Page 123 of B & E Ever After (Fairy Tale Quartet 3)

“Gabby, you’re not going to stop me.” He skidded the car to a halt in front of my building. “I’m doing this. Come hell or high water, I’m going to protect you. Now get out.”

With an impatient sigh, I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t saying no to talk you out of it, you moron. I was saying no, you’re not going without me.”

He shook his head, confused. “What?”

“I’m coming with you,” I reiterated and nudged his shoulder. “Now drive.”

“Gabby,” he rasped, shifting his head back and forth in a lame attempt to deny me. “No. She has her office wired with an alert system. I’m not putting you in that kind of danger.”

I sniffed. “Oh, please. Just try to get rid of me. You were there to help me when I broke into my first place, so I’m returning the favor.”

“But this isn’t my first—”

“I don’t care,” I snarled. “We’re in this together now.”

He opened his mouth to deny me again, but I looked him straight in the eye, giving him one of his own stern looks that always got others to obey.

And what do you know—I could tell the exact moment his will dissolved. His eyes softened and lips parted. Then he screwed his expression up into irritation and reluctantly muttered, “I’m going to regret this,” as he steered back into traffic.

“No, you’re not,” I encouraged, punching his arm in excitement. “It’s going to be epic. Couples that break in together stay together, you know.”

“Yeah,” he answered dryly. “In jail.”

“Then we can wear a tux and wedding dress for our mugshots and have matching orange jumpsuits for our honeymoon,” I teased on a laugh. “It’ll be a blast.”

He glanced my way and lifted an eyebrow. “Any conjugal visits?”

With a wink, I seductively whispered, “I’ll make sure we end up in the couples cell block.”

For the first time in days, I saw his shoulders loosen as he grinned out his amusement over my corny jokes and rolled his eyes.

He’d just let me back in again. Thank God.

“Only you would find this romantic,” he murmured with affectionate exasperation.

I nudged his shoulder and wiggled my eyebrows. “You know it, baby.”

When we reached Judge Fashions Industry, I blew out a whistle and shook my head. “So this is the place Kaitlynn should be running right now, huh?”

“Yep.”

“No wonder why you’re determined to help her get it back. She shouldn’t be living in that building of Darmon’s at all. The life she’s used to is so much grander than—”

“We’ll make sure she gets it all back,” Hayden reassured me before he exited the car to meet me on my side.

I nodded, feeling his determination now, and I exited the vehicle too. Taking his hand when he reached for mine, we started determinedly toward the building.

“All right,” I said, popping my neck one way, then the other, as if I was getting ready to rumble. “Let’s Bonnie and Clyde this joint.”

Except Hayden shook his head and winced. “Bonnie and Clyde robbed banks and gas stations and killed people. We’re just seeing justice done, which makes us more like—I don’t know—Robin Hood and Maid Marian maybe.”

“Okay, fine.” I nodded. “I can dig that, too.” Then I slapped him on the butt and added, “I’ll be Robin Hood,” before racing ahead.

He caught up to me at the doorway. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he tugged me back against him and kissed me behind one ear before murmuring, “In your dreams you’re Robin Hood,” just before he pulled me behind him so he could enter first.

“Bastard,” I hissed at his back, scowling harder when he only chuckled.

Since I’d never been inside JFI before and didn’t know my way around, I let him lead the way. But that’s the only reason I allowed it. He was so not going to be Robin Hood in this scenario. Robin Hood was the main star. And that was definitely me.

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