Page 64 of The Enforcers: NOAH

Chapter 25

After Mina went into the bathroom to see if Brock and Jasmin had destroyed it with their bath, Noah fought the urge to grab the whiskey bottle and down half of it.

Flynn and Tank took one look at his face and disappeared, taking Tristan with them. Noah paced the living room like a caged animal.

Mina had been in love with Justin Adams—and he’d been in love with her.

It was instant. He said we were fated to be together.

Had Mina been Justin’s true mate? Was that why she wasn’t sure about Noah? His wolf was tearing at the inside of his chest, and he wanted to shift and run in the worst way.

But he couldn’t. Even if Mina didn’t love him, she and Brock still needed him. And he had to drive to the Nashville pack’s compound and call Silverlake, so he could begin the boot-licking process that would hopefully buy Mina and Brock a safe place to live. With him.

Maybe even if they weren’t true mates, she could still learn to love him.

But she was it for him. He knew that with every fiber of his fucked-up being.

Mina came out of the hallway into the living room, carrying Brock and chomping on his neck to make him giggle, the way she’d done the first day he saw her.

She was even more beautiful to him now that he knew what had broken her—love and loyalty and betrayal. She’d survived, and raised a son who was as brave and caring as she was.

She caught him looking and smiled, and she put Brock down. He still had no clothes, so he was wearing a borrowed t-shirt that reached nearly down to his ankles. It had a giant fist on it, middle finger raised, and it said, “Fuck you very much.”

Noah grinned. “I’m guessing we’ve dropped the whole ‘don’t swear in front of the kid’ thing?”

Mina sighed. “With this crew? It’s a losing battle.”

Brock said, “Mommy, can I go outside and look for Mr. Tristan?”

Mina looked at Noah, and he nodded.

“Okay,” Mina said. “But stay near the house. Don’t go in the trees. And if Mr. Tristan doesn’t want to be bothered, then leave him alone, okay? Sometime when people are sad, they need alone time.”

Brock rolled his eyes, like he couldn’t imagine anyone needing alone time, and ran out the door.

Mina said, “You don’t think Robbie and Briscoe are out there, do you?”

Noah shook his head. “They don’t know where this place is, and Flynn and Tank are out in the yard. Brock will be fine.”

She nodded. She looked exhausted, and no wonder. They’d been up most of the night, and she’d just relived the worst time of her life. His chest ached with the need to take away her pain, and he couldn’t.

She looked over at him. “You’re growling,” she said. “And your eyes are going golden.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, realizing she was right. “I’m messed up, and I can’t seem to stop. I don’t mean to scare you.”

“I’m not scared,” she said. “But I know it means you’re upset. What can I do?”

Love me, the pathetic, needy part of him wanted to beg. Feel about me the way you felt about Justin. Be willing to die before you’d leave my side.

He wanted that, and he didn’t want it. He’d never let her sacrifice herself for him. He’d want her to go on and live her life and be happy.

She came closer to him. “I’m sorry. I know it was hard for you to hear about me and Justin. Is that what you’re upset about?”

He bit his lip. “My wolf doesn’t like the idea of you with someone else.”

There. He’d said it. He should be telling her that he wanted what would make her happy, but he just wanted her.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.