Page 178 of Captivated

“If you do this for revenge, he still controls the story,” he said quietly. “But if you do it for yourself, for others like you? Thenyoutake the power back.”

Then he watched Nate fold in on himself, his rage giving way to exhaustion. His knees buckled and Sol caught him beforehe hit the floor. The others watched the proceedings in silence, their eyes filled with compassion.

“I got him,” Zeeb said, his voice low. He put his arm around Nate and drew him close, feeling his shudders.

Nate buried his face in Zeeb’s chest.

“I hate him,” he sobbed. “I hate him so much.”

“I know,” Zeeb murmured, holding him close. “But you’re not him, Nate. And you don’t have to become him to undo what he did. You already have, just by livin’. By lovin’.”

Nate said nothing for a moment, and relief swamped Zeeb when Nate’s tremors died, leaving him still in the circle of Zeeb’s arm.

He craned his neck to gaze at Zeeb. “You really believe that?”

“You bet your ass. You’ve overcome worse than his bullshit. And you’re ten times the man he’ll ever be.” He pressed his lips to Nate’s forehead. “Hate isn’t good, sweetheart. Sure, it can fuel you—for a while—but if it hangs around longer than that, it can eat you up. So you need to rise above this. Leave it in the dirt where it belongs, and live the life you were always meant to live, the one he and those fuckers at that camp stole from you.”

Nate’s chest still heaved, but his expression was calmer. “You make a lot of sense, anyone ever tell you that?”

Zeeb smiled. “I have my moments.”

Inside he rejoiced. Nate’s storm had passed, easing into silence. His phone lay in pieces on the floor, but the man in Zeeb’s arms wasn’t broken.

Not anymore.

Nate straightened and wiped his eyes. He glanced at the hands and the three guests. “I’m sorry.”

Butch stared at him. “Are you for real? You havenothingto be sorry for, you hear me?”

“What Butch said,” Walt muttered. “Fuck, Nate, you’re amazing, you know that?”

“Strongest man I ever met,” Zeeb murmured. He patted Nate’s arm. “Let’s go outside and get some air.”

“Good idea,” Sol affirmed.

Nate nodded. He stood, a little shaky, and Zeeb walked with him out of the bunkhouse and into the sunlight.

“I think I just ruined everyone’s breakfast,” Nate said, his voice quavering.

Zeeb snorted. “It’d take more than that to stop those guys from eating. Right now they’re wolfin’ down every scrap of Matt’s food like they ain’t gonna eat for a month.” He paused. “Wanna go back to the cabin?”

Nate shook his head. “Can we go to the stable?”

He smiled. “Sure. Sorrel will be real happy to see his favorite human.”

Nate cocked his head. “Are you all right? You’re not in pain?”

“I’ll sit on a hay bale while you ‘n’ Sorrel talk.”

The horse would probably make more sense than Zeeb would.

They walked slowly, Zeeb aware of his aching body. It was finally sinking in that Robert, Teague, his doctor… they all knew what they were talking about.

I need time to heal.

Maybe it was also time Zeeb did as he was told.

Inside the stable the air was filled with the sweet scent of hay, the musky odor of the horses, and the smell of leather. Zeeb grabbed a blanket and spread it over a bale. He sank onto it with a sigh.

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