“We’re going to go outside for a moment, okay?” Noah and Mark come into the living room.
Noah frowns. “What’s going on?” he asks.
“Let’s go outside.” I follow Jamie toward the back door, and I feel like I’m going to vibrate out of my skin.
What if he kills him?
What if he kills her?
To hurt me, Ivan would do anything.
We walk out onto the deck, and I feel four sets of eyes on me.
Everything tumbles out of me.
Every. Single. Thing.
Mark and Hunter’s faces grow more purple, more pissed with every word that leaves my lips. Noah’s hand is covering his mouth and Jamie’s eyes pierce me. “Holy shit,” I hear Mark whisper.
Hunter lunges for me, but Jamie and Mark grab him back as he struggles to get to me. “You fucking asshole. I knew it! I knew there was something fucked up about you! I told him not to trust you!”
“I know!” I scream. “You don’t think I know that?! I know! It’s fucked up and I don’t know how to fix it.”
Hunter slips from their grip, wrapping his hand around my throat and backing me into the railing. “You take your pathetic ass to that fucking house and get my best friend back!”
“Jamie.” Noah glares. “Kick his ass.”
“What?” He shakes his head. “Hunter’s got it.”
“Avenge our friend.” Noah pushes him toward me. “He’s going to kick your ass. These tattoos...” He points to Jamie’s arm. “He got them in prison!”
“Noah,” Jamie says.
“Every day he wakes up ready to snap!”
“I love my life.” Jamie blinks at him. “It’s pretty great, actually.”
“Baby, you’re not helping. We’re trying to beat Aiden up and you’re being adorable.”
Mark places a hand on Hunter’s stomach, gently pushing him away from me. “Let him talk.” He watches his boyfriend for a moment until Hunter’s fingers ease up. Honestly, he can kill me after.
“If he’s hurt, even a little, I’ll fucking kill you.”
I swallow, rubbing my throat as he lets go.
“This is a lot,” Jamie says. “Why are you even here? What are we going to do?”
I press my palms into my eyes. I’m unraveling. I’ve never felt this lost before.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I try to breathe through the rush of emotion. It’s killing me. My eyes meet Jamie’s. “I don’t know. I just need help. I need to get him back.” I draw in a ragged breath. “I can’t lose him.”
“Call the police.”
I bark out a laugh. I don’t mean to. “Believe me, it’s not that simple. If the police show up at that house, Ivan will kill everyone in there before they can step through the door.”
There’s still something I haven’t told them and I don’t know... this part is still fucking me up.
Ivan’s son.
