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"But - I mean… I can't live at the safehouse forever."
"I mean, you probably could, if you wanted to. But we provide new identities and money to start over. A form of witness protection, almost. And if you go that route, we stay in touch to make sure you're safe."
"But if I choose that route, I can't ever see my dad again?"
"Correct. It would blow your cover."
“And if I blow my cover and see my dad, I can’t ever see… any of you again?”
His expression pinches. “Correct.”
My stomach turns. I hadn't realized I'd have to choose. I can't imagine Carter would cut himself off from his brother, so he'll probably take the new identity route so he can stick around. Which means I'd have to pick between my dad and Carter. Between my dad and… Jake.
It should be an easy fucking decision. He's my dad. But I'm no longer the same man that was his son.
"It's not something you need to worry about anytime soon, Case. And we're keeping an eye on your dad. He's safe. We won't let him nose around anywhere too dangerous."
I nod, feeling a little better. At least he's safe. At least he won't end up dead or something trying to find his son who may not want to be found.
"I need to leave again. Travis and I need to… sort some things out. I might be late. Your food is in a metal warming container, so don't rush your bath, okay?"
I nod again, words suddenly a foreign concept to me. I was feeling so good just a few minutes ago, relaxing in the bath with a book, acting like a normal person. It was stupid of me to do that. To let myself forget my reality.
The minute I hear Jake close the door, I get out of the bath and put the book away. My stomach recoils at the thought of food, so I ignore the tray. I lay curled up on my side in my spot on the bed, staring at the floor beside it for a long time. I hate myself for having the urge to go down there and kneel.
I don’t manage to actually fall asleep before Jake returns, my head too clouded with thoughts I wish would go away. Our eyes meet when he first walks in, gazes locking for longer than they probably should before he eventually looks away.
“I-” he pauses, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration. Then he pulls a vibrating phone out of his pocket. “I have to take this. Excuse me.”
He’s in the bathroom with the door shut before I can manage to respond. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but I can hear his tone. He’s upset. I was a slave long enough to recognize that sound. He’s agitated and angry and at the end of his rope. If he was my master, I’d be fucking terrified. As it is, my heart is still pounding with latent fear.
There’s a long stretch of silence before he emerges from the bathroom. I’m sitting up now, the blankets pooled around my waist. He doesn’t even look over at me as he walks to the bedside table and tries to plug his phone in. He’s having trouble.
His hands are shaking.
Why are his hands shaking?
“Jake?”
“Things are going to happen quickly now,” he says, his voice tight. He drops his phone to the table with a sigh, not plugged in, and walks to his closet. I expect him to disappear inside of it, but he just stands there staring into the darkness. “Maison will pretend to try to sneak onto the property tomorrow. He’ll be caught. Travis will point out how fucking stupid that was and Maison will say no one would agree to give him backup so he came alone hoping he’d get the chance to show Carter that he at least tried to save him. He’ll say he couldn’t just keep sitting at home doing nothing. It’ll be believable enough for the men to buy it. Hell, it’s practically the fucking truth. No one did let him save Carter.”
I swear my eyes must bulge out of my head. How did I not know this was part of the overall plan? “Won’t they kill him?”
“They’ll plan to, yes.” Jake yanks at his tie, the movement startlingly violent. “But they'll want to play with him first.”
My stomach turns. I know what it’s like to be played with by men like the ones in this place. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Especially not the man in charge of the team that saved both Carter and me. “You won’t let that happen though… right?”
“Casey.” Jake turns, leaning his back against the doorframe and running a hand through his hair. He looks fucking wrecked. “I’ll be one of the men playing with him.”
The words cause me to jerk back, each syllable a knife to my chest.
“No,” I growl, the ferocity in my voice taking both of us by surprise. I don’t care though. I repeat it. “No. You won’t.”
Jake swallows hard, looking away from me to focus on the buttons of his dress shirt. “Travis will hurt him for a bit, then walk away saying he’s going to fuck Carter. It’ll be an emotional hit. But then the rest of the men will want turns, and I’ll be there to watch over him. I’ll probably wait until the end and tell them I’m going to use him before putting him away. They’ll all leave then, so I won’t need to… rape him. But I’ll be there for when they all take turns. Watching. Making sure no one goes too far. Making sure he stays alive.”
It’s better, at least. I’m not sure I would have been able to ever look at Jake again if he became a rapist.
Except…
