Page 102 of Say You're Mine

"Keep her safe," I rasp, meeting Dante's eyes over the heads of the crowd. He gives me a sharp nod, understanding passing between us in that brief moment.

Then I'm moving, letting Judith and Dante's men hustle me out of the church and into a waiting car. As we peel away from the curb, tires squealing, I catch one last glimpse of the church doors opening. Of paramedics rushing in with a stretcher.

Cara. My Cara Mia. My wild brave beauty.

I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry.

The city blurs past the windows, a smear of gray and neon. I barely register where we're going, my mind a whirlwind of regret and desperate planning.

"Talk to me, June," Judith says, her voice cutting through the fog. "What happened? Why did you break protocol?"

I drag a hand down my face, feeling the rasp of stubble against my palm. When was the last time I shaved? Slept? Everything since that message is a blur of adrenaline and bone-deep terror.

"I got a threat," I say, my voice rough. "A photo of Cara sleeping, taken through our bedroom window. The message said they knew where she was. That time was running out."

Judith curses, low and vicious. "And you didn't think to contact us? To let us handle it?"

I laugh, the sound harsh and bitter. "With what time? For all I knew, they were moving in on her that night. I couldn't risk it, Jude. I couldn't-"

My voice breaks, and suddenly I'm choking on air, gasping like a drowning man. Judith's hand is on my back, rubbing slow circles as I struggle to breathe.

"Easy," she murmurs. "Easy, little brother. I've got you."

When I finally get myself under control, I look up to find Judith watching me with a mixture of concern and resignation.

"You really love her, don't you?" she says softly. "Enough to throw away everything we've worked for."

"She is everything," I rasp, the words torn from somewhere deep in my chest. "Her and the baby. Nothing else matters."

Judith nods, something like understanding flickering in her eyes. "Okay," she says. "Okay. Then let's figure out how to keep them safe."

The car pulls up to a nondescript apartment building, and we're hustled inside. The place is bare-bones - a bed, a table, a laptop humming quietly in the corner. A safe house, then.

"You'll stay here until we can figure out our next move," Judith says, already tapping away at her phone. "I'll have someone bring you some clothes, food-"

"No." The word comes out sharper than I intend, and Judith's head snaps up. "No more hiding. No more running. We end this. Now."

"June-"

"I mean it, Jude," I cut her off, steel entering my voice. "Elaine's made her move. It's time we made ours."

For a long moment, Judith just looks at me. Then, slowly, a smile spreads across her face. It's not a nice smile. It's the kind of smile that makes grown men piss themselves.

"Well, well," she says, a hint of pride in her voice. "Looks like baby brother's finally grown up. Alright, June. You want a war? Let's give Elaine a fucking war."

The next few hours are a blur of planning and preparation. Judith works her contacts, calling in favors and setting pieces into motion. I pace the small apartment like a caged animal, my mind racing with possibilities and pitfalls.

"We need to get to Cara," I say for the hundredth time. "Make sure she's safe."

Judith doesn't even look up from her laptop. "Dante's got her. She's safer with him right now than she would be with you."

The words sting, but I know she's right. Doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

"What about Amethyst?" I ask, changing tacks. "Any word on her?"

This time, Judith does look up. "Nothing concrete. But there are whispers. Rumors of a secret facility, of women being held against their will. Breeding stock, they're calling it."

The rage that wells up inside me is sudden and all-consuming. I have to close my eyes, count to ten, just to keep from putting my fist through the wall.

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