Because the second I meet his gaze, my body hums with awareness. I remember his mouth on me. His hands. His voice, dark and rough against my skin. His pure obsession.
And the fact that, despite everything they just told me?—
Despite the lock. Despite the warnings.
I’m still extremely attracted to him.
CHAPTER 37
Graham
“If you thinkthat’s gonna stop her, I think you’re probably as blind as she is when it comes to her stalker,” Carson says, nodding toward Willow’s closed apartment door.
“Better than what you did,” I grumble.
Carson grins, slow and unrepentant. “Still don’t regret it. Best night of my life.”
I should wipe that cocky smirk off his face. I want to. But the truth is, if Willow had invited me into her bed, I wouldn’t have said no either. And I sure as hell wouldn’t regret it.
“I’m calling her dad,” I say, flipping my phone over in my palm. “He needs to know.”
That does wipe the smirk from Carson’s face, and I bite back my own.
“About Finn,” I clarify, and Hunter snorts, slapping Carson on the back.
“Looks like you’ll live to see tomorrow.”
Carson rubs the back of his neck. “You think he’d really kill me?”
“Oh, he wouldn’t do it himself,” Hunter laughs.
I don’t wait for Carson to sweat it out—I dial Mitchell Delong’s number, and he picks up on the second ring.
“What’s wrong? Is she safe?”
I swallow, steadying myself. “She’s safe. But…we’ve had to take some drastic steps.”
A beat. “What kind of drastic steps?”
He’s either going to gut me or pay me more for this. I take another breath before laying it all out.
“We took her phone. Locked her in her apartment and locked her windows.” A pause, then, “She snuck out the fire escape this morning. Finn got to her.”
Silence.
A tense, heavy silence.
My stomach clenches. We went too far. “Sir?”
A breath. One that sounds as if it’s fighting an internal war. “Those are needed steps,” he finally says, voice tight. “Willow is strong-willed. My fault, really. She’s never had any real restrictions. If this keeps her safe—” Another sharp inhale. “Then so be it. Just make sure she makes her practices, or I’ll be the one who needs protection. That team means everything to her.”
“Will do,” I say, relief loosening the tight coil in my gut.
“But Graham,” he adds, his tone shifting just slightly. “She can have her phone back. I assume you took it so she couldn’t call me. I’ll back up your decision, but…give it back.”
“Understood,” I say.
“And Graham?”
