Page 36 of Doyle

“That’s a start,” I said, feeling a surge of hope. “Anything else?”

Michael hesitated, then shook his head.

“Not much. I was mostly kept in my cage or used for her spells and other purposes. But there were times I saw her with a map. She had these red circles marked on different locations. I couldn’t see where, but it seemed important,” he said.

I made a mental note to relay this information to Zane. If Liliana Payne was one thing, it was persistent.

There was a possibility she was still planning on kidnapping more shifters to turn them into familiars, and there was also a chance she could be rebuilding her coven.

“Thank you, Michael. This could really help,” I said.

Michael nodded, his eyes meeting mine.

“I want her gone, Doyle,” he whispered. “Sometimes I can’t sleep at night, knowing she’s out there.”

“We’ll get her,” I promised, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

Michael’s hand was warm in mine, and for a moment, the weight of our mission felt lighter.

“So, now that we’ve got the serious stuff out of the way, let’s talk about something else for a change,” I said, hoping to bring back some of the lightness from earlier.

Michael smiled, a genuine, warm smile that reached his eyes.

“Sounds perfect,” he replied.

CHAPTER TEN

MICHAEL

Returning from lunch with Doyle,I was in high spirits. But as soon as we walked into the shop, my good mood evaporated.

My father stood there, eyes blazing with anger.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice low but threatening. "What were you thinking, coming here when Michael was doing so well?"

Doyle took a step forward, his expression calm.

"Michael is struggling. Can't you see it? I just came to see how he was doing,” Doyle said.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment. There were customers milling around, glancing curiously at the unfolding drama.

"I can protect Michael on my own. You're not needed," my father eventually shouted, his voice echoing in the shop.

"Dad, stop," I tried to intervene, but Doyle had an unreadable look on his face.

He turned to me, his eyes softer than his words.

"I'll leave. I don't want to cause any further trouble," he said, gaze on me.

"Call me when you get there?" I asked tentatively.

I didn’t want him gone. In fact, today had been one of my better days where I didn’t feel like a complete freak.

Doyle nodded and walked away, his departure leaving a heavy silence in the shop.

I felt frustration and anger bubble up inside me, directed squarely at my father.

My dad had completely ignored our conversation during the party, where I had explained how important Doyle was to me.

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