Prickly Business by Piper Vaughn & Kenzie Cade Page B

to Victor’s.
    “You should call him.” Kirk’s quiet words tugged him from his thoughts. Dylan hadn’t heard him approach.
    “What’s that?”
    “Your friend,” he said then blushed. “Mate. You should call him.”
    Dylan shook his head and went back to watching the clouds.
    “I heard he was working for the alpha now,” Kirk continued, disregarding Dylan’s evasion. “Some Meals on Wheels setup.”
    Dylan nodded. He’d heard it from a customer. The uppity hedgehog thinking that taking meals to packmates would endear him to the rest of the pack. For some reason Dylan had that hope too, even if the rest of the pack didn’t.
    “Have you heard from him?”
    “Nope.” Dylan popped the ‘P’ sound. Christ, he sounded like a juvenile.
    “Did you try calling?”
    “What are you getting at?” Dylan turned to his friend, avoiding the question. No, he hadn’t called Avery. After the meeting with Victor, Dylan had dropped him off and driven home with plans to forget about Avery.
    Kirk held his hands up. “Nothing. I’ve just heard he’s a pill, is all. Can’t imagine a kid like him not getting himself in trouble.”
    He snorted. “You have no idea.”
    “Maybe I don’t, but ignoring what you are to each other isn’t doing you or anyone else any favors.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “It means even when you were berating him for what the hell ever happened with Victor, you smiled more. Now you’re a depressing mess.”
    Surprise muted Dylan. He hadn’t told his friends about Avery’s problems with Victor. Avery had enough to handle without worrying about rumors as well.
    As if Kirk read his mind, he shrugged and said, “Victor may keep quiet about his business, but his guys don’t. I heard about it last night at Wolfhound.” He snorted. “Wish I could’ve seen Victor when you finished with him.”
    Of course. Jesus, Avery couldn’t catch a break. And Dylan wondered why he even cared. Except all Dylan had thought about for weeks was Avery’s safety and making sure Victor wasn’t hounding him. Which was why Dylan had kept his eye on Victor’s comings and goings as well. Lucky for that slimeball, he hadn’t gone near Avery. The memory of Victor with his hands all over Avery made Dylan want to hunt him down. A challenge was the least that asshole deserved.
    Dylan huffed. “Victor’s a coward.”
    A noise echoed from the bay door, and as if summoned by the conversation, Avery peered around the corner, then wandered in. Framed by natural light behind him, Avery glowed in his navy sweater vest—no doubt some designer Dylan couldn’t pronounce—paired with a pale blue shirt and dark jeans cuffed to show off his brown oxfords. When Avery’s crisp scent filled the room, Dylan’s pulse throbbed in his ears and his breathing sped up at the sight. The memory of that moment in the woods came back to him in a flash of heat. Dylan’s dick twitched, and he barely suppressed the groan building in the back of his throat.
    Damn.
    Avery’s sweet grin gave way to wide-eyed confusion when his eyes landed on the green-and-yellow bike. The momentary distraction gave Dylan time to get himself in check.
    Then Avery snapped his gaze to Dylan. His nostrils flared, and as if in a trance, he took one step forward, then another. By the time Avery reached him, looking delicious and untouchable at the same time, Dylan realized the shop had gone quiet. A quick check told him that he and Avery were apparently more interesting than the concept tractor bike.
    Rolling his eyes, Dylan grasped Avery’s elbow and tugged him the short distance into his office, trailed by catcalls and laughter. He slammed the door shut.
    “You okay?” Dylan released Avery more roughly than he had intended, annoyed—at the guys, at Avery, and at himself. With his arms crossed over his chest, Dylan stood straight, a wall of tension waiting to fell whatever challenge came at him. He couldn’t get used to the off-balance feeling