Chapter 13 - Tolliver
Tolliver’s senses worked overtime even as he screwed on Laila’s doors. He listened in on the conversations from customers downstairs and passersby. Laila and Cora were the only ones working since the two other employees left. He was on high alert for the scent of any shifters in the area other than Laila. So far, their journey into Cedar Ridge had been pleasantly uneventful… except for that brief incident when he thought one of the rogue shifters had used magic to throw him off while they took Laila, and he needlessly destroyed her door.
That aside, the trip wasn’t bad. He absently filtered through the hum of conversations downstairs until something caught his attention. He heard Cora excitedly tell Laila, who promised she’s stay in the kitchen and out of sight, that her sociology professor was in the shop. Tolliver paused as he sifted through his memory. He’d heard something he hadn’t liked about a sociology professor days ago…
The memory of Cora telling Laila about wanting to set her up with her professor hit Tolliver hard, and his hackles immediately rose. Gritting his teeth, he wielded the screwdriver too hard, almost damaging the door hinge. Muttering a curse, he reigned in his shifter strength and went easier. However, as he continued to listen, his irritation mounted.
Laila huffed. “Cora, now isn’t a good time to play Cupid.”
“Why not? You and Tolliver aren’t really back together.”
Tolliver’s nostrils flared, and his molars almost shattered. What happened to Cora being on his side? Then again, she was pissed he’d lied to her that night.
“Come on, Laila. I’ve told him so much about you, and he’s been dying to meet you.”
“I told Tolliver I’d stay in the back.”
“Good girl,” Tolliver muttered, satisfied with Laila’s response.
“But…”
He froze at the sound of that but .
“Your professor is hardly a threat. I guess there’s no harm in saying hi.”
“For the love of the gods,” Tolliver huffed. “That woman is going to give me gray hairs.” However, he could sniff out the professor who had recently entered the shop. The man was all human. Even if he had bad intentions, Laila was capable of biting his head off, and Cora was no slouch, so he wasn’t too worried about their safety.
The conversation that he overheard, though, had him fuming. Laila was already in the shop because he heard her chirp, “Hi, you must be Walter. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
A deep chuckle assaulted Tolliver’s ears. “All good things, I hope.”
Tolliver rolled his eyes. The man sounded like a douche, but that was only because he was jealous as hell. Laila’s little giggle made him snarl.
“Of course,” she said, too sweetly for Tolliver’s comfort. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You too,” the man said. “You are even lovelier than I imagined. To think you’ve been right here for years, and we’ve never met.”
Tolliver inhaled and exhaled. He was overreacting to Laila simply talking to the man. However, as he pictured them shaking hands and the professor’s eyes moving over her delicious curves, his jealousy peaked.
“Yeah, that’s how it is sometimes,” Laila replied. “But here we are.”
“Here we are,” the professor drawled. “Seeing as how we’ve finally met, I think it’s time we had a conversation. I know this great restaurant on the other side of town…”
Tolliver didn’t stop to hear anything else. He dropped the screwdriver and was on his way down the stairs in a blur. He’d be damned if he stood by and listened to another man ask his woman out. He heard Cora’s gasp as he zipped past her and shoved the kitchen door open.
Laila’s eyes widened when Tolliver materialized beside her. The professor stopped talking, and his eyes darted from Laila to Tolliver. Tolliver’s hand slid around Laila’s waist, and she stiffened. The professor’s gaze dropped to Tolliver’s possessive hold on Laila, and his eyebrows crinkled.
“Oh… I thought… I had assumed…” he stuttered. He then gulped when he caught Tolliver’s intense gaze. Tolliver’s expression was so cold it sucked the warmth out of the room, and he radiated menace, which made the professor step back instinctively.
Laila shot Tolliver a sideways glance, a flicker of disbelief in her expression. “Uh, Walter, this is… Tolliver,” she said carefully, her tone colored by a mixture of shock and curiosity. “Tolliver, this is Walter.”
The professor forced a smile. “And Tolliver is…?”
“Her fiancé,” Tolliver replied.
Laila opened her mouth to say something, but Tolliver’s hold on her tightened, and she gave him a dirty look. Tolliver’s eyes darkened as he extended a hand. Walter hesitantly accepted. He winced as they shook hands because Tolliver’s hold on him was crushing.
Laila caught the exchange and subtly jabbed Tolliver in the side with her elbow. He dropped Walter’s hand but kept the man in his lethal stare.
“I didn’t know you were taken, Laila,” Walter said, adjusting his tie. “I misread the situation. It was nice to meet you… both.” He carefully glanced at Tolliver before he turned and hurried out of the shop.
This time, Laila used her super strength to deliver another elbow jab.
