She doesn’t confirm that he raped her, but she doesn’t deny it either. Never in my life have I felt so helpless over a woman. My mind keeps shouting, ‘This didn’t have to happen.’ But it did happen. We should’ve realized she was telling us goodbye. It wasn’tjust in case, it was because she was planning to leave us.
“Weren’t we good to you?”
Knox jabs me with his elbow as our driver pulls into the hotel.
“Enough. You’re upset. Rightfully so, but stop talking before you say something you’ll regret—words are forever. Just fucking stop.”
I nod, and nobody says a word when we walk into the hotel. In the elevator, there’s more silence. When we get to the room, my brothers help her into bed while I sit in a chair, watching, quietly stewing.
“I didn’t do this to hurt you.”
Leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, I glare at her.
“Okay. Then make me understand why you did this to us.”
Heather sits up and slams her fists down on the bed.
“Because I fucking love you. Stop being a dick and maybe you’d understand it. They want me, not you. Why should you pay for the things I’ve done? I don’t want you to die for me and-“
Heather takes a deep breath before continuing.
“I’d rather die than live without you.”
My eyes burn into hers, the anger in my chest mingling with the love I have for this woman.
“Ditto, baby. Choice is so important to you, but you took ours away. Had you asked, we would’ve told you—we’d rather die than risk your life. He could’ve killed you. If we didn’t get there in time, I’d be planning two funerals.”
Her eyes widen as she looks at Carter as if I don’t know what happens to him if she dies.
I nod and say, “Yes, Killer. My brother decided a long time ago he wouldn’t live without you. That is not your responsibility, but it is the truth. You have three men that love the hell out of you. We are a family, and families make decisions together. Not just one person running away in the middle of the night abandoning the people they swear they love.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
THE HEATHEN
None of them are happy with me, but Killian is so angry with me. I don’t know how to make him understand why I did what I did. I hurt him, and anger is the way Killian handles pain.
“Just give him some time.” Carter says, but I know I hurt him too.
“Do you hate me too?”
He sits on the bed beside me and kisses me softly on the forehead.
“I could never hate you, and he doesn’t either. Jesus, Little Heathen. Look at your face. Kill is right. We never would’ve wanted this. I know you were trying to protect us, but we are in this together. The day I shot you with a dart, our fates intertwined with yours. If you hurt, we hurt. We love together and we fight together. And if we must, we die together.”
He buries his face in my neck and inhales deeply.
“If you ever do something so reckless again, I’ll chain you to a fucking wall. Do you understand me?”
There’s a knock at the door, and Knox goes to investigate while Carter continues to sit beside me and Killian sits on the chair glaring daggers at me.
“Did he fucking rape you?” Killian blurts out, causing a gasp from me.
“No.”
He releases a long sigh.
“Thank fuck. If we got there later and he took you to Grave, it would be a different answer, right?”
