Cattitude Read Free Page A

him.
    “I don’t want to hurt Ted’s feelings,” Rose
whispered, clutching his sleeve. “But I’d feel safer if you took a
look.”
    “Ted will do just fine.”
    “If you say so.” She sighed and let go
of his shirt. “At least you’ll be there to supervise. I don’t know
what I’d do without you.”
    Another semi roared by. Rose squeaked and
jumped back onto the grass. His mouth tight, Max grabbed a pair of
pliers from the toolbox he kept in the back of the Jeep.
    “I suppose Caroline was at the house.” Her
voice grew louder and more petulant. “She’s after you. And don’t
roll your eyes at me. Ted, you tell him.”
    “It’s true,” Ted said. “You’re single,
heterosexual, and you got a few bucks in the bank. You might as
well paste a target on your chest that says ‘Come and get me.’
They’ve been coming for years.”
    “Jealous.” Max strode toward the hood.
    “Not over Caroline. She’s too old for me.
More your type, anyway. Beautiful, smart and needy.” Ted snickered.
“A damsel in distress.”
    “I wouldn’t call her beautiful,” Rose said.
“She uses too much make-up.”
    “Needy?” Max handed him the pliers. “Is that
what you think I go for?”
    “C’mon, look at yourself.” Ted gestured with
the pliers. “You’re always there for Mom. You’re supporting Tory.
You bankrolled Caroline’s design business. Even gave her an office
in the house.”
    “Only until she gets her business going and
can afford her own place,” Max said.
    Rose and Ted both snorted, sounding
freakishly alike. “Yeah, right,” Ted said. “Like that’s gonna
happen. And, hell, you even rescued Belle when she was a
kitten.”
    Max frowned. Ted made him sound as if he had
some kind of save-the-world complex, when the opposite was true. It
was duty. Someone had to make sure everyone was taken care of. And
he was the oldest. In a wolf pack, he’d be alpha.
    If something needed to be done, he did it. He
had the money, so why not? Better that than buying flashy cars or
an oversized house with rooms he’d never use.
    Besides, he had other plans for his money.
Plans to saw off the yoke around his neck.
    Let Ted take a shot at being the alpha. It
would be good for his backbone.
    “Anyone would’ve done the same thing.”
    “Yeah, if the person was Sir Lancelot.” There
was an edge to Ted’s voice as he stuck his head under the hood. “Or
King Arthur. That’s even better. The king waiting for the perfect
queen.”
    “You’re wrong.” Max smiled grimly. Arthur had
earned his kingship. Max had his thrust upon him. Now it was time
to abdicate.
    He’d fulfilled his promise to his dad.
    He’d made his plans.
    Two weeks, he told himself again. In two
weeks he’d be breathing in the smells of the ocean and island
flowers instead of the stink of diesel exhaust. In two weeks, the
yoke of his family would be off his shoulders.
    ***
    Speeding along the freeway heading out of
Milwaukee, Sorcha glanced in her rear view mirror and spotted
Deavers’ silver sedan three cars back. Following her. Closing in on
her. Preparing to kill her.
    She tried to care, but inside her blackness
spread, despair slithering into every cranny, chomping on every
cell, threatening to overwhelm her. Fletcher, she thought, what am
I going to do without you?
    Tears streamed down her cheeks. She saw the
future for everyone else. Why hadn’t she seen it for Fletcher, the
only person who ever loved her?
    A thought started as a whisper and ended as a
scream. She should have died with him.
    The SUV in front of her slowed. So did the
car in the right lane and the one in the left. She lifted one hand
from the steering wheel to wipe tears from her face. A patrol car
was parked on the shoulder of the road behind a white station
wagon, lights blinking.
    She flicked on her signal lights and turned
into the right lane. In her rear view mirror, she saw the silver
car change lanes. A shudder shook her, cold pierced her bones.
    “Damn