All she could think of was his heart and how she could lose him if Jake hit him hard enough.
“NO!” she said, moving between them or where she thought she should be to protect him.
Jake hit hard, and she was shoved out of the way, hitting the end table.
She moaned in pain.
That was all it took.
“OUT!” Bodhi raged as the cold surrounded him. “You will not put your hands on her. She was yours, but she’s mine now! Get out of here, Jake! I get that you’re angry, but I will take care of the woman I’m going to marry! You putting your hands on anyone is NOT acceptable!”
The room got colder.
Bodhi stood between Hailey and where he could feel the coldness the most. He was willing to get his ass handed to him by a dead man if that was what was required.
He laid down the law.
“NOT. MY. WOMAN!” Bodhi said. “I love her and she’s having my child! I’d never hurt your child! So get away from mine!”
That seemed to work.
The cold began abating, and Bodhi didn’t hesitate. He got down on his knees and checked on her.
She was shaking her head as she tried to focus. His concern was her and the baby she was growing. Their child was tiny, and he wasn’t taking a chance.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m going to lose you over this,” she admitted.
Yeah, no.
Absolutely not.
He pulled Hailey between his legs, and held her as she cried. He let the storm run its course before he tried to talk sense into her.
“Baby, I’m not calling our wedding off. I was trying to rationalize, and didn’t answer you fast enough. I’m not giving you up, Hailey. Jake can kiss my ass.”
The roses on the table shook.
He pointed.
“NO, JAKE. NO!” he said. “You will know your place, and not scare people!”
Immediately, they stopped moving.
Bodhi wasn’t done.
“You left her for me to take care of, and I’m going to do that. Stop it. I’m not going to deal with undead temper tantrums!”
Yeah, about that.
She knew they had a problem.
“It’ll only get worse.”
Bodhi had to make a choice. It came down to a life with Hailey and an anchored ghost, or a life with the possibility that Jake lost it and hurt one of them.
Yeah, that was a no brainer.
“Then anchor him. If he needs us to help him, then let’s do it. What do we have to do? Get some chains and lock him in a goddamn box? What?” he asked.