Tiger Magic
Page 26
“Well, you’d know about that,” Ethan said. “Are you sleeping with both these guys now? Maybe at the same time? I didn’t realize you had a thing for Shifters. How long have you been a Shifter whore?”
Tiger’s growl increased, and Ellison leaned close to Ethan. “Now, that’s just not nice.”
Carly slammed what she’d taken out of the box to the table. “No, let him talk. He’s trying to make this my fault. I never cheated on you, Ethan. Never. I caught you, and you can’t change that, but you think that if you can make out that I’m the slut, you’re not in the wrong. But you are. I was loyal to you and did everything you wanted, but that didn’t count for shit with you, did it? Not when you got horny on your coffee break.”
Ethan looked slightly shocked, as though he hadn’t believed Carly would have the guts to say such things to him. She’d had the guts all right, but she’d been raised to keep the peace, not spread venom. That didn’t mean Carly was weak; it meant she was polite.
“She’s not important to me, Carly,” Ethan tried. God, she’d had no idea he could sound so whiny. “We can talk about this.”
“Oh, it’s way too late for that, honey,” Carly said. “You shouldn’t have had your lawyer friend call me and threaten me. You want everything back you ever gave me? Fine. Here it is. Including the ring you wasted sixty-thousand dollars on.”
Carly took it out of its box and threw it at him, laughing as Ethan scrambled to catch it. “And the necklace from Tiffany’s, and the sound system I never liked.” She threw these at him too, Ethan flailing after each one.
Ellison, next to him, folded his arms over his broad chest and grinned. Tiger didn’t move, as though he understood that Carly needed to do this, as though he enjoyed watching her kick at Ethan the only way she knew how.
Carly threw trinkets, souvenirs, and the digital photo frame full of happy pictures of herself and Ethan at him. Finally she picked up the box itself and threw the whole thing.
“That’s everything you’ve ever given me. Except the heartburn from your fancy restaurants, and the worry that I wasn’t good enough for your snotty friends. I’d love to throw those at you too.”
Ethan caught the box and slammed it back to the table. “You’re right. I gave you everything, Carly. You were just a stupid receptionist with no future until you met me. I even gave you that dress. You only look so good because I took you to the best stores.”
Carly clutched the dress’s bodice. “No, you didn’t. I remember. You didn’t like it and refused to buy it, so I put it on my own credit card. It’s mine.”
“But I paid that credit card for you. I’ve been paying all your bills, Carly. You wouldn’t have shit right now if it wasn’t for me.”
Carly’s vision tinged with red. Through the haze she saw the image of Ethan banging away at the woman on the counter, her legs around Ethan’s bare hips. Ethan had been wearing a business shirt, the tails of it just hiding his buns, and his pants with their fine leather belt had fallen around his ankles. He’d looked absolutely ridiculous.
How many times had Carly congratulated herself that she’d snared him as she’d run her hands over Ethan’s honed body? Liking that he kept himself in shape, was so good-looking, and she was going to marry him?
Next to Tiger, and even Ellison, whom she’d only just met, Ethan was fading to nothing. He had the charisma of a flea. And he’d done his damnedest to make sure Carly felt lucky that he’d noticed her.
Carly’s rage boiled over. She yanked open the zipper on the silk dress and shoved the garment down over her hips. In her underwear and heels, she stepped out of the dress and balled it up.
“You want this back? Here it is.” She threw the wadded-up dress at Ethan, hitting him square in the chest. “Wait, did you pay for the lingerie too? Fine, you can have it.”
As Carly unsnapped and stripped off her bra, Ellison’s gray wolf eyes widened, and he swung around on the heels of his cowboy boots and stared at the wall. “Turning my back, turning my back.”
Tiger pushed himself between Carly and Ethan. “Don’t look at her.” His growl filled the room, vibrating against the glass kitchen cabinets. One had broken, Carly saw.
Carly threw the bra down on the table and planted her hand on her hips; she was still in her mile-high, leopard-print heels. Those were hers, and she wasn’t giving them back. “No, let him look, Tiger. I want him to see what he’s never getting again. Ever.”
Ethan’s terrified gaze wasn’t for Carly. Fear was evident in his wide eyes, in the fleck of spittle on his lips as he was caught and pinned by Tiger’s stare. He knew damn well he’d shot Tiger full on, and now Tiger stood here healthy and whole, ready for payback.
Carly saw Ethan’s hand snake for his cell phone, but Ellison was there, clamping his wrist. “Don’t think so,” Ellison said. “Now the lady has given you back what you gave her, fair and square. You let her walk out of here, and you don’t bother her again.”
Ethan’s voice was shaky, but his arrogance still came through. “She can pay me for the Corvette, though.”
“What?” Carly demanded, her voice rising. “I sent your stupid car back to you without a scratch.”
“And those Shifters sprayed in it. It smells like cat piss. I’ll have to have it detailed.”
“Sean and Spike?” Ellison asked in surprise. “They couldn’t have. Shifters don’t spray. Must have been a regular cat that got inside it. A tomcat pissed off about something.”
“What are you talking about?” Ethan snapped. “That guy with all the tattoos ruined my car!”
“Nah.” Ellison, who still had Ethan’s wrist, leaned close. “You know how Spike marks his territory? He doesn’t spray. He kills his enemies and grinds their bones and blood into the soil. He leaves just enough scent to explain to everyone else not to cross the line with him.”
Ethan’s face was gray, his pupils pinpricks. He’d pass out any second. “Spike? Tiger? What kind of names do you people have?”
