Page 116 of Power Shift

Her eyes latch onto me when I step into the doorway and hover there, my expression plain.

“Did you find a burglar under the bed?”

“Has your friend ever been here before? Sadie?” There’s no teasing quality to the questions, only a firm demand for answers.

She swallows, dread creeping across her features. I don’t miss the realization, either.

“No. Why?”

“The files in your room were messed with. You mentioned her at dinner last week.”

“She is a patient. We’re waiting for her to go into labour any day now. I had her birthing plan in my desk drawer because I like to take them home and study them to make sure I know everything off by heart.”

My feet carry me to her. She holds her breath as I approach before releasing it all out in one long, forced exhale.

“You’re coming home with me,” I state, leaving no room for argument.

“Uh, okay. Yeah, I don’t think I could sleep here tonight, anyway. Not with the state of it. I’ll have to, what, file a police report first?”

“No. I mean you’re coming home with me, and you’re moving in. I’ll handle everything else from here.”

She snorts a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m serious, Landon. I should file a police report and get a cleaningcrew in. I’ve got renters insurance, so hopefully I can get most things replaced that were destroyed.”

“If you think I’m going to watch you walk back into this place when someone targeted you . . .” I swallow, nostrils flaring with a deep breath. She watches me with beautiful wide eyes as I trap her against the wall again, this time stealing her move and taking her face in my hands. “We’ll take care of you. Take care of all of it. Just move in to the pack house.”

Her lashes flutter with slow blinks as she asks, “You want me to live with you?”

“With all of us. Everyone’s been keeping things from me, haven’t they? That’s why you aren’t surprised that Sadie’s information was touched. You know who did this.”

The pink in her cheeks pales. “I assumed Ronan would have told you what happened.”

Fucking Ronan.

“Tell me everything while you pack.”

A single eyebrow curls upward. “I haven’t said I’ll move in yet.”

“What do you need from me to say yes?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

I dip my head, bringing my mouth to the underside of her jaw and nipping at the soft, smooth skin. “Say it.”

“Finish what you started.”

37

BRIAR

Landon follows me inside,keeping his pace slow with too many steps between us. It feels like a tease, a dare for me to turn around and tell him to hurry up.

I won’t be doing any more demanding. I’ve done enough of it. It’s his turn now.

His prior mention of my messy desk is enough to keep me from leading us into my bedroom and instead keep to the main room of the apartment. The inside of my place isn’t sexy on a good day, but especially not when there’s furniture overturned and fluff from the couch cushions thrown about.

Still, none of it matters right now.

The de-scenter is still strong as it continues puffing through my ventilation system, which would have annoyed me had it not also been the only reason for the lack of foreign smells that would have been lingering from the break-in.

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