Page 78 of Protect Thy Enemy

I don’t say a word. I don’t have to. Arden meets my gaze for the briefest moment, her resolve unyielding. Finally, with deliberate precision, she lowers her weapon, though her posture remains rigid, ready to spring into action if needed.

“Wise decision, Mrs. Smith,” Shaw says, his tone condescending as he gestures to his lackey. The man steps forward, tossing a card onto the bag of cash. “Drop the senator here. They’ll patch him up.”

Shaw turns on his heel, his lackey falling into step behind him. They leave without another word, their footsteps fading as they disappear through the warehouse doors.

Seconds later, the roar of engines echoes outside, and I watch as two black SUVs pull away, their taillights vanishing into the night.

Arden exhales slowly, her hand still on her gun. “What now?”

I glance at the bag of cash and the card. My jaw tightens as I process Shaw’s little game, wondering how deep it goes. “Now,” I say, my voice grim, “we clean uphismess.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Arden

Grant’s words are still ringing in my ears as I slam the door to my room shut.She held her own, but she’s still a liability. Draws too much attention.

Liability. A fuckingliability. Hisfaceis a liability.

I didn’t even mean to listen. I wanted to know what time to get up to meet the senator, but instead, I overheard him talking about me.

I throw my bag onto the chair, irritation bubbling under my skin. Every step forward I take, every time I think I do something right, Holden Grant shoves me two steps back. It doesn’t matter how hard I work; he always finds something to nitpick, some way to remind me I’m not good enough.

I need air. Space. A drink. Anything to stop me from thinking about his stupid face and the way his icy-blue eyes always criticize me everywhere I go.

Here, I thought we were finding middle ground. That we could exist without being at each other’s throat every other minute. And dare I say it, act like the team he preaches about. But no, today confirmed what I’ve known for a while.

Holden Grant doesn’t want a team. He’s a lone wolf. Alpha in his own right, but the sole and only member. Always has been, always will be. I don’t know how Tate’s put up with him for so long.

I dress quickly, pulling on tight black jeans, a leather jacket, and a black tank with a deep V-neck that hints at just enough without showing too much.

If I’m going to cool off, I’ll do it my way.

Stepping out into the main area, I spot Park on the couch, his eyes fixed on the TV like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He doesn’t even acknowledge me, so I don’t bother acknowledging him either.

He’s been acting strange too, and I cannot find it in me to care about what crawled up his ass.

This house is infected, and I need to get the hell out of here before I lose my mind.

Tate, however, looks up from where he’s reviewing something on his tablet. His brow furrows as he takes me in. “You going somewhere?”

“I need some air,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “Just grabbing a drink from the bar we passed coming into town. It’s only about a mile or two up the road.”

Tate leans back in his chair, watching me carefully. “You know the rules.”

“I know,” I respond, holding his gaze. I needed to convince one of them to approve, and I sure as hell wasn’t asking the big oaf. “It’s just one drink. Nothing crazy.”

He studies me for a moment longer before exhaling. “Fine. Take your gun andkeepyour ringer on.”

I nod, grabbing my holstered weapon from the counter and clipping it to my belt.

“You look like you could use a drink or five,” Tate adds, his tone lighter now, though his eyes still hold a flicker of concern. “You sure you don’t want company?”

I shake my head. “Thanks, but I need some time to clear my head. Alone.”

Tate doesn’t argue, just nods. “Keep your guard up. Call one of us if you need anything.”

“I will,” I say quietly, giving him a faint smile before heading for the door.

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