Page 41 of Caged

Cate

We’d have to talk eventually, but I was so annoyed with Jaden I worried I’d break our truce if I tried before cooling off.

I don’t know why Jaden thought he had to step in to protect me from the stares of a kid barely out of high school. Bill laid it on pretty thick, trying to present himself as a player, but he was insecure. He wasn’t a threat. Not even close. The last thing I needed was Jaden getting in the way and making him clam up.

It was almost eight by the time we got back to the office.

“What do you want to work on tonight?” I asked Jaden as he walked towards the door.

He glanced over his shoulder, then turned to face me. “Maxwell, it’s after eight. I haven’t had dinner. I plan on eating and getting some rest so I can think clearly tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes, okay.”

“What does that even mean?” he asked.

“What do you mean, what does that mean? What does okay ever mean?”

“What’s with the attitude?”

“I don’t have an attitude.”

“You do,” he said. “Maybe if you got some rest once in a while instead of trying to prove how smart you are, you wouldn’t be so bitchy.”

“I’m not bitchy, Sheppard. I want to find Wendy.”

“Are you implying I don’t? ‘Cause that’s bullshit.”

“No, I’m…”

“I’m not a robot. I need sleep. So do you.”

“I get plenty of sleep.” I just didn’t get a lot.

“I’m going home Maxwell, I suggest you do the same.” He sounded exasperated.

“You know you’re not my boss, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m the expendable Sheppard,” he muttered as he turned towards the door.

What the hell does that mean?We might not get along, but I knew better than to kick a man, who’d just dropped a mind-fuck of a revelation, when he was down.

The expendable Sheppard. Did Jaden really think that? His family loved him, without fail. It’d devastate them if something happened to him.

Why doesn’t he think so?

“Good night,” I said. “We’ll regroup in the morning.” I grabbed my bag and followed him.

“Good night.” After ushering me out the back door, he turned off the lights, locked the door, and set the alarm.

He waited for me to pull out before leaving. It was something his father and brothers did, too. Hell, all the guys did it. At first it annoyed me because they didn’t do it to each other.But they do it for Meg.It was one of the protective things I didn’t argue about. Partly because I did it to my friends, and partly because it was a southern gentleman thing and therefore not personal. Also, partly because they didn’t treat me like a girl when it came time to do the job.

Needing someone to talk to, I called Charlie on my way home. Unfortunately, she wasn’t available. After leaving a voicemail, I treated myself to a burger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake.

I spent the rest of the drive thinking about what Jaden had said. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t let a statement like that go. I wanted to know what was behind his line of thinking.

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