Page 116 of Oathbreaker

And I still ask “What’s happening?” anyway.

He takes a step toward me, and I skitter back a pace. He freezes.

“What’s happening, Colt?”

“Baby,” he says a second time, even more gently. “I have to go.”

I close my eyes. “You promised,” I whisper.

And he’s suddenly there, hands on my shoulders, face close to mine when I peel back my lids. “It’s Igor, he’s in trouble.”

I don’t want Colt’s friend and savior to be in trouble, don’t want him to get hurt. But?—

Pain ripples through me.

Because he promised he would stay.

Because this is history repeating itself.

Because I’m going to be alone and?—

A sob bubbles up in my chest but I force it down, grasp on to the tendrils of anger.

It feels so much better to be angry.

Instead of hurt.

I lift my chin. “You can’t go.”

His voice is beyond gentle. “I have to, baby. I owe him my life.” He cups my jaw. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

This is…

My worst nightmare.

No, it’s worse than my worst nightmare because this time Frankie is going to be hurt too.

“I need you to find another way to help Igor,” I order. “Because you can’t leave. Not when you promised me, not when you promised Frankie you’d stay.”

Remorse ripples across his face but I know it’s not going to change anything, least of all his mind about this—I can see that in the lines of his expression, feel it in the gentle way he trails his fingers across my cheek, slides them down to cup my jaw. “They’re hurting him, baby. I need to go help get him out.”

That gets me.

I’m not a monster.

I don’t want one of Colt’s friends to be in danger.

So, I suck in a breath, hold it tightly, and do my best to be rational about this. “I’ll worry,” I whisper. “I’ll worry but I’ll keep it together, will explain it all to Frankie?—”

His body starts to relax.

“If you tell me that no one else can do this?—”

He goes stiff.

“If you tell me that no one else can go in and get him out but you, you’ll have my blessing.”

He clenches his jaw.