Page 219 of Saving Her

I dig the barrel harder. “Then fucking talk.”

There’s a rustle of bedsheets. A squeak of mattress springs. A murmured, “Daddy?”

My stomach dives.

Stella is in here. In the bed. Near the pointed gun of a man influenced by alcohol.

“It’s okay, baby,” Benji whispers. “Go back to sleep.”

I lower to my knees, sinking into the darkness as my gun remains in place.

For long moments, there’s no movement. No noise. Then the slightest whimper of sleep breaches the air, the sound feminine and young.

“Get out of here,” he seethes. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

“No. We do this now.”

“Jesus, Luc.” There’s a tremble in his voice. “I didn’t hurt those women.”

I don’t believe him. I fucking don’t.

God knows I want to. I’d give anything to build a life here with Penny. To settle down and find some sort of normal. But every time I gain footing, he pulls the rug out from beneath me. “You’ve got two seconds to start—”

“I’m cheating on her,” he whispers.

I snap rigid, mindlessly blinking for long moments. I don’t understand. What he confessed doesn’t make sense. “What did you say?”

“I’m cheating on Layla. There’s another woman.That’swhat I’ve been keeping from you.That’swhy I’ve been distant.”

No.

He wouldn’t be that stupid.

Hecouldn’t.

Cheating on Torian’s sister is a death sentence. He knows that. Hell, everyone in a hundred-mile radius is well aware without anyone needing to write the fucking memo.

“I didn’t plan for it to happen,” he continues. “It was meant to be a one-time thing. I was a wreck with this goddamn Luther mess. I just needed an outlet.”

I fall on my ass, the news hitting hard.

If this gets out Stella will lose her father. Layla will bury a husband. I’ll have no family left.

I shake my head and lower the gun, unable to hold it steady. “Who? Where? How long?” I can’t stop the questions.

“It doesn’t matter. It won’t change anything.”

I hang my head, my legs bent before me, the darkness consuming everything. Inside and out. “If Torian finds out—”

“I know.”

“If anyone finds—”

“I know,” he grates. “And I’ll fix it. I just need you to buy me some time.”

“Me? How could you be so fucking stupid?”

He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to.

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