Page 78 of Noah

However, Briar was right that now was no time for this conversation. “Okay, later,” she agreed.

Briar left first then Adrienne and Mhane, and lastly Noah as if she and Mhane needed protection. That was just how Numbers operated—they protected. It was ingrained in them to protect Numbers females and it appeared that applied to helpless human females.

Though Adrienne would bet Mhane was far from weak or helpless.

She suddenly had the horrific thought that maybe Noah was better off with Mhane.

Adrienne could just imagine Mhane busting her way out of the warehouse Adrienne had been kept in with no problems whatsoever. Mhane wouldn’t be waiting around for someone to save her, she would save herself.

Would Noah want someone like her?

Was that why he had turned cold? He realised what he was missing by settling for Adrienne, who was a soft subpar human with nothing going for her.

She knew it was wrong to compare herself to Mhane, but what was she supposed to think when he chose not to acknowledge Adrienne after seeing Mhane?

Mhane was the impressive and suave female Adrienne had once wished she could be—not so much now—she had learned to love herself long ago and refused to let Noah affect her self-esteem.

She wasn’t going to change herself because of a temperamental Number.

She winced at the mental vitriol she used to spew about herself. Before, doubts might have lingered but now as someone with the confidence to be completely happy in her skin, she squashed it down, smashed it with a hammer, and set mental fire to it for good measure.

Adrienne deserved better than a male whose attention would wander the moment she did something he didn’t like. Not that Adrienne did something he didn’t like—she didn’t think.

Mhane locked the unit and turned to talk to Briar about security arrangements.

Adrienne knew as she watched Noah pause beside the palm print and break it apart with his bare hands she wanted him.

It wasn’t what she planned. She had wanted to keep her emotions separate no matter what, but… it was Noah. He just smashed straight through the barriers around Adrienne’s heart with one gruff well-meaning growl.

Her eyes went to Noah.

The screen flickered and the machine cracked and fell apart easily as Noah smashed it and his tough skin stayed unmarked, one of many differences between them.

And that was it. They were different, and it could be too much to overcome.

Chapter 12

Noah

Adrienne didn’t look at him.

She kept her head lowered, except when looking at her sister, as if Noah wasn’t there.

The love in Adrienne’s eyes was so deep. Soft with adoration. Almost worship. A warm kindness that Adrienne hadn’t immediately shared with him.

He was envious of that. He wanted Adrienne’s looks for himself. His heart clenched; he wondered what it would take for her to give him that deep trusting look.

Maybe she sensed the lie between them. Should he fix that to make things clear between them?

Noah was worried that she was further away from him than ever before.

Adrienne’s soft petite hand went to Mhane’s back and his chest caved.

Adrienne was touching a killer. None of the males doubted Mhane was a dangerous individual and now his mate had decided to do as she wished and put herself in harm’s way and hug that maniac.

None of them knew Mhane, let alone Adrienne, yet he knew in his bones Mhane was dangerous.

Adrienne had memories of a ghost and as Adrienne had changed from an innocent babe to a formidable adult female, so had Mhane. And Adrienne was formidable. Formidable and feisty enough to survive their captors and spit in their faces. She had survived them.

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