Page 110 of Marked

He was right. One less child abuser on the earth wasn’t a bad thing. But it wasn’t in her blood or training to deliver justice in that way. The alternative, though, was her being the one dead in the hallway right now. It was just something she’d have to accept.

“How’d you find me?”

His hand moved from her cheek to lock around her wrist. “I’ll tell you all that later. Right now, you need to get out of here.” He stood and ushered her toward the front doors.

Warm air touched her cheeks as they stepped onto the sidewalk. The area was calm, the wind gentle, as if none of the brutality from inside the walls could follow them. The sun was low now, barely peeking over the skyline. She blinked as the door closed behind them.

“I’m going to have one of my brothers meet you at the vehicle and then I need to go back inside. I won’t be long.” He moved her swiftly down the street.

His fingers drifted to his ear, and he spoke low. “I’ve got her. Whoever’s closest to the vehicles right now, meet me there.” A beat passed. “Got it.”

“What’s going on? Why do you need to go back in?” It seemed her question had fallen on deaf ears. She gave his arm a shake. “Cole?”

He didn’t loosen his grip. Instead, he walked more determinedly down the sidewalk and stopped at an SUV. He brought her body to nestle between his chest and the passenger door at her back. Lifting his fingers, he brushed his knuckles over her cheek, his face somber. His eyelids were heavy and his mouth was puckered with tension.

It was a look she’d never seen on him before.

So full of... stress? Remorse?

“Because these guys will never stop, babe. They’ll keep coming after you because of what you know and who you are.”

She gripped his shirt. Regardless of how capable he was, a sizzling sensation of dread bit into her fingers. “I’ll call law enforcement in. We have enough—”

He shook his head. “No. They’ll get away with it. And if they don’t, at least one person will escape before the police get here.” He cushioned her cheeks between his palms. “I need to deal with this, okay? For both of us.” Desperation clung to his words, and his gaze flicked over her face as if committing her features to memory. “Please.”

Tears misted her eyes. “You’ll come back, right?”

Milliseconds slipped by, and paranoia crept in. She clung tighter to him. “Cole!”

He planted a kiss between her eyes then rested his forehead against hers. “Nothing could keep me away from you. I promise.”

His words settled over her like a warm blanket, calming the chattering of her bones. It was a stupid thing to beg of him. A ridiculous request when they couldn’t be together. There was no future between this criminal and her.

She knew it.

He knew it.

But God help her, she couldn’t let go.

“Hey,” a nearby voice said.

Cole broke away from her, and Lexi’s brother, a man she’d met on two separate occasions, stepped forward.

Cole squeezed her shoulder before letting go. He retraced his steps toward the building.

Taking her heart with him.

***

Cole’s phone vibrated against his thigh. But a burning sensation in his spine made him want to turn around and run back to Sophia.

Leaving her wasn’t right.

I don’t have a choice. She doesn’t deserve this life.

Digging into his pocket, he retrieved the device. He didn’t need to look at the screen to know it was Dallas. “Tell me you’re ready.”

“Found the conference room and everything’s set. Where’s everyone?”

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