Page 65 of Tore Up

“You think she needs you here then?” Linc asked with a challenging glint in his eyes. “It’s Than that I see her with. Never you. She seems to rely on him.”

He needed to shut the fuck up. Thoughts of her and Than were already taunting me. Fury was building inside me. Every morning I walked out of her room, I loathed not being able to stay. I despised knowing she’d be with Than most of the day.

“I’m not leaving her,” I replied through clenched teeth.

Oz cleared his throat. “I’ll take Bane’s place.”

Linc didn’t look away from me. “You were already going, Oz,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but not to handle the main mark.”

Linc finally shifted his gaze from me to Luther. I didn’t care what either said. They were asking me to leave for three days. I wasn’t doing it.

“It would be dangerous if his head was elsewhere,” Luther said. “Right now, he needs to protect the girl and the baby she is carrying.”

Thank you, Luther.

Linc didn’t seem like he agreed, but he looked to the other side of the room. “Than, Forge, and Ransom, you go in as backup. Oz and Luther will lead. Gathe, for now, Gannon has requested you stay behind. You seem to be the only one who can handle Saylor. I’ll stay to oversee things here, and so will Bane.”

I said nothing as he looked back at me.

“She’s a pregnant woman. They are needy. She will require human interaction. Than spends time with her. Gives her a life outside your house. If you are determined it has to be you who makes sure she’s taken care of, then don’t ignore her for three days.”

There wasn’t one muscle in my body that wasn’t fisted tight. I hadn’t been able to accept leaving her for three days, but doing more than making sure she ate properly and comforting her at night so she slept wasn’t going to be easy. I wasn’t sure getting to know her would be good for either of us.

I nodded.

Linc didn’t seem convinced, but he said nothing more.

“If you care so much about her emotional well-being, then don’t be an ass. She’s sensitive, even if she doesn’t show it. You hurt her feelings almost every fucking time you see her. I am the buffer that eases it over,” Than said angrily.

My eyes shifted to him, and I glowered at him. I didn’t hurt her feelings. I just made sure we had no relationship.

Was he developing an attachment to her? Was that what this was? He had sworn he’d not do that with her because she had been Crosby’s, but was that sweet face getting to him?

“Than.” Ransom’s tone held a warning.

Than shot his brother an annoyed glance. “What? He needs to hear it.”

“This isn’t your business,” Ransom told him.

“Yeah, it fucking is. Because I am the only friend she has here. Me. I’m the only one of us who has spent time with her. So, it’s my business.”

I took a step toward him, my arms falling to my sides as my hands fisted.

Locke stepped in front of me. He was the only fucker here bigger than I was, but right now, his size meant little. The gnarled shit inside me was clawing its way to the surface.

“Bane, you can go,” Linc said in his authoritative tone.

No one said a word. The only sound was my blood roaring in my ears.

“It’s about Crosby,” Locke said, as if I needed a reminder of my brother. “For both of you.”

Hearing his name reined me in enough that I was able to stalk to the door and get the fuck out of there before Than said anything more.

They had all left, and I was still pacing outside by the pool, smoking a cigar. Not ready to go talk to her. She would need to eat soon, and she’d come down to an empty house. All she had was me for the next three days. I’d been unable to leave her, so Iwould have to spend time with her because of it.

Finishing the cigar, I dropped the head into the ashtray, then made my way to the patio doors. My hand stilled on the handle when she walked into the great room.

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