Page 41 of Deadly North

She joins me in the shower. I don’t tell her what happened today, and she doesn’t ask. We stop talking completely, except with our bodies. It’s as good as it always is between us, but the fatigue I see in her eyes mirrors the exhaustion in my body. As the water runs over us, I empty myself inside her. It’s the only time I can shut out everything else.

The next day,I’m in the middle of a strategy meeting with some of the other men in the chapel when I get a text from one of the prospects who’s keeping an eye on her for me.

Gigi is packing her things to leave

My heart sinksinto my fucking stomach. The room around me blurs.What the fuck?

“I gotta go check on something,” I say, standing up so fast the chair behind me flies back a couple feet. I stomp out of the room, barely hearing Fury as he calls after me. I’m at the door to the apartment in less than a minute, opening it up to find Gigi in the midst of hurried packing. The sight is a gut punch.

“What the hell is going on?” I demand, ignoring the fucking note of desperation in my voice.

“I have to go.” Gigi doesn’t even bother to look at me as she continues throwing things into a bag.

“No. You fucking don’t.”

She swings around to face me, eyes full of defiance. “Don’t argue with me, Mack. I’m going, and you can’t stop me.”

“The hell I can’t,” I say, grabbing her wrist.

“Oh yeah?” she tosses back at me. This close, I notice her face is streaked with tears. “What are you going to do, trap me here? Tie me up to a chair and force me to stay here against my will?”

“Jesus Christ, what have I done now? Gigi, what the fuck? Do you think I’m keeping you here out of some sick, selfish reason? We’re trying to keep you fucking safe!”

“And what, I get no say in whether Iwantto be here?”

“You’re in danger out there!” I shout. “You fucking know that!”

“Well, maybe I don’t care! I want out of here! You can’t keep me here if I don’t want to be! I’m in charge of me, Mack! Not you, not Connor, not Magnus. Not anyone but me!”

My mouth opens and closes like a fucking fish. I swear to God, Iwantto tie her to a fucking chair. I want to yell at her that she’s in fucking danger, and shake her until she realizes it’s true. But sheknowsthat. What the hell is she arguing with me for on this? I’d do anything to get it through her damn fool head.

I can’t make her stay if she doesn’t want to.

But fuck if I can accept her leaving.

“Gigi,” I croak. “I don’t want you to go.”

She freezes, all the fight going out of her. I watch, stunned, as she sinks down on the bed and starts to sob even harder.

“Jesus, Gigi.” I kneel down beside her, taking her hands in mine. “What the hell’s going on with you?”

“It’s Blaze,” she says through her tears. “He called me. Somehow he got my number. He says he knows where I am. He… he said all sorts of filthy,disgustingthings he’s going to do to me. And how he’ll gut me when he’s done with me. And that he’s going to kill my brother and everyone I care about. And that he’ll blow up the clubhouse, with everyone in it.” A fresh sob rips through her. “Don’t you see? If I don’t leave he’ll find me. He’ll…” She shudders. “He’ll destroy all of you. Maybe I can run far enough away that he’ll finally leave me alone, and then he’ll have to leave you alone, too.”

My gut twists something fierce at the thought of her leaving. It kills me she thinks she’s not safe here with us. Withme. It’s fucking unbearable.

I need her here. I need to be able to see her. Feel her. Make sure she’s safe. I… hell, I just needher.

“Gigi,” I say hoarsely. “You can’t leave.”

“Why not?” she demands, swiping at her eyes.

“Because I think I’m falling in love with you.”

“What did you say?” she whispers.

Well, at least I’ve managed to stop her tears from falling, even temporarily.

“You heard me. I’ll say it again. I’m in love with you, Gigi.”

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