Page 115 of The Price of Ice

Kallen stared at him, heart battering in his throat, stomach beginning to cramp.

Levy shrugged a shoulder. “So I did my budget to see how long I could manage without a job, and then I quit.” He licked his lips, meeting Kallen’s eyes shyly. “Two days ago.”

“Two days?” he echoed.

“Yeah, just... no point in postponing it. Well, actually, I was worried if I didn’t do it right then, with all the numbers in front of me...” He cut his gaze away. “I’m sorry, it sounds like I’m not even sure, and Iam. It’s just—”

“Levy,” Kallen said, as gentle as he could. “You don’t have to tellme.I get it.”

That earned him a smile, small and sad but there. “Yeah, of course. You showed me the way, after all.”

“Don’t make me sound like a prophet or something.”

“Why not?” Levy argued, clearly just to be a little shit. “You could bemyprophet.”

“No, I can’t. I haven’t even quit, officially,” he admitted, fitting his thumb inside the coffee spoon for something to do. It’d been bad enough before, but now Levy had actually sped past him just like that? He’d done a budget, which hadn’t even crossed Kallen’s mind.

“Your car is gone, though,” Levy said.

Kallen straightened. “It is?”

“Yeah,” Levy said, beginning to frown. “You didn’t know?”

“No, I did, I got a company to do it, but...” He swallowed, looking down at the spoon. “But I’m kinda worried they’ll notice, because I haven’t told them. My lawyer said not to, so I can keep getting paid till the end of the year,” he added, and winced. It sounded like an excuse.

“Good,” Levy told him, with that bite to it that only ever seemed to come up when someone hurt Kallen. “Least they can do.”

That was the reasoning, of course. “You are no longer a White Cat,” he suddenly realised, and regretted it at once when Levy grimaced. “No! Sorry! I— I have something to tell you.”

Levy’s face had gone smooth and serious. “I’m listening.”

And fuck, of course he was, but now Kallen wasn’t sure where to begin. “My lawyer... I went to the police. I told them.”

The alpha’s lips were pressed tightly together, but he didn’t move.

Kallen looked down again, his anger was on Kallen’s behalf, but it was still a lot to take. “I’m taking him to court.”

“Fuck, youaremy prophet,” Levy said with a sigh. His hazel eyes were damp and he was looking at Kallen like... “What do you need from me?”

“What?” The question surprised him enough to make him lose track of what he’d been about to say. “No, I... I don’t need anything.”

Of course Levy had offered, when had he ever not?

“I can be a character witness, or—” Levy cut himself, snorting. “Sorry, you said you didn’t need anything from me. I just mean—”

“Levy.”

He stopped, shrugging a little.

“Thank you for offering,” Kallen told him. “We have got evidence. Video. I’m supposed to tell the court what he said. Did.”

Levy grabbed his hand, curling it over the spoon he’d been fiddling with. His eyes were dark and knowing. “Youwill,” he told Kallen.

“Will you drag me there if I chicken out?” he joked. He wanted to hold Levy’s hand back, but he was worried about loosening his friend’s hold.

“Won’t need to,” Levy told him, completely serious.

Kallen snorted. “I’m trying my best not to freak out.”

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