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“I give you my word that I’ll stay in the vehicle,” she vowed.
“Then what would be the difference in you waiting here? In both cases, you wouldn’t see or speak with Gabriel.”
“This isn’t about him. It isn’t about my wish to question him. It’s about you. I want to be close in case you need me. You probably won’t. But I want to be there as a precaution.”
Feeling an ache begin to build in his temples, he exhaled heavily. “Blair—”
“It goes against your every protective instinct to go along with this, I know.”
“Then why push me on it?”
She flicked up a brow, visibly bristling. “What about my protective instincts, Luke? Don’t they count?”
“Of course they do, but—”
“But, what, you don’t feel you need me to have your back so I should just suck it up and let this go?” she asked, her tone daring him to agree.
“I never said that.”
“I’m right, though, aren’t I?” She gently poked his chest. “You listen here, Luke Skywhisker—”
“I thought we agreed you’d stop calling me that.” Their “agreement” had lasted all of a month.
“You’re not the only person in this relationship who gets to invoke their protection rights,” she said, ignoring him. “That’s not how this works, so don’t even entertain the idea that things will play out differently between us. Though it doesn’t surprise me that you’d think you’d get away with that shit.”
He slid his hand around to her nape and smoothed his free hand up her arm. “Baby—”
“Oh no, don’t bother changing tactics and trying to sweetly coax me into giving you your way. That ain’t gonna work either.”
He felt his lips thin. Well, it had been worth a shot.
“Bottom line? I can’t sit here twiddling my thumbs while you’re heading off to essentially confront a person who could be dangerous to us—and yes, you will be in danger if he’s our boy, since he’s going to sense you’re partially bonded to someone; he’ll realize our scents have twined, so he’ll know it’s me you’ve claimed. More, he’ll know it means I’ve claimed you. Who knows how he’ll react?”
“He might not react at all. He might hide his rage and come at us later.”
“Or he might take the opportunity to get rid of you there and then.”
The bastard could certainly try, but he wouldn’t succeed. Still … “If it will put your mind at ease, I’ll take Deke to Gabriel’s condo with me.”
“You having an enforcer with you will put my mind at ease, thanks.”
Relieved she’d stay behind, Luke held back a smile, figuring she wouldn’t appreciate it.
“I’ll feel a whole lot better waiting in the car outside Gabriel’s building when I know you have someone at your side.”
Luke’s urge to smile died a fast death. “His condo could overlook the parking lot, in which case he could potentially spot you if he glanced out of his window.”
“So take a vehicle that has tinted windows. I know the pride owns a few. No, don’t even try to conjure up another pretty excuse as to why I shouldn’t go with you. I told you before, this is the best deal you’re getting. So can we be done with this now?”
Luke let out a resigned sigh. “Fine,” he muttered, knowing he wouldn’t convince her to change her mind. His cat rumbled a put-out sound, now annoyed with both her and Luke. “But we’ll also take Isaiah with us. He’ll remain in the vehicle with you.”
Her eyes flared. “You don’t trust that I’d stay put?”
Luke felt his brows snap together. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you’d keep your word unless there was an emergency that called for you to break it.” He trusted her utterly and completely. “I’ll simply feel better if you’re not alone and have an enforcer with you, much as you’ll feel better if I have Deke with me.”
She licked her front teeth. “All right.”
Luke grunted. “Good.” He dropped his forehead to hers. “You’re as stubborn as any alpha. You know that?”
In Blair’s opinion, that was a good thing. He’d otherwise walk all over her. They’d never have a balanced relationship if that were the case. She was happy to let him lead in certain situations—such as in the bedroom, since that totally worked out for her. But she’d never be a partner who failed to speak up or demand to be counted, especially if the matter at hand was important to her. “I do know that. Noelle complains about it often.”
“Yeah, well, fuck her.”
Blair snickered, melting against him as he curled his arms around her. “Now that we’ve established I’ll be coming along, I need to ask something of you. When you speak to Gabriel, don’t outright accuse him of harassing me. He’s had enough of people fingering him for crimes they have no proof he committed.”
“You aren’t at all open to the theory that he killed his parents? Or is it that you just don’t want to believe it?”
