” I ask.

“Fifteen hundred.”

I don’t have fifteen hundred dollars in cash lying around. I could get it, though.

“Come back tomorrow at two o’clock. I’ll get you your money,” I say. “But only if you leave right now.”

“No way, man. I’m not falling for that. Go get Lucas.” Daryll sways a little. I bet he’ll fall asleep in a few minutes, regardless of where he is.

“Lucas isn’t coming out here. Leave now, and I’ll pay your rent this one time. If you don’t leave, the offer is gone.”

He steps back. “Fine, but I’m holding you to it.”

“Okay.”

He points at me. “I’ll get my money from you.”

“Okay,” I repeat.

“My money and my freedom,” Daryll says, slurring the last word. He stumbles down the steps and toward an old pickup truck in the driveway. I would tell him not to drive if I thought he would listen. Instead, I write down his license plate. The cops can tell him for me.

I close the door and slide the deadbolt home, relieved that Daryll wasn’t interested in fighting someone his own size.

I guess he only hits people who are too small to fight back.

19

LUCAS

Iwake alone in Silver’s bed, but I can hear the water of the shower coming from the adjoined bathroom. His scent is everywhere: the pillow, the sheets, my skin. There’s a lovely soreness between my legs too, that whispers of what we did last night together. I bring my fingers to the fresh bite on my scent gland and smile.

It feels wonderful to have the impression of Silver’s teeth layered over the scar Daryll left on my skin when he bonded to me.

Silver walks into the bedroom with a towel on his hips. I stare at his bare chest shamelessly as he beelines for the closet.

“Good morning,” I say.

He turns around, the towel lowering on his hips. He reaches for it, then pauses and lets it slide down his body, exposing every hard angle to me. It feels like such an indulgence to be able to see him like this, especially in the morning.

He walks to the bed and sits next to me. “Good morning, baby. How did you sleep?”

“Wonderful.” I haven’t slept that well in months, possibly years, but I don’t tell him that.

“Good.” He drags a hand through his wet hair. “My, uh, brothers sort of overheard us last night.”

I think back to our lovemaking and realize it was because of me. I screamed out Silver’s name, among other things. What was I thinking? I knew they were sleeping in the house. They must think I’m such a slut for sleeping with their brother while I’m pregnant with Daryll’s pups.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to?—"

He presses a finger to my lips. “It’s okay. Last night was intense.” He bends over and presses a kiss to my forehead. It makes me feel so goddamn safe, I almost forget to be embarrassed. Almost.

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