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He snorted. “If it’s any consolation, I’ve weathered that storm. You’ll be fine.”
Cutter shrugged like he didn’t care. Not surprising since he obviously felt as if his heart had been ripped out. “Whatever. You didn’t come here to hear my sad-sack problems. So why did you drive all this way?”
“For Brea. I’m flying to Mexico tonight. I need your help to keep her safe.” He explained the situation with Montilla, along with his plan.
Bryant swore under his breath. “Are you crazy? That’s a suicide mission.”
He’d put the best spin possible on his scheme for Brea, but he couldn’t bullshit Cutter. “Probably. I maybe have a one-in-ten chance of walking out of this alive.”
“Then why do it?”
“Because there’s no damn life I want to live anymore without her and our baby in the center of it. Either I make us whole and safe or I’m out of the picture and she goes on.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Cutter was offering to risk his life? Yeah, probably for Brea’s sake. But it still shocked One-Mile. “Thanks, but I need you to watch over her. Keep pretending you’re engaged to her. Pretend the baby is yours. And if I don’t make it back, do what you’ve done all her life and take care of her.”
“By marrying her?”
He tried not to seize up. “I know it’s not your first choice. It’s definitely not mine. But if you have to…”
“You hate me and yet you’re trusting me?”
He shrugged. “You hate me, too. But I know you love her like you’d love a sister. You’ll keep her out of harm’s way. I rewrote my will and life insurance policies this morning. Logan has all the paperwork. Everything I own goes to her. So even if she doesn’t have me, she’ll have money. Just protect her from Montilla. If you can, keep the town from ripping her to shreds. And don’t let her fall apart.”
Thankfully, Bryant didn’t hesitate. “I’ll always do everything I can to protect her.”
“Her dad probably knows by now that she’s pregnant.”
“Fuck. He’ll know it’s not mine.”
Worry twisted One-Mile’s guts. “Is there any chance he’ll disown her? She didn’t seem to think so, but…”
“She’s been worried about it, but no. He loves her too much.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Good. If Brea has both of you, she should be set, no matter what.”
“And maybe this is a good thing. She’s needed to stand her ground with her daddy for a long time. Now that she has a reason to, I’m hoping she will.” Cutter grimaced at the bright sunlight slanting in through the windshield as the car veered slightly west, toward the setting sun. “What’s next?”
“I’m catching a private flight to Mexico City in a couple of hours. From there, I’ll put out feelers to locate Montilla. I’ve got some cash to throw around and a few favors I can call in. That should help.”
“Exit here. I’m parked in the lot on the right.”
One-Mile followed his directions and quickly pulled up beside Cutter’s truck. “Here you go.”
Bryant climbed out of his Jeep and grabbed his duffel from the back. “It’s no secret I don’t like you and that I don’t like what you’ve done to Brea. But I respect the hell out of what you’re doing to keep her safe. I’ll do my part, no worries. For her sake, I’ll hope you come back. Good luck, man.”
Then Cutter was gone.
One-Mile watched the guy start his vehicle and head out of the lot before he steered back to the airport for the most important—and dangerous—mission of his life.
Brea barely slept that night. By now, Pierce would be in Mexico. Since he’d left his phone behind to make sure no one could track it, she couldn’t call or text him one last time. In fact, he’d told her to go on, live her life, and be happy.
She didn’t know how she would without him, but he had made her promise, so she had to try. Besides, if she wanted to keep herself and the baby safe, she had to act as if her heart belonged to Cutter.
And to maintain her sanity today, she’d had to turn off her cell. Until she’d done that, it hadn’t stopped ringing with requests for comment and infuriating gotcha questions.
With a tired sigh, she emerged from her house. Her white compact was surrounded by a small crowd of strangers with cameras and portable microphones.
She marched to her car, glad for the chill that made wearing a big, concealing poncho necessary. “No comment.”
“What do you think about your fiancé cheating with one of the hottest stars in Hollywood?” one man barked at her.
“Rumor has it you and Cutter are continuing with your wedding plans. Because you’re pregnant? Or because Shealyn West dumped him?”
Another woman thrust a mic in her face. “How awful do you feel knowing that your fiancé took a more beautiful woman to bed?”
