Page 27 of Orlando
Something told Liam that Cynthia would find him no matter where he went.“I might have only met Orlando today, but I’m his mate.You know how important mates are to shifters.He won’t let anything happen to me.”
“I sure hope not because if he does, he’ll have to answer to me.He might be your mate, but I’m your mother.”
Liam was afraid of Cynthia, but he was terrified of his mom when she was like this.If Orlando knew what was good for him, he’d make sure Liam came out of this in one piece.If he didn’t, Orlando would have to face Liam’s mother’s wrath.
Chapter Five
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SO FAR, THERE HAD BEENno news.It had been almost a week, and Orlando could tell it was getting to Liam.He didn’t blame him.He was going a little nuts, too, having to stay inside the apartment and stare at the same four walls every day.
They spent time apart in any way they could, which usually meant that Liam was in the bedroom while Orlando was on the couch, but Orlando didn’t like it.Both he and his jaguar wanted to be with Liam, but Orlando wasn’t sure it was a good idea.He didn’t want to push Liam.Even though his mate had said he was fine with it, it felt like tempting fate, which wasn’t something Orlando wanted to do when neither of them could leave.The only reason he had was to get food, and even then, he’d been on edge and watching his surroundings the entire time.
He stared at the TV screen.He’d put on a movie, but he had no idea what it was.He didn’t care, either.He just needed something to distract him, and unfortunately, this wasn’t cutting it.
Nothing was.His every thought was always on Liam in one way or another.Sometimes, it was to think that Liam was in danger, and others, Orlando wondered what Liam wanted from him.He’d said he was okay with Orlando’s past as an almost council assassin, but was he?They hadn’t talked about it again, and Liam had kept a certain distance between them.
Orlando hated it.They were getting to know each other, but he’d thought that being stuck together meant they’d grow closer.Maybe it was just the kind of person his mate was, but Liam was spending a lot of time lost in his mind.He had a lot to think about, obviously, but Orlando wished his mate would share how he felt.Maybe Orlando could help.He wasn’t sure how, but he was willing to try.
He wanted to dosomething.The problem was that they were stuck in the apartment, so taking Liam out was, well, out.Orlando also didn’t want to leave Liam for too long, which was why he’d been running to the grocery store as few times as he could.All in all, it hadn’t been a great week, even though he and Liam had spent it together.Liam yearned for more, and Orlando wanted to give it to him.
He couldn’t until he was sure Liam was safe.
So, if leaving the apartment was out, where did that leave them?What could Orlando do to make Liam feel better?
Finding out what was going on was one thing.Orlando couldn’t work on it himself—he was stuck in the apartment and didn’t have the connections, anyway—but he’d spread the word, and his friends were doing everything they could.Both Kennedy and Hawthorne had promised they’d reach out as soon as they found something, but so far, Orlando’s phone had stayed silent except for texts from Seymour telling him they were doing everything they could.Orlando had no doubt that Cynthia was on the move, but she hadn’t found them yet, and hopefully, she wouldn’t at all.
His phone vibrated on the coffee table.He was always eager for a distraction, so he snatched it up, grinning when he saw it was Seymour.His best friend had been checking in on him and Liam every day, but Orlando missed him.He wasn’t used tonotseeing Seymour for so long.
“Hey,” he said when he answered.
“You don’t sound right.What happened?”
“Hello to you, too.What do you mean, I don’t sound right?”
“Exactly what I said.Have you and Liam fought?”
Orlando tilted his head to stare at the ceiling.“We haven’t.”
“But?”
“But he’s avoiding me, I think.”
“You’re stuck in the same apartment.How can he avoid you?”
“He’s been spending a lot of time in the bedroom with his cat.”Which couldn’t be that entertaining, considering that Orlando didn’t have a TV in there.What was Liam doing?Seymour had brought him a new phone so that Cynthia couldn’t use his old one to track him, but could he really be spending hours on that thing?
Orlando supposed he could be.He’d been doing pretty much the same thing.
“I’m sorry,” Seymour murmured.
“Thank you, but you have nothing to be sorry about.”
“Neither do you, but I bet you’ve apologized to him dozens of times.Can you knock on the door and ask him to spend time together?”
“Honestly, I’m a little afraid to do that.What if he says no?”
“What if he says yes?You’re his mate, after all.”
