“But he loves me, Brekker. He’ll find me no matter where I am. There’s no place to run that he won’t be able to locate.”
“Like I said before, it’s toxic behavior. You deserve better.”
“Maybe I do,” I agree, “but I love him too.”
“He’s your stepbrother,” Brekker reminds me with one last effort to convince me that being with Gage is wrong. It’s a weak argument.
“We’re not related. Our parents met and got married while we were in high school. There’s nothing taboo about us being together.”
“You’ll lose the protection of WIT SEC,” he reminds me. “That means this life and any possibility in a future here will be ripped away.”
“I accept that. I’ve never wanted to be here, Brekker.”
“And your mom?”
“Leaving her here will be my only regret.”
He flinches like I’ve slapped him. “Jesus, Letty.”
“That’s not how I meant it. You know that.”
Brekker drops his hands and takes a few steps backward. He’s putting physical distance between us, but it’s also a wall that he won’t ever cross again. I lost him before I ever had him.
It makes me sad, but only because he doesn’t understand how I feel about Gage. Nothing will ever happen between us. He needs to know that.
“There’s no room for anyone else in my heart, Brekker. He takes up the whole space.”
“That’s sad.” He squares his shoulders. “I’ll be watching. With the possibility of a threat, I have to stay close.”
“I appreciate it.” I can tell he’s struggling to remain professional. “I’m sorry, Brekker.”
“Don’t.” He almost chokes on the word. “Don’t say that. It just makes it worse because I know it’s true.”
I nod. There’s nothing else to say.
“Go inside with your mom. She’s been anxious since I told her about the suspicious internet searches.”
I have to walk by him to enter the house, but I pause when I step beside him. Reaching for his hand, I squeeze it before I release his calloused fingers. “Thank you, Daniel.”
“Of course.”
I want to say more to him before I walk away, but there aren’t any words to console either of us. There’s no future for me with a man on this side of the law. I crave danger, adventure, and the freedom of two wheels, wind in my hair, riding with the man who already owns my heart. Gage claimed it four years ago. No other man will ever stand a chance.
I have to believe that fate brought us together for a reason. This isn’t over. It can’t be the end.
I’ll wait as long as it takes for Gage.
In my heart, I know all our chapters aren’t written yet.
Chapter 10 Gage
“Where the fuck is she, Zip?” I growl, standing behind him as he clicks on his keyboard.
He’s inputting information faster than I can comprehend it, using code that doesn’t make sense to me, but certainly does to him. “I said it would take time,” he reminds me.
“This can’t be foolproof. WIT SEC is tight on security, but there must be a way to get in.”
He snorts. “Brother, you don’t have a fucking clue. I’m running multiple programs and trying everything I can think of. It’s called Witness Protection for a reason.”
