Page 148 of My UnTrue Love
Bill had opened up all the doors between them.
He’d said he needed her.
He was no longer hiding his talent.
It was like a freaking checklist of how to reTrue Love coyote kind! The only missing piece was Bill singing. If he did that, the entire curse would be…
The whistling abruptly stopped and Luke gave a sudden shout of alarm. “What the fuck?!” Something crashed, like he’d just been shoved backwards into one of the vending machines.
Clementine surged forward, instinctively racing towards the boy. Nobody hurt Luke. Noteveragain.
“You’re going to help me get on this show.” A male voice snarled. The same voice that had been whistling. “It’s my turn in the spotlight. I’m gonna take his place on stage, before anyone even knows what happened.”
“The hell you are.” Luke snapped back.
“It’s gonna be me up there!” The man roared. “You get in line with that or I’ll find someoneelseto help me. Maybe that big-titted blonde, you boys are so fond of.”
Clem’s eyes narrowed at the random sexualization. It wassodifficult to be a muse in the music business. You had to fight assholes at every turn. Sometimes physically.
She rounded the corner and paused outside the vending machine room, tilting her head to peer around the doorframe. A man who looked like an older, russet-haired version of Luke was looming over the boy.
“You go near Clem and I’ll kill you with my bare hands.” Luke vowed in a deadly calm tone.
Clementine’s heart melted. He was such a sweetie-pie. Overprotective and grouchy, but she wouldn’t change him a bit. Luke didn’t have to worry about defending her, though. He was just a kid. It was her job to look after him.
“You better remind yourself of what happens when you disobey me, Luke.” The man hissed. “I’m getting real sick of your attitude. I thought some time spent in the dark would’ve cleared your head.”
As quietly as she could, Clem reached down to pull off her size nine cowgirl boots. Instantly, she dropped down two inches in height.
“Fuckingtryto lock me up.” Luke invited with a reckless, evil, “fuck you” grin. “I started shifting. The fight’ll be fair this time. …Or maybe not, since I’m pretty sure I’m bigger than your geriatric ass. We’ll see who winds up on top.”
“You’re threateningme? After all I’ve done for you? Your own mother didn’t want you, boy. You think anyone else in this world will take you in?”
“I think they alreadyhave. I slept on the sheriff’s couch last night. Don’t know where the hell I’m sleeping tonight, but I know it’ll be under the same roof as my brother and his wife.”
“I wouldn’t get too comfortable, especially with her. Womenalwaysleave coyotes. How many times have you seen it happen to me?”
“Women leave you, because you deserve to be left.” Luke diagnosed contemptuously.
“Bill’s stolen-mate is gonna hightail it, the second she gets a chance. You mark my words.”
“Clem decided on Bill, because she loves him. She was never stolen.”
Finally,someone else got that!
The older man shook his head, as if bitterly disappointed by Luke’s faith in Clementine. “Until some better fella comes along and she decides to love him, instead. Then, she’ll go on her merry way, forgetting about you both.”
“No.” Luke sounded very sure. “She’s not leaving me and she’s not leaving Bill. She dotes on us.”
“You choose that little bitch, if it makes you feel special. But, I’m getting on this show, if I have to go right through you.” He stabbed a finger in Luke’s face. “You know that I mean it.”
Luke braced himself, anticipating a violent, bloody battle.
Clem marched into the vending machine room.
Luke’s face paled. He straightened, preparing to fling himself in front of her.
The older guy turned. “Why, hello there.” He smiled, but there was no light in his icy blue eyes. The beautiful color was exactly like Bill’s, only nothing like it at all. “You’re just the girl I was looking for.”
