Chapter 4: A Crazy Plan.
*Aaron*
I could sit here and say that recruiting the help of this woman in
avoiding Hazel was all a crazy coincidence, but that would be a
lie.
I spotted her the moment I walked into the bar. She wasn’t just
the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, she was unique. Her
scent hit me suddenly, almost knocking off the fragile bar stool.
My wolf howled inside me, clawing at my chest in a way I hadn’t
felt in years. I shifted uncomfortably, surprised by my reaction.
The platinum band had been a disappointing surprise. Whoever
her husband was, he better thank the moon goddess. He’s a damn
lucky bastard.
The last time my wolf had been this restless was the night I met
my mate Yve.
“I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Aaron.”
“I gathered.”
Right. Hazel had been yelling my name with so much rage.
“Great. It’s only fair if you tell me yours… even the playing field a
Chapter 4 A Crazy Plan
little.”
She finally turned to face me, assessing me quietly. She said
nothing, her eyes meeting mine for a second, maybe two. But it
was enough.
Her lips parted slightly and I caught myself staring, mesmerized
by the subtle curve of her mouth.
Shit. She probably thinks I was trying to flirt with her. I raised
my hands in mock surrender, leaning away from her. “Just to be
clear, I’m not trying to flirt. Women are…” I chuckled, shaking my
head, “frankly, troublesome.”
She arched an eyebrow, letting me know I’d said the wrong thing.
“Right,” she said flatly. “You just happened to use a complete
stranger as a shield against some innocent ex. Because all men are
the same, aren’t they?”
Before I could defend myself, she turned away, reached for her
glass of whiskey sitting on the bar and downed it in one gulp. My
eyes widened, but I decided it was smart not to comment on it.
Instead, I extended my hand, determined to salvage something
from this trainwreck. “And for what it’s worth, that woman
wasn’t an ex.”
“I don’t care.”
Chapter 4: A Crazy Plan.
Great. Another woman convinced me I was the villain. Not even
five minutes of conversation and she’d already filed me under
“problems to avoid.”
And the worst part? I couldn’t even blame her. I definitely
deserved that.
We didn’t speak for the next couple of minutes, and I took that
time to study her. At first glance, she didn’t look like just
anybody. There was something in her posture, the designer
clothes, her expensive perfume and the way others in the room kept glancing at her. Probably the wife of some CEO, someone with status among the pack.
“So, are you going to tell me your name?” I asked, trying again. “You don’t have to tell me your last name,” I said, smiling. “But you look like you need someone to talk to. Since you have just saved my life, I suppose it is the least I can do.””
“Jane,” she finally conceded. She sighed and took a sip of the
second glass of whiskey. “My name is Jane.”
“Nice to meet you, Jane,” I said, extending my hand.
She took it.
As the night went on, and Jane consumed her fifth glass of whiskey, she loosened up. She couldn’t stop telling her life story
Chapter 4: A Crazy Plan.
as if we had known each other for years. I’d already asked the bartender to interrupt her, but she hadn’t noticed.
“Xander doesn’t even try to hide it anymore,” she said, staring
into her sixth, maybe seventh glass of whiskey. “Brought her into
our home today. That bitch even made me move out of our
bedroom. Can you believe that?”
A low growl threatened to escape me. My wolf didn’t like that
one bit. Something protective flared in my chest. “He let this
happen?”
“He…” she stopped instantly, coughing severely. Her shoulders.
were shaking intensely. I believed it was the cough, but when she
looked up, her eyes were shining. “He suggested it.”
She broke into a sob after that, drowning the sound with another
gulp. Once she’d emptied her glass, she reached for the bottle, but
I pushed it out of her reach and placed my hand over hers.
“Maybe we should slow down. I’m not sure it’s helping.”
“You don’t get to tell me how to live my life,” Jane snapped,
pulling her hand away from mine. She turned toward the bar.
“Bob! Another round.”
Bob glanced over, his eyes flickering between Jane and me. He
hesitated, waiting for my permission.
Chapter 4: A Crazy Plan.
I sighed. She was definitely as drunk as a skunk. “Bob won’t be
pouring that.”
“Excuse me?”
“He values his job too much?”
“And what does it have to do with you?”
I shrugged, the corner of my mouth quirking up. “I own the
place.”
Her eyes widened slightly as she gave me a once over. Then she
stood, swaying dangerously. “Well then, I guess I just have to find
another bar.”
I caught her elbow gently as she tried to step past me. It didn’t take much effort anyways. “Jane, wait. Please.” something in my voice must have reached her. She paused, but didn’t look at me.
“Have you considered divorce? No one deserves what he’s
putting you through.”
“Divorce? You think I haven’t thought of that?” she sank back onto her stool. “We have complicated interests. He is my mate. I can’t leave. My family depends on Xander’s money.”
I studied her face as she spoke. Beneath the anger and humiliation, there was something painful in her eyes, something
Chapter 4: A Crazy Plan
I hadn’t expected to see. “It’s your life, no one should make you be
like this.”
She gave a sarcastic smile. “Easy for you to say, Mr. Owner.”
I’d seen people like Jane who won’t leave a toxic relationship
because they still loved each other. She said it was because of her
family, but I could tell it was more than that. She was not ready to let go. That was love — it made you hold on even when you shouldn’t. I knew that feeling too well.
An idea formed in my head. It was stupid and reckless, but before I could stop myself, I said, “What if you reminded him?” I leaned in closer. “You should find yourself a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” She looked at me, thinking I was crazy. It sounded like a dumb idea, but one thing I knew about cheated men was that they couldn’t stand being cheated on. It would drive him crazy. I hoped Xander divorced her because she was too timid to
do it herself.
“Not a real relationship. Just hire one to play that role until Xander came back to his senses.”
Jane’s eyes lit up for the first time all night. “That’s… actually not a bad idea.” she tapped her finger against her glass. “But where would I even find someone willing to do that? It’s not exactly a standard job listing.”
Chapter 4: A Crazy Plan
I felt my pulse quicken. My mouth opened before my brain could.
intervene. “I could do it.”
Jane’s eyebrows shot up in utter disbelief. “You? Why would you
want to get involved in this mess?”
I shrugged, trying to look as casual as possible. “I’ve got time. And
honestly? Your husband sounds like he could use a wake–up call.”
“Wow. I…” she paused, staring down at her hands. She looked
suspicious for a moment, but then she managed a grateful smile.
“I’d pay you, of course. Generously.”
I nearly laughed. I didn’t care about money, I didn’t even need it. I
had enough to last me a lifetime. But I decided to humor her.
“Sure. whatever you think is fair.” That made things simpler, less
personal. Refusing payment would only make her more
suspicious.
She nodded, suddenly all business–like. “I’ll need to plan this
carefully. I’ll contact you when I’m ready.” She pulled out her
phone and we exchanged numbers.
As I walked her to the door, I couldn’t help but feel concerned for her. “You sure you’re okay to drive? I could call you a car.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, fishing for the keys from her purse. She hopped into her Rolls Royce and turned to look at me one last
Chapter 4. A Crazy Plan
time. “I know my limits.”
She drove off with more steadiness than I’d expected. Maybe I’d
been stupid to even worry. But as I watched her car disappear down the road, that was when it dawned on me. My wolf paced restlessly inside me.What the hell was I thinking? What kind of trouble have I gotten myself into?
