Page 214 of Hymns of the Broken
I nod, feeling the weight of his worry, the possessiveness in Riot’s gaze as he squeezes my hand. “Just shout, Hellcat. We’ll be right here.”
When they finally leave, the door clicks shut, the air shifts with expectation. I face Blake, chained and broken, but still wearing that sick, delusional smile.
He blows out a breath, like he’s been holding it. “Thank fuck, Sawyer. Did youreallyhave to let them break my fingers before you got some sense into you? They’re fucking crazy. Now get me out of here, baby, and let’s go.”
He jerks his wrists against the cuffs, grimacing. “C’mon.Thisis enough. You made your point. We’ll leave—just you and me. Forget all this. I forgive you.”
His voice is almost pleading now, desperate and slick. He’s still trying to twist it—still thinks he has any power left. But I don’t move. I just stare at him as I let the silence answer for me.
He shifts in the chair, frustration flickering in his eyes. “Sawyer, let’s go. You’re not like them. You’re mine. You always have been.”
I fold my arms across my chest, chin lifting. “That’s where you’re wrong, Blake. I never was.”
“You’re making a mistake. When you finally come to your senses, it’ll be too late. They’ll drop you the second you’re not useful to them. And then what?”
I take a slow, deliberate step closer, feeling stronger with every word.
“You’re the only mistake I ever made, Blake. And I’m done letting you speak for me.”
Blake’s eyes search my face, a flicker of panic surfacing as he realizes I’m not unchaining him. He softens his voice, desperate and sticky-sweet. “Sawyer, baby, please. You know I love you. I’ve always loved you. None of this would’ve happened if you’d just stayed. You know we’re meant to be.”
The words roll off me like oil and water. “Love isn’t what you think it is, Blake. What you did to me isn’t love. It’s an obsession. It’s control.”
He shakes his head. “No, no, you don’t understand. You’re all I’ve ever wanted. I did everything for you. Everything.”
My voiceis calm, but it trembles at the edges. “You hurt me. You planned every second. You took things that weren’t yours to take. That isn’t love, Blake. That’s just you trying to own something you never deserved.”
“You can’t just throw this away. You need me. I know you better than they ever will.”
I step forward, my voice deadly soft. “You don’t know me. You never did. And you’re never going to touch me again.”
His eyes shine with something twisted—anger, regret, maybe even grief. But I don’t care.
He leans forward as far as the chains will let him, his eyes are burning with anger. “You’ll never be able to get rid of me, Sawyer. You hear me? You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”
My skin crawls. I keep my face blank, refusing to givehimthe fearhewants.
Blake’s voice rises, ragged with anger and something close to panic. “You don’t get it, do you? You are trying to ruin everything I’ve been doing. I’ve worked for years to make this right. I did everything for us—you think you can just walk away?”
“You didn’t do any of it for me. You did it for yourself. You want to own me. Control me. But you lost, Blake. I’m not yours. I never was.”
He slams his cuffed fists against the chair, the sound echoing through the basement. “No, Sawyer. You can’t ruin this. You can’t ruin us. I’ve waited too long—gone too far. You’re not leaving me. I won’t let you.”
I take a single step back, my heart pounding, but my voice is ice. “You don’t get to decide anymore.Thisis over, Blake. You’re done. There’s nothing left, so tell me everything I want to know.”
RIOT
I lean against the wall outside the basement door with my arms crossed, listening for anything out of the ordinary. Jasper’s pacing, jaw tight, every few seconds glancing back like he might bust through and drag Sawyer out himself. I’m tense too, don’tget me wrong, but if there’s one thing that girl’s proven, it’s that she can hold her own. Hell, she’s braver than half the men I’ve ever met.
My phone buzzes. It’s Silas.
I flick the screen and hold it out so Jasper can hear. Silas’s voice is urgent. “We’re on our way back. Found some things you’re gonna want to see. Lock down the house and keep everyone upstairs until we get there.”
Jasper’s brows knit, and I can see him already working through a dozen worst-case scenarios. “What things?”
Silas grunts. “You’ll see. Just prepare yourselves.”
The line clicks off and Jasper hands my phone back while running his other hand through his hair.
