Cadence finished put the final touches on dinner and then stepped back, taking it in. She was pleased with the way it turned out, and cooking in this kitchen was a dream. It was well stocked, both with food and equipment. She’d never prepared a meal anywhere this fancy.

The food itself was simple—steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans. And she’d made a chocolate cake for dessert. She really needed to ask them what their favorite foods were, so she was sure to fix what they enjoyed. Hopefully, speaking to Jameson would be easier with Tarun around.

This morning hadn’t been her finest hour. She’d cowered after he hit his head, and from the look in his dark blue eyes, he noticed. God, she hated that that was her automatic reaction. A year ago, she was a completely different person. Her job left a little to be desired—okay, a lot—but one thing it had done for her was make her confident, in herself as well as her ability to defend herself.

She’d known she was desired, that men wanted her. Knew they found her face and body attractive. She had to admit, right or wrong, it felt amazing to know she was desired by so many. The downside to that was the lewd comments, jokes, and inappropriate behavior. Sure, she stripped for a living, but she didn’t feel like that gave men the right to treat her as some of them had.

Not that she ever just took it sitting down. No, she was sassy, fierce, never hesitated to put a man in his place, or knee him in the groin if he got handsy, or worse, with her. The physical shit tapered off after she was accepted into Silk Silhouette. It was the premier strip club in Atlanta, and a member’s only club. Only the richest of the rich could afford that membership, and it was kept classy. Well, as classy as a strip club could possibly be. But, although the physical shit didn’t happen, the verbal still did, albeit on a quieter, more furtive scale.

The place she worked at before Silk Silhouette, from the age of seventeen—thanks to a shady owner who didn’t care how old she was, as long as she looked grown—to twenty-three was the Sexy Peach, and it was sketchy as hell. Full of lowlifes, drug dealers, thugs, and every imaginable type of scum, it was a dive. The owner hadn’t given two shits what happened to the girls, and the so-called bouncers were as bad as the patrons, and rarely stepped in when a customer crossed the line with the girls. Hell, most of the time they thought it was funny, or even—shudder—a turn on to watch the customers grope the girls.

Cadence had been so relieved Silk Silhouette accepted her. They seldom took on new girls, because the pay and atmosphere were so good that the regular girls rarely left. And when they did choose someone new, they were very selective. She thought she was extremely lucky to get the position. And while stripping wasn’t exactly a job to be proud of, or something she enjoyed and intended to do forever, her time there hadn’t been bad at all. If she could overlook exactly what her job entailed, she could even say she enjoyed working there.

From the ages of twenty-three through twenty-five, she had a much better life. She was making very good money and tips, and even though she hated stripping, it was still a better job than her last. Her income was strong enough that she could quit her day job and still easily pay her rent and put herself through nursing school, which was her ultimate goal. She’d been working toward that since she was twenty, but her pay, while still better than a regular job, was low enough at the Peach that it was taking her forever to afford and complete the classes, even with a second job as a waitress during the day.

And then she got the job at Silk Silhouette, and last year she met Winston. Her life just kept getting better and better.

So she thought.

Ugh, why was she even thinking about this? It did no good, and it was all in the past. The only relevant thing was life had dive-bombed after she met him, and she was suffering the repercussions of that right now. Actually, her life went to hell when she got the job at Silk. Because meeting Winston had been unavoidable after that.

Pushing it all from her mind, she set the table, just finishing up when Jameson walked in. Smiling at her, he went to the sink to wash his hands, and she instinctively moved away, straightening the place settings. She hadn’t seen him or Tarun since breakfast. Tarun left first, and Cadence had been deeply uneasy until he said he had some things to take care of too, and left right after his sister did.

She grabbed the pitcher of sweet tea she made, turning and pausing when she saw him holding out a chair for her. No way in hell was she getting that close to him.

“You go ahead and take a seat,” she said, relieved when her voice didn’t come out as shaky as she felt. “I’m not quite done yet.”

His eyes narrowed, and she thought for a moment that he’d argue, but to her relief, he just nodded and moved to the other side of the table. Exhaling quietly, she placed the pitcher on the table and went back to grab glasses. Once everything was set out and she had no excuse to delay anymore, she took her seat. As soon as she was settled, he grabbed the plate of steaks and held it out to her.

“Aren’t we waiting for Tarun? I told her earlier what time I expected to have dinner ready.”

