“Go! Fucking go,Feather!”
He hated me. Even though I hadn’t pushed Tristan over the railing, it was my fault he’ddied.
“I’m sorry,” Iwhispered.
“Sorry?” He grabbed his hair and yanked so hard I thought he’d come away with handfuls. “You’re not the monster; I am! Now, go before you end up like him.” He gestured wildly below. “Likeher!” The statue. Lifeless andwingless.
Jarod’s men rushed to the fountain, belting the guns they must have raised to cover their boss. Amir pushed two fingers against Tristan’s arched neck. He looked up and shook his head. Jarod let out an inhuman sound before seizing one of the sconces woven into the ivy and ripping it off the wall. He flung it over the railing where it smashed at the feet of one of his guards. The man hopped away to avoid the projectiles ricocheting off thecobblestones.
We all froze, all waited to see what Jarod would do next, what he would throw next, because the anger was only just beginning to well up inside of him. His fingers flexed into fists that seemed intent on pummeling someone else. From the way he still glared my way, I imagined that someone wasme.
He yelled at Amir to get Tristan out. The big man curled his arms underneath Tristan’s slumped shoulders and hoisted him out of the fountain, streaking the gray stones with blood. The tang of salt and copper filled the air until breathing became almost painful, but I labored through it, battling down the nausea, pushing away all signs ofweakness.
I needed to stay strong for Jarod, because I feared Tristan’s death might destroy my sinner’s good intentions and scar his soul all overagain.
Blood seeped from his knuckles, or was it from his palms? Had he broken his skin on the glass sconce or on Tristan’sskin?
His feral eyes were still on mine, as though challenging me to look away first. Didn’t he know I was more stubborn than hewas?
Every tendon in his neck stood out as he panted. I took a step forward slowly, afraid that if I approached too fast he’d spook and run. But he didn’t move. I took another step, and then another, until I was only a millimeter away. His body shook so hard I wrapped my arms around him. I waited for him to push me away. To yell at me to leave. To blameme.
Instead, his body melted over mine, his head sagging into the slope of my neck. His sobs tangled in my long hair, matting it to my bruised neck. Not thinking I could hold him up much longer, I guided him to the lounger and eased him down, then climbed onto his lap, and curled my body around his, tucking his head under my chin, letting his broken heart bleed over my writhingone.
Muriel stood beside the French doors, mouth tight, eyes bright. Was she grieving for Tristan or for Jarod? Heaving a sigh, she closed her eyes, and a tear glistenedout.
Jarod spoke against my chest, but his words were garbled by the wetsilk.
I pressed him away lightly. “What did yousay?”
“Montparnasse. I need—tocall—”
“I’ll call the undertaker, Jarod,” Muriel said,understanding.
“I promised him—a place in—” A cry lurched out of him. He banded his arms around my back and crushed me against him, screaming his pain into mychest.
“I’ll take care of everything,” Muriel said. She was about to retreat into the bedroom, but came toward us instead. She peeled his head off my chest and cupped his jaw. Her thumb stroked his cheekbone. “He brought this upon himself, Jarod. You are not toblame.”
“I killed him, Mimi. My best friend,” he wailed. “Mybrother.”
“He was never your brother. He never had your best interest at heart. He never gave you an ounce of all you gavehim.”
“He saved me. So many times.” Jarod’s hoarse voice scraped theair.
“And I’ll always be grateful for that, but he only saved you because he saw his own salvation within the walls of this house . . . within you.” She stroked his cheek again. “He never allowed you to get close to people. Our relationship infuriated him. More than once, I feared he’d suggest firingme.”
“He did suggestit.”
She grunted. “Of course he did. I hope you know that even Amir with his big muscles and scary guns couldn’t pry me away from you.” Her gaze drifted to me then, and as though her eyes were connected to Jarod’s, his moved to my face too. “I didn’t want to speak out of line before, but that day in the shop . . . the way Tristan acted . . .” She let her voice trail off, but her accusation was loud andclear.
Jarod sketched the shape of my face with his fingers, dragging away a lock of hair and tucking it behind my shoulder with heartbreaking gentleness. “I figured that out toolate.”
Had he heard Tristan confess, or had he guessed this some other way? Not wanting to bring it up, not now, perhaps, not ever, I lowered my gaze to his Adam’s apple that bobbed sharply, as though shoving down a bolt ofgrief.
“Doesn’t make me less of a monster, though,” hemurmured.
I whipped my gaze back to his. “You’renot.”
“I just broke someone’s spine, Feather. Someone, who in spite of everything, meant something tome.”
