“It’snot,” he boomed, slamming his glass down on the counter. “But it’d be nice to know you gave a shit one way or another how I felt about things.”
“I do,” I said, slipping off the marble and crossing over to him.
“Really?”
“Of course I care?—”
“Then don’t do this.”
I shook my head, my own frustrated feelings beginning to surface. I understood where he was coming from, but I needed him to see where I was too. This was my chance to reclaim my power. To exact revenge.
“You can’t ask me that.”
“The hell I can’t.” He narrowed his eyes on me, his gaze roving over my face as though he were memorizing every inch of it. “Do you know how scared I was when you were taken in Brazil? How fucking useless I felt? I was there to protect you, Theo. That was literally my only job, and I failed.Failedat keeping the person I love the most safe. And now you’re asking me to just sit on the sidelines and watch you serve yourself up to this guy on a fucking platter? No. I can’t. Iwon’tdo it.”
There was a whole lot to unpack there. A lot of emotions filling the space between us, but all my mind kept coming back to was…
“You love me?”
“What?”
The confused look on Shep’s handsome face had me smiling as I closed the final inches between us and put my hands on his chest.
“You just said I was the person you love the most.”
Shep’s jaw twitched.
“You love me,” I said again, and this time I slid my hands up behind his neck so I could press my lips to his jaw. “You love me and you want to protect me, and that is hot as fuck.”
“Stop it, Theo.”
“Non,” I whispered, kissing my way up to his ear. “Because I love you too. So damn much. It was the one thing that kept megoing when they took me. Your voice, your logic—you. I needed to get back to you. Wasdeterminedto get back to you.”
Shep turned until we were nose to nose. “Then why put yourself in danger again?”
“I’m not going tobein danger.” I reached for his cheek and stroked the stubble there. “You’ll be there. Our brothers will be there. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
“It can’t,” he said, turning fully then and reaching for my face, pressing his forehead to mine. “I can’t lose you, not again. I won’t.”
“No, you won’t. But this is also for you. He’s coming for you next, and if you think for one minute I’m letting him get anywhere near you, you’re out of your mind.”
Shep’s lips lifted as he ran a hand down my neck. “You’re right.”
“Well, yes, I often am, but, um…would you like to be more specific?”
“Your loving me and wanting to protect me—it’s hot as fuck.”
“Right?” I nipped at his lower lip and grinned. “I need to do this, Shep. I need to feel proactive in this fight. He’s always been one step ahead, and this time we have a chance to draw him out. We have a chance to be the ones in control. Don’t ask me to wait on the sidelines.”
“Pretty sure I already did.”
“True.”
“And you said no.”
“True again.”
Shep took in a deep breath then let it out. “So since you’re being stubborn about it, I only have one request.”