He shook his head. “She called to say she was eating dinner with her friend tonight. She won’t be home until later.”

Well, fuckin’ hell. There went her buffer. Lord, don’t let me act crazy or say weird shit at the table tonight. As soon as dinner was done, she’d put everything away, do the dishes, and hightail it to her bedroom. She just needed to make it thirty minutes, tops. Fifteen if she ate very quickly.

Accepting the steaks, she forked the smallest one available onto her plate. He did the same thing for each dish, holding it out to her so she could take some before serving himself. It was kind of sweet, actually, but she’d learned long ago not to trust sweet. The nicest of men inevitably hid the worst assholes buried deeply inside them.

“This is good,” he said after swallowing a bite of steak.

“Thanks. I wasn’t sure how y’all took them, so I erred on the side of caution and made them medium-well.”

They ate in silence for a minute before he spoke again. “I talked to Carlisle. He can’t order the radiator until tomorrow, but he said it usually takes about three days to get parts in, two if his supplier is on it. But he has everything I need to change the oil and even the spark plugs, and I can get those done tomorrow.”

Her bite of mashed potatoes suddenly felt like a lump of coal in her mouth, but she swallowed hard, forcing it down. She hadn’t planned on staying for three days, and that was just the time it took to get it in. It could be longer for him to install it. Dammit. Then the rest of what he said sunk in, and her eyes flew to his as she shook her head.

“I don’t know how much the radiator is, but I’m sure it’s going to set me back. I can’t afford the other stuff, not if I want to be able to eat, too.”

Brow twitching, he shook his head as he looked at her, blue eyes serious. “Cady, they both need done. I can cover the cost, and you can pay me back once you get where you’re going. But you might not get there at all if it’s not done.”

“Oh, no. I’m not accepting charity. I’m poor, but I still have my pride. I don’t take anything I can’t pay for.”

“But you will be paying me for it. Maybe not right away, but some day, when you can afford it.”

She shook her head, wishing she could accept. She knew her car needed work, and the absolute last thing she needed was to break down and be stuck somewhere she could be found, like the side of the road. At least Durga Valley wasn’t on the map. The odds of anyone tracking her here were incredibly slim. But still…

“I just can’t. But thanks for offering.”

He pursed his lips, looking at her contemplatively. “Okay, how about this. You clean the house while you’re here in exchange for the plugs and the oil and filter. Don’t shake your head. Think about it. If you can’t afford the parts, how are you going to afford the labor a mechanic will charge along with that, later on down the road? Not to mention the cost of towing your car if you break down. That can be expensive, even just across town. The cost of doing it if you haven’t made it to Denver, or wherever the closest city is, would be astronomical.”

She hated to admit he was right, but everything he said made sense. If she broke down and needed a tow, she might as well give up and walk away from the car altogether. But the odds of making a living were drastically reduced without a vehicle.

“It still doesn’t seem like a fair trade. You’re letting me stay here, giving me free labor, and now the supplies for spark plugs and an oil change, all in exchange for cooking and cleaning for a few days? I don’t want to take advantage of you, yet it feels like I’d be doing just that.”

He threw his head back with a laugh, and she was surprised at the wave of warmth that washed over her at the sound. Cue becoming more uncomfortable—with him, and with her reactions to him. Scared and skittish one moment, reveling in the sound of his laughter the next. What the hell was wrong with her lately? Hormones. It was just hormones, that was all.

Still chuckling, he shook his head. “You obviously haven’t seen the rest of the house. Sure, we try to keep the living room, kitchen, and our bedrooms, including the guest room, fairly clean. But there are a lot of rooms in this house, and neither myself nor Tarun are the best housekeepers. Some of those rooms haven’t been touched in years.”

Eyes narrowing as she considered his offer, she stilled, suspicion filling her as she thought about everything. He seemed willing to do so much for so little in return, and in her experience, that usually meant there were certain expectations involved. Expectations she would never, in a million years, agree to. She might have been a stripper, but there were lines she wouldn’t cross, and that was a huge one. She never slept around, let alone offered her body in exchange for goods.

“Why exactly are you offering?”

Laughter dying, his brow furrowed as he searched her eyes. It wasn’t long before realization dawned, and his expression was a mixture of offense and earnestness. “Not for the reasons you’re thinking. Shit, Cady. I’d never expect that for helping you. I want to help because that’s what you do when someone who needs it comes along. It’s the right thing to do. The decent thing to do. That’s it. Other than cooking and cleaning, I’d expect nothing from you.”

