Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
I don’t even know if Madi’s offering me conjugal visits anyway.
I’m not sure what just happened. Was she issuing an ultimatum? Figure it out or we’re done?
And if we’re done, chances are good, I’m done. I marked her, which should inoculate me against moon madness, but the fact that I succumbed once makes the likelihood of going feral again much, much higher.
Of course, I had to set her free. I can’t keep her against her will. Locking her in my penthouse was my worst mistake.
No, denying she was my true mate was my worst mistake.
Hell, I’ve had too many worst mistakes with Madi to even know where they line up with each other.
I agreed because I love her, and the life I’m offering isn’t fair to her.
So my choice right now is to save myself and forsake the pack or risk a return to moon madness to keep my pack together.
Madi
A limo picks me up to take me to Mt. Sinai.
Heh. Six months ago, I’d never seen the inside of a limo. Now, it’s apparently my main form of transportation.
Oh yeah… and private jets. I need to have a conversation with Brick about carbon dioxide emissions from his jet and its effect on the environment. He needs to be doing some major off-setting.
Although, from what I saw at the Blackwood Family Foundation Ball, his family and pack do care about preserving our natural resources. Hopefully, he’s already footing the bill on some major reforestation projects around the globe.
These are the thoughts I use to distract myself from the gnawing emptiness in my chest. I may not be a wolf, but I’ve felt a strong sense of something missing since the moment Brick left my apartment.
I text Aubrey on the way to the hospital.
I’m home–I mean, back from Greece and moved back to our apartment (super long story). Right now I’m on the way to see my dear old grandmother for some kind of deathbed confession about how I’m actually a Harrington.
Aubrey calls two seconds after I hit send. “What the fuck? Are you okay?”
“Yep. I’m totally okay.” I am. “We’re just recalibrating,” I insist to convince myself as much as her. “On a scale of one to full breakup, this is a three or four.”
“What happened?”
“It’s such a long story.” And one I can’t tell my best friend, which absolutely sucks. “The short version is that I don’t feel like I’m a partner in the relationship, so I took a step back while we figure out what that looks like.”
That’s all true.
“I know Brick loves me. And I’ve finally admitted I’m in love, too. I’m also totally committed to making this work.”
“Well, that’s new.” Aubrey sounds encouraged.
“Yeah. So this isn’t me running scared this time. It’s from a position of strength. I don’t want to be a rich guy’s pampered girlfriend–that’s just not a role that’s going to work for me. I had a life before I met him. I need to have a meaningful life with him, too.”
“You want your old job back.”
My chest constricts. The loss of that job still hurts. “I don’t think so,” I say slowly. “I think I need to find another job.”
“Well, you’re still on the payroll at Moon Co–did you know that? And from the looks of it, you got a big, fat pay raise.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You got some official-looking mail from them while you were gone. One of the envelopes was ripped, so I took a peek. It was a paystub, which I thought was weird, since you said he wouldn’t give you your old job back.”
“That is weird.” I should be annoyed at Brick’s attempt to buy me, but I have to admit knowing I still have a paycheck coming in takes some of the pressure off figuring out my next steps.
“His form of an apology, maybe?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
I would never say I have a Cinderella complex, but I do feel loved by that gesture. Included, even though Brick didn’t want me to come back to work.
Is it a sign he plans to incorporate me back in at the office?
When I imagine going back to work for my Big Bad Boss, though, it doesn’t sit right. Things have changed too much. The hurt of being falsely accused and having others still believe I had something to do with the security breach is still too deep.
The limo pulls up in front of Mt. Sinai.
“Ooh, okay, I’m at the hospital now.” I wait for the limo driver to open my door. I now know how these things work.
“Yeah, what’s up with that?”
The driver opens the door and offers his hand. I take it and climb out like I’m the princess of Monaco or something.
“I don’t know. I got a call from her lawyer saying she had a stroke and requested to see me.”