Her lips thinned, her gaze holding his, she crossed her arms over her breasts as her delicate little nostrils flared furiously.
“He’s bluffing, Chelsea,” Tobias chuckled. “He can’t take me and Draeger both and he knows it. Even one at a time. He’s recessed and untrained. He doesn’t stand a chance.”
It was the “untrained” comment that got her.
Cullen watched her gaze flare, glimpsed the knowledge in her eyes and just managed to keep a smug grin from his face.
He was recessed, but he wasn’t untrained and she knew it. She’d been there the few times he’d sparred with the Breeds in the area, knew exactly how well trained he was and how powerful he was.
Graeme had trained him as a boy and as a man. The monster his brother had been for years had shown up, taunting Cullen, pushing him to fight, to pit his strength and cunning against a creature born of murderous skill and well-honed insanity. Cullen knew he’d leave Draeger and Tobias both bleeding, and she knew it as well.
If he didn’t triumph over the Wolves, Cullen knew that Graeme would turn the monster loose and start training exercises all over again. That was incentive enough to win the fight.
“Let it go,” she muttered.
Draeger gave a low growl. “Like hell . . .”
“I said let it go,” Chelsea snapped then. “This is childish and I’ll be damned if I’ll put up with it. All three of you can stop now or I’ll make damned sure you wish you had.”
Cullen’s brow arched. That might work with Breeds who had a boss, but Cullen hadn’t had a boss in his life. There was no one she could go over his head to.
“Excellent threat, sugar,” he told her softly, grinning down at her in approval. “I’ll be sure to show my approval later.”
Her eyes narrowed back at him, a flush working over the sun-kissed flesh of her face as her lips pursed in an expression he knew well.
“Remember what happened the last time you pissed me off, Cullen?” she asked, her voice as sweet as candy, her expression promising her own brand of vengeance.
At that question, he couldn’t control the little wince that crossed his face.
The last time he’d pissed her off, as she called it? He’d given his agents orders to keep her at the offices when her sister had been attacked. He’d had no idea the danger she would face if she went rushing headlong to her sister’s side. When he’d returned, she’d curled that little fist and planted it square in his eye. That bitch had smarted for days.
“Vengeful wench,” he muttered.
“Remember it.” The elevator doors slid open. “Because I promise you. It can happen again.”
With a toss of her head she lifted that cute little nose of hers, waited for Tobias to give her the okay, then left the elevator to step into the warehouse and stalk to her truck. Once again she stood aside as Tobias and Draeger checked her vehicle, presumably for explosives.
What the fuck was she up to?
Once the two Breeds cleared the truck, Cullen moved around the back of the vehicle, and before Chelsea lifted herself into the driver’s seat, he had the passenger door open and slid in as well.
He knew there were no explosives; he’d come with backup himself. He had no idea what she was involved with or who might want to get rid of her, and he wasn’t taking chances. Ranger was still sitting in his car within sight of the truck, just as he had been since their arrival.
“I wouldn’t leave my vehicle here if I were you,” she bit out, anger pulsing in her tone. “It may be gone when you return for it.”
“No problem. I caught
a ride with someone else,” he replied without inflection, watching her mutinous expression closely. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
Chelsea couldn’t believe those words had actually crossed his lips.
Damn him.
She was stuck with him?
No, she wasn’t stuck with him. Cullen wasn’t the kind of guy to stick around, and she had to remember it. Forgetting it could break her heart more than he already had. He’d already given his heart away and he didn’t want to heal from the loss. No, Cullen wanted to wallow in it, remain mired in the hopelessness of loving a woman who couldn’t come back from the dead.
“I’ll take you home.” He wasn’t going home with her.