Page 108 of The Marine

And I’m smarter than this.

I need to protect Briar one last time. Once Johnny Trevis is in custody, then I’ll walk away.

I was wrong.

She doesn’t belong to me.

She never fucking did.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

BRIAR

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“I’m marrying the mostwonderful man in the entire world today!” Savannah leaps up and throws her arms around me as I walk through the door.

“I’m so happy for you.” I giggle, pushing away the raft of emotions that ambushed me the moment I walked away from Aidan downstairs.

Who am I kidding? It started last night and...more lies...it started ten years ago.

It’s so complicated.

I can’t tell Aidan I’m divorcing Kael. If I did, he’d think we could live happily ever after.

An impossible dream.

Surely he knows that.

I’d have to give up my mother. There’s nothing happy about that. I love my mom. For all her faults and ignorance.

She’s my mom. I can’t just disrespect her. Not after what she did for me.

He restrained himself and took his...needs out on me. I protected you, Briar.

I do understand that Mom was unfair to Aidan, and that there was no scientific evidence for her accusations. But what’s done is done.

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