Lib Novel Page 60
Alex is standing in front of the post office, watching me. There’s unrestrained fury in his eyes when the door behind me opens and Noah walks out to join me. Alex is about to take a step forward, but one of his friends sees us and, realizing his intent, puts his hand on Alex’s shoulder, stopping him.
Noah follows my gaze. “Friends of yours?”
Slowly, I shake my head. “No.”
By the time I get home, my heart feels icy cold. I remove the plank from the floorboard and take out the money box I keep in there. Counting the cash yet again, as if I didn’t just do it yesterday, I confirm that I’m going to need a lot more. My mental calculations tell me that if I stay and fight for Mathew, I am going to have to stick with him for one to two more years.
But if I take Alex up on his offer, I’ll only need a maximum of six months to collect the necessary funds.
I need to buy my freedom.
Revealing my identity to Alex might not turn out in my favor. There’s a very high possibility of that. But if he rejects me completely, and I don’t let emotion come into it, we may be able to form a business relationship. From the way he was talking, he wants to know the Wily Vixen’s identity as a condition to doing the deal. And right now, I’m desperate enough to agree to that. Putting on my running shoes, I grab a jacket and head back outside, my mind made up.
When I reach the motel, one of Alex’s companions is standing in the lobby, talking to somebody on his phone. When he sees me, his eyes widen, and he immediately ends the call and approaches me. “Sophia, right?”
“Is Alex here?”
He shakes his head. “Not at the moment. I’m Jared, by the way.”
“Do you know where I can find Alex?”
Jared looks a little uncertain. “This may not be the best time. I can tell him you came by.”
He doesn’t seem very surprised to see me, and I’m assuming he probably knows the link between Alex and me. But I can’t find it in myself to care.
“I need to talk to him. It’s urgent. Where is he?”
“He’s at the Dancing Bear,” Jared replies hesitantly. “But I really don’t think you should go over there right now.”
I know it’s rude for me to turn my back on him and leave, but I do exactly that. I’m a woman on a mission tonight.
The bar is across the street, and I see Alex sitting by the window. I can’t see who he’s with, but he’s talking to somebody. Walking inside, I make my way over to him and put my hand on the table. “I need to talk to you.”
His eyes widen when he sees me, and then I hear someone clear her throat. “Who are you?”
It’s a female’s voice, and when I look at the woman, I feel a surge of sharp, ugly emotion rising within me. I know exactly what this feeling is.
Jealousy.
“Who are you?” I echo back at her.
She raises her brow arrogantly. “Julia. Alex’s fiancée. Now, perhaps you should tell me who you are and why you are demanding to talk to my future mate.”
Everything inside me goes still as I straighten up and stare at her. She’s beautiful. A curvy figure, delicate features, full lips…I can see why he went for her. And it also explains why he’s been so eager to reject me. My wolf howls in anger and pain, but I ignore it.
Fiancée.
The word keeps ringing in my head.
I turn to look at Alex’s tense expression.
“I see.” My voice is carefully blank. “You’re engaged. Congratulations.”
It takes him a few seconds to speak, and when he does, his voice is rough. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
My hand goes into my pocket where I kept his business card, and I crush it in my fist. Pasting a smile on my face, I say, “It’s no longer important. Enjoy your dinner.”
I walk out of the bar with my head held high. As I walk past the alley, I take out the card and toss it in the trash. I don’t stop walking. I don’t know which direction I’m heading in, but it’s not home. I don’t want to go back to my apartment just yet.