Page 102 of Branded Betrayal

“What you know right now is dangerous. And if the wrong people catch wind of it, they’ll act immediately to silence any threats.” He lets out a defeated sigh. “That’s why I didn’t warn you sooner. The less you knew, the safer you’d be. And I couldn’t have another person’s death on my conscience.”

A chill whispers over my skin. “What’s going to happen tonight?”

He puts his hand on my shoulder. “Please. Just trust me and go.”

My pulse explodes against my throat as I rush for the hospital elevator. I dart through the doors just as they close and collapse against the side wall so nobody passing by can see me.

I couldn’t face Wyatt after that exchange. The shock on his face said it all. He was as clueless as I was.

My skull rattles with scattered thoughts. They fly around my head like daggers, digging in deep, each one contributing to the agonizing headache now plaguing me.

What the hell was Harlon doing just now by telling me to leave? I don’t know if he’s full of shit or actually trying to be helpful. Either way, I’m not going anywhere.

Ironically, I’m here to take control of something that might have grown out of all the lies and secrets I’m running from right now.

The elevator doors slide open, and I step into the hall, a hand pressed to my forehead. I lean against the cool cinder block wall and let out a shuddering breath. I just need a minute to calm down and think before I—

“Savannah, thank God you’re here.”

I choke on a breath and am pushing away from the wall when I see Blaze running toward me.

“Don’t come any closer.”

His dark hair hangs over his eyes. Regret and remorse glow in the depths. But it’s too little, way too late. “We need to talk.”

“There are no words that can explain why you let me grieve my parents, by myself, while you knew you were one of the reasons why they died.”

Hospital workers and visitors pass us. All watching and listening to our raised voices. Blaze looks around and moves closer to me. “Can we go outside?”

“Like I care if you’re embarrassed to have the whole town hear what a lying, scheming criminal you are.” I fold my arms over my chest. “Say whatever you have to say right here.”

“I was only trying to protect you. I swear.”

“By lying? By letting me blame myself? By keeping that horrible secret from me all of this time?”

His eyes harden for a second. “I’m not the only one who kept that secret, Savvie. Remember that.”

“But you’re the one I was in love with. The one who was supposed to be in love with me too. The one I’d have hoped would always be honest with me. Instead, you lied, and then you left, knowing what you did and how devastated I was. You didn’t give a damn about me at all. And you still don’t.”

“That is not true at all,” he says, shock seeping into his expression. “I care about you so much. I never stopped.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t really believe anything you say now, Blaze. And that’s on you.”

“I replay that night in my head over and over and over,” he says in a choked voice. “And it kills me more every time. I had to leave after that. I had to get away to save you. But I also couldn’t face you after what I’d done.”

“So you let me face it alone.” Fury claws up the sides of my throat, and I step toward him. “Well, since we’re being honest, you want to talk about facing things alone? You weren’t there when I lost our baby either.”

The color slides off Blaze’s skin, and in seconds, he’s as white as the walls surrounding us.

“When you what?”

“I was pregnant when you left. I found out afterward. And I lost the baby three months later in Denver. Alone. In a hospital. By myself.”

Blaze just stares at me, open lipped like he wants to say something but there are just no words.

“So don’t you dare talk to me about not being able to face things. I faced everything alone. My parents’ deaths. You leaving me. Losing our baby.”

My shoulders shake. Blaze’s face blurs through the sea of tears in my eyes.