Page 105 of Entangled

Her hand finds mine and squeezes.

“You and me both,” she whispers back, her voice suspiciously thick. “We’ll figure it out.”

I squeeze her hand back, then pull my knees in to my chest.

Tomorrow we’ll be back at Bristlebrook. All of us. Me, Jayk, Jasper, Lucky, Beau, Dom, and Heather.

One big happy family.

Chapter26

Jasper

Survival tip #31

If you refuse to bend,

you’ll break.

Iflee the fireside like it was hit by a drone strike—I need to outrun the carnage. I’m shaking all over, and I stop to lean against a tree, trying to work air into my compressed lungs.

If you truly loved him, you’d get over yourself and do what will truly make him happy.

Nausea hits me. What am I doing?

What have Idone?

“Give me a number.” Dominic is a weighty presence behind me, one I would recognize anywhere.

A number from one to five, he means. It’s a technique I’ve used often to gauge how much pain a submissive is in during a scene. One Dominic, on occasion, uses also.

“Five,” I breathe, breaking apart.

If I could safeword on life, at this moment, I would. I feel unwell—the guilt I have been battling for years is defeating me, finally.

Deservedly.

Dominic’s hand finds my shoulder, and he turns me so my back is against the trunk of the tree. In front of him, I let some of my mask disappear. I let him see the worry, the fear... and the unbearable guilt. He knows. If anyone understands the weight of responsibility, it is him—not only as captain, but as a dominant as well.

“Have a drink.”

A canteen presses against my other hand, and I push it away.

“No, thank you. I?—”

“I saiddrink, Jasper.”

At that tone, I look up at him, momentarily off guard. He used his dominant voice.

Onme.

Giving him a sardonic look from under my lashes, I take his canteen and drink. The cool water, the need to pause and breathe through my nose, does help. I wipe the lip of the flask and return it to him.

“Thank you.”

Dominic nods, then crosses his arms, waiting.

I arch a brow at him as he uses my own techniques against me once more. I would be impressed... if it weren’t so irritating.

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