Page 23 of Broken By Her Mate
His scowl slowly faded. “Since when did you get so smart?”
Elena snorted. “I always have been.” She reached for her handbag. “I’m going to get going. Hayley did me a favor by babysitting all day. I imagine it’s been a task and a half to keep up with both kids.”
“Okay,” Tolliver murmured absently. His mind was already occupied with practicing an apology speech for when he saw Laila later.
Chapter 10 - Laila
Laila sat in the living room, staring at the door. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, and her emotions were all over the place. She regretted the way she stormed out of the Sterling house like a petulant child, but she had been furious with Tolliver. How dare he bulldoze back into her life after breaking up with her and think he had any say in what she did? She should have stayed and told him that rather than run off.
He’d be pissed that she left on her own, but right now, she didn’t care. She was already geared up for the lecture on safety she’d receive when he got back to the cabin. However, she wouldn’t sit back and take his arrogance any longer. Laila was already tired of hiding from enemies she didn’t even know she had. She was ready to put the entire fiasco to rest and get back to her life… and back to moving on from Tolliver.
She felt as if she was back to square one in the broken heart recovery process. Just when she thought she’d gotten over him—mostly—he came back into her life like a wrecking ball to wreak havoc on her peace. Frustration bubbled up and escaped as a heavy sigh.
The roar of a motorcycle approaching immediately had Laila on edge. She listened as the sound died, and then Tolliver’s footsteps crunched along the gravel. Her pulse quickened—not that she was afraid of their impending confrontation, but because Tolliver had a gift for getting her riled up. That meant he still had too much control over her emotions, which was irritating.
She stayed seated when he opened the door. As soon as Tolliver stepped inside, their eyes locked. His mouth was set in a grim line, and his expression was unreadable. The soft click ashe shut the door was extra loud in the silence. He held her gaze for a moment as if he were weighing how to begin. Laila didn’t know how to start, either. The stretch of silence caused tension to thicken the air.
Tolliver finally broke it. “Are you all right?”
For a moment, Laila was too stunned to respond. She was certain he’d storm in and reprimand her for defying him. “I’m fine…” Her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits as she watched him close the distance between them to sit on the couch beside her. What was his angle?
He let out a hum of amusement. “You can stop looking at me like I’m the enemy, Laila. I didn’t come ready to fight. I think it’s time we really talked.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t you agree?”
Laila folded her arms and leaned back against the couch with a defiant tilt of her chin. She wouldn’t be disarmed too easily. Tolliver could be charming, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was still weak to him. She wouldn’t allow him to use sweet words to get his way.
“Sure.”
“I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you earlier,” he said. “I was angry that you left the cabin when I told you not to.”
“I’m not a prisoner here, Tolliver. I can leave whenever I want.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I’ve seen the error of my ways. I never intended for you to feel trapped here. I’d go crazy staring at these four walls every day, too.”
Laila’s suspicion mounted. “What are you playing at Tolliver? Why are you being so…”
“Less bossy?” he asked with a slight smile.
“Yeah…”
He chuckled at her bemused expression. “Well, I’ve realized that maybe if I hear you out and you hear me out, things will go much easier between us.” He shrugged. “So, here I am, ready to listen to you.”
She studied him intently, noting the sincerity in his eyes. A bit of her guard lowered. She’d been so amped up for another heated argument that it took her a while to relax. “Okay…” She unfolded her arms. “I’m sorry I left the cabin today, but I’ve been here for days and needed to get out. Plus, I wanted some things to make dinner.”
He nodded. “I should have thought of that. I’m sorry.”
“I thought the town would be safe enough. I mean, I wouldn’t likely be kidnapped in broad daylight in front of people I grew up around, right?”
Tolliver sighed. “I don’t know, Laila. But it’s better not to risk it. It would make me feel better if you didn’t. I don’t want to keep you here and make you feel like a prisoner. You know it isn’t about that. You’re just not safe wandering off alone. They took another woman…”
Laila’s heart jolted. “Oh, no…”
“They took her right from Cedar Ridge, Laila. Not far from your bakery and apartment. It would have been you had I not brought you back here.” He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He pressed and swiped before turning the screen to her. “We still have no idea who is taking these women.
Laila stared in horror at the picture of a woman. She’d seen the woman around Cedar Ridge plenty of time and knew she was a shifter. However, they never really spoke. Maybe thewoman was like her—hiding out in a human environment to escape something.
“The list of missing women is growing,” Tolliver said. “So, I reacted angrily when I discovered you went out alone. Laila, all I ask is that you tell me when you want to go out. I’ll go with you. If I can’t, I’ll get someone else to accompany you.”
Laila’s eyes shifted from the woman’s picture to Tolliver. The longer she stared at the photo, the more her anxiety mounted. Another missing shifter drove home that she really was in danger. “Your control freak ways won’t allow you just to let someone else go with me.” She injected a bit of humor into her tone, and Tolliver chuckled after a beat of silence.