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“You fucking pencil dick ass bitch.” I hear someone shout before the sound of a bone snapping and a keening cry rings out. “You think you’re a man, Thad, because you got a defenseless woman under you.”

I try to open my eyes, but everything hurts too much, and when I strain my ears to make out the voice, I can’t hear past the pounding in my skull.

“I got you, Evie Rose,” they comfort, and I feel something cover me. “Just hang on a little bit longer for me, baby girl.”

But when whoever’s hand touches me, I scream, “P-p-please, d-d-don’t. I’m s-s-sorry. Please.”

“It’s Mason,” he says, finally answering the question. The tension in my spine eases a fraction, and this time when hetouches me, I allow him to pick me up. “Let’s get you out of here.”

I don’t respond. Instead, I let his thrumming heartbeat, spicy cologne, and the soft fabric of his shirt ground me. I’m not sure where we are, but I manage to mumble, “No hospital.”

“Eva, someone needs to look at you. They need to collect?—”

No… no. My parents can’t find out. No one can find out.

“Please,” I implore before drifting off.

The sound of an engine roaring to life, jolts me. “Shit,” I slur as sharp pains radiate across my body “Why does it hurt?” I can feel tears run down my face and it must be loud enough because Mason tries to comfort me.

“Try not to move, Eva. We just have a little further to go.” Moments later, I feel something warm covering me as I’m lulled back into unconsciousness.

I don’t rouse again until I feel someone grab me. My heart skips, and my body tenses. “No,” I cry, batting the hand away.

“Shhh, Eva, it’s me,” Mason assures me. “We’re almost there. Just hold on a little longer.”

Nodding, I relax enough for him to pick me up, but I cry out in pain. Everything fucking hurts.

I must have passed out because the next thing I hear is two voices I’d recognize even from my grave.

Colter’s and Cooper’s voices boom, “Thad is fucking dead man.”

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“How the fuck did this happen,”Liam shouts as he paces.

I punch his arm. “Keep it down asshole, Eva’s finally asleep.”

My heart lurches in my chest at the thought of what she went through. She looked so broken in my arms as I carried her to my car. I remember her begging not to be taken to the hospital.

“Please,”she croaks.

The desperate plea in that one word was more than enough to switch gears and call the Jacobi twins.

“That fuckhead better be dead, Mase,” Liam hisses. “He better be dead or he’s going to wish he was.”

Colter furiously taps on his keyboard, working on erasing the video. “If he’s dead, I’m going to snatch his soul from the reaper.” He stops, meeting the eyes of each of us before he continues, “It’s mine to cull.”

“No, get off me. Please,” a wounded cry comes from across the hall, and I’m on my feet, ignoring everyone. The need to get to her and protect her consumes me so intensely, I don’t think—I just move on autopilot.

Eva’s thrashing in her sleep, clawing at her skin like she can rip away the pain.

Picking her up, I wrap her into my arms, resting her head against my chest, and rocking her. “I’ve got you, Evie Rose. You’ll always be safe in my arms.”

I ignore the declaration because she’s not safe, not with any of us. But when we set out to break her, this was never part of the plan. Destroying her was meant to break her down until she could only see us before pulling the rug from underneath her, causing her to fall with no one to catch her.

But this is different. I can pause my revenge and be her haven until she’s back on her feet.