Set Me Free (A Fugitive #2)(39)

"We should have told him," Elliot finally muttered. With a disgusted huff, he slammed the table. "I'd trust that guy with my life! And I just let him walk out of here without saying anything! What the hell is wrong with me?" He pushed up so fast his chair toppled backwards. I flinched.

Elliot made a move for the stairwell, but Zach blocked his way. "It's too dangerous for them to know."

"It's AJ. He's— It's frickin' AJ, man! The world's nicest human being. You don't shut him out."

"Lucy doesn't want us to tell him."

"Oh, so she's boss now?" Elliot swung his arm in my direction. "She gets to make all the decision for us? Tear our friendships apart because she's too damn scared to trust anybody?"

"It's her life."

"It's my life too! And I'm not losing all my friends over this. I thought I could do it, but I can't." He spun to face me. "This is a worthy cause and everything and I like you a lot, Lucy. I admire that you have been through heavy shit and survived it. But these are my buddies. AJ has been my man forever and when it comes down to it, I choose him over you."

"I don't want them to get hurt," I whispered.

"Are you blind? They are getting hurt!" He made another move for the stairs, but Zach blocked him again. "I will maim you too if I have to."

Zach raised his hands, but didn't move out of the way. "Don't do this, man. We need you. The guys will get over it. We can tell them everything once this is done."

"AJ has never spoken to me like that before. Did you not see the look on this face? I have to make this right." He shoved Zach out of the way, but not enough to stop Zach coming after him. Yanking on his shirt, my boyfriend spun Elliot away from the stairs. He crashed into the table, knocking a mug to the side. A splash of coffee dregs landed on the wood before the mug rolled onto the floor.

With an irate yell, Elliot spun back and launched himself at Zach, pushing him against the bookshelf.

"Stop it!" I raced around the counter as they grunted and shoved each other, their fists clutching handfuls of shirt as they swung each other around. I nearly got squashed as they fell to the floor and continued tussling. I grabbed at Elliot's shirt and heaved him off Zach. The fabric began to tear.

"Enough!" I screamed right into his ear, pinching it with my fingers.

He jumped off my boyfriend, flicking my hand away and rubbing his ear with an indignant cry.

I stood back puffing, my decision final as I watched the two best friends stand next to each other on the edge of an all out brawl.

"Elliot's right, Zach," I finally said. "I am hurting them. I'm hurting everybody and I don't want to do this anymore. When I first met you guys, you were this tight group, and I loved that. But now you're fighting like parents getting ready for a divorce! I can’t come between you...this isn't worth it."

"So we can tell them?" Zach's hopeful gaze made my heart bleed.

"Once I'm gone."

"What?" Zach accentuated the T, clipping out the word harshly.

"Come on you guys, what the hell were we thinking? We're seriously gonna drug some fifteen-year-old kid, so we can sneak into his father's office? Break into a safe...which, yeah Shorty showed me how to do once, but I've never actually done it! This is insane! It's a flawed plan that will not work. I should never have put it into motion. We're going to get busted by the FBI and then we're dead. If Tenner thinks you're linked to me in anyway, he'll go after you and all your friends. I'm not gonna let that happen. Let's just forget the whole thing."

"We can't, Lucy. What about the FBI in L.A.? They might still be out there looking for us. We have to get something. You can't just walk away." He sounded pissed and I didn't blame him. I'd already bailed on him once, but this was the last time.

"I have to. I can't let you be involved anymore. I can deal with this on my own."

"I want to be involved." Zach jerked towards me. "This is your life we're talking about."

"Yes. My life and I'll be doing you all a huge favor if I just walk away." Saying the words physically hurt. Each syllable punching out of my mouth felt like a bullet wound.

"No, you won't. Don't you get that?" Zach closed his eyes, his jaw clenching.

"I am destroying your future, Zach. You are blind and stupid to think otherwise!"

"I'm not letting you walking out on me again!" He pointed to the ground. "We are finishing this."

"Yeah, we are." I pressed my lips together. "Right now."

His gaze hit me; hurt and anger radiated towards me like a nuclear blast. It was an effort to remain standing.

"Lucy, don't you dare walk out that door. You want justice for your parents, you can't just walk away from this!"

"Justice isn't going to bring them back! And do you honestly think I can live with myself if one of you got hurt or dead because of me?"

He just didn't get it!

"I'm not letting this go."

"You don't have a choice, because I am. This is over, Zach." I wished my voice wasn't shaking. It was obvious to the world that it was the last thing I wanted to say to him, but I had to be strong. "Please, just let me live on my own terms. I should never have come back and dragged you into this. I'm sorry."