Page 36 of Relapse

Neither of us survived Brynne properly.

Losing Blair too?

That’d finish whatever’s left.

“No, but thats Blair. You do know, there’s no way to keep her safe while Dante’s still breathing,” I say finally.

Silence crackles through the line.

Then—

“I know.”

The words come out rough. Immediate. Like he’s already had the same thought sitting in his head for weeks.

Maybe he has.

Hell, maybe we both have.

I grab my jacket off the back of the couch and shove my arms into it while tension thickens heavier through the apartment.

“Then we stop fucking dancing around it,” I mutter. “Because this hiding-her-away shit clearly isn’t working.”

Dagger goes quiet for a second too long.

Then—

“For her,” he says lowly, “I’ll put a bullet in every motherfucker tied to him if I have to.”

Something cold settles into place inside my chest at that.

Not shock.

Agreement.

Because the fucked up part?

I’d help him do it.

Without hesitation or an ounce of fucking guilt.

For Blair?

There’s suddenly not much I wouldn’t burn down.

“You still at your apartment?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll meet you there first.”

“No,” Dagger says immediately. “Beach first. We waste time and she’s gone again.”

My jaw tightens slightly because he’s right.

I hate when he’s right.

“She’s gonna fight us,” I mutter.