Thunder (Alpha Love - a Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 3) (11 page)

Sofie doesn’t ask what
it
he was referring to; she was getting a fairly good idea of where this was going. “You didn’t tell her that I wasn’t Mrs. Calambor,” she says, stating the obvious then bites her lip, wishing that she’d kept quiet. She knows better than to antagonize him.

But on the contrary he seems amused by her. “Neither did you,” he points out and smiles at her conspiratorially, as if he’s enjoying the fact that she’s playing along with him. “You look wonderful, Sofie, beautiful actually.”

Sofie shifts uncomfortably in her seat. This wasn’t how she wanted to start things off. Her plan had been to get the ball rolling on a professional footing, to make it harder for him to steer them off course. “So, where shall we start?” She pulls out some paperwork that she’s brought with her. “Do you want to go over the readings that we’ve been taking or would you prefer to start with where we are on man power and equipment?” She keeps her voice short and efficient, trying to put up a barrier of polish between them.

“How about we save the work chat until after dinner?” Luke suggests, ignoring the papers she’s shuffling around. He takes hold of her hand and squeezes it, and Sofie thinks of how different his touch is to Ashton’s. When she’s with Ashton, all she wants to do is fall into him. With Luke, she’s desperate to get away.

“Alright.” Sofie bows her head so that he can’t see the distaste written plainly on her face. “So what would you like to talk about?”

“Us, Sofie. I’d like to talk about us.” Luke starts tracing his fingers over the soft skin on the back of her hand, and he leans in closer to her.

“Your champagne, sir.” Sofie has never been happier to see a waiter.

Luke sits up a little straighter, not even bothering to conceal his irritation. “Put it down there. I’ll pour.”

The waiter seems to sense the tension in the room and nods quickly, heading out of the room as quickly as he can without breaking into a run.

“So where were we?” Luke asks, knowingly, as he pours them both a glass of champagne.

“Luke, one of the reasons I came here was to discuss the wolf issue with you. It’s something that I feel very strongly about, and I think it’s important that we talk about it.” She nods her thanks at the waiter who brings in their appetizers.
Oysters. Of course he would choose oysters. He probably just picked the most expensive items on the menu.

“Well that wasn’t where I would have liked us to start the proceedings, but if it’s important to you then it’s important to me. We’re a team.” He smiles at her, as he throws his head back to eat the oyster. He winks at her lasciviously, and Sofie tries to ignore the sensual connotations of what they’re eating.

“Yes, that’s how I feel. All of us at Shale are a team,” she says, purposefully misunderstanding him. “What happened to Darwin was…unfortunate. But I don’t think that we can just start eliminating a group of animals that we know nothing about.”

Luke studies her, like he’s trying to figure out what her angle is. “They’ve proved that they’re a threat to the site and a threat to the people of Beaumont. And today, they’ve attacked one of our own. I don’t really see where your argument is.”

“I’m just saying that bringing hunters in perhaps isn’t the right course of action at the moment. Think about the press coverage. The media would have a field day. A story about an oil and gas company destroying a natural habitat and the furry inhabitants along with it. It wouldn’t be good for Shale.” Sofie hopes that Luke interprets the desperation in her voice as fear for the well-being of the company rather than that of the wolves.

Luke nods slowly, as if he’s pondering her case. “I see what you’re saying. And I would almost be inclined to agree with you, except that the PR guys have already done a quick poll and public opinion seems to be with us. We’re the good guys coming in to save a small town from a slow economic death, and at the same time, we’re protecting them from killer beasts. We’re winning any way you look at it.” He leans back, assessing Sofie. “So why don’t you tell me what this is really about?”

Sofie freezes, wishing that the waiters would hang around for a little while and not leave her alone with this man. “Wh…what do you mean?” She clears her throat, trying to get the waver out of her voice.

