Page 129 of His Greatest Muse

“I will. I love you too.”

Heaving a sigh, he nods once and then smooths a firm hand down her hair before pushing open the back door. He lingers with one foot outside. Our eyes catch in the mirror. “Take care of her, Noah. I’m trusting you with her tonight. Don’t make me regret it.”

“I’ll always take care of her,” I reply.

His throat bobs. “And keep yourself safe. My heart can’t take finding you like that again.”

Silence. My brows furrow, confusion slashing through me. Is he concerned for me? It sounds wrong.

“We’ll take care of each other, Dad,” Tinsley says, covering for me.

He holds my stare for a beat longer before accepting her answer and stepping into the night. The back door shuts softly. I watch him walk to his car parked behind mine, not looking away until he gets in and starts the engine. A minute later, he pulls up beside us, casting one last look at his daughter before driving away.

“I hate lying to everyone,” Tinsley whispers.

I set her phone in the centre console and pull mine free from my pocket. The first message on the screen is from my dad, the second from Mom.

Dad: Can I see you tomorrow? Maybe we can go for lunch, just the two of us. Be careful tonight, please. I love you.

Mom: Your dad insisted on staying in Toronto for a couple of extra nights! What is that about? Call me in the morning, my love. xoxo

I don’t like the small swirl of emotion in my stomach as I read their messages. It feels uncomfortable. I’ve always found it hard to be guilty about anything. It’s one of my many flaws. Got me in trouble my entire life. But this new emotion has to be guilt. It’s biting, unrelenting. Similar to the feeling of regret I get when I upset Tinsley.

Soft fingertips stroke the skin around my elbow. “You should reply to them.”

“Should I feel guilty lying to my parents?” I ask.

“Do you?”

“I feel weird,” I admit.

She moves her touch down my arm to my hand and then holds it. When she pulls our joined hands to her lap, I shift closer to the console. I don’t need light to find her beautiful face in the dark. She’s the only thing I can see.

“Well, I know that I feel guilty. I have rocks in my belly just thinking about having to lie to them. They grow heavier and heavier when I actually do, though. Tonight is no different. It feels wrong, but at the same time, it’s the right thing to do. It wouldn’t surprise me if you’re feeling the same way. Especially because you and your dad have just started connecting again. You aren’t lying to him, really, but you’re keeping him in the dark. We both are,” she explains without judgment.

I roll her words over in my mind. Her explanation is a good one. It makes that biting sensation in my stomach dull slightly.

“It’s almost time,” I note, not wanting to talk about myself any longer.

Tinsley accepts my change of subject. “It is.”

“Are you ready?”

“No.”

I’m not ready to let her go either. I glare at the building across the street, wishing it would go up in flames despite Braden’s warning. She needs to be inside before Cole shows up. It will give her the upper hand.

Alec is here too. I can’t see him, but I can sense he’s close by. It’s a warning in my head. The one I get whenever he’s around.

Two apex predators have never been able to coexist in the same herd. We’re on borrowed time. I want him gone and out of our lives by the end of the night.

“I’ll be outside. You won’t be alone with him for long. Once he lowers his guard, we’ll be there,” I promise her while picking back up her phone and calling my number. I answer, connecting the call that will allow me to hear everything said between the two of them inside.

She takes it from me and shimmies it into the pocket of her jeans. “I can protect myself. I’ll be good until you come in.”

“That’s my golden girl. He’s worthless compared to you.”

She nods, but it’s stiff. I give our hands a tug, and her body follows, resting over the console. Cupping her jaw, I pull her face close until our noses bump. She smells like the shot of whiskey she took before we left home mixed with her perfume. I take a lungful of the scent and let loose a quiet moan before kissing her.

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