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“Please,” I beg. If he leaves me behind, I’ll never forgive him.
“I want you to stay here with Channing. I need you to stay here, okay? Don’t fight me on this, Mia.”
“But—"
“I need to go.” He hooks his arm around my neck and drops a kiss on my head as tears spill freely down my cheeks. “I love you, Mia.”
“Don’t do this,” I cry, twisting my fingers into his t-shirt. “Please, I’m begging you.”
Bexley nods to Channing over my shoulder, and strong arms tug me away from him.
“No,” I shriek. “NO!”
“Shh, Mia, it’s okay,” Channing whispers in my ear, but I feel like I’m breaking in half, splintering apart at the seams. “I’ll never forgive you for this,” I roar, watching Bexley as he grabs his keys off the sideboard and makes for the door. “I mean it, Bexley. Walk out of here and we’re done. We’re done.” I don’t even know if I mean the words, but the agony of him leaving me—denying me the right to be a part of this—is too overwhelming.
He hesitates, his remorseful glare settling on me.
“Go,” Channing says. “I’ve got her.”
I thrash against his hold, but he’s too big, too strong for a girl like me. “Go,” he hisses, and Bexley gives him a sharp nod and slips out of the cabin.
Taking my broken heart with him.
* * *
I ignore Channing for the next couple of hours despite his attempts at engaging me in conversation. I’m too pissed at him to reply.
“You can’t ignore me forever,” he says, tapping at something on his cell. Part of me wants to ask if he’s heard from Bexley, but the other part isn’t sure I want to know.
“I’m going to lay down.” Because there sure as hell isn’t anything else to do here.
“Mia, wait.” His voice gives me pause, and I glance back. “I know you hate me right now, but it was the right call.”
“How can you say that?” I turn slowly.
“Because if it were Sasha in danger, I would have hidden her away too.”
“Cade assaulted me. He raped and defiled me. He killed my parents…” My chest heaves, pain wracking through me. “He left me for dead, Channing… he did that. And he’s out there, taunting us, showing us he’s still the one in control. I just want it done. I want it over.”
“I know.” Channing gets up and inches toward me. “But it’s not that simple. Q—"
“Q can go to hell for all I care. They let this happen. They stood by and—" A tsunami of tears overwhelms me, drowning out my words. Channing closes the remaining distance between us and pulls me into his arms. “Shh. I got you. I got you, Mia.”
“If anything happens to him…”
“Easton can handle himself. If Q won’t step in and do what needs to be done, maybe this is the only way. And he has the guys to back him up.”
“You think they’ll help?”
“I know they will. Whether you want to accept it or not, Bexley is a born leader, Mia. He’s one of the only people I’ve ever seen stand up to Cade. That kind of power affects others. Given half a chance, it can effect change. Real change. The guys will follow him because that’s what they do.”
“I hate this. I hate all of it.”
“You’re strong, Mia. You’re so fucking strong. Don’t forget that. He needs you. He needs to know you’re safe.”
Channing’s words touch something deep inside of me. I don’t want to believe him, but he’s right. Bexley is born to lead. Whether he wants it or not, he possesses the power to command. But does he really stand a shot at changing things?
“Why don’t I make us something to eat and we can watch a movie or something, try to take your mind off things?”
