Wolf with Benefits
Page 65

Hello, Olivia.
Livy moved her gaze back and forth between Delilah and Oriana. After a moment, she asked, Everything all right, Oriana?
Gritting her teeth, Oriana bit out, Yes. Everythings fine.
Good. Im going to be crashing here for a while.
Oriana nodded. Okay. Ill let Mom and Dad know.
Thanks.
Oriana walked off, and Delilah went to follow her. But Livy reached across and slammed one hand against the doorjamb, blocking her way out.
The little freak leaned in, going up on her toes to get near Delilahs neck, and breathed in deep.
God, Del hated this bitch. Always had.
But at the same time, she wasnt about to engage her, either. Del shoved Livys arm out of her way and took a step into the hallway. Livy seemed to be letting her go, but as Del passed, Livy snatched the closed knife out of her hand. She heard the bitch expertly open it.
Delilah spun around without thinking and found her own knife pressed against her throat. The freaks head tilted to the side as she studied her.
Threaten one of the kids again, Livy told her, and Ill cut your throat and watch ya bleed out.
I think Toni might have a problem with that.
No, she wont. And we both know it.
And damn her, but Delilah knew the bitch was right.
They stopped at the hotel first to get Rickys travel stuff. He offered to meet Toni back at the house her parents were renting, but the look of panic on her face had him quickly changing that offer to immediately promising he wouldnt leave her side.
So he opened the door first and walked in, sniffing to make sure there were no Packmates lurking around.
Toni leaned in. Embarrassed to be seen with me by your girlfriend?
Ex-girlfriend, and no. I just dont want you to face the Smith Pack Female Interrogation.
You made that sound like all those words were initial capped.
They are. Im surprised youve never heard of it. Theres lots of girls in mental institutions across the United States whove faced the Smith Pack Female Interrogation.
Okay. She pushed past him and walked into his hotel room. This is nice.
Yeah.
She looked up at him, her little nose wrinkling. Isnt it kind of expensive, though? To live at the Kingston Arms rather than getting your own apartment in Brooklyn or Queens?
Are those actual places?
Very funny.
And my sister will be bearing the hybrid freak of the hotels owner.
Hybrid freak? she demanded.
Dont worry. Ill adore the little bastard like the moon.
She rolled her eyes and walked fully into the room. Ricky followed, closing the door behind him.
Make yourselfcomfortable, he told her, heading toward the bedroom. Ill be out in a bit.
Why did you get a suite? she asked.
I didnt demand it, if thats what youre thinking. Brendon Shaw gave one to me and each of my brothers in the hopes wed stop just showing up in his apartment upstairs whenever we like.
Did you? she asked from the other room.
Nope! Ricky pulled out the trusty black duffel bag that had gone with him to all sorts of places all over the world.
Isnt Brendon Shaw a lion?
Yep.
So you fully understand that just having you show up in his house is a form of torture for a man who truly does consider himself king of . . . well . . . probably everything.
Of course we do. Thats why we do it. Plus he gets this really good Greek plain yogurt that just seems to taste better being eaten in his apartment than in ours.
Ricky packed quickly and efficiently. Hed learned to do that a long time ago. Although he hadnt traveled much out of the States when he was growing up, his father and uncles sent him and his brotherssometimes together, most often notto different countries to meet with other Reeds and to learn about basic defense. It was something the Reeds felt was important. Sure, most everybody called them the junkyard dogs of the Smith Pack, but the truth was they really believed in being able to defend the Packand definitely the Reed familywhenever necessary.
The Smiths ruled as a Pack, so to speak, because they were willing to destroy anyone who even thought about touching one of their own. But the Smiths were also wild fighters. Like that kid in the schoolyard no one wanted to fight because hed pick up a shovel and smash someones head in rather than throwing crazy punches like any normal seven-year-old. The Reeds, however, prided themselves on being smarter fighters, just like the full-blooded wolves. Theyd strike at night, find the weakest points, and do their best to ensure noor at least lesscollateral damage. Rickys grandfather once compared it to unleashing the berserkers (the Smiths) from the front while the Roman soldiers (the Reeds) snuck in from behind and destroyed the enemy.
The relationship between the Smiths and the Reeds had worked for centuries, ever since theyd landed on these shores a few years before those pilgrims ever did, and Ricky respected that relationship more than he could say. He didnt see the Smiths as separate from him, but a part of his life just like his momma and daddy and siblings. And he knew the Smiths felt the same way. When Bubba Smith said things like, Come after the Smiths and well come down on you like hell itself opened its doors and let out the worst of its kind . . . he wasnt just talking about protecting blood relatives. He was talking about anyone considered one of the Smith Pack. That was the Smith philosophy.