Page 43 of Thrown into the Mob

I swiveled around and waggled my finger at him, even though I hated it when someone did that to me.

Taking a deep breath, I said, “The point is you made a security decision without me. You left the apartment without letting me know where you were going, and you've been operating a communication channel that I didn't know about.”

I was ticking items off on my fingers, and I could hear how much I sounded like Flint when one of his brothers did something foolish, but I didn't care.

“We're supposed to be doing this together.”

Conrad folded his arms. “It was more efficient to handle it myself.”

I hated that word efficient in this context. We were mates, and he sounded as though he was back in the dragon compound, talking to his father or twin.

“We're not running an operation, Conrad.” I counted to ten before I continued. “We're in a relationship.”

His lips parted and his shoulders slumped, and I guessed this was new to him. Sharing wasn’t something he did.

“I’m used to making decisions alone.” He fiddled with the ring on his right index finger.

“I know you are, but that’s a problem for us as a couple, and we need to overcome it.”

We stood on opposite sides of the kitchen, and the four feet between us was too wide. I needed him closer. My wolf was grumbling, and I suspected Conrad's dragon was yanking at him because his posture was wonky and he was leaning to one side.

“I should have told you.”

He did the thing I’d commented on before glancing down, but I was his mate, not his nanny, and I wasn’t going to be on his ass about that right now.

“Yeah.” I beckoned him closer because we needed to be skin to skin for the rest of this discussion. He fell into my arms and rested his head on my shoulder.

“I didn’t think. Sorry.”

“That's the issue. You didn't think about me when you made that decision. You considered the plan and you forgot that I was right here.”

He flinched, and I immediately wished I could take the last sentence back. Yes, it was true, but during his life, he’d heard criticism and taken it as confirmation of what he’d been told about himself. That the people around him would eventually find him lacking and he wasn’t enough.

"Hey. I'm not your father. I'm not going to punish you for making a mistake. We’re equals in this relationship, but you have to let me in, even when it’s boring stuff.”

Conrad trailed a finger over my lips. “It’s a deal.”

“I love you, and I’m not going to desert you. You’re stuck with me.”

He grinned. “Good to know because I adore you and can’t imagine my life without you.” He smirked. “Should I brief you on the payphone location?”

I whacked his shoulder.

“That was a joke.”

“Tell me what Flint said on day three.”

Conrad leaned against the counter. Debrief mode was something he understood.

“Evander has consolidated faster than I expected. Most of the flight fell in line within forty-eight hours. Vasik is his second-in-command, and that's a problem because Vasik is competent."

“More than you?”

“Awww, you think I’m competent.”

“Very funny, and you’d better watch it or I’ll give you another whack.”

He squeezed my butt.