Page 84 of Claiming Charlotte

“Rowan!” he called out.

“What the fuck could you possibly want, our whole friendship was a lie!” I grabbed him by the collar, shoving him back into the ground.

“I left her in your care for five years when I was gone. Fucking five! I trusted you with the love of my life Jason.”

My voice cracked, and I hit him again, watching his head snap to the side and the thick crimson coat his face. He spit the blood overflowing in his mouth. It was mixing with his tears, and I let him sit up.

“Who are you really Jason, are you a friend, or an enemy? I need to know. The games stop now.”

He was silent and I left him there bloody and sitting on the ground. I showed him mercy not one but twice. I was done with him, there was only one person that mattered, and I needed her.

“I’m undercover, Rowan,” he finally admitted, and I stopped in my tracks.

“I may be a Walker, but I vowed the day he had my mother dragged away that I would bring them down anyway I can. Please listen to reason.”

“So you’re what? A cop, and have been the whole time?? You have to be fucking kidding me, if that was true how the fuck did you make it in county with me huh? Not only that, you did terrible things, and you are tasked with protecting people. Yet, you never did. You are no man of the law, and certainly no better than Richard. If you come near us, I will finish what I started.”

He threw a punch and hit me square in the face knocking me back and I fell to the ground.

“Everything I did was for you!” He screamed. “Why the fuck do you think I didn’t clean up all of that blood? I wanted you to get out, to fucking survive.”

He straddled me using the same amount of force I did just moments ago.

“I made sure she was safe!”

“When they made me hurt you, I made sure you came back from it.”

“I brought her to the fight that night!”

“I had Lacey take over because I couldn’t stand your fucking screams anymore!”

When I knew he was satisfied, I sat up and wiped my nose on my shirt. Who the fuck is this man in front of me?

“I don’t care about any of that. You let them hurt Charlotte, I don’t even care you took my finger, Jason, but you let them hurt her, they branded her.” My voice rose the more I spoke, and I was trying to keep level and make sense of things.

“Charlotte wasn't my mission, Rowan, it really didn't matter to me, I needed Richard gone, so I used your situation to my advantage, and I hope one day you can forgive me,” he said sincerely.

I pointed what would have been my index finger at him, upset and disappointed.

“Stay away from us Jason, you are selfish.” I said shakily.

“Please don’t do this, Roe. The fucking force is just as corrupt as the organizations we work for. I lost my way, trying to survive.”

“We leave the world as we come into it, Jason, alone. You can handle it from here, but I won’t show you mercy again.”

With that I left him to clean up his mess. While I went home to clean up my own.

Slowly I opened the door and crept into the kitchen and there she sat beautiful as ever, sipping her tea, probably chamomile or something, and I remained patient for an opening.

Once finished she yawned and placed her cup in the sink, but she wouldn't be going to bed anytime soon.

I snuck up behind her and she spoke low.

“I don't know who you are, but you picked the wrong house. I’ll give you a full sixty seconds to leave.”

This wasn’t my Lottie; her voice was hoarse and cold.

Placing my hands on her hips she gasped as my warm body encased hers. “But I don’t want to leave.”

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