it anyway. You run out there like this? So angry you can’t control it? You’ll push her away for good.”
Damn it. He was right. Grinding his teeth to hold back angry words, Zach spun around, paced to the far wall and punched it hard enough to crack the plaster. Brax wore his serious leader expression when Zach faced him again.
“Feel better?”
“What do you think?” he countered sarcastically.
“If you really want her back, you have to control the side of you that makes you Elect.”
“Those are natural instincts for us. It’s part of what we are,” Zach felt obliged to point out.
Brax made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “It’s a dilemma, I know. But whether you like it or not, she’s a modern woman. She’s learned to be independent, and she likes it. Try to take that away from her, let that rage and fear get the best of you and you really will lose her. You won’t be able to apologize enough, you won’t be able to make up for it.”
This was a side of Brax he’d never seen before and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “You been watching Dr. Phil again?”
He laughed. “Let’s just say I’m learning the hard way.”
“Esme.” The woman Brax had recently mated with was no pushover.
“Esme,” Brax agreed with a smile Zach didn’t even want to try to interpret. But he sure would like to have what he saw between the two when they were together.
He heard a car door slam outside and took a deep breath, vowing to stay calm, to stay contained.
“Ready?” Brax asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
He stepped into the foyer at the same time Mallory walked through the front door. She looked pale but otherwise fine. He didn’t hurry to her, though he saw the expectation in her eyes. After a moment she tilted her head to one side and frowned. He thought he saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes, but surely he was imagining that.
“Are you okay?” he asked, finally stepping forward. Slowly. Cautiously. He felt a spike of fear on the bond between them, but knew it wasn’t him that scared her.
“I’m fine. Really.”
She said the right words, but he was connected to her and he knew it was a lie. He held his arms open and she walked into them. “You’re safe now,” he whispered.
“Don’t get used to this,” she whispered back. “I won’t hide inside this compound forever. I won’t let you smother me with protection.”
He didn’t voice his first thought— why the hell not? “I know. But you can stay with me tonight, at least. Let me hover and be overprotective for a little while, baby.” He had no idea what she heard in his voice, what she felt from his mind, but he knew for sure she was only letting him have his way temporarily.
“Just tonight, Zach.”
He heard the uncertainty in her voice, and it broke something in him. Those bastards had shattered her confidence in herself. He could destroy them for that alone. If he knew who they were. Slowly, he let her go and looked down at her, brushing her hair from her face.
“Why don’t you go to the house and take a hot bath? I’ll bring you dinner.”
She gave him a suspicious look. “You’re not thinking of cutting me out of the loop here, are you, Zach?”
“No, baby.” He sighed. “I’ll tell you everything, but I need to take care of you first.”
She looked at the other men gathered in the foyer—Brax, Mason, Carter and her brother, Brad. They looked as determined as he felt. “Y’all never change.”
“Hey, I’m trying.”
She smiled. “Yes. You are trying.”
He heard the subtext. Trying her patience. Laughing, he nudged her towards the door. “Go. I know you think I can’t be redeemed.”
He waited until she left, her brother nodding and following her out. He knew Brad would see her home. “I want these assholes.”
“We all do,” Brax said grimly with a glance at Mason and Carter. “I think they have a plan.”
“Good. Fill me in while I
Damn it. He was right. Grinding his teeth to hold back angry words, Zach spun around, paced to the far wall and punched it hard enough to crack the plaster. Brax wore his serious leader expression when Zach faced him again.
“Feel better?”
“What do you think?” he countered sarcastically.
“If you really want her back, you have to control the side of you that makes you Elect.”
“Those are natural instincts for us. It’s part of what we are,” Zach felt obliged to point out.
Brax made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “It’s a dilemma, I know. But whether you like it or not, she’s a modern woman. She’s learned to be independent, and she likes it. Try to take that away from her, let that rage and fear get the best of you and you really will lose her. You won’t be able to apologize enough, you won’t be able to make up for it.”
This was a side of Brax he’d never seen before and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “You been watching Dr. Phil again?”
He laughed. “Let’s just say I’m learning the hard way.”
“Esme.” The woman Brax had recently mated with was no pushover.
“Esme,” Brax agreed with a smile Zach didn’t even want to try to interpret. But he sure would like to have what he saw between the two when they were together.
He heard a car door slam outside and took a deep breath, vowing to stay calm, to stay contained.
“Ready?” Brax asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
He stepped into the foyer at the same time Mallory walked through the front door. She looked pale but otherwise fine. He didn’t hurry to her, though he saw the expectation in her eyes. After a moment she tilted her head to one side and frowned. He thought he saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes, but surely he was imagining that.
“Are you okay?” he asked, finally stepping forward. Slowly. Cautiously. He felt a spike of fear on the bond between them, but knew it wasn’t him that scared her.
“I’m fine. Really.”
She said the right words, but he was connected to her and he knew it was a lie. He held his arms open and she walked into them. “You’re safe now,” he whispered.
“Don’t get used to this,” she whispered back. “I won’t hide inside this compound forever. I won’t let you smother me with protection.”
He didn’t voice his first thought— why the hell not? “I know. But you can stay with me tonight, at least. Let me hover and be overprotective for a little while, baby.” He had no idea what she heard in his voice, what she felt from his mind, but he knew for sure she was only letting him have his way temporarily.
“Just tonight, Zach.”
He heard the uncertainty in her voice, and it broke something in him. Those bastards had shattered her confidence in herself. He could destroy them for that alone. If he knew who they were. Slowly, he let her go and looked down at her, brushing her hair from her face.
“Why don’t you go to the house and take a hot bath? I’ll bring you dinner.”
She gave him a suspicious look. “You’re not thinking of cutting me out of the loop here, are you, Zach?”
“No, baby.” He sighed. “I’ll tell you everything, but I need to take care of you first.”
She looked at the other men gathered in the foyer—Brax, Mason, Carter and her brother, Brad. They looked as determined as he felt. “Y’all never change.”
“Hey, I’m trying.”
She smiled. “Yes. You are trying.”
He heard the subtext. Trying her patience. Laughing, he nudged her towards the door. “Go. I know you think I can’t be redeemed.”
He waited until she left, her brother nodding and following her out. He knew Brad would see her home. “I want these assholes.”
“We all do,” Brax said grimly with a glance at Mason and Carter. “I think they have a plan.”
“Good. Fill me in while I
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