Page 128 of A Captive Situation

“He took you from me.”

She threw back, just as quickly, “You only knew where I was because of him.”

His eyes narrowed to slits. “I would’ve found you.”

“Yes, you would’ve, but not as fast. You should be thanking him.” Her nostrils flared as she spoke, and she moved closer to him. “I’m not coming back home, but I also won’t run.”

“Come home—”

She cut him off. “You have my terms.” She took another step, close enough to touch him if she chose. Her hands were still in her pockets. She tilted her head up to stare into his eyes and she breathed out, “Choose.”

A look flared over him. I didn’t recognize it, but it was gone quickly. I wasn’t going to wait around and decide what he was going to say. He was a fucking psychopath. I pivoted around, hauling Sawyer with me, and I herded her to the minivan. The husbands were holding their dogs back, right by the doors. I motioned to them. “Get in. Everyone, get the fuck in. Now.”

Urged on by my voice, the steel in it, the guys hopped in, but Graham took hold of Sawyer. He pulled her with him, and I got a glimpse at the set of his face. She was nonnegotiable to him. I gave him a small nod, and he caught it, his mouth parting, just slightly. The aunts were all chattering, hurrying inside. As soon as the last one was in, Sawyer moved to the seat beside me. She leaned out, but not one, two, or three hands grabbed for her. Four hands took hold of her, as if they were scared she’d slip out of their hold.

She wasn’t going anywhere.

She leaned toward me. “Come with us.”

I looked over my shoulder.

Lane and Green were both watching us.

My cousin met my gaze and we shared a look. We both understood each other at that moment. I didn’t know how, but a clarity came over me suddenly. He was going to choose to let all of us live, but I caught a shroud of darkness at his edges, and I said to Green, “Make him promise to let them live their fullest and happiest lives. That means sans torture or interference from himin any way.”

That darkness flashed bright, hot, before it slunk away. He would’ve let them live, but barely. It was his work-around.

Green’s eyes filled with outrage and she rounded on him. “You will leave them the fuck alone. They live, all of them, and they live to their happiest ability and everything he just said.”

There was no change from him.

She dropped her voice, but it was loud enough for me to hear. “They took me in, Eight. They cared about me in the span of knowing me for only a second.”

He switched his murderous gaze from me to her, and they gentled. The shift was so fast, it was like flipping the lights on. Poof and the shadows were gone. They were lit up, but that was her effect on him.

I saw the capitulation in him, and rounded. Fusing my mouth with Sawyer, I breathed against her lips, “I love you.”

I felt and heard her gasp but then I ripped myself away, slammed shut the door, and pounded on it once. “Go!”

It shot out of there.

Chapter Forty-Five

Sawyer

“What the ever-loving fuck just happened?”

We drove straight to Graham and Oliver’s place, and as soon as we stumbled inside, that was what Aunt Bess exclaimed. She stopped in the middle of the living room, just a few feet from the front door, and her head was tipped as if that question was for the Almighty above.

Graham and Oliver carried Bear and Pooh into the house, immediately easing both to the floor so the two dogs could go crazy all by themselves.

Everyone else spilled inside.

I stepped to the side, dazed.

We left Jake behind. We left him behind. And Blake.

I hugged myself, wanting to ward off some of the cold that I’d been feeling since the minivan peeled out of there. We left them behind.

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