"My level of sarcasm's gotten to a point where I don't even know if I'm kidding or not." — Unknown
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Chapter 17
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Maggie

My lids fluttered until I felt the light force right through my blinds, and into my eyes. I groaned, pulling the blanket across my shoulders.

Something had changed. The room was different from when I went to sleep, I felt it. It was toasty and warm.

My eyes snapped open, entirely. I attempted to clear my mind enough to ask why it was so warm in here. Jax hadn't paid the gas bill yet, he was waiting on his check from the restaurant today.

Slowly, I lifted myself from my spot. I pressed my back against the headboard, using the back of my hand to swipe at my face.

I did feel better, way better than I had yesterday, but I needed some type of food in my soon. My stomach was empty, and my dry throat wasn't doing any better.

I concentrated on the most important factor: why was it so toasty in here?

I glanced over the room for the source of heat, but my stand caught my attention first. A glass of water, and a bowl of soup sat atop it. I lifted the water first, but just as I did, a piece of paper sunk right onto my lap. My curiosity heightened before I picked it up.

Drink and eat this shit. Don't worry about coming back until you feel better, brat. No way in hell you're getting me sick, too. And, don't die either. You're not getting out of our deal that easy, Norris.

— Luke.

I reread the contents of the note so many times, my eyes burned. Trying to understand it was even more troubling.

My eyes fell to the soup, again, then the water. I didn't put them there.

Which meant that Luke had. I thought I'd dreamed him up, that he'd somehow found a way into my nightmares, but apparently not. He was real, and he had actually came and—

A small buzzing sound rattled through my quiet room.

My gaze jerked to the corner. How the hell I missed it the first time, I didn't know. An electric heater. There was a heater in front of me.

Luke came by.

Luke bought me a heater.

Luke brought me my pills, this water, and the soup.

I blinked, again and again. I had to be high. He must have drugged the water.

Except when my phone started to ring, I knew that I was entirely sober, and that this was reality. I blew out a breath, jumping between the phone and the heater. I went for the phone first.

My vision took a second to adjust, but I finally got the name. Rip My Sanity. It was Luke, and he was FaceTiming me.

Oh, shit. Luke was calling me.

I downed the water so quickly, I nearly dropped the glass. I placed it between my legs, and instead focused on the screen in front of me. What was he calling me for?

I released a small groan, and went ahead and pressed the accept button. Perhaps he was wanting to brag about the heater, and wanted me to kiss his ass. He'd be disappointed. The best he'd get is a thank you.

His face appeared a moment later. I risked a glance at my reflection, suppressing a groan. I looked terrible.

He, of course, looked like a fucking poster model. It was like he just left a photo shoot. He didn't have a shirt on, so I only saw glimpses of his nipples, the muscular sculpting of his chest, and his strong neck. I didn't mean to let my eyes linger, but shiiit.

I willed my eyes to move to anything except his body. So instead, I focused on the less obvious part of him instead, his eyes. He had been scanning me over as well, his gaze hanging on my face.

From here, it looked like he was laying down. His arm came behind him, propping under his head. He flicked his head at me. "You dead?"

I bit back an eye roll. "Now, how would I be on the call if I were dead, Luke?"

He shrugged, and I saw the muscles in his arm constrict so deliciously, it hurt to keep my eyes on his face. "Hell if I know, but with you...you'd definitely find a way." His eyes fell to my neck so his lids appeared hooded. I thought I saw his neck bob before he picked his eyes back up.

We blinked at one another, the obvious questions hanging in either of our throats. It was just a waiting game to see which one would ask them first.

"You good, though?" he asked, flicking his head at me, again.

I nodded a little too hard. "Uh...yeah." I chuckled with an awkward tint, pulling one hand through my hair. It was a tangled mess. "I feel like shit, though."

He dangled a lazy grin at me, his head tilting. "You look like it, too." I rolled my eyes. I'd let him have this one for now; I'd get my lick back after I ate.

I pulled the soup from my stand, placing the glass of water back where I'd found it. I felt him eyeing me, but paid it no mind. I was hungry as shit.

The soup wasn't hot, but it was warm enough. I didn't care about the temperature right now, though. The moment it hit my throat, I nearly moaned.

After a couple, I paused to look down to Luke who was watching me so closely, it looked like he was studying for a test.

I raised a brow. "Why did you call me?"

His head tilted at me. "I was making sure I hadn't overdosed you, or that you hadn't froze to death." I expected a smirk, but when none came, my confusion only worsened.

