Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“I should be.”
“No. This isn’t your fight. I shouldn’t have stayed here. I’ve put you in danger.”
“That’s not why you shouldn’t be here. I had the man in my sights. I could have brought him down, and I…” I wiped a hand over my face. “I just froze. I fucking froze.”
“He wasn’t going to hurt us while running away.”
“He’ll be back, or someone else will. Someone who won’t hesitate to shoot. This man obviously didn’t want to be seen. If he hadn’t been concerned, he would have charged me or shot me. Apparently, I would have just fucking stood here and let him. If that hadn’t been the case, you’d… I… Fuck.”
“You don’t know what would have happened if they’d been a more immediate threat. You chose not to shoot a man in the back. That’s—”
“I didn’t choose. I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t shoot. I’m not the man I was.”
“Blade.” I laid a hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away. “I’ll have someone take you back to the ranch house. You’re not safe here.”
“I want to stay with you.”
“No. I knew I wasn’t good for you. This proves it.”
“You’re wrong, and no matter what, if you want me, I’m yours, Papa Bear.”
I thought the name might soften him, but his resolve held. “There are a lot of things I want that I can’t have. I can’t let you get hurt because I’m so fucked up.”
In that moment, I hated myself more than I ever had while locked up in a damn hole in the ground.
26
CARLO
Before I could say anything else to change Blade’s mind, TJ and Ghost came racing into the yard.
“What happened?” Ghost asked.
Blade was shaking. I laid my hand on his back to comfort him, but he stepped away and pressed his hands to his eyes.
Reluctantly, I faced Ghost and TJ. “We heard movement outside the cabin. Blade stepped out to investigate. He saw a man who immediately ran.”
Ghost glanced at Blade, then back at me. “So you’re both okay?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Blade said. “I need you to take Carlo to the house where someone can actually protect him.”
“He looks good to me,” TJ said. “You scared the asshole off.”
“He’ll be back.”
“And we’ll be ready,” Ghost said.
Blade made a sound like a wounded animal and moved toward the door. I didn’t want to let him go inside. I knew once he did that he wasn’t going to let me in again. I worried he wouldn’t let anyone in for a long time
How could things have changed so quickly? We’d been so happy. I’d told him my secret. I’d thought… Now I was going to have to go back to being exactly what my father had wanted unless I wanted to go back to Italy and demand my mother tell the truth and compensate me. Either way, Blade wouldn’t be with me.
“What if the guy comes back here? He might think I’m still at Blade’s cabin, and if Blade isn’t ready to defend himself…”
“Don’t worry,” Ghost said. “We’ll make sure Blade is as secure as you are.”
I didn’t say anything else on the way to the house. My chest ached, and my stomach was doing flip-flops. I didn’t want to lose Blade. Rhys had been right. I loved him, and now it might be too late to tell him.
“Head up to your room,” TJ said when we were in the house. “We’re going to have a strategy meeting, and we don’t want to worry about you wandering off.”
I scowled at him. “If there’s a strategy meeting, I’m going.”
Ghost frowned. “I don’t think—”
“I want to be part of this. I don’t know what my cousins told you about me, but I am capable of defending myself. I’m a damn good shot, and I’m good at hiding. I’m not some defenseless kid you need to watch over.”
“Grant won’t like this.” Ghost looked at TJ, and TJ shrugged.
“Jacob would approve,” I said. “Grant should still be in bed. I don’t think he wants to argue with Jacob about whether I can be at this meeting.”
TJ chuckled. “Damn, you’ve really figured out how things work around here. Come on. It’s better if you’re with us so we can keep an eye on you.”
“I’m not going to run again.” Not unless I was running away with Blade.
I followed TJ and Ghost downstairs to the basement. “You have an underground lair?”
TJ grinned. “Of course we do.”
We arrived at the same time as Rogue, who at least had the decency to pat me on the shoulder in commiseration. When I stepped through the door of the meeting room, my jaw dropped. There was an oval table in the center and monitors all around. It looked like a war room from a superhero movie.
“Am I dreaming?”
Rogue chuckled. “Nope. When X planned out this place, he got a little dramatic.”