Page 106 of Hate Me

“Go,” she ground out. “Get out of my fucking sight.”

He didn’t go quietly, yelling about her belonging with him, and struggling as Caspian and Caleb dragged him out of the room.

Luke came rushing with a couple of security guards to finish the job, to throw him out of the mansion.

I went to Sky and wrapped my arm around her, nuzzling her hair. “Are you okay, beautiful?”

A growl rumbled from her. “I’m fine.”

She shrugged out of my grip, startling me.

And then she was running out of the room.

Shit.

22

~Caspian~

“You knew bringing him into her vicinity again while the three of you were present would reveal his true colors.” Luke shoved a hand through his black crew cut. “That’s impressive.”

I looked out at him sitting opposite my desk, his phone out and ready to take notes with my forthcoming orders. He had one of his legs folded over the other, his phone resting on his knee, his tactical pants pulling taut.

My hands steepled on my desk, I told him, “I suspected. I wasn’t certain, hence me needing to observe him in person.”

“We’ve seen and dealt with some unsavory things over the years, and this is right up there, King. Gaining her trust through her father, then taking advantage of the trauma she suffered, manipulating it and reinforcing it in order to make her weak and susceptible to him… it’s despicable.”

I nodded. “Especially given his relationship with her father.”

“The betrayal is another level. Do you think their time alone together in that safehouse inspired it, or had he already taken a liking to her, perhaps agreeing to assist with their extraction two years ago in order to get close to her?”

“He has a pattern.”

“He’s done it before?”

“Twice. Once in college, before he then dropped out because of the fallout. And then when he left the army and started up JW Securities, with one of his first clients. He exhibits the toxic traits of the nice guy personae to the extreme.”

“I’m sorry this happened to your woman.” He shook his head to himself. “As if she hasn’t been through enough.”

My gut twisted.

“She’s strong.”

“And she has the three of you to help her through it.”

I doubted she’d want that.

Not with this.

The way she’d reacted right afterward, pushing away Bastian’s comfort, then holing up in her room for the last few hours, had pointed toward that.

I just hoped it was her shoring up her sense of self and power. As disturbing as it was, discovering the twisted truth about Jeremy’s intentions and manipulations could actually have a positive effect on her. For one, relieving herself of her ties to him, as well as her ties to that life with him at that safehouse. Another, having her realize that she wasn’t lost or weakened, and that it had been his manipulations that had tried to instill that in her and have her questioning herself and her strength. She had a great deal of inner strength, she was highly capable, so any doubts she’d been having there would now be attributed to that fool, instead of nagging at her confidence and her belief that she had the wherewithal to rebuild her life and go the distance.

“You allowed him to walk free to get him out of her vicinity as quickly as possible. Now you’re reconsidering it?”

I’d called him in here citing that I wanted to discuss dealing with that bastard.

“No. It was my intention to let him go.”

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