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He nodded as Hanley pressed the lift button for them.
He went to step into the lift but found his arm stretched because she didn’t move. He glanced at her, then could have kicked himself. She’d frozen at the lift doors when they staggered open with a rattling thunk. Her apprehension expression tugged at his heart, and he began to pull her closer.
Picking up her scent, Hanley growled and said, “Stay here.”
She growled, “No, he is my mate.”
“…and he is capable of handling it. There’s no need for you to feel distressed. Just stay here.”
“No, I stay with him.”
Her eyes turned to him when he stayed silent, as if she were looking for support. A heavy sigh filled his lungs as he inhaled deeply. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him as he finally recognised her distress. After spending time with Mallen and Drey in the lift yesterday, how had he not thought of that?
“Keep hold of me,” he whispered to her as he tucked her head into his shoulder.
Hanley closed the door by pressing the button, though there was a look of pain on his face.
He rubbed his hands over her back. He promised himself never to bring her back here. It was possible, though, that he would give into her wishes if she looked at him with that wide-eyed innocent look. He brought her there today because of that look.
He must be mad about her. He couldn’t help but be drawn in by that look; it had clearly left a powerful impression on him.
At one point, when he thought it wouldn’t work out, he had been in a dark place, wondering if there was any way to change her mind because he was totally in love with her. Thankfully, she gave them a chance.
It was the chugging of the lift that made Harper grab him tight. “It’s just the lift slowing down,” he assured her. She jumped into his arms as it hit the ground.
“I won’t drag you down here again,” he grumbled.
Her tiny hands grabbed his shirt. “It’s my decision, and I’m standing by my mate. If that means I’ll be uncomfortable for a while. Well…I’m cool with that.”
In desperation, she jumped out of the doors as soon as they opened. He frowned as she stood, trying to hide her shaking hands. Her face was ashen; she was trembling and licking her lips.
He wasn’t okay with that! “I want to promise you’ll never feel like that again,” Nick said, wanting to bundle her up and keep her safe.
While Harper was attempting to compose herself, the human guard who was part of the government contract shifted uncomfortably.
“It’s okay,” Harper promised. “It’s worth it,” she said, grabbing his hand while taking deep breaths. “If I’m here for you, I can handle it, and it’s worth it.”
He shook his head in amazement. After helping her straighten, he kissed her side of the head and wondered whether he should sneak in next time. If she found out, she’d probably chop his balls off and wouldn’t talk to him for a week or two.
He had experience dealing with grumpy females.
Karen had never been an easy person to deal with. Well, that’s not entirely true.
When she ran from Jerry, she returned broken, and all of a sudden, he was looking for the argumentative and strong female he’d always known. It seemed that the trauma of her experience had taken away her usual fire, leaving only a shell of her former self. It made it difficult for Nick to connect with her in the same way he had before. Easy and quiet had suddenly become the one thing he didn’t want.
“Are you ready?” he asked, and Harper took a deep breath and nodded.
“Yes, let’s do it.” Her voice was steady.
He would have waited if she hadn’t been ready. She didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to.
The guard typed the security code in and opened the first door, then the second.
Nick struggled to prepare himself for seeing Greg awake and behind bars, but when he saw Greg’s cold look, it made him freeze. The way he sneered at Harper was even more offensive. His anxiety heightened as he witnessed Greg’s contemptuous gaze and felt even more unsettled by the dismissive sneer directed at them.
She wisely moved to the side of his view and to where Greg could no longer see her.
“I think you can guess why I’m here,” Nick said to Greg.
