Page 147 of Prey for You

“I know.”

When I got off the phone I sat there.

…I’m not capable of that. So, the question is, Sam, are you?

Me staring at her father and righteously pinning him down.

Do you want to help her because she needs it? Or are you trying to manipulate her to get her to do what you want?

I sat back against the couch and sighed.

I loved her. I really loved her. Whether she loved me right now or not… the only thing I could was what was best for her. And hope it was enough. Whether she could see it, or not.

My conscience was clear in front of these smug bastards. I hadn’t hurt her. I had been helping her. And if they couldn’t see that there was nothing I could do except keep loving her and not make this shitstorm worse.

I had to take care of herespeciallywhen she wasn’t taking care of herself.

Iamthe best man for her. I’m her fucking husband.

I took a deep breath. It was time to fight. No more tiptoeing around everything, trying to keep her happy with me and keep myself free.

Everyone in her life only ever fought for her when it suited them. When they got something out of it.

Well… I’d show her what real love looked like. Selfless love. Because then, if I was gone, at least she’d know. And maybe then, if I was gone these other assholes would stop getting their fangs into her.

Maybe.

Please, God… make it so.

I stood up. I felt shaky. But not as scared. I looked around until I found my burner phone laying on the floor under the shelf. The screen was cracked, but it was still working, thank God.

I had shit to do, and a wife to save from her demons.

And not a lot of time to do it.

48. Because it’s True

SOUNDTRACK:Fearless Pt. IIby Lost Sky

~ SAM ~

When I popped Bridget’s back door, I waited, wincing, for the security alarms to shriek. When they didn’t, I breathed a little easier, but not much.

The house was almost dark. No lights on anywhere, but there was a flickering glow coming from the living room and the scent of popcorn.

My stomach rumbled and I shook my head. What an irony it would be if I’d successfully snuck all the way to her house, only to be betrayed by a hungry stomach because I didn’t stop to eat the cold pizza.

I slipped inside the house and took long seconds to close the door and latch it so there’d be no chance of an errant neighbor seeing the cracked door and wondering if there was an intruder.

Then I snuck silently down the short hallway that passed her kitchen and intersected with the wider, main hallway that fed from the living room to the bedrooms.

My instincts had been right, that flickering light was coming from the living room. The television was on, sound low. When I made it to the main hallway I paused, listening. But I couldn’t hear anything except the television.

Then I stepped out, holding my breath.

Four steps. Three. Two.

The hallway opened into the living room and I stood just feet from where she lay on the couch hugging a pillow and…

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