BROKEN VOWS (Broken Redemption Book 1)

Chapter 28

Lucas

Barely 30 seconds since she walked through that door and I'm already questioning why the hell I'm out here when I should be in there with her. I get she's upset, that she's hurt because of what happened this morning, but hell, I should have forced the issue instead of letting emotion drive my decision. I'm the security expert, for god's sake. My job is to keep her safe. Not to allow what's between us to put her in danger. After years of running missions with civilian consultants in tow, you'd think I would know that by now. Emotions make you second guess. They make you hesitate. They make you dead.

"God damn it," I grunt under my breath, dropping forward to rest my elbows on my knees to keep them from bouncing nervously.

I have no idea how it even happened. One minute I'm consoling her, and the next I've got my hands wrapped around her like she's fucking mine. My fingers tangled in the back of her head in a possessive move that made me want to claim her once and for all. For a split second, I almost did. One look at those luscious parted lips that clearly wanted to be kissed and I damn near caved. But then I remembered what she said about blaming her husband for what was happening, and I understood the needy look in her eyes. She was looking for an escape. A distraction to help her forget Creed and the mess he dropped at her feet.

As much as I wanted to touch her. To kiss those lips, and explore every inch of her skin, I refuse to reduce what exists between us to a mere diversion. A passing fling. A moment she'd later regret. Something that would ruin our friendship, not to mention any hope of a future. I couldn't do it. Not to us. Not to myself, for truth be told, I'd never survive giving her up once I had her. Not again. Never again.

"Fuck." I can't just sit here. "We should go back there and find her."

It's in that instant that Nero jumps to his feet, his head low, nose to the ground, pointing toward the door she walked through. At the sound of the low guttural growl meant only for me to hear, the hairs at the nape of my neck stand on end.

"What is it, boy? What's happening?"

Jumping to my feet, I follow as he stalks forward. With his nose still on the ground and his tail curved high above his back, I know whatever he's sensing can't be good. Especially with Emilia on the other side of that door.

"Sir, can I help you?" The overdone and oversexed receptionist stands, apprehension in her eyes as she realizes we're not the type of patron she's used to dealing with.

"I need this door opened immediately." At my feet, Nero growls again, a small bark leaving his lips as he digs at the crack of the door. It's his signal to me we need to get through to the other side.

"Sir, you can't..."

"Open the goddamned door! That's my client, Emilia Preston, who just walked through. Open this door now, or I will break it the fuck down!" I make the demand, fully expecting to follow through on the threat, but thankfully she has the sense to do as I've asked.

As soon as the door opens, I give Nero the lead, following close behind as he runs down the hallway. When he comes to an emergency exit, he signals again. Slowly, I open the heavy wooden door, taking my time to scan for potential threats. Once I confirm it's safe, I allow Nero to walk through. When he reaches the edge of the steps, he stops. His head hangs low, his body crouched as if preparing to pounce. There, he scans his surroundings. His ears swivel back and forth, listening. Emitting a low growl, he waits for my command.

"Zoek."

In a flash of dark fur, he's on the move. He's so engrossed in following the scent that it's like he's forgotten I'm here. Struggling to keep up, I hurry down the steps, following as he runs to the source of what he's searching for. Her. He has to be searching for Emilia. The gravity of the situation slams into me, and the mistakes of my past come flooding back, as do the faces of all those I've let die.