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I pass the waiting room and see the worried eyes of everyone in our group watching me. Chloe looks miserable as she tries to calm Thad. Even Serena is in the room, sitting alone. Raven runs to my side and places her hand on my arm.
“Robbie, she has a good reason. Please don’t screw this up. She’s going to need you.”
Finally, I lose it. “Screw this up? Is that what you said? I’m going to screw this up?”
“I loved this girl with everything I have. My plan was to make a future with the one w
oman that could bring me to my knees. And she did that! By betraying me. Trust is everything. Everything! She didn’t trust me. So now, I’m going to interrogate my own girlfriend, who didn’t believe in me. I’m going to get her out of here, and who knows what happens next? I want to hold her in my arms and never let go, but at the same time, I can’t stand to look at her.”
Raven’s eyes flood with tears, and Declan grabs her tight. “Man, we all know you’re hurting, but don’t talk to her like that.”
“Then tell her to mind her own fucking business.”
I walk away as sobs fill the small hallway. Not one of them calms me down.
Ember eyes me warily when I enter the small room. Her eyes rim with tears when I look to the lawyer and motion for him to go. She nods and he leaves, but not before throwing me a stern look.
I sit down and stare at her in silence, not trusting myself to speak. After several long seconds, I finally talk.
“Tell me what happened. Word for word.”
“Robbie, I am so sorry. You have to know I did this to protect you. If anything would have happened —”
“Ember, tell me what happened.” My tone is harsh, and she starts to shake. It takes a few minutes for her to compose herself, but then she spills. Every single tear hurts, but her words cause pain. When she tells me about her real reason for visiting Natalie, I start pacing. She had every opportunity to talk to me and chose not to. Anger bleeds into rage. My insides burn with betrayal. Her broken voice keeps talking, and I force myself to listen. When she finishes, she’s a broken mess. Her sobs fill the room, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“How’d you get all the money?”
I growl when she tells me her final payment came from selling a few of her sketches through Randy’s connections.
“You have to understand,” she cries. “He was going to hurt the people I love. You were at the top of the list. I couldn’t let it happen!”
I finally lose my shit. “I work in high-tech security! I carry a gun! My life has been about protecting! WHY DIDN’T YOU COME TO ME?”
“I told you! He threatened you! He threatened Cruz, Alex, Raven, Declan, everyone! I had to listen to him!” her voice cracks as she yells. “I love you too much to take the chance that something would happen to you! Look at what Natalie did to my dad!”
A loud banging from outside the room startles us both. She slinks back into her chair in fear. I open the door to see Thad being held back. He’s furious. His eyes meet mine with pure pain. He must have been listening to our conversation with my dad.
I close the door and look at her frightened face. My heart leads me straight to her. She wails. Her hands clutch at my arms, her nails leaving marks. Her body vibrates so hard it takes us both to the floor. She holds me so tight I think my blood flow stops on my arms. But I give her this. I give her what she needs. Truth be told, I need this as much. To feel her body against mine. Know she’s okay. Know she’s still that broken girl I met so many months ago.
She cries openly as I lift her to the chair and stay by her side, rubbing a hand down her back. “You’re going to be released in about thirty minutes. Thad and Chloe are taking you to their place.”
“Why?”
“I’ve got some shit to handle.”
“I’ll have them take me to my car. I’d prefer to go home.”
“Do what you want, but I think your family wants to talk to you. You owe them an explanation.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but then closes it, nodding.
“When will you be home?”
“I’m not sure, but maybe you could stay at their house tonight.”
“What? Why?”
The look of pain on her face would normally hurt me just as much, but I’m hollow.
