“Sami—”
“Stop!Stop caring.For both our sakes.”
“But—”
Sami ran.The door crashed into Baz’s shoulder as he followed.All he saw was Sami disappearing into the crowd of plaintiffs.Gone.
Fuck.
Baz clutched the doorframe.He gasped for air, squeezed his burning eyes shut.If he had picked up the goddamned phone after Eevee told him, if he hadn’t been so obsessed with himself… And now Sami was hurting, losing a fight with Ian that Baz had no idea about, that he couldn’t fix.And Ianknew, a-and…
“Baz?”Aya’s voice was soft, somehow in front of him.“Hey.It’s okay.”
Nothing was okay.He’d ruined everything, got Sami into who knew how much trouble—
“Whatever just happened, let it go,” Aya said.How could he?He deserved to be haunted by the look on Sami’s face, deserved every ounce of this soul-shattering pain.
“I messed up.Sami, he…”
“We’ll fix it later.”
Baz shook his head.That wasn’t possible.“He hates me.”
“I’m sure he just needs space to cool down like you did.”
But what if he was in danger?Because of Baz…
Aya snapped her fingers in front of his face.Baz flinched and met her eyes.
“Listen to me.The hearing is about to start, and I need you to focus, or you will regret it.This is your chance, Baz.You can win the case and put Ian in his place.That’s what you want, right?Don’t throw it away.”
He already had.By being the most self-absorbed idiot on this planet.He had been so busy considering all the ways in which Sami could screw him over, he hadn’t once stopped to consider what was on the line for him.
No wonder Sami hadn’t confided in him about Ian after Baz accused Sami of the worst over and over again, hurting him.The way Baz acted, he wouldn’t trust himself either.
He drew a shaky breath.Giving Sami space was the least he could do.As long as he kept Ian busy at court, he couldn’t harm Sami.Maybe he could buy Sami some time and kick Ian’s ass on behalf of both of them.Or would that get Sami into even more trouble?Would Ian think Sami had fed him information?
If I find out you told him anything, you’re done for.What did that mean?
“Ready?”Aya asked.
No.Far from it, but Baz didn’t have a choice.He swallowed against the tightness in his throat.Forced himself to nod.
“Come on.Let’s give them hell.”Aya inclined her head toward their courtroom, nodded encouragingly like that would make things better.Baz spared a last glance over his shoulder.Sami was long gone.
Chapter twenty-six
Bazdidnotgivethem hell.He was in hell, however; the winds of the second circle fanned the flames of regret that reduced every thought that didn’t revolve around Sami to ash.
His opening argument was an out-of-body experience.Gun to his head, it would go off before he could recall any of it.He tried to focus, really did, prayed muscle memory and good prep would get him through.It did, sort of.But then it was Ian’s turn.
When he spoke about the different types of cancers the plaintiffs were diagnosed with, Baz’s brain plagued him with the agony in Sami’s eyes, the fear Ian had evoked in him.
When Ian went after Vanessa Martinez, exemplifying her non-typical cancer progression that had caused the amputations of her toes, all Baz could hear was Sami’s voice in his head:Screw ups will not be tolerated, and every screw up is Sami’sfault.
The predatory nature of his employment had never been a secret, yet Baz had done nothing.No wonder Sami ran away from him.
Aya saved his ass multiple times when he didn’t hear the judge’s question, too lost in the world of what never would be again.And Ian dared to smirk at him like everything was going to plan.Hell, if Ian had planned for this, down to the show in the bathroom, man, he deserved the fucking win.
