Page 40 of Broken By Her Mate

“If only it were that simple,” Tolliver drawled as he took up the stress ball on the corner of his desk to crush the hell out of it.

“I know things are complicated, but you’ve got every excuse to be in her life right now, Tolliver. You have the time to win her over.”

Tolliver’s jaw tightened, his frustration bubbling up. “I’ve been trying, man. She doesn’t trust me.”

“Try harder. She’s your mate. She’s only been back in your life for a short time, and I can already see the difference. You’ve been less of a tight ass lately, and you actually smile and laugh like a normal person. Clearly, Laila is the cure for your brooding.”

He gave Ryder the dirtiest look he could muster. “Why the hell does it matter how hard I try?” he snapped. “How can I show her I’m a different person when I’m in the same goddamn job that took me away from her in the first place? There is going to be more trouble and more missions, Ryder. The last time, I was gone for two months. Say I convince Laila she can trust me with her heart again? What’s the point if I disappear on her again because of the job?”

“Hey, I make it work with my family. Others do, too.”

“My sister understands and accepts your role as a black op,” Tolliver challenged. “Laila hates the organization. She’s been living like a human for years and has established a life in their community. She won’t accept my job and the distance it might put between us sometimes.” His shoulders slumped. “As much as I want back what I had with her, maybe…” he tucked his chin into his chest. “Maybe I’m not good for her.”

Ryder could only stare at Tolliver. He didn’t know what to say. He’d never seen his friend in such an emotional state—never heard him express raw emotions that much. Finally, when he recovered from his shock, Ryder frowned. “You’re her mate, her fated partner. I don’t see how it’s possible for younotto be good for her.” That was all he had, and hopefully, it gave Tolliver an ounce of comfort.

Raking his fingers through his hair, Tolliver said, “I need to get my shit together and make sure Laila is safe. I can worry about my heart after.”

“Your heart is pretty important, man.”

“That may be, but I’d rather see it ripped out my chest than see anything happen to my mate. I still love her, Ryder. I’d rather live without her knowing she’s alive andsafethan focus on my feelings and mess up this job. I need to focus on finding Jonas Mercer to eliminate the bastard.”

“This isn’t a one-man job,” Ryder reminded him.

“If it were Elena in jeopardy, you’d probably have already found the man and killed him twice.”

After a moment’s consideration, Ryder grunted. “You’re damn right I would have. Do what you have to do. Just keep your head screwed on straight, and don’t take unnecessary risks.” His lips twisted into a wry smile. “You can’t win your woman back if you’re dead.”

Tolliver snorted his amusement. Sometimes, they both turned to dark humor to lessen the stress when a situation was dire. “True,” he said.

Ryder chuckled and was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.

“Hey, boss, Margot said you wanted to see Benny and me,” Francisco called from the other side of the door.

“Ah, double trouble is here,” Ryder said, standing up. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Tolliver smiled slightly. Benny and Francisco were indeed trouble, especially together. The duo was already a force to be reckoned with, and their future in the Black Ops looked bright. When Ryder opened the door, he slapped his palms with the two younger guys. Benny stepped into the office first.

“Sup, boss?”

“Sup?”Tolliver repeated with an arched eyebrow. “Use full English in my office, Benny.”

“What’s up, boss?” he said with a boyish grin that made Tolliver shake his head. The two took nothing seriously.

“For the hundredth time, stop calling me boss.”

Francisco stepped in. “It’s all good. We call the three head honchos’ boss.”

Tolliver blinked. “And the head honchos would be…?

“You, Alpha Zach, and Ryder,” he replied.

“I see…” Deciding to drop the subject because he was fighting a losing battle, Tolliver waved them over to his desk. “I have a job for you two, and it’s going to require a witch.”

“We love witches,” Benny smirked. “I met a really hot one the other day and…”

“Benny, I don’t need to hear about your dating escapades,” Tolliver warned.

“Right.” Giving Tolliver a sheepish look, he asked, “What’s the job?”