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I snatched the phone out of Sam's hands and threw it against the wall.
Sam took several steps back. His expression said it all. He was afraid of me.
I felt sick. It was all I could do not to throw up then and there.
"Mr. Wittier, my name is Ronan Grisham. Matias and Cruz work for me. As do all the men who are currently watching both of your sons to make sure nothing happens to them." I hated that Sam turned his attention to Ronan… that he actually listened to him. It felt like a betrayal, but I knew it was one I had earned with my behavior. I managed to keep silent as Ronan continued to explain to Sam what was happening in a way I couldn't.
"Cruz and Elliot don't yet know about these extra precautions we've taken. It would be better for them if they heard it upon their return to Seattle."
"Ryan?" was all Sam managed to get out. I could see that he was on the verge of completely losing it. I wanted to go to him, but I couldn't move. And I knew he wouldn't welcome the contact anyway.
"Ryan is safe. I have four men surrounding the home he’s at. When you're ready, we’ll escort you to him and then make sure to get you back home. All of this is just a precaution, Mr. Wittier. Chances are, nothing will happen, but we’re just being overly cautious."
"I want to see my son," Sam said softly. His eyes darted back and forth between me and Ronan. He was clearly on edge and I couldn't blame him. It was a lot to take in and he hadn't even heard the worst of it yet.
"Of course," Ronan said. I saw him hold out his arm invitingly, and that had me seeing red. Despite knowing that Ronan had no interest in Sam, I still found myself moving between them.
"He's coming with me."
Ronan wasn't the kind of guy you wanted to fuck with, but the idea of Sam leaving with him, of Sam trusting him over me, threatened to have my rage going to a whole new level. Whether he liked it or not, Sam was mine. Even if I’d destroyed the fragile relationship he and I had managed to establish, his safety was still my only concern. He could hate me all he wanted. As long as he was alive to do it, that was all that mattered to me at the moment.
I ignored Ronan and focused on Sam, daring him to defy me. I was expecting it. Despite some of the insecurities Sam had about himself, he’d stood up to me more than once already and I wasn't expecting that to change. Sam's gaze shifted back and forth between me and Ronan and then he shook his head. "I'm leaving," he murmured and then he was moving past the both of us.
I turned and headed for the door myself, stopping only long enough to say to Ronan, "He stays with me."
I was glad when Ronan didn't try to stop me. Though he was a formidable opponent, I had much more at stake. Neither he nor his men would keep me from what I needed to do.
And what I needed to do was protect Sam.
I refused to dwell on the other thoughts that went through my head when it came to what I wanted with Sam. I tried to tell myself it wasn't about gaining his forgiveness or understanding. It was far too late for that anyway, or it would be once Sam found out how precarious his situation had really become.
And all because I hadn't been able to keep my hands off him.
I forced all thoughts aside as I hurried to catch up to Sam. He was making his way down the walkway toward his car, ignoring the few men that were keeping an eye on the perimeter. Thankfully, I didn't hear any kind of command from behind me from Ronan for his men to stop me. Once I reached Sam, Ronan's guys were the least of my problems. Because the second I grabbed Sam's arm, he turned and hit me in the jaw with his fist. The blow wasn't enough to do much damage, but it did have me releasing him.
"Two weeks!" Sam screamed. "Two weeks! We had a deal, Matias. You said you wouldn’t walk out on me without saying goodbye!" Sam bit back a sob before continuing. "Two weeks I've been driving myself crazy with worry for you. The things I imagined…" He shook his head. "And then you come back with this!" He motioned to our surroundings.
For their part, Ronan's men kept their attention on the perimeter and not us, but one glance over my shoulder proved that we still had an audience in Ronan as well as the Barrettis.
