“He or thisMperson could have killed Milo, and he definitely attacked Willow. What makes you think he won’t attack you?” I ask.
“He won’t in a public place. Being alone here would give him an opportunity,” she says, rolling her eyes as ifweare the stupid ones tempting a murderer.
“Okay, as long as you’ll be safe, Layla. I mean it. Call me if you suspect anything. If you think that you’re in any kind of danger, call us. In fact, call me every hour—” Willow says, scooping the notes into her arms.
“I’ll be working. I can’t do that.”
“Then text. I’m serious, Layla. I need to know if you’re okay.” Willow stares at the girl, and I swear for a moment, Layla is her cub. She’s deadly serious, and I hope Laya doesn’t fight her too much on this—I don’t think Layla will win.
“Okay, I’ll text.”
“Good,” Willow says, turning on her heel and walking out of the kitchen to put the notes back, I assume.
“Eddie,” Layla whispers, waving her hand in front of my face. “Can I tell you something?”
“Yeah, anything.” I’m still distracted by Willow’s departure, but if she has something important to add that maybe Willow didn’t, I need to know. If it’ll help protect Willow, I’ll take anything anyone would give me.
“No matter where her crazy-ass family is or whatever the hell my broken-ass family thinks, I am always on Willow’s side, and if you hurt her I, Luxe, and Flora, we will beat your ass. So, act accordingly.”
All I can do is smile. Fuck around and hurther? I’m more worried about her hurting me. I can’t tell this woman no, let alone hurt her. Nothing I could possibly do could hurt her more than finding out she can’t be my mate hurt me.
But at the end of the day, Layla is Willow’s family. Whether or not she mated to Layla’s brother, knowing she has people who have her back is more important than being offended by a twenty-year-old cub’s threat.
“Promise?” she asks.
“Oh, I absolutely promise.”
9
EDDIE
“Eddie, go to work,”Willow says through her video camera doorbell. Hearing her voice over the speaker makes the rock settled on my chest dig deeper into the spot where my heart is supposed to be. How can I miss someone who was never mine? Doesn’t she know she’s killing me?
I walked outside to get her mail and get some air and maybe even some space, and when I turned around, the damn door was locked.
Now I’m here knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell, knowing she’s standing on the other side.
“Willow, let me in. I’m not staying for long.” A partial truth. We are both going to work. We won’t be staying here for much longer this morning.
“I don’t need you to take me to work. I am perfectly capable of driving myself. I’ll see you after,” she says with a giggle.
She must know I can’t leave her. Even if akillerwasn’t after her, I couldn’t leave her.
“Willow, I’ll kick down this door.” The door was fucking solid, but that’s nothing a quick shift to my bear form won’t handle.
“I got new locks, remember?” Hopefully, she doesn’t remember that door stopper we got yesterday, too, ’cause that would be a bitch to kick down too.
“A lock and an alarm system aren’t going to stop an intruder.”
“Then why did you make me get them?” I could practically envision her furrowed brows and her frown. I really want to see them in person right about now.
“So, you would know when someone was trying to get in. Now let me in, Buttercup.”
“My last name is not your weapon, Eddie Enchanted,” she growls. Goddess, I love it when she says my name. Every time she does, it’s the same as a lock clicking into place. Something secure and warm settles in my chest, and I want her to say it more. But she also needs to stop.Ineed to stop—banish this multiplying emotion before it becomes too much for me to bear.
“Willow, I gotta get going. Let me in, sweet pea,” I say. I’m dressed in dress pants, and a button-up, ready for work, and she’s supposed to be getting ready right now, not spending this time locking me out.
The first official day of Willow and I’s partnership, and we’ve kicked off the day with her locking me out. I’m supposed to drop Buttercup off at work. It’s Friday, and while we convinced her to take yesterday off, today was nonnegotiable. Still, I tried, even though I can’t afford to miss another day of work either. As much as I want to spend all my minutes and seconds with Willow, I’m working on something big at work, and I need to see it through.
