Page 2 of Dagger

“Please don’t touch me,” she begged.

My hand stayed suspended in mid-air.

“It burns,” she whispered. “It’s been so long since you touched me in any way. I think it would incinerate me from the inside out. I don’t want it to hurt anymore.”

Something dark and ugly gripped my lungs. I dropped my arm and stared at Elise. My gut twisted as clarity sliced through it, and for the first time in years, everything became clear.

Lies and manipulation had torn her from me, but I’d allowed it.

When I came back from the dead, I knew in my heart my girl would never betray me. My duchess had proven her loyalty time and again, but at the first sign of trouble, I’d abandoned her. And by doing so, I’d handed her over to the Devil himself.

It was no wonder she couldn’t bear me to touch her.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, studying Elise’s face for a reaction. She should’ve cussed me out, slapped my face, screamed, and shouted.

But there was nothing.

She was dead inside.

“I’m sorry, Elise,” I repeated, looking for some kind of reaction. “I’m sorry. D’ya hear me? I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”

She plastered her fake ‘mayor’s wife’ smile across her face and clipped out, “Thanks, but I don’t require an apology.”

My heart sank.

“Do you think Const—um, Sophie would speak to me?” she asked hopefully. “Would you ask?”

I nodded, relieved at seeing a spark of emotion behind her eyes, but also for the excuse to get the fuck away before I lost my shit.

Elise had been through enough, and I had to process every word she’d just relayed. “I’ll go get her,” I told her flatly, standing, and hauling my ass out of there.

I wanted was to take Elise in my arms and comfort her, but I didn’t know how.

She was still beautiful, still incredible, but the woman in that room wasn’t my Leesy anymore. She was damaged, detached, even cold, and knowing it was my fault, cut me down to my soul. I didn’t know how to get under the armor she wore. I needed time to process everything and to plan. Plus, she’d unloaded years of heartache, and abuse, and we both needed time to unpack it all.

I walked dazed through the corridor, and my stare fell on the wall of cuts, representing our fallen brothers. One in particular stood out from the rest, an old, beaten scrap of leather my dad used to wear proudly across his back.

My steps faltered, my mouth twisting, because suddenly it hit me who Bandit was, and it sickened me.

It was all a lie.Hewas a lie.

My dad was a product of his environment, but it was an environment he created himself.

Elise was right; whatever she did back then would’ve never been good enough for him. When I thought back, it gutted me how I’d lost so much because I trusted the wrong person. I loved my dad, but right then, I hated him too. I’d always seen his faults, but I’d ignored the red flags and threw everything away for my own selfish pride.

It was no wonder Elise had checked out. I was the person she should’ve been able to rely on, the man who promised her everything. I should’ve seen the real her underneath the mask of lies, but instead, I’d turned my back on her because I had something to prove.

I’d let my girl down, and never kept one damned promise, and by doing so, I’d let my kid down, too.

For thirty goddamned years.

Red mist descended over my eyes, and I roared, smashing repeatedly into the wall. Burning heat licked up my throat, and I pressed the heel of my palm into my eye, trying to calm my shit.

Elise’s story had flayed me. I’d always strived to be honorable, but there was no honor in what I’d done to her.

How could I have not known? How could I have been so close to her for years but still bury my head so far up my ass that I couldn’t see what was happening in front of me? I’d hung the woman I loved out to dry and accused her of giving everything she promised me to somebody else when, in actuality, it was me who did it.

She was everything to me, and I’d shredded her.

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