Page 213 of Hymns of the Broken

I step forward, not caring if he sees how close I am to snapping his fucking neck. Jasper’s tense beside me, one muscle jumping in his jaw. But Sawyer? She doesn’t even blink.

“You think I don’t know what real love looks like?” she says, soft but sharp enough to draw blood. “You think you can hurt me now? After everything?”

Blake leans back, eyes shining with a cult-leader gleam. “I know you better than anyone, Sawyer. You’ll be lost without me. They’ll leave. I never will.”

Jasper moves, coming between them, his voice just above a growl. “You’re never going near her again. You’re done.”

Blake laughs and the sound makes my skin crawl. “We’ll see, won’t we? When they’re gone, when you’re all alone again—you’ll come crawling back.”

Sawyer stands her ground, letting that old fear burn up, leaving nothing but steel in its place. “No, Blake. Not this time.”

I lean back, crossing my arms, letting my smile curl slowly and dangerously. “Keep talking, asshole. The only thing you’re crawling to is a shallow grave.”

Blake’s breathing shifts, lips peeling back in a bloody grin like he’s finally remembered he still has some cards left to play.

He looks right at Sawyer. “Go ahead, act tough. But they don’t know everything, do they? How you liked it when I—”

Jasper lunges, but I hold up a hand—wait. Let him talk. I want to see just how low he’s willing to go.

Blake’s voice turns mocking, sing-song sweet, aimed straight at the spot he thinks will break her. “You didn’t tell them what you did, did you? How you wanted it—how you liked the knife, the mask. You think they’rereallygoing to want you once they know how fucked up you are?”

He’s looking at me and Jasper, searching for even a flicker of doubt, of disgust—some proof his poison is working. But all I feel is rage.

Jasper and I don’t hesitate. We each grab one of Blake’s hands, pinning them flat to the arms of the chair. He realizes what’s coming a split second too late.

“Wait—wait, don’t—!”

Snap. Crack.

He screams, thrashing so hard the chair rocks, sweat and spit flying. I don’t flinch. Neither does Jasper. I lean in, cold and close, making sure he feels every word. “That’s for thinking you could use her to hurt us. For thinking you ever really had her, you delusional piece of shit.”

Blake sobs loudly, blood and snot mixing as his hands hang ruined. “You’re fucking insane—she’ll never—”

Jasper cuts him off, voice iron. “We’re still here, Trouble. Not going anywhere.”

“Oh, you think this is love?” he spits, wild-eyed, voice cracking. “She’s a mess. Ask her about her nightmares, her panic attacks. Ask her what it’s like to be so fucked up she can hardly sleep unless somebody’s holding her. Ask about her therapy—about her shitty childhood, all the things she did to feel something. All the shit she’s never told you. How she would cut herself, but she’s covered them with tattoos? Youreallywant to deal with that forever? She’ll alwaysbe broken. Always need saving. Always dragging you down. She’s damaged. You think she can love you back without bringing you down with her? She can’t. She never will.”

But Sawyer—God, she stands her ground, staring him down like she’s already won.

I go to stand in front of her, taking her trembling hand in mine. My voice is rough, but steady. “You hear that, baby? Sounds to me like you’re the bravest one here. You survived more than any of us ever could. That doesn’t scare us. It sure as hell doesn’t scare me.”

Jasper’s hand finds her waist, grounding her—grounding me, too. His voice is rough, unbreakable. “If this is what broken looks like, I’ll fucking break for you a thousand times. You’re not dragging us down. You’re the reason we’re standing.”

Blake sags in the chair, fight gone, eyes empty.

Sawyer wipes away her tears, hershoulders pulling back, herhead high. “I’m not ashamed anymore, not about any of it. You don’t get to define me, Blake.”

I press my lips to her temple—soft, a promise. Jasper leans in, forehead to hers, holding her close.

“We’re still here, baby,” I whisper, voice steady as stone.

“And we always will be,” Jasper says, just as sure.

SAWYER

I take a shaky breath, glancing between Jasper and Riot. “Can I… talk to him alone? Just for a minute. Maybe he’ll talk to me if it’s just us.”

Jasper’s jaw ticks, but he nods, stepping in close. “You so much as look at us and we’re through that door. Got it?”