She studied him for a few moments, but try as she might, she could find nothing but honesty on his face and in his voice. Maybe it was her being stupid and naïve, and maybe she should know better, especially with her past, but she believed him. But she’d still stay on guard, because odds were, he was a skilled liar. Or he could be telling the truth now, but change his mind and want more later.

“I’m sorry. I’m just not used to people doing things without an ulterior motive.”

“I wish that wasn’t the case,” he said softly, eyes still intense.

“Yeah, well. It is what it is.”

Jameson ate a few more bites before looking back up at her. “So what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “We have a deal, as long as I don’t have to do any heavy lifting, or moving weighty furniture around.”

“Of course you won’t have to. I can do that, if it’s needed. But do you mind me asking why?”

She shrugged, thinking fast. “Um, I have a bad back, is all.”

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, and she got the impression he didn’t buy a word of her lie. But to her relief, he didn’t press her on it, instead just nodding. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. “Where are you headed after your car’s fixed?”

Her brows twitched. “I told you already. Montana.”

“You said for now when you said that. That means you’re headed somewhere else.”

Shit, shit, shit. Of course he’d pick up on that. She had to be more careful with her words. She didn’t want to give her ultimate destination away, even if she was moving on again in another year, as she suspected she would be. A life on the run was her future.

But if she told him she planned on going to Washington in a few months, five tops, then that was information that was out in the universe. And Winston, along with his lackeys, had ways of making people talk, even someone as strong and seemingly invincible as Jameson came across. She knew that from firsthand experience.

Grabbing at the first state she could think of, she blurted, “North Dakota.”

Jameson paused in the act of scooping up the last of his green beans, fighting to keep a neutral expression on his face as he looked at Cady. That was the second time during this conversation that she lied, and both were in the space of a few moments. Even if he wasn’t a shifter and could hear the lies plain as day in her voice, he thought he’d still be able to tell. She couldn’t meet his eyes as she lied, and she rushed the words so fast, it was like they were one long word.

She didn’t have much experience with it, he was almost positive. Which led him to wonder why the hell she was doing it now. Neither time had seemed like anything worth lying about, although clearly they were to her. Well, he could see how maybe where she was going was worth lying about, if for some crazy reason she thought he’d follow her or try to find her after she left. Although that in itself wasn’t very logical—if he wanted something from her, or to do something to her, it made more sense for it to happen while she was here, in his home.

But the lie about her having back problems, when he wondered about no heavy lifting… No matter how he spun it, he couldn’t understand why she’d lie with her answer. Even if she just plain didn’t want to do it, he wouldn’t have cared. He hadn’t been lying or exaggerating how much the house needed a thorough cleaning, but he didn’t expect her to move everything or hurt herself doing it.

There was definitely more going on under the surface than Cady let on. Well, it was more like she was trying to keep it under the surface, but she kept letting little tells and glimpses out.

Fix it. Make her better, his tiger said, pacing in his chest.

How can I do that when I don’t even know what’s wrong? he asked, equal parts exasperated and frustrated.

Except—maybe he could make a guess. Freezing at the direction his thoughts were going, he forced himself to swallow his last bite of steak as he looked at her, thinking back on what little he knew about her and her situation, her reactions.

She was skittish, for sure. A small bit around his sister, but completely so with him. He’d noticed how uncomfortable she was when he said Tarun wouldn’t be there for dinner. When she startled him and he hit his head, she’d been expecting him to blow up at her, maybe even get violent. The wincing, flinching, how she huddled into herself, all pointed to some kind of abuse in her past. And he thought maybe it wasn’t necessarily him she was so wary of—it was men in general.

So she was most likely abused by a man at some point.

His tiger let out a growl and he quickly cleared his throat, masking the sound and swallowing it down.

It would also explain why she wanted to get back on the road so quickly, why she said she was stopping in Montana for now, but planned to move on. She was running from the asshole. No wonder she didn’t want to tell him her ultimate destination. She didn’t want to leave any knowledge behind that might lead to her, which he thought was smart. It didn’t explain why she felt the need to lie about why she didn’t want to lift anything heavy, but he was sure she had her reasons, and they certainly tied in somehow.

