A deep chuckle rolled out of his chest when he imagined what she’d do to a man who spilled merlot on her sofa. For some reason, the mental image of her putting that man in his place brought him great amusement.

His phone rang and he pulled it out of his back pocket. “Speaking.”

“Wheeler? It’s Lexi.”

Shit.

“Where are you?” she asked in a slow, accusatory manner that told him she knew exactly where he was, or at the very least, who he was with.

“In bed with my cock buried deep inside—”

“All right, that’s enough. I know you’re at Naya’s, and if you’re with her, then I know for a fact nothing is buried anywhere.”

He nudged the furry cat away with his foot. “What makes you say that?”

“Because Naya goes for fat wallets, not fatheads. Look, I overheard Austin talking to you this morning. What’s going on?”

“Can’t say.”

Lexi was known for pressing her ear against doors. Shifters respected pack rules, but she was raised by humans and often let her curious nature run away with her, even if it wasn’t in her best interest to do so.

She gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m just going to assume that you’re there to help, but if Naya’s in trouble, I want to know. She won’t tell me, and I can’t make her. Just… just take care of her and make sure nothing happens. She mentioned a girl at work went missing, and now I’m worried that has something to do with why you’re there.”

Wheeler twisted the rod on the blinds and peered down at Naya in the car. She was holding a silver compact in front of her face and touching up her burgundy lips. He wandered to the open doorway and leaned against the doorjamb. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I’m trusting you. If it’s serious, see if you can talk her into staying with us.”

“Austin won’t go for it.” Wheeler tapped the toe of his foot against the frame to block the cat from getting out. “He’s not going to open his door for an outsider who might bring trouble to the pack. That’s the way things work in our world.”

“Well, I’ll just have a talk with him if that’s the case,” she replied in a defiant voice. “Is Naya in the room with you?”

“No.”

“Don’t keep me in the dark if something happens. Okay? And whatever you do, don’t drink her coffee.”

He shut the door and ambled down two flights of stairs. “Why’s that?”

“Trust me,” she said with a haughty laugh. “If she offers, just tell her you don’t drink coffee or that you’re on a caffeine-restricted diet.”

“Gotta run.” Wheeler hung up and tucked the phone in his pocket.

Naya’s dress blew up when she got out of the car and something shifted inside him when he saw her bronze legs. Naya’s body had a feminine curve that would make any Breed male with a heartbeat stop and look.