Page 96 of Volatile Waters

Finding it impossible to lie to him, since he was finally talking to me, I whispered, “No.”

He rushed from his bed and to me, whispering loudly, “You have a choice! Please make the right one! Please—” Once face to face with me, he stopped. “What kind of torture, exactly, are you committing?” He took a tentative step back.

I wasn’t sure where I had gone wrong just as he was letting me back in, so I said, “Uh, training—”

He shoved my chest hard. I flew back against the door. “I smell her on your face!”

Bangs from the other side of the door erupted. Voices called while trying to open the locked door. “Yury! Are you all right?”

Again, Wolf had put me in a precarious position. “All is well.” I glared at him… then I punched him. Wolf dropped to the ground, his hair flailing through the cold air. I opened the door wide so that my men could witness me pretending to have everything under control while I was truly falling deeper into my pit in hell. “See for yourselves.”

Appearing profoundly betrayed, Wolf held a palm to the side of his mouth while slowly rising to the slave sitting position. Blood dripped from his busted lip and onto his leash. Tonight, I had caused tears and bloodshed to the ones I gave a damn about.

Did I rush to either of them for forgiveness?

No. I ran. Straight to Fake Whit for another hour of horrendous actions.

As she lay in my bed, appearing numb and mentally far from me and what I had done to her, I put on workout clothes—sweat pants and a T-shirt. The release I spilled inside her did not sate my pent-up vexations. It was two-thirty in the morning when I ran down the stairs toward the workout room. I fully expected ease to take over me, but as soon as I entered, I saw Crash dangling from his hands on the rock wall. He peered over his shoulder and smiled at me. “Hey! Look what I can do! I’m stronger now.”

Absolutely shaken to see him, I slammed my eyes shut, sure I was losing my mind. Maybe I was, or maybe Crash was still my friend and trying to guide me with simple words. I had laughed at him when he promised to protect his Franky from the grave. Now, I was unsure of what to believe, which only added to my growing confusion.

It was very quiet as I walked down the basement stairs, searching for an ounce of peace. Her room was dark, and the exhausted girl was sleeping as I slowly crawled into bed with her. Fire rolled into my chest, softly saying, “Will you stay with me?”

“If you will have me.” I closed my eyes, almost praying she would say yes. I needed some validation in my life.

“Always.”

I sighed my relief and held her close.

She burrowed into the warmth I provided her tiny body. “Always. I love you, Link.”

There would be no peace for me this night and none for Fire tomorrow.