Page 42 of Undone

Before she could respond, I cut in, my voice sharp. “Absolutely fucking not.”

The idea of Noah getting dragged deeper into this mess made my blood run cold. She was already too close to the nightmare, and I would do anything to keep her away from it.

“I’ll do it if it helps,” Noah said, her voice calm, but her clenched jaw and the tautness in her shoulders showed how much it cost her to speak with such assurance.

“You don’t need to get involved in this,” I insisted, my grip tightening on her hand, unwilling to let go.

Her gaze locked with mine, sharp and resolute. “I’m already involved, Dorian,” she said, the words carrying a quiet strength as she fought to hold herself together. The tears were close to falling, but she blinked them away.

Colt cleared his throat, pulling our focus back to him. “From what I know, they haven’t connected you to this yet, but…” His gaze moved to her tattoo. “This ties you to it.”

Noah shivered, her eyes widening as disbelief and fear flashed across her face. “I’ll do it,” she whispered.

Colt stood a little straighter, his jaw set. “I’ll make the call.”

“I still can’t believe I was so close to him and had no idea. He was out there killing people, and I had no clue. And now he’s bringing me into it?”

“We’ll make sure you’re safe,” Colt reassured her, already pulling out his phone. “I’ll get things in motion.”

He gave a nod to both of us and moved into the other room.

“You don’t have to face this alone,” I said.

Noah’s composure broke. Without thinking, I pulled her up into my arms, feeling the tremors rip through her small frame. She barely reached my chest, her body shaking as her emotions finally spilled out.

And damn, I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want to move away from her, not when all I wanted was to keep her safe, to protect her.

After a few moments, she moved back to look up at me. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, but still, she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“Sorry,” she muttered, forcing a laugh. Her smile was there, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I guess I have a habit of falling apart in front of you.”

“You’re allowed to fall apart with me. Actually, I prefer it if it means you end up in my arms.”

Her eyes widened, as if I’d caught her off guard.

Her dark hair, once perfectly styled, now had a few loose curls that framed her face. She looked younger this way, more vulnerable.

I instinctively reached up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. My fingers grazed her skin, and I noticed the slight catch in her inhale, the way her eyes softened at my touch.

“I’m fine, really. Just a little overwhelmed,” she said, trying to sound composed. “I need to go home and process.”

“Okay. I’m here if you want to talk.”

“Thanks. Goodnight, Dorian.”

And just like that, she was through the door.

“Goodnight, Noah,” I called after her.

She stopped and turned, offering a small smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes.

Fuck.

I turned to head back into the kitchen but stopped short when I saw Dotty glaring at me. The moment she spotted me, she stormed over, her finger jabbing into my chest like she was trying to burn a hole through me.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Dorian?” she snapped, her voice seething with fire.

I straightened, trying to keep cool, but the knot in my stomach told me I was in for it.

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