Mark moves in behind me.
As I stand frozen, he hooks an arm around my waist, holding me tightly. What the hell? “The sick son of a bitch threatened to hand her over to the Cartels himself if she said anything,” he tells Cole.
Cole launches himself at York, sending him hard into the wall.
“No!” I try to get away, but Mark wraps his other arm around me. I thrash all around as the two of them fight. “Let me go! Keith, stop them!”
Keith shakes his head. It feels like I’m watching a movie and I have no control of the outcome. “Cole, stop! You’ll kill him! He’s not worth it!” Nothing is getting through to him. I’m shaking so violently that I start losing focus. Then it hits me.
“Blackstone!” I scream at the top of my lungs, making the entire room freeze.
Cole’s fist is inches from York’s bloody face, his breathing heavy and his look that of a madman. He drops York’s limp body on the ground and steps away.
Mark’s death grip on me loosens, freeing me, and I sink to the floor and sob.
“Get him out of here,” Cole rasps.
Mark and Keith pick York off the floor. York starts laughing like he’s delirious. “Watch your back, Savannah.”
My hair is blocking my view of him, but I can feel his eyes on me.
Mark jabs him in the ribs, and he cries out.
“Go!” Cole orders. The three disappear through the back door.
I stand on my shaky legs, feeling like I might pass out. My head is swimming with everything that just happened. I try to open the office door, but it is pushed shut, his arm above me.
“Savannah,” Cole’s voice is bleak, “please stay.”
My hand falls away from the handle.
He lets out a heavy breath, takes my hand, and leads me out of his office through the back door.
His room is just how I remembered, big and open. He doesn’t speak a word as he strips off his bloody shirt and dress pants. He disappears for a few minutes in the bathroom.
I stand, completely unable to move. Suddenly, he’s in front of me, pulling off my sweater. He inspects my arms as I look away, feeling raw.
He bends down and gently kisses the bruises on each arm. He drops to his knees in front of me and wraps his arms around my waist, pressing his head against my stomach.
“I’m sorry, baby. Please forgive me.” His words nearly break me.
“Don’t apologize. You didn’t hurt me.” I feel such sadness that he thinks I’m upset with him.
“If I had been here, I could have protected you.”
“You told me you don’t do what-ifs.” I cover my face and start to cry. “I just want it to all go away, but he wouldn’t leave me alone.”
Cole is silent.
I wipe my cheeks dry and try to get hold of myself.
“I almost killed him. I wanted to,” he confesses.
I drop my hands with a heavy thud. “Me too.”
“Thank you for stopping me.” He looks up and holds my gaze while he gets to his feet. “No one but you could have.”
I sigh, exhausted. “Come on.”