Page 89 of Dark Wolf Soul
Dutch’s words echo from earlier. I need to give her the control, which probably means giving her space too.
When she doesn’t answer, I look over to find her staring at me with clear judgment in her expression.
“What?” I ask.
“It’s Furious Seven.” At my blank look, she adds, “Tell me you’ve seen the Fast and Furious movies.”
I shrug. “I don’t really watch TV.”
“Wow, I finally feel sorry for you.”
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. I sit on the armrest, still keeping space between us. She hits the pause button on the remote, which she apparently figured out how to use while I was gone.
“What happened to Claire?” she asks.
I blink, trying to understand where the question came from. “Mia cleaned her up and took her home.”
“So she’s safe,” Lexi says.
“Of course.”
She bites her lip, and I wait, but she doesn’t ask anything else. Part of me wants to push it, but I remind myself of the bigger picture and focus on my plan.
“Our dinner reservation is set for eight,” I tell her.
“Oh.” She blinks as if just remembering our conversation. “Okay, is it fancy?”
“It’s black tie,” I say.
She starts to rise. “I don’t know if I have anything else in the clothes you bought me, but I’ll check the wardrobe.”
“Actually, I was thinking you could pick out your own outfit.”
She stops and looks at me warily, and I realize how little control she really has—and how right Dutch is about offering her some.
“Exactly how would I do that? From an app on your phone?”
“I was thinking you could shop for it yourself. Mia’s sending a car for you in an hour.”
Something flickers in her eyes. Disappointment? There’s a wall up between us after our conversation earlier, and I can’t read her. My chest tightens as I wait for her to give me some sort of response. If she doesn’t want to spend time with Mia—
“You trust her to babysit me instead of doing it yourself?” she asks.
I frown. “It’s not about babysitting. I just thought you might like the company of another woman. You’re welcome to go alone if you prefer.”
“Alone,” she repeats skeptically.
“I’d send security, of course, but that’s for your safety. My driver will take you anywhere you want to go.”
She stares at me, and I get the distinct impression it’s not enough. But it’s all I can offer her. For now.
“I’ll go with Mia,” she says eventually.
I nod, trying to hide my relief. “Just tell them to put your purchases on my account. I’ll take care of whatever it is you pick out.”
I rise and start back to my bedroom, already thinking of a few more calls I can make to ensure this day goes smoothly for her.
“Grey.”
