Page 108 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

“She didn’t deserve to die, Jay!” Soph slams her fists against my chest. “She didn’t deserve that, but it happened, and it happened while onmywatch, whileIwas dancing. I don’t deserve to dance again!”

“So tomorrow, after you execute the man responsible for all of this, you won’t dance because you don’t deserve it? Whatwillyou do? Your mission will be complete, so what will you do? Go bury yourself beside Ellie? Slide a knife into your own throat, since you’ll have nothing left to live for?”

When she jolts in my arms and her face drains white, my stomach drops. Because there it is. The truth.

She never expected to live beyond this.

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” she whimpers. “That’s tomorrow. But today is today, and my boyfriend’s dad is the man I need to hunt down.”

“Does the fact he’s a Bishop hurt us, Soph? Will you never look at me the same again, because someone who shares the same blood and eyes as me hurt Ellie? Will you buryustomorrow too? Was I nothing but a tool to you?”

“I don’t know…” Finally, she breaks and lets the torrent of tears slide over her cheeks. “I don’t know. I can’t see further than my nose. I just need to make Ellie safe again.”

“She is safe, Sophia. Nobody can ever touch her again. But what about you? What about your heart? You put yourself in a thong, dance for gangsters, and put yourself in the very danger you’re trying to save Ellie from. Why? She wouldn’t want that for you. And if the roles were reversed, what would you want for her?”

“The roles aren’t reversed,” she hisses. “And my sister is dead. She’s not on a fucking beach in the Bahamas enjoying being beautiful and free. She’sdead, and she was buried with a torn vagina and stolen innocence.”

“Sophia.” My breath comes choppy and fast while I try to absorb Soph’s pain. I don’t know how to help her because this is way beyond Colum and Kane. This is beyond anything we know; this is about Soph’s mental state. And she’s been having amomentfor eight long years. “I love you, Sophia.” I pull her closer, despite her anger. “I love you.”

“I want you to let me go.” She tries to push back. “Let me go. Let me go!”

“No.” I press my lips to the top of her head. Over and over and over again. “I love you. I know you think I’m just an idiot. I know you think I can’t be serious for more than two seconds. I also know you think I’m only hired muscle. But I love you, and I’m going to stick by you no matter what.”

“I want you to let me go,” she cries. “I can’t do anything until CAB is dealt with.Tomorrow, we deal with the rest tomorrow, but today, I need to deal with Colum.”

“I want you to trust me and the guys to take care of it.”

She stiffens and pulls back. “No.”

“Yes.” I step forward. “I want you to trust me to fix this for you.”

“I am not going to be relegated to the fucking kitchen, Jay! I will not be left at home while you go out there. This ismymission!”

“I’m not relegating you to the kitchen, babe. But maybe to a therapist’s office.”

Her fist swings out so fast, my brain rattles before my eyes see her hand. “Fuck you, Jay Bishop! I’m not crazy, and I’m not staying home. I know my mission, andyou’redismissed. Ace no longer needs your services.”

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