More of You (Confessions of the Heart 1)

The vile man stood like a fortress between Jace and Bailey and me.

The only thing coming between us.

I had to do something.

Anything.

Anything to distract Felix so Jace could have a shot at saving us.

I wrapped my hand around the base of a tall glass lamp that had been shoved to the floor.

Everything shook, as devotion and fear warred.

The latter was so strong it turned my stomach and soured on my tongue.

But I needed to be brave. Brave the way Jace had always been. Willing to sacrifice myself for the ones I loved.

It was the rawest, barest form of it.

Giving it all.

Slowly pushing to standing, I emerged out of the shadows with the lamp held high. I ran for Felix, praying I could make a difference.

Stop this madness, once and for all.

Those copper eyes flashed with terror.

With the most startling kind of fear when Jace realized what I was doing.

I swung.

“No!” Jace screamed, and he was racing my way, flying across the floor.

Gunshots rang out. The piercing sound ricocheted against the walls.

Deafening.

Agony.

I swore I felt the sting of it just as I felt the impact of the lamp across the top of Felix’s back.

Jace was there, ramming into Felix and pushing me out of the way at the same time.

Flying back, I landed hard before scrambling back and out of the way.

Eyes wide as I watched the scene unfold in slow motion.

Felix staggered. Shock written on his face as he clutched his chest.

His big body fumbled back, and he slammed into the big window that was covered by a black drape.

It shattered and the fabric ripped free from the rod. The milky night poured in as I watched the massive figure tumble backward through the frame.

A shriek pulled from my lungs at the finality of it all. Relief and horror and shock.

That Felix could do this.

That Joseph could put us in this position.

And Jace, he was looking at me, relief and the truest kind of love pouring from the glinting gold in his eyes.

It was as deep as the blood that saturated the front of his shirt.

Dread spiraled through the center of me.

“Oh God, Jace,” I whimpered, and I tried to climb back to my feet so I could get to him. So I could stop this from happening.

No.

This couldn’t happen.

Pain flashed across his face, and he crumpled to the ground.

Panic surged, as thick as it sloshed through my blood.

Desperate, I crawled across the floor, frantic to get to him, another sob breaking free.

“Jace.”

I fumbled for him in the darkness, and my fingers ran over his face.

His beautiful, unforgettable face.

No, no, no.

Shivers ripped through my body, and I wanted to crawl over him, protect him the way he’d protected me.

“Jace,” I whimpered, hovering over him, hands shaking as I set them on his cheeks. “Jace.”

He reached up, his hand on my face.

His voice was raspy, gurgling in his throat. “Anything, Faith. I told you, I’d give anything for you.”

With the softest smile on his face, his hand dropped away and his body went slack.

And I screamed.

I screamed as I clung to him.

Begging him not to leave me.

Big hands were on my back, dragging me away while I fought to remain at his side.

To stay.

“Faith . . . you’ve got to let go, honey. You’ve got to let go.” Mack’s voice was in my ear.

Asking me to do the one thing I didn’t want to do.

Forty-Six

Faith

I could feel the tentative footsteps edge up behind me. The heavy breaths released into the dark, subdued air. The grief that saturated everything.

“He always loved you.”

Tears streaking free, I shifted to look over my shoulder at Ian.

Another bolt of sorrow crashed over me. The man resembled his brother so much that my heart panged at the sight of him.

Ian eased up to my side, strain so heavy in his shoulders I could feel it radiating from him.

Wave after wave.

“You were his entire world,” I whispered.

Ian grunted. “No, Faith, that position belonged to you. He would do anything for me, but when it came to you? He gave up everything. For a long time, I hated you for that. Terrified you were better than me, that he would like you better, and he’d forget all about me. Selfish, right?”

“You were only a kid,” I whispered. “I guess I’d felt the same way—had thought that he’d forgotten all about me when he walked away. I still don’t understand why he wouldn’t have just told me when he was gettin’ sent away. I would have understood. Would have supported him.”

Ian huffed out a tortured sigh. “Because Jace never saw himself the way the rest of us did. He never thought he was good enough for you.”

“He was more than enough for me.” I glanced over at Ian. “He was everything.”

I watched the grief streak across his face. “He’s the last thing I have, Faith. The only thing. I don’t think he ever really knew it. Understood it. He was everything to me, too. I wouldn’t be here without him.”