Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
I down the shot of coffee, then walk around the counter, pretending to look for a napkin in case anyone sees me, and grab the photo off the board.
I pocket it as I walk out of the cafe.
Madison Evans, the jig is up. I’m onto you, and as soon as I figure out exactly what your game is and when the Adalwulfs hired you to play it, you’re going down.
Chapter Eight
Brick
Monday, I walk out of the elevator after getting my hair cut, and I catch a scent of a female that instantly puts me on edge.
My mother.
Like everything about her, it inspires conflict within me. The scent activates all the pleasure of my childhood memories. Of the female who loved me. Doted on me. Was my entire world one day a week.
I’ve had to deregulate that response to remind myself she’s a traitor. She killed my father and can’t be forgiven or trusted again.
Ever.
I look around but don’t see her. Did she just visit, or is she still here? Dammit, I knew she was going to use Madison to get to me.
“Where is she?” I snarl at Madison, who keeps her composure, as always.
“In the conference room.”
“Get rid of her.”
Madison hesitates, sliding a hand up the back of her neck like she’s considering.
Dammit. I don’t know what there is to consider. I give an order, and I expect it to be obeyed. I’m completely out of temper, as I always am when it comes to my mother.
Rather than deal with Madison’s insubordination, I march to the conference room to take care of the situation myself. I stand in the doorway. My mother is already on her feet, wringing her hands.
“Out.” I make it easy for both of us and use the alpha command in my voice.
Her feet move her toward the door even as her mouth starts up. “Brick I want to tell you about the night your father died. I didn’t know–”
“Silence.”
Again, alpha’s command renders her speechless. I step back to let her pass, but as soon as she’s out the door, that spontaneous impulse to obey me wears off, and she reaches for my arm.
“Brick, please can we just hash this out?”
“Out of the building.” This time I make sure I use enough force in the wavelength of my voice to make it last.
She stumbles toward the elevators.
Dammit, if I don’t reach for her elbow to steady her. She’s still my mother.
The knife she stabbed me with the night she killed my father twists in my chest, delivering fresh pain. Especially when I catch the scent of her tears.
Trapped in her blue gaze, I find myself offering the only explanation I have. “I can’t.”
A tear tracks down her face, and she nods, squeezing my hand at her elbow before walking away.
I don’t move until she’s in the elevator, and it’s moving down, and then I round on Madison.
“Who do you work for?” I demand.
She stands for the dressing down, appropriately deferential, which does nothing to stop my tirade. “You, sir.”
I nod. “Do you make appointments for me you know I don’t want to take?”
“No, sir.”
Confounded at how she could do this to me, I drop the boss-assistant thing. “You know how I feel about her. Why would you blindside me like that?”
Madison pulls in a sharp breath, and a tear streaks down her face.
Fuck. It’s even worse than seeing my mom cry. Way worse. All the anger and aggression drops from my body.
And now I know for certain what she is to me. My mate. The scent of a mate’s tears has the ability to instantly lower a male’s testosterone levels. It’s nature’s safety mechanism to prevent violence in a shifter’s home. Alpha wolves are aggressive, jealous and protective, but one whiff of their mate’s tears, and they’re brought to their knees.
I shove my hands in my pockets, the need to soothe her becomes more important than anything else.
Now that I can think, I try to decode her actions. Madison has never acted against me before. She’s loyal, and she protects me and my time. What would make her screw me like this?
“Did she force you?”
Madi shakes her head.
I study her. Her posture is stiffened, prepared for my rebuke, but her expression is resolute. No, Madison thinks through every action she takes. She did this on purpose, knowing I would be this angry which means… I arrive at the answer. “You thought this was the best for me.”
She nods, sniffing.
I close my eyes in exasperation then open them again. “Madi, you had no right. You don't know what she did.”
“You're right.” She blinks rapidly to clear her eyes. “All I know is that you're hurting as a result of your relationship with her, and she's trying very hard to fix it.” Another tear streaks down her face. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let her in here. I won't do it again.”