Fever (Breathless #2)(89)

She shuddered and bowed her head. He slid his fingers underneath her chin and gently lifted until she was forced to meet his gaze once more.

“Baby, you didn’t do it,” he said quietly, with emphasis. “It doesn’t matter what you wanted, what you thought. You didn’t take it. That took strength. You beat it and it doesn’t have you in its grasp any longer. Didn’t today prove that to you?”

Hope was so poignant in her eyes that it cut him in two.

“Do you think so?”

“Yeah, I do. I don’t want you beating yourself up over this. And from now on, I’m going to be here to help you. You don’t have to be alone. You won’t be alone. You’re moving in with me. I’ve waited. I didn’t want to push you too soon. That’s why I moved you into my sister’s old apartment. But I’m done with that. You’re going to be here with me.”

Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened to protest and he silenced her with a kiss.

“You’re mine, Bethany. You belong to me. I belong to you. You belong here. That’s not negotiable.”

“But Jack . . .”

He drew away, some of his mood deteriorating. “We do have to talk about Jack. He’s dangerous to you, Bethany. I won’t tolerate that. I won’t tolerate any threat to you.”

Her breath stuttered out and it was obvious she worked to control the tears that threatened.

“I can’t just turn my back on him, Jace. I don’t expect you to understand.”

“Make me understand. Tell me why. Tell me what hold he has on you.”

She closed her eyes and the tears she’d battled slipped in silent, silver streams down her cheeks.

“He took so much for me. He protected me. You can’t imagine what he took for me, Jace.”

His chest burned and a knot formed in his throat. He knew with certainty that he wouldn’t like what she was about to tell him, but he would sit and listen if it killed him. This was her past and she was finally giving everything to him. Trusting him with the secrets she’d kept and the dark pain in her eyes.

“We were in and out of foster homes. We aren’t related by blood. You know that. But we’d bonded and social services tried to place us together when possible. It wasn’t always. But they knew if we went together that we were less likely to cause trouble and so when they could they accommodated our need to be together. We were the only family each other had.”

She paused and sucked in deep, steadying breaths.

“Go on, baby,” he said gently. “I’m listening. Nothing can hurt you now.”

“When I was twelve, Jack was fifteen. He was big for his age. I know he doesn’t look it now. He’s too thin, but when he’s healthy and well fed, he’s a big guy. Tall and broad shouldered. Anyway, we were in a home together and the father . . .”

Jace tensed, his entire body bristling with rage. He didn’t like where she was going with this.

“The father used to look at me and it worried Jack. Jack would never let me out of his sight or leave me alone with our foster dad. It turned out the father didn’t much care if it was girls or boys.”

She shuddered in revulsion, her face going pale. Distress radiated from her in waves. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, turning her face so she could continue speaking. He stroked her hair, trying to offer her comfort in any way he could.

“He took that for me,” she whispered. “He put himself in the way every single time the father came after me. Jack allowed that man to abuse him so that I wouldn’t be abused and, oh God, I can never forget that, Jace. I can’t forget it. He took that for me for months until we were finally able to get away.”

“Oh baby. I’m so sorry.”

“Jack’s always taken care of me. When I was in the car accident. Before that. After that. It’s always been him who made sure we had food to eat, clothes to wear. When I wasn’t able to get more pain medication prescribed—and at that time I was still having so much pain—Jack got the pills for me. And then, when I became addicted, he risked arrest and God knows what else to make sure I had what I needed.”

Jace sighed. It was a sticky situation, no doubt. He saw Jack in a new light, but it didn’t mean he was okay with the man f**king things up for Bethany now. Jack was into more than just a habit for prescription drugs. He was buying, if not dealing, the hard shit. The kind of stuff that could get a person killed or sent to prison for a very long time. There was no way in hell he was going to let Bethany be exposed to that.

“I understand why you feel the way you do, baby, but listen to me. Jack has gone beyond that now. He’s in deep and he’s putting you in serious danger. I can’t allow that. I won’t allow it. I’ll never agree to anything that can harm you. Do you understand that?”

She shifted and raised her head so she could look him in the eye. “I do understand, Jace. I do. I’m not making excuses for him. I don’t like what he’s doing, but the idea of him being cold and hungry and in danger himself . . . it breaks my heart. I can’t help but wonder if he’d be like he is if it weren’t for me.”

Jace shook his head, making sure she saw his vehemence. “You can’t take the blame for this. I won’t let you. He protected you. I’ll always be grateful he did that. But baby, even he wouldn’t blame you for what he is now. We all make choices. He made some bad ones, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay the price.”