Page 118 of Puck My Life

I don’t know where to go now.

But I drive because anywhere is better than here.

I thought losing them as lovers would be bad. But losing my family…that’s what’s going to scar my soul.

And I know that tonight…that was the last time.

No more chances.

I come out of the bathroom and crawl onto the bed, curling up on my side, my knees to my chest. The sobs won’t stop; the pain is relentless.

The hotel sheets are clean, and the room is small, but it doesn’t feel right; it doesn’t feel safe.

“What happened?” I whine. “I don’t understand what happened?”

It takes until the sun rises in the morning before the pain transforms into fury. I gave them all the chances. I put my heart on the line. I was courageous, and I was honest. They are not my boys. They have changed, and I don’t even know them anymore.

The anger I feel has me breathless. I need to get out of there. I can’t go back there.

I grab my phone and dial a number, chewing on my thumbnail, while I look out at the sunrise. It’s beautifully orange. It reminds me of war.

“Oh, God, who calls at this time in the morning?”

“Jansen?”

There’s a moment of silence before I hear him move quickly and bump into something. He curses, but then he’s walking.

“Where are you? Are you safe?”

I burst into tears.

“Vae? Where are you? I’m coming to get you.”

“I have nowhere to live. I have no job. They took everything.” My voice is broken, I am broken.

There’s a moment of pure wrath that pulses in the air, an alpha who is so strong you don’t even have to be in the same room with him to feel it.

“Where are you?”

I rattle off my address.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Get dressed; we’re going out for breakfast, and then we’re making a plan.”

Jansen pulls me into a hug the minute he sees me. “You look like shit, Vae.”

He ushers me to a sports car I haven’t seen yet. I climb in and put my seatbelt on.

He gets in and reaches out, covering my knee. “It’s going to be okay.”

“It’s not.”

He drives us to a very exclusive restaurant and leads me inside. No one else is here. The warm lighting gives it an intimate feel, while the solid textured surfaces and minimalist design make it feel open.

“Sit anywhere.”

I glance around. “Is it even open yet?”

“It is, but only to us.”