Page 144 of Trapped Truth

His laughter is light, amused. “Now that I refuse to believe. From what I’ve heard, you’re plenty strong enough.”

“I’m so scared of ruining the happiness I’ve found.” My low voice buzzes over the receiver. “When I face Madden, I know my entire past will be brought to the forefront.”

“If I’m not mistaken, those men already know your demons quite intimately.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Then what makes you think tapping into 768 will make them feel any different about you? Love doesn’t work that way, Ember. You know that.”

“And if I can’t let her go?” I pinch my eyes between my thumb and fingers.

“There’s far more to you than your trauma,” Jude explains with infinite patience. “768 is a small part of Ember Lawson. A wonderful, brilliant part who survived unimaginable horrors.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because it’s the truth. Let her out of her box. Finish the job for the both of you.”

Holding the phone tight, my forehead lowers to rest on the desktop. The finality of his words sinks in, no matter how hard I want to rage against it. I can’t deny he’s right. 768 got me this far. She’ll take me to the finish line.

“Does it ever end?” I murmur. “The endless fighting?”

“This morning, I woke up with my wife in my arms and our eldest running riot through the house with two of his other fathers chasing him.” A smile shines through Jude’s voice. “As I bottle fed my baby daughter I stared into her eyes, wondering who she’d become one day. I left home to go to a job I never thought I’d recover enough to do again.”

The backs of my eyes burn with emotion. “You made a life for yourself.”

“Against the odds, I did. We all did. You will too, Ember. Every path that lies ahead of you is wide open and ready for the taking.”

“I want that future so badly.”

“Then get out there, and take it for yourself.”

“Thank you, Jude. You’re a good friend.”

“It’s the least I can do. Will you call me when it’s all over and tell me how you are? I always get the rundown corporate version from Hudson and Kade.”

Ha, I’m surprised Kade takes work into his private home at all. Though I can imagine Hudson ranting over his daily stressors at the dinner table, bickering and glaring at his brother the whole time.

“I will, I promise.”

“Then all that’s left to say is good luck. I believe in you.”

“I’ll see you soon. Kiss those gorgeous kids for me please.”

“I will, Em.”

Ending the call, I rest on the desk for a calming breath. The invisible knots twisted up inside me have slackened, creating some finite breathing room. While the fear remains, I know what I have to do now.

Since coming home, I’ve tried to forget what Gael did to me. All that I endured at the hands of the cartel. The eternal scars of being trafficked, sold, exploited and used. I thought I could let go of 768 and rebuild without her.

And I have rebuilt.

But severing her isn’t an option.

Jude is right about that much. She kept me strong, detached. Cold enough to survive the brutality of my life in captivity. Formidable enough to endure Gael’s mind games. Fast enough to beat the long parade of opponents sent to kill me.

For one last time, she can step up to keep us both safe. I want her to see all that we’ve achieved. And all that’s yet to come when Madden is dead in the ground along with his associates. That’s what we’re fighting for.

Only this time, we’re going to win.