Wolf with Benefits
Page 61
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Okay, okay. Calm down. Livy smirked. So emotional.
Shut up. Im trying to help.
I know. And thank you.
Youre welcome.
But you do understand I have money, right?
Not clean money.
Its clean . . . ish.
Well, I prefer to think of you as pennilessclean or notso that I can justify your need to live rent free.
I dont need to live rent free. I just dont like staying in one place when theres all these available spaces I can fit into.
I dont want to discuss this, Toni insisted. It upsets me.
Okay. Okay. So when do I get started?
Well
The door to her office openedwithout a knockand Ricky Reed walked in, pulled one of the chairs that sat against the wall to her deskthis one wasnt bolted down at leastand dropped into it.
Do you ever think to yourself, he suddenly began, How did I not know she was a delusional narcissist?
Livy stared at the wolf and replied, Every day.
Ricky focused on Livy. Hi. Im Ricky Lee Reed.
Im Livy.
Nice to meet you, maam.
Livy quickly looked at Toni, eyes wide, and mouthed, Maam?
Im not sure what youre talking about, Toni admitted. She wanted to be annoyed with him about earlier, but she was having a hard time when he looked so despondent.
My ex-girlfriend is running around telling my Pack that I ran away from her yesterday crying.
Did you? Livy asked.
No, I did not. I was just chasing her, he said, pointing at Toni. And if anyone was crying, it was her.
I was not crying. I was merely panicking.
The wolf suddenly looked around Tonis office. I thought you were quittin.
I had to put it off.
Why would you quit? Livy asked. This job seems tailor-made for you. Taking care of useless idiots.
My siblings are not useless.
Freddys not useless . . . and the twins are too young to know definitely about them yet. But the rest of them . . . pretty useless.
Shut up, Toni snapped.
You shut up.
You shut up more.
That doesnt even make sense.
Excuse me, the wolf cut in. We were talking about me. Not yall.
He has a point, Livy kindly said, which only annoyed Toni more.
Reece Reed walked into Tonis officeagain, without asking if it was okay to come inand threw his hands up at his brother. I was trying to talk to you, Ricky Lee.
No. You and Rory were laughing at me, and Im in too bad a mood now to sit around and listen to it.
Look, I told you Laura Jane wascrazy back in high school. Dont be mad at me now because I was . . . Reece sniffed the air. Because I was . . . He sniffed the air again. Then he dropped to his knees and buried his face into the side of Livys neck.
Livys body tensed. She didnt like to be touched . . . ever. Could you get your redneck nose off me? she deadpanned.
What are you? Reece asked.
Toni briefly closed her eyes, knowing that over the years that particular question had led to all sorts of bad situations.
Dont be rude, little brother, Ricky warned.
Smell her, Reece ordered his brother.
Im not smelling anyone. Its rude.
Seriously, though, Reece pushed. What are you?
Your worst nightmare if you dont get away from me, Livy said calmly.
Are you a hybrid?
No, Livy! Toni nearly screamed when she saw her friends hand come up and those deadly claws explode from her fingertips. Dont you dare. Hes on the hockey team and he needs his eyes.
Then, Livy said, staring right at the much bigger wolf, he needs to go away.
Reece . . . move.
Yeah, but
Reece! Toni pointed at another chair pushed against the wall. Go sit down. Now.
Grumbling, the wolf got to his feet and stomped across the room until he could drop into a chair. I was just asking a question.
See? Livy, her claws thankfully retreating, said to Toni. Youre perfect for this job.
Shut up, Toni said with a laugh.
You shut up.
You shut up more.
I still dont know what you two are talking about, Ricky complained. And were supposed to be talking about me.
Really? Toni asked. Because I dont remember that being something I agreed to.
Would it kill you to give me five minutes of your time after all that Chinese food I bought you yesterday?
I didnt know I owed you for the Chinese food.
Not getting the response he wanted from the jackal, he turned to her friend. And Reece was right . . . Ricky didnt know what she was. Unlike hybrids, which were sometimes a combination of scents, this female smelled like something completely different. Not bad, like some hyenas who didnt bathe regularly could smell. Just . . . different. She was pretty, though, with short, straight, pitch-black hair that had a white streak just off to the side, and dark, dark brown eyes. Her coloring and the shape of her eyes suggested that she was part Asian, and even though she wasnt standing, he could tell she wasnt very tall or lean but she was strong with wide shoulders for such a small female. There was a lot of power in that very compact body, which he assumed was why Reece was still staring at her. Well, that and he was still trying to figure out what she was.