“Yeah, I know, Ellison is a real strange one. What was my mom thinking? Carly, even though it’s a crime to cover you up, you’re going to have to put something on before we leave. If you get arrested for driving around like that, Liam will kill me.”
Tiger’s growl increased, and Ellison leaned close to Ethan. “Now, that’s just not nice.”
Carly slammed what she’d taken out of the box to the table. “No, let him talk. He’s trying to make this my fault. I never cheated on you, Ethan. Never. I caught you, and you can’t change that, but you think that if you can make out that I’m the slut, you’re not in the wrong. But you are. I was loyal to you and did everything you wanted, but that didn’t count for shit with you, did it? Not when you got horny on your coffee break.”
Ethan looked slightly shocked, as though he hadn’t believed Carly would have the guts to say such things to him. She’d had the guts all right, but she’d been raised to keep the peace, not spread venom. That didn’t mean Carly was weak; it meant she was polite.
“She’s not important to me, Carly,” Ethan tried. God, she’d had no idea he could sound so whiny. “We can talk about this.”
“Oh, it’s way too late for that, honey,” Carly said. “You shouldn’t have had your lawyer friend call me and threaten me. You want everything back you ever gave me? Fine. Here it is. Including the ring you wasted sixty-thousand dollars on.”
Carly took it out of its box and threw it at him, laughing as Ethan scrambled to catch it. “And the necklace from Tiffany’s, and the sound system I never liked.” She threw these at him too, Ethan flailing after each one.
Ellison, next to him, folded his arms over his broad chest and grinned. Tiger didn’t move, as though he understood that Carly needed to do this, as though he enjoyed watching her kick at Ethan the only way she knew how.
Carly threw trinkets, souvenirs, and the digital photo frame full of happy pictures of herself and Ethan at him. Finally she picked up the box itself and threw the whole thing.
“That’s everything you’ve ever given me. Except the heartburn from your fancy restaurants, and the worry that I wasn’t good enough for your snotty friends. I’d love to throw those at you too.”
Ethan caught the box and slammed it back to the table. “You’re right. I gave you everything, Carly. You were just a stupid receptionist with no future until you met me. I even gave you that dress. You only look so good because I took you to the best stores.”
Carly clutched the dress’s bodice. “No, you didn’t. I remember. You didn’t like it and refused to buy it, so I put it on my own credit card. It’s mine.”
“But I paid that credit card for you. I’ve been paying all your bills, Carly. You wouldn’t have shit right now if it wasn’t for me.”
Carly’s vision tinged with red. Through the haze she saw the image of Ethan banging away at the woman on the counter, her legs around Ethan’s bare hips. Ethan had been wearing a business shirt, the tails of it just hiding his buns, and his pants with their fine leather belt had fallen around his ankles. He’d looked absolutely ridiculous.
How many times had Carly congratulated herself that she’d snared him as she’d run her hands over Ethan’s honed body? Liking that he kept himself in shape, was so good-looking, and she was going to marry him?
Next to Tiger, and even Ellison, whom she’d only just met, Ethan was fading to nothing. He had the charisma of a flea. And he’d done his damnedest to make sure Carly felt lucky that he’d noticed her.
Carly’s rage boiled over. She yanked open the zipper on the silk dress and shoved the garment down over her hips. In her underwear and heels, she stepped out of the dress and balled it up.
“You want this back? Here it is.” She threw the wadded-up dress at Ethan, hitting him square in the chest. “Wait, did you pay for the lingerie too? Fine, you can have it.”
As Carly unsnapped and stripped off her bra, Ellison’s gray wolf eyes widened, and he swung around on the heels of his cowboy boots and stared at the wall. “Turning my back, turning my back.”
Tiger pushed himself between Carly and Ethan. “Don’t look at her.” His growl filled the room, vibrating against the glass kitchen cabinets. One had broken, Carly saw.
Carly threw the bra down on the table and planted her hand on her hips; she was still in her mile-high, leopard-print heels. Those were hers, and she wasn’t giving them back. “No, let him look, Tiger. I want him to see what he’s never getting again. Ever.”
Ethan’s terrified gaze wasn’t for Carly. Fear was evident in his wide eyes, in the fleck of spittle on his lips as he was caught and pinned by Tiger’s stare. He knew damn well he’d shot Tiger full on, and now Tiger stood here healthy and whole, ready for payback.
Carly saw Ethan’s hand snake for his cell phone, but Ellison was there, clamping his wrist. “Don’t think so,” Ellison said. “Now the lady has given you back what you gave her, fair and square. You let her walk out of here, and you don’t bother her again.”
Ethan’s voice was shaky, but his arrogance still came through. “She can pay me for the Corvette, though.”
“What?” Carly demanded, her voice rising. “I sent your stupid car back to you without a scratch.”
“And those Shifters sprayed in it. It smells like cat piss. I’ll have to have it detailed.”
“Sean and Spike?” Ellison asked in surprise. “They couldn’t have. Shifters don’t spray. Must have been a regular cat that got inside it. A tomcat pissed off about something.”
“What are you talking about?” Ethan snapped. “That guy with all the tattoos ruined my car!”
“Nah.” Ellison, who still had Ethan’s wrist, leaned close. “You know how Spike marks his territory? He doesn’t spray. He kills his enemies and grinds their bones and blood into the soil. He leaves just enough scent to explain to everyone else not to cross the line with him.”
Ethan’s face was gray, his pupils pinpricks. He’d pass out any second. “Spike? Tiger? What kind of names do you people have?”
“Yeah, I know, Ellison is a real strange one. What was my mom thinking? Carly, even though it’s a crime to cover you up, you’re going to have to put something on before we leave. If you get arrested for driving around like that, Liam will kill me.”
