Page 192 of Love Me

“Not in the fucking mood.”

Great. We both have bottled up emotions.

Blake pushes off the wall, and his eyes focus on me.

My entire life passes in front of my eyes, and this guy has been a huge part of it.

“Ready, princess?”

I snap my head at Hunter. The nerve of this guy. When I turn back, Blake is heading inside.

“Sorry to interrupt your bromance moment, but time is ticking,” Hunter says.

I hop in the car and put in my earpiece.

“By the time you reach the cabin, I will have mapped it out for potential escape routes,” Bailey says.

“Good.”

Hunter cocks his head. “Who is it? We need to vet him.”

“No need.”

“There are still members who need more protection than others, like Bailey.”

“Bailey can take care of herself.”

I should tell him to stop talking because she’s on the other line. But I don’t.

“That girl would probably scream at the first sign of danger. She’s doing nothing but being a little studious mouse.”

“Why do you care?”

“You’re right. I don’t fucking care.” She gasps and he adds, “But you all should stop treating her like she’s a damn child.”

“You’re the problem, not her. So shut the fuck up.”

He balls his hands at his side. “She reminds me of Celine. The only difference is Celine got her shit together.”

“Not everyone has to fight the obvious battles.”

“Kaden.” She threatens in my ear, and I jerk my chin to him. “You’re going to fucking eat your words someday.”

We spend the rest of the drive in tense silence. When we stop for a gas, I pull my phone out and scroll through the pictures of Celine.

Bailey sends me the map on my phone, and when we park in the forest, she says, “I have saved your coordinates.”

I point at the center of the map.

“It’s a two-mile hike,” I tell Hunter.

He nods. “We can’t afford for him to hear us.”

After eating up half of the distance on foot, he says, “I want to make one thing clear.”

Asshole.

“You love Celine, and I have no problem with you. I understand now why she never got over you and I am happy if she is.”

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