Hers(14)

“Not really. Brock said he wanted me comfortable with the car first. He said to get a feel for it and what I thought was safe.”

“Fucking hell, no wonder he looked frazzled yesterday. Did he teach you anything? How on earth can you think what we did was a safe speed? Only an idiot would think that!”

“You’re yelling again. There is no need to yell at me. I don’t like being yelled at or told I’m an idiot. I think I’ve had enough for today.”

Slater couldn’t believe it. Brock was in the wrong, and he was the one copping it. “No. You’re not finished. We are going to drive this car-park if it fucking kills me.”

She pulled to a stop. “I’m not going to do anything if you keep yelling at me. Please stop yelling.”

Sammy went to get out of the car. He gripped her arm tight before she got any further. “I’m not yelling!” Shit. He was. Maybe he wasn’t cut out to teach Sammy to drive. He knew aggression and yelling were two of her triggers.

“Let. Go. Of. Me. Now. Slater.” Sammy wrenched her arm from his hold as she emphasized every word. When Sammy was free of him she opened her door and got out.

Smashing his fist into the dash board he swore when he heard it crack. Getting out of the car he went after Sammy.

“You can’t walk home. Come on and get back in the car. I’ll drive you home.”

“No, thank you. I don’t feel like going anywhere with you right now.” He could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

Growling at the situation he grabbed Sammy by the waist and hauled her back to the car.

“Let me go now, Slater. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. Put me down right this minute, or I’ll never forgive you.” She kicked and banged on his arm.

Placing her down in front of the passenger side he tilted her head up to him. “You need to calm down. You’re overreacting. You don’t get to act like a child. This is all over me telling you to slow down. If you can’t handle this how will you handle the rest? Don’t be an idiot about this. You can’t run away or ignore the situation any time you don’t like it.”

Oh crap. He heard the words come out of his month, and he couldn’t believe he’d grabbed her like that, and to go as far as to call her a child … surely she’d been called many things before by that bastard. How could he repeat the behavior? Sammy’s eyes were as wide as saucers, and he watched as a tear fell down her cheek.

Slater knew he’d done and said the wrong thing. He stepped back, and as soon as he did she straightened and opened the car door and got in without saying a word. He felt like shit. He should never have said anything or do what he did, especially with Sammy’s history. If his mother ever heard what he’d said he’d never hear the end of it. She’d told him that humans were more sensitive than shifters, and if he did what Slater’s father had done to her she would personally castrate him.

Going around to the driver’s side he got in and put the car seat back and fixed the mirror, started the car, and drove back to Sammy’s place.

After a good five minutes or so of silence and waiting for Sammy to say something, he sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I thought I was patient, but I’m not.”

Sammy didn’t answer, and he glanced at her to see her cowering almost huddled in her seat. His heart sank, and he felt worse. His bear whined, and Slater could feel he was angry with him for treating their mate the way they had. He hated the way she was right now. He’d rather her yelling and fighting than cowering in the corner.

****

Brock sat in his captain’s office waiting for him to come out and tell him why he was called in. The small talk was almost over, and Brock knew it must be something big if he started the conversation with small talk rather than getting to the point.

“As I said I’m glad you’re doing better now your mate is giving you a chance, but I was thinking that maybe you could casually drop some questions to her about Breakaway precinct. Internal Affairs has asked for information, and I said I would have a talk to you. I thought you could maybe slip a couple of questions in.”

Brock growled and stood. “I knew something wasn’t right with that station. I don’t know anyone in our precinct that would let someone treat their wife, mate, or girlfriend like Greg did. I don’t like bringing it up as it makes Sammy really uncomfortable. She goes into a shell, and it takes a while to get her out of it.”

Brock paced back and forth in his captain’s office, unsure of what he should do. He wanted to make sure his mate was safe, and he needed to know he could protect her. He needed to know he was better than any other shifter for her. He would slay all her demons. Maybe if he could find out what happened and put them all in jail Sammy would feel safe. She might stop hiding and shrinking back in fear at the mention of Greg or anything to do with his precinct.