Page 39 of When We Fall: Part Two
“No.” My voice cracked. I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation.
“I’m happy, Anson. I need to leave. I need to free her.”
“You’ve lost your mind. You need help, Fox. Please. Let’s call someone to help?—”
“If you call someone to help, I’ll push the button now,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m asking this as a dying wish. Let me go. Take Rosalie like you promised me.”
“I-I can’t,” I said thickly.
He crinkled his brows at me. “Why? You promised.”
I rubbed my eyes. I was in a real fucking bad position.
“I’m getting married.”
He blinked rapidly at me. “What? To fuckingwho?”
“To Bianca,” I mumbled.
Fox practically flipped the coffee table as he got to his feet so fast.
“What? Why the fuck…howthe fuck… have you lost your goddamn mind?”
“I’m not worried,” I said sourly. “My lost mind is probably in the same fucking ditch where you lost yours.”
“Why the fuck are you doing this?” he demanded, glaring at me. “You made me a promise?—”
“Don’t do this, Fox.Constantino.Fuckingdon’t.”
He stared me down for a long time before he spoke, his words soft and concise.
“I am going to do this. Whether you step up or not is irrelevant. I’ll make other arrangements for her safety.”
Damnit. Of course, he would.
“Fox, I-I have to marry Bianca?—”
“Why? You don’t love her, right?”
I swallowed thickly. “I care about her and the babies. I’m saving their lives. If I don’t, Carmine will kill her.”
Fox shook his head, a sour look on his face.
“Then take her back to fucking Dominic and the kings,” he snarled.
“Then I’ll be betraying my father. There is a fucking rhyme to his reason. I have to trust that.”
He shook his head at me. “I thought we were friends. Youpromised.” Despair washed over his face.
“We are.” I stood and faced him. “You and Ryder are my two best friends, man. Truly. I care about you. I’m worried about you. What you’re doing isn’t right, Fox. You’re sick,” I said gently. “You need help. Let someone help you. Don’t let yourself die. I’m begging you. Rosalie will fucking die with you. Don’t you understand that? She lives and breathes for you.”
“I have to save her.” His voice shook, and tears spilled down his cheeks. “Help me save her. Please, Anson. Fuckingplease, man.”
I reached out and cradled both sides of his face. “I will. I promise, but we’ll do it together, OK? I’ll help you, but you have to promise to stay. Promise me, Fox. Promise you’ll not follow through with this.”
“You promise to help?” he asked, his lashes damp with tears.
“I swear to you. I’ll talk to Alex. I’ll really talk to him. Maybe he’ll increase the money and sweeten the deal for her. I’ll do whatever I have to do so she’ll leave. Just…stay.”
