Page 47 of Shamelessly Loyal
The question was definitely directed at me. I’d mentioned leaving in front of the others, when Pretty Boy couldn’t fuck me into submission.
But there was nothing I could do about this. With Pretty Boy gone, I needed to go as soon as possible. My phone buzzed with a message from Ezra.
Here. Let’s go.
“My ride is here. You’re walking us out, right?” I focused on Vaughn. Like every other Vandal orbiting Emersyn, his attention riveted on her.
“I’m just walking her to the car.” She assured him. “No bolting for me.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up, and he shut the laptop. “Yes, I’ll be walking you both out there. Does Milo know you’re leaving?”
I didn’t answer him. Em let them make decisions and protect her. She balanced their primal responses with her own need to be cared for. That was fine. I was thrilled for her, didn’t mean they got to exert any of that control over me.
The warehouse had people working, and a truck being offloaded. I ignored all of it and strode across to the door on the far side.
“You didn’t tell him,” Emersyn said as she fell into step with me.
I shook my head. “He wanted to take me back. That would not have gone over well.”
The door we were en route to opened to let in Freddie. The mouthy guy amused me.
“Boo-Boo,” he said, a grin twisting his lips when he spotted her. “Ball-Cracker.”
Then he dropped his gaze to the bag.
“Oh, that explains the dickhead.”
Dickhead…
The door behind Freddie jerked open and he didn’t jump, almost like he’d been expecting it. Ezra filled the doorframe. He had never been patient.
“Ezra,” I said as I closed on him. He dragged his gaze over me like he expected me to be injured or something, but I ignored it as he hooked the bag right from my fingers.
“You’re both coming, right?”
“No,” Vaughn warned from right behind Em. The red-haired tattoo artist was a big guy. Even Ezra seemed to take that into account. “Not even suresheshould be going with you.”
Instead, he focused on me. “Come on, the car’s outside, and we’re going before any more of those assholes show up.” He spared one last look at Em. “Are you sure you don’t want to go?”
“She’s sure,” Freddie said abruptly in a violently unfriendly tone. “Just like I told you outside.”
The tension crackled in the air, and I paused, but Ezra kept himself between them and me.
“I’m fine. I promise.” Emersyn assured him. “I’m not leaving.”
“Oh my god,” I said with a snap, barely resisting the urge to smack him. The point of him picking me up was so we could get in the car and speed away. Not start another violent confrontation. “Leave her alone, Ezra. I told you when I called that you were just pickingmeup. If you’re going to be an asshole about it, I’ll get a rideshare or something.”
“The hell you will,” he snarled as he jerked his head back to look at me. “You’re going back with me and staying with me. No more crazy schemes or going off on your own.”
I just glared at him, but Em marched right up and poked him in the chest.
“Be nice to her, or I’ll be the one kicking your ass. You don’t have to be a dickallthe time. We know you were worried.”
“Do you?” he countered, not backing off in the slightest. “Do you even know who these people are around you or the war that’s going on?”
“War?” I rolled my eyes. She had enough on her plate, and I did not want him terrifying her. “Stop being so dramatic. You’re here because you already had one freakout, and I need a ride. Don’t make me regret calling you…”
“Come with us,” Ezra said, dropping his voice. “You two are happier in the same place anyway—it makes it easier to keep you both safe.”