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“You’ve seen my life now,” Diggs began. “You’ve seen the literal worst parts of it. So, tell me you wanna go back to your old life, and you will. Tell me you wanna start over somewhere no one from my world can find you, and we’ll make it happen.” His eyes searched my face for a moment, his voice twisting in something close to a plea when he said, “Or tell me you meant it—tell me you can handle who I really am—and I’ll never let you go again.”
“I can handle you,” I said undoubtedly. “But I can’t handle being repeatedly pushed away by you.” Tears burned the backs of my eyes, and my words came out strangled when I said, “I love you, but my heart can’t take that anymore.”
Clearing his throat, he gave a hesitant nod as if realizing his words weren’t enough, as if he’d just realized how badly I’d been hurt by his words and actions before everything had fallen apart between us.
He shifted forward to press his lips to my forehead for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling away. “I fucked up with you in so many ways, but don’t write us off yet. Give us one more chance.”
I just nodded because I’d never been the one to write us off.
From the beginning, that’d been him.
DIGGS
We would go back to our homes...eventually. For now, we needed a place big enough to house us while we waited for the remaining KSG to retaliate, so we were still holed up at Holloway.
Autumn was sure they wouldn’t.
Not with the numbers they’d lost. Not with the significant members—the boss and underboss being two of them.
And then there was her. No one trusted Autumn enough just yet to leave her alone. Sure, she was how I’d gotten my information on Willow during those days, but we would’ve gotten Willow with or without Autumn’s help. And with the way she’d turned on us at the end so we would spare Lachlan...well, simply put, Conor was standing guard outside her bedroom door, and Dare had taken her phone.
I didn’t care where we were; I would’ve been right there no matter what house or apartment we were in. In a chair beside the bed Willow was asleep in. Knee anxiously bouncing as I waited for her to wake.
She was fine. Conor had said for how bad her injuries must’ve been, Keane Street had taken care of her surprisingly well. Autumn had been offended at the surprisingly but confirmed everything they’d done for Willow. But all that pain, healing, and stress from the night we’d come for her would’ve made for an intense crash. Mixed with the pain reliever Conor had given her, I wasn’t surprised she’d been asleep for over twelve hours.
But they’d been the longest twelve hours of my life because I had no idea where we’d stand once she woke.
My fault. I knew.
But I couldn’t lose the girl in front of me.
I glanced at my phone when it vibrated and looked over the message from Maverick. Tapping out a response, I hit send just as Willow shifted, her breath hitching and eyelids slowly blinking open, revealing those stunning green eyes.
“Hey,” I said when she relaxed against the pillows with a heavy exhale, voice thick with my unknowns and worries.
“Hey yourself,” she rasped, the corner of her full lips twitching into the beginnings of a smirk before falling into a startled frown. “I can’t move my legs.”
“There’s a giant ass dog on you.”
Willow twisted to look at where the Irish Wolfhound was spread across the entire foot of the bed and draped over her legs, affection and something like guilt warring in her eyes as she reached over to pet the dog’s head.
“She likes everyone...loved when Lily and Libby gave her a bath. But she’s protective of you,” I informed her, jerking my chin at the dog when I explained, “Won’t let me closer to you than I am now.”
Willow’s brow furrowed at the news, and with another scratch to the dog’s head, she relaxed on the bed again. “Lachlan must’ve said something to her—given her a command I didn’t hear,” she said slowly, carefully. “I was trying to figure that out on the way back here. He could make me her target, but she still came with me like she knew to stay with me in dangerous situations, even when he was in trouble.”
A grunt of irritation rose in my throat as I thought about the fresh brand on her shoulder and the way Lachlan Keane had tried taking this girl from me.
“Lachlan...” I began, drawing his name out as if it tasted bitter rolling off my tongue, “you saw what he did the other night. Had his crew go for the wives and kids.” I tipped my head at her. “That’s what happens in my world. People you love are used against you to destroy you. To force you into retreating or giving up.
“I’ve watched my family nearly fall apart after Dare’s fiancée was murdered in retaliation for something that never even happened,” I told Willow gravely. “I’ve seen the crippling devastation in my brother’s eyes when he realized Einstein had been taken—when he thought she was dead.”
Shock coated Willow’s expression, but I continued before she could ask. “Enemies will always go after the person you love most because they’re your weakness, and I swore I would never have one. I swore to never put anyone in that kind of danger.” I scrubbed my hands over my face and leaned forward, resting my arms on my legs and clasping my hands tightly. “And then that vow turned into an outright fear the night I almost died.”
Willow’s eyes widened with horror, her full lips parting slightly as her chest caved from her heaving exhale. “What?”
“My scars—” I cleared my throat, my head slanting as I prepared to tell her everything I’d avoided all this time. “You’ve asked about them. They’re—well, it’s even more fucked now because of who your boyfriend was, but I swear I didn’t know until the other night.”
“I know,” she said on a breath. “I could see the way it shocked all of you.”
