Page 79 of Guarded
“Exactly,” Atlas said darkly. “The Seraphim aren’t the only targets in her sights.”
We exchanged a loaded look. It voiced the things we didn’t dare speak. That Gloria deserved to pay. That, one day, we’d see it happen.
“We can’t hide him forever,” I said. “It’ll come to light eventually.”
“Yes, but we need a little more time. If we can weaken Gloria’s position, then she won’t be able to retaliate. We have two supes coming to help—one’s a medical doctor and the other is a therapist. We’re hoping that, between them, they might know of a way to stabilise his condition.The issue is, they’re both vampires. They can’t come into the compound until after the conference. Everyone will know if they do.”
It seemed like a shot in the dark to me, but I could sense Atlas’s desperation. His need to protect the unit. His friends. His family.
Our family.
I’d do whatever it took to make that happen.
“What do you need from me?”
“For you to contain him,” Atlas said bluntly. “It takes too many of us to hold him, and as the hosts, we’re all expected to lead panels. You’re the only one strong enough to do so alone, Noah. No one else is powerful enough.”
Chapter 21
Noah
Imade my way through the compound towards a room I’d often visited but never thought of ashome. How could I, when every time I stepped inside, Lyle was quick to remind me I’d be leaving?
He was always quick to remind me of the boundaries.
Just like you do with Jeremiah.
I came to a halt outside Lyle’s door as the realisation hit me. Had I been holding him at arm’s length just as Lyle had done with me?
Fuck. I had. I’d been so scared that he was going to treat me like Lyle had, only to become the problem myself.
Suddenly, I had the urge to call Jem. He’d messaged me earlier, but I hadn’t been joking when I’d told him we’d be going from meeting to meeting. I’d barely had time to breathe, let alone anything else.
A text now wouldn’t be enough. I wanted to hear his voice. Fuck it, I wanted to see his face. To have him smile and tease me. To see the sparkle in his eyes as he described the places he’d been that day. To hear the things he’d learned and what he planned to do next.
Most of all though, I wanted to tell him about Lyle. About how much I hated him for cutting me off from my friends. About the clusterfuck of a situation I’d found myself in. How I was going to have to spend time with someone I hated. How I’d hate every minute of it, because it would be a reminder of my fucked-up past. How I couldn’t believe I’d settled for someone like him when Jeremiah had been out there waiting to meet me.
I pulled my phone out to do just that when the door suddenly opened. Lyle swayed in the doorway, leering at me in a way that made my skin crawl. “Look at that, right on time. Knew you’d come crawling back to me, Noah. You always do.”
I stepped out of his reach and wrinkled my nose. “The only place I’ll be crawling to is away from you. Jesus, you stink. When did you last shower?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Lyle said, his tongue swiping over his lip. “We both know you’ll sleep with me anyway. You’ve always been a desperate little whore.”
Right now, Lyle wasn’t in his right mind, but that didn’t excuse his behaviour. He’d said the same things to me before he’d lost control.
I’d been the one stupid enough to let him speak to me that way.
“I’m here to help the unit,” I said firmly. “That’s it, Lyle. You’re a fucking prick, and if it weren’t for the rest of them, I’d leave you here to rot.”
I grabbed his arm and shoved him back into his room. “All I give a shit about is protecting the others. If that means babysitting you so they can carry out their duties, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
He shook me off. “And what if I don’twantyour babysitting services?”
“Then I guess we’re going to find out just how much I’ve been holding back in your presence.”
Lyle didn’t take that for the threat that it was. Figured. He was always underestimating me. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at my phone. “Who are you going to call? Some other idiot you’ve managed to fool? Let me talk to them.”
He tried to swipe it from my hand but I held it out of his reach. “Who I speak to is none of your concern.”
