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I open my eyes. "What."
"Had the shoe been on the other foot and Scarlett been in your position, would you want her beatin' herself up and blamin' herself for what happened?"
I scoff. "Of course not."
"You didn't put your sister in danger. You didn't knock her unconscious and tie her up. You bear no responsibility for any of what happened. That's on the club."
I shake my head in protest. "Jake, no—"
He cuts me off by holding up his palm. "This is our burden to bear."
"I don't blame the club, Jake."
Jake's face softens. "I'm happy to hear that, sweetheart, but that doesn't change the fact that your safety is our responsibility, and we failed. For that, I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
"Appreciate the sentiment, darlin', but we'll have to agree to disagree." He leaves no room for arguing.
I take another sip of beer and slump against the sofa. "I'm sending Scarlett away," I say with a sigh. Jake regards me but doesn't say anything. "I called her boyfriend and asked him to fly to Polson, and I'm going to ensure she gets on the plane when he leaves."
"Does Scarlett know?"
"No."
"You think that's what she will want?"
"Doesn't matter. It's what's best. I need my sister safe, and being here with me isn't safe. Not right now, at least." Before Jake can protest, I add, "I didn't make this decision because I don't believe the club can keep her safe; I did so because Scarlett doesn't belong here with me."
“Darlin’."
I toss my hand up. "It's what's best. Besides, Scarlett is happiest when she's with Keith. And she can still go to design school, just not here."
"You said her man is a mechanic. The club has plenty of work, and we can use another hand around the shop." When I don't respond, Jake continues. "The day I held a gun to a man's head and you got on the back of my bike was when you chose to take back your life. The girl I first met was so unsure of herself, and lost. Yet, you were brave enough to take a chance."
I can't hold back the tears.
"Over the years, I have enjoyed watching that lost girl turn into a beautiful, confident, successful woman. A woman I am damn proud of." Jake leans in closer. "The problem now is, you've lost some of that confidence, because you've let your piece of shit father get inside your head, making you think you're not good enough. You've let yourself believe you failed her. If you send your sister away, your father wins." Jake stands and kisses the top of my head. "The Ember I know wouldn't stand for that." Jake walks away, leaving me a crying mess with his words swarming around in my head. He's right. Jake is always right.
I haven't allowed my parents to control me for years, and I'm not about to start now.
"Fuck." Scarlett will kill me when Keith shows up. She has no idea. I went through her phone last night, found his number and called him, and insisted he fly to Polson. He's been beside himself and missing Scarlett like crazy for days and didn't hesitate at my invitation. He told me he'd be on the next flight out of North Carolina. Now I have to think of how to smooth things with Scarlett when Keith shows up. She's missing him like crazy, but hasn't wanted to make a choice between being with him or me. This brings me back to Jake's earlier statement. Why can't she have both? The only question is, will Keith be willing to uproot his life for Scarlett?
Knowing I need to talk to my sister, I toss the blanket aside, stand from the couch, and walk inside. I see Scarlett lounging in a chair across the room, laughing at something Bellamy said. When her gaze lands on me, her face brightens. "Hey."
"Hey." I make my approach. "What's up, kiddo?" I ruffle Bellamy's hair.
"Hey, Ember." She stands from where she was sitting on the floor. "I'm going to find Lisa. She promised to show me how to make peanut butter cookies."
"Have fun." I watch her dash off searching for Lisa, then I turn back to Scarlett. "Can we talk?"
Her smile drops and is replaced with a look of worry. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes and no," I admit truthfully. "I did something that will possibly make you mad at me."
Scarlett's brow scrunches. "Mad at you?"
I nod. "I talked to Keith." The moment her boyfriend's name slips past my lips, her demeanor changes. "What! When? How did you get his number?"
