Page 97 of Selling Innocence

Those could only mean one thing, right? “Yeah, I do.”

Jarrod shook his head. “Well, they’d better be pretty damned tough if they’re going to survive in this family.”

They won’t have to worry about that.

I forced a smile to keep myself from crying. “Thank you for coming, but I really have to get going.”

“We’ll see each other soon, right? Sasha wants you to come home for Christmas, again. She says it’s a tradition now. Maybe you could bring these men home and introduce them, then?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He pressed his lips together. No doubt he’d heard that lie loud and clear.

“Bye,” I said, and turned my back before he could see the fear on my face, the pain of losing people so important to me.

“Kid.” His one word stopped me, but I didn’t turn back toward him. “Don’t think you’re fooling me one bit. Dane taught you how to answer the question you want instead of the one you’re asked, so don’t think you’ve pulled the wool over my eyes here. You’re in trouble all right—big trouble.”

“Are you going to stop me, then?”

“No. I’ve learned my lesson about that. You can’t stop people who are determined, and even if Nem doesn’t see it, even if no one else in the world sees it, I know you’re damned tough. You’re a lot like your mom, you know. Strong, stubborn, tough as nails. I trust that you can take care of yourself, that you can deal with anything that comes your way.”

“You’re the only one who thinks that,” I whispered back.

“Maybe. Just remember that no matter what, you aren’t ever alone. If anyone fucks with you, you show them who they’re dealing with. At the end of the day, no matter what else happens, you keep your chin up because you are Mackenzie Williams, and may the devil have mercy on anyone who forgets it, because they’ll be meeting him soon.”

I spun around, but found myself alone in the alleyway. Jarrod’s words weren’t ones I’d ever thought I’d hear. They felt like ones meant for someone like Nem, for someone strong, for some badass who others feared.

That had never been me, but he’d still said it with complete confidence. Maybe he saw something in me that I didn’t, something I couldn’t.

And now it would all end. No matter how nice it had been to hear, what did it matter?

I’d hand myself over to Lorien and that was it. The end of my life as I knew it. Whatever Jarrod thought me capable of didn’t matter anymore, did it?

My hands shook, but I balled them into fists. Fear didn’t matter in the face of what had to happen. I could tremble and cry and shake but I’d do what I had to.

Maybe that was true courage, to face the end, to walk toward it no matter how it terrified me.

When I couldn’t wait any longer, I exited the alleyway and looked toward the large hotel. There it was—the end.

Of my life.

My freedom.

My time with the men I finally realized I loved.

I walked along the sidewalk, dazed. Where before this, I’d been afraid of each person, each alleyway, I didn’t even notice them anymore. Everything was hazy, like I walked through deep waters, my gaze locked only on the building.

A rumble to my side broke through my thoughts, but even it didn’t feel important. At least, it didn’t until someone grabbed my arm and yanked me to the side, into the open door of the back seat of a car.

Apparently getting abducted is just my thing.

I twisted to find myself beside a familiar face—Char.

And boy did he look pissed. He reached across me and slammed the door shut. “Got her—let’s go,” he called into the front seat.

“Let me go!” I shouted and reached for the handle.

“Not a chance, kitten.” Char grasped my hands and pinned them together, holding them tightly enough that my thrashing did nothing.

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