These were all guesses on his part, but his gut was screaming that he was on the right track. His protective streak was front and center, nearly overwhelming him. But there wasn’t much he could do, not when she planned on leaving the second her car was done. He wished he could tell her to stay, for as long as she needed. For good, even, if she wanted.

Durga wasn’t on any map available, and couldn’t be found even with a GPS, so the odds of the asshole who hurt her finding this place were slim to none. And if the dickhead did, well, they rarely had outsiders, so when one showed up, word spread like wildfire. He made a few calls after breakfast, to Kian, Zane, and Karis, letting them know she was here, and by dinnertime, three quarters of the tribe had called him, wanting details. There was a strong probability that the entire tribe knew she was here. A strange man showing up would get the same reaction, and if he asked questions, he’d be shut down completely. Cady was under Jameson’s protection while she was here, and the whole tribe knew it.

And he was a fierce warrior, one of the best. Karis was head warrior, and his mate Arya was ranked second. Vynn was third, and Jameson was fourth. He could be ranked higher if he wanted, but he never put his heart into competing at the challenges. He put in just enough effort to make sure he was ranked highly enough that he could keep his position as head trainer, and that was it. He was content with what he had and where he was, and didn’t wish for more.

If only he could tell her that, though. Tell her that she had one of the best warriors in a tribe known for their badass fighters on her side. That he turned into a fucking massive tiger, and one puny human was no match for his cat. Let her know he could absolutely protect her from whatever was haunting her, or maybe even hunting her, as might be the case. But he couldn’t. She was a human who didn’t know shifters existed, and that was something he’d need to reveal if he wanted her to know just what kind of warriors were here to protect her. So telling her any of that was out.

But what he could do was make sure she was well taken care of while she was here. Show her that not all men were assholes, that there were still some good ones out there. He didn’t have a lot of time to do it in, and it would require a ton of patience, but it could be done. And he could make sure she ate, a lot. He eyed her as she heaped more mashed potatoes and green beans on her plate. She ate like she hadn’t eaten in months, and she did the same thing at breakfast this morning. He knew her money supply was low, since she’d been willing to drive her car off to distances unknown without all the repairs it needed, but he hoped she wasn’t skimping on food.

Looking closer, he took in how thin she was. The baggy shirt concealed a lot, but it couldn’t hide how thin her arms were, or the way her clavicle poked out a bit through the baggy neckline of the shirt. Hell, maybe she was one of those women who tried to stay skinny, and her appearance wasn’t just because she was low on money. But, judging by the way she was eating, he didn’t think so.

Maybe he could try to sneak some money into her luggage or car, where she could find it once she was far away from here and couldn’t refuse it or give it back. He didn’t have a whole lot. Things had been bad before his parents took off, and only got worse after. But once he made his way up to the head trainer position, he started bringing in a pretty good salary, and he had a decent nest egg put back. Certainly enough to slip her a few hundred dollars without it hurting him or Tarun.

Cady finished off the food on her plate and glanced at him. “I made a chocolate cake if you’d like some.”

His mouth literally watered. “Absolutely. That’s my favorite.”

He started to push his chair back, but she stopped him. “I got this. It’s my job, after all.”

Reluctantly nodding, he settled back in his chair as she took their dirty plates to the sink and sliced thick pieces of cake. She was back quickly, and he eagerly forked a bite into his mouth, moaning at the taste.

“This is maybe the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted, and that’s saying something. It’s my favorite, so I’ve tasted a lot.”

Flushing with pleasure, she smiled at him. “Thanks, I’m glad you like it.” Pausing to take a bite, she swallowed and looked at him curiously. “You know, from the size of the house, I thought maybe you and Tarun shared it with your parents, but I haven’t seen them around.”

“They don’t live here anymore. They took off, leaving Durga completely, when I was seventeen and Tarun was thirteen. Haven’t heard from them since.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

She looked upset with herself, so he shrugged and tried to reassure her it wasn’t a big deal. Because it really wasn’t, not to him. “No painful memories here. They checked out long before they actually left. They’d been distant our whole lives. I don’t think they ever even wanted kids. And they spent money like it grew on trees. Things were rough without Dad’s income at first when they left, and we had to sell some shit. That’s why you won’t see many decorations around the house. But my job is really good, and even entry level paid decently. Then I slowly made my way up the ranks, and now I make enough to pay bills and put money back. It doesn’t hurt that the house is a family home, bought and paid for generations ago. We’re actually better off now than we were when my parents were still here.”

