Page 99 of Ensnared

Hername is like an iron fire poker—one glowing amber, fresh from the coals.Itsears through my gut.IfIcould,I’dwipe her name from their mouths, their minds.Fuckthem for thinking of her.Fuckingthem for thinkingthatof her.

Heatherwas a lot of things, but she wouldn’t have sold me out.

Mylip curls. “She.Wouldn’t.Do.This.”

Beaupushes off from the wall, watching me.Hesets his feet in a fighting stance, like he doesn’t even realize it.

Itaught him that stance.Fucker.

Hiseyes run over my face. “Maybewe should consider—”

Mytemper flares, andIhave to unwrap my hands from their fists soIdon’t end up slugging him.Myfather taught me better than that.Nopunching subordinates.Especiallyno punching friends.

ButIcan’t stop the words from swinging out of my mouth. “Wedon’t need to consider shit.Noneof you liked her, fine, but that doesn’t make her the enemy.Shewas a cop, for fuck’s sake.Shesaved my life.She’snot going to turn her back on all that because you bullied her on the goddamned playground.”

“YouandIhave very different memories of how that went down,”Jaspersnipes.

Likehe wasn’t the worst of them all.

Fierce, gorgeous, brave, submissiveHeather.

Theredoesn’t seem to be enough air in the room.

Ormaybe it’s just that thinking of her always makes me feel likeI’mdrowning.

Ipinch the bridge of my nose, hard, fighting for control. “Noneof that matters.Wehave four to the north, closing in.Wehave upwards of twenty to the south.Whilethe south is stationary, we need to take care of the northern threat.Now.Idon’t want them anywhere nearBristlebrook.”

Makingthe call eases some of the tightness in my chest.Itclears my thoughts.Nowisn’t the time to be hurting over my ex or fighting with the guys.Wehave a job to do.

Ahome to protect.

“Beau, you’re with me.Weleave at oh-four-hundred tomorrow.Iwant them cleared out by the following day.”

Tomy surprise,Beauhesitates, and my teeth click together. “What?”

“It’smy night withEdentomorrow.”

Thewhole room catches its breath.

Thatdrowning sensation starts creeping into my chest again, like my lungs can’t get enough air.Icould spit a dozen things right now, but for some reason my usual rage doesn’t come to save me.

Whyis he pulling this now?Wehave bigger things to worry about.

“Ineed you with me.”Myvoice is low but thankfully even enough.

Ialways need him with me.

Beaulooks uncomfortable, one hand rubbing his chest.Heglances atJayk, atLucky.Jaykobjust smirks, starts trimming his nails with his pocketknife.Thatfucking knife.

Luckyclears his throat, offering, “Ican go.”

Butmy eyes are trained on my friend.Steady, dependableBeau.He’dreally choose a night with some girl over watching my back?Didn’the learn from my mistakes?Doesn’the know the girl will only break his heart?

SometimesI’mnot sure what was worse—losingHeather, or losingBeau’strust.

Apair of frightened, defiant gray-blue eyes wink into my mind.Forsome reason, they won’t stay out of there.Thefear in them stirs me.Thebravery...

Itdoesn’t matter.

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