“Max, please,” she called out as I turned away, and I froze at the sound of her voice. “Don’t leave.”
I wanted to run. Needed to run.
But I couldn’t leave her. Not yet.
When she reached me, her hand brushed my shoulder, tugging me to face her.
I went slowly, schooling my expression as best I could. Trying to hide the way my body was reacting to everything.
Fighting to hide how I burned on the inside.
“What is going on with you?”
Her concerned gaze only made it worse. Each time I looked at her eyes, all I saw was the picture he’d sent. The playing card. The fallen would-be Queen.
I shut my eyes.
“God, Max. Please just talk to me.” She gripped the lapels of my suit jacket and tugged, and when I opened my eyes, hers begged me to hear her. “I don’t understand why you’re shutting me out.”
But I couldn’t explain it.
And I couldn’t hear her. I couldn’t hear past the blood rushing in my ears, or see a way forward. Not past the rage burning everything to the ground.
My future. My chance with her.
My hope.
I’d ruined all of it.
Time to pay the piper, little brother.
“No.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I don’t understand, Max.”
“There’s no point going in circles over this, Quinn.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“That’s the only thing I can call you.” I set my jaw, staring down at her. “Because you need to leave.”
“Why?” she demanded, refusing to listen. She never fucking listened, and she was going to get herself killed for it. “Tell mewhy, Max!”
“Because it’s not safe here for you anymore!” I shouted, growling my frustration as I yanked at my hair. “God, don’t youget it? How clearly can I say it? You don’t belong here, and the longer you stay, the harder you’re making all of this. You just need to get out of here!”
My body caught fire. Sweat beaded at my temples, my palms grew slick and the urge to heave rose in my throat.
“You don’t mean that!” She released me but she shook her head, refusing to quit. “Is this about what happened with?—”
“No. And don’t you speak of that again, do you understand me?” My tone caught her off guard. It surprised us both, but she stepped back. “I’m about two seconds from making sure you have no choice.”
“No choice? What does that even mean, Max?”
“No choice but to leave.”
“That’s not up to you, Max!”
“It is if I vote in favor of the statute. It is if I tell them you can’t compete.”
