Chapter 10 - Laila
Laila sat in the living room, staring at the door. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, and her emotions were all over the place. She regretted the way she stormed out of the Sterling house like a petulant child, but she had been furious with Tolliver. How dare he bulldoze back into her life after breaking up with her and think he had any say in what she did? She should have stayed and told him that rather than run off.
He’d be pissed that she left on her own, but right now, she didn’t care. She was already geared up for the lecture on safety she’d receive when he got back to the cabin. However, she wouldn’t sit back and take his arrogance any longer. Laila was already tired of hiding from enemies she didn’t even know she had. She was ready to put the entire fiasco to rest and get back to her life… and back to moving on from Tolliver.
She felt as if she was back to square one in the broken heart recovery process. Just when she thought she’d gotten over him—mostly—he came back into her life like a wrecking ball to wreak havoc on her peace. Frustration bubbled up and escaped as a heavy sigh.
The roar of a motorcycle approaching immediately had Laila on edge. She listened as the sound died, and then Tolliver’s footsteps crunched along the gravel. Her pulse quickened—not that she was afraid of their impending confrontation, but because Tolliver had a gift for getting her riled up. That meant he still had too much control over her emotions, which was irritating.
She stayed seated when he opened the door. As soon as Tolliver stepped inside, their eyes locked. His mouth was set in a grim line, and his expression was unreadable. The soft click as he shut the door was extra loud in the silence. He held her gaze for a moment as if he were weighing how to begin. Laila didn’t know how to start, either. The stretch of silence caused tension to thicken the air.
Tolliver finally broke it. “Are you all right?”
For a moment, Laila was too stunned to respond. She was certain he’d storm in and reprimand her for defying him. “I’m fine…” Her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits as she watched him close the distance between them to sit on the couch beside her. What was his angle?
He let out a hum of amusement. “You can stop looking at me like I’m the enemy, Laila. I didn’t come ready to fight. I think it’s time we really talked.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t you agree?”
Laila folded her arms and leaned back against the couch with a defiant tilt of her chin. She wouldn’t be disarmed too easily. Tolliver could be charming, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was still weak to him. She wouldn’t allow him to use sweet words to get his way.
“Sure.”
“I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you earlier,” he said. “I was angry that you left the cabin when I told you not to.”
“I’m not a prisoner here, Tolliver. I can leave whenever I want.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I’ve seen the error of my ways. I never intended for you to feel trapped here. I’d go crazy staring at these four walls every day, too.”
Laila’s suspicion mounted. “What are you playing at Tolliver? Why are you being so…”
“Less bossy?” he asked with a slight smile.
“Yeah…”
He chuckled at her bemused expression. “Well, I’ve realized that maybe if I hear you out and you hear me out, things will go much easier between us.” He shrugged. “So, here I am, ready to listen to you.”
She studied him intently, noting the sincerity in his eyes. A bit of her guard lowered. She’d been so amped up for another heated argument that it took her a while to relax. “Okay…” She unfolded her arms. “I’m sorry I left the cabin today, but I’ve been here for days and needed to get out. Plus, I wanted some things to make dinner.”
He nodded. “I should have thought of that. I’m sorry.”
“I thought the town would be safe enough. I mean, I wouldn’t likely be kidnapped in broad daylight in front of people I grew up around, right?”
Tolliver sighed. “I don’t know, Laila. But it’s better not to risk it. It would make me feel better if you didn’t. I don’t want to keep you here and make you feel like a prisoner. You know it isn’t about that. You’re just not safe wandering off alone. They took another woman…”
Laila’s heart jolted. “Oh, no…”
“They took her right from Cedar Ridge, Laila. Not far from your bakery and apartment. It would have been you had I not brought you back here.” He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He pressed and swiped before turning the screen to her. “We still have no idea who is taking these women.
Laila stared in horror at the picture of a woman. She’d seen the woman around Cedar Ridge plenty of time and knew she was a shifter. However, they never really spoke. Maybe the woman was like her—hiding out in a human environment to escape something.
“The list of missing women is growing,” Tolliver said. “So, I reacted angrily when I discovered you went out alone. Laila, all I ask is that you tell me when you want to go out. I’ll go with you. If I can’t, I’ll get someone else to accompany you.”
Laila’s eyes shifted from the woman’s picture to Tolliver. The longer she stared at the photo, the more her anxiety mounted. Another missing shifter drove home that she really was in danger. “Your control freak ways won’t allow you just to let someone else go with me.” She injected a bit of humor into her tone, and Tolliver chuckled after a beat of silence.
“You might be right about that. I think my condition is incurable.”
She snorted, amused that he called being a control freak a condition. She then softened. Tolliver might have broken her heart years ago, but he had stepped in to protect her. Sure, the overbearing way he’d gone about it drove her nuts, but she was appreciative.
