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Everyone else at the table stood up abruptly, too, chairs screeching and crashing to the floor, as if they were getting ready to intervene. The tension in the room was so thick now, it was stifling, making it hard to breathe.
“I accepted the job before I met Lexie. Max found out Lexie was taking some extreme risks to help the women she was rescuing. There were also threats towards Lexie from abusive exes looking for their ex-girlfriends and wives. Some of them were alphas,” Dave said evenly and slowly, not making any sudden movements.
I tried to hear what he was saying, but rage was pounding me raw. Thinking about anyone following Lexie without her knowledge made me want to punch someone, but the thought of assholes threatening her had me twitching to spill blood.
Leif took a slow step closer from where he was standing part-way around the table. “Lexie refused to stop her work, and we didn’t want to hold her back. She also wouldn’t let us help in case we scared the women. We couldn’t intervene stealthily without her noticing. We tried. She caught our scent every time. She kicked our asses for it.”
Damon moved himself slowly but purposefully into my line of vision behind Dave. While Dio put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing hard as he pushed in close behind me.
“We asked Dave to move here and help with security, because we needed it. We also asked him to watch Lex, redirect any assholes coming for her, and be invisible back-up if she ever needed it when she did something reckless,” Damon said.
“Don’t judge them too harshly,” Dave sighed. “They felt it was the only option they had to keep her safe. Tracking and surveillance are two of my specialties and given my own history,” Dave visibly swallowed and took a breath before he continued, shaking his head slightly. “I was more than happy to help keep her safe, knowing how important she was to the guys.”
“Your own history?” Dio asked quietly from beside me.
“That’s not up for discussion right now,” Dave said firmly as he shut Dio down, completely unapologetically, without breaking eye contact with me.
“What about after you fell in love with her? How many lines did you cross while watching her? Or have you been messing around with other women while you have feelings for Lexie? Because it’s clear that she has feelings for you,” I asked Dave, fearing the worst as I pushed my chest against him and got into his space. His eyes flared in response and his hackles rose. If he was an alpha, he’d be growling at me right now.
“I’ve kept my distance until recently. I tried to stay away and let her find someone her own age who could be there for her in ways I can’t. For fuck’s sake, I’m almost two decades older than her. I could be her goddamned father,” he said in a low, menacing voice.
“And I didn’t want to betray the guys’ trust in me. They’re important to me too,” he added, as his eyes flared even hotter and he stepped into me, not giving an inch.
“But since the day I met Lex, she’s the only woman I’ve thought about. The only woman I’ve wanted. I’m going to say this to you once and it’s the only time I’m going to say it. She’s everything to me, and I would die rather than do anything to endanger her or take advantage of her. If you insist on talking shit about me and Lex, we’re going to have a problem. Do we have a problem, Sam?”
“Holy shit. You’re a vault, man. I did not see that coming,” I heard Hunter gasp. From the ensuing silence, Leif, Damon and Max were not as blindsided. “Did you guys know? If you did, you all suck.”
“Max and I suspected,” Leif said calmly. “We didn’t realize Damon did, too. But we trusted Dave to handle his shit.”
I could feel the authenticity of every word Dave said. He was practically vibrating with his truth. But my frustration that I couldn’t be as honest or as open with myself had my rage spiraling. Dio squeezed my shoulder in warning.
“Dio, I think we need ice. Damon, can you grab some?” Dave said with forced calmness.
“It works on him, too?” Damon asked Dave quickly, before Dio could reply. At Dave’s subtle nod, Damon made to step away, but I growled low in my throat.
“The first person who dumps a bucket of ice over my head is going to die,” I growled. I flicked my gaze to Damon for the briefest moment before returning it to Dave.
“I’m not so far gone that I can’t pull back. I just need to know. Are you going to tell her about it before you make a move?” I growled at Dave, almost daring him to lie to me. It didn’t matter if they had their reasons for keeping her in the dark initially. As soon as Dave developed feelings for her, he should have ended it.
“Yes,” Dave replied without hesitation. “I’m not saying I will make a move, but I will tell her about everything and let her decide my fate.”
“Oh, she’s going to be pissed!” I heard Hunter say in the background. He sounded almost amused about it. I suspected the guys felt a lot of pride in Lexie’s strength.
“My money’s on Lex,” Max said. I could hear palms slapping like there was a round of high-fiving going on.
“For the record,” Leif said, “I have no problem with you and Lexie, Dave. I already consider you a friend. It would be an honor to call you brother.”
The other guys all voiced their agreement, but I was the only one who saw the relief flood Dave’s eyes; from where I still had us locked in an intense stare-down. It was followed by a flash of deep vulnerability that had my alpha momentarily wanting to wrap him up and protect him from whatever had put it there. It didn’t abate my anger towards him, though, not if he was hurting Lexie.
Dave nodded once in acknowledgement of Leif’s words, but didn’t take his eyes off me yet.
I forced myself to take a step back, using every inch of willpower I had to make my limbs move. Dio shifted with me, but stayed close. I shook out my clenched hands before I put my hand over his on my shoulder and squeezed it tightly.
“Dio’s right. She needs you,” I bit out, flinging my words at Dave. “You’re an asshole if you don’t step up now, and that’s only about you. Don’t think for a minute your age has a single fucking thing to do with it,” I said.
My breath came out on a long exhale, as I forced the worst of my rage to simmer down to a low boil. I relaxed a moment too soon, though, because it was Dave’s turn to step into me. “I know why I’m holding back. What’s your excuse?”
With that one question, my poisonous rage turned back on me. I had no answer I was willing to give right now. I leaned into Dio and dropped my gaze, something I wouldn’t do to anyone else except Dio and Pala.
