“Good. Let’s go meet with Tucker and Ianto.”
I’d had reservations about bringing the giant in on this until we got to know him better, but we’d taken him to the encampment and revealed a lot of things to him. We might regret keeping him shut out when we could use him.
Besides, my gut told me to trust him, and so did Tucker. I started to open a portal, but her next words stopped me.
“Why didn’t you let me sit beside Ianto last night?”
CHAPTERSEVENTY-ONE
Ryker
My hand froze in midair,and I looked over to where she stood, half hidden in shadows. “We barely know the man; there was no reason for you to be so close to him.”
“We still barely know him, but you and Tucker have taken him in, and you’re going to plot a robbery with him.”
My jaw clenched. “Your point?”
“My point is you’ve made it repeatedly clear our relationship is strictly business. So that means youronlyrole in my life is training me. You have no say over me, and I can sit next to who I want, so don’t do it again.”
My teeth throbbed from grinding them together as my nostrils flared. She was right, but I didn’t care about that.
“Do you want to fuck him?” I demanded.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You find him handsome.”
“I find many men handsome, but that doesn’t mean I want to have sex with them all.”
“Then what does it matter if I let you sit beside him?”
She marched across the clearing and stopped a couple of feet away. “It matters because it ismylife to control. Are you going to take my freedom from me?”
“Of course not.”
“Then don’t interfere inmychoices again.”
As I stepped toward her, I resisted the impulse to shake her and then kiss her until she couldn’t talk anymore. If that happened, we wouldn’t leave this clearing again tonight.
We had far too much to do, and I couldn’t go through that cycle of happiness and loathing again. “I’m going to keep you safe.”
“That’s not your job.”
“It is when I need you to help with this rebellion. Afterward, you can do whatever you want.”
Her chin lifted. “I can take care of myself. I’ve done so for years without your help.”
“Things are different now.”
“Why?”
“Because I said they are.”
“Oh, and that’s a valid reason?”
“It is.”
“You’re impossible.”
