“We have… history.” He spits the word like it’s snakes and scorpions. “He wanted me to join him, and I refused. I thought I could refuse, back then. I didn’t realize how far he’d go. I knew when he assaulted Jesse Lee. It was to get back at me, to punish me. He trasfered his obsession to Jesse, and I realized he wouldn’t let him go.”
“What did you do?”
I know it before he says it. “To let Jesse Lee go, not to harm him or his friends, Simon Gomez asked for something in exchange.”
“What?”
“Me.”
I close my eyes. I knew it. “Dammit, Jase…”
“It had to be me. It’s me he’d wanted all along. It was that, or hurt everyone I cared about.”
I frown as his words sink in. “Wait—”
“Raine.” He lifts his head, straightens and I open my eyes to look at him. “This is a one-man war. I can’t win against Simon and his army. And I’m not taking you down with me.”
“The hell you say. You’re not alone. I have your back. And I’m not alone, either. We’ll beat Simon together.”
His eyes widen. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Trust me.”
“Stay out of it, Raine. Nobody else gets hurt because of me.”
I grab his arms. “Stop trying to fight him alone.” And I frown, since the words might as well apply to me, and my attempts to fight my father. “There’s strength in numbers. Let me help you. Let us help you. Don’t go back to him. Don’t go back out. Stay here.”
“You can’t win against him.” He’s shaking and raw fear shadows his eyes. “He’s got the Mexican mafia at his back. He’s got guns and men and money, and no compunction about using it all.”
“I said trust me. We know people, too, we have connections. We’ll take the bastard down. I promise it’s possible.”
I see the moment cautious hope enters his gaze. It lights up the dark like a flame. “You’re serious about this.”
“Like never before in my life.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jason
I’m in a fucking daze. I wake up time and again to find myself in Raine’s bed, in his arms, and his words echoing in my ears.
Trust me.
I love you.
I promise it’s possible.
I eventually fall in deeper sleep, drifting through dark rivers and seas with blades and blood and dead
faces flashing, hush little baby, hush…
…and come awake with a start to find deep blue eyes an inch from mine.
“Holy fuck.” I jerk back, but don’t get far because his hand is on my shoulder. “Whoa.”
“Relax. You were dreaming.”
No shit. My scars still ache, like they often do when I wake up, and I can never tell if it’s the cold or the memories.