Shut up. Im trying to help.
I know. And thank you.
Youre welcome.
But you do understand I have money, right?
Not clean money.
Its clean . . . ish.
Well, I prefer to think of you as pennilessclean or notso that I can justify your need to live rent free.
I dont need to live rent free. I just dont like staying in one place when theres all these available spaces I can fit into.
I dont want to discuss this, Toni insisted. It upsets me.
Okay. Okay. So when do I get started?
Well
The door to her office openedwithout a knockand Ricky Reed walked in, pulled one of the chairs that sat against the wall to her deskthis one wasnt bolted down at leastand dropped into it.
Do you ever think to yourself, he suddenly began, How did I not know she was a delusional narcissist?
Livy stared at the wolf and replied, Every day.
Ricky focused on Livy. Hi. Im Ricky Lee Reed.
Im Livy.
Nice to meet you, maam.
Livy quickly looked at Toni, eyes wide, and mouthed, Maam?
Im not sure what youre talking about, Toni admitted. She wanted to be annoyed with him about earlier, but she was having a hard time when he looked so despondent.
My ex-girlfriend is running around telling my Pack that I ran away from her yesterday crying.
Did you? Livy asked.
No, I did not. I was just chasing her, he said, pointing at Toni. And if anyone was crying, it was her.
I was not crying. I was merely panicking.
The wolf suddenly looked around Tonis office. I thought you were quittin.
I had to put it off.
Why would you quit? Livy asked. This job seems tailor-made for you. Taking care of useless idiots.
My siblings are not useless.
Freddys not useless . . . and the twins are too young to know definitely about them yet. But the rest of them . . . pretty useless.
Shut up, Toni snapped.
You shut up.
You shut up more.
That doesnt even make sense.
Excuse me, the wolf cut in. We were talking about me. Not yall.
He has a point, Livy kindly said, which only annoyed Toni more.
Reece Reed walked into Tonis officeagain, without asking if it was okay to come inand threw his hands up at his brother. I was trying to talk to you, Ricky Lee.
No. You and Rory were laughing at me, and Im in too bad a mood now to sit around and listen to it.
Look, I told you Laura Jane wascrazy back in high school. Dont be mad at me now because I was . . . Reece sniffed the air. Because I was . . . He sniffed the air again. Then he dropped to his knees and buried his face into the side of Livys neck.
Livys body tensed. She didnt like to be touched . . . ever. Could you get your redneck nose off me? she deadpanned.
What are you? Reece asked.
Toni briefly closed her eyes, knowing that over the years that particular question had led to all sorts of bad situations.
Dont be rude, little brother, Ricky warned.
Smell her, Reece ordered his brother.
Im not smelling anyone. Its rude.
Seriously, though, Reece pushed. What are you?
Your worst nightmare if you dont get away from me, Livy said calmly.
Are you a hybrid?
No, Livy! Toni nearly screamed when she saw her friends hand come up and those deadly claws explode from her fingertips. Dont you dare. Hes on the hockey team and he needs his eyes.
Then, Livy said, staring right at the much bigger wolf, he needs to go away.
Reece . . . move.
Yeah, but
Reece! Toni pointed at another chair pushed against the wall. Go sit down. Now.
Grumbling, the wolf got to his feet and stomped across the room until he could drop into a chair. I was just asking a question.
See? Livy, her claws thankfully retreating, said to Toni. Youre perfect for this job.
Shut up, Toni said with a laugh.
You shut up.
You shut up more.
I still dont know what you two are talking about, Ricky complained. And were supposed to be talking about me.
Really? Toni asked. Because I dont remember that being something I agreed to.
Would it kill you to give me five minutes of your time after all that Chinese food I bought you yesterday?
I didnt know I owed you for the Chinese food.
Not getting the response he wanted from the jackal, he turned to her friend. And Reece was right . . . Ricky didnt know what she was. Unlike hybrids, which were sometimes a combination of scents, this female smelled like something completely different. Not bad, like some hyenas who didnt bathe regularly could smell. Just . . . different. She was pretty, though, with short, straight, pitch-black hair that had a white streak just off to the side, and dark, dark brown eyes. Her coloring and the shape of her eyes suggested that she was part Asian, and even though she wasnt standing, he could tell she wasnt very tall or lean but she was strong with wide shoulders for such a small female. There was a lot of power in that very compact body, which he assumed was why Reece was still staring at her. Well, that and he was still trying to figure out what she was.
