Page 71 of Resist

“Guilty? I’m mad as fucking hell.”

My eyes widen.

“What the fuck made you think we would ever let you go? I don’t care if you are doing it for me, for us, or whatever martyr shit you’re pulling. You don’t get to decide this on your own. You just don’t.”

“He’s right. It isn’t even just down to you two,” Strike murmurs.

“This is our band, our family, and he’s right. This is our dream. Without you, it isn’t. We either do this together or not at all. I’d rather be broke and unknown and happy than lose you. You know you’re our heart. We aren’t doing it without you.” Ry’s voice is loud and unrelenting as he shakes my hands. “Do you hear me? If you try to leave us, I’ll walk away too. We are a band, a family, so no, you aren’t leaving the band or me or any of us. I don’t care what they do to us. We’ll stick it through together.”

“Ry—”

“He’s right,” Dash mutters. “It isn’t your choice. If you leave, I’ll leave too.”

“Dash,” I protest frantically.

“I will as well.” Strike smiles. “Maybe I’ll go back to flipping burgers.”

“Stop it,” I beg. “I’m doing this for you.”

“We didn’t ask you to, baby.” Ryker sighs as he cups my jaw. “This isn’t for you to solve alone. It’s a problem for all of us. I love you, but you can’t protect us from everything. Whatever will be, will be. All that matters is that we are together. I’ve had a taste of fame and fortune, and it means nothing without my family.”

Looking to the ceiling, I try to blink away my tears, but they slide down my cheeks, and I choke on a stifled sob. “I just want to make sure you guys are happy,” I admit.

“We know.” Ryker slides down to his knees and grabs my face. “We know, baby. You are always protecting us, but you can’t protect us from everything. We are happy to see this through, but together, okay?”

“I don’t want you to lose your dream for me,” I croak.

“Without you it means nothing anyway,” he says. “The only reason I’m comfortable up there on that stage is because of you. We’ll do this together no matter what. Promise me, promise us you’ll stay and see it through.”

My eyes close as I sink into him.

“Promise us,” Dash demands. “No heroic shit, it isn’t your style. You’re making us all look bad, you know,” he mutters, but he’s serious.

“Besides, who would make sure we aren’t late? Who would write our songs and wash our underwear? Nah, you aren’t going anywhere,” Strike adds.

“Promise me,” Ryker orders as I look at him.

“I promise.” It slips free, but it’s the truth, and he sags in relief, embracing me.

Arms wrap around me as Dash and Strike kneel and hold me. “We’ll do this together,” Strike whispers, “or not at all.”

“Together,” Dash agrees.

“Always together,” Ryker says, and I know they are waiting for me.

“Together, no matter what it means,” I promise, and their relief is palpable. I would have given it all up for Ryker, Strike, and Dash, but the fact that they don’t want me to? Yeah, I’ll admit that I can breathe for the first time since we got that call.

“Fucking idiot, trying to leave us.” I jerk as someone slaps my head. “Bad Fox, very bad Fox. You’re grounded.”

I laugh, and their chuckles add to mine until we just laugh and lean into each other, ready to face whatever tomorrow brings together.

THIRTY-TWO

I’m still mad as hell that he tried to sacrifice himself for us, but I also couldn’t love him more. It doesn’t mean I’ll let him get away with it though. As soon as our bedroom door closes, I lean against it. He stands in the middle, looking sheepish and a little shy for once. Scrubbing the back of his head, he blows out a breath as he looks around nervously. “Ry?—”

“Don’t,” I snap, and his eyes land on me, wide and worried. “You don’t speak until I say you can.”

He blinks as I push away from the door and walk his way, ripping my shirt off as I go and dropping it to the floor. It drives him crazy when I leave my clothes lying around since he’s a neat freak, and I see his eye twitch before he drinks in my exposed chest, my clothes forgotten.

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