Page 124 of Into the Fire

Anson immediately relaxed in his seat, clearly heeling for her.

I swallowed hard, hating what I was seeing.

Fox was right. Anson’s focus was solely on her.

It was both a good and bad thing.

“Is there anything else?” Anson looked to me.

I got to my feet. “No. Cole. Rosalie. Let’s go.”

Rosalie looked up at me with tear-soaked eyes. A pang shot through my chest at the broken look on her face.

I sighed. “Cole, take Rosalie to the car. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Cole glared at Anson for a moment before getting up and pulling Rosalie to her feet. She cast a fearful look to me, then Anson. He offered a kind smile before the front door clicked closed behind them.

“I came tonight to remind you she’s mine,” I said.

“Enzo, I know who she belongs to. I’m not here to take her from you. Yes, I care for her. I love her,” Anson said softly. “She’s really perfect, and I do wish she’d leave you pricks, but I’m not going to make her do that. Everything Rosalie does is because she wants to. I promised her I was done pursuing her that way. I made my move. I kissed her. I don’t regret that because it may be all I ever have of her. She is, and will always be, safe with me. That will never change.”

“Is that all you want to say to me?” I stared him down.

He let out a soft laugh. “You already know everything. If she says the word, I’ll take her. I won’t question it. I’ll just drag her into my arms and love her the way she deserves.”

“She’ll never say she wants you,” I said, anger rearing inside me again.

He shrugged. “She probably won’t, but I love her enough to have hope. To protect her for always.”

“You’ll never join us.”

“I know,” his voice shook, and he stared down at his hands. “I understand. I accept that. She’s what matters. Not me and my feelings.”

I surveyed him, taking in how vulnerable he looked in that moment.

“Don’t punish her. She was drunk. It’s my fault too. I should have left. I just. . . I knew I’d probably never get another chance to see her that way. To have the possibility. . . I caved. It won’t happen again. Don’t punish Fox, either. He was proving a point.” He visibly swallowed. “Proving he could take her away from me. This was a show of that power. He knew she’d be upset. I fell for it. She hasn’t spoken to me since last night. So you may not have anything to worry about. She may not want anything to do with me. She woke this morning and was gone before I could say more thanI’m sorryto her.”

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “I don’t know what she’s thinking. She’s pissed at us too. We’re all fuck-ups. Just. . . don’t fucking do it again. Got it? She’s not yours and won’t ever be. We’ll never allow it.”

“Of course.” He looked at me. “I know my place. Just don’t take her from me.”

“I won’t. I believe you care and that you’ll protect her, but this shit is over. I’m serious. Next time, I’ll just let Cole shoot you. No words. Just dead.”

“Understood.”

I got to my feet and went to my knife lodged into the wall and pulled it out, then walked to the door.

“I killed four men in this room just a few weeks ago,” he murmured, staring at me from the couch.

“I believe that.”

“If you fucking hurt her, you’ll be the fifth.”

I said nothing and left, closing the door behind me.

I believed that too.

FORTY

---