Page 111 of Treacherous

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her forehead to mine. "You have to," she cried.

"I can’t," I mumbled, chest heaving, as regret flooded me. "It's too far… my mom – I have to stay close…"

"I'm going, Noah," Teagan told me. "And I'm booking you a ticket to come with me." She stroked my cheek with her small hand.

"You need to know you have options," she told me. "There's more to life than the Dennis family."

More to life than the Dennis family…

More to life...

Life…

"Don’t make me watch that again," she whispered and I swear my heart cracked when I saw her lip wobble. "I love you – I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you…it would destroy me…"

"Okay," I heard myself saying – fucking lying.Why the hell was I lying to her?"I'll come with you."

Teagan lifted her face and when I looked into her tear-filled eyes I realized exactly why I was lying to her. Why I wouldcontinueto lie to her and let her believe I was going with her…because she deserved better.

Because Teagan was the one thing I'd ever got right and I wanted to keep her safe and untainted from the rest of my life.

And if I didn’t win Friday night I didn’t want her to be here to find out. I wanted her safe. I wanted her on that plane and as far away from George as possible.

I needed her shielded…

"You will?" Teagan sniffled. "You really will come with me to Ireland?"

"Yeah," I managed to choke out. I loved her. I fucking burned for her. I would do just about anything to protect – even if that meant I had to protect her from me. "I really will, Thorn."

****

Teagan

"If someone told me at the start of senior year that you would be running away with Noah Messina I'd have laughed into their face," Hope mumbled as she sat on my bed with a mixture of shock and disbelief etched on her face. I'd told Hope everything and she was surprisingly understanding if not a little depressed. "I can't believe this, Teegs."

"Neither can I." But it was happening. I was getting on a plane in less than eight hours with Noah Messina and I knew in my heart and soul that it was the absolute right thing to do.

I loved him and, crazy as it sounded at eighteen, I knew it was the real deal.

I knewhewas the real deal for me.

"I love him, Hope," I told her as I tossed my clothes into my suitcase. "And Noah needs this… he needs someone to save him."

"I know," she muttered. "I just wish you guys didn’t have to leave."

"They're never going to let him be, Hope," I told her. "As long as Noah stays here he's the property of George Dennis and his family. I love him too much to sit back and let that happen."

Shaking my head, I grabbed my slippers and shoved them into my case. "I've seen what they're capable of." The memory of those men beating Noah outside of the Henderson Hotel flooded my mind and I shuddered. "Heneedsthis."

"And what do you need, Teagan?" Hope asked softly.

"Him," I replied simply. "I need Noah, and I need him alive."

"Where's Noah meeting you?"

"He's meeting me here in a few minutes," I mumbled, checking my watch. "We'll take a nap and then drive his car to the airport since Max still has my keys."

"And what about Max?"

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