“We don’t think that. But you’ve been through a lot and I’m an overprotective male who loves you. I’m bound to make mistakes. You just need to call me out. Call any of us out when we go too far. All right?”
She froze, staring up at him as he leaned up on one elbow, watching her.
“What?” he asked. “Are you okay?”
“You love me?”
Caleb thought over what he’d said. “Oh. I didn’t mean to say it like that.” He could feel himself growing red.
“Are you blushing?”
“Maybe. I’ve loved you since the moment we met. I freaking adore you. I think you’re s
mart and courageous and beautiful. I want to keep you safe so sometimes I do stupid things to achieve that. But as long as you stay with me, I’ll always put you first.”
She sniffed, a tear coursing down her cheek.
“That wasn’t meant to make you cry, baby.”
“Happy tears.”
“Don’t do that with Wolfe, he won’t understand,” he joked.
She tried to smile and he rolled over to grab some tissues, wiping her cheeks gently.
“I love you too. I love all of you.”
Leaning in, he kissed her. Hard. Consuming. “Good. Then you’ll forgive us for making mistakes sometimes in our need to protect you.”
She nodded. “I make mistakes all the time.”
“That’s how we learn.”
A grin crossed her face.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Oh, nothing. Just Wolfe said a similar thing.”
“Humph, stealing my lines, is he?” He winked at her.
“I just don’t want anyone to think that because I’m a Little that I want to be kept in the dark and coddled twenty-four-seven.”
“I understand,” he agreed. “I still get to coddle twenty hours out of the day, though, right?”
She giggled. “All right.”
“There’re a few things we should have told you. Remember how you heard someone else when you were being shot at?”
She nodded. “Yes. Did you find out anything about him? Is he all right? Was he a reporter? Could he have been William’s friend?”
“Okay, I’ll answer those in order. Yes, we discovered who it was. No, he’s not all right.”
She blanched white. Christ. This is why they’d avoided telling her. He hated upsetting her. But he understood her need to know what was going on.
“He died. Two shots to the chest.”
“Oh God. I should have stayed. Should have helped him.”