Page 179 of Protecting Peyton

I’d seen the crack in his demeanor when I told him I deserved better, so I attacked that crack again. “I deserve an honest talk.” Gingerly, I moved a few steps toward the exit, trying desperately to come up with more—another way to appeal to him and get him to open up.

I stopped and stood my ground.Fight with everything you have.The words applied here as much as they did when Lucifer had taken me. “You have a tattoo that says you serve with honor and integrity on and off the battlefield, but right now you’re acting without honor.”

“What did you say?” His words came out harshly, angrily.

I’d insulted him, and I knew it, but I was damned well not giving up my man without a fight, even if that fight was with him.

“You heard me. An honorable man wouldn’t be ashamed to explain himself.”

His attention left me when a key sounded in the door.

A second later, Karla entered. “Hi, Ruppie, I got off early.”

His jaw tensed even more than before. Any more, and he’d crack a tooth.

Then, she saw me. “Oh, hi there, Peyton. Did you get off work early?” Noticing the bandage on my neck, she rushed forward. “Oh, dear. What happened to you?”

“It’s nothing,” I assured her.

Looking between us, his mom must have picked up on the tension. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Yes,” he said.

“No,” I said over his answer. This was the opening I needed. If Karla was on my side, I’d get another chance to force him to open up.

Zane glared at me from under dark brows.

She walked past us. “I’ll be in the kitchen.” It made sense that she’d take her son’s side.

To stop her, I lobbed a grenade into the room. “We’re discussing the fact that I love him,” I said emphatically.

Zane ignored my comment.

Karla stopped and turned. Her response was a wide smile. “That’s wonderful.” She turned to her Zane. “What do you have to say to that, Ruppie?”

“It’s nice, but I’m not a safe choice for her.”

“It’s nice?” she repeated incredulously.

“He wants to break up with me,” I added. “Without telling me how hefeels, or telling me why.” After talking with Lucas, I was sure I knew the reason, but we couldn’t talk it through until Zane acknowledged it.

Karla stepped closer. “Why not, Zane?”

I saw the shift to his legal first name jolt him.

“I promised to keep her safe, and now that the strangler is out of the picture, my job is done.”

“You caught him?”

“He’s in the hospital,” I inserted.

“I may be old, but I’m not blind. Peyton has been more to you than a job.” She’d seen what I’d felt, and knew I’d been more than a job for Zane.

Finally, I felt that she was on my side.

“I promised to be out of her hair when the job was done, and it is,” he argued. It was the same tired line.

Karla wagged her finger at him. “Why are you being a coward?”