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“Where have you been?” I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down my nose at the kid.
He ran a hand through his hair again, dropping his gaze. “I was… uh…”
“You were obviously turned.” I motioned toward him. “But only a few months ago at most. That doesn’t explain why you left her when she needed you.”
He winced and I smirked. Fucker. I hoped the weight of what he’d done was a heavy load to carry. You don’t turn your back on a woman like Jacqueline Fiorino.
“It was all so heavy, man.” He shook his head, then finally met my gaze again. “I fucked up. Got scared.”
And that was exactly why he didn’t deserve her. “Why’d you come back?”
“I miss her. I love that girl.”
“She’s no longer yours to love.” She’s mine.
I didn’t say that part out loud, but by the way his eyes widened, he understood.
“Is she yours?” he asked.
“She’s—”
“She’s right here,” Jacqueline said from behind me. “And she speaks for herself.”
I closed my eyes and hung my head. I’d been too focused on the ex-boyfriend to hear her come down the stairs and sneak in through the back door of the shop.
Fuck. What good were heightened senses if I ignored them?
“Where the hell have you been, Gannon?” The lights flicked on and when she strode past me, I had to tighten my fingers into fists to keep from reaching for her. He was a baby vamp, sure, but still stronger than she was, even with all of her training.
I met his gaze, a warning in my eyes, and hoped he wouldn’t force me to rip his head off in front of her.
“Jackie—”
“Don’t call me that.”
He flinched at the venom in her tone.
Shoving her finger against his chest, she said again slowly, “Where. Have. You. Been?”
“Baby—” He reached for her and she growled. She fucking growled, and it was the cutest thing I’d ever heard. He dropped his hands and I had to roll my lips together to keep from laughing.
This wasn’t the girl he ghosted a year ago.
I met that girl, broken and beaten by grief and abandonment.
And then I trained her into this.
Fierce and strong and so fucking sexy it made me ache sometimes.
I showed her she could count on me. Gave her the stability she needed when she needed it most. We were finally getting somewhere, finally moving forward, and I wasn’t about to let a little nostalgia get in my way.
He didn’t deserve her then and he wasn’t getting her now.
“Jacqueline,” I said, taking a step toward her.
“Don’t you say another word,” she said, looking back at me over her shoulder. “I know you took my keys.” She returned her focus to him and leaned forward, lowering her voice as she said, “Get out of here, Gannon. I don’t care where you’ve been or why you’re back.” She dropped her finger and crossed her arms over her chest. “I never want to see you again.”
“Jackie, come on,” he stepped toward her and I moved quickly between them, snarling when he bared his teeth at me.