“Oomph.” Tolliver clutched his side, but he still wore a satisfied smirk.
“You asshole!” Laila glowered at him. “You scared him away.”
“I didn’t say a word to the man.”
“All it takes is a look from you to intimidate people, and you know it. He was perfectly nice and polite.”
“He was hitting on you.”
“Well, duh. I’m single, and so is he. But now he thinks I’m engaged because you’re a liar.”
“Hey, what’s with all the yelling?” Cora came through the door. “Where’s the professor?”
“Tolliver scared him off,” Laila answered.
“What?” Cora frowned. She held up a paper bag. “He left without his order. I’ll catch up to him.” She took off through the door. “Hey, professor, wait up!”
Giving Tolliver another seething look, Laila stomped off to the kitchen.
Tolliver followed. “You weren’t actually thinking about dating the guy, were you?”
She spun around. “What if I was?”
He scoffed. “He’s human.”
“Oh please, as if plenty of shifters don’t have human mates.”
“He isn’t your mate. I am.”
“No, you’re not. Not anymore.”
His jaw clenched. “Breaking up doesn’t mean you’re not my true mate anymore, Laila.”
She could only glare at him because he wasn’t wrong. Their strong connection was still present, and she had to fight it every day since they reunited. “You have no right to play the jealous card, Tolliver. You lost that right when you broke up with me and disappeared.”
Tolliver’s jaw was set in a stubborn line. Maybe interrupting Laila and the professor was a dick move, but he wouldn’t give up on winning her back without a fight. And he had no qualms about stepping on whoever stood in his way. “I’d say I have a right after last night.”
Her cheeks turned fuchsia. “That was a one-time thing.”
“Really?” he hummed as he took slow steps towards her.
Laila’s breath hitched, and she felt her pulse quicken despite herself. She took retreating steps until her back hit the counter. “Y-yes. It won’t happen again.”
“Is that so?” Tolliver drawled. Covering the space between them. He got so close that she felt the heat of his body and his breath on her face. He placed both palms on the counter on either side of her, caging her in, and the gods help her, but she didn’t really want to escape him.
Satisfaction rolled through Tolliver at the sound of her blood pumping harder through her veins and the distinct scent of her arousal. “If it was a one-time thing, then why do you still want me?” he asked. “If I kiss you right now, you won’t stop me. If I lift you onto this counter to have my way with you, you won’t stop me. I can smell how much you want me.” He inhaled deeply. “I can practically taste it.”
“Oh my gosh!” She shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge. “Stop smelling me. That’s not fair. I can’t even have a little privacy to be aroused in peace.”
Tolliver chuckled. Her face was flushed, but the mixture of acceptance and humor in her eyes told him she wasn’t truly upset or uncomfortable. He would have backed off at once if he thought she was.
“Sometimes I hate that our senses are so acute. I can’t even deny that I want you… physically.” She blew out her breath and shrugged. “But it doesn’t mean I’m not still terrified.”
The sadness that came over her sucked every ounce of amusement out of the moment. This time, he did step back and give her space. “Look, Laila, I’m sorry I barged in on your conversation like that. I wasn’t eavesdropping on you per se. I was just listening out for danger and heard that man about to ask you out. I just… lost my head, I guess.”
She nodded. “I get it, Tolliver. I know how possessive our wolves can get.” His jaw tightened in frustration. He wanted to correct her—to tell her it wasn’t just his animal instinct at fault. It was all him. He simply didn’t want to let her go because every part of him still loved her. However, he didn’t say any of that out loud. The bell on the entrance to the shop dinged, announcing that Cora had returned.
“I’ll leave you and Cora to it. You’re about ready to clean up and close, right?” he asked.
Laila nodded. “Yes. Thanks for accommodating me for the entire day.”
“No problem,” he murmured as he escaped through the back door. Actually, it was a major problem… of the emotional kind. Being around Laila like this was driving him crazy. He wanted to reclaim her as his but knew he had no right to. Not yet, anyway. He had to prove to her that she could trust him with her heart again.
He stepped into the alley, the crisp fall air filling his lungs. He then let out a slow, frustrated breath. It was barely six, but winter approached, so it was dark out. The streetlights had come on, and almost every shop in town was readying to close up. After Laila locked up, they’d be on their way back to Bellefleur… back to being confined to the cabin and him fighting temptation every minute of the day. He leaned back against the cold brick wall and scrubbed his face.
It was a relief when his phone rang because it distracted him from thoughts of how badly he’d messed up the best thing to ever happen to him. Years later, his job didn’t fill the gaping hole in his life that losing his mate had created. He glimpsed Ryder’s name on the screen.
“Yeah?”
“Well, hello to you too, sunshine,” Ryder greeted. “You sound broodier than usual.”
