mate.
The fight left Billy as he slowly shortened the space between he and Kate. He cupped her face. “Come to me. But clearly I’ve already failed you if you don’t feel like you can trust me, especially with something as important as this.”
Fuck. I hated that he was as passionate about loving and protecting Kate. I wanted to hate him for it, but on some jarring level, I was grateful she had one more person to keep her safe.
“ I just wanted to protect you from my hell.” Kate relaxed, giving up her wall of bitterness. “I know how hard you’ve worked for all you have. I would be broken to know I’d cost you all of it.”
My lungs constricted. This was a heavy burden to have carried for so long. I wanted to cocoon her, to forever be her buffer between the harsh world outside.
Whether she chose me or not, I would always choose her. I would give up my last breath to keep her safe, because I couldn’t live in a world where I was and she wasn’t. I didn’t have the deeper bond with her like Ellie, but instinct drove me. The notion of knowing it would come, that I was already close to loving her, propelled my determination, increased my endurance.
Suddenly, Billy spun towards me. “Is this a backwards ass town capable of keeping a deadly secret?”
“ You’re not serious, Billy.” Kate was stricken. Her eyes were wide as she stared open mouthed at his back.
“ Dead serious, baby girl. I want this…prick eradicated. I want him in hell forever, not you.”
My wolf damn near purred. Again, I wanted to hate him, but I just couldn’t.
“ We don’t make a habit of killing people.” I studied Billy’s dark eyes, brown like Kate’s, possessing the same shadows that often shaded hers. “But, when someone threatens one of our own over and over, things sometimes happen. Some people don’t realize they’re not strong enough to be a predator in the food chain.” I wouldn’t feel any remorse for a wimp who cyber bullied people for a living. He couldn’t hide behind a machine forever, and given the chance, I’d see that he never could again. Not on purpose, but I wouldn’t stop my wolf if he got a hold of him. I knew that made me dark and dangerous, the epitome of a beast, but I didn’t know any man who wouldn’t do what it took to keep his family safe.
“ We could just torture him and save ourselves from breaking the law, Jer. You know, leave him armless so he couldn’t build or type again.” Ellie smiled, enjoying the idea a little too much.
“ Won’t be breakin’ any laws since the feller’ll be trespassin’ on my property, boss.” Andy puffed his chest, his hands stuffed in his greasy blue coverall pockets.
“ I- Don’t you think all of this is a little…extreme?” Kate shuffled uneasily, wringing her hands. She had a heart of gold. Even after all he’d done to her, she was trying to spare him.
“ Think about it, sweetie. If we let him go, we run big risks. He could do this to some other woman who doesn’t have the support you do. Hell, she could even have kids,” I reasoned.
She shuddered.
“ I’m not trying to scare you, sweetie, but you’ve lived with his threats.”
The weight of the truth shone in her eyes as she regarded me. “Promise no one will get hurt except Donovan?” She meant Billy. She was tasking us with protecting him.
“ If you tell him the truth about us,” Ellie jumped in.
I cut my eyes at her, issuing a low growl. That wasn’t how I wanted Kate. I wanted her to come willingly; I wanted to be her first choice, not her last resort.
Kate shook her head. I was surprised when she didn’t hesitate. “We don’t keep secrets from each other, right, Billy?”
He glanced back at her. With a curt nod, he agreed. “No secrets.”
I hoped she wasn’t doing this because she thought we wouldn’t protect him otherwise.
Dammit, Ellie . She better not have
The fight left Billy as he slowly shortened the space between he and Kate. He cupped her face. “Come to me. But clearly I’ve already failed you if you don’t feel like you can trust me, especially with something as important as this.”
Fuck. I hated that he was as passionate about loving and protecting Kate. I wanted to hate him for it, but on some jarring level, I was grateful she had one more person to keep her safe.
“ I just wanted to protect you from my hell.” Kate relaxed, giving up her wall of bitterness. “I know how hard you’ve worked for all you have. I would be broken to know I’d cost you all of it.”
My lungs constricted. This was a heavy burden to have carried for so long. I wanted to cocoon her, to forever be her buffer between the harsh world outside.
Whether she chose me or not, I would always choose her. I would give up my last breath to keep her safe, because I couldn’t live in a world where I was and she wasn’t. I didn’t have the deeper bond with her like Ellie, but instinct drove me. The notion of knowing it would come, that I was already close to loving her, propelled my determination, increased my endurance.
Suddenly, Billy spun towards me. “Is this a backwards ass town capable of keeping a deadly secret?”
“ You’re not serious, Billy.” Kate was stricken. Her eyes were wide as she stared open mouthed at his back.
“ Dead serious, baby girl. I want this…prick eradicated. I want him in hell forever, not you.”
My wolf damn near purred. Again, I wanted to hate him, but I just couldn’t.
“ We don’t make a habit of killing people.” I studied Billy’s dark eyes, brown like Kate’s, possessing the same shadows that often shaded hers. “But, when someone threatens one of our own over and over, things sometimes happen. Some people don’t realize they’re not strong enough to be a predator in the food chain.” I wouldn’t feel any remorse for a wimp who cyber bullied people for a living. He couldn’t hide behind a machine forever, and given the chance, I’d see that he never could again. Not on purpose, but I wouldn’t stop my wolf if he got a hold of him. I knew that made me dark and dangerous, the epitome of a beast, but I didn’t know any man who wouldn’t do what it took to keep his family safe.
“ We could just torture him and save ourselves from breaking the law, Jer. You know, leave him armless so he couldn’t build or type again.” Ellie smiled, enjoying the idea a little too much.
“ Won’t be breakin’ any laws since the feller’ll be trespassin’ on my property, boss.” Andy puffed his chest, his hands stuffed in his greasy blue coverall pockets.
“ I- Don’t you think all of this is a little…extreme?” Kate shuffled uneasily, wringing her hands. She had a heart of gold. Even after all he’d done to her, she was trying to spare him.
“ Think about it, sweetie. If we let him go, we run big risks. He could do this to some other woman who doesn’t have the support you do. Hell, she could even have kids,” I reasoned.
She shuddered.
“ I’m not trying to scare you, sweetie, but you’ve lived with his threats.”
The weight of the truth shone in her eyes as she regarded me. “Promise no one will get hurt except Donovan?” She meant Billy. She was tasking us with protecting him.
“ If you tell him the truth about us,” Ellie jumped in.
I cut my eyes at her, issuing a low growl. That wasn’t how I wanted Kate. I wanted her to come willingly; I wanted to be her first choice, not her last resort.
Kate shook her head. I was surprised when she didn’t hesitate. “We don’t keep secrets from each other, right, Billy?”
He glanced back at her. With a curt nod, he agreed. “No secrets.”
I hoped she wasn’t doing this because she thought we wouldn’t protect him otherwise.
Dammit, Ellie . She better not have
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