“Come on, Sofie. We both know that your…friend, the Neanderthal, the one you’ve been spending so much time with recently is involved in this.” Luke looks at her, analyzing her reaction.

“You’ve had me followed?” She knew that Luke was sneaky, but this seemed low even for him.

“As I told you before, I protect my interests. And you know that you’re one of my main investments, my beautiful, damaged little bird.” Luke draws a line down the bare skin from her shoulder to her wrist with his finger. She stiffens under his touch. “Don’t pretend that you don’t want this.”

“Luke, please don’t.” She can barely get her words out; it’s as if all the breath has left her body. She’s scared, really scared, afraid that he’s going to finish the job that he started in the limo.

“I thought we’d already discussed this, Sofie. I thought we had an agreement?” Luke speaks softly but the irritation in his voice is clear. “Or was I unclear?”

“No, you were perfectly clear, Luke.” Sofie shifts her body slightly to break contact from him. The action isn’t lost on him.

“If that’s the case then, Dr. Braun. Why are you being so coy? I like a little game of cat and mouse as much as the next man; but, do I need to remind you what’s at stake for you if you choose to be…difficult?” Luke turns his attention back to his meal, carving the steak with practiced strokes.

“No, I remember the terms of the arrangement you proposed. Sleep with you or lose my job and any prospect for a future in the field, does that about sum it up?” Sofie challenges him, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice.

“That would be an accurate summary of the situation, yes.” Luke is unmoved. He’s unembarrassed about what he’s doing, blackmailing her into his bed.

“You’ve done this before.” The realization occurs to Sofie like a light-bulb above her head.

“Clever girl,” Luke says, managing to make it both appreciative and patronizing at the same time. “But it’s never been like this with anyone else, Sofie. You’re far more special to me than the others ever were.” He looks at Sofie’s untouched plate. “You’re not eating. Shall I order you something else?”

“No, thank you. I seem to have lost my appetite,” she says, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.
You were stupid to come here
, she tells herself. But,
it wasn’t like I had a lot of options
, she points out silently. “What if I say no? What then?”

“Come now, Sofie. You’re a smart girl. I thought we’d covered all this already.” Luke sighs as if he were repeating a request to a small child. “Isn’t it enough that you’ll lose everything you’ve worked so hard for? Everything that you so desperately need to keep your life on track? And I don’t imagine your mafia friends would be very happy if their little honey bee stopped making honey.” He looks knowingly at her, spearing another piece of steak and chewing it thoughtfully.

She hates how right he is, how close to the mark he is to the crux of her problems.
Mom and Dad, if I didn’t hate you before for the mess you’ve landed me in, I sure as hell do now
, she thinks.

“If you’ve been having me followed, then you know I am with Ashton. Why would you think that I would sleep with you when I’m…involved with someone else?” Sofie feels the headache starting to bloom across her head again. She wonders if it ever really leaves her anymore or if it just lies in wait until she least needs it.

“Tell me, what is it that you see in that redneck? Explain what it is that has you so enamored with a man that can probably barely tie his own shoelaces.” Luke barks out a laugh, pleased with his own joke. He’s finishes another glass of champagne; he’s managed to imbibe the entire bottle. Sofie’s glass remains untouched. Abruptly, he stands and goes over to the drinks table and pours himself a large measure of whisky.

“You don’t know anything about him.” Sofie feels fiercely protective of Ashton, without even realizing it she’s taken hold of the rock on her necklace, as if it could comfort her.

“Oh, I know more about him than you think.” Luke takes a swig of his drink, as he walks around the room, holding court. “I’m missing a few pieces of the puzzle, but it won’t be long before I have all of them. There’s something that doesn’t add up with him, something that isn’t quite right. It’s only a matter of time before I find out exactly what that is.”

“And then?” Sofie tries not to give anything away in her expression, but Luke’s words have frightened her. He seems to know a lot, too much, and if what he’s saying is true, then the pack’s secret won’t be safe for long.

