“Yes.” And, unlike Cella, her daughter would be smart. The kid wouldn’t be wandering off, looking for trouble. “Are you all right, Ma?”

“Me? I’m fine.”

“Grams told Deirdre you were with Detective Crushek. She sort of sang it to her.”

Cella grinned. God, her mother could be trifling. “Yeah. That’s where I am. Just for a little while, though. Until this gets straightened out. Okay?”

“Sure. And good for you.”

Cella got on the sofa, her feet on the cushions, her ass on the back of the couch. “Good for me? Why?”

“Because you never get any time away. You’re either playing hockey, being a cat killer—”

“Stop calling me that.”

“—or arguing with the aunts. Now you don’t have to worry about running home to be here for me in the morning or feeling guilty when you can’t. You can enjoy spending time with Detective Crushek.”

“Are you saying that because you like him?”

“I’m saying that because I think he’s good for you. You need someone ... centered.”

“I’m centered.”

“Ma.”

“I can be when I try.” Cella plucked at a loose string on her jeans. “But you do know, right? You know that you are and always will be my priority. You know that, don’t you, baby?”

“I know that and have never doubted it. Ever. Nothing Deirdre says or does will ever change that. But I also know the rules that you live by, Ma. That we all live by.” There was a long pause. “And I don’t mind them. I don’t mind those rules. I don’t mind my life. I don’t mind babysitting the cubs or helping out the aunts when I need to. I’ve never minded.”

“Yeah. I see that now.”

“But I’m sorry I lied to you. I just didn’t know how to tell ...”

“Yeah. I know. I’m sorry, too. It seems I’m a Malone female, after all. I didn’t even ask you what you wanted. Just assumed I knew best.”

“You only want me happy. That’s why I had trouble telling you I wasn’t going to Boston U. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Don’t worry about that now. We’ll work it out when I get back. But maybe you and Josie can still get a room on campus? Stay with the family on the weekends to do laundry and get some of Kathleen’s stew. At least for freshman year. I just want you to understand that not everyone’s an outsider.” She glanced over at Crush staring out the window, lost in his own thoughts. “There can be a place in your life for a lot of different people.”

“Actually ... I was thinking that, too. Daddy already said he’d pay for me to live on campus with Josie.”

“Look at you. Always ten steps aheadwith the planning.”

Meg laughed. “And who do you think I learned that from? Now, I gotta go and maybe you can have lunch with Detective Crushek.” Cella rolled her eyes and chuckled. Her daughter was just so obvious. “Talk to you later, Ma?”

“I’ll call you later tonight,” Cella promised her. “This will be over soon, baby.”

“I know, Ma. I know you’ll take care of it.”

Meg disconnected the call and Cella tossed her phone to the couch, looking over at the hulking male across the room. She hadn’t seen him this tense since she’d first met him. And she knew exactly what was bothering him, too.

“It’s not your fault, Crushek.”

If she hadn’t said his name, Crush would have thought Cella was still talking to her daughter. Hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans, he turned. But instead of her still being across the room, abusing the expensive furniture with her boots, she was standing right behind him.

“Huh?” was all he could manage.

“You heard me.”

“You’re separated from your daughter—”

“According to her I needed to get away.”

“—your family—”

“They’re the reason I need to get away.”

“—your job—”

“I’m a contractor, I have flexible hours.”

“It’s my fault.”

“It’s that bitch’s fault. You can’t help it she’s a narcissistic mess.”

“Yeah, but—”

The She-tiger growled and walked away. “I don’t want to talk about that sow anymore!” she announced, arms thrown wide.

“Okay, okay. We don’t have to talk about ... about ...” Her sweatshirt flipped past his head, followed by her right sneaker, then her left. That one bounced off his forehead. “Uhhh ... Malone?”

“Uh-huh?”

“What are you doing?”

“Getting naked so you can fuck me.” She faced him, arms going behind her back to unhook her bra. “My knee’s feeling better.”

“Well, the swelling’s down.”

“Yeah.” She slipped off the bra, held it out with two fingers. “So we can do one of my favorite positions.”

“Malone, we have to discuss—”

“Where are we going to fuck? How about this huge couch we’ve got?” She took a quick look around. “This must be a bear suite.”

“Malone—”

“Or”—she tapped her chin, slowly turning—“you can take me facedown on that dining room table. It’s really smooth looking, so my tits won’t get chafed.”