“Fair enough,” Ford said with a chuckle.
“And to answer your question,” Darcy said, “no, we’re not lifting anything heavy.I’m just going to pack a bag for a few days.”Ford caught the way she was toying with the string of the hoodie, twisting it between her fingers.She was putting on a brave face, but she was wound tight.
Ford’s chest panged.He wanted to tell her not to worry about Cruz.Or even Colton.That he’d keep her safe no matter what, because she was his mate and he was hers.And that’s what mates did for each other.
He pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of her unit.
She stared out the windshield as she unbuckled her seatbelt, then put her hand on his on the steering wheel.
“I’m going to go in by myself.I want to see if Cruz is there.”
His stallion snorted unhappily.
“I can be totally cool.I promise I won’t glare at him or anything.”
Her lips twitched.“You’re very cool.”
Khyle barked out a laugh and Ford glared at him in the rearview mirror.His teeth clicked together, and he turned his smirking face away to look out the window.
“If he’s there,” Darcy insisted, “I don’t want it to be a whole thing with him.”
“Two minutes,” Ford said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles.
She arched a brow.“Five.”
“One.”
“That’s less!”
“Okay, three.Text me in three minutes and let me know when I can come up.”
She looked at her phone to check the time.“All right.Three minutes.You’re pretty bossy, you know.”
“Because I want to be there for you, and it bugs my stallion to not be able to keep you safe.”
“It’s my apartment.It’s totally safe.And Cruz is just being an ass because he doesn’t like things changing.He’ll come around.I bet he’ll even like having a brother.”
She beamed at him, hope shining in her eyes.
Ford was momentarily silenced by how gorgeous she was.
And she was also pretty damn dangerous, because all she had to do was look adorable and he’d let her do whatever.
“Three minutes, sweetheart.”
“You’re the best.”Giving him a kiss, she hopped from the truck and walked quickly up the stairs, disappearing into the apartment.Ford leaned forward, gripping the steering wheel as he stared at the building, his gaze checking the time on the dash intermittently.
He really wanted to be right there with her.Cruz had been a hothead at the house, and Ford didn’t want her to have to go through that again, especially when he wasn’t there to stand between them.
At the three-minute mark, she didn’t text.So he did.
It didn’t show that she read it.
And she didn’t reply.
“Give her a minute to reply,” Khyle said.“If Cruz is in there and she’s talking to him, and you go barging in, that makes you the asshole in this situation.”
“I don’t mind being the asshole when it means I can keep her safe.”