“And then, once I know what he’s up to. I’ll destroy him,” Luke says triumphantly, as if he’s expecting a ripple of applause from the gallery.

“You have no right to treat people like little pieces on a chess board.” Sofie is standing before she knows it, shouting at the man that holds all the cards.

“Ah, there it is.” Luke smiles as he swaggers over to her, leaning over until his face is only inches from hers. “That’s your added incentive!”

Sofie looks at him warily. His eyes are bloodshot, and his face is flushed.
How did I not realize that he was getting so wasted?
He holds onto the table for support. “What do you mean?” She leans away from him, away from his breath that makes her want to gag.

“I mean, my little bird, that you seem to be more concerned about your Neanderthal than you do about your own career, so we’ll add that into the mix, shall we? That will form part of our agreement. You seem to be willing to throw your world away for the sake of your precious dignity. But what of his world? Would you allow me to take everything away from him, when you know that you could do something to stop me?” he says, slurring his words; but, his brain is clearly firing on all cylinders.

Sofie feels like her stomach has just landed in her boots. He’s found the one thing that he can really bargain with, the one thing that she cares about more than anything else.

He doesn’t wait for her reply, he can see it written all over her face. “What did you plan to do? Stay in Beaumont? Stay with him?” He virtually spits the word out. “As you already know, you have debts to pay. You won’t find work here that supports those monthly collections that need to be made come rain or shine.” Luke takes hold of her face, drawing it towards his, gently at first and then more insistently.

He’s telling her things that she knows already, things that have been playing on her mind ever since she met Ashton. However, that was her business, not Luke’s. He’s so drunk, and his eyes are full of lust. She plays the only card that she think will get her out of this.

“If you’ve been having me followed, then you probably already know I was with him tonight.” Luke stops pulling her towards him, her face only inches from his, but he doesn’t let go of her.

“With him?” He spits the words out. “You fucked him? You fucked him, and then you came to me?” Luke starts to squeeze her face, pushing her cheeks together with one hand and holding the back of her head with the other so she can’t get away. “Answer me! Answer me!” He shouts at her, spittle flying from his mouth. He looks crazed, angry enough to do something stupid, something dangerous.

Sofie can’t talk, the pressure on her face is getting more and more painful as he squeezes it. She blinks her eyes against the ache and then nods,
yes
.

“Did you kiss him? Did you kiss him with that slut mouth?” Luke’s hands move down towards her neck, his hold tight, making it hard to breath.

“Luke. Stop. Hurting. Me.” She just manages to get the words out and a change comes over him, like a switch his flipped. He releases her, taking a step back, and she collapses on the floor, sucking in air, coughing, and spluttering.

“Sofie, Sofie my dear. I’m so sorry.” He helps her to her feet, suddenly all sweetness and nice, as if he were a completely different person. The manic look in his eyes has gone. He straightens his suit and slicks back his hair. He’s the perfect image of the professional head of a corporation, except for the smell of whisky that hangs around him. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but you made me so mad, my little bird.” He coos at her as he strokes her face.

She shakes as he touches her, wondering what’s next.

“Excuse me, Mr. Calambor.” The door has opened, and one of Luke’s suited and booted cronies walks in. Sofie steps away from Luke’s caress, but not before the tables in the restaurant have had time to get a good look.

“What is it?” Luke’s voice is short but measured. He doesn’t even sound drunk anymore.
Had it all been an act just to get me to show him my Achilles heel?

“Apologies for the interruption, sir. I know you didn’t want to be interrupted; but, you have an urgent call.” The man doesn’t look at Luke as he speaks, as if he’s been told not to. Sofie wonders if there have been scenes like this he’s witnessed in the past.

“Take a message,” Luke says and waves him away.

“I think you’ll want to take this, sir.” The crony’s voice is heavy with meaning, and the way that Luke’s head snaps up in understanding tells Sofie that this isn’t an ordinary call.