Page 92 of If You Fight

Her shoulders sagged. “Why? Is that what he ordered you to do? Send them away so I wouldn’t be able to see her ever again? Why would you do that to me, Ryder?”

I pulled her close and hugged her as she began to sob. “No, that’s not what happened. I think your father sent Jesse to kill her, so I drove up here as fast as I could to stop him. I got here in time and told her and Michael. She’s going to be okay, Serena.”

She tilted her head up to look at me, clearly confused. “So she’s okay? You didn’t…”

It broke my heart to know she thought I had come here to hurt her mother. I deserved it, though. After all I’d done, why wouldn’t she think that?

“I’d never do that to you, Serena. I’ve done a lot of bad things, but I’ve never hurt a woman. Not even for Robert.”

Cradling my face in her hands, she kissed me sweetly on the lips and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I should have known you wouldn’t hurt my mother. I just worried my father was threatening you with something, and you didn’t have a choice. I should have known better. Please forgive me.”

Before I could tell her I loved her and she never had to ask for my forgiveness for anything, I saw headlights coming down the road toward the house. Jesse. My stomach tensed as I knew what would happen next. I couldn’t risk Serena being there for that.

As she stared up at me, fear reflecting in her eyes, I kissed her and hoped I hadn’t made the biggest mistake of my life.

“I want you to go. Run down the path to the road and get into the car. Drive away as fast as you can back to the house and wait for me.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to go, Ryder. I don’t want to leave you here with him.”

“It’s not me he’s here for. He’s here for your mother. I need you to leave now.”

“Then why do I have to go?” she asked in horror. “Why can’t I stay here with you? He won’t hurt me.”

Taking her hand, I directed her toward the back door. I couldn’t tell her the truth—that I worried her father had told Jesse to take care of her along with her mother. Even I didn’t want to believe Robert could be that kind of monster.

“I just want you to go now, Serena. I don’t want you around this. Go, and I’ll follow in a few minutes.”

I opened the door and guided her out onto the porch, but we’d run out of time. Jesse stood there on the path looking almost surprised to see us there.

Pushing Serena behind me, I whispered to her, “Run to your car. I’ll keep him busy.”

“Don’t bother running. I’m here for her mother, not her.”

“She already got away, so you failed. Go back and tell my father he won’t get her tonight,” Serena snapped.

“You need to go, Jesse. She’s not here. Go tell him she was gone when you got here.”

His eyes opened wide in terror at what we both knew Robert would do when he found out Jesse failed. He walked through the kitchen door and shut it hard behind him.

“I can’t do that, man.”

Serena and I took a few steps backward toward the living room. I felt her squeeze my hand in fear and wished to hell I had gotten her away from this.

“Yes, you can. You can do it and you have to because she’s not here.”

Wincing, he took a step toward me and shook his head. “You know what he’ll do to me if go back and tell him I failed. Just tell me where she is and you won’t have to be involved in this anymore.”

“You know I can’t do that, Jess. I can’t let you hurt Serena’s mother. I don’t care what Robert ordered you to do. Just turn around and go back. I’ll do whatever I can to help you with him, but I can’t let you hurt her.”

He reached behind him and pulled out his gun. Waving it around, he sighed like this was all too much for him. “Why, man? Why did you have to get involved with his daughter? Jesus, didn’t he warn you like he warned everyone else? Why couldn’t you just keep your hands off her?”

The way he talked about Serena pissed me off. I gripped my gun until my palm hurt. “Don’t say another word about her. Not another fucking word. Now turn around and leave here before you get hurt.”

“You told me yourself about how he called you a stray that first night he brought you to the estate. He can claim you’re his adopted son all he wants, but when it comes right down it, Ryder, you know you aren’t one of them. You and I aren’t like them.”

Serena leaned around me and pointed her finger at Jesse. “You don’t know anything. You’re just like my father.”

I pushed her back behind me and hoped I could somehow get through to him. “Jess, I know how you’re feeling. I’ve been there. But you don’t have to do this. Go back and tell him she was gone when you got here.”

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