Page 118 of Heart Sick Hate

“Because you weren’t holding up your end of the bargain.” She steps toward me. “You were too busy with his brother, and the protestors were making things difficult for him. He needed more sympathy. He needed their love to lift him higher.”

She smiles now, looking up and admiring the memory of her plan. A plan that involved her getting Rhett shot. This isn’t love, this is a sick obsession.

The door handle rattles, and my chest floods with relief. I’m not safe in this room with her. And when the door swings open, I’ve never been so happy to see Rhett’s face.

“Rhett.” His name spills from me with relief.

His eyebrows pinch as he looks from me to Angelina. “Everything okay in here? Your father’s looking for you.”

“Rhett.” Angelina smiles as she rushes toward him.

“Angie?” But his tone is on edge. Nerves? Something I can’t pinpoint as he closes the door behind him.

He closes it.

I’m trapped in here with her, and something about the changing energy in the room has my stomach in my throat.

“I’ll go find him.” I force a smile, taking a step toward the door.

But Rhett steps to the side and blocks it as Angelina reaches his side.

“What’s happening here?” His question is aimed at Angelina.

She clings to his arm, her eyes edging on desperate as she looks up at him. “She’s leaving you, that’s what. I heard her talking to her father, and he agreed. She’s going to ruin everything.”

Rhett’s gaze flicks to me. A switch of emotion shutting off. Cold, empty orbs that suck me to the center of a drain I didn’t see myself spinning around.

“Is that so…” It’s less of a question.

A realization?

A threat?

Once more a cool chill runs my spine.

“Yes, I heard them talking. She’s trying to betray you.” Angelina holds Rhett tighter, but he doesn’t move his gaze off mine. “She said she’s in love with your brother, that she can’t do this anymore. And that Crew is going to have a talk with your father. It’s all falling apart. And I told her we didn’t do this all for nothing. That she can’t back down.I agreed to let them shoot you for heaven’s sake. We had a plan.”

Rhett’s eyes snap back to her as my stomach sinks.

We had a plan.

Rhett isn’t my salvation in this moment. He isn’t a savior.

I don’t know who he is as all emotion drains from his face and it’s replaced with the coldest, emptiest gaze I’ve ever seen.

While I thought this was Angelina’s obsession, I’ve never been more wrong. Like me, she’s a puppet. And Rhett isn’t who I thought he was at all.

“What did you say, Angie?” He grabs her arm, tight enough that she flinches.

“I told her the truth.” Angelina’s eyes beg him for something, but I’m not sure what. “She was going to ruin everything. She needs to understand why we did what we did. Why she can’t back out.”

“You didn’t.” It’s almost sick amusement.

A cord in his sanity snapping.

A madman he’s buried clawing to the surface.

Acceptance.

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