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Then she jumps up from the couch and darts out of the room.
My chest is carved out, aching. This is worse than anything I’ve felt, watching the woman I love suffer. Blaming herself for something that isn’t her fault. Being tortured over and over by the same sadistic monster.
“Fuck.” I need to be with her.
I’m on my feet, about to run after Ari, when I remember Cole and Finn.
They both stand, wearing matching sympathetic expressions. “I’m sorry,” Cole says. “I know this is hard.”
“It’s too much for her,” I grit out, teeth grinding, spikes of pain shooting through my jaw. “Even if we can keep her safe, this is going to break her.” My heart wrenches, the pain stealing my breath. “I need to dosomething.”
Finn’s expression is stormy. “It’s fucked up,” he agrees, his voice rough.
Cole meets my gaze. “It won’t be too much longer. Once the trial is over—”
Rage flares again. “That’s weeksfrom now. And in the meantime, Ari has to suffer over and over? I have to watch the woman I love in pain, apologizing to me for this sick fuck trying to have her killed?”
Before either of them can speak, I know what I’m going to do. “I’m going to see Morgan.”
“If you confront Kyle, it could backfire,” Cole warns. “It could affect the case. Or he could get more aggressive.”
“Not Kyle,” I snap. “His father. I have enough contacts in the city to impact his business dealings. He needs to know what will happen if he doesn’t get his son under control.”
Fuck. I should have done this already.
Cole’s expression is skeptical, but he says, “If you want backup, just say the word.”
I lift my chin at him. “Thanks.”
And now that I have a plan, I need to go to Ari.
“I’ve got to—” I glance in the direction of the stairs. “Can you let yourself out?”
Cole and Finn nod in unison. “Of course.”
“Go,” Cole says. “We’ll be fine. Go take care of your woman.”
My woman. Who is probably crying upstairs, wondering where I am. Blaming herself.
She needs me.
Chapter 19
ARI
This is the worst I’ve ever felt in my life.
I can’t stop crying.
The tears keep coming, torrents of them, my eyes are swollen and burning. Horrible, gasping, painful sobs keep tearing out; it feels like my heart is ripping out of my chest. My breaths are coming in stuttering little gasps, fast enough to make me lightheaded.
But the pain. Oh, God. Cash.
Every time I think I’m getting a handle on my tears, the same thought comes crashing back.Cash could have died because of me.
And then the sobs erupt all over again.
I’m on Cash’s bed and being here makes it even worse. Because I catch his smell, or I remember this morning, before everything went so bad, and I want to go back there so badly. To pretend none of this ever happened.
