“You need to eat,” Growl said. “Starving yourself won’t change a thing.”

“I don’t care! Answer my question, goddammit!”

Bandit let out a low rumble, but Growl silenced him with a movement of his hand.

I stiffened. “Not dangerous, hm?”

“What do you expect when you’re screaming at their owner?”

“Come on, it’s not like I’m a danger to you,” I said mockingly.

He glanced down at his bandaged arm, then shrugged. “You’re not, but you’re being disrespectful.”

“You don’t deserve my respect.”

Growl closed the fridge, tilting his head to watch me. Again I could tell that he didn’t know what to do with me. “I’m going to order pizza. I haven’t had anything for lunch. What kind of pizza do you want?”

I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I’m not going to eat anything until you answer my question.”

“And I’m not going to answer until you eat something.”

“Does that mean you know more?”

“I do,” he said simply.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cara

My fingers shook at the prospect of news about my mother and sister. “Okay. I’ll eat the pizza. Just tell me what you know.”

“What kind?”

I blew out a breath in exasperation, but I couldn’t lose it again or he might decide to tell me nothing. “Tuna and onions, I suppose.”

Growl picked up the phone and ordered pizza for six p.m. That left more than one hour.

He must have seen the dismay in my expression because he said, “Coco and Bandit need walking. If you come along, I’ll tell you everything I know.”

I nodded eagerly, and since the only pair of shoes Growl had brought in my backpack were my running shoes, I was equipped perfectly. The moment we stepped out, I realized how trapped I’d felt inside that house. Growl didn’t bother putting his dogs on a leash. They began sniffing the local shrubs as Growl and I walked side by side. It felt strange. I’d been with him for almost twenty-four hours, and so far he’d been far more decent to me than I’d have expected. But I had a feeling that had more to do with the fact that I confused him than with mercy or pity. “So?” I began, when it became obvious that Growl enjoyed the quiet of the walk.

“Falcone seems to be content with the punishment he’s inflicted on your family so far. With your father dead, and you with me, he sees no necessity to punish your mother and sister at the moment.”

“So my mother and sister are all right?” I asked in relief, pushing aside the memories of my father’s death.

“For now,” Growl said matter-of-factly.

“Where are they?”

“Your mother is in your old house. I’m not sure where your sister is.”

“What do you mean, you’re not sure? What happened to her? How can you be sure Falcone didn’t hurt her if you don’t know any details? What if he gave her to someone as a gift?”

Like he did with me, I added in my mind. I wanted to be there to protect her. It was my job to do so.

“Falcone hasn’t been very forthcoming with information today. After your father’s betrayal he’s even more cautious. But he has some kind of plan, and it seems to require that your sister and mother are well.”

“But—”

“No,” Growl said firmly. “That’s enough. I told you what I know.” His brows drew together and he shook his head, more to himself than to me. I still marveled at how tall he was, towering a head over me. My eyes traced his muscled arms, inked from his wrists up to the edge of his T-shirt and beyond. Especially the skull and the snake baring its teeth gave me the creeps. I wondered how much more of his body was covered like that.

“We should keep going or we’ll miss the pizza,” Growl said.

My eyes shot up to his face. How long had I been staring at him again? His jaw was tight, his eyes filled with a fire that made me nervous.

I quickly walked ahead, and he fell into step beside me shortly after. We didn’t talk again.

Growl

I staggered into the yard toward my fitness area. I needed to let off some steam and my workout was due anyway.

Something was fucking wrong with me. I had Cara in my house. I was allowed to do with her whatever I wanted, and what had I done so far? Nothing. Something about her made me incapable of just grabbing her and having my fucking way with her.

I’d never forced a woman to sleep with me. Perhaps that was it. I liked it when they fought me, when they bit and scratched and sometimes even screamed, but not because they didn’t want it—because they did. I had no trouble hurting people, hurting women, but that was different. That was my job. And I enjoyed it. There was no denying it. But sex was something else. I didn’t want to force a woman. I wanted the woman to want me.

Of course, many of the whores I’d had in the past probably hadn’t really wanted me either, but they’d done it by choice because they wanted the money. I could live with that. And Lola, she definitely liked me more than her other johns.

I sighed and put more weight on the barbell. With a grunt, I pressed it up.

The worst was the way I’d caught Cara looking at me today. She liked the sight of my muscles. I was fairly sure she was attracted to me on some base level. Yet she hated me, too, and that was stronger than any desire she might feel for me.

Fuck, I wanted her. The door creaked and Cara stepped out onto the porch. When she noticed me doing my workout, her eyes widened a tad, then they traveled the length of me before she caught herself and looked somewhere else.

I groaned inwardly.

I wasn’t one for games. Or for analyzing the subtleties of a woman’s behavior. This was giving me a fucking headache.

Her gaze settled on the porch table. “Did you bolt it to the ground so I couldn’t use it to get over the fence?”

How did she come up with that kind of logic? “No,” I said, putting the barbell into the holder. “I didn’t know you’d live with me. Did you want to use it to get over the fence?” I’d suspected she might try to escape. I’d also known that she wouldn’t succeed.

“Why are there no tables or chairs in your kitchen?” she asked. “And why are there no books?”

Why, why, why. Why did she always have to ask questions?

I got up from the bench and stretched my arms. Again. That look. Fuck it. I crossed the distance between us and pressed her against the wall. Her squeak of surprise was silenced by my mouth. I plunged my tongue into her mouth, relishing in the fucking sweet taste of her. She shivered against me. That wasn’t only fear. Fuck. She was attracted to me. I knew it. I kissed her harder, fucking tasting every corner of that pure mouth. Her nipples rubbed against my chest through our clothing. I wanted to pinch and suck them. I wanted to eat her pussy, have her juices on my face. I wanted all of her. Her kiss was unpracticed, hesitant, but mine wasn’t. I didn’t give her time to consider, to doubt. I slid my hand below her skirt and pressed my palm against her crotch. Even through her panties and her tights I could feel the heat radiating off her pussy.

She tensed but didn’t push me away. I pressed a finger between her folds, rubbing her clit through the fabric, and she moaned into my mouth, then stiffened again. Her wetness was starting to soak her tights, and my cock sprang to life. Fuck. I wanted to take her right here on the porch until she screamed my name.