“Look, I’m sorry for making your job harder, but I don’t want you making every decision for me, deciding what I should or shouldn’t do. I’m not some damsel. I’m a shifter, too, Tolliver. I’m stronger than you think.”
“I know you are.” His voice softened. “But this isn’t about strength. It’s about the fact that there are people out there who would do anything to get to you. And if something happened to you, I’d never…” A flash of pain crossed his face so quickly that she almost missed it.
Laila also heard the remorse in his voice. He’d never forgive himself. She assumed that’s what he was about to say. As she searched his face, she realized Tolliver might have been trying to protect her because he felt guilty for leaving her years ago. She gritted her teeth. She didn’t want his pity or remorse.
“I’m okay, Tolliver. I’ve been okay since you left, so you don’t have to overcompensate.”
Hurt flashed in his eyes, but as he always did, he hid it fast. However, Laila didn’t stand down. “I’m in danger. I get it, but I’m a shifter. I’ve survived on my own for years, and I’ll keep surviving with or without your help. I’m not the kind of woman who sits back and let other people protect me.”
Tolliver let out a long, resigned sigh. “I get it.”
“Thanks for agreeing to meet me halfway to get more freedom, but I need you to consider my plan as well.”
“Using yourself as bait,” he said flatly.
“I’m not helpless. If you guys use me to draw the mysterious shifters out, this could be over much sooner. I want to get back to my life, Tolliver. I have a business to run, which I haven’t even checked on in days. I haven’t even spoken to Cora. She’s like my family, and I need to check up on her. I need to see her.”
“Okay, we’ll arrange a trip to Cedar Ridge,” he said.
“What about the other thing?” She stared at him with raised eyebrows as she waited for his answer.
For a moment, she thought he was going to shut her down again, that they’d end up in an argument. But then something shifted in his expression. His shoulders dropped, and the tension in his body eased.
“You’re serious about this?” he asked. “You want to get involved?”
Laila nodded. “Yes. I don’t want just to sit here waiting for something to happen. It isn’t just because I want to get back to my normal life. I want to help the other women. The sooner we get the rogue shifters, the other targets will be safe, and hopefully, we can find the missing women.”
Tolliver rubbed his jaw as he regarded her with both admiration and worry. The last thing he wanted was for her to be on the frontline, but he saw her determination and knew she wouldn’t back down. “Fine. It isn’t up to me alone. Our team is working on this, so I’d have to discuss your idea with them.”
Satisfaction rolled through her. “Fair enough.”
He nodded and stood up. “I’ll be in the other room if you need me.”
As he walked off, Laila said, “Tolliver, wait.”
He stopped and slowly turned around. She got up and took slow steps toward him. “I realize that I’ve mostly bitched and moaned about everything, and I haven’t said thanks.”
He peered down at her, his eyes dark with need. He was a little worried about her proximity because he struggled to fight the temptation of touching her or kissing her again. “You don’t have to thank me,” he murmured.
“I do.” Her lips twisted into a rueful smile. “I’ve been difficult. You didn’t have to show up in Cedar Ridge personally to save me, but you did. Thank you, Tolliver.”
They stood close, and the air between them became charged. His gaze dropped briefly to her mouth, and the intensity in his eyes made her flush.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
Without thinking, she reached up to graze his jaw with her fingers. When she realized what she was doing, she should have pulled away—the logical part of her brain demanded that she did. But staring into Tolliver’s intense green pools had her spiraling into what might be insanity because she found herself tipping up on her toes with her lips parted.
Tolliver inhaled sharply, but he didn’t move a muscle. She figured he was waiting for her to make the move because she had run the last time he kissed her. Laila wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her level to press her lips to his. A growl rumbled in his chest—his wolf making its satisfaction known.
The kiss deepened, and his hand wrapped around her waist to pull her closer. He took over, his tongue plunging between her lips to thoroughly explore. Laila moaned as the heat of need surged through her veins. She nearly melted into a puddle—she would have if he hadn’t been holding on to her. His movement alternated between soft and voracious and domineering.
Tolliver had always been a great kisser. There was no denying it—as much as she wanted to—that she missed their intimate connection. In a moment of sheer lust, she wanted to take things further, but she finally swam her way back to the shore of logic and pulled away. Tolliver immediately let her go, although she could practically feel his reluctance. He reined in his raging need and stepped back.
Their breathing was ragged as they stared at each other. Laila’s chest heaved, and her body burned with a need for relief, but she fought for control and won. She wouldn’t go there with Tolliver as much as she wanted to. A moment of gratification wasn’t worth another heartbreak.
When she took a retreating step, he said, “Good night, Laila.”
“Night.”
He turned and walked away, his shoulders rigid. Laila stared at his back until he disappeared. She pressed her fingers to her lips and blew out a long breath. She could still taste him and wanted more, but she should play it safe. Right…?