Page 12 of Broken By Her Mate
“It was real,” he insisted.
“It doesn’t matter now,” she said. “Whatever we had… It feels like it was a lifetime ago. It’s time we moved past it. Honestly, I’m terrified after everything you just told me. If you can help me, then…” She heaved a sigh that resonated with wariness. “I guess I have no choice but to follow your lead.”
Tolliver held her gaze, and silence hung between them. His fists were clenched so tightly under the table that his hands began to ache. He wanted to tell her he’d never move on and didn’t want her to either. What was between themmattered. It still did. Hearing the defeat that underlined her words made him feel like the scum of the earth. He did this. He hurt her.
In the end, his need to do his job and protect her overpowered the part of him that wanted to get back what they once had. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by matters of the heart when Laila and other shifters were in danger. Jumping into professional mode, he said, “First, I need to get you somewhere safe. The more secluded, the better. Once you’re out of immediate danger, I can focus on finding the shifters responsible.”
“Incredible,” she murmured.
He lifted an eyebrow. “What is?”
“The way you transform into this cold, detached person.” Laila’s voice was barely above a whisper. She tilted her head as she regarded him with curiosity. “I’ve never seen this version of you. It’s like you flipped a switch. One moment, you’re talking about us and your feelings; the next, it’s all about the job. I’m just another objective.”
His jaw tightened because her words cut deep. However, he didn’t flinch. His face remained in the stoic mask he’d perfected over the years. He forced himself to hold her gaze. “You said nothing matters between us now. What do you want from me?”
Laila didn’t look away. The old shy, less assured Laila would have. This stronger woman in front of him had steel in her spine. She met him head-on in their silent battle of wills, which he admired. “My grandmother left me her house in Bellefleur,” she said calmly. “Is that secluded enough?”
He nodded. “It will do.”
“We’d best get going then.”
She stood up and aimed for the door without a second glance his way. Tolliver jumped up to follow her. Although he observed the surroundings, he was still aware of the way her hips swayed provocatively. The sight of her from behind was just as incredible as the front. Her confident, sexy stride attracted attention, but she didn’t notice. Quite a few men in the bar had paused to check her out, just as Tolliver was. When he noticed, he practically snarled at them.
His irrationally jealous beast rose, making him forget that he was supposed to be cold and focused on the job. He hurried to catch up with her and placed a hand possessively on her lower back. To his satisfaction, some of the men looked away.
When they stepped outside, Laila stopped to glower at him.
“What?” he asked.
“You keep touching me.”
Tolliver’s eyebrows dipped into a frown.
Laila jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. “Less touching and moreprotectingMr. Black Ops. You kidnapped me from my life, so you’d better make damn sure no one else kidnaps me fromyou.” She harrumphed and marched to the SUV, her hips and hair swinging to the beat of her anger.
Tolliver stayed rooted to the spot because he was too stunned to move. He watched her, slack-jawed, as she hopped into the car and slammed the door. No one ever dared to speak to speak to him like that. This sassy Laila, who seemed to hate him, was going to drive him crazy, and admittedly, he was a little turned right now. It was going to take great self-control—maybe way more than he had—to keep his hands off her.
Blowing out a long breath, he walked to the car and got it. He started the vehicle and hit the road. There would be no more stopping until they got to Bellefleur. When he glanced at Laila, she had her arms folded and stared straight ahead. Tolliver took that to mean she wasn’t in the talking mood, so he stayed quiet.
When they reached their destination, and he switched off the engine, the silence was almost deafening. They stared at the quaint cottage nestled deep in the woods. The place wasn’t unknown to Tolliver. He’d visited the house with Laila a few times when she came to check on it after her grandmother died.
Although it was only one story, it was sprawling. The house was inviting, with a rustic charm that blended into thenatural surroundings. It was a hidden sanctuary out there in the woods, far removed from the bustling town.
Laila sighed, and Tolliver glanced at her. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Being here just reminds me of my grandmother, that’s all.”
Her wistful note gave him pause. “Will you be okay staying here? If not, my place is—”
“I’ll be fine. I haven’t been here in a long time, and I need to check on the place anyway.”
“Why did you stay away for so long?” he asked. Bellefleur was close enough to Cedar Ridge for her to make the journey once in a while.
Laila turned to look at him, and the sadness in her eyes made him think she had stayed away from their hometown because of him. His jaw was set in a rigid line as he got out of the car and walked around to her side to open the door.
When she got out, she frowned. “Tolliver, I’m not prepared to spend the night here. I have no clothes…”
“It’s fine.” He opened the back door and retrieved a bag. “I guessed we’d have to spend the night somewhere, so I came prepared.”