Page 80 of Fighting for Lucy

With that, Phantom got up, leaned down to touch a kiss to Lucy’s forehead, then rounded the bed to squeeze Zander’s shoulder before heading out of the room, leaving him and Lucy alone again.

As badly as he wanted to believe everything Phantom had said, his demons were screaming at him that the man was lying.

There was no way on earth that Lucy could need him now.

Her Prey family were no strangers to the horrors of the world. Fox and the guys had all been SEALs, and they’d all gone through ordeals with their now wives. The women of Artemis Team had all gone through more than most people could ever comprehend, and then there was what Scarlett had been through a couple of weeks ago. Lucy would be surrounded by people who would understand what she was going through and know how to help her.

People who wouldn’t make her have to relive it all every time she looked at their faces.

She’d be fine without him.

Betterwithout him.

Because all he’d done since he came back from the dead was hurt her. Crashing the plane, scaring her in the jungle, not saving her soon enough from Raul Castillo, letting her get kidnapped by people with a grudge against him, getting her tortured and almost killed. Never once had be brought anything good into her life.

Only pain.

Only suffering.

Only trauma that would haunt her for the rest of her life, just as his own was haunting him now. Reminding him of his sins, reminding him of his failures, reminding him of all the reasons he should leave, and why Lucy would be better off without him.

Dropping his forehead to rest against hers, Zander tried to draw in enough of her scent, the feel of her on his skin, her bravery and strength, to imprint it on his soul. He needed enough of her to last him a lifetime.

All he needed was one second to see his girl’s eyes open, to know that she was going to be okay, and then he should disappear for good.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

January 29th

12:29 A.M.

Fear wasthe first thing that registered as consciousness returned.

Lucy’s eyes snapped open, needing to see only one thing.

Only one person.

Thankfully, that person was sitting right beside her bed, his face millimeters from hers.

Relief washed away the coming wave of pain, and instead she smiled, reveling in the knowledge that he was alive and safe now.

The smile fell from her face when Zander didn't smile back, and the knot of fear in her stomach returned.

She might not have lost him yet, but he was teetering on the edge.

Watching what Zimraan had done to her couldn’t have been easy for him, it was reliving his worst nightmare, and Lucy doubted there was anything she could do or say to reassure him. Today his demons were roaring in his mind, urging him to give her up. She knew he was worried about her getting hurt becauseof him, and already blamed himself at least in part for what happened in Mexico.

But she needed him.

More than he could understand.

Even more than she could understand.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered the words, her body weak but her mind strong.

Surprise flared in Zander’s dark eyes, and then he gave her a half smile. “You're a little mind reader, aren't you, sassy girl?”

“Know you, know you're hurting, but I'm hurting, too, Zander, and I don’t want to hurt alone.” If there was one thing she had learned in these last few days with Zander, it was that being open and honest was more important than she’d ever realized. For so many years she’d seen asking for help and admitting weakness as something to be avoided at all costs. But the lies and secrets between her and Zander had only wound up hurting them both.

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