Page 232 of Ignite

“Last night was a mistake, Conan. We are over. For good. Done. I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want you to chase me. I want you to stay the hell away from me. There is nothing you can explain to make this better. Unless you can change what happened? You had me kidnapped and entered into a game where women die to survive your fucking sick game. I’m not a contestant.”

I shake my head. As she grabs for the door, I press it shut with my hand above her head.

“No one died in The Chase, Hallie. It’s all fake. All the women are fine—they’re given new identities and a new life away from the fucking scum who entered them. There’s a bigger picture here. I’m just a goddamn pawn in this game. We maintain order for someone much higher than us. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry that you got caught up in this. If I’d known Ben had entered you, this wouldn’t be happening.”

Her breath hitches. I can almost feel the relief radiate off her.

“I’m glad no one died for me to win. But do you also see how I can’t be with a man who is capable of doing this? Who gets a thrill from hunting? Do you know how fucking petrified I was? And that cabin? Conan, you had me tied up in a sauna and coaxed an orgasm out of me. Did you do that to other girls? How many girls did you make come that day?”

“None. Because I stepped back this year. I only took control of yours because I was drawn to you.”

A fire blazes in her eyes.

“So you didn’t know it was me. I could have been anyone, and you wanted to make them come. What if it wasn’t me? What if I made another guy come? Hmm?”

The anger in her voice is palpable. The air between us dead and cold.

“Well? Come on. Explain yourself.”

She shoves at my chest, but I hold her steady.

“Tell me how you want me to forgive that, Conan.” Her voice rises.

“But it was you.” I don’t know what else to say.

I’ve seriously fucked up.

“You chased me for weeks. You made me believe it could be more. You made me feel again. And then I’m thrown into the fucking woods, and my whole life explodes.”

She erupts into sobs. I pull her into my arms.

“I really, really liked you, Conan. And now I’ve lost you as a friend—and that hurts too. You can’t have wanted me, not really, if this was what you were doing behind my back.”

Everything crashes down around me.

She’s right.

She deserves so much better than me.

I’m a monster.

“I’m so sorry, Hallie.”

I close my eyes and rest my head on top of hers, taking in her sweet rose scent for the last time.

“I’ll stop. I’ll leave you alone. I promise,” I whisper and pull back.

She wipes her tears and tries to smile.

“You are a good man, deep down. You’ll make someone very happy one day,” she says before turning to leave and almost sprinting out of my garage.

I stumble back and sit on the edge of the bed, covering my face with my hands.

In my thirty years on this earth, I’ve never felt so devastated.

Like my heart has cracked clean open.

Chapter 87

---