Chapter 36
Decker
Crouching, I scoop her off the floor. Then I stride out of the living room as fast as I trust my feet to carry me.
Behind us, the camera crew enters the room. I can hear the murmuring and the shuffling of feet.
I can feel them pursuing us, trying to keep up and get the shot they’re so desperate for. To make content of what they’re witnessing.
But they can’t have her. They can’t have any of us like this.
I don’t slow until I reach my bedroom door, though I keep my body angled to protect Josephine’s head. She’s still conscious, thank god, but silent, nonstop tears cascade down her cheeks.
She’s in shock.
They all are.
I might be, too.
How this could happen—how history could nearly repeat itself…
But no. They’re safe. They’re home.
I can’t allow myself to dwell in any version of what-if.
Despite my efforts to push them out, Nicky’s words play on repeat in my head. Fuck. He’s right. This isn’t fair. This life. The positions she’s put in over and over because of me.
She’s not safe. I’ll never be able to keep her safe.
As the guys file in behind me, I set Josephine on the bed. Kylian kneels at her feet, taking her hands in his, while Kendrick sinks onto the bed beside her.
A throat clears near the door.
It might as well be the starting shot of a race for the way I jump to my feet and charge.
“This is a private moment. Get the fuck away from us.”
I slam the door in the faces of our audience, then lock it for good measure.
Not that closing the door on the crew gives us a modicum of true privacy.
With an inferno raging inside me, I haul the trunk at the end of my bed to the far wall.
“What are you doing?” Locke demands.
I don’t bother answering. I won’t let anyone stop me.
Standing on the trunk, I’m just tall enough to snag the camera mounted in the corner of the room. I pull, and it falls away easily. Then I tug so hard the cords rip right through the drywall.
I throw it onto the ground, jump off the trunk, and smash it with my heel.
When I finally look up, all eyes are on me.
Kylian cocks one eyebrow so it raises over the black frames of his glasses. “We’re still not—”
“I know,” I relent, hanging my head and planting my hands on my hips.
“Bathroom,” Kylian reminds me.
Wordlessly, I nod, and we all make our way to my en suite.