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“No.” His voice was firm and commanding. It matched the look in his eyes. “I’m fucking tired of hearing about your mother and those bookies. I should’ve done this months ago. Give me the phone.”
There were times that it struck me that I was truly mated to an alpha. His tone brooked no argument.
Gingerly, I put the phone into his hand, and he raised it to his ear.
“Eliza?” From the receiver, I heard Mom pause her tirade at the sound of his voice. “This is Xander. It sounds like you’re going through some hard times, financially speaking.”
He waited as she launched into a response.
“Right. Okay. Whatever you say. Well, I’m happy to inform you that those debts are no longer your problem. I’ll be taking care of it. Just send me the info.”
Xander pulled the phone away from his ear, blinking like a grenade had just gone off next to his ear. I could hear Mom through the receiver. Though I couldn’t make out her words, I could tell she was unhappy. Why? Who fucking knew?
“No—no. Just send me the info, Eliza. No—okay. All right. Have a good day.”
He looked positively shell-shocked when he ended the call.
“Your mother’s a real piece of work, you know that?”
“I’m so sorry.” I inched closer to him, turning my body to his. “But, Xander, I can’t let you pay down those debts.”
“I’m not going to pay them down.” He sounded almost offended by the notion. “I’m going to pay them off. It’s no skin off my back. We have the money. It’s a good investment, actually. She won’t have anything to hold over your head again. Or Nana Jordan’s.”
“But—”
“Don’t argue with me on this. I didn’t stop you from baking a thousand cookies this week, did I? It feels good to do something. This, I should’ve done a long time ago.”
“I wouldn’t have let you.” Another ache bloomed in my chest. This one was older, deeper than the others. An ancient wound. “I don’t know that I can let you do it now. If I sold Havishford House—”
“It’d be on the market for ages, and we never finished the renovations, anyway. Besides. Once we have the boys back, we’ll need somewhere to live.” He said it like it was perfectly logical. I supposed, in a way, it was. “The lodge is a good place to have for a headquarters, but we can’t raise our family here. Come on.” He nudged me with his knee and grinned, the first one I’d seen since this shitshow started. “Just thank me and tell me how handsome I am.”
“Youarehandsome. Very.” I stared up at him, awestruck and ashamed. “But it’s too much, Xander.”
“No, it’s not. Have you not realized by now? I’d lay a fortune at your feet and live in a cardboard box down by the river if you asked me to. I’d give up every penny I owned just to see you smile.” He shrugged. “And this is nothing as dramatic as all that, so it’s fine.”
“I don’t have any way to repay you,” I reminded him. He was already paying for everything, including but not limited to Denny’s bounty-hunting services. The only money in my bank account was my last paycheck from Evergreen Hills, and it didn’t look like I’d be going back to work anytime soon.
“I’m not asking you to repay me. Aren’t you listening? Everything that’s mine is already yours.” He tilted his head to the side, considering. “But if you wanted… You might consider blocking her number, Cheeks.”
“No contact?” It was an interesting notion. My pregnancy had been a lot easier without her involvement. And with the boys still missing, we definitely didn’t need the extra stress.
But the whole reason I’d called was to open up a line of communication. Maybe pave the way for our sons to have a relationship with their grandmother someday.
Had it really gone to shit so fast?
“I know she’s your mother and all, but hearing her tear into you like that, especially right now…” He shook his head. “It’s fucked up. What she’s willing to say to her only child, I wouldn’t say to my worst enemies. You deserve better than that.”
I found my lip trapped between my teeth again as I considered it. No contact. No more hearing about my supposed shortcomings. No more worrying about what she would do to Nana if I didn’t appease her, comply, fall in line.
Her meddling in my life had helped Xander and me get together. Even if she hadn’t intended for that outcome, I was grateful to her for that. But I was a mother now. The way she treated me… I already knew I would never be like that to our sons. I’d rather die.
“You’re right.” I pulled her contact up in my phone. My thumb only hovered over the block button for a second before I pressed it.
And just like that, it was done. Another weight off my chest. I’d been carrying it for so long, I’d forgotten how heavy it was.
Xander wrapped his arms around me and folded me against him. His embrace was firm and warm.
He didn’t let go for a long time.
