Chapter 19 #3
“The idea was never to put her in any real danger,” I explain through gritted teeth as frustration begins to take over.
“The plan was for Blair to kill Earwig the day he came for her—I knew he’d be an easy one to take down.
Once she got here, there wasn’t supposed to be anyone else gunning for her.
” I look at Blair. “You’d always wonder if there was anyone else out there looking for you, but that danger wouldn’t exist. And Anchor?
He’d be out there searching for a threat that was already eliminated.
It’s not my fault Earwig outsourced this job. You have to believe me!”
“But where’s Dad now?!” Blair cries out, her composure slipping. “He could be dead! You sentenced us both to death and you’re here acting like everything is fine.”
“He is fine! I reached out to him before I took off after you and Rhett. I told him about Dixie—how he’s funding this hit—and then turned off my phone.”
The shriek that slips past Blair’s lips echoes loudly, causing everyone to flinch in surprise, including me.
“W-what?” Her eyes water as she stares down at me. “How? You told me that—”
“I only told you that he got rid of his phone so you wouldn’t reach out to him. He’s had it on him this whole time. He’s been checking in from time to time.”
I thought she’d be relieved.
Instead, her expression cracks. The pain in her face causes my heart to stutter.
Swallowing hard, I call to her, “Blair…”
Suddenly, she spins around, giving me her back. I start to open my mouth to apologize for withholding that information, but when her hand comes to her stomach and she bends at the waist, my words die on my tongue.
Blair sucks in a sharp breath.
When she lets it free, it comes out as a soft sob. Her shoulders tremble and another sob slips out.
The sound tears through me more swiftly than a bullet.
But it’s the sight of her tears falling from her cheeks onto the cement floor that causes my heart to tear itself in half.
All the satisfaction deflates from me. I never, in a million years, wanted to hurt her.
It's the opposite. I wanted to fix her life.
Make her happy. Give her the world she so desperately wants.
It’s why I never pursued her myself—other than out of respect for Anchor.
I know I’m rough around the edges. There’s nothing about me that’s worthy of Blair. I don’t have Wes’s sweet and patient nature, I don’t joke around easily like Santi, and I can’t even relate to most of Blair’s loneliness like Rhett can. They complete her.
Seeing her like this has me rethinking everything.
I’ve been so fucking sure of myself that I never once considered the fact that Blair wouldn’t appreciate any of this.
“Blair…” I croak out.
She straightens swiftly. When she turns to face me, there’s an angry blaze glittering back at me.
Oh, fuck.
Before I can brace myself, Blair lunges at me.
Her fists might be smaller than Wes’s, but Blair knows exactly where to land a punch to make it effective. I’m hit with a right hook and then a cross jab across the face. She takes great care in making sure to hit where I’ve already been struck.
The next punch is to my throat.
She begins to land blows everywhere. Over and over again I’m struck. There’s nowhere that I’m not hit. My ribs, my chest, my face—nothing is safe. Any breath, shallow or deep, is stolen until I’m gaping like a fish. Blood, sweat, and saliva splatters across the ground but that doesn’t stop Blair.
It’s not until Santi steps forward and wraps his arms around her waist to lift and drag her away, that Blair’s assault stops. From my knees, I collapse onto the floor, breathing heavily. My left eye is swelling, leaving my vision blurry.
“Let me go! I’m not finished!”
“We got our answers, carino,” he tells her, his voice low and soothing. “Let’s go walk this off.”
Wes steps forward to help usher Blair out of the room. “Your knuckles are split open. Let me wrap them up for you, baby girl.”
Santi, Wes, and Blair exit the room, leaving me alone with Rhett. I turn to face him. My body shakes from pain but still, I implore him to hear me.
“Rhett… I gave you a sister,” I rasp out. “She’s not Abby, but she’s incredible and you can love her just like—”
“Shut your fucking mouth.”
Rhett doesn’t look at me. He watches as the others head up the stairs. It’s not until they’ve closed the door behind them that he gives me his attention. It’s a brief glance but I can see the malice in his eyes.
“Watching Blair handle your betrayal was one of the hardest things I’ve ever endured,” he admits as he sucks in a deep breath.
I cringe. “I didn’t want to hurt her.”
A chill weaves down my spine at the thought of causing Blair any type of pain. That was always my biggest fear. It’s why I couldn’t have her myself. I’m so fucked up that I knew I could be the one to hurt her.
But this, all this that’s happened, it was so I could protect her from me, yet still give her everything.
“Well, you did,” Rhett snaps as he reaches down and helps me to my feet.
I stagger back into the cage. Quickly, he unlocks the cuffs, allowing me a small taste of freedom before he steps back. The cage door shuts with an ominous bang behind him.
Rhett turns and begins to leave the room. He pauses by the hidden door, and looks back over his shoulder at me. “You’ll never hurt her again, Ledger. If you do, I’ll personally put you six feet down.”