"Take her back." Adrian's speaking to Saint now. "She's your problem. Your wife. Your responsibility. If she comes at me and mine again, the deal is void, and she's dead."
I look at Saint. Surely now he'll say something. Surely now he'll defend me.
He pushes off the wall. Walks toward me.
For one stupid moment, I think he's going to help me up. Hold me. Tell me it's going to be okay.
Instead, he looks down at me. On my knees. Broken. Bleeding.
"Can you walk?"
His voice is so cold. So distant.
"Saint, please—" I reach for him. "Don't let him do this. Tell him?—"
"Can you walk?" he repeats.
I stare up at him. At the man I love. The man who just destroyed me. I hate him. I hate all of these men.
"I want to go home," I whisper.
"You are going home."
"No." I'm crying so hard I can barely speak. "Home. My old room. I want, I need?—"
"You need to go with Saint, Gem," Luc's voice is gentle. Kind. It makes it worse. I know he's doing this to save me, but it's killing me.
"Please." I'm begging. I don't care. "Please, I'll do anything, I'll?—"
"Get up." Saint's hand under my arm. Hauling me to my feet. "We're leaving."
My legs don't want to support me. He keeps me upright. Drags me toward the door.
I look back at Adrian. "Please. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry?—"
He's turned away. Staring out the window. Like I'm already gone.
Like I was never there at all.
Luc won't meet my eyes.
Saint pulls me into the hallway. Down the stairs. To the front door.
The door I walked through as Gemma Nero.
I'm leaving as nothing.
No family. No name. No home.
Just Saint's wife.
And he hates me.
Emmanuel opens the car door. Saint pushes me inside. Gets in beside me.
The door closes.
We drive in silence.
