Page 111 of Give Me Redemption

My shoulders shake, and my chest shudders as I try to breathe out slowly. He bends in front of me and puts his finger under my chin.

“You did this,” he says, his voice laced with hurt and devastation. Not anger or resentment like it should be, but like he’s speaking from a broken heart.

“I know.” I sniff and my lungs breathe in with a shake. “I know.”

He drops his hand and I look up at his face. He just stares at me, his eyes full of hopelessness.

“What am I supposed to do?” he asks desperately broken. “How am I supposed to walk away from you?” His face cracks, and a tear falls from his eyes.

“I don’t know,” I reply despairingly. I reach out, but he stands up and backs away from me.

I drop my hand at his rejection.

He looks around the room again. “Tell me what this is.”

I nod and swallow. “That’s Chloe, my sister.” I never talk about this with anyone. Davy and Monroe know, but it’s because they work with me. No one else knows this side of me besides my family.

But Jace deserves it all.

He should know who I am before he walks away forever.

“She was taken when we were kids. I’ve been looking for her ever since.”

He narrows his eyes. “You’re an FBI agent?”

“Yes,” I say. I clear my throat, wipe my face, and push off the floor. I walk over to him and he backs up. It’s only a little, but I notice.

He doesn’t want me to touch him.

And that hurts more than anything.

I reach down and pick up one of her pictures. “She was my best friend. I snuck out of the window Halloween night. I left the thing open, and he crawled right in.” I look up at Jace. “A monster snatched my sister up and took her into the dark.”

He tilts his head slightly, his emotions changing from guarded to pity.

“And as we stand here, he still has her.” I pick up another piece of paper.

The email.

“Chloe is the reason I became an FBI agent. She’s the reason for everything.”

His eyes dart down to the paper in my hand.

I drop it, letting it sink to the floor. Carefully, I walk back over to him.

He watches me cautiously.

And I’m terrified that at any minute he’ll leave me. I reach my hand up and touch the side of his face.

He freezes solid.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” I whisper. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

His eyes soften.

My mouth opens slightly, and he grabs me. His kiss bruises my lips as he holds on to my face tightly. I fall apart, wanting him to use me any way he can as long as he’s the one doing it.

His hand moves from my face to my throat and he grips, his tongue twisting with mine. He backs us up, the couch hitting the back of my knees. I fall and he climbs between my legs. He reaches and tugs my jogging pants down quickly as I lift my ass so he can drag them past my calves.

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