"You were...checking in on me?" I asked the question slowly. Even saying it aloud didn't make any sense. "And, you bought me a heater." My attention skipped to it before falling back to him. "Why did you get me a heater?"

He ran a hand down his jaw, shaking his head. "You ask too many questions, Norris," he responded with a swift tone.

I let the spoon drop in the soup for a moment, glaring down at it. "And, you quite literally never answer any of them."

"Now you're getting it."

We went back to our silent dance. I didn't sense any awkwardness, the only odd thing was that he was still watching me. Was he waiting for something?

I nearly threw up producing the words, "Thank you for..." I flicked my head at the heater, then the soup. "You know, all that you did."

Despite the gestures, I didn't like the idea of Luke helping me. It was never a genuine giving game with people like him. They wanted something in exchange every time. I'd destroyed his property, so why would he ever even consider doing something nice in return?

He appeared nearly shocked at my thanks. He let it pass, his lips drawing into a grin. "Careful there, Norris. I might think you like me or some shit."

"Yeah, right." I took another spoonful of the soup, dangling the spoon at him. "In your dreams, pretty boy."

"When I'm thinking about you? It's always nightmares."

"So you're admitting that you think about me?"

Luke chuckled, his eyes falling for a moment. "It's kind of impossible not to think about the insanity of the world."

"No wonder you're so conceited."

He rolled his eyes before he glanced away from me, again. He was looking at something.

"Is the topic of your narcissistic behavior the only reason you called me?" I questioned with a raised brow. "Or, did you want something in return?"

Luke let his attention fall back to me, again. His smile fell, his expression tightening. "I don't want anything in return, Maggie."

I was shocked to realize that he was entirely serious. I watched the soup drip from the spoon, and back into the bowl. My frown grew at his words. He was one weird ass man.

"I was going to ask for a favor, though. Just in general," he said after a moment. "Well, more of a demand from the boss, but you can look at it how you want."

I jerked my eyes up to him. "If you ask me to suck you off, I swear I'm going to choke you out with your own ballsack."

"Nah," he chuckled, lifting himself from the bed. I heard his feet shuffle. "I don't do that weird shit, Maggie."

"Well," I responded with an eye roll, taking another drink of the soup. "Aren't I glad to know that?"

His chest bounced with a chuckle. "Trust me, Norris," he said. I only saw the outline of his jaw as he walked. "When I have you under me again, you'll be the one begging for it, not the other way around. You know how I am."

I did know how he was. He didn't stop until he'd pulled orgasm after orgasm out of you. I didn't even have to voice my turn-ons for him to make sure every single one was fulfilled that night. I think he even gave me a couple more, honestly. We were both drunk as shit, but I still remembered the ache I carried for days afterwards.

My eyes snapped back to the screen as Luke cleared his throat.

He was watching me, his lips pulled into a silly grin. He knew what I was thinking. I brought less attention to my reddening cheeks, and instead scowled at him.

His tongue darted in his cheek to stop his grin. "So," he teased. "If that pretty little head of yours is finally out of the gutter, I can ask my question, now."

"My mind wasn't in the gutter, bitch," I grumbled, despite the truth.

He heard me. I saw him roll his eyes, before he focused on wherever he was walking to. Before he made it, I heard barking, or what sounded a lot like it, from his side of the call.

The phone lowered a bit. "Fang, chill the hell out," he hissed. "I'm trying to feed you, but—" before he could finish, the dog had latched its jaws onto the phone, and took off.

The spoon slipped from my fingers in shock. I watched as the camera gave me all types of views of the inside of the dog's mouth, and sometimes the interior of Luke's house. The dog was panting so hard, it echoed through the speakers like an exhaust pipe.

Oh, this was hilarious. Laughter fell from me as I whistled to catch the dogs attention. "That's right, honey. Keep running!"

I could hear Luke padding after the dog, and cursing both me and him in the same breath. I continued on with my cheers despite it, until the camera finally stilled.

"Drop it," I heard Luke hiss. "Drop it right now."

My grin stretched wide. "Don't drop it," I encouraged the dog. "Don't listen to that big, bad man."

"Maggie, if you don't—" he paused to huff before demanding, "Fang, release." The dog growled at Luke oncemore before the phone fell with a plop.

Luke knelt over the phone, picking it up with a scowl. He swiped it across his pants before glaring back at me. "You were a lot of help, Maggie. Really."

