I nod, “I remember.”
Her next words feel partly like a lecture. One I deserve.
“Death is the end of your story, not a mere chapter. Please choose life. Choose me the way I choose you.”
I glance up at Killian in the front seat, and his eyes meet mine, but there’s no regret in his gaze.
“She had a right to know.”
Swallowing hard, I clear my throat and try to explain my actions.
“I thought you were dead and living without you-“
Taking a shaky breath, I try to force out the terrible pain of losing her.
“One breath without you is one breath too many. I am sorry, Little Heathen, that will not change. This is not a manipulation tactic. I can’t exist in a world where you don’t. It’s too painful, and I think I’ve lived through enough pain.”
She nods with a sweet little smirk on her face.
“Well, could you make sure I’m dead in the future, Romeo? Because I don’t want to live without you either.”
Her face turns serious as she shakes her head as if she’s trying to clear it of intrusive thoughts. Something I know all too well.
“Do you know what it would’ve done to me to come back and find out you were gone? That you took yourself from me?”
I swallow hard, her words shaking me to the core. If the roles were reversed, I’d be furious with her.
“I’m sorry. Forgive me, Little Heathen. Living without you was-” I sigh a long, drawn-out breath and continue.
“There are no words to justify what I did and what it could have done to you.”
Glancing between her and Knox, I say, “And my brother.”
“Brothers,” Heather whispers, and I nod and repeat that one word that tastes poisonous on my tongue.
“Brothers.”
I know I have two brothers, but I’m still awfully pissed at one of them so I can’t even think about him right now. I would be fighting with Knox about him being near her if I didn’t know we needed him. Do I trust him? Not completely, but unfortunately it’s a risk we have to take. I heard his cries that night. The pleading with God. I knew he regretted it—even then.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
Her lips lift into a small smile.
“Kiss me and make it better, Carter.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
KNOX
The entire time Heather and Carter shared their intimate moment, I kept glancing at Killian in the rearview mirror. I’ve known for quite some time that he had feelings for her. The sexual tension between them was palpable—but it was more than that. The way he watched her with an intensity unlike anything I’ve ever seen was telling. It was never about watching the enemy to protect our family. He wanted her—even if he couldn’t admit it to himself. I’ve known the truth—and so did Carter. Maybe that’s why he did what he did.
Fear.
He sealed his fate with her, and I don’t think she’ll ever forgive him. Every shared moment between Carter and Heather caused a flash of pain on Kill's face. I’m conflicted about my brother. I can feel his suffering, and it’s not pleasant. He should’ve come to us as brothers and expressed his concern. Instead, he called the law in secret. We never saw it coming—as we followed her, we had no idea what was to come. Had we known, she would’ve been relocated. He is responsible for us losing her—our own brother—and I’m not sure how any of usmoves beyond that. Especially considering it could have cost us Carter, too. If he weren’t our brother, we would not be in this SUV with him—he’d be dead. Heather doesn’t know, but Carter and I are both aware of the sacrifices he has made to get her out. As skilled a fighter as he is, there’s a decent chance he will die in the fight. The deal was made without our involvement. Even with his betrayal, I don’t want him to die. No matter what, he’s still our brother. There’s no way out of it. Had he asked us ahead of time, it’s a risk we’d have to take because there wasn’t another way. There are armed guards everywhere. We would’ve been killed long before getting her out.
“Knox?” Heather asks, snapping me out of my thoughts about my brother.
“Are you okay?”
