“She doesn’t belong with you! Look at her. She was safe until she got involved with you.”
“You son of a bitch!” I broke free from Jace long enough to crack Mathew’s jaw.
“Enough!” Blake’s voice boomed like a gunshot.
“Get out of my house,” I snarled between pants.
Mathew touched his split lip, blood trickling down his chin. His eyes found Dakota’s. “I’m going to win her back.”
White-hot fury exploded behind my eyes. Every muscle in my body coiled, ready to launch across the room and drive my fist through Mathew’s goddamn face. I wanted to feel his nose break under my knuckles. Wanted to wipe that smug expression off his bloodied mouth permanently. Rearrange his dental work while I was at it. Give him something to remember me by every time he smiled in the mirror.
I took a step forward, violence singing in my veins.
But then I caught sight of Dakota out of my peripheral vision. Still bleeding. Still fragile. Stillmineto protect.
If I lost control now, if I gave in to the primal need to destroy Mathew, I’d be abandoning her when she needed me most. He’d probably get me arrested, put in jail for the night.
I forced myself to stay rooted in place, every fiber of my being screaming in protest. My hands clenched into fists so tight, myknuckles went white. The taste of copper filled my mouth from biting back the words I wanted to snarl.
Jace and Ryker flanked me, sensing how close I was to snapping, but it wasn’t them holding me back anymore.
It was her.
Mathew stepped into the elevator, never breaking eye contact, that bastard’s smile still plastered across his face. “I’ll call you later, Dakota.”
The doors closed on his smug, bloodied face, and I nearly put my fist through the wall instead.
I turned back to Dakota and froze.
Which was when I registered the fresh look of horror painted across her features. I followed her gaze to the influencers, who had their phones out. Recording every moment of what had happened, evidently.
The influencers exchanged glances, practically salivating over the drama.
Dakota’s carefully curated fairy-tale image was crumbling in real time, and they were documenting every second.
43
BREAKING: SOME CONFESSIONS REQUIRE BLOOD LOSS TO UNLOCK. #PAINFULTRUTHS
DAKOTA
“Absolutely not.” I gripped the doorframe as Axel bent toward me, his arms already positioning to lift me. “I can walk.”
“Blake said better safe than sorry. You might get dizzy and fall.”
I shot a desperate look at my supposed friends, searching for backup. Jace suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. Tessa examined her manicure like it held the secrets of the universe. Even Scarlett was avoiding eye contact.
Traitors. All of them.
If Blake hadn’t rushed ahead to the ER to prep supplies, maybe I could’ve reasoned with him about his ridiculous no-walking decree. But, no, Dr. Blake had spoken, and apparently, everyone had decided to pledge allegiance to his medical tyranny.
Before I could voice any of this, Axel swept me up against his chest like I weighed nothing. “Arms around my neck, Sunshine.”
“This is ridiculous.” But my traitorous body betrayed me, arms looping around him as he carried me toward the elevator.His heart hammered against my ribs. Or maybe that was mine. “Put me down.”
“No.”
“Axel.”