I chuckled, shrugging. "What can I say? I'm a dog whisperer. Free of charge this time, though." The traces of laughter remained until I nodded my head."Can I see him?"

Luke looked taken aback for a moment, before he shrugged. His eyes fell to the ground. "Fang, sit." I heard the dog plop down, causing Luke to smile. He tossed him, what I assumed, was a treat. "That's my boy."

Even though he just chased after a dog, he hadn't broken a lick of sweat. He plopped down beside Fang, one hand stroking the glossy coat along his back.

He turned the screen to the dog, who was too busy munching on the treat to pay attention to us. I awed anyway, finally earning the attention of the dog. He looked like a Rottweiler-Doberman mix.

"Hey, sweet boy," I cooed, feeling my heart warm with adoration. He was the cutest dog, even though he looked to be big as shit. I'd always wanted a Rottweiler, though, so I was just in awe. "He's so adorable."

"Don't fall for it," Luke tossed another treat to the dog. "Trust me, he's a little asshole."

"No way," I argued, still smiling at his back. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it," he snorted, nodding to him. "Son of a bitch likes to headbutt me 24/7. He'll purposefully run out in front of me just to make me fall." His chuckle sounded out. "He knows I don't allow him on the furniture, but I have security cameras, so every time I leave the room, I see him get right up there. I taught him how to play hide and seek, and now the fucker is so spoiled that I have to play it with him every day, or risk getting a concussion."

Laughter burst from me. "I like him already."

Luke chuckled, running a hand down his jaw. "He's a smart ass dog, I'll give him that." He adjusted the phone to himself, again, his attention skipping from the dog, and back to me.

I craned my neck against the headboard. "His name is Fang, right?" I tilted my head to the popcorn ceiling. That name sounded so familiar, too familiar that it couldn't be a coincidence.

"Mhm," he responded with a nod. "I got it from..." His lips pursed before he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The name's cool, though."

I waited for the answer to conjure in my head. It took a moment to actually hit, but when it did, it left me grinning.

I met Luke's gaze, my own flooded with humor. "Oh my god...you did it."

His eyes narrowed at me. He knew that I knew what he thought I didn't know. "I did what?"

"Fang is from Harry Potter," I exclaimed, my laughter following. "You chose that name from the series!"

"Oh, stop this shit," Luke scowled at my accusation, but by the tint of his cheeks, I knew it to be true. "I could have gotten the name from anywhere."

"Oh, yeah?" I challenged.

"Yeah," he responded with a glare.

I cocked a brow. "Then, where did you get it?"

"I—" His face continued to redden as he glowered at me. Finally, his chest fell with a huff. "You know what, I should have smothered your ass while I had the chance."

"Aw," I emphasized, tilting my head. "Someone hates being called out on their shit, huh?"

He grumbled something intangible under his breath, picking himself up off the floor. Despite the dog, it was strangely quiet. There was no television or music playing, just Luke and Fang's footsteps.

I frowned at it; it must get boring being there alone. Then again, he probably had women coming in and out of the place like it was nothing.

"The fuck you staring at me so hard for?" I heard Luke throw at me.

I blinked, then did it again. I hadn't even realized.

He rolled his eyes at me, before his expression settled into one of uncertainty. "Listen...before I ask this this shit, you have to promise me something."

I shrugged. "Depends."

"On?"

"On the level of stupidly it's on," I responded. "When it comes to you, I have to expect pretty high."

When he didn't offer a retort, I raised my eyes to the screen, again.

I saw him pull the phone away so far, I could see the outline of his abs now. Shit. His chest was fair in tone, muscular and sculpted until it led down to his deliciously carved waist. He was wearing black sweats, but they hung low on his hips: The sight of his v-line nearly sent me flying out of the bed.

I tore my eyes away with a mental curse. What the fuck was I thinking? I had Xander, and I couldn't be thinking about another man like this. Especially Luke.

My eyes jerked back up to his. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Putting the speaker as far away from me as possible. You're probably going to curse me out for this," he responded with a sheepish smile.

I didn't like the sound of that. "Luke." I narrowed my eyes at him. "What is it?"

He placed the phone down, setting it up so that it wouldn't fall. He stepped away from the phone, but before he filled the frame, I saw a glimpse of what looked like a kitchen. He came back a second later, crossing his arms.

His eyes hung over his arms. "Did you hear what my dad said that day at the shop?" he asked me slowly.

