“Draven, please. I can’t lose you.”
“And ye will nae. Iffn ye do as I tell ye.”
Realizing he won’t be swayed, I switch tactics.
“You can’t know that. If you won’t let me go with you, then at least let me stay here and help you remotely. It won’t be any different than if I hide away in my basement, watching from the monitors.”
“But it will be. We dinnae have that sort o’ security here. There ye’re protected because ye control who gets in and out. But here ye arenae.”
“I won’t leave. You can’t make me.”
“Dinnae push me, lad.”
“Screw that. You can throw me out on the street, and I still won’t leave. I’ll rent a hotel room close by and help you, anyway.”
“I can make ye leave and I’ll nae have to toss ye about like a caber either.”
“There’s nothing you can say or do that will make me walk away from you.”
He stares at me with his jaw clenched and that pissed off look faintly hidden by that stoic face he wears whenever he’s angry and trying to hide it.
“I dinnae want to force ye to leave me, Tavish. I want ye to leave willingly and come back to me when it’s safe, but I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure ye dinnae leave this world too soon.”
I get out of bed and head toward the shower, tossing over my shoulder as I stop in the bathroom door. “Do your worst. It won’t make a difference. I know the real you. The one youlocked in a cage and hid from the world when Simon died. I’ve seen him and he’s a good man.”
He lays there spread across the bed we’ve shared since being here, and the stony look on his face cracks and the pissed off Viking I met face to face when he shoved me against the stone wall of the Society by my throat makes an appearance. I ignore him.
Let him be mad.
I turn on the shower, stepping inside to clean myself up. As much as I don’t want it to, my brain kicks into overdrive on what he might say or do to make me leave. I’ve got nada.
What about that look that first day?
I shake those thoughts from my head. They don’t matter. He matters. I matter. What we’ve been building matters, and no silly secret or bad deed, is going to change anything for me.
When I get out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my waist and head back into the bedroom, hoping his foul mood and crazy ideas have taken a hike. But I know I’m shit outta luck as soon as I walk into the room.
Draven is dressed. Two bags sit on the bed packed. He’s standing next to them with his arms crossed over his chest and his chin up. The affection that’s lived in his eyes since he pulled me from the van is tamped down, and the muscles in his face twitch as he watches me.
Determined to give as good as I get, I whip the towel I’m wearing off, tossing the wet fabric on the rug at the foot of the bed. He hates it. So much so, he paddled my ass one day when I did it after being told not to. His eyes drop to the floor, glaring at the offense before turning that glare on me.
“Pick it up,” he grunts angrily.
“Why? I won’t be here long, remember? It doesn’t matter if I play by the rules or not because you’re going to throw me aside like I’m nothing, whether I do or not.”
He rushes me, grabbing me. With a slight shake, he says, “I trying to protect ye. Do ye not understand that? I cannae let anything happen to ye!”
“And I cannae let anything happen to ye either,” I say, mocking him.
Before we can say anything else, the doorbell rings. Draven tucks me against him as he moves toward the window, peering out over the courtyard out front.
“Who is it?” I ask.
He glances down at me and I watch his mask slip as his eyes rake down my naked body. Giving me a slight push toward the closet, he says, “Get dressed. Dark clothes and the boots I bought ye. None o’ those slick bottomed trainers ye prefer.”
I hurry to do as told, scooping up the towel I’d tossed on the rug that I’m sure is older than me and priceless. No need to keep pissing him off if trouble has landed on our doorstep before he can toss me out on my ear.
In the closet, I grab underwear and dark jeans, and pull them on before yanking a dark henley over my head. The boots, which I love, and socks come next. I clomp out to the bedroom to tie them and I go slack jawed.
