Page 62 of Pistols & Peonies

He thinks he’s won, but I know the truth.

It’s never been about winning for me.

All I’ve ever really wanted was a worthy opponent.

CHAPTER 21

Kane

The city’s at peak chaos when we leave the TTC to head back to the Tower. Traffic is a nightmare, as always, and every cab in Chicago seems determined to test the limits of my patience by cutting off my giant black enforcer-issue SUV with no regard for the laws of physics.

Violet rides shotgun with her bare feet propped on the dash, flipping through radio stations with one hand while twirling her still-damp hair with the other. The last of the locker room adrenaline buzzes in the air between us, but there’s an unspoken kind of truce in effect. A temporary ceasefire, just long enough to catch our breath.

I merge onto the expressway, and she immediately jacks up the volume on some old-school punk song, letting it blast through the speakers with zero respect for my eardrums. I consider saying something, but it’s the most relaxed I’ve seen her since this whole disaster started, so I let it ride.

For about three minutes.

My thoughts circle in on themselves, chewing holes through my focus. Too many unanswered questions. Too many things that don’t add up. My wolf paces beneath my skin, restless with concern.

“Where’d you learn to fight like that?” I finally ask, eyes fixed on the road.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Commander,” she murmurs absently.

Ain’t that the truth.

I adjust my grip on the steering wheel, flicking her a sideways glance. “Your technique’s shit,” I say bluntly, “but you’ve got real skill. Like you’ve had legitimate training.”

She stares out the window, pretending not to hear me, but the corner of her mouth curls into a smug little smirk.

“Well?” I press, irritation bleeding into my tone despite myself.

She finally turns to look at me. “Do you always interrogate women after you fuck them in a public shower?” she asks dryly, cocking a brow. “Or am I just special?”

“Only if they pull off an illegal takedown on a guy twice their weight,” I grumble. “That’s not beginner’s luck.”

She rolls her eyes and reaches forward, turning the volume down a hair. “What does it matter?”

I clench my jaw, fingers drumming against the steering wheel in a steady, controlled rhythm. Beyond my own curiosity, it probably doesn’t. Still… “You could’ve told me,” I say. “I would’ve looked into getting you a position in tactical instead of admin.”

She lets out a short, bitter laugh and turns back toward the window. “No thanks.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’d rather jump out of this car and splatter myself across the highway than become a mindless soldier for the pack.” She whips her head around, blue eyes bright like the lake at dawn and just as cold. “Stop trying to shove me into one of your neat little boxes, Commander. I don’t want or need you to find me a job. You’re wasting your time.”

“Can’t you see I’m just trying to help you?” I snap, banging my palm down hard against the wheel. “You refuse to take my money, so I found you a position where you could earn your own. It wasn’t a punishment, it was an opportunity.”

“I don’t need your help,” she fires back without missing a beat. “I can take care of myself, I just proved it in the gym. Or did you black out when I almost cracked your jaw?”

I shoot her a hard look before turning my eyes back to the road. “I never said you couldn’t. But you don’t need to, not anymore. It’s my job to take care of you now.”

When I glance over at her again, the glare she’s aiming my way is glacial. “I’m not anyone’s job, Kane. I’m a fucking human being.”

“You’re my mate,” I snarl.

She doesn’t flinch or look away, meeting my fury head-on. “Not by choice.”

The words hang between us, harsh and undeniable.