“No, she doesn’t,” Cole says just as bluntly. “You just make her think she does.”
“You don’t know her. You don’t know what she needs.”
“She is my wife, mine. I know what she needs.”
“No, you don’t. She has told me you don’t know.”
; “Constantine, Cole. Stop this. It’s not helping anyone.”
“You should leave. This is my time,” Cole says forcefully.
“I’m not going anywhere until she asks me to.”
“Please stop fighting,” I yell. “Constantine?”
“Yes, my sweet?” he says, eyes still on Cole.
“I’m okay. You should go,” I say quietly, turning him to look at me.
He pulls me close and whispers into my ear, “If you want me, I will be here.”
Want, not need.
“Keep them lit until you are calm again. He can’t hurt you, not ever again,” CK says after a beat.
I nod as he kisses me lightly on the forehead. “I love you,” he whispers quietly, and Teleports back out.
“Why was he here?”
“I was upset. He came. It’s what he does,” I say dismissively.
“I am here. You don’t need him.”
I cross over to him and pull him towards me.
“I love you,” I murmur. “I do need you. I need all of you, but this has all gone to shit! Where did it go wrong?” I thunder, still so angry, I could kill. This wasn’t supposed to happen. We were all supposed to be together, not apart.
“Uhm,” Cole starts, but I shush him with a death stare.
If he even says Lincoln’s name, I will commit murder. “I know this is all my fault. I just wish I could fix it. Properly. Us all being separate is the utter pits. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, goddammit!” I smash my fist into the mirror near the door. Hearing it splinter brings me back to my senses. “Shit,” I mutter. “Sorry. Will you hold me?”
“Of course,” he says, staring at me as I’ve lost my mind.
“I love, need and want you,” I say. “But I love need and want him as well. And Devon. Fucking fuck!”
“I know,” he says. “We’ll fix it. I’ll try harder. But I’m not taking any shit from him. You need to tell him to try as well, and to fuck off with this threat. Devon will be back. I’ll talk to him.”
I beam up at him. “Done,” I say, totally back to myself now. “Enough talk.”
With a grin, he picks me up and carries me to the bed, placing me gently down and takes off my shoes. He crawls up next to me and wraps his arms around me. I relax against him, content. I fall asleep as he strokes my hair, utterly exhausted by recent events.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN
I awake suddenly from a bad dream. My heart is beating rapidly. Dead. Everyone I love was dead. I was left alone with no one. Cade had killed them. Killed them all to play with me.
“Cole!” I shout in panic when I see he isn’t there. “Cole!”