Page 107 of Deliverance

“Whatever you need, Siren,” he says dutifully, like he’s nothing but her devoted servant.

“You can’t kill him. He’s an ass, but he’s all Bridgette and Brad have left. I just…I can’t go back there.”

“You never will,” Sky says. “I promise.”

“How can you promise that?” I ask with a shake of my head.

“Because you’ll refuse him if he ever requests your presence, and if he tries to corner you or take you by force, then we will turn Vincent loose on him.” Asher fills in.

Griggs nods, a bloodthirsty flicker crossing his gaze before I look back to Skyla. She nods like that pacifies her. Holy fuck, since when did my sweet best friend turn into such a desensitized hard ass? What have these guys done to her? Or more likely, what the fuck have they all been up to lately?

“Okay,” I agree. “Thank you,” I say to Skyla before my eyes move around the room.

All the guys nod simply, like I shouldn’t think anything of it. The fact is, Skyla is their whole world. Each of them would do anything for her, and if I mean something to her, then I technically mean something to them. At least, that’s how it seems. Guess I don’t just have Brad now as a big brother figure. Thanks to my best friend and her magical, alluring pussy, I have five more brothers to add to the roster.

Wesley followed me all the way back to my dorm, at Skyla’s insistence, before walking me to my door. When we got there, an unexpected visitor was waiting for me. As soon as I see her, my feet falter. She’s leaning up against the door, her arms crossed. Bridgette’s eyes come to us as she quickly pushes away from the door.

“Hi,” she says softly.

“Hey.”

Wesley frowns; he doesn’t like her, and rightfully so. I mean, he only knows her as the girl who has slapped, bullied, and broken a goddamn plate over the head of the woman he loves.

“You good, Bartlett?” he asks me, keeping his eyes on Bridgette as he does.

I nod. “Thanks.”

He nods once in response, sending Bridgette one last scathing look before he heads for the elevator. Bridgette’s eyes track him.

“What’s with the escort? Are you okay?”

I wave her off as I take a step closer.

“Do you need something?”

She rolls her lips together. “Could I come in?”

I toy with the idea for all of point two seconds before I shake my head.

“I think it’s best if we stay out here.”

She frowns at that and nods like it’s the answer she expected.

“I’m sorry,” she says, her blue eyes practically glowing in this dim hallway. “About the other day. I…that wasn’t a fair position to put you in,” she says as she takes another step closer, lowering her voice.

I do the same so we can speak in just above a whisper.

“It’s not your fault, Bridgette. I made the promise to be faithful, and I made the decision to break it,” I say with a shrug.

Her frown deepens as she looks down at the floor.

“I remember making a decision like that; biggest mistake of my life,” she says as her eyes flick up to me briefly.

My heart tugs at the way she says that. Finding her with Asher was definitely only the start of our story. I thought it would have been our demise; instead, we descended into this messy and complicated limbo, where neither of us are getting what we want. Deceit, betrayal, and hurt. All the good times fade away, and suddenly. those three emotions are all that remain. Fuck, I have to tell Maryia.

Soon.

“I just came by to say that I’m sorry. To say that I know you’re with…her,” she says, almost like she’s gritting her teeth as she does. “I, uhm. I wrote this for you. I had my first therapy session today. She said that I should write letters when I don’t know how to talk to someone or about something, so…yeah.”