He froze when he heard her broken sentence. Spinning back around, Jake looked at her questioningly.
“What? What do you mean, sweetheart? Couldn’t let who hurt me?”
Olivia swallowed, her throat still feeling dry. She had to get through this. “C-Cetro.”
Jake took a tentative step back toward her, his expression a mixture of confusion and...fear? “What do you mean you couldn’t let him hurt me?”
“I tried to f-fight him off...when he came to my house. But he...” She swallowed again. “He was too strong.” A tear slipped from the corner of her eye down to her pillow.
“I know you fought, baby. I saw your house.” A muscle in that strong jaw of his bulged. “There was never any doubt that you gave him hell. But what did you mean about him hurtingme? Besides the obvious.”
Jake glanced at her broken arm before zeroing in on her bruised face. His eyes darkened with sorrow. “I didn’t think I’d survive it...knowing he had you again.”
Olivia shook her head, immediately regretting it. She had to get through this. He needed to understand.
“I’m talking about...after. When I tried to run. He told me to get up...and walk to the barn. I told him to go to hell. I didn’t know exactly what he had p-planned, but I knew it couldn’t be good. So...I refused. I told him...just to kill me, right then. He said”—she paused, licking her dry, cracked lips—“he said if I didn’t go in there willingly that he’d find you.”
Jake’s eyes widening with horror and disbelief. “No.”
Olivia knew Jake was going to be royally pissed at what she was about to tell him, but it didn’t matter.
She had to make him understand thatshetruly understood why he did what he did. This was the only way she knew how to do that.
“H-he said if I fought him anymore...he’d go after you and your team...when he was done with m-me.”
“No.” Jake’s eyes filled as he emphatically shook his head.
“He swore if I stopped...trying to run, it would end...with me. He promised...he’d leave you...and the others, alone.”
“No!”
Jake took a step forward. He was mad, but his eyes held something besides just anger. Tears were streaming down his face, again, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say you went into that place and let himtortureyou to try to save me! Tell me you didn’t do that, Liv.Swearto me that’s not what happened.”
“H-had to.”
His face nearly crumpled with obvious pain and guilt. “Jesus, Liv, he waslying! A man like Cetro can’t be trusted any farther than you could throw him!”
Jake ran a frustrated hand through his hair and swore. “It wouldn’t have mattered what you let him do to you, that bastard still would have come after me. But you still...after what I did to you?Why, baby? Why would you do that?”
Through her own tears, she quickly finished what she was desperately trying to say.
“I had to, Jake,” she said, her voice breaking. “Because if there was even the slightest chance he was telling the truth, I had to protect you. Don’t you see? I get it now. I understand why you lied about Mikey. You didn’t have a choice.” Then, she whispered, “And neither did I.”
She held out the hand with the IV attached and waited, praying he’d understand. “I did it because...I love you.”
****
No, no, no!
Jake looked at Olivia’s outstretched hand as if it were a snake preparing to strike him.
Not because he was afraid to touch her. Hell, all he’d ever wanted was to be able to touch her freely. For her to be his and for him to have the right to hold her in his arms whenever he wanted. But her admission had just knocked him flat on his ass.
Jake hung his head, his eyes squeezing tighter, causing more tears to fall. He worked to control his breathing for fear he’d hyperventilate and pass out on that damn hospital floor.
Christ, Liv. Baby, what did you do?
