Page 89 of Guarded
Noah deserves to be protected.
“Jeremiah.” Micah’s voice was quiet but firm. I looked up to find his gaze softer than expected. “I get it, I do. If I found out Nox had been trapped in a room with someone he hated, that he’d been subjected to the abuse Noah undoubtedly has, I’d be furious. I’d want vengeance, especially against the person who was supposed to safeguard him.”
My demon was roaring, the cracks deepening. Nox tensed, ready to jump between us if needed.
I wouldn’t lie, I was considering it. Micah was right—I was furious. More so than I’d ever been in my life.
“I let him go because he wants to repair his relationship with Juniper,” Micah said steadily. “Because I know losing them hurt him.”
My hands were shaking. “And why did you let Noah guard Lyle?”
“Because I respect him too much to stop him,” Micah said calmly. “Noah is grown and capable of making his own decisions.”
Fuck.Fuck.I couldn’t be mad at him for that. Micah was right—Noah was more than capable of deciding what he should do.
Choice was a foreign concept for most demons, myself included. It hadn’t existed for me until I left Hell. I’d only tasted it for a short time, and I already knew I wouldn’t want it taken away from me again.
I didn’t want it taken away from Noah either.
“From what I gather, members of Juniper were spending what free time they had with them so Noah had achance to rest,” Micah said. “But he refused to leave the room.”
There was so much pressure on my chest that I felt like I was suffocating. “Why would he do that?”
Micah thought about it briefly. “Aside from the fact that he’s more powerful than the rest of them? Honestly, I think Noah knew that if he stayed, all of Lyle’s ire would be directed at him. If I had to guess, he did it to give Juniper a reprieve from his cruelty.”
“Fool,” Nox said softly, shaking his head. “Noah had to know Lyle would be crueller to him than anyone else.”
“Why?” I rasped. “Why would you think that?”
“Because they were lovers,” Nox said bluntly. Micah turned to glare at him, but Nox just shrugged. “What? It’s not like Jeremiah isn’t going to find out.”
I cracked my knuckles again, trying to keep my demon down as I asked the next question. “Are they still together?”
“No,” Micah said, just as Nox said, “Fuck no.”
I nodded slowly. “Got it. So, Lyle is Noah’s shitty ex?—”
“Shitty is a huge understatement,” Micah said. “I don’t know much about their past, but I know enough about Lyle. He’s toxic to his core. I’ll never understand how someone as sweet as Noah got tangled up with the likes of him.”
I ran through everything I’d learned. Noah had been anxious about the conference but went because he cared about the unit. He’d ended up guarding his horrendous ex and putting up with his bullshit. It was bad enough that Micah was concerned about him.
Cruel. That was the word they’d used.
Maybe it was time Lyle was introduced to someone who knew the true meaning of the word.
Someone like me.
I had just two questions left. Number one: Why hadn’t Noah told me any of this or contacted me about it?
And number two: Why was Noah still there if the conference was done?
That was the one I asked.
“There are two supe doctors coming to evaluate Lyle,” Micah explained. “Noah decided to stay until they arrived.”
Once again, I found myself snarling at the angel. “And you left him there?”
Micah flinched but answered me all the same. “I didn’t want to, believe me. We argued and I tried to put my foot down, but Noah can be very…persuasive. And stubborn.”