She nodded slowly, pursing her lips. “I guess I can see that, but are you sure Tarun believes the same? Women tend to feel things differently than men.”

Brow furrowing, he thought it over, but he didn’t see how his sister wouldn’t feel the same way. “I’m pretty sure she does. At least, she never gave any indication she doesn’t.”

“Still, maybe you should ask her.”

He nodded. “Yeah, maybe I should. What about you? Are you close to your parents?”

“I’ve never had any.” She glanced up and caught his frown, sighing. “I was put in foster care when I was two. I don’t remember my parents, or even know why they gave me up. I bounced around from home to home until I aged out at eighteen. I’ve been on my own ever since.”

Jameson frowned, unable to imagine growing up like that. His parents hadn’t been the best, and he’d always thought maybe they hated him and Tarun just a bit for ever being born, but maybe that wasn’t entirely the case. They at least kept them, and he and his sister grew up a nice home, only one, and knew their heritage. They may not have had parents who cared, but they had roots, and that counted for a lot.

“Your last foster parents didn’t kick you out right away, did they? They had to have helped you some, right?”

She shook her head as she laughed, the sound devoid of humor. “Not likely. Most people foster for the money they get from the state. Maybe there are some good ones out there, but every home I went to was the same. And when you turn eighteen, you age out of the program. The state no longer pays for your care. My last foster parents actually had me pack all my stuff up the night before my birthday. The next morning, before breakfast even, they woke me up, told me to get dressed, and put my trash bag of clothes outside. And that was that. I was on my own.”

Fuck, who did that to a kid? Legal adult or not, Cady was still a kid, and they just tossed her out like garbage. “They just put you outside? They didn’t take you anywhere, help you get set up in a new place?”

“Nope. As far as they were concerned, I wasn’t their responsibility anymore. I did okay, though. I had my own apartment by the end of the week. It was the size of a closet, and shitty as all hell, but it was mine. And I kept working toward something better. It all worked out.”

“I’m glad you did well, but damn, Cady. It was still a shitty hand you were dealt. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

She waved her hand. “It’s in the past and water under the bridge now. Are you done eating? You haven’t taken a bite in a little bit.”

Glancing down regretfully at the rest of the cake, he nodded. He’d love to eat the rest because it had been delicious. But his appetite completely disappeared as he listened to her story. “Yeah, I’m full. It was all amazing, the dinner and the dessert.”

“Thanks. I’ll go ahead and get the leftovers put away and start cleaning up,” she said, getting to her feet.

He stood as well. “Here, let me help.”

She quickly moved a few steps away as he neared her, and he didn’t even think she realized she was doing it. Bout broke his damn heart.

“No, no, I’ve got this. It’s easy, and besides, it’s our agreement, right? You go do what you need to do.”

He bit back his protest and nodded, turning to leave just as Tarun bounded through the door.

“Hey, guys! Man, this looks good. I kinda wish I’d eaten here instead of at Anaya’s. Jamie, I’m going to spend the night at her house, okay? She’s working at the store like me, and tomorrow’s her first day, too. I figured we’d do it up right and make a big deal of it, go in together tomorrow.”

Smiling as she came up and kissed his cheek, he nodded. “Sounds good. Just don’t stay up too late tonight. You two need to be rested for your first day.”

Tarun rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad. You know, we’re not sixteen anymore. We have more common sense than we did back then.”

Cutting her a look, he laughed when she blushed. “You and I both know that’s not true. So do your best, yeah?”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. I want to talk to Cady.”

“Fine. I know when I’m not wanted. I can take a hint.”

Laughing, she shoved him toward the door. He headed out of the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Cady as he went. She had a puzzled frown on her face as her gaze bounced between him and Tarun, like she wasn’t sure what to make of their interaction. He was sure, given her upbringing, that she wasn’t used to sibling banter.

But, for some reason, he thought it was more than that. Like she didn’t know what to make of a man who was genuinely nice. Maybe that wasn’t a word most men wanted applied to themselves, but Jameson took pride in it. There was nothing wrong with it, and there were so few truly nice people—let alone men—in the tribe. He guessed he’d always held out hope that it would somehow rub off on them.

But Cady clearly needed some niceness in her life. Needed to know that not all men were abusive assholes, or assholes period. He didn’t have a whole lot of time to prove it to her, but he was going to do his damnedest to try.