I frowned, letting my gaze fall. I wanted to say I could barely recall anything, but that'd be lie, because I did. I remembered his father say something about Luke beating up his brother, something about a Beatrice, alternate versions of how badly he hated Luke, and something about an event to polish over his image.

I glanced back to Luke with a shrug. There was way too much to just center in one thing.

He was watching me closely, rocking back on his heels. "The event," he hinted after a moment. "Remember how he mentioned an event?"

I nodded slowly. "I do."

"Well..." his eyes fell with a small chuckle. "Uh, funny story, actually—"

"Luke..." I leaned closer to the screen, narrowing my eyes at him. "Why are you telling me this, and why should I care?"

He stared down at his locked arms as he shook his head. I heard him mutter a curse before finally raising his gaze to mine.

"He said that I needed a date," he said, palming the back of his neck. "So, I sort of, kind of, maybe...told them that you were coming with me." He said the last part so quickly, I barely even caught it at first.

When I did, though, the spoon I was holding fell right into the bowl with a splatter. Some of the liquid splashed against my sheets, or along my skin. Either way, it didn't aid in denting my shock.

"No you didn't," I said in disbelief.

"I did, though," he admitted in a smaller voice.

Shock, anger, and even more shock fueled my blood. Needle-like pinches strung through my skin, the color fully returning at it.

I jerked my eyes to the heater then to him. It made sense now.

Luke followed my gaze, his own growing alert. "No, hold the fuck on. I know what you're thinking," he rushed out, raising his hands defensively. "And, don't. I didn't do that shit to get you to go with me. I didn't even plan on going until a couple hours ago."

"You told your father you would go," I snapped at him, my voice rising. "You did know."

"I tell my father a lot of things," he replied. "I was going to lie, take the beating, then move on. But, I can't this time."

I contemplated hanging up on him right now. "How is that my problem?" I hissed. "No, fuck no."

Luke groaned, turning his head up to the ceiling. "Maggie—"

I shook my head. "No, hell no. Call whoever they are, and take my name off the list."

Luke sighed, running a hand down his face. His expression weighed with frustration before it shifted. "Oh, come on. I'll get you food. I'll let you insult me all damn day. There'll be as much champagne as you want there. It'll just be a couple hours, and all you have to do is show with me and smile. That's it, okay?"

I crossed my arms. He wasn't bribing me that easy. "The answer is no, Luke."

Luke's head fell, his jaw turning. The muscle ticked before he let it still. When he raised himself to my eyes, his own were challenged with something dire. "You really gonna make me do this?"

"Do what?" I countered with sarcasm. "Actually, you know what...do it, or don't. I don't care. I'm hanging up."

I didn't care what he'd offer or what he'd promise. I wasn't going. That simple fact wouldn't charge with a couple free drinks.

Just as I clicked the screen to hang up, a heavy sigh flew from his lips. "If you don't come, I'm pressing charges," he stated, mocking me when he crossed his arms.

My eyes widened, my hand falling from the phone entirely. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, come on, angel," he scoffed. "We both know I would."

I managed the deadliest glare I could muster. "You're such a fucking—"

"Asshole, uh huh, I know already," he said with boredom. He cocked his wrist, glancing over it. "The cops should be outside your house by the time you get dressed," he warned, shrugging. "Or, you can make both of our lives easier, and just attend the damn event with me."

I huffed, sweeping my hands past my face. Of course he played dirty. I shouldn't have been surprised.

There was no getting out of this. "Fine, damn it, fine," I hissed, locking my jaw in place. "But, only on a couple conditions." I knew how unlikely he was to accept it since he'd just demanded my presence, but it didn't hurt to try.

"Let me have it."

I was startled by his acceptance, but continued on, anyway, "I can drink all I want," I stated, attempting to steady my frustration. "And, no bitching, or attitude from you. I'm not dealing with it when I'm already forced to go."

I knew the last one would be impossible for him, but it didn't hurt to request, anyway.

His head bobbed as he considered my requests. "Mhm," he nodded slowly, biting the inside of his cheek. "I can do that."

Despite his acceptance, I continued to glare at him. The day had turned into a nightmare in a matter of minutes. What the fuck had I been forced into?

"I can't believe this shit," I murmured to myself, thumping my head back against the headboard. "I'm going to need a drink." I'd need an entire bar to myself after this. 

Luke drew out a sigh, nodding in agreement. "You and me both, Norris. You and me both."