The Wrong Bond

11

But Shawn Elton? There was something about him I couldn’t quite put my finger on. And no matter how confident I tried to look in front of him, I knew it was all a facade.

Could I handle meeting a powerful man like him behind closed doors? A man with a name that was whispered in hushed tones, a man with bank accounts that could swallow countries whole? It was a lot to think about.

Not to mention how devilishly attractive he was. Maybe the decision would be easier if I didn’t find myself sinking into the gorgeous blue of his eyes anytime I looked at them. He oozed alpha dominance that could melt glaciers, the kind that made grown women forget their names, let alone morals.

Leah shook her head quickly. “Arlene, this is not about him liking you. This is about him wanting to pay you to spend time with him. Those are two different things.”

To be fair, this was a brilliant plan, no matter how I wanted to look at it. It was the best way to secure Coral’s future and mine, to pay for the top specialists and experimental treatments that might buy her more years.

Coral deserved to watch One Percent Love every night without the fear of being poked with needles.

“I think he likes you,” a voice said beside me.

What? How long had Connor been standing there mixing drinks and eavesdropping?

“You know it’s rude to eavesdrop, right?”

“Oh, come on,” Connor said. “Don’t be modest. We both know that Shawn Elton wouldn’t leave his comfortable mansion uptown to come here and stare at the wall. He wants you.”

My stomach did a nervous little flip, because that seemed true. For a week now, he’d perched on the barstool in front of me and talked to me for hours on end. But a secret part of me, a part I refused to acknowledge, felt a flicker of…interest.

“So what do I do about this?” I asked, confused.

“Take advantage of it! If you won’t accept help from me, this is the next best thing,” Leah said.

I groaned.

“I’ve seen how he looks at you,” Connor added. “He likes what he sees, and he’ll definitely pay a lot of money for it.”

I chuckled nervously. “I feel like some kind of property he’s buying.”

Leah sighed, the sound heavy with exasperation. “Look, Ally, I get it. You’re fiercely independent. But come on, honey, your pride isn’t going to cure Coral. This could be the answer you’ve been waiting for.”

I knew she was right. Logic, cold and calculating, urged me to swallow my pride and consider this option.

“There has to be another way,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. My gaze drifted across the deserted barstools. The bar was pretty slow tonight, which meant that I wasn’t going to be making a lot in terms of tips. How long could I keep going like this?

“If you won’t do this, will you at least let me and my parents cover Coral’s bills?” Leah asked.

I quickly shook my head. That was not up for debate anymore. “You and your family have done enough, Leah. I can’t keep accepting your help. I know I have to handle this stuff alone. I’m a grown-up.”

I wasn’t made for this kind of arrangement, though. I didn’t think I could handle giving just half of myself to him, considering that I found him very attractive. And the thought of just being another notch in his bedpost made me cringe a little.

“Think about it,” Leah insisted. “You’ve been struggling for so long, and this could be your way out. It’s not like you’re carrying out some insane crime. He’s more than willing to pay for your company. Besides, he’s sexy. To be honest, I’d be willing to pay to have s*x with him.”

I took a deep breath, my mind going a mile a minute as I thought about what Leah had said. She was correct. This was a straightforward way to make money, but I’d never imagined myself doing something like this.

In college, I’d heard about downtown girls who got with uptown men like this and made a lot of money. Maybe Shawn was attracted to me, as they’d said, and perhaps I could actually use that to change my life.

Still completely lost in thought, I sifted through the documents Leah had helped me sort through. On the first page, she had written down all my urgent bills and their due dates, and the sprawling red ink all over the page made my stomach drop.

From car bills to water bills to rent to Coral’s overwhelmingly high hospital bills, there was no way I would be able to pay these off with just the money I earned from the bar.

Leah and her parents had bailed me out a lot of times. Now, I needed to get this done myself.

It was not the first job option I would normally jump at, but it was incredibly hard to get a good job downtown. Most people in my position would consider this a steal.

I sucked in my breath and exhaled. “I need to talk to him. What should I say?”

Leah reached out and held my hand. “Don’t overthink it, Arlene. You’ve got this.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I need to talk to Shawn.”

CHAPTER 6

SHAWN

T

he stale-beer air of Mark’s Bar felt like second skin by now in a gross, terrible way. Three visits in a week was pushing it, but I didn’t really care.

Ethan had decided to pass tonight because he was sick of the beer that was served downtown. I understood his frustration because I was also sick of it, which was why I’d decided to have a cocktail this time.

I walked in, and my gaze swept across the room for the familiar raven-black hair. I saw Arlene attending to a table, and sat at the barstool waiting for her, drumming my fingers impatiently against the worn wood.

My near-disaster with Dad still sent shivers down my spine. But Ethan and I had done some spur-of-the-moment acting to distract him from it, and it had worked surprisingly well.

“You’re back!” Arlene said, a small smile on her face.

“You look happy that I’m back.”

She rolled her eyes, which was her signature move whenever I was around. “Sure. What can I get you?”

“A cocktail this time. I think if I have any more of the beer here, I’ll need dialysis in a couple of months.”

“Dialysis for an alpha? That’s a first.”

I raised my hand in mock humility. “What can I say? I come from a line of very weak wolves.”

She threw her head back and laughed, sending a warm feeling all over my body.

Don’t get too sucked in. Don’t get too sucked in. I repeated the words in my head like a mantra. The more surface-level I kept this, whatever this was, the easier it would be for me to cut it off when I was ready.

Arlene leaned closer, completely oblivious to my inner battle., her black hair shining under the light. “So do you want me to surprise you, or…?” she trailed off.

“Yeah.” I smiled. “Surprise me.”

“This is my favorite,” she said, mixing liquors.