Page 105 of The Soldier

“Trina wasn’t interested. She didn’t want protecting, Marsh. You can’t blame yourself for another person’s decisions.”

I can if she is my woman to protect.

The image of her walking out of the party with Miller knowing what was about to happen has my stomach curdling.

I’m about to vomit.

“Yeah? Well, I’m sorry I disagree.” I shake my head, disgusted with myself. “Trina was full of my come, wearing no panties, and I walked away. You tell me hownotresponsible I am for what happened.”

Cole physically recoils. “Jesus, man.”

Yeah, I shouldn’t have said that. But I needed to voice it. So everyone knows this is on me.

I walk to the sofa and sit down, dropping my head into my hands and let the weight of the situation almost crush me.

“I need to know if she’s okay. I know she’s not. But I need to see her.”

Cole sits down in the armchair.

I glance up and plead with my eyes. “It’s not my call. You know that. Trina will reach out when she is ready. Let me drive you over to BHS and we can punch some bags.”

I stare at the carpet for a long moment, then nod. Sitting around here is only going to make me go crazy. I get up and change into some workout clothes, then we leave.

When we pull up to the building, Cole reaches for my arm.

“Are you armed?” I shake my head. “Good. Go straight into the gym. Do not speak to anyone.”

The Army Ranger is right to ask me that question. I’m a trained killer on the edge of sanity right now. If anyone came near me, I’d probably strangle them.

If Roger stepped out in front of me I have no doubt, had I been armed, I would shoot him.

No doubt.

Well, I might rip his head from his shoulders as it would be far more fulfilling. He wouldn’t be breathing five minutes after I saw him. That I know to be true.

I hope he’s a stupid enough cunt to try his luck.

“We’ll find Miller,” Cole tells me. “In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid to destroy your life. Let’s go burn off some of this fury.”

I know I’m lucky to have friends in my life who are thinking straight for me while I can’t.

Men know when a guy meets the one. We are different. I’ve seen it happen. I guess I knew it was happening to me.

I was having fun, breaking my little wolf down and watching her struggle to resist me.

The game just came to an end.

One thing I will not do is desert her. I did that last night and will regret it for the rest of my life.

Cole is right to put me in front of a punching bag, but one workout is not going to fix this. Dropping my bag on the floor when I get inside the BHS gym, I pull my phone out of my pocket and scroll.

Then type.

Baby. I need to see you. To hold you. Message me when you’re ready. M x

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

TRINA

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