"There is no we."
The words come out harder than I mean. I watch them hit. Watch her flinch.
I want to take them back. I don't.
"Not out there. What we had here—in this cottage—it was real. But it can't survive outside these walls." I force myself to hold her gaze. "You were an assignment, Eden. I was supposed to keep you alive until the trial. That's it. That's all this was ever supposed to be."
The blood drains from her face.
Good. Let her hate me. Hate is easier to survive than what comes next.
"You don't mean that."
"I mean every word." The lie scrapes my throat raw. "You needed to feel safe. I gave you that. But what you're feeling? That's just gratitude. It's not love."
Every word is a knife. Cutting me as deep as it cuts her. But I keep my face still. Keep my voice steady. She can't know what this is costing me or she'll fight harder.
"That's not—" She stops. Pulls herself straighter. When she speaks again, her voice has gone cold. "So that's it. The DA says jump and you say how high. You're not even going to fight."
"Fight for what? The right to get you killed?"
"Fight for us!"
"You promised me." The word comes out broken. "Last night. In the dark. You said you'd be there—every step. You said Crow and you would be right behind us. You promised."
The words hit like bullets. I remember saying it. Remember the way she relaxed against me when I did. The way she finally let herself believe she wasn't going to be alone.
And now I'm breaking that promise while she watches.
Us. The word guts me. There was an us. For eight days, there was an us. And I'm the one putting it in the ground.
I could keep fighting. Could dig in, make Rodriguez back down, force my way into that courthouse.
And then what? Every camera in Atlanta captures the orc who's been "guarding" the witness. Defense attorneys have a field day. The jury sees exactly what Rodriguez predicted—a monster standing behind their star witness. Venetti's people spin it into coercion, intimidation, reasonable doubt.
He walks. More people die. And Eden spends the rest of her life running, knowing my pride cost her everything.
I can't do that to her. Even if she hates me for it.
"This ends here." Quieter now. Worse. "There's you, about to be brave. And there's me, making sure nothing gets in your way. That's all this ever was."
"You're lying."
"I'm protecting you."
"Bullshit." She steps toward me. Gets in my face. "This isn't protection. This is fear. You're using her—" She points at Rodriguez. "—as an excuse to run."
She's shaking now. Hurt and fury warring in every line of her body.
"You told me some things have to break before they can be fixed. So which is it, Diesel? Are you breaking me to fix me—or breaking us to fix yourself?"
I don't answer. Can't. Because she's right. She's so fucking right and I can't let her know it.
"If you're going to end this, at least tell me the real reason."
The real reason.
Because I let someone love me once and got him killed. I'll die before I do the same to you.
