Page 103 of Branded Betrayal

His voice cracks my heart open even more, barely a whisper. “Savannah—”

“No. You don’t get to say my name. You don’t get to look at me like that. You lost the right to care when you took off. So now you can just stay gone, okay? As far as I’m concerned, you’re a ghost from my past, one I can’t have haunting me anymore.”

I twist away from him, from the stricken look on his face, and I run toward the door. Once I’m outside, I gulp down oxygen, my chest heaving as I hunch over to catch my breath. I wipe away the tears.

No more. He doesn’t deserve them.

When I finally straighten up, I scan the parking lot, holding a hand against my eyes to shield them from the bright sun. I can’t remember where I even parked since my brain is on such overload right now.

“Savannah.” Tyler walks across the parking lot and waves to me. I try to force my lips to match his smile and fail. His brows furrow. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” I whisper. “Everything is falling apart.”

“I’m so sorry,” he says. “Did you drive here?”

“Yes, but . . .” I let out a deep sigh. “I can’t find my car. I just need a minute to pull myself together.”

“Hey,” he says, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Let me take you home. I just finished up a surgery across the way at the vet hospital. I’ve got time. I’ll get you back to Red Rock safely. Doesn’t look like you should be driving right now anyway.”

I run a hand through my hair. I’m too exhausted to challenge him. I just want to get home and bury myself under my comforter for the foreseeable future. “Okay.”

I follow him to his truck. He opens the door for me and helps me inside. Because he’s a sweet and thoughtful guy, unlike the bastard of a man I just ran away from.

“Want to tell me what happened?” he asks in a gentle voice as he steers the truck out of the parking lot. “I mean, you don’t have to, but I’m a good listener.”

I cover my face with my hands. “They lied to me. About everything.”

“Who lied?”

“Blaze. Nash. My parents died because of them, and they never told me. They kept their awful secret for years, and I only found out today because I overheard them arguing about it. Even after all this time, they were going to keep hiding the truth.”

“I’m so sorry,” he says. “That’s terrible.”

His hand moves to my knee. I look down, barely feeling it. I lean back against the seat, numbness sweeping through my insides. Each beat of my heart echoes in my ears, reverberating in my hollow, empty chest.

I’ve never felt so broken, so alone, as I stare blankly out the window. I lay my head in my hand, watching the prairie grasses billow in the wind when it dawns on me.

“Where are we going?” I ask, looking at Tyler.

He gives my knee a little squeeze. “Don’t worry, I’m just taking the long way. I just figured you needed a bit of time before heading back. You know, a chance to clear your mind a bit.”

“Thanks, but I want to go home.”

Tyler lets out a sigh. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

My pulse fires up, knocking against my throat. I grip the door handle. “What?”

His jaw tenses, his grip tightening around the steering wheel.

“Tyler, please take me home.” I struggle to keep my voice even.

He glances at me, and there’s something wrong with his smile. It doesn’t reach his eyes. “You work too hard, Savannah. Someone needs to take care of you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not so sure. Because from where I’m sitting, you’re making terrible choices. Blaze Hartman? Really?”

The way he says Blaze’s name sends shudders skittering down my spine.