Page 22 of Passion & Betrayal

“You’re never going to get any answers by shouting like an asshole!”

When I turned back to face the woman, she was gone. Where the fuck did she go? How did neither of us pick up on it? But none of that matters a moment later when our little mate comes barrelling out the back and slamming into me, full force.

My body sways under her weight, but I remain steady. She claws at my clothes, trying to pull me closer as she sobs uncontrollably. The other woman watches our exchange closely as I breathe in my mate, kissing her crown before handing her over to Cian. He carries her out of the store, leaving me alone with the stranger who fiercely protected a woman she didn’t know.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Why?” She folds her arms across her chest with a glare.

“I like to know the names of the people I owe favors.”

“Kristy.”

“Thank you for helping her, Kristy,” I say, trying to infuse as much sincerity into my words as possible. “Not everyone would have.”

She tilts her head as she studies me. “I know what it’s like to be on the run,” she replies after a long moment.

I nod in acceptance, knowing this woman has more to her story than any of us will ever know. Grabbing the notepad beside her cash register, I scribble down my number before pushing it back toward her.

“I will never be able to repay what you’ve done for Isabel today. But if you ever need anything, call me.”

Tearing the page from the pad, she folds it and sticks it in her jeans pocket with a nod. No other words are spoken as I turn on my heel and head back to the truck.

To Isabel and Cian.

Chapter Six

Isabel

The three of us are packed together in the cab of the truck, but I still need them closer to me. My hands were gripping theirs as I tried to calm my heart rate down.

I could sense they both were worried, and I didn’t want to give them another reason.

Sypher squeezes my hand. “We’ve got you, Little Mate. We won’t let you out of our sight anytime soon, especially when that fucker is still alive.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Cian said.

“We both will,” Sypher comments. “She’s our mate, not just yours.”

Cian growled. “Don’t you think I know that?”

I rested my head against Cian’s and closed my eyes. “Hey, guys, what about taking me to my dad? I doubt your father will want to mess with the mafia in town.”

Sypher squeezed her hand again. “No. You’re ours to protect. So, you stay with us.”

“It’s just until you get Micah taken care of,” I said. I could tell right away they didn’t like my suggestion.

“Do you not think we can protect you?” Cian asked.

My mouth dropped open. “No. Absolutely not. I just don’t want to distract you. There’s a better chance of you guys getting hurt if you’re thinking about my safety.”

I watched both men glance at each other over my head.

Sypher sighs. “Let’s talk about it later. Right now, we just want you home.”

“Okay. I just need to be with you.” I wanted to tell them I needed both of them in me. Fucking me until I can sleep. I also want to seal our relationship so everyone knows we finally are a mated triad. Maybe if they think I have not one but two brutal mates, they’d be more reluctant to mess with me.

I sighed in relief when Cian pulled through the huge metal gates that were attached to a ten-foot stone wall with barbed wire on the top. The place was a fortress, or I thought it was before. There were two of his guys standing on watch who opened and closed the gate behind us.

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