Page 89 of Theirs to Rule

"And he isn’t going to be able to get me anything till next week. I need something. Just to kick withdrawals down the line a little..."

"You need to get clean, Jane. I’m not giving you anything. You’re getting help. Real help this time."

Jane shook her head, a mix of defiance and despair in her eyes. "I've tried, Dante. I've tried so many times."

"I know," I replied softly. "But you have to keep trying. For you and for Marco."

"Marco needs to know the truth about you. And if you won't give me what I need..."

It was the same threat she'd always used on me before, but this time, I was done. I'd tried to help her time and again, but it always came back to this. As much as I didn't want to, I had to tell Marco the truth. That I’d slept with his mother when we were both drunk years ago. And about what had happened to Rhianna. Maybe then, together, we could accomplish what I couldn't by myself.

"I'm telling Marco everything, Jane."

Her eyes bugged out of her head.

For a moment, there was silence between us, broken only by the sound of Jane’s hitching breath. I couldn't imagine the depth of her pain, the loss of a child, but Marco deserved to come back to a mother who was fighting to heal, not one who had given up. It pained me, the thought of facing him, admitting my role in Rhianna’s death. The guilt had been a constant shadow, and the thought of seeing the disappointment and possibly hate in Marco's eyes ate at me. But it was time; he needed to know the truth.

“Don't tell Marco," Jane said. "Please, Dante. I won't come back again. Maybe just some pot. A few hits, please. Then I'll get help. Because I don't want Marco to know. He—he can't know." I knew she wasn’t talking about the fact that we’d fucked once, but about the truth about how Rhianna had died. Right now, Marco thought Rhianna had gotten those drugs on her own, notthrough Jane. And guilt-ridden bastard that I am, I’d never told him the truth.

I closed my eyes. As much as I feared that Marco would hate me for my part in Rhianna's death, Jane feared the same for her part in it. But that didn't mean I was going to change my mind. No more lies. I'd give her some time to see if she could clean herself up some. I didn't expect her to go cold turkey, but if she could at least get better than where she was right now... "I'll give you some pot then we'll see how you are in a week, okay? You still have a son who needs you."

Her eyes filled with tears, but there was a flicker of determination in them, one I hadn't seen before. "I promise, Dante, I'll turn things around."

I nodded, though I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. I went to my room and grabbed several joints. After she smoked one and eventually passed out, I sat there watching her, lost in thought.

If Camille knew any of this and what I’d been doing in Crimsonvale, she'd be disgusted. The truth was, I couldn't keep hiding this part of my life from her. She deserved to know everything, even if it meant risking our relationship. I decided then, I’d spend one more day with her, a day without shadows or secrets, and then I'd come clean. About everything. About Jane, about Rhianna, about the guilt that had been eating at me for years.

I stood up, feeling the weight of my decisions pressing down on me. Tomorrow would be a day for making memories, for laughter and love, a brief respite before the storm. And after that, I'd face whatever came.

Chapter 40

Kage

My eyes flung open. I stared into the darkness for a moment, then turned to check the time. It was three in the morning. What had woken me? Next to me, Camille whimpered, her sweat-drenched body thrashing beneath the sheets.

“No, please!” she cried out.

“Hey, you’re okay,” I whispered, gently stroking her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at me, full of anguish and fear. “It was just a bad dream.”

“It felt so real,” she sobbed. “We were back in the car, only this time, Dante was there too. Ty showed up. H-he was supposed to help us, but he pushed the car off the cliff instead.” She turned to me, her eyes wet with tears. “It felt so real,” she whispered again.

“But it wasn’t real,” I assured her. I leaned down to kiss her forehead and pulled her into my arms. Her heart was racing so fast I could feel it. “I’m here, and you’re safe. I’d never let anything happen to you, Rebel. You’re really worried about him, aren’t you?”

She nodded, knowing I was referring to Ty. “You didn’t see his face when he realized his parents were involved in all of this… I just wish I knew where he was.”

“He'll be back. There's no way he could keep away from you. And when he's back, we'll be here for him. Trust your gut and keep pushing him. You’ll eventually break through. In the meantime, just be prepared for him to bite back.”

It was a defense mechanism I knew well. Keep your walls up and never let anyone in. It was something Ty and I had in common until I met Camille. She had changed everything. Even before we’d gotten together, back when she was just my sister’s friend, I’d been drawn to her, watching her every chance I got. I’d wanted to get to know her. But at the same time, the last thing I’d wanted was to drag her into my mess of a life, so I had tried to keep her at arm’s length.

I wasn’t exactly thrilled about her lingering feelings for Ty, but I wanted her happy. I also knew despite the dark shit he was fighting, Ty cared for her. If Ty was ultimately able to give her what she needed, especially when I was gone, fuck it, who was I to deny it? She deserves someone to protect her, to worship her, always. She'd get that in Dante, but if she could have it with Ty too...

I pushed a strand of sweat-drenched hair back behind her ear as I gazed at her for a moment, searching for the words to tell her what was really on my mind.

"What is it?" she prompted, sensing something was off.

“I’ve been thinking about... after. How you'll be with Dante. And might even be with Ty," I admitted. "They'll be able to have you when I can’t.” I stopped, the thought almost too much for me. “I hate it. I hate them. Most of all, though, I hate myself.”

God, it drove me crazy thinking about everything I’d miss out on that they would get to experience. But I had to put her first.That meant letting them into her life. And me eventually exiting myself from hers.

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