Tolliver rolled his eyes. “Did you call to annoy me, or is there something important you have to say?”
Ryder laughed off Tolliver’s rudeness. They’d been friends since they were in diapers and were used to each other’s descent into moodiness. Their job with the Black Ops got intense at times.
“Actually, yes. I’m calling about something very important.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“You know how Laila talked you into taking her to Cedar Ridge because apparently you’re a sucker for her?”
“Screw you, Ryder.” Tolliver’s indignation was half-assed because he was definitely a sucker for her. He was so weak that it bordered on pathetic.
Laughing, Ryder continued, “Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Right now, she might be safer there.”
Tolliver straightened, on high alert now. “What’s happening?”
“One of our guys caught someone lurking around the woods near the cabin. These guys might have gotten word on Laila’s location.”
Tolliver’s heart skipped several beats. “For fuck’s sake, Ryder. I’m starting to think these guys are hunting her. Wouldn’t they have given up after their first failed attempt to get her?”
A soft inhale caught his attention, and he turned to see Laila standing in the doorway, staring at him with wide eyes. In the dim light, he could see how pale she was. He muttered a curse, annoyed with himself for not hearing her approach.
“What is it?” Ryder asked.
“Laila is here. I’m going to put the phone on speaker.”
“Are you sure? What happened to keeping the gorier details away from her?”
Tolliver sighed. He promised Laila he’d stop treating her like a helpless victim. With his eyes fixed on her, he said, “She can handle it. She should know what’s going on.”
Laila gave him a small appreciative smile, which wobbled a bit. He figured she was internally freaking about what she overheard about being hunted. She stepped closer as he put the phone on speaker.
“So, what you said about these guys hunting Laila,” Ryder said. “I’m starting to think so, too. It’s like they’re hellbent on getting her despite their failed kidnap attempts and their many other targets.”
Tolliver watched the expressions flit across Laila’s face. As scared as she seemed, she held her chin up defiantly and kept listening. Admiration and pride for the woman she had become flooded him.
“You said someone was lurking around the cabin. Any more details on that?” Tolliver asked.
“Well, we have the guy, and we’re working on getting information. He’s hard to crack, so we haven’t gotten anything out of him yet. But we will,” Ryder drawled in a low, menacing tone. He was one of the most laid-back men Tolliver had ever met, but he could be vicious when he wanted to be.
“What do you mean hard to crack?” Laila asked, looking up at Tolliver. “Holy cow. Are you guys torturing him?”
“Yup,” Ryder said nonchalantly.
Laila gasped, and Tolliver wanted to reach through the phone and strangle his friend. “Torture is a bit of a strong word…” Tolliver muttered. However, Laila didn’t look convinced. She already resented the Black Ops because of her father. The last thing he wanted to do was paint the group in a worse light. He didn’t want her to think the worst of him. Because when it got down to it, he could be vicious too, especially to protect her.
“Right…” Ryder said. “Don’t worry, Laila, we’ll have some helpful information soon. I called Tolliver to let him know it’s best if you guys stay where you are tonight. We’re not sure if our prisoner came with friends. We’re still searching the area around the cabin as well as all of Bellefleur. You’re safer in Cedar Ridge tonight… maybe stay there tomorrow night, too.”
Laila sighed. “Yeah… okay.”
Tolliver was relieved Ryder was the one to tell her all of that. Maybe if he had been the one to suggest they stay in Cedar Ridge, she would have been skeptical because she didn’t trust him.
When Ryder hung up, a blanket of silence hovered over Tolliver and Laila. She shuffled from one foot to the other. “So…” she began. “I guess we’ll head upstairs. Cora left. I told her I’d close up.”
Tolliver nodded. “Sure, let’s head up. It’s best if you stay out of sight as much as possible.”
They couldn’t shake the awkward energy that engulfed them, and Tolliver hated it. He wanted them to be relaxed with each other as they once were. The uneasy air went up a notch when the door to Laila’s apartment closed behind them.
“How is this going to work?” she asked. “There’s only one bedroom and…” She glanced at the couch, her cheeks flushing crimson. “And you can’t fit on my couch.”
“I’ll make it work.”
“No, you should take the bed. You’re twice my size. It doesn’t even look like your shoulders can fit comfortably on the couch. They’re freakishly broad.”
He scoffed. “Freakishly?”
Laila sniggered. “I didn’t mean that in an offensive way.”
“Uh-huh.” A smile tugged at his lips as humor seeped in to quell the awkwardness.
Laila’s gaze raked over him. “You have very nice… shoulders.”
He didn’t miss the flicker of desire in her eyes. “Thanks,” he murmured. She might not have trusted him yet, but at least she still found him attractive. He could work with that for now.